Beth Durkee is an author of Christian romance, relationship self-help and fantasy. She has written three stand-alone novellas, contributed a small section to Ess-Jee Rautenbach’s premier book, How to Stand for Your Marriage, written a short promotional e-book (out of print) starring singer Darryl Markette (with permission), and is currently engrossed in writing her popular historical fantasy e-book series, The Legend of Lord Randall Castle. Across all genres, she is known for her characters, her descriptiveness and her anchor to morality. Her works include The Disposable Noble Wife, Navigating Marital Abandonment, The Bleeding Love, The Rumor’s Secret (out of print) and The Legend of Lord Randall Castle e-series.
– So many great achievements but yet, who exactly is Beth Durkee?
” Hard question. I have worn so many different hats in my life and each is so different from the next, but I am the culmination of all my hat-wearing personalities and I am just one at a time. Right now, I am wearing the hat of friendly recluse who writes amazing but undiscovered stories for a very tiny international audience.”
– How did you decide to pursue a writing career?
“I think it is more pursuing me. Really what happened is that I grew up in a household where my dad is an avid reader and my mom’s whole family is a bunch of story-tellers. I grew up with both and wound up combining them after my children were grown and I had nothing more interesting to do with my time.”
– Was getting published hard?
” I am self-published, so that part was not hard. The hard part is getting enough readership for my books to make a profit. I am not yet to that point so in that respect, yes. It is very hard.”
– Are your characters based on people you know?
” Some of them are. Some are not. For example, the druid in the very beginning of Engaging Enchantment is modeled after my favorite restaurant manager at Brothers 3 Pizza in Marinette, Wisconsin. But Barwick, the story’s hero, is someone I have never met. (But I would like to!)”
– What genre are your books?
“I have a Christian romance and a relationship self-help that got me started writing for publication, but now my focus has turned to my first love – fantasy.
– Which of your books is your most favourite?
“I would have to say that the one I am currently in the process of editing, Spellbound Souvenir, is my favorite so far. But then, my favorite is always the one I am working on or I would be working on something else.”
– Do you have a specific writing routine?
“It’s funny because I would not have said I do until I had to think about answering your question. Now I think the answer is yes. I pretty much get around to writing after lunch. That is about the time my dog lets me kick him off my lap and I can replace him with my laptop. Then I write until I am ready for a cup of hot tea. I get it, take a sip and resume writing until I realize my tea is cold. Then I stop for a while to reheat it. Sometimes I will repeat the cycle right away and sometimes I will stop for the day.”
– What are your current projects?
“Spellbound Souvenir consumes my world at the moment. I am absolutely in love with facets of of the story and with several of its characters. I need to get them polished for the e-book’s November 23 debut so we all are not embarrassed.”
– What’s next for you?
“I need to finish editing and publishing Spellbound Souvenir, of course. But then Book 3 in The Legend of Lord Randall Castle e-series needs to be titled and written. I have an awesome end in mind for the series and I have to figure out how to get to it.”
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Beth Durkee lives in the United States. She has a BS degree in Liberal Arts from Carroll University and has been imagining stories for as long as she can remember. In her spare time, she enjoys long talks with family and friends, travel, DIY projects and amateur radio.
Today’s guest is John Mathews, a tenured University Professor who lives in the beautiful city of Rome, Italy.
With a background in creative writing, professional blogging, and web content creation, John Mathews decided that it was time to start writing fiction novels and share his passion for compelling stories with unforgettable characters.
“I feel the desire to break out of the mold and delve into fiction which focuses on the dark side of human nature, both that which is unfeeling and indifferent to the fate of others and that which derives pleasure and a feeling of power from pain inflicted on them” he explains.
– Was getting published hard?
“I self published my books, so I am my own agent.”
– Are your characters based on people you know?
“My characters are not based on individuals that I have known personally, but each one is created from a combination of real personality types, mind-sets, and ways of thinking that I have experienced throughout my life.”
– What genre are your books?
“I write thriller / suspense novels.”
– Which of your books is your most favourite?
“I have just published my first novel on amazon,A Game of Greed and Deception, and it is a real doozy. Can you possibly guess what is really happening before the final scene?”
– Do you have a specific writing routine?
“No, I don’t.”
– What are your current projects?
“I am currently working on a crime novel with a real twist.”
– What’s next for you?
“I would welcome honest reviews for my novel on amazon.”
“I grovel on the floor, desperate to get to my feet. “Don’t leave me alone here.”
Jordan whirls back, his forehead stern. “This is your house, Piper. Why do you live someplace you’re terrified of?”
“I’m not afraid of all of it,” I say, bustling out before the door can shut on me of its own accord.
“Just parts of it.”
Phobic by Cortney Pearson
Fifteen-year-old Piper Crenshaw knows her house is strange. It’s never needed repairs since it was built in the 1800s, and the lights flicker in response to things she says. As if those things aren’t creepy enough, it’s also the place where her mother committed murder.
