Hello to my friends and fans . . . here are my updates:

It's been quite an up and down week--weather was up and down, definitely. Went from the 90's down to the 50's, had to drive in the most torrential rain I've ever driven in--along with lightning. Ah, the exciting moments of a bus driver. I had to apologise for not having towels, and welcomed them to Seattle as they got on rather soppy.

And my book's eBook sales went from the basement back up, and sort of hovered there for a few days, momentarily hitting an all-time high at # 31,940--for a brief few hours yesterday, and then dropped off. But that's expected. I just was a bit thrilled that a bunch of people are showing they are very interested in my book. If it gets to #1 I might just pass out, but it's a long ways from that.

As some of you may know, I've sent in my second book to my publisher. I got word back that they are aiming for a late summer release. I told him that's fine with me, but my fans wanted it last week.

Sorry. But you know, if it were one of your big house publishers, you'd all have to wait a full year for the hard-bound copy to come out, and then another year after that for the softbound. I'm guessing you won't mind to wait just a few more months to get your hands on an eBook of my next installment of Sabrina Strong's escapades with the vampires, werewolves and shape shifters.

I've been posting little tidbits to do with the next book, little hints, and helpful background into sibyls, and something called the Dagger of Delphi, over at Vampire Writer's Retreat and there's a bit on the mystic ring, which has something called the Seal of Solomon, and such on it. The above are coins with the Seal of Solomon on them. Sort of a little thing I thought I'd put up here today.

I'm, of course, working on the third book, so I'm only getting out once in a while to post and make comments. Any of the work I am doing on the third book can be viewed over at Lorelei's Writing Journal. I may have portions of chapters, or just notes on what I'm doing. This third book is going to be somewhat different, taking Sabrina into a different world almost right away. This is my "steampunk" novel with all the delicious hunks to drool over, and a couple of mysteries to solve, and danger. Plus, if you have an avad interest in Dracula, you'll be pleased to know I've got him in this as well. You'll want to see how I've done this, I'm sure.

I'm also happy, I want to say, for my longest friend here on blogspot, Heather McCorkle of Heather's Oddessey. She has made a tough, but I think, good decision, after much work, on her book, "Secret of Spruce Knoll" and at trying very, very hard to find an agent to take it, and having to come to a very tough decision over self-publishing, or going with a small publisher.

I have been a follower of Heather's for four years, now, and she mine, and we've been supportive of each other this whole while, and I wouldn't think of stopping my support of her. I think if there were a nice award for friendship, I would give it to her. But being blogging friends is enough. I wish her the best of luck!

Arrival By UPS: A New Book!

I was working in my office, which faces front, and toward the road. The distinctive low rumble of a truck caught my attention. The large brown straight truck was a signal to me: It has arrived! The book I won. Chelsea Quinn Yarbro's An Embarrassment of Riches, delivered to me, straight from the publisher.




I've always wanted to read another one of Yarbro's St. Germain episodes. I still have the original paperback, Hotel Transylvania. I have the date 4/9/79 when I'd bought it written on the inside page. The pages of this poor book are yellowed, dog-eared, the binding has silver duct tape to hold it together. I loved the cover: A handsome, black-haired man kissing a woman's neck. This story was about Comte de Saint-Germain during the mid-1700's. Yarbro's St. Germain is a vampire.





Hotel Transylvania, and Chelsea Quinn Yarbro were the very reason I strove to write my own version(s) of a vampire novel in 1980. That one, of course, never saw the light of publishing.

As you understand, I loved that book to death, and used it for inspiration toward a very different book I've penned, and have not published as yet. It would be the second in my Zofia Trickenbod series, the first of which I'd self-published Spell of the Black Unicorn. In the second book, Zofia returns to her own planet, and through certain series of events meets Count Saint Germain.

St. Germain is a real person in history, a man who's life is steeped in mystery, an alchemist, he was reportedly able to "grow" gems, and would often present them to ladies of royalty as a gift. That is what I'm getting that Yarbro has done with this Saint-Germain instalment of An Embarrassment of Riches, from the descriptions I've read.


Reportedly, the real Saint Germain also was said to have discovered the ability to stay alive by using the philosopher's stone (which very talented alchemists of his time were trying to achieve, but could not), this "stone" would keep a person alive for as long as they took it. From what I've been able to dig up on the philosopher's stone it was actually a powder made through some alchemical means, and with probably difficult to attain ingredients. It was more or less tantamount to magic, from everything I've ever read about it. In every historical tale about St. Germain, he was never seen to eat anything at any functions, however, would drink from his own glass some unknown substance, mixed possibly with wine. One must wonder what was in that glass. In other tales, he was said to have been seen by people who had seen/known him 20+ years prior, and he seemed to have never aged--not even a silver thread in his black hair, and no more wrinkles, while those people had aged quite a bit. Obviously, St. Germain would have to go into hiding for a while, an reinvent himself, name himself something different, and reappear as someone new.





Yarbro has taken her St. Germain and placed him in various historical events, using actual people in history, using lavishly rich historical background and historically accurate events in all of her St. Germain tales. I think this is what sets her novels apart from all other vampire novels. This, and, of course, her style of writing.


As I've mentioned, I've read a number of things about the actual St. Germain, and you have to wonder if he didn't really find a way to stay alive longer than the normal human life-span. I've read of people claiming they know he is still alive. There are sites set up claiming this. In fact I visited a site yesterday where a novelist told of her inspiration for her tales, and of a possible link between our historical St. Germain and someone who lived in New Orleans during the 17th century (I might be off a century, I can't recall the exact dates). The story goes this man seemed to be taking "donations" of blood from the ladies until one became quite upset, screamed, and jumped out his window, claiming he was going to bite her. However, I just wonder if the vampire tale was very much embellished for the tourists.


I'm very excited about reading this book, Yarbro has been nominated for the Edgar, World Fantasy, and Bram Stoker Awards. She's been named a Grand Master of the World Horror Convention and a Living Legend by the International Horror Guild. That's quite a number of honors and nominations for any author. I'm positive at some point I will pick up another one of her books, merely because I'll be hooked on this series.