Interview with Lugh

Yep it's up. My 'interview' with Lugh.

For all of you unaware Lugh is a sub character who makes an appearance in "Magical Gains" "Magical Creations" and "Magical Redemption" - (Hopefully coming soon!)

Here's the link, I'm also giving away an e-copy to someone who follows me on FB or Twitter .

Cheers!

Enjoy!

http://www.identitydiscovery.net/2012/03/magical-creations-interview-with-lugh.html

"Magical Creations" - booktrailer

So.. .I have hobbies - too many in fact... One of them is drawing, another is playing piano. Put these two together with my writing and you've got a ready made book trailer!

And here it is.

The Naga - naughty or nice?

[Image of Devika, the Naga in "Magical Creations" drawn by me]

A strange creature stood before her (although standing didn’t correctly define the stance). The head and torso of the creature was an immensely beautiful woman, draped in a woolen pashmina. Antigone’s gaze followed down the woman’s body. She stared curiously for a long moment before her brain could accept what her eyes were seeing. The woman’s torso disappeared into the tail of an enormous snake. Antigone blinked, the creature’s skin glittered with a diamond-like sparkle under the dull fluorescence of the warehouse lighting, and her eyes, serpentine slits in an impossibly perfect face, studied Antigone with shrewd intelligence. The long greenish tail flicked and twitched, drawing Antigone’s attention to the guard of dull-eyed Hunters behind her. Antigone recognized the creature as a Naga, part human, part snake, capable of great benevolence or great malevolence depending on the mood.

[Excerpt from "Magical Creations", available now.]

Allow me to introduce you to another of my favourite Mythological creatures. The Naga (click on the link if you want to read the Wiki entry). There are many various types of Naga throughout history, so naturally I chose the type that most suited my book. In general however, all Naga's have some similar characteristics irrespective of their origins. They are all large, intelligent and snake-like.



[Naga Kanya statuette from Nepal, guardian of riches from the Deep]



Naga's can be found in Hindu and Buddhist mythology and folk law. Some are described (like Devika) as being human from the waist up and serpentine from the waist down. Other depictions give them seven heads, or describe them as simply massive snakes.

Carved stone Naga's can be found in many Hindu temples in India and Southeast Asia, and the balustrade leading to the main entrance of Cambodia's Angkor Wat is composed of stone Nagas. The Ancient Cambodian kings claimed to be descended from the union of a banished Hindu prince and a serpent woman. Which is a pretty cool claim to fame, if I do say so. 

Personality wise, again, the Naga varies. Some are considered to be kind and benevolent protectors, whilst others such as in the Hindu epic Mahabharata are the venomous persecutors of other creatures. In Tibet it is said that Naga's dwell in the lakes and underground streams, and guard magical gems/precious stones. They are also said to protect the purity of the water and natural environment - and fiercely retaliate against any who disturb it... I think we could do with some of these Nagas in Western Australia! 

If you're interested in Naga's there are some interesting sites out there;

http://www.khandro.net/mysterious_naga.htm

http://www.thailandsworld.com/index.cfm?p=192

Naga Images

Out and about....




To celebrate the release of "Magical Creations" and to prepare for the release of "Mimosa Black" - I've been guest blogging and doing interviews. from the 3rd November, you can find me;

Thusday: Magic Thursday at the Dark Side (give away)

Friday: Four Strong Women - where I'll be discussing "Foot in Mouth" syndrome.

29th November; Penny Ehrenkranz - I've been interviewed by Penny - and I'll be giving away a copy of Magical Creations to a commenter :)

"Mimosa Black" ~  a Novella  ~ coming December - Eternal Press

Book Stats: approx 20, 700 words

Genre: Paranormal Romance

Mythological Beings: Harpies & Demons

Heroine: Mimosa Black

Hero: Bo Elliot

Setting: Rockingham & Fremantle, Western Australia.

When nature rules your head, can you follow your heart?

Blurb

In a world where magical creatures are as rare as a spotty teen at a supermarket checkout, being one quarter Harpy shouldn’t be a problem.


