The A to Z Challenge! Z is for Zzzzzzz.

OK, I realize how pathetic that is, making Z for zzzzz because I'm tired. I tried to think of something and zoo did come to mind. I guess it's because I've been pretty tired, hence the zzzs.

It's been quite a month in what could be a very big year. My job is up this November. That's when I'll probably be laid off. So a lot of my time has gone to job hunting. If you add that to my responsibilities as a husband, father and full time breadwinner, it gets hectic. When I have time and I'm not creating blog entries, I'm trying to relax because of burn out. I haven't had much time to write or edit.

My goals now that the A to Z blog hop is done will probably be to finish preparing the second editions of Dark Threats and Dark Birth and do massive rewrites to Book Two (Dark Changes).

At any rate, thanks to all who visited and my thanks to those who commented. I visited others when I could and hope to do more. This blog hop has been a great tool to keep me blogging. It's been an interesting challenge to come up with things for each letter and I've enjoyed it very much.

I have an idea for next year so we'll see how it works.

Thanks to everyone!

The A to Z Challenge! Y is for Yellow!

Y is for Yellow, particularly what the color means on a fairy.  See in the land called Farnalla in my book Myths, all fairies give off a different color depending on their emotion at the moment. Their magic creates a colored aura around them at all times but it changes depending on their mood. They can dim or brighten their aura at will but sometimes it gets out of control

Here is the emotion to color chart...

Red = Rage
Orange = Greed
Yellow = Fear
Blue = Hope
Indigo = Compassion
Violet = Love
Green = Will
Gray = depression/ lack of hope
Turquoise = curiosity
Pink = embarrassment

The idea of using different colors to show emotions isn't a new thing (mood rings anyone?) but there is one place that inspired me the most...

 

DC Comics introduced all these kinds of color orientated Lantern types. They always had Green Lantern whose ring was based on will power and Sinestro whose ring was based on fear, but recently they tied in their character Star Sapphire and created other characters, all so they could make separate armies of multi-colored characters. It enriched the plots and improved the stories.

I decided to use the idea to make my fairy, Flitty, more fun. I hope it works!

The A to Z Challenge! X is for X marks the spot!

X is for X marks the spot! Pirates! OK, I get that pirates starts with a P but I just couldn't help it.

The Night Children series covers a lot of history. The idea is that Annabelle and Roland would experience 300 years of American history. In book two, NIGHT CHILDREN: DARK CHANGES, Roland becomes a pirate and sails the open seas.

To properly depict this I researched pirates. I discovered several men and even a couple women whom lived dangerous lives on the open sea. I even wrote a scene where several cameo in the book. Roland meets Calico Jack, Anne Bonny and Mary Read...

Captain Bartholomew Roberts (known as Black Bart)...

and even Blackbeard himself...

It was fun including all these pirates. A beta reader pointed out that they really have no purpose in the book seeing as they only appear in one chapter. He's got a lot of points about this second revision so I need to cut stuff and rewrite a lot more. I hope to be able to do more with these historical figures.

The A to Z Challenge! W is for Werewolves!

Of course if I did V for vampires, you know I'd have to do W for werewolves.

Werewolves can be killed by silver. Silver weakens other mystical creatures such as vampires, fairies and dragons, but it kills werewolves. If you blow them up or behead them they'll die as well.

They have strength on par with Spider-man and have the speed and agility of the Black Panther. Their senses are as acute as Wolverine if not a little stronger. Some werewolves turn to large wolves while other take on a man shape in their wolf form. Few can become both.

There are two classifications of werewolves; Alpha and Beta. Beta wolves are your typical kind. They age normally and can die of old age. Alpha wolves are immortal. There are not very many of those kinds. All werewolves can lose control under the full moon and many have to learn to refocus and regain control of the wolf. Some have learned to transform even when there isn't a full moon.

Now that you know about my world in regards to werewolves, here are some fun pics...

The A to Z Challenge! V is for vampires

Of course given what my main characters are in the Night Children series, is it any wonder what I would use for the letter V? Vampires!

Sunlight, wooden stakes through the heart, fire and beheadings kill them. Religious items hurt the bad vampires (but only if you have faith). Silver weakens all mystical creatures. Garlic only gives vampire heartburn.

They can eat regular food in limited quantities but it makes them sick. Of course their main nourishment is blood. Animal blood works just as well as human blood. The thirst can drive them mad but as with any addiction, it can be mastered to a certain degree.

