Sunday, December 30, 2012

Holy Writing Cave, Batman!

Okay, yeah. I'm in a silly mood.
I've been not posting because I've been bizzzzzzy. 'Kay? Been in my Writin' Cave, this past ten days. I have not gone anywhere and have not seen anyone, except my huzzie for 4 days! I've become a hermit for sure.

Aside from working on 3 separate books all at once. (Yes I am deranged, but the doctor says that this won't hurt me a bit--so much for doctors.) These would be Sabrina Strong books #4 & 5, plus my Spell of the Black Unicorn which I hope to turn into an ebook in the coming year--Indie, of course.

During the second pass through of my fifth novel in the Sabrina Strong Series, I'm getting ideas for #6. I had the title: Vampire Requiem (tres cool?) Wellllll, you know. I always leave a dog-gone cliff hanger at the end of my books (at least lately).  And it works the same on me as it does the readers: I WANT TO KNOW WHAT COMES NEXT!!!

I've been making notes, just jotting them down on paper as well as in a word doc.--called #6 Notes. Then, last night I was about to open the 8th (and last one I have) in the House of Night series books, and these lines comes to me and I write them down:

Here's the original:

Vasyl shifted in the kitchen chair.
"Wait," Lindee said. "If you're gonna move, I'm gonna take off your ear." She stood with sharp scissors in her hand.

That's what I wrote down last night.
This original line (above), had my speaker in it. I took it out. Why spoil it for the reader? Make them get past that first line, get them into the scene and then you can identify the speaker. Am I wrong? Plus I rearranged things.

Then this morning I typed it up on my Notes, and saw how it could sound much better.(Revised):
"Look. I'll take an ear off if you move again."
I gaped at my cousin, Lindee, who wielded the scissors over Vasyl's head.
Vasyl made a little growl of annoyance. He sat in my kitchen blinking under bright overhead bulbs with a bath towel arranged over his shoulders. Clippings of his wavy hair on the floor looked like a black rug that ten cats had clawed and a dog had chewed for good measure. I had managed to gather a thick, wavy tail from the drastic cutting Lindee had done to my husband's hair for a keepsake.

So, this morning, with this first line glaring at me, I broke down and made a brand new document called Vampire Requiem. I don't do this--make a book document--unless I feel that something is flowing. I definitely felt it this morning.

I remember working on book #4. Feeling like I always do, asking myself will there be a "next book"? I never know. And then while I'm either working on edits or something, ideas begin to take form. I write them down, get thse scenes/dialogue writting out. And then BLAM! Like someone hit me over the head, I've got scene after scene just rushing out of me... I have to have a small hand-held recorder at times so that I can simply talk into it and get this crap down because it comes to me like lightning strikes and I know if I don't get it down it WILL BE GONE!

Yes. My next few books are a ways away from being published. But I don't wait to write them if they are there. I just came across a post I did on my other blog Lorelei's Writing Journal, and found something I'd written back in May of 2011 about Drakulya, who is in my third novel. This was almost two years ago, and I already had my scenes going for that third one--and this novel isn't even out yet. Gak!

So, that's my report coming up on the end of this year. Hope you all have a grand time ringing in the New Year! I'll catch you up later, my pretties.

Tuesday, December 25, 2012

Christmas Past

I've got a lot of Christmas past to remember. The fun times as a child. I'm not sure why my parents began the Christmas Eve of gift-giving. Maybe they didn't want to be awoken by us so early in the morning making noises opening gifts, as their bedroom was downstairs. But I remember somehow they made a production of Santa coming to the front porch and leaving the wrapped presents and going "HO-HO-HO!" as "he" left. My thought was that one of the older brothers was "Santa" doing the HOHOHO-ing. The presents were probably already out there before we even knew it.
Photo: Merry Christmas!
I remember a lot of snow in those days when I was a kid. There was a hill next to the church in our little town of 500 people, and they didn't have a plow, no one salted streets or sidewalks back then (yeah. I'm that old). We kids would take our sleds and we had a toboggan, and we'd have a blast sliding down that street!

On one Christmas Eve (I think), we were caught in a snow storm. I think it was in 1965 or something. Anyway we were coming back from visiting relatives in Aurora, and we couldn't make it home. I don't know where we wound up, but a family warmly allowed us to stay. Funny how my selective memory only remembers having gone into this house. Probably I was half-awake. I remember a grandfather clock. I remember it specifically because I thought that we walked into it. This may have been my creative imagination at work at such a tender age.

Later, after I married, my Christmases became super busy. There was a Christmas Eve with his family, mine, and then the next morning, we had our Christmas and then drove to Rockford to his grandmothers--a tiny house that somehow fit about 50-60 relatives--they had two hams, two turkeys, and lost of food. Gak! I was sick of all that celebrating and squeezing into the small attic at the tables they set up. It was so tight that once you got seated, you couldn't leave until all the ones in front of the door got up and left.

Eventually those days died out. One gathering of the family is now the norm. This year we couldn't go because of Dennis' back. Oh well. There's always next year.

But I do have lots of memories and pictures. I may have to pull those out and just reminisce.

I want to end this by saying THANK YOU TO EVERYONE WHO HAS COME TO MY BLOG THIS YEAR!! Merry Christmas and I hope to see you in the New Year (2013!)

Saturday, December 22, 2012

Cat Agents & Me

I have to admit I've been in a funk (That's F-U-N-K, for all you  wisenhimers out there) for the past couple of months. My finances have been in the toilet lately, which is like worse than just tight. I'm now (husband included, bc we both work at same place) are laid off for 2 weeks. Christmas is not gonna happen in this house. It has been years since we put up a tree. Usually we've waited until the after Chirstmas sales to buy anything. Not this year.

Before I get someone to play the violin and get a weeping clown in here, I don't want anyone to leave a "you poor schmuck" message. This was going to be an up-beat post. And it will be. I promise. Just indulge me a little further if you will, this has a happy ending... sorta.

Photo: If I  were to get an agent, they would probably look something like this...
For the longest time I thought agents were human and come to find out they are not. I tried to get one for maybe a dozen years. Each time I wound up crying for about 4 days and then I quit querying all together. You can't keep on getting your face bashed in and like it and want to do it all over again. (and sure they say it's not personal, but seriously, it feels personal).

had to share ...
And this was me for aprox. 30 years of trying to get somewhere. I eventually began publishing in a small market, and I mean small, but I got paid $10 or so for things I sent in to a sweet lady editor of what was known as Weeds Corner magazine. It helped me get over the feeling I was a lousy writer. I had my first poem published with them, and everything I sent to them after that for 4 years.

I have been writing novels for my whole adult life--let's go with more than 35 years. That's a long time to keep trying to sell a novel--to ANYONE. I've seen publishers fade. I've known other writers around me being published and thought one day I'd be scooping up a book deal.

Photo: Thought this was cute...

When I finished my first novel in the Sabrina Strong Series--yet again--I began looking around. I thought I had a publisher, only to find out they were going to charge an arm, leg, my left eye and my first born to edit it. I said no thank you (scumbag). I went to an ebook publisher which I won't name, and thought they were interested only to have the editor give me the runaround as to whether she wanted the rest of the book or not (for 3 months). At this point my Internet went out, and I never did find out if she ever answered my last email... I'm pretty sure she didn't.

