Book Barrage: Minder by Sandra Cox

Minder

by

Sandra Cox

Blurb:

Among the northern tribes there is a legend passed down from generation to generation about shape-shifting Minders—guardians of the innocents—and how they came to be.

It is said that nowadays only a handful of Minders exist, hunted to near extinction by a fearsome beast. Of the remaining Minders, only one wears a garnet-studded collar, the symbol of protection and royalty.  

Even when my aunt told me the story, and handed me an ancient garnet-studded band, I had no idea the tale applied to me.

After all, it’s only a legend…

Excerpt #1:

A movement along the edge of the cliff caught my attention. A small rabbit nibbled at a tuft of clover growing between the rocks. I came to attention like a pointer. My nose began to quiver and my mouth water. I twitched my butt.

Without thought, I bolted out of the house after the rabbit. My blood raced and I breathed in short sharp pants. I could hear the creature’s heart pound and smell his warm vibrant flesh.

He took three frightened leaps and disappeared into the forest. I skidded to a stop, trembling so hard my teeth rattled. What’s wrong with me?  I wanted to take a bite out of a poor defenseless little bunny. I pursed my lips and screwed up my face. Gross doesn’t begin to cover it.

This is way past PMSing.  Tears welled up and spilled down my cheeks.

I turn eighteen tomorrow. Surely, there’s no connection.

A sharp wind blew off the water. My eyes closed. I stood perfectly still, except for the shudders that racked my achy body as fear and revulsion washed over me like the loud pounding waves below.

Excerpt #2:

“Happy Birthday, Darling.”

“Aunt Gin, you’ve done too much already,” I scolded.

The bag felt soft and warm in my hand. Without thought, I clasped it to my chest and felt comfort, like holding a security blanket. I relaxed my grip and held it to the light. It looked old.

“Actually, it’s a gift from your mother.”

My eyes widened and I frowned in confusion. My heart tightened. Before I could reply, Mary came back with our drinks.

My aunt added sweetener to her steaming tea. “Open it,” she urged after Mary walked away.

I opened the drawstrings and shook the contents of the bag into my hand. An antique necklace glittered in my palm.

It appeared to be some sort of choker. The material was like nothing I’d ever seen, almost like stretchy soft leather glittering with fire opal dust, inlaid with oval garnets. I held it to the light. My eyes widened as prisms of color danced around the stones, breathtaking in their beauty.

As I examined it, I felt someone’s stare.

Drawn, I turned my head. My breath caught in my throat, my heart began to pound and my palm’s sweat. The buzz from the surrounding tables faded. People nearby became shadowy figures.

A golden glow bathed the room as I stared at the most beautiful man I’d ever seen. Thick, tawny, almost leonine hair capped his skull. His unusual amber eyes glowed like a cat’s. Skin stretched taut and smooth over high cheekbones. His lips made my mouth water.

My face must have reflected the same rapture I saw on his. Unfortunately, his gaze was on my necklace.

Excerpt #3:

At the cliff’s edge, I stopped and listened to the steady lap of the waves against the rocks. I sucked cold air deep into my lungs. Night sounds surrounded me. A purr of contentment rose in my throat. I’m getting used to the purr. It’s a great way to express pleasure.

I pivoted toward the house and saw my aunt silhouetted in the window, the light at her back. I lifted my hand. She waved back.

The wind shifted. I smelled a rabbit. My butt twitched as the perfume of warm flesh filled my nostrils. His rapid heartbeat pulsed through my ears. I forgot all about Aunt and went bounding into the forest.  

The rabbit saw me. With a frightened squeak, he hopped away, his little powder-puff tail white in the dark. I leapt after him and laughed with exuberance from the sheer joy of being alive.

The rabbit ran deep into the woods. I followed. Fear gave the bunny speed and he stayed just out of my grasp.

It happened gradually.  My joints began to stiffen. The hair on the nape of my neck rose. A horrific scent filled my nostrils and made my stomach flop. No longer the hunter, at some point, I became the prey.

A heavy body crashed through the underbrush not far behind me.

My legs pumped and my heart pounded. Panicked, I pulled the mace out of my pocket.

Try as I might I couldn’t outrace whatever chased me. I swear I could feel hot breath on my back. As it closed the gap between us, it gave a piggish squeal of pleasure.

Sweat poured out my pores.  My legs cramped. My sides on fire, I pushed myself harder.

