A Turn of Destiny (Part 2)

This is the second installment of the Turn of Destiny series. You can find part one here.

Inside, the tent was dark and musty. Mindy stood at the door for several moments, blinking to adjust her eyes to the gloom.

As her vision cleared, she glanced around. The inside was much larger than it looked from the roadway. Along both walls were wooden shelves that held jars and boxes of various sorts. Mindy could not identify most of them. The interior was lit by a three candles stuck into a small candelabra on a pole near the table.

Heather was seated at the table in a wooden chair, her eyes focused on a cloudy crystal ball placed on an onyx stand in the center. Her hands were gripping the edge of the table and she rocked slightly, emitting a constant, faint humming sound.

Mindy jumped when she felt something touch her elbow. Beside her, the Gypsy grinned and beckoned to a stool nearby. Glancing worriedly at her friend, Mindy nodded and took a seat.

The old woman returned to her own cloth-covered chair and waved a hand over the ball. The ball cleared and Heather's trance was broken. She looked more irritated than anything.

"So how long do I have to sit her before we get started? Or are you just going to wait til I get bored so you can steal my money?" Heather had never been one for patience.

The fortune-teller threw a toothy smile in Mindy's direction and Heather followed her glance.

"How'd you get in here?"

"I snuck in. Sorry. I hope you don't mind."

"No, I'm glad you're here. You can be witness when I sue for my money back."

"Now, now, child, no need for that. Let's get started."

The woman waved a hand over the ball again and Mindy flinched, afraid of Heather going into another trance. Instead, the crystal turned a vibrant purple.

Heather ooed and aahed appropriately  for a few moments before the woman went into a spiel about love and honor and the man Heather had been chasing after.

Mind was astonished at the woman's accurate description of the boy in the grade above them, but Heather just scoffed.

"I knew all that already. Tell me something I don't know."

The Gypsy grinned again, and this time it held a savage edge. "Something you don't know? Are you sure?"

"Yes, I'm sure. I want my money's worth."

"Alright, then. You will get married, but happily ever after is not in the cards. You will have three children and be the perfect housewife for all appearances. But in reality, he will keep you imprisoned in your own house, a trophy. Nothing more. He will not love you and he will have mistresses on the side. You will be too afraid of rejection to tell anyone, until the day you snap and murder him, your children, and yourself."

Heather stared at the woman for a full minute before snarling and standing up. "You're so full of shit. Come on, Mindy. We're leaving."

Heather stormed out the tent flap and Mindy stood to follow. She looked at the woman, who raised an eyebrow.

"Destiny come true," was all the woman said as she beckoned to the chair. Mindy glanced at the door once more, then took a seat.

More to come...

Beta Readers Wanted!

As I work through the sequel to Blood of the Dragon, I want to get everyone thinking about the next step in the process. Before I send Vengeance (working title) to the editor, I want to get a couple people to look over it and let me know what they think. Guidelines are below.

1. Obviously, it would be helpful if you've read Blood of the Dragon first.
2. I'm not looking for editing/proofreading.
3. Keep an eye out for major plot holes, confusing story lines, accidental name changes, etc.
4. Is the story boring? Does it tie in with Blood? Would it be something you'd want to pay for?
5. I'm looking for honesty. Don't be an ass, but don't kiss my ass.
6. You must be available to read starting around the middle of September. I need input by the middle of October. 

Basically, I'm looking for readers who will give me an honest opinion of the book. Interested? Shoot me an email (samantha@mariytasmusings.com). Thanks in advance to everyone!

Interview with T.J. Koll

I read Shadows of Wormwood a couple months ago and really enjoyed it. Today, we are lucky enough to have the author of that book, T.J. Koll, here for an interview. Let's get started, shall we?

Me: How long have you been a writer?

T.J.: I suppose I’ve been a writer since I first learned how to put words together on paper. I can remember writing little stories as far back as second grade. One of my classmates and I would have competitions for who could write the most pages, and I can recall coming up with some interesting tales about gigantic sea creatures and barbarians riding elephants. Fortunately, my elementary school hosted a young authors’ meet every year, so we were always encouraged to be imaginative. This is really where I discovered a love for reading and writing, and I’ve done a lot of both ever since.

