2014 Hot Calender Reads: October

It's 2014 and we're celebrating with an awesome fantasy themed calendar. This calendar is for the background on your computer and you can get this month's image below.

Each month will feature a different book or series, so if you want to challenge yourself, try reading each book or series that is featured before each month is over. The series for October is the Flawed series by Becca J. Campbell. She will be giving away three prizes to three winners. The first in an eBook ARC of Outsider, the second is winner’s choice of an eBook from Becca’s published works, and the third is a bookmark from UpCycledChicByBecca (Becca’s Etsy store). The winner of the bookmark must be a US resident. Be sure to enter the Rafflecopter below!

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Empath (Flawed Book 1)

Supernatural empathy isn’t a gift, it’s a curse. Anywhere she goes, Jade’s emotions are replaced by those of the people around her.

Jade grew up in a suburb of Colorado Springs, protected from other people by her parents. Now she faces college—and the world—with nothing to shield her from unwanted feelings.

When Cam, a classmate with a major crush on her, unintentionally hijacks her emotions, Jade struggles to keep from being carried away in feelings of attraction. When Ethan, a psychopath with a thirst for fear, fixates on her, the emotional impact could be lethal.

Caught in a deadly trap, Jade must untangle the emotions and find a way to use her empathic curse to overcome this killer or be overcome by him.

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Outsider (Flawed Book 2)

After a psychopath tried to kill his friends, Josh Schuyler figured 'normal' was far off. The real problem: Josh's friends have all acquired supernatural abilities, while he's still the same average guy.

Josh has always believed he was destined for greatness, but he's been out of college for two years without a clue of his purpose. After watching his friends and siblings develop superhuman traits, he wonders if he might be meant for something grand, too. Can Josh even hope for an extraordinary event in his own future? And how long must he wait for this transformation - if there is one?

When Alex met the Schuylers, she was grateful for new friends to whisk her away from her lonely life in California and give her an escape from her divorced, bickering parents and aimless future. But Josh won't drop his defenses, and Alex isn't sure she wants to trade her old life for this new, uncertain one.

Nicodemus has an amazing ability he's been milking for years to get whatever or whomever he wants. Things are going great until a young woman - Alex - inadvertently busts his latest swindle. Nic is furious when he discovers his power has been disabled, and he vows to find her in order to wreak his vengeance. She will be punished. All he needs is a little help from his friend, Ethan Black.

Josh has been waiting for his big break, or for the chance to be a hero, or just the opportunity to stand out in his own, extraordinary way.

Will Josh discover his purpose in time to stop Nic?

To Be Released Fall 2014

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Pulled (A Flawed Short Story)

Eight-year-old Juniper has been labeled many things—troubled kid, orphan, runaway—but none of her foster families have known what she really is: a girl with a unique and brutally inconvenient ability to teleport.

Her spontaneous jumps are not only beyond her control, they get her into trouble. When Juniper disappears, no one believes her wild stories, so she's stopped trying to convince them.

One day when Juniper gets pulled away, finding her way back is harder than ever. Stranded on the side of a deserted highway, she must rely on her own instincts to determine who is a creepy stranger and who she can trust.

Resourcefulness may get her home, but is getting home enough when you don't have parents that love you?

Juniper knows something most people don’t: there are others like her with unexplained abilities. Until now, she’s exercised stranger-danger caution, but maybe these people can offer what she needs.

Will Juniper find a family she can share her secrets with?

Approximately 7000 words.

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Author Bio:

An avid lover of stories that tiptoe the line between fantasy and reality (even when they plunge off one side or the other), Becca J. Campbell looks for new angles on bridging the gap between the two. She holds a special place in her heart for any story that involves superpowers or time travel. Her passion is defying the limits of her own creativity.

Becca’s journey into writing began as many of her other creative endeavors do – by daring herself to try something new. The question “what if I wrote a novel?” and some hastily scribbled notes on a church handout were the inspirations that jump-started her first book. Since then, she has written half a dozen additional novels and several shorter works.

