4 Lessons Learned from 483 Pieces of “Desk” by Susan Harris Howell

FEARLESS FRIDAY

Oh my do I feel the pain of my guest blogger. We just purchased a put-together desk recently...but I stepped back and let FDW fight with it. Ah, the language! Enjoy this post from Susan Harris Howell. She is fearless for tackling such a project. And then check our her book which sounds like a fun read.

My new desk came to me in 483 pieces—slats, panels, and hardware wrapped in plastic bags for “easy delivery and assembly.” My daughter commented that the company might have just sent me a tree and an ice pick for the work it would require.

I sat on the floor, surrounded by debris that looked nothing like the desk I had ordered. I wanted to lie down and cry. I would have too if I would’ve had enough floor space to lie down. This was an impossible task. 

I wanted to send it back, but I could no more repack that box than I could unring a bell. So, I picked up the forty-eight-page instruction booklet, turned to page one, and put the “twist-lock fasteners into outer ends A and C.” 

That first step was the beginning of a three-day process which led to the beautiful desk I now adore. It also taught me a few things about another “impossible” task I would soon face – writing my first novel. 

Here’s what I learned. 

Lesson One: Just do today’s work. 

As I thumbed through the encyclopedic-sized instruction manual, I knew I’d have to narrow my focus. So, I concentrated on step one without mentally moving on to steps two or three. This helped me begin and kept me moving forward.

Likewise, when writing a book, we often work best by tackling one manageable task at a time without mentally wandering into steps two, three, or beyond. Narrowing our focus can move us forward.

Lesson Two: Be confident. 

That first day, colleagues dropped by to offer condolences. I assumed they would know more than I and would have secrets to share on furniture assembly. Sadly, none of them did; evidently, there were no secrets.   

Similarly, when we have a story to tell, we can’t assume someone else will tell it better. They have their own stories to write, their own desks to assemble. My story is my story; your story is yours. Be confident in the telling.

Lesson Three: Use available resources.

On the first day when my husband offered our power drill, I declined since the instructions clearly said power tools weren’t necessary. On day two, I grabbed that power drill and didn’t let go. Using the right tool made the task easier.

Likewise, when writing, we can avail ourselves of quality resources. Books, conferences, blogs and podcasts – a lot of information is out there. Find it and use it. 

Lesson Four: Let others participate.

When one of my students (now a friend) offered to help, I gratefully accepted. Not only was Bethany’s help priceless, she and I bonded through our desk-a-thon experience. For several days, we posted pictures and progress reports on social media. Friends across several states watched with interest and celebrated the finished product.

In the same way, writing is richer when others walk alongside us. Whether they read each draft, encourage our persistence, or subscribe to our newsletter, many will participate if we invite them. Don’t go it alone.

The take-away?

My desk now serves as a daily reminder of what can be accomplished when we focus on today’s work, remain confident, use available resources, and invite others to join us. 

I hope these lessons encourage you in your next “impossible” endeavor.

Book Blurb:

When Samantha and her students uncover a campus death, they must draw on everything from science to seances, to learn what happened before Samantha gets fired for “dabbling in the paranormal.”

Buy Links:

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Spirit-Vanderlaan-Samantha-Hayes-Book-ebook/dp/B0DHV65RM4?ref_=ast_author_dp

B&N: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-spirit-of-vanderlaan-susan-howell/1146282868?ean=9781509258888

Author Bio:

Susan Harris Howell is a psychologist and retired university professor. The Spirit of Vanderlaan, draws on her career to capture the warmth between a teacher and the students who inhabit her office. Susan is also the author of Buried Talents. She and her husband have two grown children, a daughter-in-law, one adorable grandson, and an incorrigible beagle named Doc. 

My Social Media Links:

Website: https://susanharrishowell.com

Instagram: www.instagram.com/susan_h_howell/

Email List & Monthly Blog:  https://susanharrishowell.substack.com

Facebook: www.facebook.com/susanhowellwriter

Vampire Wicked by Frankie Sutton

WICKED WEDNESDAY

Today's guest on Discover... for Wicked Wednesday is Frankie Sutton. Frankie is going to share a wicked scene from her book, Vampiric Crush. Vampires qualify as wicked, I'd say. Tell us about yourself, Frankie.

