Archive for the ‘News’ Category
Welcome to the November 2019 issue of my newsletter, “News from the Crypt,” and please visit Carter’s Crypt, devoted to my horror, fantasy, and paranormal romance work, especially focusing on vampires and shapeshifting beasties. If you have a particular fondness for vampires, check out the chronology of my series in the link labeled “Vanishing Breed Vampire Universe.” For my recommendations of “must read” classic and modern vampire fiction, explore the Realm of the Vampires:
Realm of the Vampires
Also, check out the multi-author Alien Romances Blog
The long-time distributor of THE VAMPIRE’S CRYPT has closed its website. If you would like to read any issue of this fanzine, which contains fiction, interviews, and a detailed book review column, e-mail me to request the desired issue, and I’ll send you a free PDF of it. My e-mail address is at the end of this newsletter. Find information about the contents of each issue on this page of my website:
A complete list of my available works, arranged roughly by genre, with purchase links (gradually being updated as the Amber Quill and Ellora’s Cave works are being republished):
This is my Facebook author page. Please visit!
Facebook
Here’s my page in Barnes and Noble’s Nook store. These items include some of the short stories that used to be on Fictionwise:
Barnes and Noble
Go here and scroll down to “Available Short Fiction” for a list of those stories with their Amazon links:
Kindle Works
Here’s the list of my Kindle books on Amazon. (The final page, however, includes some Ellora’s Cave anthologies in which I don’t have stories):
Carter Kindle Books
Here’s a shortcut URL to my author page on Amazon:
Amazon
My Goodreads page:
Goodreads
You’ve probably heard the dismaying news about Yahoo’s changes to its groups:
“Message History” is one feature going away. Does this mean you won’t be able to read previous newsletters on the Yahoo site anymore? If so, you can access old issues back to January 2018 on my website’s Newsletter page here:
People are speculating that this cutback in services is a prelude to shutting down the groups altogether. If that happens, I’ll continue to post monthly newsletters on my website’s Newsletter page.
Brenda Whiteside welcomed me as a guest on her blog in mid-October, featuring some background about “Yokai Magic.”
Here’s an interview with me that appeared on the Writers Exchange E-Publishing website:
Below is an excerpt of the beginning of “Mad Magic,” from my collection PERILOUS MAGIC, which includes (among other pieces) four of my five stories first published in the “Sword and Sorceress” anthologies.
This month I’m interviewing romance author Linda Nightingale.
*****
Interview with Linda Nightingale:
What inspired you to begin writing?
All those gothic romances I read as a young girl like Rebecca, Kirkland Revels, and the Merlin Trilogy by Mary Stewart. My favorites were Jean Plaity with her historical romances, Daphne DuMaurier, and Victoria Holt as well as Mary Stewart. I loved them and would sit and read for hours and hours. I’m dating myself with these oldies but goodies, but they were great. I also liked sci-fi and fantasy, but first story I wrote wasn’t a gothic romance. It was a sci-fi about an alien with pink hair running through London.
What genres do you work in?
Almost all genres of romance from paranormal to contemporary, but I don’t yet have the nerve to try historical. That must be a difficult genre to write. The research alone is daunting.
Do you outline, “wing it,” or something in between?
I wing it, starting with one character and letting him or her tell me the story. Usually it works; sometimes not. The book plays like a movie in my head. I watch the characters move and react, listening to the dialogue. It’s a fun way to write unless the characters stop talking!
What have been the major influences on your writing (favorite authors, life experiences, or whatever)?
The old Gothic writers I mentioned above like Victoria Holt, Mary Stewart, and Daphne DuMaurier.
How has your experience with horses featured in your fiction?
All of my books mention horses, usually Andalusians. I bred, trained and showed the magnificent Andalusian for many years. I have a poster that says, “This horse will change your life”, and it’s true. But back to the question, I wrote one book strictly about horse lovers (a contemporary romance) titled Gambler’s Choice, the name of a class in a hunter-jumper horse show. It gives a peek at the equestrian world.
How do your vampires differ from the traditional supernatural undead?
My vampires aren’t resurrected corpses. In my mythos, the Vampyre (the race) are viral mutations of human DNA. I recently read an article that said most people’s DNA has been mutated by this or that virus. Luckily, not the Vampyre Virus which changes mortals into immortals. My vampires (individual) can’t go out in the sun, but the cross and garlic doesn’t affect them. They don’t regenerate, like limbs, but heal quickly. They can see themselves in the mirror and don’t change into bats. They can appear to vanish since they can move so fast. They have fangs and drink blood solely. The fangs and the elliptical pupils are Glamoured by holding the picture of a normal man firmly in the vampire’s mind.
Please tell us about the mythic background of the angels in your novels.
Mainly the Grigori, the angels who were sent to Earth to teach Man and fell from Grace. Their story is in the Book of Enoch, which was deleted from the Bible, but there is one reference to them still in Genesis 6;2: “That the sons of God saw the daughters of men that they were fair; and they took them wives of all which they chose”. Gylded Wings is a dark fantasy romance starring Lucifer as the good guy. I did a lot of research for this one, including spending an evening talking with a Jewish scholar.
What is your latest-released or soon-forthcoming work?
Sinners’ Opera – ‘Death is his punishment. She is his prize.’
Sinners’ Opera was released by The Wild Rose Press on Monday, October 7th. Sinners’ is a vampire paranormal romance. It is the book of my heart and the first book I wrote. The main character is an English lord, a concert pianist…and a 300-year-old vampire. Reviewers have called Morgan D’Arcy a “tour de force of egotism, wit, sensuality, and talent.” He has everything except what he most desires—Isabeau.
This is a quote from the New York Journal of Books review:
Morgan and John (his rival) begin their rivalry dueling with words.
“With a perfectly straight face, I said, “Size does count. The length of the strings produces deeper resonance.”
“Some men drive big trucks.” Payne slid an arm around Isabeau’s shoulders,
tucking her close to his side. “Some, I guess, play big pianos.”
Thus Morgan begins his courtship of the woman he’s loved since before her birth. Isabeau responds, but soon their affair whirls out of control.
The review also calls him a ‘tour de force’ of egotism, wit, sensuality, and talent, as well as a determination to bring about his plan while protecting Isabeau from harm.
Other reviewers have called Sinners’ Opera ‘intense and thrilling’, ‘beautifully written, and ‘haunt you long after you finish reading’.
Here’s the blurb:
Morgan D’Arcy is an English lord, a classical pianist, and a vampire. He has everything except what he desires most—Isabeau. When she was a child, he appeared to her as the Angel Gabriel, steering her life and career choice, preparing her to become Lady D’Arcy. Many forces oppose Morgan’s daring plan—not the least of which is Vampyre law.
