Excerpt from an Unfinished Book

Not having much else to do with my life, I've been trying to write the fifth book of the Witches of Galdorheim series. Here's a reminder of what the series is all about. Buy at Amazon or Smashwords (except the unfinished work which you'll just have to wait for).

Bad Spelling: A klutzy witch, a shaman's curse, a quest to save her family. Can Kat find her magic in time?

Midnight Oil: Shipwrecked on a legendary island, how can a witch rescue her boyfriend if she can’t even phone home?

Scotch Broom: A magical trip to Stonehenge lands a witch in the Otherworld where an ancient goddess is up to no good.

Spellslinger (Prequel Short Story): What does a teenage half-warlock, half-vampire do to have fun? Why build an old west town on a glacier in the Arctic. There he can play at being the good guy sheriff up against mean old Black Bart. That things will go horribly wrong is a given. But how does Rune get into and out of the predicament?

Blood Ties Tested (Rune's Story): Traumatized by the events in Scotch Broom, Rune is sent to his father's castle for rest and rehab. Problem is his dad is a vampire living with a family of vampires being pursued by Van Helsing's grand-nephew. How can a teen get over PTSD when he's fighting for his life?

Excerpt from Blood Ties Tested:

“What is it? Don’t tell me it’s  a giant moth, like in the Godzilla movies.” Rune planted his hands on his hips and looked deep into his father’s eyes. Drakos looked away. “What’s it called? Mothra? Got a couple of little Japanese girls singing in a cage?”

Drakos stared upward. “No Japanese girls, Rune. Just a gigantic bug with an attitude.” He sighed. “And it’s a vampire.”

“Rad!” Rune dropped his hands and peered over Drakos’s shoulder. “Where? Can you see it?”

“Aye. And I believe it’s the last of its kind.” Drakos turned to stare through the trees. “It sounds a whole lot like it’s trying to fry itself.”

Rune stepped around Drakos and moved ahead. His father grabbed his arm. “Rune, I’ll go. I’m, um, the adult here. You stay put.”

“But, Dad...”

“Don’t argue. I know you’re stalwart and brave, all that human stuff, but a mahr is more than you can handle. Trust me.”

“Why should we be afraid if the...mahr, you called it...is trying to commit suicide?”

“Not suicide. It’s attracted to the light like any moth, but it also goes to the light because that’s where it finds its prey—humans to be precise.” Drakos put his arm around Rune’s shoulders and hugged him. Rune shrugged him off. The elder vampire took a step back and whacked Rune’s temple with the makeshift club. Rune dropped to the ground like a sack of spuds. Drakos leaned over his son and gently rearranged him into a more comfortable position. He whispered, “Biel will kill anybody who goes after it, son. And I’m not going to let it be you.”

Drakos stood up and slapped the club on his palm a couple of times. He took a deep breath and went into the light.

Summer Rerun: Mordita from Witches of Galdorheim

Mordita the Sorceress

In Bad Spelling, Kat wants to leave Galdorheim Island to find her father's Siberian family. With no magic of her own, she needs help...lots of help. Yes, her best bud/bro Rune is always up for adventure, but she has to find a powerful witch to help her out.

She figures it can't hurt to ask Mordita. What's the worst that can happen? Well, maybe electrocution from a nasty door knocker or something crawling up her back.

Still, Kat is not deterred. She goes to the creepy, slimy, unlit shack where the Sorceress (the old lady prefers that title over Witch) Mordita resides.

Mordita knows all about Kat's slight, ahem, magic deficit disorder (MDD) and is happy to pull a fast one on Thordis. The two don't get along much.

While Mordita has tons of magic, she prefers to maintain her old hag appearance just to keep the Galdorheim witches from stopping by to visit. Mordita is alone, and she likes to keep it that way. She's not quite alone if you want to count a fat orange tiger cat named Kudzu.

Mordita is a mystery. Why did she come to Galdorheim if she doesn't want to consort with the witches and warlocks? Maybe that mystery will be solved, but not in Bad Spelling. In the second book of the series, Midnight Oil, we discover Mordita's true identity--Ilmatar the air elemental spirit. Mordita takes the form of a giant white roc when she has to battle her jealous sister, Ajatar the forest elemental spirit.

Excerpt from Midnight Oil

Ilmatar spun, danced, and dived. It was too many years since she had taken her true form. She was the wind, the hurricane, the tornado. Air she was, air she would be. She sighed, and a tree bent with her breath.

