A little paranormal feast

This whole blogging thing really sneaks up on me. As usual, I have no idea what to say since my mind is full of camping plans and researching guinea pig pregnancy. (One of my piggies is expecting...I've felt he babies kick.) This morning, on the way to the mailbox, I wondered why nobody has done a guinea pig shape shifter. Now you can laugh, but anyone who knows me knows that I'm all about unusual animals being made into paranormal creatures.

Last summer, I thought it would be funny to write a story about a moose-shifter. When Samhain bought the story (Last Prophecy), I think I asked the editor if she was serious or if she was joking with me. This summer I have a beaver-shifter story coming out under my other personality (Courting Damnation at Forbidden Publications). I've seen rabbit shifters, fox, bear, cats, wolves etc and just for fun, I thought I'd ask what everyone thinks about the animal part of a shifter personality. What's the most unusal animal you've seen used in a story? How much of the animals personality should bleed through to the character's human persona?

Thank you, authors of Beyond the Veil, for inviting me to hang out with you today. I'm at the day job in a meeting from 9:00am to 10:30am MST (Mountain Standard Time) so if you drop me a post during that time, I'm not ignoring ya, I promise :D

So, what's the brou-ha-ha about paranormal romance these days? Is it the fact that authors of the paranormal come up with some of the most delicious heroes imaginable? Or, that we create worlds that allow a person to escape from everyday life, even if just for a few minutes in between diaper changes, meetings at work, or trips to the bathroom - (don't knock it, 'cause some of the best reading time is done in the bathroom!) Or is it the fact that authors of paranormal romance actually make you WANT a werewolf alpha or a sexy vampire? Who-da thought?

Some have asked me, the total paranormal nutball, where some of my ideas come from. And it's a hard question to answer. Some of my character's personalities and beliefs come from real life. Some come from things I'd like to do in life. Some, I just pull out of my a--, uh, hat. For example, the spirit guides in PRIMED TO POUNCE (Ellora's Cave) and EGYPTIAN VOYAGE (Ellora's Cave) are a mish-mash of Lakota myth and spiritual belief. I am part Lakota Sioux and Blackfeet and tend to weave some of the things into my stories that I heard and read while growing up.

On the other hand, a mix of my love (though not always 'like') for fitness plus professional experience working with pharmaceuticaul and biotech manufacturers found their way into CARINIAN'S SEEKER (Samhain Publishing) and SERATI'S FLAME (Samhain Publishing). But these two books are vampire stories with big bad alpha male vamps as the GOOD GUYS. What the hell? Did TJ run up on a couple of vampire cuties and decide to write a book about 'em? Er, not. But I can wish...

Another couple of books (JAGUAR'S RULE and SPIRIT OF THE PRYDE - Both from Ellora's Cave) feature jaguar and African lion shifters. Now, where'd they come from? I don't have a clue. The ideas just came to me one day and turned into two of my favorite stories.

I think paranormal appeals to so many because you can pretty much go anywhere, meet anyone between the pages (and the sheets), and experience all manner of yummy things with gorgeous alphas...even if they don't exist. We can even do magic! Any kind, any time, and in any way we wish. Long live paranormal romance! Wooo baby!

Personally, if I could get my hands on one of the sexy Were's I've been reading about lately, you wouldn't see me for AWHILE!

So...spill it - What is it about paranormal romance that turns you on? What do you want more of? Lay it on me, I can take it *wink*

TJ
..• ´¨¨)) -:¦:-
¸.•´ .•´¨¨))
((¸¸.•´ ..•´ http://www.tjmichaels.com/ -:¦:-
-:¦:- ((¸¸.•´* http://www.dynamicthree.com/
CARINIAN'S SEEKER, V.C.O.E. Book 1, Avail in digital and print
SERATI'S FLAME, V.C.O.E. Book 2, Samhain Publishing, August 2007
POUNCE ~ PRYDE ~ JAGUAR'S ~ GIFT WRAP, All available at Ellora's Cave
EGYPTIAN VOYAGE ~ Coming Soon from Ellora's Cave

May 15 New Releases at Samhain Publishing

In the speculative romance arena, we have:

"The Wolverine and the Jewel" by Rebecca Goings
A Fantasy Romance Novel

http://samhainpublishing.com/romance/the-wolverine-and-the-jewel

"She doesn’t know who she is or where she came from. But she knows she’s in love with the man who found her." Book II of the Legends of Mynos series.

And don't miss:

"Cade's Challenge" by Becky Barker
A Contemporary Romance Novel
"When a dangerous stalker shakes her world, can Sallie trust Cade enough to reveal her secret past?"