Isabeau Gervase is a brilliant geneticist. Though she no longer believes in angels, she sees a ticket to a Nobel Prize in Gabriel’s secrets—secrets that have led her to a startling conclusion. Gabriel isn’t human, and she fully intends to identify the species she named the Angel Genome.
Morgan is ready to come back into Isabeau’s life, but this time as a man not an angel. Will he outsmart his enemies, protect his beloved and escape death himself? For the first time in eternity, the clock is ticking.
What are you working on now?
Another Morgan book titled Mr. Piano Man. The story is told in a frame, beginning in 1989 in Charleston, South Carolina, with Morgan working in a piano bar, segueing to 1941 during the Battle of Britain—the Blitz of London. Morgan is a RAF fighter pilot. That story left with he and the heroine parting when his plane is shot down over France, the book returns to 1989 when Morgan and the heroine meet again. But she is now in her late 60s, and he still is young and beautiful.
What advice would you give to aspiring writers?
Persevere. Constantly improve your craft. Even talent can benefit from learning then breaking the rules. Don’t put away your Christmas tree if you have one. Decorate it with the painful emails from publishers who don’t recognize a good book and laugh as the tree fills up. Or wallpaper your bathroom walls with them. Do take to heart any constructive criticism you feel might be justified.
All my links and contact information, as well as the books and their descriptions can be found on my website at Linda Nightingale.
Thank you, Margaret, for allowing me to meet your lovely readers.
*****
Some Books I’ve Read Lately:
A HEAT WAVE IN THE HELLERS, by Deborah J. Ross. This collection contains Ross’s stories published in Darkover anthologies over the years. Although I own all of those books, I bought this one because it also includes four other tales, one from a fanzine and three never before published. My favorite of the previously anthologized works is “The Death of Brendon Ensolare” (inspired by a classic Russian story), about an imaginary cadet accidentally “created” by a mistake in a roll call; the other cadets find their nonexistent comrade useful to have around, until a sad event makes it clear that they have to get rid of him somehow. The title story, “A Heat Wave in the Hellers,” is a sort of fanfic that humorously incorporates all the elements forbidden by Marion Zimmer Bradley’s submission guidelines for the anthologies. Darkover fans who haven’t read the anthologies should definitely get this collection, and even if you own the anthology series, you might find the trade-paperback price worthwhile for the sake of the new pieces.
THE TWISTED ONES, by T. Kingfisher. I consider this the best horror novel I’ve read in many years and possibly the only one I’ve found really scary since the original publication of PET SEMATARY. The narrator, Melissa, nicknamed Mouse, receives a call from her elderly father about clearing out his recently deceased mother’s house. The house has been locked and uninhabited for the past two years, since his mother went into a home for the aged. He warns Mouse the place could be “bad,” but she accepts the task, since there’s nobody else to do it. If it turns out to be too much for her, he assures her he’d be okay with having the house razed instead of sold. Even with only vague hints from the blurb about the prospective horrors, I was captivated by this beginning. Mouse’s narrative voice makes the most mundane decisions and chores interesting. She grabbed me on page two with this statement: “I’m a freelance editor. I turn decent books into decently readable books and hopeless books into hopeless books with better grammar.” She and her rescue hound, Bongo, dutifully head for her grandmother’s house in rural North Carolina. Her grandmother was a hateful person who turns out also to have been a hoarder. “Bad” doesn’t begin to describe the house. At least, however, there’s no rotting food inside, and the water, electricity, and stove work. Mouse finds one bedroom untouched by the piles of accumulated junk (including a room stuffed with creepy dolls). It had belonged to her step-grandfather, Frederick Cotgrave, an immigrant from Wales whom she recalls only as a colorless, silent man constantly browbeaten by his wife. She does have one fond memory of his teaching her to draw the “Kilroy” cartoon popular in World War II, which becomes vitally important later in the story. She finds a journal written by Cotgrave and later a hidden manuscript referenced in the journal. At first she thinks the weird references in his writings imply that the old man suffered from dementia and paranoia. On the other hand, the petty persecution he mentions would have been totally in character for her grandmother. What about the things Cotgrave claims to have seen in the woods? When Mouse and her dog come across a strange cluster of stones with grotesque carvings on them, in a spot that should not exist in the local geography, she begins to suspect Cotgrave wasn’t losing his mind after all. By the time she discovers his hidden manuscript, she’s inclined to believe the dark things it hints at. It reconstructs as much as he can recall of another journal, the “Green Book,” written by a young girl who’d had sinister encounters with what she called the “white people.” Are the horrors that nineteenth-century girl witnessed being duplicated in North Carolina? Do similar things lurk in secret places all over the world? In the midst of her struggle with the house, Mouse glimpses what appear to be effigies made of sticks, bones, and miscellaneous debris topped by deer skulls. Moreover, she reluctantly entertains the possibility that they are animated. She makes friends with the three middle-aged “hippies” on a nearby property, and they acknowledge that all the locals know there are vague but dangerous “things” in the woods. I can’t be more specific because I don’t want to give away spoilers. As the plot accelerates, unexpected, terrifying events come at every turn. Yet even in the tensest moments, Mouse’s narrative interjects wry humor. She labors on the house to a background of the local NPR station’s Pledge Break week (another detail that pays off in the end). This novel includes an abundance of my favorite horror trope, the unearthing of dark secrets from the past. It was also a thrill to recognize this story as essentially a sequel to Arthur Machen’s classic story “The White People,” as the author explains in her afterword. She, of course, puts a different spin on his plot elements. The dog, Bongo, is a character in his own right but not unrealistically sapient. As Mouse frequently notes, he’s as dumb as a box of rocks aside from his almost preternatural tracking ability. Unlike too many horror-fiction characters, Mouse has sound motives for sticking around despite the frightful incidents and, later, for venturing deeper into the forest. Another feature of the novel I admire is that she has a credible reason for writing down her experience—to sort out the traumatic experiences in her own mind—and that, unlike many horror protagonists, she doesn’t blithely move on with her life unscathed after escaping the monsters. Furthermore, Cotgrave’s manuscript sounds believably uncertain at points, not (as Kingfisher discusses in the afterword) as if he had a photographic memory. I’ve rambled on long enough, so I can only urge horror fans to read this fantastic (in both senses) story.