Your basic vampire has super strength on par with Spider-Man, can move fast (as fast as Wonder Woman), has amazing agility (like Black Panther) and enhanced senses (like Wolverine). Some are better at these abilities, taking the strength to Thing lever or the speed to Quicksilver level (no vampire could move as fast as Flash or are strong as Hulk), for instance. But those are few.

Some vampires have mastered other tricks. Some can fly, some can transform to various nocturnal animals, some can mesmerize others and some can communicate with animals. Some can even turn into mist, move things with their minds or have limited control of the elements. Not all vampires can do these things, in fact most can't.

All vampires are immortal. Children and youth vampires age 1 year ever 100 years until they physically reach 18. That goes for their minds too.

Now that you understand the rules of my world, here are some fun pics I've collected...

The A to Z Challenge! U is for Unicorn

U is for Unicorn, specifically Celeste the flying unicorn from Myths.

She is determined, serious and often stuck up. She likes studying and doesn’t like it when Eli gets into trouble. She does not like Frunz the faun or Lyndi the dragon. She has a soul bond with Eli. This means she has a telepathic mental bond with him. Celeste can turn to a human shape and remain it the shape of the tall, thin pale girl with long white hair. In her natural unicorn shape she has wings and can fire blasts of pure light from her horn. In human girl shape her extreme magic is backed up and can cause accidents. She is practicing to focus it into spells. Has a little sister back home.

Here are some pictures that inspire me for Celeste...

The A to Z Challenge! T is for Tyme Travels

Vampires, elves and cross-dimensional robots aren't my only stories. I love time travel. I love Doctor Who and Back to the Future and any story where the characters see the past in a new light or experience an alternate future.

T is for Tyme Travels.

Tyme Travels is the story of Professor Justin Tyme and two of his students,  his son Nico and Cynthia Grey.

The story is only in the planning stages. Nothing is written but notes and things will be changed so I can't really tell too much right now. Suffice to say they will have to rescue their fellow students from various periods in history such as...

Ancient Egypt

Ancient Rome

 



 

One of the early ages of the dinosaurs

 

 

The Salem Witch Trials

 

 

The Revolutionary War

 

World War Two

 

 

Victorian England

 

 

The Old West

 

 

 

And even alternate futures like this one ruled by machines

 

 

 

So it's a fun story with lots of twists and turns. I'll give more details as I get closer to it.

The A to Z Challenge! S is for StockBot-52

S is for StockBot-52, affectionately known as Stocky.

The Multi-Mart use stockbots, artificial beings, to stock shelves, clean the vast store, gather shopping carts and deliver goods to those customers whom can't leave their worlds.

Stocky is the only stockbot to escape the the store takeover by Warlord Oskar from the Terran Dominion.

He escaped with Kyle Jordan across the many off limit Earths to get help. Thanks to the attack on the Multi-Mart, Stocky was damaged. He now acts goofy but nevertheless he's brave, loyal and an excellent guide.

Here's a brief scene with him...

----

“Thanks.  Does that hurt?”  Kyle pointed to Stocky’s damaged chest.  Ripped metal and scorch marks made his front look horrible.  A hole showed exposed wiring underneath.

Stocky waved it off, “Only when I pull my wires out and tie them in knots.  Want to see me try?”

“No, no it’s alight.  You’re... uh... personality has changed a bit.”

“I think that bad guy’s blast hit my emotion circuits.  I won’t be able to repair it until we go back to the store and chase away all the mean people.”  He started to twirl his left arm in circles while staring at it with clear fascination written across his face.  “I don’t like mean people.  They never bring donuts.”

“Uh...OK.  So what is this world we’re on?  Why all the snow?”

“That’s an easy one.”  Stocky pulled on the left nub on his head.  He had two equally spaced nubs that seemed to represent ears.  Once he tugged at the left one, his orange eyes lit up.  A soft hum came from Stocky’s head, followed by two small beams of light that shot outward and merged into a fuzzy light six inches from Stocky’s face.  The light became the same image of a world that Kyle saw on the PPP.

The image of the mostly while Earth rotated as Stocky explained, “You’re on World X2020.  Like most of our client worlds and banned worlds, it’s another Earth.  On this one, the world has suffered a new Ice Age some time ago.  No, that doesn’t mean mammoths, saber tooth tigers and sloths are paling around.  It means most of the Earth’s human population is dead and the survivors all live around the equator in tribes.  Civilization has to rebuild what it’s lost.”

