Tuesday 28 March 2017

A Visit From Auden Johnson






Auden-Johnson's-profile-image-200px








Welcome to my blog, Auden. This story sounds interesting. I'm looking forward to you finishing it so I can read it.
The-Unburned-Island-Promo-image
Auden is the author of The Merging Worlds Series, which comprises The Sciell and Chains of the Sciell, and The Jura Series which comprises Visible through Darkness, Shadows Under the Light and Darkness Ignites the Flame. The books can be bought from Amazon.
Auden does her own cover art, If you want to see how she came up with the cover for The Unburned Island, visit her blog http://audenstreasury.blogspot.com/

She usually writes Dark Fantasy, so this is a new venture for her.



The-Unburned-Island-by Auden JohnsonThe entire island burned. Everyone disappeared. Somehow, one building remained unscathed. This building, a schoolhouse, is haunted. It and the island remained abandoned for years.
One day, Kiran, En and a team of magical investigators travel to the island to banish whatever haunts the schoolhouse. It takes them no time to realize the building isn't the problem. The island is.
Add to Goodreads- https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/34629301-the-unburned-island









Writing The Unburned Island has been a ride. Not always a fun one. I got stuck so many times. It was beginning to get frustrating. The story started as an entry for a magazine. I was barely halfway through writing it when I realized it was going to be too long to submit.
Then an idea hit me. This could be the start of a new series. Magical characters investigating haunted locations. The series is set in a fantasy world so these aren’t known haunted locations. I prefer it that way. Writing fantasy gives me the freedom to make my own worlds and give my characters cool powers.
Unlike most of my stories, this one isn’t apocalyptic. I know, strange. Don’t know what’s gotten into me. I don’t foresee the world ending anytime soon. The series will focus on relationships and creepy places. Of course, both themes gave me problems.
Kiran and En are partner investigators with an interesting history. At first, I didn’t know if I wanted them to be in a relationship. When I realized I did, I couldn’t figure out what their relationship would be by the end of Book 1. They start the story as good friends. Kiran and En told me what they wanted near the end of the story.
As for creepy locations, I wanted this story to have atmosphere but I struggled with how to do this. I created a Pinterest board for Haunted Buildings/Islands and collected images of abandoned buildings and creepy lands. While writing this story, I was able to visit a catacomb. It was so cool and so scary. The images and the catacomb visit helped me give The Unburned Island a nice chilling atmosphere.
I’m looking forward to seeing where Kira, En and co. will take me. They’re already telling me how they want Book 2 to start.

Thank you for appearing on my blog. Auden. I'm sure my readers will appreciate you sharing your writing process with them. Good luck with the rest of the series.

Tuesday 21 March 2017

Winter Night (a poem)

I intended to post this poem some time ago, when it was really winter, but I didn't get round to it. I suppose it's still technically winter until March 21st.




Snow covers the ice-hard ground
And ponds and lakes are frozen.
All is muffled, every sound.
The birds are silent in the trees,
No moths or butterflies or bees
Just snowflakes by the dozen.

The moon is full and her pale light
Shines gently through the flakes.
But creatures shiver through the night.
The icy wind makes branches quiver
And every living thing to shiver
In trees and hills and lakes.

Across the field there trots a fox.
An owl flies by on silent wings.
On the frozen lake, some ducks.
As snow falls gently on them all,
And cattle low within their stall
We are waiting for the spring.


If you enjoyed this poem, I would greatly appreciate it if you would follow me. I can then read an;y comments you might make.

Tuesday 14 March 2017

Aspholessaria



Asphodel held the ring tightly in her hand. Her mother had given it to her not long before she left Rindisillaron. It had been her grandmother's ring and she felt an emotional attachment to it.

Although elves lived long lives in comparison with humans, they did not, contrary to popular belief, live forever, nor were they immune from diseases that ravaged the world of Vimar. Her grandmother had succumbed to one of these diseases the previous year. She wanted Asphodel to have her engagement ring as a keepsake.