Then I posted my first chapter on an author site I used to belong to, and someone responded. This someone happened to be a publisher. And ta-da, he became my present publisher, Wlfired Voss of Copperhill Media. I didn't know how this would play out. I mean I read their contract and could find nothing in it that gave me pause, and so I signed. I didn't get an advance, this is not one of your BIG 6... or 8 or whatever it was in 2009-2010. They were small, but they would take care of everything, right down to the cover and edits.

By this time I had already self-published my Spell of the Black Unicorn book. I'd paid $400, but couldn't go through that again just to get something else published (for what those other creeps were going to charge, I could have had five books published by them). At this time we didn't see a lot of people putting any faith in those people who'd self-published (wow has times changed). Only a lucky few got "discovered" by agents or publishers. Well, that didn't happen to me, and it really doesn't happen to a whole lot of people either.

But I did find out that people loved what I wrote. I got a taste of what it was like to have a book signing, have my very first physical copy of my own book in my hands and got to snot all over myself with happy tears. I did what I had been trying to do all my life, and I should not shove that all under the rug like it doesn't matter. It matters, and I have to remember how it felt before the publisher, and after.

To me having my work out there, I realized just yesterday, was something I had wanted for a very, VERY long time. I would have sold my soul to the same devil that Steve Jobs did, but he never did show up at my door. So, here I was sitting at my computer working on the edits of my 5th novel in series, waiting for the edits from my publisher, knowing that at some point next year I would have a third book out and had to plunk myself in the head and say "You stupid dummy! Look at where you were and where you are now!"

The Good News:
I'm working on the next two novels, have at least three out, and have 3 short stories out and hope to turn SOTBU into an ebook so that more people can enjoy it, because I had a lot of fun writing it. Ten years ago I couldn't say that. I can now. I can also say I DID NOT GIVE UP! That says a lot about the character of someone who had a dream, and didn't give up no matter how impossible it looked.

So, I'm not exactly rolling in the bucks having three novels out right now, but I have three novels out right now with the third in my series pending. Am I happy? Sure. I'm happy where I am. Do I want more. Damn tooten I do. But I should just keep on taking baby steps.

Just as a side note, I don't work the Internet like a goon until my fingers fall off and bug everyone to buy-buy-buy my books, because that's annoying as hell to me, so I'm sure it is to eveyone else. I really don't have time to toot my horn all that much. I've got writing to do and my publisher wants me to work on the novels instead of trying to push the book like a hopped up car salesman on a commercial.

So, I've had to realize that I have no control over people buying or not buying my books. I do know that when the 3rd one comes out the sales will jump. That's enough to make me smile and feel a sense of accomplishment, aside from all the stuff I've mentioned.

Until next time, my pretties!

Wednesday, December 19, 2012

Mayans, What Do They Know?

I know, I know. You're seeing all these posts going up about the end of the world, well, here's another one. For many of us it will be another Friday. And for those of you (raise hands), who are either maxing out your credit cards, or went the opposite way and are waiting to see what does happen and have not bought your Christmas presents yet, well... as my character Rick the leprechaun would say, "you're a bunch of loosers".

So, when I first heard this dooms day prediction, back in the Fall, I got a little goose-bumpy. Back when I was a young adult (too long ago to even say), I'd had these end of world scenarios, I wrote some stories stemming from these ideas and had thought that it might be possible that Earth as we know it might come to some sort of disaster where some people may die in floods, or fire or whatever.

Let's see. There's been killer floods, killer tornadoes, and we can't rule out terroist attacks like 9-11 either, because it was a horrible disaster. And some people like to twist things to agree with the way the world is going. The next thing in line should be the "big one", the earth quake that will take out half of California. All those scientists have been predicting that one.

Of course, reading up on what the Mayan calendar (end of the 5,125 years) meant is merely an end of a cycle. What up with that? Native Americans would agree that a new world is at hand, when the white buffalo was born, and now there are something like three in Jamestown, North Dakota (went there, didn't get to see the white buffalo, bummer).

I don't think that any date will signify an end to our world as we know it. I don't think the Aliens will take over the world, nor do I think zombies will either. I do believe that we are in a transition. That's all. If I'm wrong and I don't wake up on Saturday morning, then there shouldn't be anyone around to say "I told you so."

And we, in the mid-west are about to have our first snow storm, with 50-60 mile an hour winds so, Friday I might not be on line because of power outages. So you all have a good time without me.
There might be some people who won't mind the heat when the earth burns us up on Friday 21st

Sunday, December 16, 2012

End of The World - Hogwash! But, Just In Case...

Okay, if you are the last person who has not come across this end of world crud that's been "predicted" by people who believe the Mayan 5,125- year calendar end means the end is nigh, then you've had your head in the vertual sand.

Religious people are getting on the band waggon, and so are the UFO sighters who want to go on top of high mountains and be lifted out of here. Actually, in retrospect of all the terrible things (shootings in schools and shopping malls), that are happening, I'd like to see how another world would work things out. In China they report that there has been a run on candles, Russains are buying up kerosene and other supplies.

People all over the world are stock-piling candles and other things, and I've learned it's because of a 3-day long darkness (oh, I thought the world was going to come to an end. My bad). Um, and, oh, yeah, Ron Hubard, who sells hi-tec for underground survival shelters, boasts that sales are up. Boy, I guess I'm in the wrong busness!

But, maybe not. If we do have 3 days of night, or whatever, and you've gone out and bought a butt load of candles and whatnot to get you through it, it stands to reason you might need something to do! Afterall, if electricity will be out, and probaly all the satellites will fall from the sky (because that's what happens in these apocolyptic things, don't you know), you need a BOOK TO READ! 
Vampire AscendingYes, this papback book can be delivered to you by the 18th. Go HERE on Amazon. Or to your local bookstore to order it, and it's companion (below)

And if you finish that one in one day--as so often I'm told people have not been able to put this book down--you will want to pick up the second one in the series which continues with Sabrina Strong's adventures.
Vampire's TrillAnd to order that one you may go HERE.
As for me, I'm going to be working on the next two books, and awaiting the 3rd one coming out in January. Will you be prepared? You will be if you've got the first two books!

Friday, December 14, 2012

Man Down ~ My husband's back went out this week

H:i, my friends.
Well, this was one hell of a week. My husband has back problems. And I mean his back will go out just like that. And it did. This happened on Sunday morning. He was putting on his shoes. He told me later that it felt tight. Not always a big warning sign. But his back (actually it's his hip) went out. He couldn't stand or sit comfortably. He could lay down. It was pretty obvious he would not be going to work for a few days.

On Monday morning, I found him holding himself up on a chair. When I asked if I could help, he told me not to touch him. I went to the bathroom, listening to him groaning and grunting in pain. He described to me much later that he'd somehow gotten on his hands and knees, and crawled into the living room onto the mat he had there. At the point when I found him standing, he said he knew what it was like for someone who may be suddenly paralized, at the moment before that. He was pretty certain that if he did not do what he did, that possibly he might have damaged his spine to the point where he might have been crippled, that's how bad it was.

He did everything he was supposed to do for healing (he's had this for years). Ice/heat/ice, ending with ice to the lower back. One day, he said he did nothing but walk around the house for hours. He took naps, trying to relax, in order to heal. One day he had to repeatedly put small pillows under his right hip in order to put it (gently) back into place. This takes up to 10-15 minutes.