THE WATERS AND THE WILD, by Mercedes Lackey and Rosemary Edghill. This latest installment in Lackey’s “Bedlam Bards” urban fantasy series about elves in modern America centers on a teenage girl, Olivia, depressed because her parents are breaking up. Her life holds only one bright spot, her boyfriend, Blake, a star athlete on the swimming team. It seems incredible that the most popular boy in school has chosen the rather nondescript Olivia as his girlfriend. When he invites her to his family’s summer cabin after their senior year of high school, she welcomes the chance to escape the cold war between her parents. When they arrive at the lakeside resort area, though, she discovers the cabin is more rustic than she expected, Internet and cell phone access are erratic, Blake’s parents seem unsure what to do with her, and Blake himself ignores her most of the time. The reader, of course, realizes before Olivia does that something sinister is going on. It turns out that Blake has courted her and invited her on the trip for ulterior motives. Furthermore, there’s a Lamia in the lake. A Selkie bonds with Olivia, and eventually elves get involved. When confronted with magical phenomena, she’s neither absurdly gullible nor stubbornly skeptical, a good balance for a fantasy novel character and difficult to achieve. She presents a convincing characterization of a teenager suffering from depression yet able to cope with the weird events that entangle her. By the climactic clash between the elven cohorts and the monster in the lake, she has found her strength. I enjoyed the novel very much, like all the installments in this series, and there’s a fun twist at the end when Olivia learns of unsuspected magic in her mother’s past. Unfortunately, one inexplicable error in this book, repeated too often to be a one-time lapse, made my teeth grind in exasperation: The authors think Long Beach (where Olivia plans to attend college) is in San Diego. No, they’re in two different counties, separated by a drive of at least an hour, depending on where in San Diego you start. Granted that Lackey lives in Oklahoma (I don’t know where Edghill lives) and the publisher’s office is in New York, shouldn’t SOMEBODY in the production process still have noticed this obvious blunder?
THE SINISTER MYSTERY OF THE MESMERIZING GIRL, by Theodora Goss. This third volume in the Athena Club trilogy, starring the daughters, whether begotten or created, of the principal Victorian mad scientists (Mary Jekyll, Diana Hyde, Beatrice Rappaccini, Catherine Moreau, Justine Frankenstein, and Lucinda Van Helsing), wraps up with an air of finality, suggesting a definite conclusion to the series. I’d have been happen to see it continue for several more volumes. At the end of the last book, EUROPEAN TRAVEL FOR THE MONSTROUS GENTLEWOMAN, Mary’s faithful kitchen maid, Alice, has been kidnapped. She turns out to be the daughter of Helen Vaughn from Arthur Machen’s “The Great God Pan.” Like her mother, Alice has a powerful gift of mesmerism, able to warp reality or at least cast an illusion of doing so. Her mother (introduced in the previous novels as “Mrs. Raymond”) wants to make use of Alice’s power. The Athena Club must rescue Alice and save the world from an occult conspiracy, in an uneasy alliance with Ayesha (of Rider Haggard’s SHE), head of the alchemical society to which the heroines’ fathers belonged. Irene Norton, Professor Moriarty, Dracula, Carmilla, and Mycroft Holmes, among others, make return appearances. Sherlock Holmes, however, stays offstage until about halfway through. In the climactic magical battle, the heroines save England, Europe, and Queen Victoria. I was delighted to see Queen Tera, the resurrected mummy from Bram Stoker’s JEWEL OF SEVEN STARS, as the main antagonist, intent on world domination. As in the previous two books, it’s also fun to read the interpolated comments by Catherine Moreau (the in-universe writer of the three volumes) with remarks and rebuttals from other characters, including Mary Jekyll’s housekeeper, Mrs. Poole. If you’re a fan of classic nineteenth-century horror and fantasy and haven’t read this trilogy, dive into it as soon as possible, starting with THE STRANGE CASE OF THE ALCHEMIST’S DAUGHTER, and savor the lively, articulate, intelligent protagonists, the suspense, the clever plotting, and numerous allusions to the literature of the period.
*****
Excerpt from “Mad Magic”:
The windows of the mansion shone with the glow of dozens of oilnut lamps. To Lorita, the spectacle looked more threatening than welcoming. She didn’t belong in this setting. She stepped from the carriage and smoothed the skirt of her unfamiliar evening gown, which rippled blue-green like a waterfall. Her employer, the wizard Arlen, had assured her that she and her magically forged invitation would easily pass inspection. Still, she would have felt more at ease in her usual tunic and trousers, not to mention boots instead of these impractical shoes. She’d had to practice before she could walk in them without stumbling.
Tallis, the apprentice mage driving the carriage, scowled down at her. The frown and his rakishly disheveled raven hair slightly marred his disguise as a coachman, but with luck none of the guests or staff would get close enough to notice. “I should go in with you,” he said for possibly the tenth time that evening.
“Don’t start that again. Master Arlen and Mistress Irina agreed this way is the safest. You’re known by sight to Sylene’s guardians. I’m not.”
“Aunt Irina could have cast a glamour so they wouldn’t recognize me.”
“And if it didn’t last long enough, happened to fail in the middle of a crowd?” They’d gone through this whole argument several times over. “Your job is to wait here and be ready so we can make a fast getaway after I sneak her out.”
This escapade seemed like a lot of trouble to go through to free a mad girl from a greedy aunt and uncle who wanted to keep control of her fortune. No, not mad, Lorita reminded herself. Mistress Irina swore financial motives alone had caused Sylene’s guardians to lock her up and forbid her either to study magic with Irina or to marry Tallis. Either course would take their niece’s inheritance out of the couple’s clutches, not to mention impoverishing their own son, whose betrothal tonight’s festivity celebrated.
Arlen had offered his colleague Irina aid in freeing her would-be student and sent Lorita to carry out the task. She patted the elaborately coiffed black wig that covered her own short, brown hair and took the invitation out of the embroidered purse on her belt, where she’d also tucked the prepared spells Arlen had given her in the form of crystal beads.
The liveried guard at the door barely glanced at the square of parchment. She checked one last time to make sure her flowing sleeves hid the creature wrapped around her arm like a translucent ribbon. Her familiar, Arlen called it, though technically, as more thief than wizard, she couldn’t have a true familiar. It reacted to her nervousness by tightening its coils.
Easy, Taper. Nothing to worry about. While it couldn’t answer her in words, even silently, she sensed its relaxation. Her skin tingled from the myriad tiny needles on its underside as it absorbed a few drops of her blood. The usual rush of pleasure from the contact boosted her confidence. She stepped over the threshold into the entry hall. Fragrances of lamp oil and scented candles perfumed the air. Cloying heat replaced the cool of the night air. Lamps in wall sconces lit the way to the ballroom, where richly dressed people danced to a quartet of musicians on one side or clustered around the refreshment table on the other side. Draperies in the household’s colors of crimson and gold adorned the walls, the red hue matched by bouquets of roses on the table. All she had to do was thread her way through the crowd and slip out the far door into the corridor without attracting notice. She’d memorized Tallis’s directions to Sylene’s chamber.
