Thursday, December 20, 2012

Bonus scene delivered!!

By popular demand, here is a Bonus scene from Christy Mathis's work-in-process novel.

Leave a comment and let her know what you think!

Enjoy :)


As I stood in front of the class to begin my side of the debate, I realized that I couldn’t feel my hands; my stomach began to churn and beads of sweat began to develop across my forehead.  The warmth of the saliva in my mouth was not a good sign; it meant that I would be throwing up at any moment and I had only spoken one word so far.  Not good. 
The room slowly began to twist into shapeless, colorless blobs of what was once a clear view of my classmates.  Darkness began to fill the edge of my vision and I vaguely noticed a sudden movement at the back of the room but I didn’t have time to process what was happening.  My knees buckled and I grasped at the podium for support, unable to hold onto it, I fell to the floor in crumpled mass with my hands at my head trying to force my eyes to see normally again.
Please stop!  Please just make it stop!
The screeching sound of the fire alarm was one of sweet relief.  The class cheered and shrieked as I vaguely heard Mr. Abernathy telling them to walk out in an orderly fashion.  Finally I stopped fighting against it and let the darkness overtake me and I passed out.
When I woke, I could feel warmth spreading across my face and a gentle breeze blowing around select strands of my hair so that they tickled my skin.  I tried to lift my hand to brush the hair away and found that I couldn’t.  I knew that my brain was telling my body to move but nothing was happening.  I started to panic; I should be able to move my arms!  I wanted to flail, scream and run but I couldn’t move.  Suddenly, I heard the faintest hint of a humming melody that sounded very distant, I couldn’t pinpoint the origin, but it was slow and soothing.  I knew I had to calm down and clear my head to figure out what had happened.  I focused my breathing to match the pace of the calming tune until I could form a rational thought.
Where am I?  What happened?  What is the last thing I can remember?  I recalled the alarm; but nothing after that.  I listened for any sound to give me a clue to my location.  I could hear birds in the distance and what sounded like wind blowing tree leaves.  I knew that I was outside, but not how or where.  I tried opening my eyes and the brightness of the sunshine forced them to close again.  It was promising that I could at least control some part of my body.  At my second attempt, I was able to adjust to the light and slowly my vision began to focus.  The more clearly I could see the less I could hear the melody.
I looked straight ahead at a never-ending sky of blue and questioned why I was lying on the ground and how I had gotten here.  As if in answer, a face moved to obstruct my view.  It took a moment for my mind to acknowledge what it was seeing; because it made no sense.  He was the most beautiful thing I had ever seen.




Wednesday, December 19, 2012

Special Feature! - Author sneak peek with Christy Mathis

Christy Mathis, a close friend and aspiring writer, kindly agreed to share the prologue from her yet to be titled, work-in-process novel for us all to enjoy.

Want more?? To receive a bonus scene just leave a comment on this page or on my FB post. Once we get 5 comments I'll post the additional scene!

Thank you so much, Christy!!

I think I had always known that this would be the way it would all end. I tried to deny it, tried to think of another way because I cared so much for him, but only one of us would survive this and I knew that it couldn’t be me. I wasn’t marked as destined. He was, and I knew that his destiny was the one that mattered. 
I stood with both feet firmly planted to display the bravery that I most certainly did not feel. Knowing you’re going to die doesn’t make it any easier to welcome death with open arms. 
He stood across the cavern, eyes glowing with anger, wanting me to die. I could see it in his expression. I couldn’t blame him—I’d left him with no choice. He moved toward me with the grace of a predator stalking his kill, watching me carefully. He expected me to run or cry, but I couldn’t show my fear or my feelings. Once he had his full power he could defeat any evil—including the Kalieria—and in three days the ascension would begin. He needed his power to stop it.
He would never believe that this is what had to happen, that I had accepted my fate. I had been preparing for this day from the moment we’d met. I’d pushed him to this point, forced him to fight, and forced him to want to destroy me.  Because I knew what he didn’t and couldn’t...I knew that I had to die, so that he could live.


Saturday, December 15, 2012

Dangerous Waters Promo material is here!!

The Dangerous Waters promo materials arrived today and are attached below.

Gotta say, Stephanie (Mooney Designs) really came through!

