A 2-Book Box Set

Hi!

It's been awhile since you've  heard from my blog, but we're still here! See!? This blog is proof of our existence. I also have additional proof; I bundled the first two books in the Hunters and Queen series, and I made the box set available on Amazon. I have been talking about a third book, Emergence, and I do plan on releasing the next book very soon. In the meantime, I have so many other writing ideas in the cooker, and between life and the day job, well, you know how that scenario goes. At any rate, I write on....and on.....and on......often to the break of dawn. Do you see what I did there? I made a rhyme. :D

So, if you haven't checked out the series, then the box set is a good place to start.

I hope you enjoy the series enough to continue to book III.

Always remember: "A professional writer is an amateur who didn't quit."

To everyone, enjoy life and all the simple and small things that come your way.

Cheers!
<3

Cake, E-books, and a Giveaway! Oh, My!

Readers, Writers, Thinkers, and Dreamers!

Hi!

In case you missed the last giveaway, enter for you chance to win an e-book, The Hunters and the Queen, and a $5.00 Starbucks gift card.

Here, I made you a cake for good luck.

                                       Not really, but here are the ingredients and recipe.


Nom.....Nom.....Nom....Delicious!

So, enter the giveaway here at Rafflecopter.
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Cheers!

Thank you for your support.

The Sequel is Here!

Readers, Writers, and Dreamers!

Hi :0)

Have you ever wondered why some families become members of the aristocracy? Does the universe choose them? Whatever happened to Constantinople? The Hunter and the Queen series welcomes these questions into its story.

I finished the II book in the Hunter and Queen series, Transcendence. Book II  is the sequel to Resurgence. Transcendence is not as long as the first book, but there is more action compared to the first book in the series. The first book provides a backstory for the journey.

In book II, you will learn more about Hadrian and the dark lords; and you will travel deeper into a world of fantasy, love, darkness, mystery, and history. Transcendence is a short novel that creates a bridge from the Order of the Hunters and the dark lords to the sky world and the sky beings. I will take a few weeks off before I begin writing the third book in the series. I do hope you enjoy the story, and please come back to learn more about the developments in the Hunter and the Queen series. To those people who have traveled with me during this process, thank you for your support, guidance, and information. Now, +Random House Books, +Simon & Schuster, and +HarperTeen, I am ready to submit, yet again, a work of fiction to your magnificent literary agents. I know I'm at the bottom of your slush piles. I know I need to secure a literary agent. I know I need to find a professional editor that doesn't charge a price equal to my monthly mortgage, but we all can dream! Time to celebrate with popcorn, extra butter! Cheers!

Dreaming of You

Hello Readers, Writers, Thinkers and Wishers,

Happy Equinox! Enjoy a  Book Trailer for The Hunters and the Queen. I am winding down Transcendence, and the book is nearly complete. I had a few time snags, but I can see the finish line. As always, I'd like to hear from you.


"A dream you dream alone is only a dream. A dream you dream together is reality." 

Cheers!

A Book Excerpt from The Gypsy Hunter

Hey Readers!
I am getting excited because the second book in the Hunter and Queen series is almost complete! Yippee! Yippee! I have included another excerpt from the book for you to enjoy (pre-edit before publication). The Gypsy is morphing, but she still has time to stop the process. Please enjoy this book excerpt about Sadeiq, the Gypsy.

 

The Gypsy’s Dark Lord

     Her eyes darted around the restaurant. The bamboo divides cluttered the dining area, but she didn’t care. She was hungry and starting to morph. She picked up her chopsticks and grabbed a piece of tuna; she liked this chef because he always prepared his cuts within seconds of the kill, if he didn’t already cut the meat while the fish was still alive. The gypsy dusted her sashimi with freshly harvested smelt roe; she then placed the bite into her mouth and chewed the fish flesh until it liquefied on her tongue. The Gypsy tried to enjoy her meal, but she felt nervous. She smelled darkness in the air.

     Sadeiq, the gypsy hunter, sat at the sushi bar. As she quietly chewed her raw fish, her eyes rolled back in the sockets and the whites of her eyes were exposed. Her head dropped back and her mouth opened wide. The chewed fish remains were displayed on her tongue. She stayed in this demonic looking state for several seconds, no one took notice. The sushi chef witnessed her do this before, and he assumed she was possessed; but by what he did not know. After several minutes, Sadeiq regained her composure and finished chewing her food. She swallowed, and she nervously looked at the chef and faintly smiled. She was morphing into a hunter, and she wants to stop the process. She still has time, but she must find the elements; she must find Jolán.