She took a deep breath and stepped into the middle of the room. Strolling at a leisurely pace to avoid standing out, she paused at the buffet. Food aromas tickled her nose. Strips of rare meat on skewers, shrimp on a bed of ice with a bowl of sauce for dipping, and the miniature eggs of some exotic bird tempted her. Well, why not take advantage of the rare chance to try delicacies she never came across in her normal life? She wanted to blend in, didn’t she? She chose a sample of the meat and nibbled on it while watching the nearby guests. Pepper and hints of spices she didn’t recognize flavored it.
As she set aside the empty skewer and reached for a glass of chilled, amber-colored wine, a young man also picking up a drink turned to her with a smile. Tall and copper-haired, he wore an emerald green robe embroidered in gold. “Good evening.” He scanned up and down her body before returning his gaze to her face. “I’m Orrin, a distant cousin of our hosts.” He clasped her hand and bowed over it before she could dodge. “I’m sure I haven’t met you before. I would remember.”
Lorita almost laughed at the trite attempt at flattery, but his winning smile made up for the blatant falseness of the words. “My name is Lorita.” No reason to invent a false name, since the family wouldn’t have heard of her. “I’m a friend of Sylene’s. I’d hoped to see her here, but she doesn’t seem to be around.” She made the claim on impulse, hoping to find out whether the story about Sylene’s madness was generally believed.
Orrin’s smile faded. “I haven’t seen her in months. I’ve heard she’s very ill, poor girl.”
“Then perhaps I should pay her a visit. She must get lonely if she’s been confined to her room for so long.”
He evaded her eyes. “I’m sure she could use a friend. But from what I hear, she’s not allowed visitors.”
-end of excerpt-
My Publishers:
Writers Exchange E-Publishing: Writers Exchange
Harlequin: Harlequin
Whiskey Creek: Whiskey Creek
Wild Rose Press: Wild Rose Press
You can contact me at: MLCVamp@aol.com
“Beast” wishes until next time—
Margaret L. Carter
Welcome to the October 2019 issue of my newsletter, “News from the Crypt,” and please visit Carter’s Crypt, devoted to my horror, fantasy, and paranormal romance work, especially focusing on vampires and shapeshifting beasties. If you have a particular fondness for vampires, check out the chronology of my series in the link labeled “Vanishing Breed Vampire Universe.” For my recommendations of “must read” classic and modern vampire fiction, explore the Realm of the Vampires:
Realm of the Vampires
Also, check out the multi-author Alien Romances Blog
The long-time distributor of THE VAMPIRE’S CRYPT has closed its website. If you would like to read any issue of this fanzine, which contains fiction, interviews, and a detailed book review column, e-mail me to request the desired issue, and I’ll send you a free PDF of it. My e-mail address is at the end of this newsletter. Find information about the contents of each issue on this page of my website:
A complete list of my available works, arranged roughly by genre, with purchase links (gradually being updated as the Amber Quill and Ellora’s Cave works are being republished):
This is my Facebook author page. Please visit!
Facebook
Here’s my page in Barnes and Noble’s Nook store. These items include some of the short stories that used to be on Fictionwise:
Barnes and Noble
Go here and scroll down to “Available Short Fiction” for a list of those stories with their Amazon links:
Kindle Works
Here’s the list of my Kindle books on Amazon. (The final page, however, includes some Ellora’s Cave anthologies in which I don’t have stories):
Carter Kindle Books
Here’s a shortcut URL to my author page on Amazon:
Amazon
My Goodreads page:
Goodreads
Happy Halloween!
Since the publisher of my vampire novels DARK CHANGELING and its immediate sequel CHILD OF TWILIGHT (both horror with romantic elements) has closed, I’ve self-published them in a two-novel omnibus called TWILIGHT’S CHANGELINGS:
In case you haven’t read one or both of these novels starring psychiatrist Roger Darvell, a human-vampire hybrid who discovers his true nature in the course of a very strange midlife crisis, you can now get both together at a bargain price. In the excerpt from CHILD OF TWILIGHT below, Gillian, Roger’s twelve-year-old hybrid daughter (whom he has seen only once, when she was a toddler) has run away from her mentor and faces danger from human ruffians.
I’m interviewing romantic suspense author C. B. Clark this month.
*****
Interview with C. B. Clark:
What inspired you to begin writing?
When a botched operation left me unable to speak above a whisper for a year, I decided to try my hand at writing a novel. I loved the challenge and was ecstatic when I finished. Now my voice is back, and I have five published romantic suspense novels and another due out in a couple of months.
What genre do you work in?
I love reading, and I’ll read pretty well anything, but romantic suspense is my favorite genre to both read and write.
Do you outline, ‘wing it’, or something in between?
I’m definitely a pantster. I always start with the first sentence or the germ of an idea and go from there. It’s fun not knowing what’s going to happen next. The trials and tribulations of my characters keep me writing until the end.
What have been the major influences on your writing?
Like many young girls, I read the Nancy Drew Mystery Series. When I was an adolescent, I discovered a box of old romance books in my grandmother’s basement, and I devoured stories by Daphne du Maurier, Victoria Holt, and Mary Stewart. I fell in love with romance mixed with intrigue. Later, Nora Roberts, Linda Howard, and Sandra Brown became my favorite authors.
Has your background in anthropology and archaeology affected your fiction?
Every experience I’ve had in my life influences my writing. I spent several years working as an archaeologist in the field, and even though my stories (so far) haven’t been directly related to archaeology and anthropology, aspects of these subjects slip into my writing.
In the writing of romantic suspense, what tips would you offer about balancing the suspense and the romance elements?
It’s definitely a challenge. Some readers prefer romance with just a dash of suspense, while others like the focus to be on the suspense. The main thing is to ensure that the action doesn’t overpower the romantic connection between the hero and heroine. The story should be all about their developing relationship in the face of villains and adversity. Romantic suspense readers want an edge-of-the-seat thrill, but they also want that happy ending.
What is your soon-forthcoming work?
Healing Hearts is in final edits and will be released soon. It’s a romantic suspense, and is a story that is close to my heart. It’s set on a ranch in the Chilcotin wilderness of Central British Columbia, an area of stunning beauty, and close to where I live. As well as murder, mayhem, and romance, an environmental theme, which is an issue I’m passionate about, runs through the story. Here’s a teaser: “They must overcome their tragic pasts to find the love that will heal their wounded hearts.”
What are you working on now?
Like most authors, I have several stories brewing, and I’m in the process of filling out plot details and fleshing out the characters.
What advice would you give to aspiring writers?
Don’t stop. No matter what sort of sales or mixed reviews you receive, or the pressures of social media, don’t let anyone discourage you from following your dreams. Put your butt in a chair in front of your computer and write. Ignore that tiny, doubting voice inside you and WRITE. Keep writing until your story is finished, and then start the next one.