In terms of professional writing, I began about a decade ago while starting out in college. I penned two novels in two years—neither very good and neither published, but they were excellent training tools. They taught me writing discipline and gave me an opportunity to experiment with techniques and style. As a result, my last two novels, including Shadows of Wormwood, have proven far better and more successful.

Me: What was the inspiration behind Shadows of Wormwood?

T.J.: In a lot of ways, the whole swine flu scare inspired a good deal of the book, at least what’s happening around the characters. I can remember teaching a night class at a local high school and arriving to find several custodians absolutely dousing the desks with chemicals. The media terrified people for no reason, and it really made me notice how often these “crises” arise. Our modern society is seemingly obsessed with its own destruction, and nearly all negative events are twisted and sensationalized into the next world disaster.

And I think this misguided focus distracts many of us from concentrating on the real dangers of this world—the daily problems that threaten our families and our shared humanity. In the novel, Bitsy and her family are themselves caught between the crisis the media assures is coming and the real daily-life-dangers surrounding them.

Me: You mentioned you were working on a textbook at the moment. Do you have other non-fiction works?

T.J.: I am indeed working on my first textbook, a fairly brief and informally-worded piece intended to help both students and the general public improve their writing skills. The editing process has just begun, so I’m not sure about a release date, but I’ll definitely add updates to my website www.tjkoll.com.

I do also have some non-fiction articles out there. Most recently, I published one for a Celtic heritage magazine about Irish slavery in early America. I’m actually thinking about expanding on the article in the near future for another non-fiction book.

Me: Do you have other fiction works planned for the future?

T.J.: Like many other fiction writers, I always have ideas for new novels swirling around in my head. I’ve begun the research phase for a historical fiction book set in post-World War II Germany. Like all my books, the novel’s real focus will be on the characters and how they relate to one another in times of difficulty and conflict, and that period seems ripe with both.

Me: When you are not writing, what do you enjoy doing?

T.J: Hmmm, I suppose this is my chance to make myself sound far more interesting than I really am. When not writing or grading papers, I try to spend as much time with my lovely wife and two-year-old son as possible. I also enjoy the outdoors, cooking, working out to burn off what I cook, reading, and watching scary movies. Additionally, I’m a big history buff—everything from ancient Rome to WWII—and am fascinated by subjects like philosophy and comparative religion.

T.J. Koll
 

About the Interviewee:

T.J. Koll is an award-winning author and college writing instructor currently living in eastern Kentucky. When not penning novels like Shadows of Wormwood or The Sultan, he can usually be found spending time with his lovely wife or chasing after his spirited two-year-old son.

In addition to his writing credits, T.J. also holds both a B.A. and M.A. in English, enjoys the outdoors and bad zombie movies (not really at the same time), and is passionate about helping others improve their writing skills.

For T.J., writing isn't merely a form of communication; rather, it is a method for exploring the inner and outer world, for participating in one's community, and for intimately connecting with other human beings. With this philosophy in mind, he attempts to craft fiction and non-fiction that is both entertaining and thought-provoking.

A Turn of Destiny (Part 1)

I'm starting a new series of short stories. I'll be posting them here on occasion when I get them written. Enjoy!

"Come in, my children. Come in."

The old woman stood in the doorway to the tent, her wrinkled fingers bent with age as she beckoned the two teenagers to her. The blond girl giggled and tugged on her friend's sleeve.

"Come on. Let's go in. It'll be fun!"

Her friend with the black ponytail held back. "I don't know, Heather. That stuff always weirds me out. I mean, look at her. She's creepy."

Despite the girl's attempt to be discreet, she saw the old woman's knowing smile grow larger, revealing yellowing cracked teeth.

"Don't be shy, my pretties. It's just make believe, after all, no? You don't believe in destiny, so what could it hurt to see what my fake crystal ball has to say?"

Heather tugged harder, her voice growing sharp with veiled embarrassment. "Stop being such a baby, Mindy."