To prove she’s not afraid of where she lives, Piper opens a forbidden door, which hides a staircase that leads to the ceiling. That’s when the flashbacks of the original residents from 1875 start, including a love affair between two young servants. Each vision pulls Piper deeper into not only their story, but also her house. Piper confides in her best friend, Todd, whom she’s gradually falling for, but even he doesn’t believe her. At least, not until her house gets axed during a prank, and the act injures Piper instead, cutting a gash the size of Texas into her stomach.
Piper realizes her house isn’t haunted—it’s alive. To sever her link to it, she must unravel the clues in the flashbacks and uncover the truth about her mother’s crime, before she becomes part of her house for good.
Cortney Pearson is a book nerd who studied literature at BYU-Idaho, a music nerd who plays clarinet in her local community orchestra, and a writing nerd who creates stories for young adults. She lives with her husband and three sons in a small Idaho farm town.
Marie’s World tells a tale of love gone wrong, of doing the right thing even if it hurts and how to survive when your world is turned upside down. Famed dancer, actress and Reality TV star Marie returns from LA to her hometown in Scotland to escape the fall-out from the damaging revelations in her twin sister Layla’s thinly-disguised novel. As she attempts to rebuild her life and career with her partner Derek, Marie’s long-repressed memories and emotions come flooding to the surface, and she finds herself menaced by the world of her former husband, the only man she has ever truly loved and now her most dangerous adversary.
Author Kristal McKerrington is from Scotland, UK. She has a love for Scotland and for Vikings. Kristal has been a professionally published author since 2010. She writes erotica, young adult, thrillers and all different kinds of romance books.
Today I have the pleasure to host Kristal McKerrington on my blog. I asked her to say a few things about herself and she kindly accepted.
– How would you describe yourself?
Scottish, fun and fiery.
– How did you decide to pursue a writing career?
I ended up pursuing my writing career when I retired from dance and my friend from dance
started to help me follow the book world path. I’m honored that he believed in me enough
to show me the way.
– Was getting published hard?
Very hard, I learned a lot of lessons along the way. For instance I’ll never self publish.
– Are your characters based on people you know?
Yes, well they are based on characters to whom were created by people I know well.
– What genre is your books?
Romance, drama and sometimes I do erotica.
– Which of your books is your most favourite?
Marie’s World for sure. I know we are not meant to have favourites but that one is. It reminds me on the stories of my friends who use to live a dream that was similar to me.
– Do you have a specific writing routine?
Break down my novel then write the novel chapter by chapter. Sometimes I change up chapters
when I’m working on the book with Joe. Is schedule sometimes means that I must write chapters
when he is free rather than from chapter 1 to the end.
– What are your current projects?
I’m writing the second book of Marie’s World which are coming out with Austin Macauley Publishers ltd.
Change Me Lord Terry teasers that are coming out with Crimson Frost publishing. Vampire and The Wrestler which is coming out with Firefly Publishing.
– What’s next for you?
Expanding my career into other areas of interest and maybe working with Joe on more interesting genres or topics.
Kristal McKerrington is been a professionally published author since 2010. She’s a former writer for Calling Spots magazine. She created and wrote on Romance and The Wrestler for Bishop-Lyons Entertainment. She’s been a best selling author for XoXo Publishing. She’s appeared on TMZ a few times and writes with Reem Vision.
She writes for Reem Vision. She works with her co-author Joe E Legend on a line of books, which started in 2013.
Sarah discovers magic is not only forbidden in the human realm, it doesn’t exist. It doesn’t exist for everyone except the Necromancer, who has taken Jack prisoner.
Jack travels to the realm of the barbarians across the sea to discover the whereabouts of the parents who failed to appear at the end of the school season. When time passes with no word from Jack, Nicole decides its time to take action and enters a human realm where magic is forbidden under penalty of death. Cabal and Nicole must hide their elven heritage. Meanwhile, Hopper and Tom discover the renegade trolls are on the move and armed for battle. Will Nicole and the others find Jack and return in time to defend their home from the renegades? Will Jack survive long enough to be found?
Nicole paced back and forth from the door to the wall near the head of the beds nearly out of her mind with claustrophobia. She cursed Cabal. He was the lucky one. He traded his passage as any poor farmer would by working all day out in the sun and wind as a deck hand. Nicole was supposed to be a recent widow and as such was a prisoner to the cabin. How could she have been so stupid? Why did she agree to be newly widowed? She yearned for the sunlight and fresh air. Yet a widow in morning gallivanting on the deck in the bright sunshine would be inappropriate. If she didn’t get some fresh air soon, Nicole was convinced she would kill someone. Probably Cabal, yes, most certainly Cabal. She’d kill him the next time he came through that door with a bright red sunburn and an exhausted smile on his face.
Author bio:
I have one of those brains that won’t turn off at night. Many nights I would distract my intellect by revamping a movie, book or TV show in my mind. I would twist and turn the plots and characters to achieve the ending I preferred. That developed into side stories about my favorite minor characters. Each night I fell asleep in the middle of a grand adventure. It wasn’t long before I began to create stories of my own and put pen to paper.
