Progress Report 12/28

 The challenge with the final books in each of the 3 mini-series (Rise of the Unseelie, Touched, and Champion of the Sidhe) is that the stories are so interconnected at this point, and yet each has a unique story and a unique perspective. Getting the balance just right requires working on all three at once. It's been quite a juggling act, I can tell you!

In the story review with Ravynheart, a couple key scenes in Captivated had to get completely cut, and London's book required an entirely new approach. Which then rippled across to the other two books, Uprising and Keeper of Secrets. I think the new approach and the changes will make the story much stronger, and fans of London will like the new story twists and London's approach to them. (I hope!) More than anything, I do not want to release something that is less than the very best that we can make it.

At the moment, Uprising should be in its final form and ready for the editors when the time comes. Keeper of Secrets is very close to being done, and should hopefully go quickly once London's re-write is done. The holidays slowed done the work, but hopefully we'll be back on track now. I'm excited to get these new scenes written and edited, so I am hoping it will go fast!

Christmas Special Giveaways!

 Get 6 FREE The Sidhe ebooks on Kindle on Dec. 25-26th! Know someone who's getting a Kindle for Christmas? Think they might dig some awesome, action packed Urban Fantasy? Spread the news! We've got loads of freebies to pack onto their device. Make sure to grab your copies, too!

Grab your freebies 12/25-12/26/2012!

The Fey Apocalypse

 We've so far survived the end of the world! 12-21-2012 hasn't been the total bust that it was predicted to be, although my Coke did explode all over me this morning, so maybe that's what the Mayans foresaw? Otherwise, there was no zombie apocalypse or demon asteroid pummeling the planet.

The Sidhe weren't so lucky, though! Not long ago they suffered an apocalypse of their own, bringing their realm crumbling down around them. You can read the first 3 stories of The Sidhe for free and see what happens to the fey in the wake of the Collapse of the Mounds.

Be sure to share this with your friends 

who like awesome Urban Fantasy!

On Kindle:

On Nook:

End of the World

Aftershock

Cursed

On Kobo:

End of the World

Aftershock

Cursed

On Smashwords:

End of the World

Aftershock

Cursed

Unseelie Party Song

 The earthborns of the Glamour Club know how to party hard. A dance song like One Direction's "Live While We're Young" is one they could really go wild with.

enjoy: One Direction - Live While We're Young

Progress Report 12/3

 So both Captivated and Keeper of Secrets are with Ravynheart for the final check and his edits. They are fairly close to their final form, I think. They will have to go through the editor and beta readers before they are ready to release, but hopefully that will be very soon.

Which leaves me with Uprising, the final book in the Rise of the Unseelie series. It is fairly close to completed. I have one major scene I need to write. Also, I need to do all the edits now that I can see the full picture. When I write, I work on the scenes that come to me, and that rarely happens in the correct order. Now that I have all the scenes pretty much written, I have been able to rearrange them and check for any holes in the story. It looks pretty good right now, though! I would think that I should have Uprising ready to pass off to Ravynheart by the end of the week, if not sooner!

The end of the Rise of the Unseelie, Champion of the Sidhe, and Touched mini-series does NOT mean the end of The Sidhe series! While many story threads are tied up, there are new ones that show up in the final books, and cliffhangers leading into 'Season Two.'

What's coming up in 2013? More action. More of the characters you've come to love, especially the Unseelie. We've got a new mini-series in the works that features new characters and that will be setting up 'Season Three.' Oh yeah... There are plans. Big plans. Stay tuned... You don't want to miss a thing!

A Song For Lugh and London

 If you've read Protector of the Light or Compelled then you've seen the start of something new between the series main characters Lugh, of the Champion of the Sidhe series, and London, of the Touched series. What's begun in those books will continue to build and take new shape in the books coming out soon. We'll pick up the story with London's fifth book, Captivated. It should be coming out very soon. The manuscript is going into the final stages of editing this week. And the story will expand in Lugh's fifth book, Keeper of Secrets.

 Today's Glamour Club video is one of the inspiration songs for the complicated relationship weaving between these two characters. It hints at Lugh's new darkness and London's desire to overcome her curse.

 Enjoy: Skillet - Whispers in the Dark

Progress Report 11/24

 So Captivated currently stands at 10,873 words. I am about 2/3rds the way through on the mid level edits that are meant to make sure that everything flows and I've not left any holes in the story. And then I'll need a final edit to bring out more character voice and descriptions where it is needed.

And then.... Off to the beta readers and editor! Whoo hoo! Moving right along. I have quite a bit done on Keeper of Secrets and Uprising, so I hope to move into their editing phase fairly quickly. I've been working really hard on them, practically every waking moment when I'm not at the day job. Christmas might be too optimistic for having both of them done, but I would really like to have them by the end of the year.

Wish me luck!

Sneak Peek - Compelled

Chapter One

"You screwed the pooch on that one, babe." Joe tilted back his beer bottle like that was the punctuation on the statement.

"Should I be thankful you didn't say 'I told you so?'" London picked up her cell phone from the bar. She'd set it out to show him the text message she'd gotten. We're coming for you. It still gave her the shivers, like she needed to keep looking over her shoulder. The number hadn't been one she'd recognized, but she had a good idea who sent it. Kieran had taken her business card. If the message didn't come from him, then it had to be one of the other Unseelie of the Glamour Club. There were two kinds of people in the world; the kind that dropped the chase when you outran them and the kind that would hunt you to the ends of the earth no matter how long it took. Wouldn't you know it? The Unseelie were the grudge-holding kind. "It's not like I got a manual on how to be enchanted when the Sidhe cursed me. I made a mistake."

"A bunch of mistakes," Joe corrected her.