When Mindy still resisted, Heather dropped her arm. "Fine, you stay out here. I'm going in."

She tossed her blond curls away from her face and squared her shoulders, defying the fear tingling in her belly. As the woman lowered her head and stepped to the side, Heather took a deep breath and walked through the door.

The Gypsy woman waggled a bejeweled finger at Mindy, a mixture of disappointment and amusement on her face. "You shall regret this decision, girl. Make note of that. I fain would give you advice for your coming trials, but I cannot force you."

With that, she ducked inside the tent, closing the heavy flap firmly behind her.

Mindy paced about the packed dirt that served as a roadway in front of the tent. A hand-painted sign stood to one side: Fortune-telling, Palm Readings, Destiny Come True

"Destiny come true? What does that mean?" Mindy frowned and looked about her. The yearly carnival was in full swing. Vendors of all sorts hawked their wares, trying to get the citizens of the little town to buy everything from fried mosquitoes to leather parasols. Mindy had never much been one for the wasteful spending that often came with the event. Every fall she would tag along with Heather, but Heather usually did all the buying, aside from the occasional meal or drink.

Mindy looked back at the purple tent in front of her. A hand went absently to the money tucked inside her front jean pocket.

"Destiny come true...." she mumbled.

Her eyes flitted to the closed flap, then back to the other vendors. People milled about, oblivious to the turmoil roiling in her belly. Taking a deep breath, Mindy steeled her nerves, then stepped through the flap into to the unknown.

To be continued...

Review: Mighty Bright XtraFlex2 Clip-on for Kindle

I don't normally review accessories I use for my Kindle. That's probably because the only accessories I had were a cover (which works alright) and the purse I made. After the power went out one night, though, I decided to buy a light to go with it. I am so glad I went with this light. It's perfect. The light is nice and clear and the neck is extremely flexible so you can adjust it to remove glare easily.

There are two LEDs, so you can up the power if you want. I only use one LED and it's plenty bright enough. It operates off three AAA batteries. I've only had it a short while, so I can't testify to battery life, but I hear it's pretty decent. Using only one light will surely help with that, too.

Some of the reviews I read before purchasing complained about how the light was heavy and bulky. I can honestly say I don't understand either of those complaints. I don't notice a significant weight difference at all. And it's definitely not bulky. I used it for about half an hour and forgot it was even there after a few minutes.

Five stars!

Edit: I also wanted to add that this light is a fantastic flashlight! I went camping this last weekend and used it to find the mosquitoes that were biting me in the middle of the night and also for a potty break.  Clipped it to my bra and it became hands-free!

Please Leave

Please leave me alone
I don't like you
I wish I never did
You made me feel like garbage
Like I did when I was a kid
Your presence is poisonous
It's really not fair
You made me feel like I was nothing
And no one seems to care
You've made your point. I'm worthless
I get it. You can go
Why do you keep showing up here?
Really, I don't want to know
You act like nothing happened
Like we're still friends
How can you stomach that?
How can you pretend?
I've tried to get past it
To move on with my day
But you're there every time I turn around
You just won't go away
I get it. I'm a loser
People like you better than me
I would love it if you'd go now
Will you please just leave?

Along the Arcade

The young woman walked along the arcade, the ruffles from her dress billowing around her legs in the light wind. She peered casually between the columns, trying desperately to appear nonchalant. She knew he would be here. Her maidservant said he would, and Anna would never lie to her.

Rebecca picked up her pace, feeling her stomach clench as she became more frantic. What would she do if he didn't show? Her plan hinged on him having it. If he didn't, all the work she had done would be lost.

At the end of the arcade, a shadowy figure loomed. She burst into a run, her polished black shoes slapping loudly against the stones. The noise worried her and she slowed down long enough to take the offending footwear off and toss it into the bushes between two columns.

When she finally reached the man, she was out of breath. He held her elbow while she composed herself and she turned to look at him. He was tall, several inches taller than her. His dark hair was hidden by a black hat and he wore a black coat that hung to the knees of his black pants. His face was stern, his lips set in a hard line.