As the wife of a musician and mother of three young boys, Becca’s life is never dull. Whether it is writing, painting or knitting, she enjoys making stuff that wasn’t there before.

She also runs an Etsy shop at UpCycledChicByBecca where you can order custom painted or knitted items and more.

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Supernatural Season 6 Makes Me Want to Cry

Warning* This blog contains some spoilers of the show Supernatural.

For the past few years I have avoided watch season 6 and beyond of the series Supernatural. I LOVED the first five seasons and felt they told a great tale about family, sacrifice, and kicking monster ass. Most shows tend to falter and fizzle into a story of the week sort of thing. Supernatural didn't because I believe Eric Kripke had a plan. That plan ended with season five and he left the show. However, it still continued, badly.

I finally broke down and watched season six out of morbid curiosity. Who were these characters? They certainly weren't the ones I'd grown to love during the first fives seasons, though they were still great to look at. It felt like the writers were really reaching to bring the plot lines together? What was the point of the episode with fairies? Let's give Sam and Dean something they haven't fought? Also, it took the breaking of 66 seals to open Lucifer's Box and 4 rings of the Horsemen to close it. Someone explain how Castiel can open the door and let Sam out without Lucifer or Michael noticing.

All in all, the season was completely lackluster. It got better toward the end, but I would only rate it to be about the same level as the beginning of Season 3. I watched the beginning of Season 7 and had another What the Fuck? moment. Why the hell would Dean bow down to Castiel when he said fuck you to every other Supenatural creature that wanted him to submit?

Do you like stories about angels, demons, and the supernatural? Pick up a copy of "A Prescription for Delirium" available on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Smashwords.

And I caught it all on film...

So, after a month of posting about supernatural creatures, I'm going to take things easy today. Let's watch some kickass videos about supernatural stuff. Enjoy! Warning: this is not for children or the faint of heart.

Starting out with this new show I've been watching. It's called Hemlock Grove. I love it for the Romanian folklore scattered throughout. This is Peter, the protagonist, changing into a werewolf. This gets gruesome and gory.

Next is a fan made video of Supernatural. Of, course I had to have something in here. With the song, it's really creepy. By the way, the song is actually a poem by Poe.

Last I have a a series of game trailers for the MMO The Secret World. I think I've mentioned that I adore this game. I even made Gabby on it and roleplay on the game with her.

A-Z Blog Hop: Golems

There are legends of golems throughout the world. The roleplaying game, Dungeons and Dragons, has golems of many varieties, from flesh to stone to metal. Golems supposedly came from kabbalistic tradition, though there have been tales of the creation of being from magic in other cultures like the ancient Greeks and Egyptians.  According to kabbalistic lore, a golem is an artificial living creature created using the sacred names of God.

One of the most famous legends about the golem is from Prague.  A Rabbi used his magical prowess to combine the four elements fire, water, air and earth to give life to a sculpture made out of mud. The golem, Joseph, was created to protect the Jewish people of Prague against Anti-Semitic attacks. He was even given a special amulet that made him invisible.

There is a lot of conjecture about the size of the golem. Some say he was huge, while others say he was normal sized. Apparently, he was hard to tell apart from humans, except he couldn't speak. This was probably because in order to give him life, a clay tablet had to be inserted into his mouth.  There are tales that he started out small and grew to a huge size. He did indeed grow stronger. And with more strength he became harder to control and grew destructive.

Old New Synagogue in Prague by Petr Broz

One day the people found the golem destroying the Rabbi’s house while he was in the synagogue singing psalm 92. The Rabbi rushed home and removed the tablet from the golem’s mouth. He never revived him again. The golem was supposedly placed in the attic of the synagogue.  The stairs were removed and entrance was forbidden for centuries. However, when the attic was explored but no golem was found.

Are there any tales of created life or golems that are your favorites?