I love a good adventure. I love a good romance. As the mother of seven children, I also learned to love to play video games. One day it occurred to me to write an adventure that flowed like a video game and I added a touch of romance. Thus, Hypnotic Journey was born. The HJ characters are like a family to me. They are foolish, daring, resourceful, passionate and dedicated to their friends.
My love for Science Fiction gave birth to the Treborel Series. It’s a paranormal Sci-Fi romance featuring a psychotic villain and a multiple layer of hero’s fighting to survive the chaos.
I write about how friendship and love can carry you through situations that you might not otherwise survive. You will find my stories exciting and steamy, but I am not an erotic writer. My stories fade to dark when the steam begins to rise, but take it from me, the steam does rise and emotions do soar.
Frances Grymes is the mother of three grown children, one being the R&B sensation J.Holiday, and the grandmother of seven grandkids. She’s also an Ordained minister, Motivational speaker, Singer, Dancer, Teacher, Hairstylist, and the list goes on.
“I’m also an ordinary person doing extra ordinary things” she says.
– Pretty amazing! But how did you decide to pursue a writing career?
“I started writing my autobiography in 1990, but my writing career didn’t start until 1993 after the passing of my husband. It started out by writing two poems about him, then two turn into eight hundred, Then I started writing and illustrating children and also created twin dolls.”
– Was getting published hard?
“No” – Are your characters based on people you know?
“Yes”
– What genre is your books?
“Regular manuscripts, non-fiction and fiction, children books.”
– Which of your books is your most favourite?
“I have so many favorites I can’t pick one at the present time.”
– Do you have a specific writing routine?
“No. If I think of something about a particular book I’m writing I just pop my flash drive in and get to typing.”
– What are your current projects?
“I’m working on three manuscripts at the present time.”
– What’s next for you?
“The next thing I want to do is a stage play for “Raising J.Holiday, A Mother’s Untold Story”, then of course the Big Screen.”
Well, we wish Good luck and we hope to have again when the movie is out!
Eula McGrevey is an American author who has an educational background in neuroscience and history, and currently works in the medical field.
With her debut novel, Progtopia, McGrevey hopes to educate and inspire freedom-loving people about history, politics, and life with this entertaining futuristic tale.
But who exactly is Eula McGrevey?
Who am I? Well, I guess that can be a loaded question. You see, I’m not a writer who has a nice cabin in the country, away from it all, weaving masterful tales from sun up to sun down. I’m like most modern writers: I have a job that has nothing to do with books! Not to say I don’t like the job that pays my bills, but anyone who knows me, understands I can get bored with things quickly, usually leading me to another project. Don’t get the wrong impression though, I am not one of these types who needs one hour of sleep and is go-go-go all the time. I can be as laid back as the best of them, lounging on the couch on a Saturday watching college football or just reading a book. I love history and science and have blended those backgrounds into my life.
How did you decide to pursue a writing career?
My main problem my entire life: I like a lot of things. I like science, history, reading, sports. Growing up, you want to do everything and then at 18 somehow you are to pick a career for the rest of your life! Telling your parents, “Hey, I aspire to be a struggling writer! Want to shell out some dough for college?” Doesn’t really go over well. My parents, always supportive of me and my siblings, felt we had to have a career that didn’t leave us destitute. What came next was up to us. So, I pursued studies in science and history, and ended up in the medical field.
I wrote a book in college. I never sent it anywhere or did anything with it, and in fact, it is either long gone, or buried in a box somewhere. Throughout the years, I’ve had some ideas about books I’ve wanted to write, but they were just that—ideas. Probably would’ve been a good read, but nothing more. On Christmas morning 2012, I was lying in bed, and the inspiration for this book came to me. I felt I had to do it. Can’t explain it, but it just happened. I thought about it for a while and started to write. I had to wipe off a lot of the cobwebs when it came to writing, but I kept at it, had people critique my work, rip it apart. No way to get better unless you get feedback.
Was getting published hard?
There are many platforms out there who will publish your book without using the conventional routes. The publishing world is rapidly changing, and I love it because it opens the market, giving the individual a chance. Some of the most prolific writers of modern times were rejected by publishing companies. Where would we be now if they hadn’t kept pressing on?
I decided to go with an online company to get my book out there. As a writer, I don’t want to abandon the rights to my works, my creations. Going down the road of not using a conventional publishing company, you must put out a professional, exciting product, which this book is. I’ve gotten rave reviews about the cover, the characters and story lines. And, the best thing I hear is: “When will book two be out?” You know you have created something special when people ask you that question.
Are your characters based on people you know?
No one character is consciously based on any specific person in my life. But let’s face it- there is no way the people I’ve met and interacted with during my life don’t seep into the personalities of the people in my books. May not even be people I know well. Could have been a lady at the grocery store who spoke with a nasally pitch and drove me up the wall, or some guy who was rude to me while standing in line. Things like that stick in you deep down, and then all of sudden when you’re writing about something that conjures up the feeling I had when those people were annoying me, it comes out into the character.