Howdy, I’m Frankie. Being born and raised within Motown, aka Detroit, it’s no surprise that creativity is in my blood. I’ve experimented with scripts, role playing, songwriting, novels, poems. After dabbling with Hollywood (appearing in two movies and a music video) and doing local singing contests, I found my home in writing novels (and poetry). 

Tell us a little about the book, Frankie.

Shae Taizer hides in the protective Royale Realm, away from the reach of Gerard, the infamous manipulative Vampire King. Yet she seeks a way to rid herself of the vampire's crush on her, denying him an ally in his quest for pleasure. She would rather
die than become his Vampire Queen. 

But after recalling a childhood of being raised among Civilians, she is gifted her own Pandora's Box. She discovers a prophecy bonding her to two Civilians, Nickolas and Kiran. One is the key to defeating Gerard. However, reuniting with them ignites something more sinister--her own Vampiric Crush.

Where can we purchase Vampiric Crush?

Amazon: https://a.co/d/2ag4SKt (Kindle) & https://a.co/d/4LeOR06 (Paperpack)

Now, let's have a wicked excerpt from the book.

While observing the arrival of the others entering the room, Shae’s eyes narrowed wickedly. She bared fangs at Dorian while briefly levitating. “How nice of you to join us.” She smirked at Diane. “It’s a pity that I must take leave now…just as things were getting so juicy with your husband.” Darkness wrapped around Shae’s figure. 

“Shae, please…” Nick’s voice was a shocked whisper coming from his crumbled cowering position as she settled back down on the rug. She took a step toward the door and the lackeys rose off their knees. 

Dorian stepped forward, standing next to Nick. “That’s not Shae.” 

As Shae stopped at the doorway, the lackeys moved to file out of the room via the hole in the wall. “You are of no use to me in this sorry state,” she scoffed. A distracting glow of blue formed within her peripheral. She whirled around and there was Dorian, standing tall and determined despite his slight frame. The rippling muscles in his arms only begot her amusement, evil laughter rippling from within. “Oh, my foolish husband. Or should I say ex-husband. You want to play?” 

Before Dorian could even react, she swept one of his legs with remarkable agility and he fell backward. Jumping atop him, she whispered a spell and sucker punched Dorian with a heavy fist—knocking him out cold. 

“MOM. DAD!” 

Diane turned to see Riley standing in the doorway. “Riley!” 

Shae slowly stood up over a now unconscious Dorian. She turned her attention to the girl, her breath coming in short, sharp bursts. “Foolish little Riley…” 

“Riley, go back to your room.” Nick’s voice trembled, as he tried to warn his daughter away. 

“Shae, stop hurting my family!” Riley, yet again, dared to face the danger. 

“You are trying my patience!” Her rage was building. Shae took a swipe at Riley. 

Diane snatched Riley out of harm’s way. “Nick…do something!” She sent him a disappointed glance before rushing Riley out of the bedroom. 

“Shae, stop this now.” Again, Nick grabbed her upper arm. “Don’t let Jacquain’s path be yours.” 

For a moment, she hung her head, “Nick, please…” Save me! 

But Nick’s hesitation was much too long. Their bond wasn’t strong enough yet. 

She shoved him away with a snarl. “You try that again…and you’ll lose a daughter.” Then Shae vanished from their home.

You can connect with Frankie Sutton here:

Website: CreatorFrankie.com

Twitter: https://x.com/MotownCountry

BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/frankiesutton.bsky.social

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/motowncountry/

Check It Out! by Susan Harris Howell

 MUSE MONDAY

Please welcome Susan Howelll to Discover... for Muse Monday. It's a fun library story.

I have been borrowing library books for as long as I can remember. And while I do buy books occasionally - to support a new author or if the book has information I’ll want to reference later - most of my reading today comes to me in digital form from my library.

I used to wonder how authors felt about people borrowing rather than buying their books. But considering the number of books purchased by libraries and the number of people who wouldn't read their books otherwise, I assume that authors, as a group, are pro-library.