Do you like stories about angels, demons, and the supernatural? Pick up a copy of "A Prescription for Delirium" available on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Smashwords.

A-Z Blog Hop: The Flying Dutchman

Beware on the high seas for the Flying Dutchman, mateys. All right, it’s not actually Davy Jones’s ship, but it is a rather famous ghost ship with several variation of the legend.

In the Dutch version, Captain van Straaten vowed to sail around the Cape of Storms, now known as the Cape of Good Hope during a bad storm. The ship was lost and it is said the ship and its crew of dead men are condemned to sail the spot forever.  Seeing their ship during stormy weather is an omen for disaster. The Germans say the Captain was named von Falkenberg and the ship can be seen in the North Seas. In this tale, the Devil visited the ship often and played dice on deck with the captain for his soul. The captain lost, of course, and was condemned to sail the seas for eternity. Hmm, now I see where the movie got the dice game. In the British version, the ship was sailing in the Cape of Good Hope and a storm arose. The crew begged the captain to turn to a safe port, but he refused. He challenged God to sink his ship. Instantly an apparition appeared. The captain told it to leave, but it remained. So, he drew his pistol and fired on it. The gun exploded in his hand. Then the apparition cursed him and his crew to sail forever. In another legend, a goddess appeared on deck and was mistreated. So, she cursed the ship to sail until the end of days.

In 1923, a ghost ship believed to be the Flying Dutchman was seen by four sailors at the Cape of Good Hope. According to the fourth officer, it was seen 15 minutes past midnight, which is supposed to be the witching hour.

Have you ever seen an apparition? Perhaps not a ghost ship, but something else?

Do you like stories about angels, demons, and the supernatural? Pick up a copy of "A Prescription for Delirium" available on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Smashwords.

A-Z Blog Hop: Empusa

Long ago when the world was a lot younger that it is now, the Greeks walked around in their togas wax rhetoric and worshiping their gods. They didn't speak of the things below out of fear it would bring their attention. One of things was the empusa.

The empusa is considered to be a vampire but is more of demon because it is not undead. It has no shape of its own; instead it has many guises, such as a beautiful young woman to lure its prey. It enters the body of its victim and consumes the flesh and blood.

The most known story appears in The Life of Apollonius of Tyana by Philostratus.  Apollonius was a philosopher and willworker who was believed to have performed great feats of magic.  The story starts out with a young man named Menippus who met a beautiful woman as he walked along the road to Cenchreae. She was an empusa, of course, and he fell under her spell. Apollonius was skeptical and attended their wedding. She claimed to be the owner of the gold and silver trappings of the house as well as the servants. Apollonius revealed that she was a vampire intent on devouring Menippus. It broke her spell and all her gold, silver, and servants disappeared.  She weeps and begs Apollonius not to reveal her true identity but he does with his awesome powers. She admits that she was luring Menippus in order to eat him. And so he is save from a horrible fate.

Are there any types of vampires or demons that are your favorites?

Do you like stories about angels, demons, and the supernatural? Pick up a copy of "A Prescription for Delirium" available on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Smashwords.

A-Z Blog Hop: Devil Made Me Do It

Grab your crosses and bible folks. Today we’re going to be talking about the Devil. Now, before you get upset it’s always good to know your enemy. You can fight against it better if you have knowledge. So, let delve into the depths of darkness and meet the Devil.

So, the term devil is derived from the Greek diabolos which means slander or accuser. This word actually came from the Hebrew word Satan. Now, according to Hebrew lore, Satan was an angel, the tempter of humans. The Devil evolved over the centuries from Satan, Lucifer, and the pagan deities Pan or Cernunnos.

In many religions evil is represented in the form of gods that are not wholly evil. As Christianity spread, these gods became devils or evil and were some of the beginnings of the Devil himself. For instance, The Egyptian Set personified more of a dark side than many of the other. As the evil brother of Osiris, her represents chaos and destruction. Added in were a few demons from other cultures, like the offspring of Tiamat from Mesopotamia.