A growl sounded behind me. It echoed and reechoed off the trees. Goose bumps roughened my skin. I glanced back. My heart moved up to my throat. My joints locked and made it almost impossible to run.

Still looking over my shoulder, I tumbled head first over a log. Rough bark scraped my shins. The can of mace rolled out of my hand. The scent of rotting wood and insects filled my nostrils as I landed on my elbow, my knees cocked at an awkward angle over the log.

I started to pull my legs back and scramble to my feet but I wasn’t fast enough. The beast’s hot breath penetrated my sweats, moments before his fangs pierced my thigh to the bone.

A scream filled the night. It took me a moment to realize it was mine.

Fire swirled through my blood. I swear I felt it bubble. My bones pushed hard against my skin. My vision blurred as muscle and tendons began to shift beneath my skin.

As the beast lumbered over the log after me, a wildcat shrieked nearby, his high-pitched snarl as terrifying as the monster that ripped my flesh.  

The beast paused, his massive head swung in the direction of the feral sound. My heart pounded and stretched as if caught in a vise, but my vision cleared. What I saw filled me with abject terror. It was the stuff nightmares are made of. A black bear, no a huge wolf, with glowing crimson eyes, bore down on me.

A leonine scream of challenge echoed through the pines, bounced off rock and echoed in my ears. Fighting the pain coursing through my vibrating body, I forced my aching neck to turn.

The moon shown full on a beautiful puma, his lips drawn back, his tail lashing. He tilted his head and snarled. And the hits keep on a coming. Would I become beast fodder or puma silage? At the moment, I wasn’t in any condition to fight off either.

For one brief moment, the cat looked directly at me. My breath caught in my throat. Those eyes were eerily reminiscent of the stranger in the restaurant. The man called Kylar. Then the puma turned his attention to the beast. His ears back, he roared another challenge.

The beast threw back his head and responded, his mouth open he howled at the moon. The sound sent chills down my spine. A spine that felt like it was breaking and re-forming.

The puma screamed in response.

The beast turned from me and lumbered toward the puma. Even though the cat was large it was still half the size of the beast. They ran toward each other. The earth trembled as they clashed like titans their challenges ringing in the night.

I couldn’t concentrate on them any longer. My bones were stretching like rubber bands. It hurt like hell. Tears streamed down my cheeks. I bit my lips till they bled trying to keep from shrieking. Not wanting to draw the attention of the two wild animals fighting only yards away.

I crawled to the log and somehow got to my feet. Everything swirled around me. As my clothes fell off my pencil thin form, I stopped worrying about drawing attention to myself and began to screech. “What’s happening to me?”

Every inch of my body felt on fire as my joints exploded and my bones reformed. My cries turned to snarls. Sleek black fur sprouted through my skin.

“Oh, my God. Oh, my God,” I tried to say, but a cat’s cry escaped my lips.  Warm blood, from the monster’s bite, coated my hind leg, but it was a minor concern compared to what was happening to me. No legend. Aunt Gin knew.

Then the pain disappeared. A dull ache where the monster bit me persisted but other than that I felt glorious. I threw back my head and roared.



About the Author:

Multi-published author Sandra Cox writes Crossover YA, YA Fantasy, Paranormal Romance, Time Travel Romance and Metaphysical Nonfiction. She lives in sunny North Carolina with her husband, a brood of critters and an occasional foster cat.

Email:sandracox1@gmail.com
Website: http://www.sandracox1.com
Blog: http://sandracox.blogspot.com

Supernatural Sunday

First, my apologies. This was supposed to run on November 15, but due to a scheduling mix-up on my part, it didn't. Now, onto the post!

Interview with Striker from Paradise 21

Hi Striker, and welcome to Moonlight, Lace and Mayhem.

Thanks for having me.

First, can you tell us a little about yourself?

Well, I’m a space pirate, born and raised. I’m not ashamed of my heritage. We were the ones left behind on old Earth, and we had to make do. If that meant stealing, then so be it. I come from a long line of survivors.

If you could wish one wish and have it come true, what would your wish be?

To find a better world for my people, one where they don’t have to eat recycled food and fight over who sleeps closer to the ventilation shafts.

If you could change things, would you rather Tiff never abandoning you on the island? Why?

You mean, planet, right? There’s no large body of water on Sahara 354, so no oceans and no islands. Although that would have been nice…

Never. If I never met Tiff, and she never abandoned me, then I wouldn’t have found Aries. In a strange way, I owe Tiff everything, even after she managed to take everything from me. Weird how life works, ain’t it?