     Sadeiq feels a need to leave England. She wants to go to Asia for a few weeks. She can’t track down Jolán, but she feels she may have luck finding her in Asia. Sadeiq decides to book a train ticket and leave England on the next available trip. She pays for her food, and she thanks the chef for his service. As she leaves the restaurant, she thinks of her finances. Sadeiq has a lot of money, but her soul was what she cared about securing. Her soul had no price, but the Order had a contract to claim her life. Sadeiq made a bad decision, a haste decision, and she hoped she could correct her mistake and save herself from becoming a hunter. Although her train ride to Asia won’t take her to Jolán, unbeknownst to her, but the trip might bring her closer to the elements. She still has some time left, she has time to save herself from turning into a hunter for eternity.

     Within an hour of leaving the sushi bar, Sadeiq arrived at the train station. She purchased a few items, and she had a change of clothes for her trip. She knows she can purchase additional items along her journey, but she prefers to travel light. As her trip to Asia necessitates several days of travel, Sadeiq decides to reserve a sleeping cabin on the train. The Trans-Siberian Railroad traveled along beautiful landscape, but it is a very lengthy ride. Sadeiq wants her privacy.

     After her ticket was purchased, she immediately boarded the train and walked towards her cabin. Since she only had a small carry-on, she was easily checked and escorted towards the boarding area. As Sadeiq walked towards her reserved area of the train, she had another eerie feeling. She felt someone watching her; she turned around but nothing looked unusual. She continued towards her sleeper cabin. Before she reached her quarters, a tall man with grey tinged skin, black hair and aquamarine colored eyes exited the cabin directly next to where Sadeiq was booked. He surprised her, and she moved back a step as he closed his cabin door. He noticed her, and he released a sinister smile. Sadeiq lowered her eyes and stepped aside. As the man walked by, she kept her focus on the ground and quickly made her way to her room. Once inside her cabin, she put her bag on the small chair tucked under the cabin table. She sat on the bed and took a deep breath. She wanted a drink of alcohol, but she knew she couldn’t have one because she had to stay focused. The gypsy didn’t want any attention, she only wanted to stay human.

     The train left London and was headed to Russia. It would take nearly 48-hours before Sadeiq would arrive in Moscow. From Moscow she would head towards Asia. She had packed a few puzzles and a few books, so she could pass her time while in her cabin. She didn’t want to socialize while on her journey, she knew her morphing state only alarmed the unaware and alerted the aware to her identity. Sadeiq wanted to stay as below the radar from society as possible. She didn’t want to turn into a hunter.

     As the train glided over the railways, she took notice of all the beautiful trees, waterways, and green pastures on her ride. She knew her trip was on its way towards Amsterdam, and she looked forward to the 45-minute delay in the city. Sadeiq wanted to pick up some smokes; she was grateful she could still smoke. She had to stay under the radar about most everything else, but, she thought, at least there was still smoking to enjoy. She stayed in her cabin, and she watched the afternoon slowly turn to evening. She had a few hours until she arrived in Amsterdam, she decided to take a nap. She didn’t lock her cabin door.

     As Sadeiq rested on her mattress, she drifted away as the train sped over the smooth tracks of the railway. She felt the electricity in the air, and she felt the speed of the moving vessel. Although she felt rested, she didn’t feel completely safe. She never felt absolutely protected.

     Sadeiq fell asleep in her room. Her minimal belongings were still neatly packed in her travel bag. She enjoyed a deep sleep for a couple hours before her cabin door handle turned open. Once the door was open, her cabin neighbor with the aquamarine eyes entered the room. He wanted to smell her cabin, he wanted to identify her and seek her destination. He smelled her before, and he knew the smell.

     She slept quietly in her bed; her slumber was deep. Sadeiq did not know anyone had entered her room. The man roamed around the small cabin, and he kept his eyes on the gypsy. He knew what she was, and he was going to confirm his suspicion. The man walked up to the bed; he placed his hands on the wooden rails. He leaned closer and smelled her breath, he smelled her skin. Yes, he thought, he knew exactly what she was and he was excited.