One of the most interesting predecessors would be Angra Mainyu or Ahriman of Zoroastrianism. He is the personification of evil, the exact opposite to Ahuru Mazda or Ohrmazd who is the personification of all good. It is said that Ahriman will be defeated by the coming of the Savior. Yes, there are a lot of parallels between this, Judaism, and Christianity.  Even Islam has something like it. It is a Djinn known as Iblis. Both Zoroastrianism and Iblis will have their own posts later this month.

In the New Testament of Christianity the Devil becomes more personal and is represented as an antagonist of God. He has legions of fallen angels that are not turned demons and is poised to wage war on God. Jesus, the Son of God, is sent to Earth to defeat him since the Devil had power over the physical world. In Revelations it is said that Christ will return to defeat the Devil and bind him for a thousand years before destroying him. And thus, the dualism of Christianity has come to be, with a god of light and and god of evil and darkness.

In A Prescription for Delirium, devils are the Fallen Angel. Yes, Lucifer is among them, so he can be considered the Devil, but the book doesn't focus on him. The difference between demons and devils in the book is their origin. However, it doesn't

 matter as much to Gabby. She’s willing to kill both and in large numbers.

I love hearing from you. Are there any gods from mythology that you think may have attributed to the Devil?

Do you like stories about angels, demons, and the supernatural? Pick up a copy of "A Prescription for Delirium" available on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Smashwords.

A-Z Blog Hop: Curses

I’m sure you can all imagine an old crone hunched over a small doll or figurine, muttering as she lays a curse upon her victim. Well, the thing is it wasn't just witches that cast curses. A curse is a type a spell intended to bring misfortune down upon someone else. This could be bad luck, harm, illness, and sometimes death. Though anyone can lay down a curse, the most dangerous were those laid by someone in authority, like a priest or priestess, someone with magical skill, or someone who had no other way to see justice done, like women of the poor.

Curses could take effect immediately or lie in wait for years. Some have even been laid upon families, affecting generations. Deathbed curses are the most effective, since the curser’s life force goes into it. A lot of victims are not told they are curse so they won’t find a witch to remove it for them. However, having the victim know can be just as deadly as the curse itself because the victim can cause his own demise.

Witch Dall Curse by Malcolm Lidbury

Curses call upon supernatural powers to effect a harmful change. The most known way of cursing someone is with a figure or effigy that represents the victim. These could be of wax, cloth, wood, or clay and had something associated with the victim attached to it such as hair, nails, clothing, or even dust from his footprint.  The effigy was melted or burned and as this happened the victim would suffer and die when the figure was destroyed. Sometimes the figures were stuck with pins, knives, or thorns. I think most of us have seen movies with the voodoo dolls. In Ireland there were cursing stones that were turned over as a curse was recited.

Though Wiccan practitioners frown upon curses today, other practices still use them. My main character Gabby in A Prescription for Delirium had the curse of immortality put upon her. Have you ever heard of interesting stories about curses?

Do you like stories about angels, demons, and the supernatural? Pick up a copy of "A Prescription for Delirium" available on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Smashwords.

A-Z Blog Hop: Beelzebub

People often mistake Beelzebub as another name for Satan, or Lucifer. Actually they are three separate entities. We’re going to focus on Beelzebub for this post. He is a Prince of Demons. There is some contention to whether or not there are other princes.

Beelzebub is a distorted version of the Canaanite god “Baal-zebul” which means “Lord of the Divine Abode” or “Lord of the Heavens.”  His name got twisted to mean “Lord of the Flies” and he became a demon. The Prince of Demons had been depicted as a giant fly or a huge monstrous creature that sits upon a giant throne.

So, where did he get his title? According to Hebrew belief, he was the Prince of Demons during the time of Jesus. The Pharisees actually accuse Jesus of exorcizing demons in Beelzebub’s name. At the time, it was believed that the only way to expel unclean spirits was through pacts with demons.

