Horrors (and Myths) of the Sea

(See below!)

I don't know about you, but I've always been fascinated with faery folk. They're so mischievous, alluring, and bizarre. Especially the ones who dwell in or near water.

Everyone has heard of a Banshee. Did you know I have a character whose gifts are based on one of those? (Shh. It's a secret.) They're associated with water, and were often seen as women weeping near a body of water. If you heard one, either you or someone close to you was going to die very shortly.

Nymphs. Who hasn't heard of these? Usually they're associated with trees, but there are also water nymphs AKA Naiads, Oceanids, Nereids, and Undine. Their close cousins are Water Sprites. These spirits could take on corporeal form, but were believe to be the embodiment or spirit of a body of water. Cross them, and you could look forward to a nice drowning.

And finally, there are mermaids, which brings me to our Writerly Wednesday feature for the day.

Ready to guess the lie and win a book? 

Last week, Patricia Lynne shared BEING HUMAN with us, along with two truths and one lie. Those who guessed the lie correctly were entered into a random drawing for the chance to win her eBook.  

Patricia's game: 

1. In high school, Patricia enjoyed doing the high jump in track and field.
2. She can't crochet to save her life. She can make a biiiiiiiig, loooooong chain and that's it.
3. A hobby she recently got back into was jigsaw puzzles. She can do a 500 hundred piece jigsaw puzzle in a few hours.

And the lie is:

#1. Patricia was in track, but she liked doing hurdles, even though she wasn't really good at them. She got second place once but it was her and one other person. She quit because the meets took time out of biology and she didn't want to dissect animals by herself the next day.

Way to guess those of you who got it right! And the winners are:

...DRUM ROLL...

Liz A
Kristin Smith

Congrats, ladies! 

And now to today's feature:

Sharp, sleek, and golden. Like the dagger she has worn since childhood, eighteen-year-old Aeva is all three of these things. But there is something else that this mermaid and her prized weapon share – they are both hunted. 

Hidden within the caves off Iceland’s dark shore, Aeva waits to take her place as the next ruler of the Mermaids. But when Aeva uses her potent and alluring song to save a drowning human, she disrupts a delicate balance. Realizing she has unexpectedly bound herself to Gunnar, Aeva is torn between duty and love. 

Aeva severs one life to begin another, and soon finds herself not only rejected by the sea, but also stalked by an old enemy. As the worlds of myth and man intertwine, Aeva will challenge fate to protect her own sacred relic and the man she loves. 

But legend and lies cast an intricate net. With time and safety quickly unraveling for Aeva and Gunnar, there is only one clear course: Find and defeat Delphine before she can shift again. 

Get your copy HERE.

Lyndsay Johnson grew up in the wide expanses of Texas, where the only thing stronger than the accents was the state pride. An over-active imagination, tale-telling father, and an encouraging librarian mother lead to her love of all things creative.

When it comes to books on her bedside table, young adult lit has always been a favorite (Blue Balliett, Libba Bray, and JK Rowling, to name a few). But it was actually an old, yellowing copy of Scandinavian Folk and Fairy Tales that planted a particularly relentless seed. Shapeshifters and sea nymphs began forming an idea that would eventually grow into Lyndsay’s debut novel, Fire of the Sea.

When she is not writing, you can find Lyndsay spending time with her family in the Rocky Mountains of Utah. She enjoys dark ¬theaters, gluten-free recipes, low-lying clouds, and secret naps.

Regarding cheese... Lyndsay can no longer eat cheese due to a long and tragic story, which involves Greece and about ten new food intolerances. But she used to LOVE cheese. Quesadillas with Monterey Jack, Smoked Gouda and apples, Brie on olive-oil-grilled sourdough with chocolate and basil (it’s amazing). Quel fromage…she meant dommage. (*The cheese names have been capitalized out of respect to this superior food group.)

Lyndsay gave me two truths and one lie to test your "lie detector" skills. Those who figure out the lie will go into my magic hat for a chance to win an eBook of FIRE OF THE SEA! 

You have until Tuesday, October 21, at 1 p.m. EDT to guess--and be sure to come back for the answer on October 22.

TRUTH OR LIE

1. Lyndsay was in training to be on the US Olympic Equestrian team, but was thrown from a horse and broke her wrist before the qualifying rounds.

2. She once spray-painted the concrete wall behind her house with what she envisioned to be a gorgeous mural. Turns out fluorescent orange isn’t the best color for a budding graffiti artist… Also, who knew you could buy spray paint remover?
3. She used to drive a 1986 Volvo Station wagon. Teal with tan interior. She hated it, but now wishes she’d kept it.  