"Do you have it?" she asked when she could speak again.

He nodded once before reaching into his coat. As his hand came out, she peered at it eagerly, desperate to see what she longed for. In his palm was a shiny metal object, not much bigger than a marble. It had two buttons, one black, one white, just above a little black hole. On the side opposite the buttons was a little indentation.

Rebecca took the object and turned it over in her hands, a smile growing across her naturally pouty lips. When she saw the indentation, she smiled and pressed her thumb to it.

Tiny needles popped out of the object, piercing her skin, tasting her blood and DNA. She gasped a little and the man grabbed her arm again.

"Are you ok, ma'am?"

She smiled up at him--a charming, disarming smile--and he released her elbow.

"I'm just fine, thank you."

His eyes squinted and he looked at the object she held. "What is it?"

"Oh, just a little trinket. Now, let's see if it works."

She held the object up and pressed the black button. A laser shot out of the hole, stabbing into the man's eye. He grunted in pain a moment, clutching his face, then straightened.

"How many I serve you, Miss Rebecca?"

She clapped with joy. "Oh yes, it works just perfectly!"

Pocketing the little device, she beckoned to the man. "Come, we have work to do."

"What are we going to do today, Miss Rebecca?"

"The same thing I've wanted to do every day, Martin. Try to take over the world."

Her cackle echoed down the arcade as they walked, a new determination in her step.

Redemption (Jane #4) now available!

Redemption (Jane #4), the fourth installment of the Jane novella series, is now available on Kindle (once it finishes publishing, anyway)! It runs approximately 17,000 words, or 65 pages. Haven't read the others? You can pick up Vampire Assassin right now!

After the final battle in Blood & Tears, Jane's team struggles with the death of one of their own. When things get too tough, they call in reinforcements--the Italian military. Will the extra men and women help Jane, Felipe, and the others defeat Conrad and his minions? Or will the rogue vampires finally win?

All books also available at Barnes & Noble for the Nook.

Rant Warning: Effed-Up Government Spending

We as the American people have to live within our means or have police show up at the door and take away our houses, furniture, cars, everything. We end up living with family, in shelters, or on the streets. Why can our government go so far beyond reasonable limits and still get away with cutting the jobs of low-income citizens to make ends meet, rather than cutting their own paychecks in half and doing away with the excessive, unnecessary pork barrel projects that benefit so few? Greedy effing bastards. This is one of the myriad of reasons I HATE POLITICS.

Sample Sunday: Blood of the Dragon

Here is another excerpt from Blood of the Dragon. The sequel will be out in November if all goes as planned. 

Chelandra jumped into the secured saddle, strapping her legs in with practiced swiftness, and nocked another arrow. The wagon shook dangerously as Ychthorn launched himself and Lana into the air. Thorn rose swiftly to meet their attacker and Lana noticed a human perched atop the dragon's shoulders. She aimed carefully, drawing on the hours of in-flight practice she and Thorn had committed to, and loosed the arrow. The human pulled on reins attached to the dragon's mouth and the dragon veered to the right, the arrow narrowly missing its target.

Thorn chased after the fleeing beast and together they raced toward the mountain. The creature swung around to meet Ychthorn head on as Lana fit another arrow. The other human brought his own bow to bear and Lana was forced to flatten herself against Thorn's back to avoid its deadly missile. The dragons played a deadly game of chicken, raking at each other wildly as they barely avoided a fatal collision. Thorn's talons left two deep gouges in the other dragon's flank, snapping one of the straps holding the saddle. The human wobbled precariously before righting himself.

The green beast swung in close, carefully avoiding Ychthorn's raking claws, and the man shouted through the wind.

"I am Commander Owen Locke. I demand you surrender in the name of Queen Slyvania."

Confusion passed between Lana and Thorn. They knew of King Alured's sister, but had never heard her referred to as a queen. They could only ponder the information for a brief moment before the other dragon closed with them, making another swiping attack, only to pull away again before Thorn could react. Ychthorn gave chase, following the attackers further up the mountain. The two beasts continued to dance in the air, their brief attacks causing only minor damage.