Look for an opportunity to have one sent to you in the coming days as part of a promo for liking my new FB Author page (once it's constructed).

Please leave a comment and let me know what you think of them!





Wednesday, December 12, 2012

It's Write-Along Wednesday!!

Each Wednesday I will post the beginning of a scene, then each of you can leave a comment to continue the story from there. Be sure to read all of the comments before posting as they will build on each other. Only rule is to keep the comments PG rated. Let's see where the story takes us!!

“Let’s try this again,” Airenne commanded in a flat, composed voice, as if the thug she’d just ordered to bind my hands wasn’t lying dead at her feet. “And let me remind you, I only need the oath and blood of a Shelby female to release our dark lord from his earthly tomb. The oath bound female will be bred to Baal and transformed into the very essence of evil, so I’m sure you’d prefer that we not use your daughter.”
“You’ll release Jessie totally unharmed if I cooperate?” I couldn’t believe I was seriously contemplating letting her do God knows what to me, not to mention releasing this Baal guy—I’m thinking anyone nasty enough to get themselves locked away in an earthly tomb probably should stay there—but given the alternative what choice did I have? While I was fairly confident I could take out Airenne, there were far more powerful demons outside this room, and I had no idea what realm we’d been sucked into or how to get back. Nor did I have any clue where Jessie was being held.
“If you complete the ritual, I give you my solemn oath that your daughter will be released into your care unharmed.”
Her words tore the fight from me like I’d been run through with a sword. When her ashen hand pressed down on my bare shoulder I collapsed to me knees, lowering my head in defeat.
“Much better,” she purred, fisting her hand in my calf length golden hair. She pulled up slightly and began to hack it away. Tears streamed down my cheeks as my never-trimmed locks—the source of our family’s magic—gathered in deep piles around my knees. After a couple of minutes there was nothing left for her to cut. My head was lathered in a warm, red cream then shaved completely bald with a straight razor, suppressing what little power I had left. There was no turning back—I wouldn’t be able to stand against Airenne now even if I decided to fight. Struggling would only get my precious Angel turned into a monster and a slave. If one of us had to face that fate—which looked all but certain—it sure as hell wasn’t going to be her.
“Rise and remove your clothing.”
I did as she instructed, shedding the black sheath dress and stiletto heels they’d forced me to change into earlier along with my panties. The tears were coming so fast now that they blurred my vision. My little Jessie Lynn was going to lose her mother just when she was starting to come into her powers and needed me most.
I felt my body being guided over to a gargoyle shaped stone alter. I moved as if under a deep trance, barely conscious of my feet touching the floor. After lowering me onto what I guessed was the seat my hands were slid into holes on either side of the gargoyle’s mouth, locking my arms into place.
Airenne unsheathed a rune-covered black dagger from her waist and walked behind the stone statue to where my arms were held. A fiery pain tore through me as she carved several deep slits in my wrists.
“Do you, Anabelle Eirene Shelby, renounce your Goddess Astraea and accept Baal as your lord and master?”
Astraea wasn’t just some abstract Goddess of innocence and purity—she was also the mother of our entire family line. She’d devotedly held my hand while I gave birth. “Y- yes,” I mumbled through my sobs.
“Do you freely relinquish your soul and pledge to use all of your immense power to serve Lucifer for eternity?”
“Yes!” I cried out, knowing I had no other choice.
She lifted a blood covered finger to my forehead and drew some kind of symbol. As soon as it was complete it started to burn. “With your sworn oath and blood I damn your soul. You are now Satan’s child, and will be known by your demon name Lamashtu.”
Airenne opened my mouth wide and leaned my head forward until the beak of the stone beast was inside of it. A blood-red glimmer slowly appeared in its eyes, glowing brighter and brighter until it was almost blinding. Brutal images of death, war, torture and unimaginable cruelty streamed into my mind. I tried to pull away, only to find that my body was frozen in place. I wasn’t even able to blink or avert my gaze from the searing light. Things only got worse as a viscous, acidic fluid began to stream into my mouth, forcing me to repeatedly swallow in order to keep from choking.
After what felt like hours of unrelenting mental barrage and gut wrenching swallows I lost the will to pull away. The scenes of death and destruction no longer horrified me. In fact, they were—fascinating. How could I have been so blind and misguided before? The only value humans had was as pawns in our battle against an all too arrogant God. They deserved to be manipulated and slaughtered like the mindless sheep that they were. I only hoped that Baal found me worthy of being his mate. Oh, what powerful Demons I would spawn for him—half Goddess-enhanced witch and half demon, inheriting the magical abilities of both.
“It is done!” Airenne called out in wild celebration as she danced around the statue. “I can feel our dark lord rising! Come, Lamashtu, you must sacrifice Jessie and take your fill of her blood before he arrives!”
“But what of your oath to me?” If Airenne broke the promise she’d made to obtain my soul our pact would be severed. She’d be banished to the realms of hell and I’d be returned to my human state.  
Her entire face lit up in a wicked, victorious grin. “I swore that your daughter would be released into your care unharmed. Should you choose to kill her—that is entirely up to you.”
An animalistic roar of approving laughter bellowed out of my lungs. How very clever. I grabbed hold of the blood covered dagger she offered and raced after her, pausing briefly to glance at myself in the full length mirror at the end of the hall.
Glowing red orbs resided where my eyes once had been. My skin was covered in shiny burgundy scales, and I had broad, ink-colored horns protruding from my temples. My lower legs now ended in cloven hoofs and were covered in a wiry black fur. The black pentagram tattoo on the center of my forehead still felt warm to the touch, and my nails had thickened and extended into lethal four inch talons. But the most astonishing thing of all was the two rows of razor sharp teeth that filled my lipless mouth. My barbed tail wagged almost doglike above my right shoulder. I was magnificent! The thought of feasting on my daughter’s pure, innocent blood while I ended her short life made me groan in anticipation.