   

Now follow the SOULLESS blog tour for a slew of amazing features:

Krystal Jane at The Narcissistic Rose learns how I reacted to holding MOONLESS for the first time. (You maybe shocked.)

Kristin Smith at Swords and Stilettoes shares an amazing excerpt

M. Pax is also sharing an EVEN DIFFERENT excerpt

DL Hammons asks me stuff, and I actually reply! You'll love it.

Sarah Foster at The Faux Fountain Pen shares a DIFFERENT, but equally awesome excerpt

And be sure to enter the 

Rafflecopter

for your chance to win some amazing prizes!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Now see the pony? He's so stinkin happy because he decided to follow the blog tour. You can be happy too. Just follow after him!

Which is the lie? (Guess for your chance to win.) Do you love water myths? What is your favorite mythical creature? 

Social Outcasts: Epic, or Odd?

A HUGE awesome thanks to Sarah Foster for inviting me along on the

Meet My Character Blog Tour

On to the fun...

1) What is the name of your character?  Is he fictional or a historic person? 

I'd like to introduce a side character who will shortly take the lead in a serial story titled BELLEZZA. Meet Miles. Some of you know (and love) him. For everyone else, he's a fictional friend/sidekick to the leader of the Passionate.

2) When and where is the story set?

Miles's story starts in 1768 when he's a ripe old sixteen years of age, and takes place all over the world, but primarily in England.

3) What should we know about him?

Miles has a gift to "see through other's eyes." Because of that, he's been feared and avoided by most the Passionate. His parents became Soulless when he was 4 (enemies to the Passionate who hunt them on moonless nights) and he hears them calling for him every new moon. Loyal to the death, he is a timid soul who truly and deeply desires to do what's right, willing to sacrifice everything for the greater good.

4) What is the main conflict? What messes up his life?

Bellezza. She's unlike anything or anyone he's ever met, and while her thoughts/emotions are disturbing and volatile, he's drawn to her. She single handedly destroys the tentative balance he's found in life without doing more than merely existing, and now he's torn between doing what's right and following his heart.

5) What is the personal goal of the character?

To restore balance by helping Bellezza avenge herself of her enemies, and then get as far away from her as he can...without falling in love. (Since she'd probably kill him if she had any idea he cared.)

6) Is there a working title for this novel, and can we read more about it?

Again, the title is BELLEZZA, and if you'd like to meet the characters, you will find them in MOONLESS, SOULLESS, and a short story titled THROUGH THE PORTAL in Heroes of Phenomena (get your copy free BELOW.)

7) When can we expect the book to be published?

Life is going to be different around the baby, but the first episode should be available early 2015.

Ready to learn the lie and get an amazing FREE book? 

Last week, Ian S. Bott shared GHOSTS OF INNOCENCE with us. (Which I recently finished reading and HIGHLY suggest adding to your TBR list--check out my review!) Ian also shared two truths and one lie. Those who guessed the lie correctly were entered into a random drawing for the chance to win his eBook.  

Ian's game:

1. For five consecutive years at school, Ian won the art prize despite not taking art lessons. Looking back, he feels guilty because there were some very good artists who were probably royally peeved.
2. At University, he managed to instigate a riot that hit national headlines.
3. He built a pirate ship in the back yard, complete with masts, flags, and crows nest.

And the lie is:

#2. The riot happened, and it made national headlines (which you can still read about today if you know where to look) but Ian didn't actually instigate it. It was going to happen anyway as part of inter-college rivalry. He spilled out of the pub mixed up with a crowd of students who were going to invade a rival college. He ran down the street to find a vantage point to watch from, and the crowd behind him took that as a signal to charge. Merry havoc ensued.

Way to guess those of you who got it right! And the winner is:

...DRUM ROLL...

Lynda Dietz!

Congrats Lynda! 

And today we're taking a little break from the norm. I wanted to take a second and highlight HEROES OF PHENOMENA, an anthology about super heroes including short stories from

Susan Kaye Quinn

M. Pax

Jessica Bell

Alex J. Cavanaugh

Crystal Collier (ME!)

C. Lee McKenzie

Ruth Long

Darynda Jones

&

Amy Michele

You can get your copy FREE and enjoy these incredible author's great stories from KOBO, Smashwords, Barnes and Noble, and iTunes, or get it for $0.99 at AMAZON. 

A plug for my short story, JOURNEY THROUGH THE PORTAL: Bellezza has just begun her quest to destroy the Collectors, a fraternity of noblemen who kidnap and abuse gifted children. The only problem is that they know she’s coming.

Do you have a favorite character from literature? One of your own?