Lana glimpsed the peak of the mountain as it whipped past and on the other side lay a deep, black canyon. Its bottom was invisible from their current height and she warned Thorn to be cautious. He glanced away from his opponent for a brief moment to steal a peek at the canyon below and the green dragon took advantage. It threw its full weight into the pair, wrapping all four legs around Ychthorn, pinning one of the red dragon's wings against his side. Thorn had no choice but to clutch at the other beast, who beat its wings furiously to stay aloft with the added weight. The man on the red dragon's back was screaming instructions Lana could not understand and she searched desperately for her dagger.

A slashing swipe from the attacker shredded two of the three straps holding Lana's saddle to Thorn's back and she screamed in terror. Dropping her dagger, she threw her arms around his neck, clinging tightly. Commander Locke nocked another arrow and aimed it at the girl. She responded likewise, risking her precarious position, and loosed the arrow before he could get his bow completely cocked. It sunk deep into his left shoulder and he cursed her vilely.

The dragons, still locked in a death grip, lost height rapidly. Ychthorn, seeing the impossibility of their situation, closed his eyes for a very brief moment. He pictured the ejection lever on the saddle activating and immediately felt the weight on his back disappear. He heard Lana's scream of fear, fear that was not for herself, but for him. Still clinging to the dragon who kept his wing pinned, Ychthorn glanced up, watching the black dot of his best friend disappear into the clouds. She disappeared and he turned his attention back to the wicked duo in front of him. His teeth sunk deep into the other dragon's neck and they plummeted into the canyon.

The Great Indie Summer Giveaway - Blog Posts

I've already mentioned the Great Indie Summer Giveaway before. It is a massive giveaway being held over at Katja Rinne's blog: Coffeemugged. More than 100 books have been offered (including one of mine) and the winner will walk away with 10. Full details are available here.

Now, onto today's business. There have been numerous guest posts throughout the Indie Summer giveaway, and they've all been wonderful. Many of them I think everyone should read, so I've included a list below with the link and a short summary. I hope you enjoy them, and don't forget to check out the posts that will be coming on Coffeemugged over the next couple weeks. The giveaway goes until July 31st!

Day 3- Reach for the Stars by Stacy Eaton
In this post, Eaton discusses the importance of reviews. It is very easy as a reader to read a book, maybe tell a couple friends how great it was, and leave it at that. Reviews are sometimes a pain to write, or at least they are for me. If I could review every book I want to review as "It was awesome!" and leave it, I would. But that's not very helpful. Anyhoo, Eaton makes some very excellent points about why you should leave reviews, especially for those books you absolutely love or absolutely hate. Not only do the authors rely on it, the readers often use reviews to make a final decision.

Day 5- One Author's Story Triggers by Misti Wolanski
Seeing the process of story development is always interesting. Each author has a different method, and each story tends to evolve differently. Wolanski discusses her YA fantasy novels.

Day 9- In Praise of Book Bloggers by Christine Nolfi
Nolfi's guest post covers the wonders of the book blogger world. I'm just recently discovering this myself, and let me tell you, it's amazing. There are loads of book bloggers out there for every genre possible (and some do all genres). I've listed a couple in my Useful Links under Reviewing.

Day 13- Worldbuilding by Paul Hardy
Fantasy and science fiction authors have a unique hurdle to jump--they have to create the world their characters live in. Paul Hardy uses some very... interesting subjects (feces and urine) to discuss the interesting facets that need to be dealt with in worldbuilding.

Day 17- Adventures in Inappropriate Content by Pavarti Tyler
In this entertaining post, Tyler discusses how her father built a relationship with a daughter who lived hours away. While Tyler's situation may be a bit extreme, it brings up an interesting point: "Appropriate content" for books seems to be a bit more fuzzy than for movies (in my opinion, anyway). Think back to your childhood. Are there any books you may have read (for school or fun) that would not make a movie appropriate for that age? I can think of quite a few, and those are just the ones I remember.