As a result, it cause me lots of stress. I had to do a lot of things he usually does. Plus, I was the only one going in to work.

But finally, he was back to work today. He's healed his back again. He told me this was the worse he's ever had. That's a little scary.

It's hard for us to be apart--we work at the same job. We commiserate throughout the day (driving buses for a college). It's hard to break up a team like ours, we each think about the other when we're apart. I worry about him, he worries about me.

Well, this all wasn't conducive to my getting a whole lot done this week too, so I've been not around as much as usual. I would come home stressed out, I had to make meals (Dennis cooks about 80% of the time), and had to make sure he had the chair he needed in whatever room we were in (a lawn chair). I had to plug in the heating pad and so forth. I didn't mind this, as I say, it was all part of getting him back to normal. I would do anything for the man I love. Wouldn't we all? But it was a tough week. But now it's over and things are back to normal for now.

Hopefully, I'll have more to report in the coming weeks. My third book is in line for publication in January 2013. Have a good weekend everyone. I've got a house to clean--sheesh!

Tuesday, December 11, 2012

Teaser Tuesday~With A Twist

Hello, my pretties, you know I've been meaning to post a teaser today, but thought I would do something a little different. The following teaser is from one of my first two books. I want to see if any of you can tell me which one it is from: Vampire Ascending, or Vampire's Trill.

Ready?

Then those flecks of ocean fell on me. His smile grew broader as he rose--and kept rising. I suddenly had to revise my first assumption--he was impossibly tall, possibly seven foot tall, with a powerful chest, as though he had swung a broadsword at some point in his very distant past, or, as a hunter, carried a huge carcass home on his shoulders when he was a living man. As an undead, he was possibly the largest vampire I'd ever seen. Even without his superhuman powers, he could throw any one of us across the room.

Okay, there you go. This was just for fun, but I hope some of you will play along who've read my books. And if you've never read any... I'll have to sick my seven foot vampire on you! Shame on you!!!

Monday, December 3, 2012

And You Are?....


Hello, my pretties. So, it's Monday. Blah, Blah... but wait! I just found this And You Are ? Blog hop, and I thought I would do it. This is hosted by Emily R. King and Tammy Theriault There are 10 questions. Some are pretty funny, but I thought that instead of myself answering these, I'd give myself an extra challenge and have one of my characters in my book answer them. So, I thought Bjorn Tremayne would be the best one to pick on—er, I mean let answer these. Since he is a master vampire who once was a Viking (not that he lived in Minnesota or such, but an actual Viking who sailed a ship, etc.) it would be a little different from his p.o.v.

 
  1. . How many speeding tickets have you gotten?
None. Doesn't matter how fast I go either. There's an advantage to being a vampire.

2. Can you pitch a tent?

Can I pitch a tent? [scratching head] Well, I used to be a Viking and I may have put up a lean-to now and then, and so I don't think it couldn't be any harder than that.

3. What was your worst vacation ever?

Vacation? I can't even remember when I last had one. [laughs]

4. What was the last thing you bought over $100?

My tie, I guess.

5. We're handing you the keys to what?

You mean today? Oh, I think I'll take the super snake cobra Mustang out today.
6. What was the last meal you cooked that made even you sick?

I don't cook, darling. I'm a vampire, remember?

7. Fill in the blank: “Oh my gosh! Becky, look at her butt! It is so BIG. She looks like...”

[laughs] [more laughing] [still laughing waving you off] Really. You don't want me to answer that one.

8. What was your first car?

It was a horse, actually.

9. Your best friend falls and gets hurt. Do you ask if he/she is okay or laugh first?

I would definitely laugh. I don't have a best friend.

10. What is the worst song ever?

“Tip-Toe Through the Tulips”

Sunday, December 2, 2012

Sabrina Strong on Sabrina Strong

Photo Hi, everyone.Sabrina Strong, here and I'm in for Lorelei today, and I'm totally unprepared, but here it goes. Just bare with me.

Let me start from the beginning. If someone told me I would be working for vampires in Chicago a year ago, I'd have laughed my head off. But there I was answering an ad for a clairvoyant in the paper. Yeah. I'm a Touch Clairvoyant. You don't meet very many of those, I bet, do ya?

So, I get an interview with a guy with an accent. It wasn't the accent that tipped me off he was a vampire, I just knew he was. See? I'm pretty good at the clairvoyant stuff.

So, I manage to get Mr. Paduraru to meet me at a local place near me, and what the hell? I get out of my Jeep and a wolf attacks me. Not just any wolf, it's like I should have known right away it was a werewolf. But Nicolas Paduraru chases the wolf off by changing into one himself. I thought I was going nuts, really. And this cute guy came running out, calling my name. I never met him before, and he knew my name. It so happens Steve was working with Nicolas, so he knew who I was. Still with me?

Well, Nicolas returns as a man--er a vampire. They decide I need to have the wound sucked of werewolf venom. So, Nicolas does this for me. From that moment on I'm imprinted on him. I thought he was the most handsome man I'd seen. Until I met Bjorn Tremayne, of course.

While Nicolas definitely wants to have something with me in a human-vampire way--and me too, by the way--Bjorn won't allow it, because he's his sire. You don't do things behind your sire's back unless you want a quick death.

When I met Tremayne, there was no question about his abilities as a vampire. He could thrawl me from across the room and he never had even a drop of my blood. To say I would have been attracted to him without all the vampire pheramones going around is an understatement. Standing at seven foot tall, you'd think he was an ex-football player. Broad shoulders, buttery blond hair, and aqua eyes, he had an easy way about him, but he could be deadly, and I caught that right away too.

Then there was Dante Badheart. Native American scion to Tremayne. He's also a shift-changer, shaman, and was assigned to be with me 24/7. To say we sort of were attracted to one another is another understatement.

So, juggling three guys who are total hunks was only one of my problems. I also had to figure out who had murdered Tremayne's wife. And this wasn't easy because I had become a target for whoever it was. Dodging bullets and arrows is not fun, believe me.

I would have quit my first night on the job, because it was really scary being among all the vampires, and trying to stay calm enough that I wouldn't pee my pants, especially when I meet several other vampires and have a vision to boot! But then my boss, Mr. Tremayne hands me a huge bonus check, promising me a much larger sum, AND a car, that I let the idea of danger just vanish--for at least an hour or so.

This in the beginning of my adventures from the first book Vampire Ascending I'd like to tell you more, but I've run out of time. Maybe you can check it out on Amazon, by clicking on the book's title. They would make great gifts--ebook or paperbacks. There's also the second book Vampire's Trill. Lorelei would love to see more "Like"s there as well. Eventually there'll be a third book, and hopefully it will be out there soon.

Well, until next time, this is Sabrina Strong--oh! I see that my friend Rick text messaged me. He's working for Tremayne these days. Oh, he wants to talk to me. I'll tell him to pop on over. He can do that, you know, since he's a leprechaun.

Have a great day!

Tuesday, November 27, 2012

TEASER TUESDAY: OMG! It's a Dreadful!!!!