What's the first thing that went through your mind when you first saw Aries

Beautiful, innocent, and incredibly naive. She was standing right before a sandworm, just staring at it like it was some stuffed animal in a museum. If I hadn’t found her, she would have been its next meal. Just thinking of it makes me sick to my stomach.

Describe Aries in five words or less.

Stunning, sophisticated, compassionate, and able to love unconditionally.

Best thing that's ever happened to you?

Meeting Aries, for sure.

Worst thing that's ever happened to you?

My five year exile on Sahara 354. Thanks, Tiff.

Favorite food?

Roasted scorpion. You can get ‘um between the rocks just as one sun sets and the other rises. I imagine it tastes much like what lobster would have.

Favorite color?

Sky blue. Reminds me of pictures I’ve seen of old Earth.

Hobby?

Restoring alien spacecrafts. One hell of a hobby if you ask me. Almost got me killed.

Darkest secret? I figured you wouldn't tell me, but it's worth a try :P

Guys don’t usually give this stuff up, but since you’re being nice: I’d have to say a part of me will always love Tiff. Even if she betrayed me. She’s got a raw vulnerability that just sucks me in. I want to save her, but I can’t. She’s got to make her own choices, and they’re never good.

Greatest fear?

Losing Aries. It happened once already. Don’t want to talk about it.

Best memory?

A guy doesn’t kiss and tell.

That's about it... unless you have anything else you want to say?

Nope. Thanks for having me here, and remember, pirates aren’t all bad.

Thanks for visiting with us all today.




Book Blurb:



Imperfect Striker possesses the freedom Aries envies, and the two connect on a level she never thought possible. But pursued by her match from above and hunted by the planet’s native inhabitants, Aries quickly learns her freedom will come at a hefty price. Aries has lived her entire life aboard mankind’s last hope, the New Dawn, a spaceship traveling toward a planet where humanity can begin anew—a planet that won’t be reached in Aries’ lifetime. As one of the last genetically desirable women in the universe, she must marry her designated genetic match and produce the next generation for this centuries-long voyage.

But Aries has other plans.

When her desperate escape from the New Dawn strands her on a desert planet, Aries discovers the rumors about pirates—humans who escaped Earth before its demise—are true. Handsome, genetically.

The life of the man she loves.

Excerpt:

Aries sped through space in her escape pod as if she fled the event horizon of a dying star. The controls blinked warnings around her, but she ignored them, pressing the touchscreen to fire the engines to full capacity.

Let’s see how fast this antique can go.

Her sweaty palms slipped on the cold metal as she clutched the restraining bar across her seat. Freedom intoxicated her, coursing through her veins like she drank liquid fire.

She squeezed her eyes shut and screamed, releasing raging emotions held back from years of conforming and keeping her true thoughts silent. Many times Aries had thought her head would implode from the pressure, but instead she’d schemed, plotting the day of her departure down to the last water bottle. As the sound of her voice dissipated, she opened her eyes and peered at the stars as they blurred into streaks of shimmering light.

The time flashed on the screen in fluorescent green: 1638. Aries committed the numbers to memory. She’d have at least three hours before the ceremony and reception ended and her fellow Lifers began searching for her. Her shipmates would check her cell first, then activate the locator embedded in her arm. When they realized she’d jumped ship, they’d stop the engines and count the escape pods. By then, Aries would be a parsec away from the New Dawn.



Author Bio:



Aubrie Dionne is an author and flutist in New England. After reaching a high point in her flutist career Aubrie decided to pursue other creative passions.

“I’d always loved writing and reading fantasy/sci fi books ever since I was little but I always pushed it aside for flute. I felt like I needed to explore more of my interests in life. Ever since I started writing, I couldn’t stop! I use what I’ve learned about craft, diligence, structure, from my flute playing. It’s exciting to start a new discipline and have no idea where my boundaries are: how far I can go with it, how good I can get.”

Paradise 21, Aubrie’s fourth book, was released August 2 as one of Entangled Publishing’s ten launch titles.


Aubrie is represented by Dawn Dowdle of Blue Ridge Literary Agency. Her short stories have been featured in Mindflights, Niteblade, Silver Blade, Emerald Tales, Aurora Wolf, A Fly in Amer, Moon Drenched Fables and various anthologies.

Her books are published by Entangled Publishing, Lyrical Press, Gypsy Shadow Publishing, and Wyvern Publications.