I know that this author is. When people check out my books, I’m happy. For one thing, goodness, I get it. If you read a lot you can go broke buying each book you find interesting. Plus, the more libraries that carry my books, the more people will benefit from what they offer. And I won't pretend otherwise - I hope those who check out my books today will become fans who look forward to buying my next release.

The first time I saw my first book, Buried Talents, in our local library I was more than a little thrilled; the same, when I happened to run across my second, The Spirit of Vanderlaan.

Okay - In the interest of full disclosure, I didn't happen to run across it - I entered the Taylor County Public Library of Campbellsville, Kentucky like a woman on a mission. I zipped past all authors with names beginning A-G like I’d found a rainbow leading to my pot of gold. I slowed just a bit at Kristin Hannah and Ernest Hemingway, but I stayed the course. At Bell Hooks I knew I was almost there. My hands danced along the spines of those books like I was practicing scales on the piano.

And then— then I saw it. Sitting there on that shelf like it belonged.

My book.

I giggled and did a little happy dance. I’d never thought about authors getting a kick out of this sort of thing. And who knows, at some point it might get old. But I doubt it.

So, if you've purchased my books, borrowed them from a library, or even stolen one from a friend - you have my sincerest gratitude. And if your library doesn’t already carry them, I would appreciate if you’d request the physical and digital copies so others can discover them too.

And if you don’t have a library card, September is the month to get one. Your future favorite author is waiting to be discovered. And when they find out they have a new fan, I bet they’ll do their own happy dance.

Blurb:

When Samantha and her students uncover a campus death, they must draw on everything from science to seances, to learn what happened before Samantha gets fired for “dabbling in the paranormal.”

Excerpt:

As she walked to her first class of the day, Samantha congratulated herself that for the first time this semester she would arrive at her own class on time. A glance at her watch revealed she even had five minutes to spare. With Douglas Hall in sight and her classroom on its main floor, she was sure to make it on time—“Samantha!”

Grrr! So close. Although showing up late for class frustrated her, she was mostly annoyed by the person who was about to detain her. If I ignore him, maybe he’ll go away.

“Samantha!” This time he was more insistent.

Samantha released a breath of resignation. She should have known better. He wasn’t the kind to be ignored. Samantha turned to face him as she reached the door of the building. She hadn’t been at Vanderlaan long enough to flout someone who carried the weight around here that he did. “What can I do for you, Len?”

Dr. Len Titus stood before her, dressed as always, in a suit with a starched white shirt and tie which he would loosen by afternoon. His graying hair with a precise part on the side had become his hallmark, along with his hands-on-hips pose and gravelly voice. Levi’s imitation of each was spot on, although professional decorum required that Samantha refrain from the encouragement her laughter would ensure. Since Len Titus was of slight frame, someone unfamiliar with this man might assume passivity or weakness. Not Samantha.

“I see we’re both teaching in Douglas Hall this semester,” he said. “Hope I won’t be in your way.” He peered over his wire-rimmed glasses. “Or you in mine.”

Samantha took a breath, gritted her teeth, and walked through the door. She would use the back entrance next time. 

Buy Links:

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Spirit-Vanderlaan-Samantha-Hayes-Book-ebook/dp/B0DHV65RM4?ref_=ast_author_dp

B&N: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-spirit-of-vanderlaan-susan-howell/1146282868?ean=9781509258888

Author Bio:

Dr. Susan Harris Howell is a psychologist and retired university professor who taught and mentored students for over thirty years. Her novel, The Spirit of Vanderlaan, draws on that career to capture the warmth between a psychology professor and the assortment of personalities which inhabit her office.

Her first book, Buried Talents, focuses on the subtle ways women are discouraged from entering male-dominated occupations. Through her writing and speaking, her passion is to free others from unnecessary restrictions so they can step into their best life.

Susan and her husband have two grown children, a daughter-in-law, one adorable grandson, and an incorrigible beagle named Doc.