Where can we find you on the Web?
*****
Some Books I’ve Read Lately:
MAMA’S LAST HUG, by Frans de Waal. Subtitled, “Animal Emotions and What They Tell Us About Ourselves,” this book focuses mainly on primates, especially chimpanzees, but also touches on other animals such as elephants, dogs, etc. and stakes out a position on animal emotions in general. “Mama” was a fifty-nine-year-old chimpanzee at Burgers Zoo in the Netherlands, and the title refers to her final meeting with renowned biologist Jan van Hooff. They had known each other for forty years. The touching account of her deathbed farewell to her human friend sets the stage for Frans de Waal’s analysis of animal emotions, comparing them to similar human reactions. De Waal makes a sharp distinction between emotions and feelings. He defines feelings as internal mental phenomena we can’t know unless the individual describes them to us. Emotions, on the other hand, are observable in the form of biological changes that can be described and measured. He firmly maintains that animals have emotions analogous to our own. Topics include reading another species’ body language, “theory of mind,” the transmission of emotions from one individual to others, whether some emotions are exclusive to our own species, power and aggression, sharing, sense of fairness, and many other intriguing subjects, ending with an exploration of the nature and meaning of sentience. His earlier book ARE WE SMART ENOUGH TO KNOW HOW SMART ANIMALS ARE? is equally interesting and also emphasizes the continuity rather than division between our species and nonhuman animals.
THE INSTITUTE, by Stephen King. The secret government facility in this novel brings to mind the one in FIRESTARTER, but they’re quite different in detail. For one thing, the Institute, which has existed since the beginning of the Cold War, confines a group of children and teenagers with psychic powers rather than just one; moreover, the Institute has devised a way to make practical use of those abilities. Luke Ellis, an intellectual prodigy preparing to attend college at the age of twelve, is otherwise a normal, well-adjusted kid. He has only one other peculiarity, a touch of telekinesis on the “parlor trick” level, which he can’t control. One night a hit team murders his parents and kidnaps him. He wakes up at the Institute in Maine, in a bedroom mostly identical to his own except for the absence of windows. The other inmates, especially a teenage girl named Kalisha, bring him up to speed on life in the Institute. The inmates receive tokens for good behavior and negative consequences for failure to cooperate. They get injections apparently meant to enhance their psychic gifts, broadly divided between TP (telepathy) and TK (telekinesis). As Luke soon learns firsthand, many of the procedures amount to torture. He and his new friends live in the Front Half. Nobody knows what happens to the kids moved to the Back Half; as in a roach motel, they check in but don’t check out. On the other hand, tokens can purchase cigarettes, alcoholic beverages, and other drugs from vending machines. There’s a playground, and the kids can do pretty much what they want in their free time as long as they don’t stray into forbidden territory. Luke meets a cleaning woman on the staff who seems friendly to the children. By finding a workaround for the Internet blocks on his computer, he manages to help her solve her desperate financial problem, a plot development vital to the kids’ eventual escape attempt. As people vanish into the Back Half and Luke’s powers grow beyond what he allows the experimenters to realize, he also notices deteriorating infrastructure and sloppy security. King’s usual skill in writing child characters comes through in the friendships that develop among the inmates, despite their differences. Meanwhile, we learn the background and purpose of the Institute, partly through the viewpoints of some staff members. Ultimately Luke and his friends have to face the question of which is more important, their own lives or the Institute’s alleged vital importance to the welfare of the entire world. Now to backtrack and mention an oddity of this novel: It doesn’t start with Luke. It begins in the viewpoint of Tim Jamieson, an ex-cop who ends up on a whim in a small town where he’s hired as a “night knocker” for the sheriff’s department. We get to know him intimately before the narrative switches to Luke, and we don’t see Tim again until he reenters the story to help the kids during the buildup to the climax. A strong novel with a satisfying conclusion but not without sacrifice and tragedy.
THE TESTAMENTS, by Margaret Atwood. As you probably know, this is the sequel to THE HANDMAID’S TALE, set fifteen years later. Although it doesn’t continue Offred’s story, we do get some hints of her fate. The book comprises three first-person documents written by: Aunt Lydia; Daisy (later called Jade), a teenage girl growing up in Canada with her parents, who she later learns are her adopted parents as well as Mayday agents; and Agnes, the teenage daughter of a Commander in Gilead, also technically adopted, since her biological mother was a Handmaid. After Agnes’s mother dies, her father marries a new Wife. Wanting to get rid of Agnes as soon as possible, her stepmother urges the Commander to arrange a marriage for the girl. No suitors appeal to her, certainly not the most likely one, Commander Judd, an older man with several deceased previous Wives. Agnes follows her best friend, Becka, into the only other option available to daughters of the elite, claiming a “higher calling”—a vocation to become an Aunt. Meanwhile, we see Gilead, including the odious Commander Judd, through the eyes of Aunt Lydia, who’s as politically astute, secretive, and self-serving as we’d expect from the earlier book and the TV series. In Canada, Daisy’s parents are assassinated, so that she has to go into hiding. One review says this novel is more of a “thriller” than THE HANDMAID’S TALE, a description that definitely fits when Daisy/Jade must travel into Gilead to make contact with a covert “source” who has a cache of explosive information to send to Canada. She poses as a homeless teen who lets herself get “rescued” by two of the Pearl Girls, Gilead’s missionaries to the women of “Sodom.” At the Aunts’ headquarters, she meets Agnes and Becka. Through this sequence of events, we experience Jade’s culture shock in trying to adjust to Gilead, then Agnes’s similar reaction when exposed to the outside world. We also learn more about Aunt Lydia’s background (not the same as in the TV series) and destiny, as well as the ultimate fate of Baby Nicole and what precipitates Gilead’s collapse. I found the glimpses of everyday life in Gilead and the bits of information on such matters as the recruitment and training of Aunts fascinating. I’m wondering how the TV series will handle this material; it doesn’t seem likely they’ll do a fifteen-year time skip. And how will Aunt Lydia evolve from her present TV persona into the character we see in the book? Like the first novel, THE TESTAMENTS ends with a transcript from a historical conference several generations later, long after the fall of Gilead. The speaker explains how the documents were discovered, while conceding that some scholars remain skeptical of their authenticity. Like the epilogue of THE HANDMAID’S TALE, this passage distances the reader from the story’s events and casts doubt on the reliability of women’s testimony. This conclusion, however, feels more uplifting, since in this case the speaker does believe in the reliability of the documents. The final passage of the novel, an inscription on a monument constructed after the fall, speaks for itself.