What’s funny, is now that this is going to be a trilogy, I’ve had people ask me to be in the book! And, if there is the right spot for their type of personality, then it’ll come in. Probably would have anyway.
What genre is your books?
The Progtopia Trilogy is a dystopian thriller. It presents a peek into the future and weaves the tale of how it happened. You are rooting for some of the characters when they get into some precarious situations. Some, you hope get what they deserve.
Which of your books is your most favorite?
Well, this is my first book getting published so I think it will always be my favorite. It’s the one that got me out of the gate and pushed me to pursue my dream of weaving a tale for the world to enjoy.
As far as what books I like? I’m all over the place: Vince Flynn, Patricia Cornwell, 1984, Atlas Shrugged.
Do you have a specific writing routine?
Since I work full time as a non-writer, I dedicate the weekends to writing. During the week, on my drive to work, I think about the chapters I plan on writing on the weekend. It is during the drive I develop a lot of my ideas. Saturday and Sunday, I get them on paper. Occasionally I will write after work, but that is not my norm.
When I write on the weekends, I start off by having a cup of tea, write for an hour, make some breakfast, and go back to the computer. After a few hours, I’ll eat again, then back to writing. End by dinnertime and relax or do work for my other jobs. That has been my weekend routine for the last two years. It isn’t work for me, though. It’s relaxing and exciting to create a world and characters from thin air. Not only is it fun, but it’s great to know someone will have the pleasure of enjoying my characters. Make them think. Make them laugh. Make them cry. Words can be powerful, if you put them together right!
What are your current projects?
Right now I am working on the other books in the Progtopia Trilogy.
What’s next for you?
Once I have completed the Progtopia Trilogy, I plan on taking a bit of a break, let my mind clear a little and see where it takes me. I’ve had such a wonderful time on this project, but I am excited to see where the future takes me!
PROGTOPIA
This dystopian thriller blends two different timelines into one twisted tale of ordinary citizens attempting to break the shackles of a tyrannical government.
A dark world seeks a glimmer of hope in Eula McGrevey’s riveting futuristic thriller, Progtopia.
In the year 2032, home schooling and religious schools have been banned, and technology has made facial recognition and drone spies part of everyday life. But thirteen-year-old Camille, on the run from the authorities, manages to evade them with the help of an ex-CIA agent who has secrets of his own. When the duo stumbles across the existence of Project Renaissance, a top-secret plan endorsed by the president, they do everything they can to stop it—but are they too late?
In the year 2172, the Giving Class runs the world while the Recipient Class lives to serve them, but is forbidden from marrying, reproducing, or even mingling with the opposite sex.
With books and religion banned, people’s main form of entertainment is an annual event known as The Trials. This televised show allows viewers to vote on whether participants will be sent to reeducation camps…or sentenced to death.
As Progtopia teases out the connection between these two time periods, readers will find themselves swept up in a darkly twisted world that is in desperate need of a hero.
As part of the Legends and Lore Anthology blog Tour, I was assigned to read and review Peradventure, a short story by Sarah Seeley. And I feel lucky I have come across Ms Seeley’s work. Peradventure is an absolutely a fantastic read. Amazing and chilling from the beginning to the end! I was engrossed from first word to last.
Peradventure by Sarah Seeley: A jinni must choose between the woman he loves and destroying the city that persecuted her.
Judging of the quality of this short story, I’m convinced the rest of the book is such amazing like this particular one.
Here is what Sarah Seeley has to say about her work:
How did the idea for this story come to you?
I read the description for Xchyler’s Mr. and Mrs. Myth contest, of which Legends and Lore is the result, and interpreted the theme to be about fantasy married couples who might be intent on destroying each other (as in the movie Mr. and Mrs. Smith). The story of Samson and Delilah seemed to fit that idea nicely, and I decided to retell it in a way that cast these two classic characters in a completely different light.
What makes your main character unique?
Delilah of Sorek is not the scheming seductress often portrayed from the classic Biblical tale. In “Peradventure,” she is a woman of tragic circumstances, caught between the advances of a brutal jinni named Samson and the wrath of his enemies as she struggles to balance doing the right things with her own survival. The jinni knows Delilah is afraid of his magic and doesn’t believe him when he says he loves her. The jinni knows Delilah is going to betray him. The jinni also knows she doesn’t belong in the city he’s come to destroy. He wants to save her, but she is too good, even for him.
Is this part of a series?
“Peradventure” stands alone.
When did you realize you wanted to be a writer?
I’ve always loved writing. My first attempt to write books was around age ten, though I didn’t get very far. I wrote little stories about my toy dragons coming to life, and adventures I had with my real life friends on Star Trek mission simulators at the Christa Mcauliffe Space Education Center in Pleasant Grove, Utah. I even wrote my own rule manuals for clubs that never took off (I was obsessed with the idea of starting common interest clubs as a child). I’ve also kept journals on my life from a very young age.
What have you written?