"Nightswimming" by Rebecca James
A Mainstream Novel
"A story about love, friendship, fidelity, and betrayal…and how the birth of a child can change everything."

"One Bashful Lady" by Brenda Williamson
An Historical Romance Novel
"One bashful lady discovers her dashing husband might be a traitor to their country.

For longer blurbs and excerpts, check out http://www.samhainpublishing.com/

Jody W.
So much cyberspace, so little time!
http://www.jodywallace.com/
http://www.myspace.com/meanwallace

The Labeling Game - Hara's Legacy

I'm hard at work on the final round of fixes for Hara's Legacy, which is coming out on May 29th from Samhain (yes, we're a little behind because RT took a chunk of time that we'd meant to use a little more efficiently - LOL). This book, like many I write, crosses all sorts of genre boundaries. It's set in the future, with aliens occupying the Earth, so it's either Sci Fi or Futuristic, depending on how you define those genres, but one of the main plot points is that all the human characters are psychic in some way. So does that make it Paranormal? Then there's the fact most of the action is set on a ranch in the wilderness, so you've got the Western aspect. See what I mean? Genre lines are not only crossed, but pretty much obliterated!

I tend to narrowly define Sci Fi vs. Futuristic. To me, anything that happens out in space, or on a ship/space station/what have you, is firmly in the Sci Fi category. Futuristics tend to focus more on humans and Earth - or some colony world - but in some distant future which can be, and often is, post-apocalyptic in nature. By that definition, Hara's Legacy is definitely Futuristic, though the presence of aliens will make many people think Sci Fi. *shrug*

Then there are the Paranormal categories. The genre seems to encompass (judging by the market and what other kinds of books are being labelled Paranormal) the traditional werewolves and vampires, but also psychic phenomena of all kinds, ghost stories, and the more Buffy-like demons, angels, zombies, and other things that go bump in the night. The characters in Hara's Legacy have psychic gifts. The eldest brother has precognitive visions, the middle brother is telekinetic and the youngest has very strong telepathic skills. The heroine is strongly empathic. All of their skills together are what's helped them survive in the "brave new world" where aliens have invaded and claimed the Earth for themselves. So, as you might guess, I'm in a bit of a quandry. How to label this?

I just don't know, but my guess is the Futuristic setting probably takes precedence, then the Paranormal abilities of the characters. Oh, and it's a really hot romance. I mean scorching, so that's got to be taken into consideration as well. LOL. I don't envy the publisher for having to make these kinds of category decisions. I've become a little hung-up on how you define each category as I struggle with how to describe my books and set up my website. It seems each person I speak to has different definitions. Thanks for bearing with me as I search for my own concensus of what's what. Any suggestions/comments are welcome!

Bianca D'Arc
www.biancadarc.com

Snapshot Klahdaghoscopes

The Klahdagh is a tile based divination system that works at a kind of mix between Viking Runes and the Tarot. Tiles can be drawn for short reading patterns of five and seven tiles, or a full reading pattern of twelve tiles. Alternately a "snapshot" of three tiles can be used for a "quick peek" reading. Although the seven tile pattern is the standard, I've used the snapshot version here simply because of time restraints and ease of readability. Because the readings below are grouped for people under the astrological signs I call them Klahdaghoscopes as opposed to regular Klahdagh readings. If anyone would like a free seven tile reading for themselves or for a character they are writing please contact me at sjmsmith44@comcast.net, with Klahdagh Reading in the subject line. Please note, these readings are for entertainment purposes only.

Thank you.

S.J.

Aries
Work: Sleti - the wheat. This week is a good opportunity to encourage teamwork, especially with female colleagues. Patience and encouragement is needed to help a project grow.
Love: Widas - the wind. Relationships might be a bit troubled this week and your partner may seem distracted. Hang on, this is likely to be just a passing phase.
Wealth: Banil - the ring. Be careful with your finances this week. Family or friends may need a "loan", make sure you check all the details before making a decision.

Taurus
Work: Fatala - winter. Things will be tough at work with difficult deadlines and other hardships but you will find colleagues pulling together to help you out. A female colleague in particular will inspire you.
Love: Palentia - The Eastern Queen. This is a very favorable week for you and your lover, or if you're single, to find a new love. You will find new ways to commune with your lover on an emotional and/or intellectual level.
Wealth: Elant - the sword. A surge of victory allows you to gain more careful control over your financial situation, either with or against the wishes of a female friend/relative.

Gemini
Work: Sleti - the wheat. Your workload will be lightened by the aid of a female colleague but be patient, the effects of this effort will take a while to be noticeable.
Love: Brica - element of fire. Your lover's physical attraction to another woman may become a problem this week. Fight for what is yours and don't allow a simple flirtation to get out of hand.
Wealth: Nyi - the void. Take time to make sure your money is safe and secure. Check all the small print for added costs and be wary of trusting others with your investments and cash this week.