Solomon supposedly bound Beelzebub at one point, with the help of his magical ring. It is from Beelzebub that Solomon learns that demons supposedly live in stars. Beelzebub claimed to be the chief angel in heaven and the last of the fallen ones.  Solomon told him to cut stone, to which the demon protested that it’s such a menial task for so great a demon. Solomon offered him his freedom if will tell of other heavenly things. Beelzebub told him he could strengthen his house by burning oil of frankincense, myrrh, and saffron and lighting seven lamps during an earthquake. Solomon didn't believe him and ordered him to cut marble.

The Gospel of Nicodemus, an apocryphal text, describes how Beelzebub came to rule over Satan. Supposedly, Satan bragged that he was going to take Jesus to Hell after his crucifixion.  Satan wanted revenge for all those embarrassing moment he lost to the Son of God.  You’d think he would have learned. Beelzebub knew that Jesus was too powerful and begged Satan not to do it. But, evil is arrogant. So, Jesus arrived. Beelzebub pushed Satan out and barricaded the gate. That didn't stop the Holy One.  He trampled Satan, broke the barricade and released the trapped saints with a word.  They immediately went to Heaven with him. Yes, Jesus pwnd Hell. Afterwards, Satan told Beelzebub that he would serve him forever.

Beelzebub was also popular in stories of witchcraft (the bad kind) and of witches having orgies with him.  Beelzebub is also said to rule over Gluttony, the fifth of the Seven Deadly Sins., which means he plays a pretty powerful role as a ruler of Hell in my mythos for A Prescription for Delirium. All in all, Beelzebub is a pretty powerful demon, but he did start out as a god.

Do you like stories about angels, demons, and the supernatural? Pick up a copy of "A Prescription for Delirium" available on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Smashwords.

A-Z Blog Hop: Angels Among Us

“And flights of angels sing thee to thy rest!” –Hamlet by Shakespeare

We all know of angels right? Those invisible beings that watch over (or interfere, depending on your view) us throughout life.  They are the beings that mediate between us and God, and minister everything in the natural order of the universe.  Though angels exist in Judaism, Christianity, and Islam, they are connected helping spirits in mythologies throughout the world. Actually, the term angel stands for one class in the Angelic Orders. Today, we’ll just stick with the Christian version, because the others would make this more confusing.

Angel’s main job is to serve as messengers between Heaven and Earth.  Those prayers you whisper with your hands clasped and your eyes closed are delivered to God by angels.  They then give God’s answers in the form of inspiration. They also serve as Guardian Angels.  In Christianity, Angels are the lowest order of angels.  I know, it’s confusing, but have you read old Christian texts? They’re not exactly clear.

The next are the archangels, who serve as liaisons between God and mortals and are the supervisors of guardian angels. It is said that the archangels are the guardians to heads of state and other important figures. They are also in charge of heaven’s armies against the legions of Hell. Three of the most popular archangels are Michael, Gabriel, and Raphael.

Principalities are the seventh highest order of angels. They watch over entire nations. Each principality is assigned its own nation to look after. Supposedly, they can help humans call on secret powers (superpowers anyone?) and help subdue others.

The Powers are responsible for fighting evil spirits who seek to cause mayhem through humans. They protect the divine plan initiated by the Dominions (we’ll get to them) and performed by the Virtues (they’re next).  Pretty much they seem to be the Navy Seals of angels.

The Virtues primary duty is to perform miracles on Earth. They also provide grace, courage, and valor. God governs the seasons, elements, and heavens through the virtues even though lower angels have direct responsibility for the tasks.

The fourth highest order is the Dominions. They proclaim the orders of God and regulate the duties of the other angels. You could say they’re middle management.  They are also the angels of mercy.

Next up, the thrones are God’s living beings of justice and authority. Interesting enough, the thrones are depicted as wheels with many eyes and reside in the cosmos where material form begins to take shape.