I have two independently published works. One is a novel, a paranormal thriller entitled Maladaptive Bind. It’s about a woman who survives being kidnapped by a serial killer and discovers she is turning into a vampire. The other is a novelette called “Blood Oath: An Orc Love Story.”
There is one other short story of mine aside from “Peradventure” coming out in a formal publication this year. “Driveless” is a technothriller about a paraplegic man trapped in what is essentially a Google Driveless car gone rogue. It is due to appear in Leading Edge Magazine Issue #66.
Overall I enjoy writing both science fiction and fantasy, and my stories tend to have darker elements.
What are you working on?
Lots of things. Short stories have been my main focus lately as a way to break into traditional publishing, but there are a number of novel-length projects I’ve started and set aside. I plan on completing more novels and taking the traditional rout to publishing them eventually, if I can. On the short story front, I’m churning out new stories at a slow but steady pace. I plan to enter more writing contests in the future, including Xchyler’s upcoming Steampunk contest.
How do you write? Longhand, typewriter, laptop, tablet?
I use a laptop while spinning drafts, but I also keep handwritten notebooks for brainstorming, making notes, or exploring structure points in my stories. Changing back and forth between handwriting and typing helps me shake ideas loose, focus, and combat writer’s block.
What is your writing zone and how do you get there?
I like my space quiet and generally like to work on my writing in the library, or at home late at night when my folks are asleep. I also like writing late because I’m too tired to care if my writing is bad. It’s easier to make connections and seed the various sections or chapters of my drafts when I’m not feeling self-conscious about things that aren’t quite working yet in my story.
What’s the hardest thing about writing?
Life gets in the way sometimes, for better or worse. I’m a slow writer and become discouraged easily. The best thing I’ve found to stay motivated and regain lost momentum is tenacity. I’m still learning. Every story I write is an exercise, exploring something new that I haven’t tried before. Demystifying what a story is and how to create one has been a long, slow, arduous process for me, with plenty of frustration and confusion and loneliness along the way.
What’s the best thing about writing?
Writing, like all art, is about exploring what it means to be human. There’s something magnificent about stirring the imaginations of others, and articulating thoughts and experiences in a way no one has thought of before. The ability to connect with other people and their emotions using something called words arranged on a two-dimensional page or a screen is amazing. An author can literally alter the metabolism and brain chemistry of their readers from miles and miles, and eons away. That is my favorite thing about writing.
What are you currently reading?
I’ve been listening to books on tape at work lately. I recently finished James Dashner’s Rule of Thoughts, and have plans to begin Edgar Rice Burroughs’ John Carter series as well as Ellis Peter’s Cadfael series. I have a non-fiction in my Audible cue called The Signal and the Noise by Nate Silver that I’m curious to listen to. For reading of the eyeball-scanning-text variety, I’m currently reading Jason King’s Valcoria: Children of the Crystal Star and Brad R. Torgersen’s science fiction collection Lights in the Deep. And I have far too many non-fiction books on psychology and evolution, my favorite topics, which I’ve begun and need to finish.
Do you prefer reading eBook or paperback?
I like both, but I do enjoy the feel of tangible pages. For my non-fiction collection in particular, I like paper so I can make handwritten notes in the margins when I feel so inclined.
What advice do you have for fellow writers?
Put people first, and be aware of yourself and your needs. Sometimes important things happen that pull me away from my writing goals. Sometimes less important things affect my mood and make it difficult to believe in my own abilities to learn and create. Sometimes the story I’m writing is simply not going to work out and I don’t know how to fix it because I lack the skill. Whatever the circumstances, I’ve seen that no effort is lost.
If you have to take a break from writing, do it. The key is coming back. If you’re passionate about it, you’ll return. At times, you might not feel like you’re any good, or like you have a clue what you’re doing. But if you keep working through all the things that don’t work and don’t make sense, the important things will start to click. You’ll meet one goal, after adjusting it several times. Then you’ll meet another goal, and another.
Don’t quit! Take care of yourself. Put people ahead of your craft. Keep learning. Stay determined. Be bold. Keep writing!
Author Bio
Through two wonderful mentored research experiences, Sarah E. Seeley had the opportunity to work with dead sauropods and ancient odonates while acquiring her undergraduate degree in geology from Brigham Young University. She hopes to study more dead things in the future and contribute to scientific discussions about what makes life on Earth so amazing. In the meantime, she explores the bright side of being human by writing dark fiction. Sarah’s independently published works include Maladaptive Bind and Blood Oath: An Orc Love Story. Another short story, “Driveless,” appears in “Leading Edge Magazine” Issue #66. You can learn more about Sarah on her writing blog at http://www.SlithersOfThought.com.
Blurb: Delve into myth and legend, where the Fates force post-modern man into a world of the unknown—a world long since dismissed as ignorant superstition.
The Brother-Sister Fable by Alyson Grauer: A young boy disappears into a realm where only his sister can follow.
Faelad by Sarah Hunter Hyatt: Claire Whitaker didn’t even know she was Irish, let alone The Morrigan, the goddess of war.