Wednesday, December 5, 2012

It's Write-Along Wednesday!!

Each Wednesday I will post the beginning of a scene, then each of you can leave a comment to continue the story from there. Be sure to read all of the comments before posting as they will build on each other. Only rule is to keep the comments PG rated. Let's see where the story takes us!!


            How do you tell your best friend that she’s about to die?
            Trina would never have kids. She’d never marry or become a chic fashion designer like she’d dreamed since we were in preschool. She’d never step foot on the campus of UCLA, in spite of her softball and academic scholarships. She wouldn’t even see the latest yummilicious Chris Hemsworth flick we were headed toward on our no-boyfriends night out.
            In a little less than three miles, a flatbed tow truck with a totally smashed driver was going to lose control and veer into our lane—hitting us head on and killing us both instantly.
            So why wasn’t I screaming at the top of my lungs for her to pull over? Simple. You can’t change fate when it involves death. Oh I could alter how we died easy enough, but similar to the Final Destination movies, when it was time for your sole to move on there was no stopping it.  At times like these, being psychic really, really sucked.  
            “I love you, Trin,” I muttered, my chest so filled with anguish that I could barely choke the words out. It was odd that in my last moments my mind was so preoccupied with the things she would never do, almost as if my own life didn’t matter. Then again, I’d given up hope for a happy-ever-after for myself long ago. Most people with my “condition” eventually went mad or killed themselves. My mom and dad were no exception.
            She cast a curious glance over her shoulder, arching a brow. “Okay… not sure what to do with that. I mean, you’re hot and all, but—”
            “You’re such an ass,” I groaned. Leave it to Trina to never take anything serious. She’d probably have me laughing my ass off as we both watched our funerals from beyond.
            She stuck her tongue out at me and smiled. “You know I love ya, Cass, but what’s with the heartfelt confession and the my-cat-just-croaked attitude? You’re kinda freaking me out.”
            I caught my first glimpse of the truck as it rounded the corner in front of us and instantly lost my nerve. Fates be damned, I wasn’t letting her die without at least trying. “Pull off to the shoulder,” I screamed, feigning like I was about to be sick. “Now!!”
            The threat of me coating her BMW interior with the remnants of my dinner did the trick. We skidded to a halt so fast I just about hit my head on the dash. After I popped open my door I bent over the grass and made some deep coughing sounds while I watched the truck pass.
Now came the fun part—pitting my precognition powers against whatever the gods threw at us next.