Contact Information and Social Media Links:

            Email: susan.howell.writer@gmail.com

Website: https://susanharrishowell.com

Instagram: www.instagram.com/susan_h_howell/

Email List & Monthly Blog:  https://susanharrishowell.substack.com

Facebook: www.facebook.com/susanhowellwriter

 

Vampires in the White Mountains by Kate Hill

Please join me in welcoming guest blogger, Kate Hill. I too love the White Mountains of New Hampshire. Kate adds a fun twist to the area.

It's not surprising that many of my stories are set in New England. I've lived there all my life. One of my favorite places is the White Mountains of New Hampshire. It's the location of a setting that appears in both the Darkness Therein (Ancient Blood 2) and the Immaculate (Ancient Blood 3). Jocelyn's house in the woods is a place where the characters, both vampire and human, go to meditate, practice magic, and train for important events like the battle against the First Father in the Immaculate. 

When the characters visit Jocelyn's house, it's a way for them to break away from their harried lives—usually they're in the middle of a crisis!— and focus on what they need to do. Surrounded by beauty and fewer distractions, they are able to

get in touch with their magic, their powers, and their connection to the wild parts of themselves. 

I've shared some photos of the White Mountains area and an excerpt from the Immaculate. I hope you enjoy them! 

What are some of your favorite settings in books?  

The Immaculate (Ancient Blood 3)

Heat Level: Steamy

Purchase Links:

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0DK2MCDF8

Barnes & Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-immaculate-kate-hill/1005704391

UBL: https://books2read.com/u/bzywNL 

Scarred in mind and body after a brutal attack, Mara travels to Spain in pursuit of an explanation for flashbacks that hint at supernatural evil. There she meets Adam, a gorgeous vampire fighting demons of his own. Bound by mutual attraction and suffering, it seems they can heal each other, until their romantic relationship turns potentially deadly for one of them. 

Note: The Immaculate was previously published. This re-edited version contains additional scenes. The Immaculate contains scenes with sex and violence. The story refers to past rape, past child abuse, and a past suicide attempt.                        

Excerpt:

“Good boy.” Vincent pointed a long, wiry finger at Adam. “Keep sharpening those telepathic skills. Someday, you’ll be a helluva psychic. But for now, we hunt.” 

The men fell silent. Leaving the vicinity of the house, they entered the dark woods. To vampires, especially Immaculates, everything was as clear as day. They traveled swiftly and quietly through the trees.

 The scent of a buck wafted on the air. The animal plodded through a nearby creek. 

Though this particular prey wasn’t his, Adam’s pulse still quickened with desire for the chase. He held back his animal instincts. It was Matthew they wanted to assess. 

Vincent caught Matthew’s eye and motioned with his head in the direction of the deer. 

For a moment, Adam thought Matthew might refuse, but his brother’s vampiric scent was strong. Pure, animal excitement rolled off the doctor. He fixed his unblinking gaze on the buck. Simultaneously, the antlered creature and the vampire bolted.

Matthew moved so swiftly through the trees that for several moments, Adam and Vincent nearly lost him. Matthew’s initial attack had taken them by surprise, but soon they fell into step and had him in sight. 

Adam bounded through the trees, branches lashing his face, and followed Matthew over a brook. The scent of trees, damp earth, and the buck’s fear hung on the air. Running wild and free through the forest was so exhilarating, yet they weren’t free. Not really. No one was free until the First Father was destroyed. 

About Kate: 

Kate Hill is a vegetarian New Englander who loves writing romantic fantasies. When she's not working on her books, Kate enjoys reading, working out, watching horror movies, and researching vampires and Viking history. She runs the Compelling Beasts Blog that is dedicated to antagonists, antiheroes, and paranormal creatures. Kate also writes as Saloni Quinby. 

Visit her online at https://www.kate-hill.com. Join her newsletter at https://kate-hill.com/index.php/newsletter. 

Contact Links: 

Website: https://www.kate-hill.com

Blog: https://kate-hill.com/blog/

BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/kate-hill

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/16157.Kate_Hill

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/katehillromance/

Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/katehillromanceandmore/

Tumblr: https://www.tumblr.com/blog/katehillromancewritingandmore

Twitter: https://twitter.com/KateHillRomance

Dance, Dance, and Write by Chelsey M. Ortega

MUSE MONDAY

I love to dance, but I don't have the talent my guest, Chelsey M. Ortega, has. Enjoy her delightful post today on Discover... for Muse Monday.