Cancer
Work: Chobe - summer. This is a good week for work, If you were thinking of changing jobs, this would be a good time to do it, otherwise, expanding your empire, new contracts or clients are very likely.
Love: Fellick - The Northern Page. Your lover may appear to be somewhat distant from you this week, but listen and watch and their loyalty to you will be proven beyond doubt.
Wealth: Jhud - The Eastern Page. Some kind of message or messenger will bring good news regarding your finances this week, possibly as a result of study, or the arts.

Leo
Work: Amb - the cup. You have a long put off decision to make this week. Discuss it with a trusted friend before doing so, but ensure that the ultimate decision is yours.
Love: Urld - the world. Something unexpected and potent is going to happen this week with your lover. Whether for good or bad is uncertain, but whatever happens you have the strength to deal with it.
Wealth: Cisica - The Northern Queen. Financial success will come to you provided you are faithful when you lead others.

Virgo
Work: Kamen - The Northern King. People at work will get passionately involved in something this week - a dark haired man is indicated. Judge things very carefully before taking sides.
Love: Delg - the cage. You may be feeling trapped and caught in a physically unfulfilling relationship this week. It is not an end all situation, but a concerted effort to communicate and work on the problem with your lover is called for.
Wealth: Lianche - The Southern Page. If you are responsible for someone else's finances this week be very careful. There are indications that deceit might be afoot regarding these funds.

Libra
Work: Leig - the cat. Be determined and experimental this week. Don't be put off your ideas by conservatives and you should reap the rewards of success.
Love: Kamen - The Northern King. This is a passion filled week for you and your lover - expect the evenings and nights to bring a few emotional fireworks into your life.
Wealth: Fetoi - the man. Stick to your financial plans this week and don't be tempted to change them this is not a good time to play the stock market on a whim or rumor.

Scorpio
Work: Fatala - winter. Physically your workload is rough but with a good team spirit and delegation it is not insurmountable.
Love: Inna - the tree. This is a time of growth and recuperation for you and your lover. Take time out to enjoy the physical side of your relationship and this will help unite you, cementing your relationship more.
Wealth: Kle - the babe. Any investments, new budget plans, or other financial forays will come to a completion this week possibly through the help of a male friend/family member.

Sagittarius
Work: Telora - The Western Page. A time of success where some milestone or contract is achieved and there's a brief time to sit back and relax. This is a good time for study or for reflection on the past few months.
Love: Shax - the axe. Obstacles in the way of your relationship will be cleared with the minimum of effort. This is a good time to work on those niggling doubts.
Wealth: Kle - the babe. The wealth indicated here is more of a spiritual/emotional scale. Something will give you an all round good feeling and sense of wellbeing this week.

Capricorn
Work: Phel - the storm. A satisfying time at work where a conglomeration of different ideas and concepts are brought successfully together.
Love: Orkst - the bridge. Difficulties and obstacles in your relationship will be eased away this week. It is likely your love will grow stronger. If you're single a new love is likely to appear.
Wealth: Kelm - spring. Keep an eye out this week for good investments and other financial opportunities.

Aquarius
Work: Phlo - the ship. Travel for work is likely or else the discovery of a new way of doing things, new resources, or new clients is possible.
Love: Stexi - fall. Set aside time for you and your lover. You need to gather your strength and secure your love, there are difficult times just ahead.
Wealth: Cisica - The Northern Queen. You will need to give your best efforts this week to make a success in your financial field.

Pisces
Work: Takindal -The Southern King. This is a difficult time at work but in spite of everything a silver lining is there somewhere, it may just take a little while to find it.
Love: Kle - the babe. This is a very good week for your love life, if you are trying for a child, this could be the week that it happens.
Wealth: Shax - the axe. Obstacles in your path are easily removed this week, don't be afraid to approach those in financial institutions.


May you all have a good week.

S.J.

Attention, all paranormal authors!

If you have a new release and are planning a virtual book tour, we have guest blog slots available every other Tuesday.

Interested? Contact the Admin at carolanivey @ yahoo.com.

Velkommen til Asgard: Welcome to Asgard

The home of the Norse gods. According to legend, there were nine worlds. Two sets of gods, the Aeisir and the Vanir had their own worlds, Asgard and Vanaheim. Humans lived in Midgard, the world of the dead was an icy place called Niflheim, and elves, dwarves, giants, and fire had their own worlds.