I think  someone was wondering what the Dreadfuls look like in my next book... It's a picture that I made a long time ago for another novel, but this is pretty close... Hello, my pretties! Well, I'm going to give you another teaser from the up-coming book, and as a treat, I've placed the picture of a Dreadful here. Something I created in "paints". Hope you enjoy!
My footsteps scuffed on a bare wood floor, the sound pulling me back to the one-room cottage. The smell of death and decay cloyed the air. My stomach quivered. I fought the urge to gag. No luxurious amenities surrounded me in the gatekeeper's house. No running water, only a few cupboards, and a basin. A wooden table and some chairs stood at one end of the room, a bed at the other. I suspected there was a pit outhouse in the back somewhere. If I spewed, I'd have to run out into the garden to bend over in the violets and cucumbers.
I swallowed and pinched my nose and breathed through my mouth. Not fantastic, but better than loosing my lunch.
Jett and his brother stood over a small bed where a woman lay. Her eyes were closed, and the blankets covering her moved shallowly with each rasping breath.
Zenyetta and Chairelott knelt at her bedside, silk handkerchiefs in hands. Their sorrowful weeping filled the room. The emotions hit like a tidal wave and I could hardly get past the threshold without it all overwhelming me. There was only so much I could take.
The oppressive odor saturating the whole cabin was familiar. Ah, yes, the nasty reek in Drakulya's study was here too—but ten times as strong. My gaze lifted. In the gloomy corner stood a black-cloaked creature—exactly like the one in Drakulya's study last night. Then, I made the connection. This was the creature's reek, not Drakulya's. I realized no one else seemed to be grossed out like I was, because they weren't holding their noses like me. I don't know why they couldn't. Maybe because of my heightened werewolf senses.
Now I knew what a Dreadful looked like. It stood vigil, somehow making this poor woman sick, until she died. Once again I could not get a read, like last night. Possibly because it had no soul. It puzzled me deeply.
©Lorelei Bell 2012

Saturday, November 24, 2012

Rick (the leprichaun) Talks about Book 3 in Sabrina Strong Series


Hi, everyone. I'm Rick. Better known as the leprechaun in the Sabrina Strong Series. If you've been keeping up, I'm introduced in the second book. But I'm here today to talk about the third book, coming out real soon. So, pay attention, 'coz I'm not going to repeat this for any losers out there. Got it? Good.
So—eh—let's see. In the second book we did a lot of stuff like released Mr. Tremayne from imprisonment, then we went to Dark World, kicked some demon butt there, and Tremayne lost favor with those devils there. But Sabrina got through that pretty unscathed, and got some experience in demon-ass kicking. She also solved a murder mystery—and if you read that book, you had to think she'd never get out of that old house alive. Right?
Also (spoiler alert!) Dante died at the end, which I guess a lot of you ladies sort of got upset about. Well, I promised not to give away too much, but you've gotta read this third one, because--(whispering) things really look up at the end of it where he's concerned. (Winks)
But this time she's trying to find her cousin, Lindee, who has gone missing. You think about it, a person could go missing for a lot of reasons—not just that maybe some foul play is involved. But admittedly this is foul play when you think about it.
Just so you know, Lindee had background and issues up the wazoo. Especially with her parents. And she was what we mildly call a bad girl. I say mildly because we've all had our bad times. Right? So some people just think she ran away. Sabrina, being a clairvoyant, knows better.
Sabrina finds out where Lindee was last seen. They got police and dogs scouring the place, but guess what? Lindee is no longer on terra firma. Nope. And when Sabrina slips through the portal that takes her to a world called Beyond the Black Veil, you can bet something really interesting is going to happen. 'Coz you see, that world is run by vampires, and I'm told they're sort of stuck in the mid-Victorian age.
Oh, and Sabrina actually meets Dracula himself—the real Vlad The Impaler, who is now a vampire. I swear to God! I nearly fell off my stool at Tom's Tavern when she told us.
And as if that ain't the worse part about it, she has to face these weird things called Dreadfuls who make humans sick and stick around until they die. But she figures out what she has to do to get rid of them permanently.
Oh, jeez. Did I say too much?
Well, the mystery as to where Lindee is is plenty to deal with, but you see the vampires on this world have donors for their needs. But one of these ladies whose blood is really, really popular was murdered, and has Sabrina a little distracted too. Along with all the good looking dudes in this as well. I mean, Sabrina is a good looking lady, and besides being a touch clairvoyant, she's also the sibyl, who has powers of her own. She's sort of discovering them in this book, and figuring out how to work her mojo. Dig?
Well, I think I've said enough here. If I say any more I'll say too much. I just wanted to get the word out. So, if you're in Batavia Illinois, look me up at Tom's Tavern. I'm buying. (laughs) See ya! (disappears)

Friday, November 23, 2012

Vampires, Bloody Good Reading!

Hey, all my pretties. I hope you had your fill of turkey, and the shopping trips are done. For now.

Today I thought I would give my blog over to my friend, Carole Gill. She's got some great horror novels if you like Gothic with a terror-twist to it. She has a way with sending chills up your spine. Well, let her tell you about her House on Blackstone Moor series.


We love vampires. Vampire fiction is broad enough to please every reader. There is drama, terror and sometimes comedy and why not? People have diverse tastes.

I love writing about vampires but in my current series I am writing about other issues as well.
The question of good vs. evil is at the core of my fiction.

In The House on Blackstone Moor there is the issue of child abuse which is alluded to. The heroine, Rose Baines asks if one act of evil can let (worse/supernatural) evil in. I will leave my readers to make final judgement on that.

As for my heroine, evil does, indeed, enter Rose’s life. One outrage affects her destiny forevermore.

Due to reader response I did decide to turn the book into a series and I’m glad I did. The second book has just been released.

THE BLACKSTONE VAMPIRES SERIES: WHAT’S IT ALL ABOUT?

It’s about sin, decadence and devil rites not to mention madness and obsession. It’s also about good v. evil, the eternal struggle. There’s love too but it comes at a terrible price for my heroine.

This isn’t light reading. In my fiction, the damned yearn for absolution (some of them) while others are not repentant; they wallow in sin and corruption.

Kindle Book Blast Featured
The House on Blackstone Moor, Book One:


"They say my father was mad, so corrupted by evil and tainted by sin that he did what he did. I came home to find them all dead; their throats savagely cut. My sisters only five and eight were gone as well as my brother who was twelve. My mother too lay butchered in her marriage bed. The bed her children were born in..."
Young Rose Baines discovers the savage murders of her family by her mad, incestuous father.

She is plunged into a nightmare of hell and is incarcerated in two madhouses after which she is helped to obtain a position as governess at Blackstone House.

The house is located on haunted moorland. Nothing is as it seems for Blackstone House and its inhabitants have hideous secrets. There is unimaginable horror there but there is love too--love that comes at a terrible price.

The story is as haunting as it is terrifying and will remain with the reader long after its disturbing tale has been told.

The first two chapters of the sequel are included also.




Unholy Testament – The Beginnings, Book 2

The day Eco first laid eyes on Rose Baines was the day she discovered (The House on Blackstone Moor) her family’s savage butchery at the hands of her mad, incestuous father.

“I saw you leave the house that day, Rose, that terrible day you discovered your family butchered. I saw you…”Eco realizing he has fallen in love with her pens a confession documenting all of his sins committed in the course of his immortal existence. The one request is that Rose reads his confession.

Rose, having become his captive, is forced to read this unholy testament of his.

From Ancient Egyptian vampire cults to Roman vampire brothels to The Dark Ages, The Crusades, The Black Death of 1348 to his meeting with child murderer and Satanist, Gilles de Rais, concluding with his wicked affair with the Blood Countess herself, Erzebat Bathory.