Nothing opened up the U.S. to ballroom dance like “Dancing with the Stars”. But in my corner of the world, Utah County, ballroom had been popular years before; and popular at Brigham Young University decades before. And with such a long history, it’s not surprising that a handful of DWTS pros every season hail from Utah County; including one of the judges and co-hosts. 

My mom danced through the BYU ballroom program in the ‘80s, and my dad provided the sound system for a local high school’s ballroom concerts in the ‘90s and early 2000s. So, with that as my background, I wanted to be a ballroom dancer. 

My mom signed me up for my first class when I was eleven. My teacher was a lady in our neighborhood who had refurbished her garage into a small dance studio. After a year with her I went on to another studio owned by my dad’s friends. After a year there, I entered secondary school, where ballroom classes and performance teams were offered as elective classes. I spent 7th-12th grade taking technique classes through my school and performing and competing on the school teams. I danced for two years in college, and then chose to focus on starting my family and finishing my academic degree. 

I was good enough to make the teams, but I wasn’t the best dancer on the team. Trying to keep up with
the girls who did have natural raw talent taught me hard work and dedication. Most of my time I started out as an alternate and worked my way onto the team and competition routines. And my Senior year in high school, I made all three competition routines the first time, without needing to start as an alternate. It felt good to earn those spots; and the years of never giving up have bled over into my writing career as I took rejection after rejection, and worked on my writing craft before The Wild Rose Press said yes.  

Today, a little over ten years after I stopped dancing, ballroom dance is still something that I cherish. I cheer on teammates who turned dance into their career, religiously watch DWTS, and dance in my kitchen while I’m cooking and cleaning. Latin is my favorite style: Cha Cha, Samba, Rhumba, Paso Doble, and Jive. With my very favorite Latin dance being the Samba. I discovered my Senior year that I also had a talent for American Smooth: Waltz, Tango, Foxtrot, Viennese Waltz; with Viennese Waltz being my favorite -though based on the judges scores, Waltz was my best dance of the four. 

Since dance is no longer a huge part of my current life, I have chosen to live vicariously through my fictional characters. When I was creating Annamaria’s social life, I put her on her high school dance team. But since I placed her in a tiny fictional town in Wyoming, the chances of it being realistic for a ballroom team to be at her high school were slim; so she is on a dance company which covers jazz, contemporary, lyrical, and hip hop. Later on in the story, Annamaria meets two professional ballroom dancers… who are also vampires. The three become good friends, and Annamaria joins their online dancing channel. 

These scenes were some of my favorites to write. I chose the type of dance, picked a song with lyrics that matched the planned message, and choreographed it in my mind. Then, I had to sit down and write it in a way that the reader would be able to see what I saw. And I would like to share with you the Viennese Waltz: 

The first routine was a Viennese waltz. They told the story of a man and woman meeting and falling in love. Tyler and Annamaria portrayed a couple starting off as shy, then blossom into comfortable and loving. The entire process had been so fun, like swaying through clouds. 

The TV showed the preview screenshot of Annamaria with her right arm around Tyler’s neck, the left trailing behind her with her left foot popped. Tyler’s right arm was around her waist, his left trailing behind him. Both leaned away from each other in a frozen twirl. 

The music started, and Annamaria danced into view. Tyler danced in from the opposite direction and the duet began. They spun and swayed, Annamaria’s light blue dress swirling around her, the rhinestones catching the light. For the last verse of the song, Annamaria completed a seamless onstage costume change by using magic to replace her blue dress to a flowing white gown. Their human audience would think it was just superb editing. 

BONDWITCH

Eighteen-year-old Annamaria Lyons has never left her small hometown of Harrison, Wyoming. She has lived with her aunt, Trinity, since her parents died when she was two years old. Trinity has been a wonderful guardian with one exception—she won’t allow Annamaria out of the house after sunset. That is, until the night of senior prom. Annamaria's long-lost sister arrives, bringing with her a world full of hidden family secrets and the supernatural. 