Odin was the All-Father, but not so much a jolly kind of guy. He lost one eye when he traded it for a drink from Mirmir, or the Well of Wisdom. A strange sort of wisdome, for he was also a god of war and warriors. He was often accompanied by two wolves and two ravens, Hugin and Mugin, or Memory and Thought.

For nine days, Odin was hung from Yggdrasil – the Tree of Life – and a common motif in Viking art. Odin, who was also the god of the hanged, sacrificed himself to learn nine powerful spells and the secrets of the runes.

His wife, Frigg, was also the goddess of fertility and motherhood. It’s said that in order to keep her beautiful son Balder safe from everything, she asked everything on the earth for a promise not to harm him. The only thing she didn’t ask was the mistletoe because she thought it too insignificant. Later, Loki, the fire god of chaos and mischief, convinced blind Höd, Balder’s brother, to toss a mistletoe sprig at Balder. It struck him in the eye and killed him.

The pantheon of the Norse is extremely complex – necessarily so, with two sets of gods. In addition, there is a lot of crossover between the Norse gods and the Teutonic, or Germanic, gods. The Ring of the Niebelungen, Wagner’s famous opera, is based more on the Teutonic gods, but the similarities between the two pantheons is inescapable.

For a brief overview of the Norse pantheon, stop at the Norse mythology page of Timeless Myths.

From there, proceed to Wikipedia, Encyclopedia Mythica, and godchecker.com.

For books, I suggest The Prose Edda, The Poetic Edda, and The Volsung Saga.

Snorri Sturluson was a 12th century Icelandic poet and historian who wrote many, many books on the myths and sagas of his people. There are several modern translations of his work available.

In a moment of serendipitous timing, I happened to pick up and read Neil Gaiman’s American Gods this week. It brings together gods from all over the world in a beautiful and haunting tale about the ultimate mortality of immortal beings. I highly recommend it for anyone interested in mythology.

Cover!

This week I want to show off my cover for The Strength of the Pack. (Release date June 19.) I love it so much!

It also has a twin cover, The Strength of the Wolf. Out in September.

Aren't they pretty? I just had to share today. Dawn Seewer has done a fantastic job. I think Samhain has great cover artists. :)

(If they pique your curiosity, there's more info about the books here.)

Just Breathe

What is inspiration? Loosely it means stimulation of the mind or emotions to a high level of feeling or activity. Literally, the word inspiration means breathed upon. Sounds a little strange at first, but think about it. If someone breathes in your ear, the hair goes up on the back of your neck and your skin tingles. For someone, like me, who writes romances, that sounds right up my alley.

But where do you get inspiration? Perhaps from the oft credited, yet never seen muses? More grownups seem to believe in these wearers of long gauzy gowns than ever believed in the fat bearded one as children. I'd hire PR person the spot, because for women who don’t get out much, everybody knows who they are. Well, sort of, because, basically, there’s only nine muses (ten if you count Sappho) and how many writers in the world? I don’t know much about math, but well, that just doesn’t add up to me.

Back to inspiration, how do you make sure it’s the good kind of breath? Let’s face it, those muses are busy creatures, they’d find it amusing (pun intended) to give your work a little halitosis. While you're scrambling around freshening it up, they'd be free to finally finish their own novels.

Now that I've uncovered the muses' plots to dominate the writing world, blogging may be the only writing I’ll ever do again, somehow, I don’t think so. Inspiration comes from within, from without, from all around. Music, movies, the people I meet on the street are fodder for what I write. What doesn’t inspire me is an easier to question to ask. The answer is, nothing yet. Even silence does, because I find that it makes my thoughts start to whirl just to fill it. So, whether you’re an artist, an author, a singer, songwriter, poet, or the person who cleans the toilets at the local McDonald’s, everybody needs something to inspire you to do your best. Find out what it is, and go with it.

Jenna Leigh

Internal Consistency

When you write a novel, you create a world.

I have it on good authority readers kinda like it when that world plays by rules they can comprehend. It can be a reasonable facsimile of the world readers live in, or it can be an entirely new place spawned from that wacky dream you had back in February when you were feverish and taking cold medications.

Either way, the world you build in your novel needs internal consistency. Oh, it needs character motivation consistency, timeline consistency, and so on, but today I want to focus on worldbuilding consistency -- a well-constructed setting and mythology for your speculative novel.

If your heroine has brown eyes on page three, unless she undergoes a significant biological change (which I hear shapeshifters do!), her eyes need to be brown on page two hundred and three. If your hover cars can’t travel beyond the city limits due to mechanical limitation, then don’t include a hover car chase through the rural terrain of Terra Prime. If vampires aren’t harmed by silver bullets any more than they are by regular bullets, it’s not very consistent if silver knives burn their flesh.