*****
Excerpt from CHILD OF TWILIGHT:
Jogging along the sidewalk, a light film of snow crunching under her sneakers, Gillian concentrated on her hope that a bus was scheduled between Washington and Annapolis tonight. She didn’t want to travel by day, nor did she relish the thought of waiting in the terminal all night.
Her path took her down poorly-lit streets lined by apartment buildings of dingy brick with the stench of garbage drifting from the alleys between them. Many of the ground-floor windows she passed were boarded up. Occasionally a car rumbled by, or footsteps reached her ears from adjoining streets. At one point a cat darted out of her way and paused to hiss at her before fleeing into an alley. Gillian momentarily considered pursuing the animal. She wasn’t used to going hungry—
When she faced front again, four human figures popped up. They had rounded the corner of a building just ahead. Gillian paused, balanced on the balls of her feet, to brush the edges of their minds. Her fear of losing control made her hesitate long enough to let two of them circle behind her before she sensed their belligerence.
Four dark-haired boys, probably a few years older than she, wearing jeans, boots, and heavy jackets. The one directly in front of her, two inches taller than Gillian and twice as broad, said, “What’s a little girl like you doing out this time of night?”
Gillian stared back at him without answering. His breath smelled like onions, but the lust emanating from him sickened her more.
“Hey, will you look at that!” The youth next to him, shorter and slightly plump, poked at Gillian’s cross. She stepped back, hissing. “Whoa, listen to her!”
“Sounds like a snake,” the larger boy said. “Built like one, too. Or maybe you’re hiding something under that coat?” He plucked at the zipper of her jacket.
With a snarl Gillian slashed her claws across his face. He flinched back and whipped out a knife. “You gonna pay for that, bitch! First I’ll take that thing around your neck, and then we’ll see what else you got for us.”
The other two breathed hot on the back of Gillian’s neck. She understood they intended to rob and rape her. She felt no fear of them—she feared her own anger. The scent of her attacker’s blood made her breathing fast and ragged.
No—I’m too young for human blood! “Leave me alone,” she said quietly, impaling him with her eyes, fervently wishing she could control him as an adult could.
For an instant the compulsion seemed to work. The youth inched backward. The boy next to him, though, remained untouched, for she didn’t know how to influence two people at once. The smaller boy tried to snatch the cross from her neck.
Gillian’s hand grabbed his arm and squeezed until a bone cracked. Startled by the sound, she let go. The leader’s knife swiped at her. The blade slashed the front of her jacket. Dodging just in time to avoid being cut, she felt one of the other boys clutch her from behind.
That violation ignited her rage. All caution consumed by fury, she lashed out. One hand ripped open the leader’s throat, while her left fist knocked down the second boy who faced her.
Whirling, she kneed the third boy in the groin, then kicked the last one’s feet out from under him. Spinning around once more, she saw the leader doubled up on the sidewalk, clutching his neck. Blood spurted between the fingers. He stared at her, wide-eyed, gurgling.
The boy whose face she had bruised tried to struggle into a sitting position. “You—what the hell—”
Their pain and fear rushed over her like cold fire, setting all her nerves aglow. Involuntary contractions rippled through her muscles. Oh, no, it’s happening again!
She peeled off the jacket and let it fall. Just in time—the transformation claimed her in an explosion of heat and electricity. Through the red mist over her eyes she saw three of the four muggers lurch to their feet and run away. The one she’d clawed watched her in helpless terror.
The surge of ecstasy faded quicker this time. Gillian set her jaw and focused on a mental image of herself in the mirror, tired, mussed, and outwardly human. With a wrench, her molecules rearranged themselves.
-end of excerpt-
*****
My Publishers:
Writers Exchange E-Publishing: Writers Exchange
Harlequin: Harlequin
Whiskey Creek: Whiskey Creek
Wild Rose Press: Wild Rose Press
You can contact me at: MLCVamp@aol.com
“Beast” wishes until next time—
Margaret L. Carter
Welcome to the September 2019 issue of my newsletter, “News from the Crypt,” and please visit Carter’s Crypt, devoted to my horror, fantasy, and paranormal romance work, especially focusing on vampires and shapeshifting beasties. If you have a particular fondness for vampires, check out the chronology of my series in the link labeled “Vanishing Breed Vampire Universe.” For my recommendations of “must read” classic and modern vampire fiction, explore the Realm of the Vampires:
Realm of the Vampires
Also, check out the multi-author Alien Romances Blog
The long-time distributor of THE VAMPIRE’S CRYPT has closed its website. If you would like to read any issue of this fanzine, which contains fiction, interviews, and a detailed book review column, e-mail me to request the desired issue, and I’ll send you a free PDF of it. My e-mail address is at the end of this newsletter. Find information about the contents of each issue on this page of my website:
A complete list of my available works, arranged roughly by genre, with purchase links (gradually being updated as the Amber Quill and Ellora’s Cave works are being republished):
This is my Facebook author page. Please visit!
Facebook
Here’s my page in Barnes and Noble’s Nook store. These items include some of the short stories that used to be on Fictionwise:
Barnes and Noble
Go here and scroll down to “Available Short Fiction” for a list of those stories with their Amazon links:
Kindle Works
Here’s the list of my Kindle books on Amazon. (The final page, however, includes some Ellora’s Cave anthologies in which I don’t have stories):
Carter Kindle Books
Here’s a shortcut URL to my author page on Amazon:
Amazon
My Goodreads page:
Goodreads
“Yokai Magic” received an excellent review from Manic Readers:
The reviewer says, “This engaging tale is a great combination of contemporary challenges and fantasy elements.”
There’s an excerpt below from “Foxfire,” one of the stories in my animal-bridegroom collection BEASTS AND THEIR BEAUTIES, a contemporary paranormal romance featuring a kitsune (fox shapeshifter) hero. The heroine, Tabitha, has asked Kenji, the kitsune (whose true nature she doesn’t know yet), to help find her runaway sister, Chloe. The collection can be found here:
This month’s interview features historical fiction author Diane Scott Lewis.
*****
Interview with Diane Scott Lewis:
What inspired you to begin writing?
I’ve always told tales, even before I could write. I’d illustrate the story and ask my mother to write the words. I wrote my first novel at age ten, a story set in ancient Rome. Later, I wrote a western, which I never completed. I had a short story (which I’ve since lost) submitted to a literary festival from my high school. I let writing go when I married and had children, but picked it up again when my children were in high school.
What genres do you work in?
Historical fiction mostly, with romantic elements. I like a love interest but weave it into the plot and try to make it ‘natural’ and not Sudden Attraction. I wrote one historical time travel, which was fun.
Do you outline, “wing it,” or something in between?
I mostly ‘wing it’. That can lead to complications. A novel that rambles, or is too long (my first efforts). I’ve tried to outline to some extent, but my characters often take over and send me in different directions.