Forced to flee her childhood home without a proper goodbye to her human life and first love, Annamaria immerses herself in the magical world. New friends and a new suitor challenge her original dreams for the future, and when she finds herself caught in the middle of a centuries-old conflict, Annamaria must decide to rise above it or give in to the darkness. 

Bondwitch can be purchased here:

Amazon:https://www.amazon.com/Bondwitch-Chelsey-M-Ortega-ebook/dp/B0CF6H8NYC?ref_=ast_author_mpb

Barnes & Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/books/1143894193?ean=9781509251940

Bio:

Chelsey M. Ortega is a teacher by day and award-winning author by night. History is her first love, and any story involving magic and romance, her second love. She especially loves witches and is still awaiting her acceptance letter to a well-known school. Chelsey received her Bachelor's in History Teaching from Brigham Young University. In addition to writing, Chelsey teaches high school U.S. History and ELD. She lives in Utah with her husband, three children, and two cats. Follow Chelsey at www.chelseymortega.com.

 

 

 

 

Wicked Cream Puffery by Mickey Flagg #WickedWednesday #Recipe

WICKED WEDNESDAY

Don't we always love a wickedly good recipe? And read to the end about a wickedly good book too. Please welcome my guest, Mickey Flagg. 

I have a delicious dessert to share along with a bit of a story about those wickedly important holiday bakes that become tradition. Every Christmas, my mother baked a particular Italian cookie. One or two of my aunts always came to help. She had a large Sicilian family, and this recipe called for 14 eggs, 5 lbs. of flour, a pound of butter, and so on. I’m sure you get the picture. With no bowl big enough, the flour formed a well on the kitchen table, the eggs and everything else went in the middle, and strong arms kneaded the cookie dough until they were ready to be rolled and shaped into mounds. The result? Cookies on every single flat surface available. Then the icing and sprinkles… another multi-hour task filled with love. 

I never mastered those traditional cookies, although I bake them every Christmas. But one of my mother’s cookbooks ended up in my hands some 25 years ago. Woman’s Day Collector’s Cookbook of 1960, priced at 95 cents. The book, its pages brown with age, had never been opened. One recipe called to me. Hmmm…. mom never made cream puffs. Neither did my 17 aunts (7 on my father’s side and 10 on my mother’s). So, I began a new tradition.   

For the past 25 years, I can’t show up to Christmas dinner at my sister’s home without a large tray of petite cream puffs. It’s a game with my nephews… how many can they pile on their plates and consume after a scrumptious meal. We all laugh. I beam with pride. This year, our newest family member, only months old, had a taste of the cream filling. Her eyes brightened and everyone witnessed the next generation of traditional cream puff fans.

 Making Petite Cream Puffs can be a bit complicated, but a wickedly delightful dessert. 

Ingredients

1 cup water                 ¼ cup of butter           ¼ teaspoon salt           1 cup sifted flour

4 large eggs beaten     Cream filling              Confectioners sugar 

In a saucepan heat water, butter, and salt to a full rolling boil. Reduce heat, and quickly stir in flour, mixing vigorously with wooden spoon until mixture leaves the sides of the pan and forms a ball. Remove from heat, transfer the ball into a large mixing bowl, and add beaten eggs in 6 additions, beating after each addition (electric mixer at low speed makes this easier). Make sure your oven is very hot, so pre-heat and bake at 400º F. Drop dough from a metal spoon onto greased baking sheets, forming mounds 1” apart. For petite cream puffs, measure a little less than a heaping teaspoon of dough for each. This will make about 24 puffs. Bake until they are golden brown so the shell will be hard and hollow. Remove to racks. The puffs are cooled completely before you fill them. I often wait a day to let them dry out.  

 Whipped Cream Puff filling: In a cold mixing bowl, add a pint of heavy or whipping cream and mix on high. Add confectioners sugar to taste (I prefer the whipped cream moderately sweet). It must be very stiff so that the beaters stand on their own. Place the bowl in the refrigerator for a few hours to get the whipped cream very cold before filling the puffs. 