Now, Asphodel clutched the ring as she wept for what she knew would never be. Vass had become addicted to the drugs and alcohol that his so-called friends had plied him with. He would never make the fortune he had promised her. All his money, and hers, had gone on his own addiction and not to selling the goods to others.

Asphodel did not approve of his work as a drug dealer, but now he was not a dealer, but an addict. She needed to get away.

She packed her few belongings and searched the apartment for anything she could sell, and for some food. She packed it all into the pack she had carried away from Quatissillaron when she and Vass had eloped. She paused to think for a moment before opening it again and taking out half of the food. She could not leave Vass with nothing.

The few objects she had stuffed in, she left there. After all, Vass had plenty money with her jewellery. How he chose to use it was up to him. She blew her nose, looked round the apartment that now looked presentable after all her efforts and walked out of the door.

She looked both ways along the street. A few people were going about their business, but they took no notice of a girl coming out of her apartment. Vass was nowhere in sight. Asphodel supposed he had gone to sell her jewellery. The jeweller's shop was to the right, so she went left in the direction of her workplace.

It was dark on the street and Asphodel felt a little afraid as she walked. Where could she go? Perhaps her employer would allow her to spend the night there, then she could go and see if she could find a caravan going away from Frelli. If she could find her way to the caravanserai through the winding, spiral streets of the city.

She found herself outside her place of work. Lights gleamed from the upstairs windows. She knocked on the door.

A head appeared from the window upstairs.

'Yes? What do you want? We're closed now. Come back tomorrow.'

The Krommel, the scribe, was pulling his head back inside when Asphodel stepped into the light cast by his window.

'Asphodel,' he gasped. 'What are you doing her at this time of night? Wait, I'll be down in a sec.'
After no more than half a minute, the door opened and Krommel beckoned the girl inside. She entered into the room where they did the copying ever day, but Krommel led her upstairs to where the family lived.

As soon as she entered the room, Krommel's wife, a plump woman of around forty years of age, noticed her bruises.

'Oh, my dear, what happened?' she exclaimed. 'Let me tend to your injuries. Sit down over there.'
While she bustled around finding things that would ease the bruising on Asphodel's face, Krommel handed her a bowl of stew and a spoon. The girl ate gratefully.

After she had finished and the curious children been sent to bed, Asphodel explained what had happened.

'I need to get away,' she said. 'I'm sure Vass will try to find me. I need to go a long way away. I can't go back to him.'

She put her head in her hands and wept.

Krommel's wife put her arms around the young elf.

'Of course you can't,' she said. 'Men who hit women never change. Oh, they say they're sorry and perhaps they are, but then the drink and drugs will take over again and it will keep on happening.'

'I still love him,' said Asphodel, raising her tear-streaked face. 'I don't know why, after what he's done. Not only to me, but to others by selling them drugs. He started selling before he started taking them. I know if I saw him, and he asked me, I'd go back to him. That's why I need to get right away.'

Krommel smiled.

'I'll be sorry to lose you, girl,' he told her, 'but I agree. You must go away. Do you have money?'

She nodded. 'A little. I've also got a ring I can sell until I find some other employment.'

'Well, you must have your pay for what you've done since your last pay packet,' Krommel told her, walking over to a safe in the wall.

He returned with a pouch of money and handed it over.

'There's more here than you owe me,' Asphodel said.

'Take it. I can afford to give you a bonus.'

Asphodel thanked him and stashed the pouch away into her pack.

The next morning, Krommel told one of his sons to escort Asphodel to the caravanserai. Asphodel was glad of his company and guidance as she knew she would never have found it on her own. It lay just inside the walls to the west.

The lad said goodbye, and Asphodel rummaged in her pack and found a small coin to give him. He thanked her and quickly disappeared into the crowds now gathering in the caravanserai.