She rose with the heat, dropped low and sped across open fields when clouds blocked the sun’s rays. Yet, neither heat nor cold drove her. She flowed over or around as she pleased. When she was in the mood, she flattened everything in her path.

She laughed, and earth-bound creatures cringed at the booming thunder. She smiled, and a gentle breeze danced over hills and valleys. She reveled in her freedom and then grew angry when she thought how Ajatar stole this from her. She’d almost forgotten the power and glory that was Ilmatar.

Now, she’d get payback. Ajatar, she vowed, would regret this day for the rest of her days if Ilmatar the air spirit had any say.

But enough reveling for now. She had a job to do. Gathering free air to her as she flew, she coalesced into a cutting shaft, sharp and deadly as any arrow, and one thousand times as large. She swooped up, down, and sideways, leaving a vortex of spinning air in her wake.

Increasing her speed and the velocity of spin, she smashed through the tops of trees and touched down, a whirling cyclone in the center of Ajatar’s glade. Moss and branches whirled through the forest clearing and trees bent away from her, howling, cracking and snapping, with the thunder of rustling leaves.

Ajatar had heard her coming; she could hardly miss Ilmatar’s roar. Ajatar grew taller, rising above the treetops, spreading her vast scaled wings. Her mouth gaped and fire roared out. With a single downward thrust of her wings, she soared upward. Ilmatar’s tornado followed close behind.

* * *

Midnight Oil at Amazon (all seem to be discounted to $0.99 as today)
Witches of Galdorheim Series (3-Volume Book)
   Bad Spelling
   Midnight Oil 
   Scotch Broom 
   Spellslinger

Midnight Oil at Smashwords with Coupon Codes
Witches of Galdorheim Series $1.99 each, 1/2 price with coupon (boxed set $1.98 with Coupon GM85M)
   Bad Spelling $0.99
   Midnight Oil Coupon VS53Y
   Scotch Broom  Coupon AS74L
   Spellslinger $0.99

Summer Rerun: Excerpt from Eagle Quest

A quiet, little adventure book, "Eagle Quest" has some surprises, twists and turns for young readers who'd like some adventure and danger, but aren't really into blood-soaked gore fests generally passed off as tween and YA fiction. Nor is there any sex. Yeah, a couple of the kids kind of like each other, but they're not quite ready for the whole girlfriend-boyfriend thing. Mostly, it's about friends, trust, and kindness. Buying for your kids or grandkids, but want to be a little on the conservative side about what your 10 to 13 year old reads? "Eagle Quest" might be just the book for gifting to your kid or grandkid.

EAGLE QUEST

Fiona, Hap, Billy, and Mitch make an odd set of friends, as different from the usual high school crowd as they are from each other. Mitch, the oldest of the four, is a half-breed Native American, adopted by white parents.

Troubled that he doesn't know his tribe, he avidly studies Native American history and lore. Learning the nearby Bear Valley Wildlife Refuge is a bald eagle nesting site, he wants to add an eagle feather to his medicine bag and explore the refuge as a site for his Vision Quest, a Native American rite of passage.

He and his three friends get far more than an overnight campout as they encounter a black bear, an old man living in the refuge, and a pair of eagle poachers. Bringing the poachers to justice, they test their courage and gain confidence in themselves and each other.

Cover photo taken in Oregon by Coralie (http://www.MrsRoadRunner.com ), professional wildlife photographer.

Kindle (currently marked down by Amazon to $.99) and Print ($8.75) editions available at Amazon.com.

Excerpt

The kids walked through the last clumps of ferns and came out to the edge of the clearing. As Hap predicted, the massive trunk of a Douglas fir filled most of the clearing. Already partially disintegrated into rotted wood, it had obviously been there for years. Still, it was impressive with a diameter of four or five feet blocking the view to the far side of the clearing.

“Look at where the knot fell out of it,” Fiona said pointing toward one end where a squirrel’s bushy tail stuck out of a knothole. “Nice little home he’s got there.”

They scanned the length of the fallen giant searching for more bolt-holes for squirrels or whatever other small animals might have taken up residence. Fiona and Billy started across the clearing to take a closer look.

“Oh my God!” Fiona screamed as a huge, black head rose from the other side of the fallen tree.

“Shush, shush. Quiet or you’ll get his attention,” Black Crow whispered. “Let’s just back out of the clearing.” Billy and Fiona took his advice and backed away from the fallen log, carefully watching the bear’s head.

The large black bear heard them talking and began pulling itself up to the top of the tree trunk.