Eco is, if nothing else, frankly and brutally honest. The pages are filled with debauchery and vice and murder--yet, there is also love or what Eco swears is love.

The story is continued in Unholy Testament – Full Circle, to be released in early 2013.

The first two chapters and book cover of Unholy Testament – Full Circle is included in this book.
The House on Blackstone Moor left off.

Please note:

Unholy Testament – Full Circle continues the story of Eco and his debauchery and sin. It will be released in early 2013.

The fourth book in the series will be out in 2013 as well.



Twitter:


Well, these sound very exciting, Carole. Of course I've read the first one and it was an exciting read. I've never read anything quite like it! I hope this gives my readers plenty of ideas for holiday gifts for those who might enjoy this (or grab for themselves!)

Thanks for being on my blog today!

Wednesday, November 21, 2012

Being Thankful

Photo
The kittens are into their sixth month of life. If we had not adopted mother feral cat, that probably wouldn't have happened.

I stand outside on our steps watching them play, and their crazy antics. Looking around myself, I live in a rual setting, quiet. So quiet this day. Four geese fly directly over my circa 1906 farm house. The kittens and I look up to watch them. I can hear their wings shush-shush-shush as they fly over.

Being thankful is difficult to do. You always wish for more, and the things you have sort of get buried in your needs and wants.

I'm grateful for our health, and the roof over our heads. For the food we can put on the table, and our jobs. There are people who have gone through devistation who can't say this. So, I'm being humbled into saying I am grateful.

I'm grateful also of the friends I've made, here and in my day-to-day life. I'm often amazed by how easily people come to like me. But I think I've gotten past the amazed part of that. I guess I'm a likable person with a bubbly personality. I've been told that it comes through in my emails and probably here. I try to stay "up". What's the point of grumbling? People quickly tire of that and don't need to be reminded of the things that tick them off. So, yeah. I try to stay positive.

So, I'm thankful to you people out there who stop by this blog. I'm fortunate enough to have you guys around to want to stop by this site. It wasn't very long ago I thought I'd never have all the followers I have, and have people who actually interact and leave comments here. I love you guys!

So, today my husband and I are baking the turkey. It's just the two of us, and we're off all week so we can eat turkey for a few days.

Next week I'm going to be part of this chat/promo thing. As soon as I know exactly what I'm supposed to do, you'll be the second people to know (^;
Have a safe, happy, wonderful Thanksgiving, everyone!
 Join me November 30th!

Friday, November 16, 2012

Lorelei's Musings & Happy Friday!

I suppose I should simply call this my rant, but I'm not in the mood to really rant. I've already explained that because of my slow Internet, and the fact that Blogger has changed their innerface (or whatever), it makes it nearly impossible for me to do all the wonderful things I used to do here. I've been able to cheat the system and post pictures, but the way I have to do it is very cumbersome. I can't even use half the things up at the top of this--as I can't even see them. So, if I have some type-o's I missed, sorry.

I've been debating on whether or not to change over to my other blog, but I've got SO many followers here, and even when I'm not posting, you show up. I thank you very much.

And the trend has been that facebook and twitter are taking over the way we connect. I wish that were not the case, but I have no control over that. So, for those of you who still use the "old fashioned" way of blogging, I'm still here, and I'll still follow you on yours.

And speaking of that, I will have Carole Gill here next week to talk about her just released book. I'll be promoting it here, as best I can.

I have not yet received edits for the next book. I'm still waiting. I don't even have a cover. *tapping foot*

But I did have some great new business cards made up, and I'm hopeful the people I give them to, and where I pin them, will get people to buy. I mean, if someone has a person on their shoping list who is into vampires, they might be drawn to a card that says: Got Vampire? in a creepy font, black on orange stock. I thought that by placing this in large print (instead of my name), that would grab attention, and only those who are interested in such will take one. I've had the card disappear a number of times and sometimes I do see sales after, so I'll keep on trying this. Also giving one to people who may have someone on their Christmas list who is into vampires. I'm ever hopeful.

And next week is Thanksgiving, so I will have a little more time to work on this climax for #5 WIP. I've been making notes and trying to figure things out. I will also post more things about the third book that will come out soon (we are hopeful for Christmas), so as to get some excitement stirred up.

Happy Fridday everyone!

Friday, November 9, 2012

RULES OF THE ROAD - (for idiots)

My day job is drving a 12.5 ton bus around a college and through town, picking up students and non-students. That part is simple. It's the part where I DRIVE that gets difficult. You see, there aren't just other drivers on the road with us, there's people on foot, on bicycles, and anything else with wheels. And none of them possess the brains God gave them for going about in a dangerous world where they could get crushed by everything from semis and buses to cars. I often wonder what goes through someone's mind when they continue walking in front of a moving bus. Or, like today, I watched one of our drivers going at a crawl through the turn-around in the student center, and he's moving about 2 miles per hour (that's walking speed), when a guy on a bike decides he's going to roll right in front of this moving 12-ton bus.

So, I thought since I'm unable to change them any, I'd write up the DO's and DON'T's of THEIR rules of the road. I think it should go something like this (and of course I do not condone any of these actions, nore do I want anyone else to).

RULE #1 When driving up to a stale yellow light and you're in the left-hand turn lane, make sure you get into the middle of that intersection, so that you will block the right-of-way traffic when their light turns green. This assures that they can't go anywhere until you've made your turn. Your business is much too important than theirs anyway!

RULE #2 MAKE SURE YOU SPEED!!! At least 5-10 miles over the speed limit! If it's 30, you need to go 35-38. If it's 40, definitely you need to go 50!

RULE #3 Make sure you have a cell phone to your ear at all time, that way you can ignore changing lights and stop signs. Everyone will sto for you because you're so special!

RULE #4 For heaven's sake, whatever you do, don't use your turn signal. Everyone will get the drift of what you're doing, once you make that turn.

RULE #5 Don't use your headlights when it's "required". As long as you can see, what's the big dealL? And if at all possible, turn on those "parking" lights so that you look "cool", and play that rage music or whatever AS LOUD AS IT GOES!

RULE #6 Seat belts? You really don't need them. You're a safe driver.

RULE #7 When trying to find a place to park any old place will do. Especially where it says NO PARKING/TOW AWAY ZONE/HANDYCAPPED PARKING.

RULE #8 When riding your bike (this may apply to motorcylcles too), first of all EVERYONE WILL SEE YOU. You have the right to drive wherever the hell you want. Sidewalks, grass, roads. Make sure you swerve in and out of traffic. It's especially a big thrill to drive between two vehcles coming in opposite directions.

RULE # 8 a). Try riding with no hands. Try riding with a coffee cup in one and cigarette in the other, and to make it even more interesting text your girlfriend on the way to class.

RULE #9 Text while driving. You can do two things at once.

RULE #10 PEDESTRIANS: When waiting to cross the street make sure that people see you. Then go ahead and cross, even if it isn't your turn. Make sure to walk extra slow. It doesn't matter if you have the cross walk sign or not. People will stop. They have breaks. You're more important and have more important things to do, your mommy told you so.

RULE #11 Screw the crosswalks, just go for it dude!

RULE # 12 ROLLERBLADES AND SKATEBOARDS: You need no rules at all. Just go out and have fun. Skate backwards down the middle of the street because you're a DAREDEVIL!