By Skyfall by Emma Michaels: A mer-couple from Atlantis find themselves in the middle of a human murder investigation.
Charon’s Obol by. R. M. Ridley: Jonathan Alvey didn’t believe in gods, until he helps a lost child find her all-powerful parents.
Peradventure by Sarah Seeley: A jinni must choose between the woman he loves and destroying the city that persecuted her.
Natural Order by Lance Schonberg: When Carlos Vasquez is kidnapped, he discovers powers within himself to change the world.
Two Spoons by Danielle E. Shipley: A little girl’s soul meets its match in the family diner’s most mysterious patron.
Grail Days by A. F. Stewart: Living forever has its drawbacks, especially when you spend it clearing away the messes of other immortals.
Downward Mobility by M. K. Wiseman: They say love conquers all, but can it save a Valkyrie when she breaks all the rules?
In my opinion Stephen Cost is a debut author to watch. His first novel The Fall is a paranormal suspense spiced with romance. All character are well developed, every scene in the book is poetically described and action climax till the explosive finale. My guessing is that a new book series is born and we have to wait for the next instalment. I have the feeling that the author has already the material for a lengthy book, which he decided to divide into two or more parts. However, if this is the case, I’m not sure it was a right decision because obviously this first book’s plotline is not well balanced. The first part is slow and all action happens in the second one. I can’t wait to see what’s next from Stephen Cost to find out if I guessed correctly.
“…forced to live a life filled with human emotions and moral judgments, but also forced to take lives to feed our undying hunger…”
THE FALL
By: Stephen Cost
Pages: 314
Genre: Thriller/Fiction/Mystery
For thousands of years, Death walked behind the dark veil of the living, waiting to ferry the dead. That is, until the day that Death took a life for pleasure rather than duty. On that day, the first Reaper fell to Earth. Now, Reapers live among us, craving the taste of death, forcing them to kill to satisfy their immortal hunger.
Giles Reid fell more than 300 years ago starving for the taste of death, only to find himself drowning in a sea of the living and blinded by a hunger that forces him to kill. In the centuries since his fall he has tried to be more human, desperate to live a life that makes up for what he is and the wrong he has done. Driven by his guilt over killing, he has chosen to feed only on evil; humans that have never been a threat to him but who are always a danger to others. That is, until the day he tries to feed on a human as strong, fast and cunning as himself; a human who, it turns out, has been hunting him. Now he is being pursued by the very evil he has fed on for centuries, embroiled in a deadly cat-and-mouse game, where friends and other Reapers connected to him are simply pawns on a chessboard waiting to be sacrificed. Giles is left with a choice, save the life of the women he loves, the daughter of his mentor, or betrays her for his own survival.
To save the woman he loves, Giles will have to be the monster he is.
The author has lowered the price of the book just for the tour! If you like a paranormal novel full of suspense with demons and a twist of thriller, grab your copy and make sure you let your friends know too! With a proof of purchase, you will also get 10 extra entries in the Rafflecopter.
“By the seventh day God had finished the work He had been doing; so on the seventh day He rested from all His work. And God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it He rested from all the work of creating that He had done.” The day that is the basis for The Fourth Commandment. (Genesis 2:2-3)
The following text was provide passage for his Children of Earth to his Kingdom of Heaven. This, he completed before the setting of the sun on the seventh day and so He rested from all His work. And God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on this day He celebrated his creation of life and Death, He rested from all provide passage for his Children of Earth to his Kingdom of Heaven. This, he completed before the setting of the sun on the seventh day and so He rested from all His work.
And God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on this day He celebrated his creation of life and Death, He rested from all the work of creating that He had done. (Geniza fragments, found Cairo, Egypt, 1947)
“Death is the beginning of immortality” –Maximilien Robespierre, July 26, 1794
1
Martins
People say they love the smell of fresh cut daisies, but I far prefer the scent of what pushes them up, the dead. You see, death has a scent all to itself, slightly tangy and bitter, pleasing and calming on the palate. Sure there are other aromas I love too, not just that of death, which can chase the chill from my heart, or would, if I had a heart; at least one that could beat and warm the night’s cold from my blood.
Every day I crave the smell of death and evil, I have since my birth. But living in a sea of flesh and blood, I have developed an appreciation for other human and earthly scents; Like the ocean, its sea salt assaulting my senses with a clean, pure bouquet, quite unmatched by anything manufactured. Or the first morning smell of fresh-cut, wet grass and, of course, women. Women smell so much sweeter than men. They, over the millenniums, have refined their scents out of necessity as much as pleasure, each expertly adapting their sultry, seductive and secret combinations of body lotions and perfumes. Honing this craft throughout the ages, to tempt and seduce men out of their minds.