“Run!” Billy gasped and grabbed Fiona’s arm to pull her out of the clearing, but Black Crow didn’t move.

“No, no. Don’t run,” Hap hissed, “It’ll chase us.”

Hap, Fiona, and Billy backed out of the clearing, leaving Black Crow facing the bear alone. The three kids stopped several feet outside the clearing, looking back.

“Come on, Mitch,” Billy urged. “Get away while he’s still on the tree.”

However, Black Crow didn’t seem to hear him, or just didn’t pay attention. He just stood watching as the bear humped himself to the top of the tree trunk, then slid down the side closest to where the boy stood transfixed.

“We can’t leave him,” Billy whispered.

“Just what do you expect us to do?” Hap answered in the same low tone.

“I don’t know.”

The bear stood on all fours with his head raised as he sniffed the air. He moved his head side to side, seeking the source of the odor his keen nose detected–the smell of a human being.

Black Crow stood stock still, barely breathing. He watched as the bear took a step toward him. The bear continued waving his head back and forth, sniffing as he did. Black Crow thought the bear might not see him in the dappled light and shade of the clearing. Then the bear looked him straight in the eye.

Neither boy nor bear moved for long seconds. The bear took another step forward, and then another. Black Crow moved only his eyes left and right, but saw nothing in the clearing except himself and the bear. The bear was watching him.

The bear continued its slow approach until he was with a few feet of Black Crow. It reared up on his hind legs. Towering over the boy, the bear sniffed again. Black Crow saw the bear’s eyes raise from his own to look at something behind him. The boy thought the bear must have noticed the sounds the others made as they ran away through the trees.

The bear looked down again into Black Crow’s eyes. Black Crow thought he should avert his eyes, not look at the bear directly. He read somewhere a bear would consider looking into its eyes a threat. Yet he couldn’t wrench himself away from gazing into the deep, black eyes. Intelligent eyes, he thought. He felt the bear was considering him, measuring his strength and will. Black Crow knew, somehow, if he looked away, the bear would think less of him.

Finally, the black bear dropped again to all fours, turned around and walked away at a leisurely pace. At the edge of the clearing, he turned again and looked in Black Crow’s eyes. Then, impossibly, the huge creature disappeared like a puff of smoke dispersed by a breeze.

Black Crow knew with absolute certainty, as if a voice had spoken to him within his mind, the bear was his spirit brother.

He heard noises behind him and turned to see the three others slowly coming back into the clearing. He smiled. They hadn’t run. These were his true friends.

“Wow. That was amazing,” Billy gasped, “just totally, freaking amazing.”

Summer Reruns: Rune from Witches of Galdorheim

The Witches of Galdorheim: Spellslinger, Bad Spelling, Midnight Oil, Scotch Broom
A klutzy witch, a shaman's curse, a quest to save her family. Can Kat find her magic in time?
$2 each book or $3 for the Set at Amazon and Smashwords

*Spellslinger is free at Smashwords with the User Sets the Price Option

Rune

Kat, the main character of the Witches of Galdorheim series, can hardly leave home without her baby brother tagging along. True, he's not only be helpful, but has saved her butt more than once.

Did I mention Rune is half vampire? I know that sounds like a tired old paranormal trope these days, but I promise you it was my idea first. Matter of fact one publisher told me that it was impossible for someone to be fathered by a vampire and a human mother. I beg to differ.

C'mon! It's paranormal. If vamps can sparkle or hunt their own kind or team up with demons, then my boy can be half vampire. Books I've seen released in the last few of years have used the half-vamp to good advantage. Just to let all of you know, Rune was first conceived (haha) in 2007, so I'm pretty darn sure I got there first or darned near the beginning.

What does Rune look like? Actually, I picture Rune as a young Adam Lambert, but there just aren't many 12-year-olds around who can take on that drop-dead glam rocker look.

Rune shows up in many excerpts this month on my blog and on my hosts for the month.
Here's an excerpt from "Spellslinger," which takes place before the events in "Bad Spelling."

Excerpt from Spellslinger

“Aunt Thordis,” he called. Her office door behind the raised dais was closed, which usually meant ‛go away and leave me alone’.

This time, though, the door swung open and the tall, blonde witch came through. She glanced at Rune, and her lips twitched to an almost-smile. “Well, Rune, it looks like you’ve got something weird planned.” She walked across the platform to its edge, then floated to the floor. Thordis looked him up and down, put her hands on her hips, and snorted. “I do not believe, nephew, that we have any ranches close by.”