What have been the major influences on your writing (favorite authors, life experiences, or whatever)?
All of that. I read popular historical novels and authors, to see what their style is, how can I improve on mine, etc. Phillipa Gregory’s early novels inspired me. I like Susanna Kearsley, too. Deanna Rayburn. My travels around the US inspired my current release, Her Vanquished Land. A novel set during the American Revolution. I’ve visited battlefields from that conflict.
Did your naval service affect your development as an author, and if so, how?
I love to travel; my one duty station was in Greece, where I met my husband. We had a navy reunion in Greece in June, and I’ve recently begun a novel set in 1950s Greece.
What attracted you to the historical periods you write about?
At first, I knew I didn’t want to do Victorian novels since so many were writing in that era. I chose the eighteenth century, researched extensively at the Library of Congress (no internet then), and England in the time of the French Revolution, 1780s thru 1790s caught my interest.
What kinds of research sources do you use for your historical fiction? Please tell us a bit about the “Research Links” page on your website.
At first, libraries were my go-to places for research. I was lucky to have the huge collection of the Library of Congress (we lived near Washington, DC) and the Library of Virginia. I got library loans for rarer books. Now the internet is very handy for research. I do double check the sources there.
My research links, I need to add more, are interesting sites I’ve come across in researching the French Revolution, Napoleon, and Cornwall, England. Also important links to the Eighteenth Century.
What is your latest-released or soon-forthcoming work?
My just released novel is Her Vanquished Land. Here is a blurb: In 1780, Rowena Marsh decodes messages for the British during the American Revolution. When the rebels overrun her home state of Pennsylvania, she flees with her family. Are the people loyal to England welcome anywhere in the burgeoning United States? Rowena struggles with possible defeat and permanent exile, plus her growing love for an enigmatic Welshman who may have little need for affection. Will the war destroy both their lives?
What are you working on now?
My Greek story, A Spark to the Ashes, a Mary Stewart inspired suspense novel set in 1955.
What advice would you give to aspiring writers?
Perfect your craft. Not only the creative part of style and plot, but the basics of grammar, and how to write and punctuate dialogue. Attend writers’ conferences, network with other authors, and take workshops to improve your craft.
What’s the URL of your website? Your blog? Where else can we find you on the web?
Diane Scott Lewis Website
Blog
*****
Some Books I’ve Read Lately:
THE BIG BOOK OF CLASSIC FANTASY, edited by Ann and Jeff Vandermeer. This new anthology, a trade paperback over 800 pages long (but reasonably priced), presents tales exemplifying the broad field of fantastic fiction from the early nineteenth century to the mid-twentieth-century advent of fantasy as a marketing genre. In chronological order of their writing, it begins with a story published in 1808 and ends, appropriately, with Tolkien’s metafictional “Leaf by Niggle.” The word “Classic” and the book’s subtitle, “The Ultimate Collection,” imply (to me, at least) that the reader should expect an encyclopedic compilation of high-profile stories that shaped the concept of “fantasy” and exerted strong influence on works that followed them. That’s not what we get. The editors, in fact, explicitly state that they often avoid well-known stories in favor of highlighting more obscure ones, partly because the familiar works are so readily available elsewhere. A college instructor wanting to assign a text that traces the mainline history of fantastic fiction and brings together the “must read” sources, therefore, wouldn’t choose this one. It includes numerous well-known tales, of course (e.g., Poe’s “Facts in the Case of M. Valdemar,” Forster’s “Celestial Omnibus,” Hawthorne’s “Feathertop,” Rossetti’s poem “Goblin Market,” E. Nesbit’s “The Aunt and Amabel,” Grahame’s “Reluctant Dragon,” etc.), but many that will be new to most readers. A few, never before translated into English, or even published here for the first time, can’t have influenced the modern fantasy genre as we know it. One, Herman Melville’s “The Tartarus of Maids” (an account of the dismal working conditions of female employees in a paper mill), doesn’t even belong here, in my opinion; despite its Gothic tone, it’s in no way fantasy. A nineteenth-century omission that surprises me, by the way, is the absence of a selection from the “Uncle Remus” tales. Also, the editors’ choices are weighted more than I like toward surrealistic works. That said, the book is packed with remarkable stories in a variety of styles from predominantly Anglophone authors but also quite a few who wrote in other languages, including some non-European writers. The editors supply a summary of the author’s background and literary career before each story. Most lovers of fantasy will find many hours of enjoyment in this volume.
TRACE, by Pat Cummings. The thirteen-year-old, black protagonist of this new YA ghost novel, Theodore, nicknamed Trace, lives with his aunt in a New York City brownstone because his parents died in a car crash he barely escaped. He’s vague on how, exactly, he got out of a submerged car with closed windows, and he doesn’t want to talk about the accident or his parents to anyone, including his therapist, or even to think about them much. He also suffers recurring nightmares about the wreck, for which he blames himself (for a reason we learn well into the story). One positive feature of the novel is that it doesn’t lapse into the cliché of a cold, distant guardian who makes the orphaned hero’s life even more miserable. Trace’s Aunt Lea, retaining her hippie spirit into middle age, is an affectionate, madly creative person who opens her home to all sorts of people. Even when Trace’s grief makes him unresponsive to her, aside from everyday courtesies and earnest attempts to cause as little inconvenience as possible, he acknowledges that she’s “cool.” He does, however, have to cope with the usual new-kid problems at school. Because of his general withdrawal from life, he makes only one friend, Ty, essentially by accident. Trace’s circle expands when he has to work on a history assignment with Ty and two girls, one who makes it clear that she thinks Trace and the project are beneath her, the other a brilliant, younger student who peppers her conversation with multisyllabic words. She turns out to have a bit of psychic ability, a factor that becomes important to the plot. The group has to present a report on the 1860s; not surprisingly, Trace gets tasked with researching the race-related events of the period. In the public library, he blunders into a basement level he shouldn’t be able to access and meets the sad ghost of a little boy who, he eventually learns, died in a fire that destroyed an orphanage for black children. Trace’s investigation of the fire and the ghost leads to revelations about his own ancestors. Meanwhile, he gradually opens up to the world and learns to enjoy life again, as well as confronting instead of avoiding the loss of his parents. The novel develops into a warm and realistic (aside from the ghost) story of family and friendship with a satisfying conclusion.