But these are not the only olfactory delights to curl my toes and tickle my senses. For nothing—not the tangy stench of death, nor the sweet scent of a woman—compares to the most inspired aroma of all. Coffee. Nothing in my three-hundred-plus years of experience has compared. Sure, coffee itself has evolved, from non-filtered to filtered, from espresso to cappuccinos, and now from mocha’s to Frappuccinos, but the essence is the same. The intoxicating sweetness, the mild-to-bitter flavors that leave you wanting more—needing more.
You see, that’s my drug. Some people need cocaine, others heroin, and some crave cigars or alcohol. I, on the other hand, have the most
decadent, refined and expensive vice of all. And it’s because of this little addiction—or weakness—that I can be found most nights here, sitting on the dimly-lit, damp, covered balcony of Martin’s Books and Coffee.
I sip my overpriced drug while the not-so-distant smell of the ocean creeps its way through the maze and tangled web of Seattle’s wet streets. The cars filing by below enhance the scent of the ocean sitting not too far from here, as the sound of their tires splashing through wet, potholed roads echoes that of the rush of a wave over a rock and the sound of ocean spray.
On most days, Martin’s tends to be a good place to relax. One of the few independently-owned book stores left in Seattle, the atmosphere here is calming and the lighting muted. Not so dark that you cannot read a book and enjoy your coffee, but just dim enough so that someone of my, let us say fair complexion, can go unnoticed by the everyday person stopping by for a fix and a good book.
The décor is modern contemporary, although the designer clearly relied far too much on his collection of old IKEA catalogs, with a thousand shades of tans and browns with brushed steel accents scattered throughout, for effect. I do think that they might have gone a little overboard with the alternating redwood and pine floor boards. The effect is still pleasantly calming if not somewhat dull.
So, why so critical, you may ask? It’s an occupational hazard, I’m afraid. We all, Reapers and humans alike, must have a day job and mine happens to be that of a wine critic. The crème de la crème of critics, although, truth-be-told, I’m not a big fan of wine. However, I have been gifted with a palate most French chefs would give their sous chefs right hand for. Not their own hand, of course. No French chef I have ever met, and I have met more than my fair share, would ever think of giving that much for their craft.
“Mr. Reid, would you like another?”
The sound of her sing-song voice pulls me back to the moment, temporarily suspending my hazy, drug-induced stupor.
The question comes from Sarah, one of my favorite wait-persons here at Martin’s. Yes, I said wait-persons. Living—if you can call what I
do living—in a world of political correctness, I’ve learned it is no longer appropriate to refer to someone as a ‘waitress’. That would be such denigration. Sarah is just the typical twenty-something coffee house wait-person who can be seen in any of the hundred or so coffee houses that pepper the Seattle Landscape—not Sarah herself, of course, but the type. Tall, but not too tall, with long blonde hair. A lightly tanned complexion and the body, a perfectly sculpted masterpiece. I’m not sure about the other Sarah’s out there, but my Sarah has one defining attribute that I find hard to resist, her smell. The bouquet that wafts around her is subtle and ambiguous, what is that? Lavender with a hint of vanilla and cinnamon, perhaps?
I shift my head to look up at her. She really is a beautiful girl and I can tell I make her a little uncomfortable, but I’m used to that. Being a Reaper does have certain perks after all and it isn’t all about death and feeding, we have our needs, too. And women, well, they always find us Reapers attractive, mysterious and alluring. If they only knew the truth.
Sarah’s question hangs suspended in the air a few seconds, patiently awaiting my response.
“Do I want another? How many is that tonight, Sarah?” I ask.
She gives me a seductive little side grin. You know the kind; the grin that accomplished women practice in the mirror at night, trying to hone their craft to better seduce their prey.
“You’ve only had two tonight,” she replies.
Two is not entirely true. I have only had one and a half so far. Let’s not cheat me out of my other half cup.
Most nights at Martin’s are about the coffee, but not tonight. Tonight is not about my vices. Tonight is about my needs. My vices will have to wait.
“No more tonight. I’ll just be finishing off what I have left, Sarah.”
With that, she gives me another of her little sultry side grins, flips her hair over her left shoulder and strolls back to the bar. My eyes cannot help but follow her. She really does have a certain something about her walk. Perhaps it’s been too long since I let a woman seduce me. But tonight cannot be about that; tonight I have other needs that must be attended to.
I glance down at my watch to check the time, enjoying the novelty of it.
I find wearing a watch is such a novelty here in the twenty-first century. No one wears watches anymore. All around me I see people texting, playing games and talking in quiet whispers to unknown others on their cell phones. A cell phone may be the one-stop shop of entertainment and information overload, but it is also the tool slowly killing the faithful and dependable wrist watch. Progress be damned, I still love my watch. This is reinforced by the fact that I hate cell phones. They are the digital leash of the twenty-first century and unless it’s leather, I’m not wearing it around my neck or anything else for that matter.
My watch reads 9:45 p.m.
Soon, very soon.
Two weeks ago there had been a new addition to Martin’s. A customer, but not just any customer: This one had a certain scent about him, if you will. The sweet nectar of evil; I could smell it, I could feel it. It was palatable in the air, like an early morning mist hovering over the shore, waiting for the early entrance of sunlight to wash over it and chase it away.