Unfortunately for Mimosa Black, this is not the case. Combining her failed marriage, inability to fly, and unrequited crush on her childhood friend, Bo Elliot – Mimosa’s existence is less than idyllic.
Things however, are rarely as they seem. Bo has a secret and when Mimosa falters, his secret is revealed. Yet in their darkest moments, where bad magic lurks, love is never far away. Mimosa and Bo do have a chance at happiness, if they're selfless enough to find it...

DemonSpawn - are they as bad as they sound?

[True form DemonSpawn, drawn and poorly coloured in by me.]

The man who stood before her was handsome in a slick, dangerous way. He had dark chocolate hair, smoothed back from a high, clear brow. Antigone studied him for a moment—his eyebrows (almost certainly manicured), hovered over his interested but assessing light-brown eyes. He was tall with broad shoulders that nipped into a narrow waist. His long legs were clad in darkcolored
trousers, but startlingly his feet were bare.
“Dobreden?” Antigone asked after a long moment, “Who are you?”
The man had little time to reply before Rio muttered his explanation.
“Tiggy, this Lucian, he will be your handler.” He sounded displeased.
A hot bubble of irritation swelled within Antigone. “Handler? What am I? Some sort of animal?” she retorted angrily but suddenly stopped. It was then that Antigone noticed something about Lucian that wasn’t at all normal, slick, or handsome. Her brow furrowed, and a deep crease appeared.
“Keep looking,” Lucian smiled.
Rio sighed, and sank down on one of the pale green sofas that rested by the window.
Antigone stared, blinked, and stared again. Lucian, was a black void, not one rainbow hue was visible where his soul should have lain.
“What on Earth are you?” she murmured and stalked around him, like a cat around a new and scary toy. “You’re not a Magical Construct,” she added warily.
“No, definitely not,” Lucian replied, seemingly enjoying her intrigue.
“Are you a Nephilim?” she asked, knowing that the soul of a Nephilim was not visible to others.
“No, try again.” A wicked smile grew on his lips (which absurdly, Antigone now noticed were rather sexy). Antigone stared blankly at him, although her mother had put considerable time and money into her education, she simply could not guess what Lucian was.
“I give up,”
“DemonSpawn, you stupid cow,” Rio grumbled.
 
Excerpt from "Magical Creations" - Available now!
 
DemonSpawn are, (in the world of "Magical Gains" and "Magical Creations") the offspring of a human and demon, most notably the Incubus. I've written about two DemonSpawn characters, Lucian, the character from "Magical Creations" and another from "Mimosa Black" (coming December!)
 
 DemonSpawn have the capacity for great good, or great evil depending on their inclination. Powerful beings, who can change to 'true form' at will, the DemonSpawn (of an Incubi) gain control over people (particularly women) through sex.   They can travel via dreams, and have metaphysical relationships with women in sleep. Demons and DemonSpawn are the only creatures who can control a Hellcat. At times of heightened arousal or anger, a DemonSpawn's eyes will flash red.
 
Clearly depending on the temperament, being DemonSpawn is not as bad as it sounds... at least not in my books!
 
If you loved Lucian in "Magical Creations", you'll love him even more in "Magical Redemption", my work in progress which I really must get back to writing.
 
 





Magical Creations - available now!

...As a kindle and e-book. You'll have to wait a little longer for the paperback, a week or so perhaps.

Amazon (and you can read the first two chapters here)

Eternal Press

And... I also got a lovely customer review on my release day, posted to my FB group.

Nicola, you are going to have to write faster - I am devouring your books. I loved Magical Creations, I especially loved Antigone and her fiesty personality. Keep up the great work x

Emma via Facebook.

Its so good to know readers are enjoying what I'm doing - it keeps me inspired to write more. So thank you once again!





"Magical Creations" Release Day & Live Chat

"Magical Creations" release day! 7th October!