     The gypsy began to stir in her bed; she tossed and turned before she opened her eyes. Her first vision was of the man standing over her bed. He immediately grabbed her hand and held it tight to his chest. Sadeiq didn’t feel a heartbeat. He grabbed her, leaned over, and forced his tongue in her mouth. She squirmed and moaned, but he read her thoughts. He could see her visions. Sadeiq tried to push the man off her, but then she relaxed and let his tongue take control. She knew he was a hunter; Sadeiq was aware he was a very important member of the Order. She received glimpses of his memories, but he blocked many images from her view. His power was stronger. Sadeiq was not fully developed; and she doesn’t want to ever transform into a hunter.

     After several long minutes, the man stopped and pulled away from Sadeiq. When he stepped away from the bed, he had some information; and he knew the gypsy was aware of the elements.
     Sadeiq looked over at the image of the tall man in the shadow, and she said, "Rupik. That’s what you want me to call you? That is your name?"
     She hated her telepathy, she knew it was part of becoming a hunter. She was nervous. A fully developed hunter had found her on her journey. She was anxious because she felt her journey put her on the radar of the aware.
     Rupik leaned in close to Sadeiq and he said, "I am watching you, gypsy. I know you have a final destination that collides with your contractual path with the Order. You can’t hide from the hunters, you can trust my words."
     He then licked her face and walked out of her room. He locked her door before he made his exit. Sadeiq felt nervous. She started to shake. Her eyes rolled back and the whites of her eyes were exposed. Her mouth was wide open, her head was completely leaned back, and she started to gently shake…..

     After several moments, Sadeiq returned to a lucid state. She needed a smoke. She couldn’t wait to get to the next stop. As she looked out of her window, she noticed the landscape had turned bleak. The pastures were dry and dead. The skies looked black, and the air was filled with smoke. Her horrors were too close for comfort. The gypsy knew she had to stay focused. Time is of the essence.

A Romantic Saturday at the Palace

A romantic Saturday with modern-day Colemund, the Prince of Gallia Belgica, and Jolán. Their love is traced back through the centuries. An excerpt for you to enjoy from Resurgence.
 


Palace Conversation
     

Colemund walked Jolán around the perimeter of the Palace ballroom, and then he guided her towards a quiet area behind long red velvet drapes. As they walked through the drapes, Jolán observed several people taking notice. Once Colemund and Jolán walked through the curtains, Jolán noticed a rather gigantic area that overlooked the back of the Palace courtyard. There were large bay windows lined along the back wall. The enormous room was illuminated by soft lights, and there were large white stars that hung from the ceiling in a creative and dramatic fashion; and the stars supplied a warm and rosy glow to the room.

Colemund escorted Jolán to a table in front of one of the windows. She looked out the window, and she noticed the magnificent hedge maze located off the center of the courtyard. The back side of the Palace was vast; it was probably a few miles in length and diameter.

As she continued to stare out the window, Colemund looked at her and said, “Jolán, I am going to leave for a moment to find a friend who will locate Eshe, and I will return momentarily.”

Colemund then leaned closer to Jolán, held her hand and whispered in her ear and said, “I just want to get a better smell of you, my dear.” Colemund lingered close to Jolán for several seconds and then he said, “It’s very nice being this close together, right?”

Jolán became shy and she dropped her head, but she immediately raised her head and met Colemund’s eyes and responded, “Yes, very nice.”

Colemund then released Jolán’s hand, he flirtatiously smiled at Jolán, and then he turned and walked away to locate his friend Alastair.

Jolán sat patiently. She could not shake the surrealistic feeling that was developing. She looked through the large bay window, and she gazed over the massive courtyard. Everything was brilliantly lit. The shrubs, the hedge maze, the beautifully landscaped patio, and the rolling hills were all punctuated with a glow of romantic soft light. Some of the illuminants were pink, others were blue, and then others were white.

Before Jolán could dive deep into her thoughts, Colemund appeared with a goblet of water to share; a beer for him, and a vodka and soda water with lemon slices for Jolán. As he set the beverages on the table, Jolán was impressed Colemund knew what to bring her to drink.

Colemund searched Jolán’s face for an indication he brought the right drink, and he received his confirmation when Jolán looked him in his eyes and questioned, “How did you know?”

Colemund jokingly replied, “How did I know what, my dear?”

Jolán was already getting used to Colemund calling her, “his dear.” She then replied, “What I like to drink. How did you know?”

Colemund pulled his chair closer to Jolán, and he placed her drink in front of her and said, “I believe you may have met a friend of mine.”

Colemund was referring to Alastair; however, Jolán was unaware and replied, “Really?”

Colemund sat in his chair, smiled, and said, “You’ll have your memory jogged soon enough.”