“Oh, this isn’t a cowboy outfit. I’m the lawman.” A shiny star appeared on his shirt over his heart saying “Sheriff Rune.”

The regal witch nodded slowly. “I see. What does that have to do with me?”

“I want to spell up a town like in the old west in the United States. It’s got to have some bad guys. Maybe some bandits or cattle rustlers.” He touched his Stetson. “I’m the good guy.”

“Again, why would this interest me in the slightest?”

“I’m not good enough at spellcasting yet to make a whole town.” Rune stuck his thumbs in his gun belt and said, with what he hoped was an authentic western drawl, “I’d be right pleased, ma’am, if’n you’d loan me some magic.”

“A whole town? Where exactly are you going to put this town?”

“Oh, outside the village dome. There’s that big glacier near the ice cave. That should be plenty of room. All I need is the street, a saloon, ‛cause that’s where the bad guys hang out, the sheriff’s office, a trading post, and some horses tied up outside the saloon.”

The corners of Thordis’s mouth turned down, and she heaved a deep sigh. “You’re not asking for much, are you?”

Rune pressed his palms together and donned his best begging face. “Pretty please.” Thordis may give him a hard time, but he knew deep down she loved him. He’d just have to wear her down.

Thordis shook her head, but said, “All right, but I’ll only give you two hours of booster magic.”

Rune grinned. “That’ll be plenty, Aunt Thordis. Thanks!”

With a quick spell, Thordis enhanced Rune’s magic for his project. When she finished, she grabbed his chin and leaned over him. “Stay out of trouble, boy. Indiscriminate use of magic can be dangerous.” Rune nodded his head vigorously, and she let him go.

Listen to an Audio Excerpt from Midnight Oil

Midnight Oil is coming to Audible, Amazon, and iTunes any time now. Enjoy the excerpt featuring Ceto (aka Nessie). Click on the play button at the top of the embedded player, or click on the SoundCloud logo to visit SoundCloud to listen.

Excerpt of ULTIMATE DUTY

Counting down the mere days until the release on November 7th from Eternal Press.

Blurb: Facing a life of drudgery on a repressive factory planet, Remy Belieux longs to escape. Her only option for release is to enlist in the Space Service, becoming a soldier for her own world’s oppressors.

She receives her first assignment: guarding a charismatic rebel leader being transported to a prison planet. When rebel troops surprise them, Remy fails to thwart the ambush. Despite a commendation from her Captain, she feels she must redeem herself by recapturing the handsome fugitive.

Shocked by what she learns during the pursuit–her own family’s past involvement in the rebellion–Remy faces a dilemma: remain loyal to the oath she swore as a soldier or join the rebel cause and condemn herself to a death sentence for treason. What is her ULTIMATE DUTY?

EXCERPT:

Remy and Garrett arrived at the outer wall path that led to the dock ports. Remy hoped at least one shuttle was still attached to the station. She dropped to the floor and peered down the slope of the passageway. Two guards stood at the entrance to bay 5. Luckily, they faced the opposite direction. Remy slid back and pointed silently, then held up two fingers. Garrett nodded and pointed left and then at himself. Remy nodded.

With no way to get any closer unseen, they must use speed instead. Both stepped back a couple of paces, so they’d hit the corner at full tilt. A nod from Garrett, and they sprinted through the twenty meters separating them from the guards. One guard turned to look only when Remy and Garrett were close enough to attack. The guard yelled, "Halt!" as he raised the barrel of his blaster. The second guard turned with a confused expression and didn’t manage to raise his own weapon before Remy reached him.

Remy felt her mind and body slip into fighting mode. Time slowed for her and she noted every detail of the guard’s stance. She leaped high in the air, her legs coiled like springs. The second guard finally lifted his rifle but never had the chance to fire. Remy drove both feet into his abdomen, slamming him against the wall with the force of her strike. In the low gravity she landed easily on her feet crouched and ready. She crossed her arms against her torso, grabbing the guard’s belt with her left hand and prepared to strike with her right. The man’s eyes widened when Remy’s backhand arced toward him. The force of the blow across his jaw sent him tumbling to the floor.

She glanced over at Garrett and saw he had already disabled the other guard, now curled on the floor moaning. Garrett kicked him in the head with an almost gentle tap. The connection of his shod foot on the guard’s temple did the job, knocking the man unconscious.

Garrett walked over to Remy’s guard and bent down. He pressed two fingers against the side of the man’s neck. "Good. He’ll live."

"If I wanted him dead, he’d be dead," Remy snarled.