RULE #13 When it rains or snows make sure you drive like an ass--pretty much like you always do. Peel out at those stop lights and stop signs so that you fishtail. That's always fun!

RULE #14 Cut off the other person when you want to make that right hand turn from the left hand lane. You'll never see that person again--and they'll never catch you!

I hope I haven't forgotten anything. Have a great day!

Saturday, November 3, 2012

Kitty Check-in & Up-dates

Hello, my pretties. How have you all been? Halloween is over. Boo-hoo. But I'm moving onward. No. Not doing the NaNo thing. I don't need to make myself crazy. Or, crazier than I already am (tee-hee). I've been going through the edits from my beta reader, Shelly Arkon *waves and chocolate hugs, Shelly*. I'm nearly done with it too. I'll be setting my Spell of the Black Unicorn aside for a month, after and continue work on my 5th in the Sabrina Strong Series, and try to finish a novelette.

So, I've been in my bat cave (writing cave to you all), and have not been able to do much posting. However, as a treat I thought I'd turn this over to my wild kitties. Take it away, Half-Pint!

"Hi. It's me. Half-Pint. It has become colder here. But the days still become warm, sometimes the sun comes out and it's nice to take naps under the low branches of the pine trees. It's now our favorite place to hang. It makes for good cover. My sister, Long-Hair, has found that crouching near the watering bowl is a good spot too. Birds come to it. She's very fast. I do believe she may be the first of us to catch an unsuspecting bird."

"No. I'll be the first!"

"That's my bigger idiot brother, Tango. He's always boasting." *Half-Pint turns to his brother."Shut up, stupid. I'm working here. My mistress has given me permission to be here on the blog. Not sure what a blog is, but my mistress thinks I'm more special than the rest of you."

"Snot." *Tango's ears go back*

"Whatever. You think you're so cute when you roll over on your back and show your belly to the humans. Then, when they go to pet you, you snag their hands (which they've covered, and that's a good thing), and bite. That's not nice."

"Shut up, snot."

"I know how to get the attention. I don't bite. I don't claw--well, not often. And I get more attention than you." *Half-Pint turns his back on Tango*

"The both of you disgust me."

*They look at their sister Long-Hair who has padded up.*

"I wouldn't be caught dead being touched by a lowly human. That's so demeaning." *Long-Hair settles on her haunches and licks her white paw.*

"Yeah, and yet you can't wait to jump on the food when it's brought out," Tango snarls.

"There's a difference in eating from a bowl and being petted. Although I'll admit the male human has touched me a few times." *Long-Hair licks her paw a few times, looking uninterested.*

"Whatever. Anyway, I'm just trying to tell the people out there how busy our mistress is. I'm not sure what she does inside her big cave, but she calls it writing. Whatever that is. Meanwhile, we're out here doing our thing. Right?"

"Whatever, poop-for-brains. I'm going hunting." *Tango walks off, disappearing into the dense woods.

"You going to climb that big tree again, sis?" *Half-Pint looks at his sister.*

"No." *Long hair stretches and yawns.* "I think I'll take another nap. Wanna come and cuddle up and keep me warm?"

"Maybe later. I think I'll go beat up my brother a little bit. Oh. Uh, Okay I think I'm done with saying stuff to you humans out there." *Half-Pint trots away, catching up to his sister. He jumps on her. She turns over on her back, claws out, biting. They tumble, bite and then part and go on their way.*

Author's note: Long-Hair is formerly known as Captain Jack/Jackie (after having figured out she's a girl) She is the only cat with long hair and different markings.

Monday, October 29, 2012

Panster or... Prankster?

Photo: Going to the Pumkin Fest in Sycamore! HOpe to see you there!I don't know where I got it, but I've always wanted to be the trick side of trick-or-treat, and scare the bejezus out of kids--young and old, if I could manage it. If trick-or-treaters wanted the delicious caramel apples that we made up just for them (we're talking 70'-80's here), then they had to get through the wierd sounds, ghouls, monsters, and ghosts I had set up in my yard... and they never knew which ones were "live". Take the one year I had my nephew wearing a mask, gloves, and a hooded sweatshirts (yeah, that's what they are called), and had him sit next to the front door. It was the last hurtle the little tykes had to go through. My actor underneath all the clothes and mask didn't move, until the precise moment, and then, only his hand, which was draped over the railing next to the door would move. Ohhhh! the screams! I loved it! We never had a soaped window or eggs thrown.

But it didn't need to be Halloween to make visitors scream. There was the time I had a small group of girl friends over from my high school for a "slumber party". I lived then in a rather large house. Larger than what the other three girls lived in. Plus it was old. I never knew how old until much later, it dated back to Civil War era. So, I used to tell them that it was haunted, which it wasn't, but that was me being the story teller back then.

I knew the time would be right to initiate my brother in at least one of my pranks that night before he left. You see, my room was situated over a closet on the first floor. The underside of the steps in front of my room, in fact, were easily accessed if one had a handy chair placed in the right spot in the closet below. My brother agreed to go into the closet downstairs, while we were all gathered in my room talking--and calling up boys and hanging up. What brother wouldn't want to be in on making girls scream?

We were all in my room and the knock came. I let one of the others answer--wouldn't be right I answered, the whole thing wouldn't work.

So, Alice answered and, of course, there was no one there.

The other two gasped and they looked out into the hallway, checked the room next to us, thinking they'd find the trickster. No one there.

The knock came again. Again they opened in. Again there was no one there. This creeped them out and they screamed and were beside themselves.

"I told you the house was haunted," I reminded. They certainly believed me now. There was no apparent logical way the knock came from anyone. Hahah!

Later on we played this silly game called "purple coffin" where you imagined your enemy--or someone you really hated--in a purple coffin, obviously dead from something.

After we played this, I knew I had to quickly rig up something that looked like a coffin, and put it in place so that they would come across it on their own. I had this old suitcase, a doll and something purple, and a flashlight. I got it ready for when we'd come down to make pizza (the kind in a box).

I said nothing to any of them. The coffin was set up in a room beyond the dining room, and could be seen from the kitchen doorway. The only way to the bathroom was through the dining room. You could not miss that light aimed into the "coffin" on the doll laying there. I should have become a director. I had directed a home made 8mm. film starring my nephew as "Dracula", and neice as his victim. I'd made a bat and at the right moment the bat disappeared and in it's place (on film), "Dracula" appeared. My niece now directly blames me for making her so screwy. You're welcome, honey!

Anyway, my anticipation hig, I bided my time as we made our pizza. We ate and drank pop. And then the first one had to go visit the bathroom. Perfect! Martha was the most skittish of them all. On her way out of the kitchen, she faced that far room with the doll and coffin. She let out a screach and backed up, crying "Purple coffin! Purple coffin!"

After they all got over the scare, I showed them what I had done. Needless to say I didn't host any more sleep overs at my house. I think that one lasted them.

As a side note, my "enemy"--from our "purple coffin" game I saw her the very next day at school on crutches. Someone told me that she had stepped on a needle.