This is especially important for authors of speculative fiction who arguably have more details to track. Since the spec content of their stories has facts known only to the author, uniformity of worldbuilding might not be as instinctive as it would for a contemporary author. The contemporary author, while she’s researched her protagonists’ professions, geographical locations, and so on, doesn’t have to fret about the color of the grass, the length of the lunar cycle, and how, exactly, magic works. The level of worldbuilding a lot of spec fic authors juggle is even more than an historical author deals with. But with all authors (Lewis Carroll excepted), consistency is the key to authenticity.

Not that this is some great revelation! We know what creates a convincing and fascinating world because we’re readers, too. Facts that get established and then seemingly ignored (I’m looking at you, LOST!), jolt us out of that pleasurable reading trance.

In my WIP, a light urban fantasy set in the now, I’ve got a plethora of unusual information to catalog. Many of my characters are empowered, and then there’s the political, economic and social system of how these particular individuals coexist with the norms. As I write, I highlight details I think are critical (or that I fear I might forget!) until I can transfer them to a master notes document. I have character descriptions of everyone in the story, a list of powers and who has them, and explanations of how each power works.

With my novel A SPELL FOR SUSANNAH, due out in 2008 from Samhain, my world is a fairy tale flavored fantasy construct, so I added maps, dictionaries, world histories, and a “setting” outline, where instead of plot I focus on what worldbuilding minutiae I reveal in each chapter.

There are plenty of articles and books out there about creating worlds, but what about keeping track of your creation> If you’re a writer, what do you do when you’re WIPing to ensure your world is consistent? If you’re a reader--which we all are!--what types of setting or worldbuilding irregularities really throw you out of a story?

Jody W.
www.jodywallace.com
http://meanjody.livejournal.com

May 8, 2007 - New Releases!

This week there are several releases from Samhain Publishing with both speculative and romantic content as well as other goodies. Check them out:

“Two Sighted” by Annmarie McKenna - A paranormal romance novella
Read An Excerpt Online
Even with her shaky past, Aislinn can’t help but to secretly want Kyle. When she witnesses his death in a vision, how can she tell him without giving away her secret or her lust?

“Revenant” by Olivia Lorenz - A gay/lesbian vampire novel
Read An Excerpt Online
Would you sell your soul for the find of a lifetime? Could you give up your life for love?

“A Killer's Agenda” by Anita Whiting - A romantic suspense novel
Read An Excerpt Online
Can a psychic investigator disprove an accidental death before she and her lover are next to die?

“Undenied” by Maya Banks - A red hot contemporary novel
Read An Excerpt Online
Another chance to make a night gone bad very, very right.

“The Lady and The Dragon” by Shelley Bradley - An historical romance novel
Read An Excerpt Online
A not-so-proper lady on a quest for freedom sneaks aboard the ship of an infamous privateer determined to save his brother—and resist love. Who will win this clash of wills?

Horses Haunt My Books

Since today is Derby Day, let's talk a little bit about horses.

And since it IS Derby Day and I'm not focused on blogging, I'm tempted to just direct you to Gia Dawn's excellent entry on the Fantasy and Enchantment blog, about mystical horses like Each Uisges and Kelpies!

I am a total horse geek, and will spend an inordinate amount of time today watching the day's race card on ESPN2 while noodling around on pedigreequery.com, studying the family trees of all the Derby entrants. You may even find me drawing Tarot cards in an attempt to predict the winner.

Yep, just tattoo a horse on my butt and call me a geek.

When I was little, I dreamed of having a horse, like most little girls. I had an imaginary horse in my back yard, a big grey dun stallion named Ghost. My best friend had her own "horse", and we spent long summer days "riding" all over the neighborhood on magical quests to conquer evil.

As a grownup (and I use that term loosely) I started writing stories, and invariably horses show up in them. In my first unpublished manuscript, a horse helps the herione begin getting over her phobia of heights. In my first published book, BEAUDRY'S GHOST, horses are critical to the plot, from the ghost horse that perpetually runs the Outer Banks, to a big grey stallion that ends up carrying the hero to his destiny. (And yes, my favorite in the Derby to day is a big grey colt named Storm In May.)

For you enjoyment today, I'll leave you with an excerpt from BEAUDRY'S GHOST. It's currently out of print, but I still have a few copies left if you'd like to have one. Just contact me at carolaniveyATyahooDOTcom for details.

Enjoy the day!

---

Beaudry's Ghost, Copyright 2005 Carolan Ivey, All Rights Reserved.

Hunkered down against the relentless offshore wind, Taylor watched from the dubious cover of beach grass, hands tight around her Enfield musket.