Colemund opened his beer, and he took a decent drink from the bottle. Jolán watched as his Adam’s apple moved up and down as he swallowed the liquid down his throat. Jolán was smitten, but so was Colemund. As Jolán took the cocktail straw in her drink and mashed the lemon to a fine pulp, Colemund watched her. He admired her long fingers and her elegant hands. He watched her wrist turn as she moved the straw. He felt dreamy, and he liked the feeling. He thought about Jolán since the day their paths crossed at the Academy. Colemund knew their meeting was fate, and he was not going to let her out of his sight. He wanted to hear her talk more; he already loved the sound of her voice. He liked watching her mouth move. He adored watching her become a bit shy, but then confident. He felt like he already knew her, but he wanted to reacquaint himself with her. Colemund was positive they were a match. This was not something he immediately knew, but it was something he magically felt.

As he watched Jolán pulp up the lemon, he jokingly asked, “Are you making lemonade?”

Jolán sweetly looked at him and replied, “I do like the taste of lemons.”

Colemund couldn’t stop thinking about kissing her lips, but he was so calm and cool on the surface, Jolán couldn’t really get a read on the prince. After Jolán took her first sip of her drink, she quickly felt the cool vodka slide down her throat and fall to her belly.

She looked at Colemund, and he grabbed her hand and said, “I hope you don’t mind, but I want to be as close to you as I can right now. I hope I am not too forward.”

Jolán loved the attention from Colemund. She felt they were intimately together before, but she knew they were not. Jolán tried hard to contain her excitement, but her exuberant energy often appeared through the warmth of her cheeks as she occasionally blushed when Colemund said something that made her feel like the center of the universe.

As Colemund and Jolán sat holding hands and drinking their beverages, Eshe, Alastair, and Aidan approached the table. Jolán immediately recognized Alastair and Aidan.

Jolán smiled at the young men. She looked at Alastair and said, “I see you found my friend,” and then she smiled at Eshe. She looked back towards Alastair and Aidan and said, “It’s good to see you two again.”

Eshe couldn’t believe what she was seeing; it was like one of her dreams about Jolán and the prince unraveled in her reality. Alastair noticed how comfortable Jolán and Colemund were with each other, and he knew Colemund had his interest fixed on Jolán. In Alastair’s heart of hearts, he knew Colemund and Jolán had a love created by the universe.

    

Enjoy a Book Excerpt...

Hello, Readers!
How is your book? I hope you're enjoying the story line. Some books move fast, some books start slow and some books are full of pictures or facts. It's a big reading world out there. Whatever you're reading, I hope you're finding enjoyment. I have provided an excerpt from The Hunters and the Queen for you to read. Remember, keep your books open and your fonts enlarged! Cheers! :0)

Excerpt:

     As she began to vacuum the carpet in long back and forth motions, Jolán looked up and saw a red cardinal and a black crow sitting outside her window. As she stood there staring at them and running the vacuum back and forth, the birds started pecking at the glass window. Jolán thought this amusing at first, but then wondered if the birds were trying to come inside the house. As the birds kept tapping on the window, Jolán turned off the vacuum and listened to their tapping. As she listened, it sounded as if the birds were banging out the message for SOS on the glass. Jolán knew this was ridiculous, but she couldn’t shake the similar sound of the bird’s tapping to the actual SOS distress signal used in Morse code. Three short and quick taps followed by three longer taps which were then followed by the three short and fast taps. The birds kept doing this in unison with each other. Jolán stood their looking at the birds as both birds were banging their beaks to this rhythm on the window.

     As Jolán approached the window the birds instantly stopped and looked up at Jolán. The red cardinal cocked its head to the right and the black crow cocked its head to the left. Jolán felt a whirlwind stir inside of her and she felt an immense connection to something, but she did not know what it was that she felt connected. The birds stayed in their spot staring at Jolán; and Jolán stayed in her spot staring at the birds. Jolán felt she was in a trance-like state for what seemed like several minutes; the trance was instantly broken when her mother called up the steps to Jolán. Mrs. Vajnbirg yelled out, ‘Jolán, after you finish vacuuming, I’d like for you to fold your clothes.’ At that moment the birds flew away and Jolán snapped back to reality and took a deep breath as she answered her mother. Jolán answered, ‘Yes, mum, I was planning on doing that before I started reading.’ Jolán felt she was a part of something larger than her, but she tried to forget about the birds; however, she knew she would think about the bird message again.