When you’re ready to fill the puffs, cut them open and pull out any soft center. Fill a large Ziploc bag and cut a small tip out of the bottom if you don’t have pastry filling bags available. Generously fill cream puffs so the cut-off lids look like little hats on each one. Generously sprinkle with confectioners sugar. Refrigerate until serving.  

Just like the main character in my novel, Petite Cream Puffs are wickedly complicated as well as wickedly good! Here’s a little info about The Vampire’s Retribution:

Dreams are often hidden desires… even if they are terrifying. Michael Malone, a mystically enhanced vampire, destroys three immortal sorcerers and begins an unprecedented battle. Poisoned and captured, he’s left to rot in a cell beneath the city. Guided by the heavenly entity known as Helena, he spins a complex fantasy of survival. Michael’s fading mind creates emotional twists and unexpected turns, passionate highs and very realistic lows. Is there deliverance or the end to his immortal existence at its conclusion? Each revelation offers hope. Yet Michael’s last words doggedly remain “Let me die.” His original reasons for the singular battle are noble. One is retribution. The other is love.

Buy links: Amazon.com: The Vampire's Retribution (The Champion Chronicles Book 1) eBook : Flagg, M.: Books

Barnes & Noble: The Vampire's Retribution by M. Flagg, Paperback | Barnes & Noble® (barnesandnoble.com)

 

About Mickey:

Always an avid reader, the realm of paranormal fiction is the perfect landing point for Mickey Flagg. After a successful career as a music teacher and an urban school administrator, she continues to spin stories of passion, love and redemption. She’s been a contributor in a book on urban music education and has also authored an article for Still Standing, a web-magazine about loss and healing. Named a Distinguished Music Educator at the 2010 Yale Music Symposium, Mickey is a life-long New Jersey resident, a member of Liberty States Fiction Writers, and a Professor in Residence with a local university.

Inspiration in Her Dreams by Fiona McGier

MUSE MONDAY

How fun to have Fiona McGier on Discover... for Muse Monday. And let me clue you in: all of her books are on sale at Smashwords in July. I've also heard some are free. Leave a comment and ask her about them!

Hello, I’m Fiona McGier. Have you ever wondered how authors get the ideas for their books?

For me, the answer is often dreams--vivid and convincing dreams, which show me the story arc my characters want me to write. One time I dreamed of a brilliant Black female scientist doing research into the brain chemicals involved with intelligence. Once she succeeded, her boss sent her home with orders to tell no one. When she balked at that she became the target of murderers sent to silence her. The dream also had the Mayan prediction of the end of time in 2012 as part of the setting. I started to write Keesha Brown's story but got stalled during the second chapter, where I had to introduce a man for her. I was going to have him be a Native American doctor, but it just wasn’t flowing out of me. So, I put it aside. 

Months later I had another dream in which a tall, pale man with white-blond hair spoke directly to me. Never before or since has a character spoken so boldly to me like that. He told me I was having writer's block because I was giving Keesha the wrong hero--it had to be him. Then he smiled, showing me his fangs. "Oh no," I told him, "I don't write vampires. They're too overdone. There's nothing more to say about them." He shook his head, still grinning, and told me, "Research the Mayans." I woke up the next morning and did just that.

What I found was that the religious and public rituals of the Mayans all involved blood sacrifices. Leaders would pierce themselves in various places, many of them sensitive, intimate areas, to produce blood collected on paper or fabrics, or in urns, to be offered to the gods. I wondered why the Mayans regarded blood as life—then I remembered those fangs in that sexy blond guy's mouth and saw him nod at me. Of course! Vampires were the Mayan gods! 