The Cherubim are not the cute little cherubs you see pictures of. They guard the way to the tree of life in the Garden of Eden. They’d be God’s secret service so to speak. Cherubim have four faces and multiple sets of wings. Do you Zachariah in Supernatural? The way he described himself, he would have been a Cherubim.

The highest order is the Seraphim. They are the caretakers of God’s throne and shout praises of "Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts. All the earth is filled with His Glory." The Seraphim have six wings, two cover their faces, two cover their body, and two cover their feet.

So, there you have it. Heaven runs a lot like a nation, with the lowest order still the hardest working one.  Are there any particular orders you like best? In A Prescription for Delirium, my order of angels is really different from this. There are seven archangels and the rest of the Host is under each of them.

Do you like stories about angels, demons, and the supernatural? Pick up a copy of "A Prescription for Delirium" available on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Smashwords.

Supernatural Hunting Armory: Knives and Swords

I know what you're thinking. Swords? How antiquated. But sometimes a bullet just won't cut it with a supernatural creature. I mean, have you ever seen a vampire die to bullet wounds? If so, it's rare. Sometimes you can accept no substitutions for a good beheading. And if whatever you're hunting is still alive after having its head removed from its shoulder, well, you should run.

A Bowie Knife

So, we'll start with knives. While not the best for beheading, they are easier to conceal than a sword and can do some damage, such as the Bowie knife. This type was actually popularized and named after Colonel James "Jim" Bowie.

A Machete

Standing somewhere between a knife and a sword is the machete. This is a 12-24 inch cleaver like blade which was used to cut through rain forest undergrowth and cutting sugar cane. However, it is considered a sword because several militias and guerrillas have used it as a sword. In fact, the Brazilian Army's instruction for Jungle warfare developed a "jungle kit" that includes a 10 inch machete, a 5 inch Bowie knife, and a sharpening stone. Because of it's cleaver like blade it it perfect for separating the head from the shoulders of any pesky monster.

A "broadsword" with basket-hilt

In the Kate Daniels series, written by Ilona Andrews, Kate uses a broadsword names Slayer. Which she does a lot of. While she is not a hunter, she is a mercenary that tends to go after monsters. She uses Slayer very proficiently. Broadsword is a tern used for basket-hilted sword that became popular in the mid 16th century. It was termed broadsword because the blade was wider than that of the rapier which was also popular during that time.

A Sundang

And the last one I'm going to mention is the sundang, which Gabby from "A Prescription for Delirium" uses. The sundang is actually a sword variation of the kris or keris blade. Keris blades are more of a rapier. The sundang has a straight or sinuous blade and a particular hilt. It has almost lost its point so it is better for slicing that thrusting. Gabby practice Eskrima, usually with her sungdang and a knife in her offhand. Good for lots of bloodletting.

What swords or knives do you thing would work well for hunting supernatural creatures?

Want to know about Gabby and her hunting style? Pick up a copy of "A Prescription for Delirium" available on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Smashwords.

Now in Japan

Uploaded by crystalliness

So I watched a couple of the episodes, it looks nice. However they have been using different episodes for different seasons. The fist episode is about the first shape shifter they run across while the second is an episode from season three. Let's just say the writers used a lot for creative licensing. I will watch some more and see how it is.

Inspiration

I've decided that I will update my blog every Thursday.

Now, on to more important topics. Inspiration. I was watching a fan made video for Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel. It is one of the best I've seen. I really reminded my how the two shows influenced my current story. Since A PRESCRIPTION FOR DELIRIUM is based around a group of supernatural hunters, these two shows helped shape it into what it is now. As did the first five seasons of Supernatural (The show ended after season five. I refuse to believe there is a season six) and of course Dracula. Anyway, I'm going to leave you with two great clips. The first is the Buffy/Angel clip and a fan made clip from Supernatural.

Made by carsmellborp

Made by July83rose 

I'm also leaving you with a question. What inspires you?