Aubrie’s Website
 http://www.authoraubrie.com/my-short-stories
Aubrie’s Blog
http://authoraubrie.blogspot.com/
                   

Wistful Wednesday

Review: Nephilim by Mary Ann Loesch

Blurb:

Don't let him brand your soul.....

Tattoo artist Nathan Ink—an angel secretly living on earth—forces his clients to face their flaws by tattooing images of their sins on their bodies. In the urban fantasy, Nephilim, this little glimpse into the soul often results in his client’s death. Though Nathan shuns the other angels, when he is asked to keep an eye on Faye, an attractive nightclub singer being stalked by a malevolent being, he reluctantly agrees.



Faye is a nephilim (half angel/half human) and unaware of her stalker. She believes the other angels have asked her to investigate Nathan because of the high mortality rate of his clients. Despite her distaste for his methods, Faye discovers that Nathan is not a rogue and is forced to question her mission. Unwittingly she learns her stalker’s secret: he’s also a nephilim whose twisted plot is to exterminate the angels and breed a new race of beings with Faye. Knowing this, she realizes that teaming up with Nathan and using his unique artistic abilities may be the only way to stop this nephilim’s hellish plans.

(From the author's website)

The Review:

I have a special place in my heart for angels. I write about them myself (Nora's Soul), I believe in them, and I like what they symbolize. So when other authors use angels as their protagonists, I like to read their stories to get their take on them - and believe me, they're all different! For this reason, I was very interested in reading Mary Ann Loesch's book, Nephilim. Just reading the blurb above was enough to entice me, even if I didn't already have a thing for angels. But I have to say, I'm feeling kind of ambiguous about this book. I'm not sure what I think about it. There are many things I  liked about it, but there were also some things that I didn't.

What I liked about it was the cast of angels, namely Azal, Nathan and Raphael. They are all interesting, well-rounded characters, each providing a reason to root for them. But I do have to admit that with the way the book was set up, I was a little confused at first about who was the actual protagonist of the story. Even though the blurb says Nathan Ink, in the beginning I actually thought it might be Azal. First, he was center stage with Faye and there were several references to their past that made it seem like he might be her hero. But then the story introduced Nathan and the confusion built a little bit until Azal suddenly took a step back and Nathan took center stage. It wasn't until Faye and Nathan's first romantic encounter that I truly believed they were the two protagonists in the story, that it was their story. But I guess that's what can happen when you have such fully-fleshed secondary characters - sometimes they just demand to take center stage themselves. (Hint, hint, Mary Ann: Give Azal his own story! And then invite me to the party because I just love, love, loved him!)

What I found difficult about the story was the grittiness of it. There's a lot of coarse language in it - even God swears at one point - and at times, I did find it a little offensive (the idea of God swearing really put me off). Call me old-fashioned, but I don't like the idea of angels behaving in such a coarse manner. For many of the secondary characters and the villain, the language seemed appropriate, but it didn't sound right coming from others. But that's just me. Still, I didn't let that one sour note prevent me from finishing the book and I'm happy I did because after what the author put her main characters through, I had to make sure the villain got his due. And although the book concluded with a somewhat ambiguous ending, I was still satisfied with it.

So all in all, I would have to say that Nephilim is an intriguing story that will have you staying up at night, eagerly reading to the thrilling conclusion to discover for yourself how Faye and Nathan could possibly overcome such a powerful foe. I would definitely recommend this book to lovers of urban fantasy as well as the paranormal genre.

Wistful Wednesday

Join Susan Kronick, author of the autobiographical paranormal, Sarah, They’re Coming For You, as she virtually tours the blogosphere April 4 – May 27 2011 on her first virtual book tour withPump Up Your Book!

About Susan Kronick

Susan Kronick’s background is the perfect backdrop leading up to her latest paranormal novel,Sarah, They’re Coming for You. She has a Master of Science in Psychology from Nova Southeastern University and a Ph.D. in Paranormal Studies/Psychology from Union Institute and Graduate School, as well as being an adjunct psychology professor at Barry University and Palm Beach State College. A psychic and a medium, she has the gift of seeing the dead since she was a child. She also has taught parapsychology classes through the Palm Beach County School Board, as well as at Palm Beach State College. Susan has extensive experience in the area of investigations of haunting and the paranormal. She lives with her husband and her four spoiled rescue dogs in south Florida. You can visit her website atwww.susankronick.webs.com. “Like” her page at Facebook athttp://www.facebook.com/pages/susan-kronick/156870670886.