Sunday, October 28, 2012

Guest Post: James Garcia Jr. & Flash Point

Image of James, Jr. GarciaHaving been posting for a few years here on blogspot, I've gotten to know a number of special people who happen to be authors. And good ones, at that. The days of waiting for someone to acknowledge the talent that is out there is slowly, but dramatically going out the window with the abilty to publish our own. These are people who've worked hard on their novels in between their own jobs, their lives and all the things (i.e. sickness, family drama, deaths, etc.), that happen around them. Despite the fact that you may think in the back of your head "I'll never see this thing finished!" you some how do.
Case in point: My very good buddy, James Garcia Jr. (we all know him as Jimmy), has come a long way from his beginnings as a writer-become-author. As someone who also has struggled with getting a work published, or even written, I have a special place in my thoughts and heart for Jimmy. He had to contend with a few rough spots not only getting his first book, Dance on Fire, published, but then a rocky road to getting this second one, Dance on Fire: Flash point to fruition. You gotta admire someone who can pull themselves out of the quagmire of getting their work out there with determination such as did Jimmy. So, without further ado, I give you Jimmy on his newest work.

Dance on Fire: Flash Point
Five years ago, two vampires descended upon my home town of Kingsburg, California. It’s a small town. We have a population of only about 11,000. They left a lot of bodies in their little war.
They knew each other, you see. The eldest of the two was the one responsible for the younger. He called him his son. Nathaniel wasn’t pleased with this reference, considering Vincent murdered his father while he was in the room of his old house back in Romania.
Nathaniel wanted nothing but to be left alone. Little did he suspect that he would find himself a member of a family, merely by saving a woman and her children from Vincent’s evil hands. Barbara Lopez believes that God brought Nathaniel to her family because he is a vessel for good. Nathaniel is not so sure. In fact, he knows it isn’t true. He’s undead, and knows that there is no place in God’s kingdom for one such as him.

Or is there?
I told this story in 2010. I called it Dance on Fire. You’ve heard about this story on these very pages. I have come before you to tell you that the story wasn’t over. This Monday, I release Dance on Fire: Flash Point. Here’s the story…

Five years after the death of their only child Tiffany, Steve and Angie Rosen receive an unexpected guest to their Morro Bay, California home: their daughter. She comes with a tale of having suffered a terrible head wound in the fire that took their Kingsburg home, causing her loss of memory and migraine headaches that force her to hide from daylight in order to prevent. Tiffany's reemergence is treated like Manna from Heaven; however, her story is only half true. Tiffany is a vampire and their daughter in name only. She sleeps during the day and hunts for human blood during the night, and has come back to enact a twisted revenge upon those who ruined the plans of her master, the notorious vampire, Vincent. And she is not alone.
Five years after the terrible events that reshaped the Swedish Village, Kingsburg lies unsuspecting as five vampires descend upon her with a great evil in their black hearts.
Five years after old wounds have finally healed and the old fires were thought extinguished, Police Chief Michael Lopez and Officer Mark Jackson and their families find themselves surrounded when fires blaze anew. The good vampire, Nathaniel, has pledged his service to these people, but he is no longer among them. He lives high in the Oregon Mountains near the California border, seeking whether God might have a place in His kingdom yet for him.
When Nathaniel discovers that Tiffany has returned, will he be too late to stop her? And will his desire to protect his friends destroy what God has begun in him?
It will all begin with a Flash Point.

I want to thank my good friend, Lorelei, for giving me an opportunity to share my crossover vampire series with her fans and friends. I really appreciate you folks taking the time to listen. 
To PURCHASE THE EBOOK GO HERE.
 James Garcia Jr. can be found at his BLOG where you can catch up on what he's been up to, excerpts from his books, and on  FACEBOOK, and TWITTER for BIOGRAPHY

Thank you Jimmy for coming for a visit and never giving up on your writing!


Tuesday, October 23, 2012

Teaser Tuesday ~ From Spell of the Black Unicorn

This is a tidbit from my first self-pubbed novel, Spell of the Black Unicorn. With the help of my dear friend, Shelly Arkon who has offered to beta read it for me, so that I might get it all spruced up to re-publish it as an ebook. Thank you, Shelly!

Enjoy:

Zofia relaxed back in a tub full of lilac-scented bubbles. A red patch covered her right eye made of two pieces of red silk sewn together. Sandwiched between the silk pieces were various herbs for curing specific ailments. Zofia had come across Tillie's amulet for eye twitching in the junk drawer of the kitchen while trying to dig out the cork screw. She thought a glass of wine might help, and while it certainly wouldn't hurt, it did relax her a smidge.
The amulet seemed to be reducing the little tugs below her right eye, now that she reached for the thin stem of the wind glass, nearly filled with white Zinfandel. She took a sip and replaced it on the cotton wash cloth along the flat edge of the tub. A square of dark chocolate resided on a paper napkin next to it. She picked it up and took a nibble. Nearly as good as it gets.
It didn't help when Zofia had entered her bedroom earlier she had found Dorian still in her bed. He looked dead laying on his back, as he slept the sleep of the vampire; his chest never rose, nor a twitch of a muscle. He'd been here all day.
She moved through the room quietly, getting what she needed, while hoping not to disturb him.
But he stirred.
Hi,” he said, one eye peeping at her.
Hi,” she said quietly. “I didn't mean to disturbe you.”
You didn't,” he said. “You could never disturbe me.”
She smiled. “I'm just getting some things. I'm taking a bath.”
He had nodded and closed his eyes. She had stood there staring at the rumpled sheets where a very delicious male body rested ensconced only in the dark blue satin sheets of her bed. One white vampire leg sticking out on the side, uncovered, while the rest of his body was more or less covered. Thank goddess. She didn't know if she could resist him, vampire or not, if his presents were exposed.
©2008 by Lorelei Bell

Monday, October 22, 2012

New Short Story Out: Murder Mansion

Because I love to write, the short story has always been one of those things that I've dabbled in. Somewhat like when I went through my poetry phase. I have to be in the right mood to work on a short story. These are harder to write--yes, for me, at least--than the novel. Novels are fun because I can put so much into it, so many threads and the plot etc. lets me continue on with a story.

The short story is a whole different animal. You have only so many pages/words in which to get that story down, and give it some twist at the end. The endings are the hardest part. I don't like stupid endings that mean nothing. I want to deliver the reader the sensation that they feel as though they are repaid for their time (and money). So I love to twist that ending just right.

In case you didn't know, I now have THREE short stories up on Amazon. Check out My Books above for links and description.

I have trouble placing pictures into my posts, but I will place the link for this latest one at the end of this.
When I wrote Murder Mansion, it was actually an experimental thing. I think it was more of a flash fiction piece, if I recall. The original was shorter, and I didn't quite have the ending. While puttering with it for publication on Amazon, I realized how the ending had to be. In many cases, much like poems, you have to exit the piece in such a way that is satisfying. At least that's the way I look at it.

Murder Mansion is a ghost story. It's premis is centered on the fact that people who have come to tragic or horrific endings, must return to re-live those moments that put them in the grave. What happened to James and Joan was horrific. They both must return to that same house, or mansion, where something horrible happened to Joan, and James was blamed for her murder.

Here is the link for Murder Mansion. Check it out, and if nothing else, hit the like button. Thank you!

Saturday, October 20, 2012

Cat Tails ~ Half-Pint Checks in

It's me. Half-Pint. I am runt of litter. But I am strong, fast and I love my mistress and her mate--the man with the beard who feeds us and gives good belly rubs. Makes me make a sound inside, I have no name for it. I only know I can't help but make that sound. It's different from when I call out "Meow" to get his attention.