I will be chatting live in the Eternal Press chat room to celebrate!

http://eternalpress.biz/chat.php

(You don't need to 'log in' to use the chat room)

I will be chatting on Friday October 7th at 7PM Eastern Time, US, (5PM MDT).

For those of you south of the hemisphere (like me!) it will be 7 am Saturday 8th October (West Australian time). I know it's early in the West, so I'll appreciate your presence EVEN MORE! If you're living over East you can chat at a much more civilized 10 am (I think!)

OK, so if you're elsewhere in the world and not at all sure what time that will be, here's a time zone converter - http://www.timeanddate.com/worldclock/converted.html?day=7&month=10&year=2011&hour=12&min=0&sec=0&p1=80&p2=196

I'd love to 'see' you there!

Six Line Sunday III - "Magical Creations"

Antigone looked again at Omar, now studying his orange glowing soul. A trill of anticipation caused the hairs to prickle on the back of her neck. Touching and taking a soul was something she had always forbidden herself to do. Antigone hesitated. Omar’s soul, though broken, was as gorgeous as he was physically. It shimmered with hundreds of orange hues. It called to her. It sang a siren song that seemed to beckon her irresistibly.

How have I ignored this all these years?

MAGICAL CREATIONS - COMING 7th OCTOBER

Is that a Dwarf or a Gnome?

He was dressed well, in a charcoal-gray miniature suit. His hair was white, and pulled into a braid down his back, and his beard, which hung long and thin to his portly belly, was braided also. His eyes were small and a bright-yellow hazel but he barely reached Omar’s thigh in height. What he lacked in height, however, he made up for in power...

Magical Creations - coming next month!

[Image courtesy; Brenda Rosen, The Mythical Creatures Bible pg 253]

If you're wondering what the above creature is - it's a Gnome!

As I've said before, and will say again, I have an enduring love of magic and mythological creatures in whatever form they come. So todays post subject is Gnomes and Dwarves - in honour of the many German vistors I get to my blog (yes, I see you there).

Do you know the difference between Gnomes and Dwarves?No? Allow me clarify for you!

Gnomes were first described by a Swiss physician/alchemist named Paracelsus. They are described as being earth elementals, that typically dwell in caves and other subterranean abodes. They are rather unattractive little humanoid creatures about 30-45 cm tall. There is some discussion as to whether they are magical or not, but as an elemental they have the ability to vanish by dissolving into trees or soil. They are the guardians of precious minerals and metals. They can be either helpful to humankind or tricky and malicious until someone has won their trust.  Unlike the Dwarf they do not possess any particular skill for metal work.[Rosen, B. 2010, The mythical  Creatures Bible, pg 253]

The Dwarf generally used in literature is of Germanic origin (though Dwarves are also noted in Native American mythology and several other folk tales). Commonly known as "Little People" they are said to be larger than a Gnome. The mythological dwarf appears as stocky old men with oddly shaped noses and feet. They are generally described as creatures of the earth. Dwarves of this ilk are expert metal workers - who fashion metal into magical objects (rings, swords, helmets etc). The Dwarves of Germanic myth are divided into three groups.
White Dwarves -  gentle and peaceful dwarves who spend time making beautiful gold and silver objects throughout the winter, and in summer frolic in meadows and woodlands.
Brown Dwarves - (similar to the Brownie) are considered more malicious and have been blamed for stealing human babies (I think Rumplestiltskin may be based on one of these). They also apparently play tricks on a chosen household and bring bad dreams to those under its roof.
Black Dwarves - can't you guess? These are are the seriously dangerous dwarves. They create false lights to lure ships onto rocks so they can plunder cargo and also use their metal working skills to create deadly weapons  that they strengthen with magical curses.
[Rosen, B. 2010, The Mythical Creatures Bible, pg 272]



A household spirit in Germanic tradition,  loosely related to the Dwarf is the Kobold, these are quite benevolent and help keep houses clean and tidy. Clearly, my own Kobold goes missing for days at a time!!