About Sarah, They’re Coming for You

Restless spirits of the dead, torment the living for many reasons. But the dark hunters seek one thing. It is not God’s blessing, but a soul for eternity.

For years, Sarah was tormented by these seekers. Each passing year they gained strength. Guided by her great great grandfather Hermann-who intercedes on her behalf-Sarah had faith, but now, she feels her faith in Hermann is slipping, and she grows spiritually weaker.

When a mysterious woman—a link from the past—enlightens Sarah of her journey, every thing falls into place. Sarah has a connection between her ancestral family and her own haunting from the rogue ghosts in the after life. They seek her in order to claim two family members with a single soul.

One thing left to do for Sarah. Go to the family home in Austria and face the ghosts head on, or lose her soul forever.

Wild Childe

Happy Monday Everyone!

Congratulations to Sherrie Hansen! Remember to send your info to Margay at Margay1122@gmail.com to claim your copy of Nora's Soul!

Yes, today may be Monday but it's a wonderful day for me as I have recently confirmed that I have graduated, which means I'm done with school, for now. All that's left to do is concentrate on my writing. After having recently judged a writing contest, I decided that my goal would be to enter a contest by the end of the year or at about this time next year. That means I need to get to work. The question is, where do I start?

During my last semester of college, I needed to write roughly 20 pages for one class and 20 for another. We could complete the assignment a little at a time or in one big chuck. Because I wanted to get all my writing done at one time, I decided to do all my writing in one big chunk. For class number 1, I wasn't sure at first what I would write, but then I thought this group would make good test subjects for something I had written previously (with pen and paper). So, I began to type the story into a WORD document. Well, what started out as a simple, short British mystery/crime story, morphed itself something else entirely.

I still had a British mystery/crime story, but with very big twists. For one, the story takes place on a planet on the other side of the known universe. While this planet can sustain life and the early colonists brought and planted seeds from earth, the make-up of the planet alters things quite a bit. Citrus trees (lemon, lime, orange, grapefruit, etc.) were planted and the trees appeared to grow normally, but when the fruit started to grow, the colonists noticed that each of different citrus trees began to grow the same fruit. It didn't just happen to the citrus fruits it happened to all of the fruits and vegetables the colonists brought with them. Like fruits blended with each other to produce one fruit, like vegetables blended to produce one vegetable. What was unusual about these fruits and vegetables is that they exhibited the characteristics of each of the fruits they came from. Yes, a strange phenomenon, but one they had to accept because no matter how far away they were planted, the same thing would occur, again and again. They would later discover that the ground of the planet connected like things together to establish some sort of harmony and balance and even though they started off with multiple plants, they ended up with one connected root system.

Yes, this complicated mess began to take over my thoughts, but it didn't stop there. For class number 2, I went to my idea pool and decided to use an idea that I came up with years earlier but sat in a "box" to be used on a rainy day. The idea was so different that I thought it would offer a nice balance between the two stories. That was, of course, until I began writing. Before long, this second story tied itself to the one for class number 1 (which was still untitled at this point) in more ways than one. At first, they were tied only because of the planet. As I rewrote and revised the pages of the story for class 2, however, the main character of story 1 and the main character for story 2 revealed that they were related. Talk about a frustrating and confusing mess!

Because this world seems to be growing bigger and bigger, more and more stuff needed to be identified and explained, so much so that my head began to need a break from it to recharge. Okay, so I pulled out story number 3, one I had started long before the semester began. However, as I began to reread it, it appears that even that one had ties, however unintentional, to this fictional planet.

It was mid-semester and this planet needed a name, so I called it Centurion 54. Now, the planet is real to me and so are the lives of the characters I have written about and those I have yet to write about.

Yay! I have a planet with an undetermined amount of history. I should be happy right? Don't get me wrong, I am very grateful for this whole world I'm discovering, but I'm finding it a bit troublesome too.

No matter what kind of storyline I come up with, when I go to write it and map it out, somewhere along the way it always ties itself to this world. Is this just destined to happen until I finish telling the stories, or will every story I now write come from the people of Centurion 54?

My greatest fear is that this planet will somehow find a way to absorb another story that I wrote over two years (and haven't finished because the computer it was on died and I only had it on hard copy). I love the character from this particular story and want to keep him separate from my planet world, but I'm not sure if that will be possible since there are several years of history unaccounted for on this planet.

How can I prevent this world I have given birth to from tying itself to every new story I write? Any hints or should I just not worry about it and see what happens?

Carrie