I pulled the manuscript up, tossed out the second chapter, and the rest of Prophecy of the Mayan Undead wrote itself. My vampires are intelligent and articulate because they are the ones who have what it takes to survive eternity. We all think we want to live forever but in reality, life is precious because it's ephemeral. Anything taken for granted loses its value. My supporting vampire characters include a 700-year-old Spanish teenager who crossed the Atlantic with Columbus, and his chosen mate for the last two-hundred years, a Russian man forever in his early twenties. The hero is Yuri Kozakov, brought across in his late twenties by Rasputin in the waning days of the Romanov Empire. César has lived for centuries in the Yucatan Peninsula surrounded by ancient Mayan structures, supporting himself as many vampires do, by being a part of the supply chain of illegal drugs that have no effect on the eternal ones, but render their cattle more controllable. And all are working in various ways to support the return of the Mayan gods as predicted for December 21, 2012. 

Blurb: Keesha wants to find a way to increase the intelligence of humans to save the world. What she finds is the secret to eternity that comes from the stars, and a love that can save her. Ying never expected to discover her own humanity in the arms of an alien--he never expected to fall in love. Can they join forces with others on Earth to face the return of the Mayan aliens and save humanity? 

Excerpt:

Yuri is a Russian vampire who has been searching for years for someone to help him research what causes vampirism. He engineers a meeting to Keesha because he thinks with her intelligence, she can find his answers. Once he meets her, he is surprised to have his body respond to her generous curves, since he had thought himself to be "past all that". When she doesn't show up in the coffeehouse they had agreed to meet at, he goes to her apartment to find out why. When he finds evidence of a fight, he’s determined to find her.

         He quickly searched her apartment for anything that might give him any clue as to where she might have run to. Then he remembered the boyfriend.
     Of course. She’d have run there first. Now where is her computer? I can break into it and hopefully find an address or phone number for him.
     It didn’t take him long to find what he searched for. With one final look around, he promised the air that he would make someone pay for the damage done to her piece of mind.
     If she’s been harmed, I’ll tear the limbs off the persons responsible and laugh while they bleed to death.
     A few minutes later, Yuri scaled the side of the building Dan lived in, up to the penthouse. He stood on the balcony watching and listening as Dan made a phone call.
     “Is it done yet?”
     He listened, and then responded in a petulant voice.
     “You said it would be done already. I know you are just waiting until they call you to tell you it’s done. Every minute that she’s still alive is another minute she could find someone to believe her about what’s been going on. That would jeopardize the plan.”
     He listened again and then sighed heavily.
     “Fine. Just let me know when it’s done, all right?”
     Yuri felt the growl start somewhere deep inside of his soul. He watched until the perfidious boyfriend turned his back to the balcony to pour some brandy into a snifter. He didn’t have time to turn around before Yuri sank his teeth into his neck to sip the blood while he delicately sorted through the recent memories.
     Two men were pursuing her. They chased her for days. They found her today. They are driving her to a desolate place so they can kill her. She knows too much. We can’t let her ruin all these centuries of planning.
     With a start, Yuri broke off the contact to stare at the man who collapsed at his feet.
     Centuries of planning? He’s mortal and too young to have even seen a half a century. What is this all about?
     “Danny-boy? When are you coming back to bed?” Two naked blonde women stood in the doorway leading to what apparently was the bedroom. They stared in shock at Yuri standing over the object of their desire.
     Damn.
     Throwing himself across the room, Yuri grabbed a wrist of each of the girls and twisted, forcing them to kneel in front of him.
     “Look at me,” he commanded aloud, while exerting enough mental force to capture their minds but not to destroy them. He created the memory of watching as Dan collapsed while pouring himself the brandy. No one else was in the room.
     He let go of them both, then turned and walked back to the balcony. Determined, he gathered his strength and took a deep breath, then imagined himself riding the night breezes out of the city. And he did.Universal buy link: https://books2read.com/u/barA8x

But for the month of July, since I self-pubbed this book on Smashwords, it’s half-price, so $1.49, ONLY if you purchase it at Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/1023111

Author BIO:

I write romances that involve strong, independent women who don't mind casual flings, but who are not looking to fall in love. Enter the man who decides this is the woman for him. I think that how they ultimately both realize that they have found the one is the most interesting part of a romance. I read and review romance because, as I've told my long-time HEA, the only men I'll cheat on him with live in books. Some I write, some I read. And he's okay with that. Phew!

Website: www.fionamcgier.com  (1st page is my blog.)

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