If you're into Gnomes, and quite frankly, I'm not - be sure to visit Gnomesville in Western Australia. I've been there, and found it weird and a little freaky... but if you like garden gnomes, you'll be in heaven. There are thousands of the things, heck they're even in the trees.

Anyway, is one last thing I'd like to show you about Gnomes and Dwarves and this is a youtube clip of a "real life" Gnome. It was taken by a bunch of young guys in Salta Argentina. It makes me laugh - the guy's reaction as he zooms up on the Gnome is priceless. It's pretty poor quality footage though (as is to be expected!!) none the less enjoy! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q0fPoH2gWzc

Enter the Sandman - "Magical Creations"

[Image courtesy: Gaiman, Neil The Sandman]

It was through the dim glow of the alarm clock that he saw two strange and monstrous beings. Thin and pale, they were human in form, but their faces were pointed, with impossibly slanted eyes. No thicker than a large twig, their arms ended in hands with grotesquely long fingers that clasped around his arms, pinning him to the bed. The air around them smelled dusty...

Yeah baby - they're Sandmen!

 [Magical Creations, coming 7th October]

In the next few weeks, I'll be highlighting some of the magical beings you're going to encounter in my latest release, "Magical Creations" and today I'm focussing on Sandmen.

The Sandman, which is a relatively innocuous title, has a sinister edge I think. Traditionally speaking a Sandman is a benevolent character who brings good dreams particularly to children, and the 'sleepy dust' or 'sleep sand'  in your eyes in the morning is evidence of his visitation. However, the sandman has also been depicted as malevolent. In E.T.A. Hoffmann's novel 'Der Sandman', the sandman is quite frankly hideous, he throws sand in children's eyes, which makes them fall out. He then collects the lost eyes and feeds them to his children on the moon. Gross isn't it? Neil Gaiman's famous depiction of the Sandman in his comic series (of the same name) also has a sinister edge. This depictions seem to have tainted the 'good sandman' image somewhat. Additionally, Metallica's song "Enter Sandman" has a strangely threatening, if not exciting air to it and thus, for me, the negative imagery of the acutual Sandman has stuck.
 
If you want to read about the Sandman the wiki site is fairly informative and if you haven't heard "Enter Sandman" you can listen to it here; http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uY3LAFJbKyY&feature=related. (I grew up listening to this as my brother was a massive Metallica fan!)
 
I won't go into to much detail about how and why the Sandmen appear in "Magical Creations" because I don't want to give to much away. Suffice to say they're there, and even in dreams, someone may be watching you!

Magical Creations...

If, at the end of "Magical Gains" you were left wondering what exactly happened to Omar then you don't have to wait long! Omar's story "Magical Creations" is scheduled for release on the  7th of October!

Sometimes freedom comes with a painful price.

Omar is a ‘masterless’ Genie and freedom has given him an Achilles heel no enemy can miss. When desperation drives him to search for services of a Nephilim – with the ability to see, touch and take souls - Omar finds the sassy Antigone Watson who is running from demons of her own.

With magic a commodity to be governed, sold and stolen just like any other, the Magical Mafia are always on the look-out for new talent and soon the hunt is on. Together, Omar and Antigone realize that weakness of the flesh can be remedied by strength from the soul and sometimes true love can be born of dreams...

Magical Creations

I am currently deep into writing "Magical Creations" - a follow-on story from "Magical Gains" based on the sub character of Omar. I am loving it, and trying to get as much written before my revisions for "Magical Gains" come in.

As a general rule, I don't like to edit one story whilst working on another - I don't want to risk any character confusion - especially with my heroines.

Primrose (from MG) is a gauche and awkward character - who gets embarrassed easily. She's not one for long and lengthy arguments or conversations. Antigone (from MC) is the opposite. She is blunt and very frank - and will argue quite freely with almost anyone. So when I'm writing Antigone - Primrose is far from my mind and vice verser.

Anyway, enough for now, I'm hitting the writing - I've been chasing these scenes around in my head all night and am desperate to get them onto paper!