I know evil. And yes, I suppose it does take evil to know it. But what is evil?
Is it the monster who kills? Or the monster who kills the killer?
This man’s evil was distinctive. He had killed and not out of necessity or duty. Those who have killed in that way had a different essence. But this man murdered for pleasure; he lusted for it. Ecstasies of power drive him to kill, control his actions and decide for him who is to be next, and when.
Not long to wait now. Soon. It will be very soon.
I can feel my hunger building; excitement, I suppose.
It has been almost three weeks since my last snack, a 42-year-old CEO who used his position to sexually abuse and harass those in his employ. Not as tasty or satisfying as a kill-happy psychopath or the hidden sociopath next door, but a tasty morsel nonetheless.
I crane my neck to the left a little, stretching to release the building tension.
Over my shoulder I can see the bestsellers rack and the number one book for this week; another vampire novel. How original.
Vampires. If only the world knew the truth.
People have told old-wives tales about vampires for centuries, desperately trying to explain what they could not understand. Very human, I suppose, but oh-so wrong. Vampires, werewolves, goblins, ghouls and banshees, oh my. All fictional creatures and all created in a desperate attempt to explain the inexpiable.
To grasp understanding of the supernatural. To try to embrace the unbelievable. Although, truth-be-told, misinformation can be a useful distraction for humans, when the truth lies far beyond the boundaries of their comprehension.
I’m fascinated by humans obsessions with the supernatural, especially in the Twenty-First Century. The stories have been so sensationalized over the ages that these romanticized creatures have had humanity grafted into their lore and being.
Really, humans should rethink their reality. Do you romanticize about a warm steak, or a perfectly cooked duck breast before you eat it? No, I don’t think you do, and neither do we.
I suppose it’s not hard to see how, at one time or another in history, one of my brethren may have been seen as one of those monsters. After all, every urban legend has its basis in truth. I wouldn’t be surprised if sometime in the past, someone looked at one of the smaller members of our group and the emergence of little gray aliens came to be. As I said, we do look a little pasty in the skin. In some lighting, you might even say, light grey.
This thought always brings a smile to my face. I mean really, what sorry excuse for a Reaper was ever mistaken for a four-foot, big-headed, skinny alien? And if it was one of us, what’s with the anal probing? Feed—Yes. Catch and release—sure. Fishermen weren’t the first to coin that phrase. Play with our food—we’re all children at heart. But anal probing? Well the Devil only knows where that may have originated.
What you have to understand is that, as Reapers, we have our proclivities to perversion in one form or another. I mean, you can only live for a few centuries before normal becomes boring and a little bit of deviancy spices up your day.
The sound of heavy footsteps atop the redwood floors capture my attention. I know those footsteps. I’ve been waiting for those footsteps.
9:55 p.m. exactly.
Predictable and punctual; always a nice trait to find in a fellow monster. I mean, really, could I ask for more? I suppose he could come on over, take a seat and let me kill him right here and now. But where’s the fun in that?
I track his steps as he stops at the counter to place his order.
What will it be tonight?
I feel like a kid in a candy store, waiting to see what delicious delicacy Mother has picked out for me. Of course, I have my preference: coffee, thank you. What could be better than a late snack and a cappuccino-flavored dessert? At this thought, I wipe away the smallest sliver of saliva that crests the corner of my mouth.
“Large coffee, black, to go,” he says smiling broadly.
Coffee, black. What, no cinnamon coffee cake? It’s excellent this time of year, I hear, and the sweet aftertaste of cinnamon. It’s divine.
My mouth starts to moisten and I have to swallow so as not to drool. Oh well, beggars can’t be choosers.
Stephen Cost was born in Wexford Ireland and raised in a small seaside town not far from Dublin. From a young age he would spin dark tales and write them down for his own amusement. At the age of 13 he moved from his home in Ireland to America and his love of dark American cinema took root.
He passes his free time, when not writing, by reading horror and fantasy genre novels in addition to watching science fiction and horror movies.
He graduated from University with a degree in Psychology and a minor in Sociology. A computer engineer by trade, he specializes in integrated system services and uses the knowledge gained from his degree to write emotionally captivating urban fiction.
I was looking for a nice Halloween gift for my teenage godson and I ended up with a great reading for me! Supernatural Hero is a fast paced young adult paranormal novel, beautifully illustrated, and with a plot twist that brings high suspense. Eran Gadot’s writing style is elegantly balanced, without redundancies, and hooks the reader. I found myself reading fast to find out what comes next. The definition of a page turner. All characters are well described. I loved Andy, the main character, a typical six grade nerd with a heart of gold, and his cute childish ignorance about death and cancer (“Stage four advanced, to me that sounds like the name of a new console game” he says). As I loved his granddad’s view of life (“If you give your all, even if you don’t get exactly what you want, you still win”). In my opinion this is a book that won’t only please teens and adults but it will make them think and reevaluate their perspective of live.
A book and a cup of coffee 