The electricity had gone out again, a frequent occurrence on these sparsely populated barrier islands of North Carolina. Without the reassuring lights of the development a quarter mile to the south, Taylor had no problem staying awake at her post. Darkness was for bats. Taylor preferred light. The only reason she had fled the comforting light of the campfire was Leon Gulley’s ghost stories.

She hated them.

She hated them even more now that Troy was dead. Taylor tucked in her chin and fought to keep it from quivering. Troy. Had it been only a year since she had collapsed to the floor of her office, a crushing pain in her chest, knowing the worst even before she received official word two days later? Only a year of days since her last stinging words to him came back to slash her heart? Go ahead, big man. Go on and get yourself killed. Have a great time!

She had told him over and over again a man like him had no business joining the Navy SEALs. SEAL teams were for those with no ties, no one who waited for them at home. Troy hadn’t listened. Craving adventure outside their little hometown, he had set his sights on SEAL training even before graduating from Annapolis.

Taylor rested her Enfield across her lap and pressed her fingertips to her eyelids. She fought two’s worth of exhaustion for two days, having decided at the last minute to join the event wearing Troy’s Confederate uniform. Disagreements they’d certainly had, but she and Troy had shared a love of history and Civil War re-enacting. Taylor rested her chin on her arm, breathing in the damp-wool smell of the uniform. The others thought she wore it as a tribute to Troy, or as part of her grieving process, and said nothing when she had shown up early that morning. She chose to let them believe that, rather than try to explain the truth.

She knew better than to fall asleep while on guard duty, but the emotional day she had endured gradually took its final toll. Her rear end settled onto the sand. The butt of her musket joined it, but she was too tired to care.

Moments later, hoof beats drummed her awake. Taylor found herself standing on the dune, watching a horse and rider approach in full gallop.

Wherever that horse had come from, it had been running a long time. Steam trailed off the animal’s body, and the low-riding moon set it to silver fire. That horse was flying. Its rider leaned low and listed slightly to one side, as if favoring an injured limb.

The messenger? He was early. And if he didn't turn aside very soon, he would run his horse right into the giant oak ribs of a shipwreck beached on the shore.

Taylor absently fingered the back of a newly shorn haircut and frowned. The messenger was coming down the beach from the north.

"But... he's coming from the wrong direction...”

She realized she'd spoken aloud when the approaching rider's body jerked. With a low moan, he pulled the horse to a rearing stop directly opposite her on the beach. The horse, clearly not happy about being made to stand, pranced in the ankle-deep tidal pool.

Taylor strained to see if the rider wore a uniform. She observed the slumped posture of the rider and thought maybe he and the horse weren't part of this re-enactment of the Civil War’s Battle of Roanoke.

"Hey! Are you hurt? Do you need help?"

With a Herculean effort, the rider straightened, turned the trembling, sweaty horse in her direction and approached at a walk. As they closed in on her, she heard the horse's labored snorts and something else...

With each breath, the rider's emitted a gurgling, inarticulate grunt. The sound carried with it the weight of a weariness she could sense but not fathom.

The offshore wind grew louder in her ears, and Taylor reached up to grab her hat before it flew off. At that moment she realized the physical wind remained steady.

But a force pushed at the door to her soul.

Taylor's fingers alternately tightened and loosened on the musket she held, a faintly caressing gesture as if she rubbed a magic lamp. Conjuring up someone. Or something. Like courage.
The horse caught her scent. It reared and spun, and in the rising moonlight, Taylor finally caught a clear glimpse of the rider.

He wore a blue uniform. And he was...

"Dear God."

Her chest muscles spasmed, leaving no space for her to draw air. Sheer reflex brought her musket to her shoulder and she aimed... at what? A figure whose bound stump of a left arm oozed blood. He held it tightly to his side while he fought the horse with his right. Soaked rags acted as a tourniquet to what was left of his right leg, but his every effort to stay in the saddle forced out more and more blood.

And the man... she guessed it was a man... had no head.

She was aiming at a dead man, her musket loaded with a useless blank. Fired, it would make a grand noise, and that was about all.

And they say Beaudry's ghost roams the Outer Banks to this day, headless, legless, armless, looking for his lost body parts... and for revenge...

That gurgling noise she’d heard was the sound of a man whose throat had been cut. Clear through.

Taylor gritted her teeth. Those ghost stories were coming back to haunt her in a big way. Her rational mind objected and rejected as fast as her eyes fed it the irrational sight. Her soul’s door, the one she had fought all her life to hold closed, blew wide open and the wind screamed through. An answering scream clawed for space in her throat along with the hardtack and beans she'd eaten hours ago.

Trembling, she braced herself as if leaning against that invisible door. A dream. Of course. She was dreaming this whole thing. She'd expected to have a few nightmares — even visions — before this event was over, but nothing like this. She'd only fallen asleep at her post and...