“So this image shows the whole Earth?”

Stocky began to sing, “I’ve got the whole Earth... in my head.”  The image changed to a view of New York City buried in deep snow.  The Statue of Liberty looked strange with a white horizon of snow obscuring the statue’s body from the waist down. 

Stocky explained, “I’m equipped with holographic processors that can show any spot on any Earth within our library of worlds.”

Kyle tried to reason things out, “So if the only survivors live on the equator, we’re all alone here.”

“Oh no.  The human survivors live there.  I can list many variety of wildlife that live right here in New York.  In fact this building alone has--”

A hungry growl reverberated through the building, followed by other growls some distance away.  Something large shuffled outside the door.  Kyle noticed that the door wasn’t closed but instead stood ajar.

The A to Z Challenge! R is for Roland!

Of course R must be for Roland, the 13 year old vampire child and costar of the Night Children series. As a major character, Roland has had multiple entrees on this blog devoted to him. I thought instead of simply re posting those, I'd show you some pictures I've collected on the web that make me think of him.

 

Of course I'm grateful to Adam Diller for Roland's very own picture...

 



The A to Z Challenge! Q is for Quilts...

Q is for Quilts, specifically the quilt scene from NIGHT CHILDREN: DARK BIRTH. To set the scene, vampire boy Roland was captured along with his human friend Henry. The terrible tracker-vampire Fenroth had them inside his converted wagon. They, along with Fenroth's vampire assistants, were safe from the sun's rays inside the coach.

Thomas, Annabelle and Roland's other human friend, thought the best way to rescue them was by day. To protect her from the sun's lethal rays, Annabelle had a heavy quilt draped over her. Thomas guided her to the wagon...

NIGHT CHILDREN: DARK BIRTH
Chapter Twenty-Seven: Dangerous Gambit

Annabelle slowly walked under the quilt, clutching her long stake while Tom led her toward Fenroth’s wagon.  This must be what a blind person felt like.  Engulfed in total blackness, she took each step cautiously and relied completely on Thomas to help her.  The sweltering heat was stifling.  Annabelle wanted to throw off the heavy quilt but she knew the disaster that would result if she did. 

“How are you?”  He draped his left arm over her as he guided her safely.  Despite the danger, she felt safe with him watching. 

“I’m all right.  I wish I could throw off this hot thing and look at the beautiful sun.  It’s been too long since I’ve seen it.” 

“But Annabelle--” 

“I know, I know.  Don’t worry.  I’m not suicidal.  How much further?” 

“Just ahead.  That’s got to be it.  On the left side of the wagon there’s some pull-down stairs that lead to a door.  I wish there was more than one way in or out.” 

A spike of fright made her wonder if they could be fast enough to avoid getting trapped.  His plan suddenly seemed foolish.  So many things could go wrong. 

Tom continued to describe Fenroth’s carriage, “The whole thing looks like some kind of big wooden box.  There’s a bench in front so he can control the horses, and its wheels look like ours, but the wood makes it look so strange.”

“I really don’t think Fenroth cares how it looks.” 

Thomas stopped moving.  “Annabelle, I’ll need a free arm to open the door so I’ll switch this cross to my left.  You’ll have to pull off the quilt when I give word.  Are you sure you want to go through with this?  Once we’re inside that wagon, the sunlight will be blocked out.  Fenroth will know when we enter.  We could wind up captured or worse.” 

Annabelle knew when he said “worse”; he meant he could be killed.  She hated putting him in that situation, but there was no other way.  She responded with the only thing she could.  “He’s my brother, Thomas.  I have to try.” 

“I feel the same way.”

Wasting no more time, Thomas gently moved Annabelle to the side of Fenroth’s converted wagon.  She pushed the front of the quilt to the wagon wall, feeling her way through it to the steps that led to the door.  Annabelle could hardly breathe.  Blind and extremely vulnerable, she felt like the frightened child instead of an angry vampire.

Thomas helped her up the steps until she reached the top one beside the front door.  Her acute hearing picked up the sound of snoring inside.  She felt the press of the cross against her back and knew Tom was ready to push her inside.

Thomas opened the door and gently shoved Annabelle in.  She yanked off the quilt, at the same time he shut the door behind them. 

The small room erupted in noise as two large wolves barked and growled from their cages.  Those sounds were lost among the crazed snarls of a strange wild vampire crouched on the floor to the back right.  It could only be Wildes Blut-Tier.  An Indian girl woke up and hissed from the back left.

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