OUT OF TUNE, edited by Jonathan Maberry. An anthology of original stories based on traditional folk ballads. Some are closely faithful retellings, others loosely inspired by their models. In one of my favorites, “Wendy, Darling” by Christopher Golden, the heroine of PETER PAN, grown up and about to be married, appears as the infanticidal protagonist of “The Cruel Mother.” A dark exploration of loss and grief, Seanan McGuire’s “Driving Jenny Home” retells the urban legend of the vanishing hitchhiker with echoes of “The Unquiet Grave.” Some other songs referenced in this volume include “Tam Lin,” “Sweet William’s Ghost,” “The Mermaid,” “Black Is the Color of My True Love’s Hair,” “Lady Isabel and the Elf Knight,” and “John Barleycorn.” Nancy Holder combines “Barbara Allen,” Poe, and a touch of Lovecraft in “In Arkham Town, Where I Was Bound.” Additional contributors include Jeff Strand, Kelley Armstrong, Del Howison Jack Ketchum, Simon R. Green, Gary Braunbeck, and Lisa Morton, among others. Most of the tales tend toward the darker end of the spectrum, and almost all fall into the fantastic rather than strictly realistic realm. Each author supplies an afterword commenting on his or her story, the history of the source ballad, and the connection between them. Readers don’t have to be familiar with the ballads to enjoy this anthology, but the tales will appeal particularly to those who do recognize their sources.
SNOW, GLASS, APPLES, by Neil Gaiman. Wow! A graphic novel adaptation of Gaiman’s short story, illustrated by Collen Doran. Decades earlier, in “Red as Blood,” Tanith Lee portrayed Snow White as a vampire from birth and the queen as a good witch; Gaiman, using the same premise, created an even darker version of the fairy tale. This hardcover graphic novel faithfully reproduces Gaiman’s plot and language. Doran’s art, inspired by late nineteenth-century artists such as Aubrey Beardsley, uses mostly black backgrounds, with contrasting lush, vivid color (especially splashes of red for iconic images such as apples and blood) for the figures and objects. Characters wear exotic, medieval-style garb. The erotic scenes convey a blend of sensuality and revulsion through nudity without over-explicitness. Most of the pages teem with fantastic and Gothic details that will reward multiple viewings. The images of the nonhuman “forest folk” are especially fascinating. After the story, the artist spends several pages explaining her creative process and some of the choices she made. If you’re familiar with the original story, you won’t want to miss this lavish adaptation. For fans of Gaiman, vampires, or fairy tales who haven’t read “Snow, Glass, Apples” before, this is definitely a must-have book.
*****
Excerpt from “Foxfire”:
As soon as he reached the shelter of the trees, Kenji stripped naked and prepared to search. He would have to backtrack toward Tabitha’s house in hope of crossing the girl’s trail. Since Tabitha’s and Chloe’s should be the only human female scents in the area, finding the spoor shouldn’t pose a problem.
Tucking his clothes into the fork of a branch for safekeeping, he wondered what had possessed him to agree to this quest. He couldn’t fool himself that he just wanted to do the neighborly thing. He liked Tabitha and didn’t want to see her worried and scared. He lusted after her and wanted to make a good impression, regardless of the impossibility of a relationship. Neither of those impulses justified putting himself in the risky position of having to explain how he could find a teenage girl in the woods in the middle of the night. He groaned to himself at the memory of the lame excuse he’d given Tabitha for making her stay behind. With luck, she’d feel so relieved to have her sister safe that she wouldn’t think to ask for details right away, and he wouldn’t give her a chance to ask later. They wouldn’t see each other again except for their usual chance meetings on the trails.
Why did that prospect depress him so much? Until tonight, he’d thought he’d become resigned to his solitary life.
Naked, he crouched on all fours and willed the change.
He transformed more smoothly than when strong emotion made him shift involuntarily. Now his bones and muscles melted into their new shape with a sensuous pleasure like hot water flowing over his bare limbs. The fur that enveloped him felt more natural than skin, as if he’d awakened from a dream of bipedal awkwardness and returned to his true self, with the claws of all four feet denting the soft loam. Darkness became shades of gray and silver in the moonlight. When human, he could see in the dark better than normal people, but nothing like this. His whiskers twitched at random puffs of wind, and his nostrils flared to absorb the odors of the forest. Rabbits, squirrels, and raccoons crouched or crawled in the underbrush and tree branches. Ordinarily, he might hunt one of them for the sport even though he’d already fed on a rabbit earlier that night. Now, though, he had a job to do.
He shook his head, aware of how quickly his human purpose had escaped his mind. Getting distracted by animal sensations and appetites was always a hazard when he changed. Normally it wouldn’t matter if he let instinct sweep thought into the background. But he couldn’t succumb to that temptation at the moment.
He trotted uphill in the direction of Tabitha’s house. His ears twitched at every sound. He heard no human noises, only an owl hooting overhead and small animals scurrying out of his path. Along the way, he disturbed a doe with a pair of fawns, who bounded through the trees to avoid him. He scented the footprints of a bear, left over from at least a day ago, nothing to worry about now. At the bottom of his neighbor’s driveway, he circled, sniffing the ground, in search of human traces. His plumed tail lashed with pleasure at Tabitha’s aroma, permeating the area. He forced his mind back to the reason he’d come here. Casting a little farther from the house, he picked up the scent of another female. With a low bark of satisfaction, he followed the track downhill.
In the daytime even human eyes could probably have tracked the girl. She’d left footprints in the damp soil and broken twigs on bushes. Shortly, she’d stumbled onto one of the narrow trails and followed that in the general direction of the road. For most of its length, this trail stayed on level or gently sloping ground. Farther on, though, it bordered a steep bank on one side. That was where he heard labored breathing from human lungs. A broken thorn-bush and scuffed dirt showed where the girl had tripped and failed to catch herself. The breeze carried the scent of blood.
He edged around the spot until he reached an easier point to climb down into the ravine. He conjured a ball of foxfire to augment his night vision in the shadowed hollow. The girl lay on her back with her left shin bleeding. A flashlight, still glowing, had rolled out of her reach. An occasional whimper punctuated her rasping breaths. She didn’t catch sight of him until he’d approached close enough to touch. With a shriek, she snatched up a small rock and flung it at him. It bounced off his flank.
He growled at the sting and dodged the next stone. He couldn’t do anything for her in this shape. Extinguishing the foxfire, he clambered up the bank and trotted along the trail to its juncture with one that led in the direction of his house. Able to make good time on the cleared surfaces, within a few minutes he reached the place where he’d left his clothes. After dressing, he hurried back to the spot where Chloe had fallen. Cutting through the brush and climbing down the bank to reach the girl gave him a few scratches on arms and legs, but no discomfort he couldn’t ignore.
-end of excerpt-
*****
My Publishers:
Writers Exchange E-Publishing: Writers Exchange
Harlequin: Harlequin
Whiskey Creek: Whiskey Creek
Wild Rose Press: Wild Rose Press
You can contact me at: MLCVamp@aol.com
“Beast” wishes until next time—
Margaret L. Carter