Which one to take? There were several that looked ready to leave. suddenly, Asphodel saw, through the crowds, a familiar figure. Vass. He looked angry as he pushed people aside. His head turned this way and that, looking.

How had he found out where she was? Had Krommel told him? No, her former employer wouldn't have done, she was certain of that. Perhaps he had just guessed. Then he spotted her. He reached into his pocket and gave something to a small figure. It was Krommel's son. Vass had bribed the child into saying where he'd taken her. She could not blame the child. No one had told him not to tell Vass.

She looked around anxiously. A caravan was just about to leave. Asphodel rushed over and asked the leader if she could join.

'We're just leaving,' he said as the wagons rolled forward. 'Do you have coin?'

'I have some. Just take me as far as this will allow.'

The man took the coin and Asphodel jumped into the last wagon and watched as Vass's figure grew smaller and smaller.

Where will Asphodel's coin take her? Can she escape from Vass?

Wednesday 8 March 2017

Your Help is Needed




Only 2 more days until voting finishes in Kindle Scout. If you've not yet nominated Vengeance of a Slave by Emily Littler (my pen name for these books), you can do so now by following this link.
https://kindlescout.amazon.com/p/UZ8KQW66M6H8
Don't just 'like' this post. Please add your vote to help me get a nomination.

Tuesday 7 March 2017

Umbrae Blog Tour

Today should be the next part of Asphodel'a story, but instead, I am welcoming Debbie to my blog. The latest book in her P.A.W.S. series was out last week, and today she is interviewing the main character from the book.
Aspholessaria will be posted next week instead.

Debbie is interviewing Miri.

What do you miss most from when you were young?
Oh lots of things: my cats – Kitty and Susie; my best friend – Jenny; New York City and in particular the Lower East Side where I grew up; and most of all my omama. I think about her every day – the things she taught me, the stories she told. And I also wonder about the stories she didn’t tell. About her early life in Vienna and how she escaped from the Nazis. Maybe one day I’ll be able to piece all that together.

What scares you the most?
That I could lose my new friends here at P.A.W.S. I’d like to be able to just enjoy my classes and hang out like a normal teen (or at least as normal as a shapeshifter cat girl can be), but bad stuff seems to follow me around, so I guess I should be prepared.

How did you change as you grew older?
I think I’ve become more confident and a little less likely to trip over my own two feet – I think having four paws helps with that and of course having good teachers – Josh and Danny – also does wonders.

What has been the hardest struggle for you?
Believing that I actually have magic. I know Jessamyn says that my whole family had magic, but it does seem hard to believe.

Who do you hope stays in your life?
Well Danny of course (blushes), but I don’t really see how he likes me. And then I hope I’ll always stay close to my friends at P.A.W.S. – Josh, Sandy, Sean and Joey. Joey’s said that in a few years I should visit him in Australia. That would be a lot of fun.

What do you need to be happy in the future?
Good friends, my books and my writing. I hope someday to write my story and delve into my family’s past so that I can write a history of that too.

What is the most important lesson you have learned?
To trust my friends when they say I’m much stronger and more capable than I think I am.


Miri’s story continues in Umbrae (P.A.W.S. 3)
Step into the Shadows of Umbrae ...

Miri’s world at P.A.W.S. in St. Louis is falling apart. First, Danny is accused of stealing her opapa’s charm. But before he can defend himself, he mysteriously disappears. Miri seeks Josh for help and advice, but he too has gone missing.

Then Lilith has a vision – Miri dragged away by wolves. Miri needs answers, answers that she feels sure are hidden in the blank pages of the book of Argentum.

With the help of Lilith, she travels to the ancient city of Safed. There, with the aid of a mystical rabbi and an outspoken werecat, her omama’s story is slowly revealed. And Miri uncovers something else, a world hidden deep beneath our own – the labyrinth of shadows also known as Umbrae.


Pick up your copy today!
And connect with Debbie on her blog – Paws 4 Thought
Facebook or Twitter.