Today we were busy hunting. Didn't catch nothing. But there were lots of flying things, things with funny tails that chattered at us. I am tired now. Want a huge nap. Might play a little. Teach my stupid older brother who is boss.

I love my mistress' fingers. They taste salty. Her toes have best flavor, but she covers them now. I don't understand that.

Also, my mistress is writer. She is busy, and I do not get to see her much. She didn't come out of their cave after dark, like her mate did. He gave me a good belly rub. I didn't want him to leave. He moved his face closer, so I gave him a kiss on the nose. I gave him three, in fact.
I think that my mistress has been busy putting up her short stories on a place called Amazon. I don't know Amazon. Is that a person, or an animal? I don't know. Anyway, she has been busy putting these up. One is called Holy Devil. That's a strange name for something, but I am only kitten who is three months old. She says its a version on someone named Rasputin, who is not really a holy man, but a vampire. And another one she calls, Vampire, My Own. I have no idea what a vampire is. She told me that story is for a younger crowd. Like me. I thought it was fun to listen to when she read it to me. I liked the girl in it. She was interesting. I wanted her to give me pettings.

She is working to put another one up called MURDER MANSION. Is something that sound scary. I ran and hid when I heard about this one. Is a scary ghost story. My review would be four kitten paws and one swish of the tail. It is scary, and dark and bloody. I am told it should be up on this thing called AMAZON soon. This coming week, in fact. It would be good if you go and buy them. They are not very much. Mast has bought a BIG bag of Meow Mix, now. You buy my mistress' books. It would help feed us wild cats. Think of it as a donation to us ferals. Pweeezzzz?

I think I am tired now. Going to curl up with the others. Mother has been acting strange lately. She whacked me one day when I tried to play with her. I went head over heals. Actually that was kind of fun. Hope you had fun chasing wild things like I did. Good night. Meow.


Monday, October 15, 2012

Mother Cat's Check in ~ They Grow So Fast!

Gone are the really hot days, as the weather turns colder. And I'm eating more. Well, I am feeding for about five to seven of us! Yes, I feel the quickening of motherhood upon me again. I will have to find a place soon. Not sure if the one I used before this will suit me. It was rather tight quarters. However, it is close to food and water provided for me. I manage to find moments when I can trot off to be alone from my little clan--those I dropped in mid-summer. They aren't as clingy and needy of me as they once were. They are growing and learning so much!

Why just the other day we were under the big trees, in the short grass, when two of my eldest were investigating the dug-up earth, when a squirrel made the unwise choice to scamper out into the grass. Sure, he was a good distance away, but still, the movement and his audacity stirred these two into action. They went down into a crouch, watching the thing go about its business looking for nuts, or whatever the stupid thing does.

Then surprising me and everyone, they both charged the squirrel. The thing ran, of course, toward the nearest tree, but sensing no danger from my two babes, it stopped.
Both kittens stopped, and looked back at me, as if to see if this was what was expected. But they stopped for barely a second, and looked back at their target. Then, they charged again, chasing it up the tree.

Oh, I could not have been more proud of my little tikes! Soon, they may bring something down. As it is, we are always on the look out for some small tidbit. Mice will not find their way into this house!
Now to do something about that chipmonk who lives in the backyard in the hole in the ground....

Friday, October 12, 2012

A Halloween Poem

This is a strange poem I wrote--and have been working on every year around this time for the past several years. It has several off-springs as well, but this is the main poem. It's called "WE"

We Zombies
steal rusty bicycles
leave behind fast-food wrappers.

We Freddy Krueger
wannabes look for
revenge in parking lots.

We teenangels karaoke in corfield mazes
Eerie sounds emanate from
latter-day construction sites.

We Litterbugs
lie prone in our own
refuse along the road to the prom as
darkness settles all around.

We eat fat and tempt
French fries
watching Charlie Brown
Manson loose self-control.

We live in time-traveling cocoons
on loan from the library
listen to the Tao of the
Ungrateful Dead.

We Zombies
astride rusty
bycycles, fly to the moon
leave behind old tires and empty
Pepsi cans.

Monday, October 8, 2012

SEX, SEX, AND ... (fill in the blank)

Okay. I admit that was a blatant attempt to get your attention today. But since you took the time to come on over I'll give you a scene--I call it the aftermath bedroom scene from book #5

But first I just wanted to preface and explain that as I got to the end of chapter 16, and realized I had to have something going on in the bedroom at the end of this chapter between Sabrina and her now husband, Vasyl (vampire). I'm not a romance writer. I've said this time and again. I do show the nitty gritty in my novels at times, but really, unless it has something to do with the plot, I see no reason to go into the blow-by-blow (okay, I could have used a better euphemism, but really, it works here, don't you think?) of two people going at it.

Plus, I'm lazy.

So, my little bitty brain came up with such a crazy after-the-dust-settles scene I nearly blew a gasket trying get it down without laughing myself silly. So, without further adu, here you go. Enjoy.

Please be advised this is rated P(X)G. And the Eff word is in there a few times as well.

I opened my eyes and found that the bed had moved at least a foot away from the wall due to my rocking motions. The amazing part was the bed wasn't on casters, and it rested on carpet.

Drenched in sweat, I was balanced precariously on top of Vasyl, in the last throws of ecstasy. The mattress below us had moved as well. It was now pitched at a forty-five deree angle, more or less, and my balance became jeopardized by weakened leg muscles from all my activities for the past two and a half hours. My knees had about four inches on either side of Vasyl's hips and that was it. The mattress buckled below my right knee, I pitched over, and tumbled to the floor.

"Ow." My hair, soaked from sweating profusely--because of the heat from both having sex with a vmapire and the too-warm room--fell down in my face.

Vasyl's laughter rang in my ears.

"Right. You try balancing on a two foot-wide mattress, buddy!"

He laughed harder, holding his hand to his stomach as though it hurt from laughing so hard. Then, pointing at me, he said something in French that sounded like an insult, yet sexy as hell.

I mopped matted hair out of my face and scowled, even though I found myself wanting to laugh, now looking at how we'd recked the bed and room, and the way I must look. He, on the other hand, looked entirely too comfortable with himself, like a nude study by Michelangelo. In contrast, my skin was coated in sweat. I needed a shower. I felt like I'd been mud wrestling. This had been the third or fourth time the mattress had wiggled askew from our love making. We had both fallen on the floor together before this. But this time Vasyl had somehow managed to remain poised on the top corner of the stupid little bed.

I threw a pillow at him and he easily swatted it away, still reamining banalnced on the edge of the bed. Bastard. I tried to move my feet. Couldn't. The sheets were twisted around one of my legs. Son of a bitch! I couldn't locate the bedspread. At this point it didn't matter. I worked to untie myself from the sheet, which was somehow anchored somewhere beneath the mattress. Vasyl reached down and pulled the sheet and freed me easily, his laughter finally dying.

"I am sorry, but you looked so silly," he said.

"Eff you," I spat.

"He chuckled sinisterly. "I think you already did. Would you liked to eff me more?"

"No. I'm taking a shower." I struggled to my feet and looked around. I realized I had no clothes up here except the ones I had on. I was not going to put a sweater and jeans back on over my sweat-soaked skin.

©Lorelei Bell

AUDIO BOOK NOW AVAILABLE!

Hi, everyone, I have some great news! My first Sabrina Strong book, Ascension, is now in an audio book format.  NOW THAT I HAVE YOUR ATTE...