Day 20- The Benefit of Reading Indie by Evelyn LaFont
LaFont created a video post to discuss the benefits of reading indie. As she wears her eccentric hat and smokes her fake pencil cigarette, she tells of the great freedom indie authors have with their writing and how that benefit translates to the readers.

There are still 23 days left in the Indie Summer Giveaway, so head on over, get signed up, and enjoy the wonderful posts that are still to come!

Review: Legacy of the Empress

Legacy of the Empress is Rebecca Knight's debut novel. Before picking this up, I read No Rest for the Wicked, a short story about Veronica Grimm, a woman who takes on baddies from fairy tales. To say I was excited to read Legacy is an understatement. There's a reason I picked it as July's indie book of the month. I wanted an excuse to read it ASAP. The giveaway is still going on, so head on over there and sign up!

Brief Summary: Legacy of the Empress follows the tale of Princess Astrid, a young woman who has been trapped in a tower by her mother for the last ten years. Around her eighteenth birthday, Astrid, who has a talent for magic, finds a way to free herself. At first, her only goal is to get as far away from her mother as possible. Then she meets an elemental who gives her a wonderful gift and tells her about the Empress. The Empress is the only person to ever meet and defeat the darkness that is plaguing the land. Astrid goes on a quest to find and save the Empress, whose imprisonment in the Crystal Fortress led to the return of the darkness. But in her quest to free her kingdom, she realizes the price might be higher than she imagined.

Why You Should Read It: Knight tells an amazing story. Simple as that. I've read a lot of wonderful work from indies, but this book makes it onto my absolute favorites. Right up there with Lord of the Rings and the Drizzt books. There is a very good chance that I will read this novel again. I thoroughly enjoyed it and the only reason it took me so long to finish is that real life kept popping up and bothering me. I'm not sure if there is a sequel planned, but I sincerely hope there is.

Rating: ☻☻☻☻☻

Vampire Assassin (A series of novellas) now in print!

The first three books in the Vampire Assassin (Jane) series are now combined into one print collection. Use the code below and get a 25% discount.

 Link: https://www.createspace.com/3618991
Code: 5VYN683Z

Independence Day Giveaway!

Happy 4th to my fellow Americans! In honor of this wonderful country's freedom, I'm giving Vampire Assassin away for free. Head on over to Smashwords and use the code FB58U when checking out. This offer is open to my international friends as well. Come celebrate with us!

July Indie Book of the Month - Legacy of the Empress (GIVEAWAY!)

This month, my pick is a book I have not read yet*, though I've read some of the author's other work and absolutely loved it. Legacy of the Empress is the debut novel for Rebecca Knight. It's only $.99 right now, and we're giving away three copies! Giveaway information is below.

A dark magic spreads through the kingdom of Taleria, feeding off its people. The queen is corrupted, seduced by its evil promise. Princess Astrid, held prisoner in the castle by her mother for years, discovers a book of magic, and uses its power to escape.

The only way to save Taleria is to free the Empress of legend who banished the same dark magic centuries before. Astrid doesn't know the first thing about being a hero, much less journeying to the Crystal Fortress where the old woman is imprisoned. She's never been outside her mother's grasp, and now the queen's spies are hot on her heels.

Beautiful creatures twisted into monsters, uncertain allies, and the deadly mystery of the book she possesses are the least of Astrid's concerns. As she faces the darkness before her, she discovers that saving the land she loves may ultimately mean watching it burn.

Rebecca Knight is a fantasy writer living in the Pacific Northwest, and a devout lover of all things geeky. Legacy of the Empress is her debut novel, but she also has several short stories published, including the Fairytale Assassin series on Amazon. For more info, check out her author page: http://www.amazon.com/Rebecca-Knight/e/B004XK8NNE/ref=ntt_athr_dp_pel_1

Rebecca has been so kind as to offer three copies of Legacy for a giveaway. To enter, simply comment below and include your email. Tweeting this post will gain you an extra entry (remember to put @_SamanthaWarren in the tweet so I see it!). Contest ends July 15th. Let's get reading!






*I started Legacy of the Empress a little early. I'm thoroughly enjoying it so far.