Oh, God, it's moving toward me!

The man regained control of the horse and pointed it directly at her, moving at a prancing, tiptoe walk. Clouds of steam streaked from the horse's nostrils, and as it moved closer she saw the white rings around its black eyes. Taylor closed hers.

"You aren't real. You... aren't... real!" she muttered through clenched teeth. She went perfectly still when a cold breath of air whisked right through her body, in a distinctive front-to-back direction. Taylor gulped. Somebody tell me this thing just didn’t pass right through me! she thought, shaking.

"Aw, the hell with this!" Facing cannon and musket fire was one thing. Facing this ghastly evidence that a dark otherworld indeed existed on another plane, and that the two planes sometimes crossed, was quite another.

Taylor dropped her Tennessee pride in the sand behind her as she fled down the steep slope of the dune. Gasping, sliding, stumbling, she hit bottom and headed for camp and help.

Stupid! Stupid! I should have fired... Troy would have at least fired...

Risking a quick glance to the rear, she abruptly tripped over a heaving lump on the sand.

A face full of the gritty stuff muffled the scream she finally released. Flipping instantly to her back, she scrambled backwards, spitting, flinging sand in every direction as she went. She came to rest on her knees with her rifle upraised yet again.

Still spitting, she looked up at the top of the dune she'd just vacated, blinked and did a double take.

The apparition was gone.

More likely, she'd simply tumbled down the dune in her sleep and woke up. Still trembling, her breathing still shallow and uneven, she focused on the object she'd tripped on. In the shadows, it was hard to make out at first. But as it slowly uncurled from its fetal position, it became clear it was human.

She sighted down the barrel of the musket and watched as he rolled soundlessly to his knees, placed his palms flat on the ground and slowly pushed his head and shoulders up.

With a soft groan, he shoved backward and rolled to a sitting position. That simple act mystified him, until he held up his hands and stared at them. His blank expression gave way to a slow-spreading grin that shone so sweet and bright in the dim light it made Taylor's throat catch.

For several seconds he simply gazed his hands, then plunged them into the soft sand between his knees. Scooping great handfuls, he laughed softly as he watched it trickle between his fingers. Taylor's rifle sagged. The man looked exactly like her baby nephew on his first foray into his new sandbox.

And, like that infant, the man's attention was suddenly drawn to his feet. Dropping the sand, he clenched a fist and pounded once on his right calf. Twice. The smile, impossibly, widened even more into a painful emotional grimace as he lifted his trembling hands to his face. Touched. Again.

The act broke something loose inside him, and Taylor thought he sobbed once before throwing himself backward to writhe like some child in the throes of making snow angels.

Unwilling to lower her weapon completely, yet somehow unwilling to intrude, Taylor stilled her shaking jaw and cleared her throat. The man froze.

"Um... are you okay, mister?"

He propped himself onto his elbows and stared at her.

Calm, Taylor. Stay calm. Now think...

-30-

Bite and Make-Up

A.K.A. Turning a lover’s spat into a bedroom frolic.

So, you’ve been going out with your lass for a few months now, everything was hunky dory until you bit her too soon and now there’s blood on her new dress, or perhaps you put seaweed in her panties drawer and have sand blocking the toilet. She’s pissed, and rightly so. What are you going to do about it? Refuse to acknowledge your involvement? Blame it on the paranormal freak next door? Tell her your brother did it? Or are you going to be the brave hero you are and admit to your one and only mistake? Just how do you calm and wickedly seduce the true love of your life when she all she wants to do is kill you… again.

Never fear, our intrepid, Agent Double D.3 has investigated this phenomenon and come up with a report just for you—a detailed guide of how to wheedle your way back into her favor and her panties. Go, buy the expensive diamond necklace she always wanted, and sally forth with this useful guide to saving face in a paranormal cock up.

Agent Double D.3 reports:

Vampires: Are you finding it difficult to keep your fangs to yourself. Or maybe you brought the coffin home and scared the neighbors? Perhaps bits have been falling off in a severe case of sunburn? If your lady love is pissed for one of these reasons do yourself a favor and make a good friend of a local blood bank technician. Yes, piercing the plastic doesn’t taste anywhere near as good, but trust me it’s better than a heart shaped stake through the chest. To win back your beloved’s affections bring her that fabulous piece of diamond jewelry she always wanted, remove any offending articles from her sight—including your fangs—and apologize profusely. Treating her to a no strings attached full Swedish massage will also help wonders. For your own sake though, just for now, feast on her beauty and not on her blood and you’ll be back on biting terms in a week.

Werewolf: Shedding fur and bringing home last night’s half finished supper and leaving it on the kitchen floor will get your ass kicked in the doghouse. So, before she sets in with a flea shampoo and full body shave—hide the kibbles and get smart with a super expensive gift. Diamonds will be fine, or a nice string of pearls. Don’t offer to buy her furs, that will only remind her of the wolf skin wrap she’s always wanted. Alternately consider taking her to a popular beach resort, give her time to relax in your company with sun, surf and cocktail bars. If the heat is too oppressive for you, you might find it beneficial to accept that full body shave. After all, think of the fun to be had with those slippery suds and skillful hands.

Ghosts: You accidentally froze the roast turkey at thanksgiving? Walked through the shower wall while Aunt Betsie was showering and gave her favorite aunt a stroke? That puts you in deep kimchi, my man, uh, ghost. Soothe your path back to love with some delicate red roses, a slinky satin nightdress in virginal white, and two dozen boxes of her favorite liqueur filled chocolates. Once you’ve packed Aunt Betsie off to the ER (or the local male escort agency— depending on what kind of stroke you gave her) and settled her in, your beloved will be so snozzled it is just a matter of moments to persuade her to slip into that new nightdress, and comfort her in bed. Under no circumstances suggest you shower together, and for goodness sake, get used to using the door like normal folks. Okay?

Invisible man: Been caught walking naked in your neighbor’s bathroom while she’s in the bath? Terrified your mother-in-law’s poodle by sneaking up to it while invisible and pulling its tail. Such trials and tribulations will put you out of sight and out of mind as far as your heroine is concerned. To bring her around and your relationship back to serenity, take her on a luxury cruise. Spend the evenings gently clonking her prospective dates on the head and hiding their unconscious bodies in the nearest life raft. She’ll soon come to appreciate your caring, sensitive ways and you’ll be able to spend the rest of the cruise sharing sweet nothings, and blissful pillow talk.

Merman: Okay, so you have a panty fetish. That’s not a problem, lots of heroes have a panty fetish. But for goodness sake don’t leave your seaweed in her panty drawer. No heroine wants to go through a novel smelling of fish, especially not if their hero smells like one too. She does have a bit of class you know. So, before you get filleted and parceled out at the local fish market, this would be a good time to take her to visit your parents. Buy her some decent scuba gear, tons of oxygen and at least three drawers full of fun, fresh and sexy panties, and you’ll be well away. Oh, just one thing, you’ll probably find your sister persuades her that seaweed in the latest in lingerie fashion. Go figure.

Incubus: Yes, we know what you do best. The whole street knows what you do best. Dare we even say the entire female population of your city knows what you do best. Here’s the rub. Human women like to be exclusive, and doing what you do best has kind of screwed, er, jeopardized your relationship. This time, unfortunately, doing what you do best, with her, isn’t going to sort it. Nothing short of seeing you self-emasculate is likely to resolve this problem. You could start, though, with a long romantic year on a deserted island, with just the two of you, a few goats and coconuts. It may not get you back together again, but at least you’ll have a few goats to keep you company while you try.

Djinn: You wriggled your nose one too many times and now Uncle Jasper is much hairier than you and is hanging from the chandelier by his tail. Ooops. Unfortunately that was the last wish of the day and he’s going to have to stick with a diet of banana’s until midnight tomorrow. The love of your life has given you the choice of ultimatums. Change him back and go rot in your bottle forever, or change him back and go rot in your bottle for an eternity. To avoid an ageless fate worse than death, call up your magic carpet and whisk everyone, Uncle Jasper and all, to an exotic location of blue seas, turquoise lagoons, green jungles and banana trees. Let your beloved see how delighted her uncle is with his new habitat and provide her with the very best in frequent free cocktails and massage services. Hopefully by the time Uncle Jasper recovers she’ll be too comatose to remember why she was upset.

Agent Double D.3 report ends.

Deja vu all over again

Have you been to Barnes & Noble or Amazon online lately? Scrolled through the endless lists of paranormal books coming out this year? Holy moly.

Take a look at the covers. Then read the blurbs. I'm a fan, don't get me wrong. I wonder, however, when enough will be enough. I'm done for a while. I love Ward and Keri Arthur and lots of writers. But I'm ready for something new.

The blurbs are starting to morph for me into the same one: "She doesn't know that the man she's come to love is the demon she's sworn to destroy..." or some such.

Companies seem to be running out of image ideas as well. Some are lovely, but if you squint, well... there's a guy, he's shirtless and has shoulder-length dark hair, maybe a sword or something, with a city behind him. I counted about ten of those.

What's new in paranormal? I mean, really, really new? A very fresh idea, a very fresh voice? I'm dying for something different! Any suggestions?