"A bunch of mistakes," she agreed. "But I am trying to change." She dropped her phone into her jacket pocket. "Probably too late now. I've got a big target on my back and no way to redeem myself."

Joe slid a glance at her, eyes half-closed like he was debating something. The cold blue of his gaze made his attention hit with more impact. For a human, Joe Lansing was one hell of a guy. Tall, casually handsome in those worn jeans and Dallas Cowboys t-shirt, with an edge of toughness that could stare down a werewolf without flinching. The military and law enforcement background showed in his bearing, but he'd been out of them long enough to lose that clean-cut look a lot of guys kept for a while after the service. His sandy-colored hair looked finger-combed and the stubble on his face was at least a day old. It added to his whole 'don't mess with me' vibe. It was a trick that worked for a guy like him. Made him seem impressively badass without even trying. And yet he was just as enchanted as she was. Just another human cursed by the magic of the Sidhe. He said, "Don't count yourself out just yet."

"You're not thinking of introducing me to your boss. He's Unseelie."

"Donovan might run the show at the Glamour Club, but he doesn't speak for all Unseelie." When Joe smiled, he looked like trouble.

London shook her head, playing with her bottle of Guinness without any real interest in drinking from it. Amazing how living on borrowed time put a damper on the small joys of life. "But you said this Tiernan fellow is mates with Donovan."

"You wouldn't know it to look at him, but Tiernan's a businessman. He wraps himself up in the partying playboy image so people underestimate him, but he's wicked sharp. Trust me." Joe pointed at her with the neck of his bottle. "Your problem isn't that Donovan wants you dead. It's your reputation. Snatching one of Donovan's boys for your personal Touch slave isn't something anyone's going to soon forget. It doesn't matter that you came to your senses and gave him back. It doesn't matter that you fought your way through a bunch of werewolves to do it. Nobody even cares about that."

She winced. "Tell me again why I shouldn't count myself out yet?"

"You've got a bad reputation. A well-deserved bad reputation at that. But it happens. What you need to do now is prove yourself." Those blue eyes twinkled with wickedness.

London laughed, and not the amused kind. It was the I-know-I'm-going-to-regret-this kind. "Why do I have the feeling that you have just the very idea about how I can prove myself to your boss?"

He grinned, and somehow it managed to be both sexy and sly at the same time. "Because you're perceptive."

"You want my help for something and that's why you called me." London finally put two and two together. That evening she'd driven all the way to this pub in Dundalk to meet him, since it was halfway between Dublin and where he was staying outside of Belfast. Catching up over a couple of pints and bending his sympathetic ear was all she'd expected. After all, Joe was the only other person she knew who'd been cursed. The only person who could really relate to what she was going through. The only person who might clue her in on how to survive as an enchanted human. "It wasn't just that you'd heard about my death sentence and wanted to give me a friendly pep talk."

"I never have been much of a pep talk kind of guy."

"And you reckon Tiernan will take me on if I prove myself?" The possibility seemed valid. Joe hadn't a pristine reputation, either. They'd met on a nasty job for a Changeling. Turned out that the Sidhe the Changeling claimed to work for was actually his captive. London hadn't figured it out at the time. From the things he'd said, she was pretty certain that Joe had. So if Tiernan could overlook Joe's sordid history, maybe he could overlook hers.

"Honestly? I haven't a clue." Joe shrugged, all casually blunt. As if it wasn't her life or her death that they were discussing. "But couldn't hurt to try. What else have you got to do?"

"You're a prat, you do know that, don't you?"

"Pretty much." He set down his beer. "So that's a 'yes, I'd love to risk my neck to help you,' right?"

London snorted. He was right. What other choice did she have? Wasn't that the story of her life since becoming enchanted? Not having any choice but the one that fed her addiction to the Touch, no matter how dangerous or morally questionable? "Just tell me the job."

"I need to check out some guy who's come to Tiernan's attention."

"Why do you need my help? You've got skills." And wasn't that the truth? The man handled a gun like the Marine Corps Special Forces that he'd been. All focused and professional, even in the heat of a firefight.

"But not the right equipment." He winked with a randy flirtatiousness that was altogether delicious on him. "This dude's a real ladies' man. You could probably just do the hair-flip thing and get him to spill his guts."

"My hair's too short to do the hair-flip thing." She slid her fingers through her close-cropped, dark hair. The style looked good on her, she thought, but more importantly, it kept it out of the way. One time having her ponytail snatched in a scuffle was enough for her. And since she frequently worked for vampires, she could imagine one using her hair like a handle to force her to arch her neck. No point in making it easy.

"Then do the sultry batting-eyelids thing. Work it, girl."

"This is the part where I slap you, right?" she joked.

"Nope. This is the part where you think it's an easy gig and if it gets you in good with a Sidhe, then it's worth admitting for five minutes that you're a sexy woman."

She smirked at him. Admittedly, she might be somewhat attractive by human standards. But compared to the fey, she was the epitome of average. Even if Joe thought she was easy on the eyes, she knew this flattery was all about leverage. "You're so full of it."

"Part of my charm." He dug a folded bill from his pocket, tossed it down on the counter for the bartender, and then extracted a slip of paper and handed it to her. "Meet me at the pier in Newcastle tomorrow. The arrangements are all set up."

London watched him walk out. Nothing wrong with the way his jeans fit when he swaggered. The cocky chap hadn't for a minute doubted that she'd agree to this job. In truth, she'd not at all been offended by the suggestion of sex appeal to get an advantage. It was nice to know Joe thought she had some.

Smiling a little to herself, London unfolded the paper. It was a flier for some bloke claiming to be a druid. He was having some kind of a ceremony at Cashtal Yn Ard, an old burial site on the Isle of Man.

London's smile vanished. The Isle of Man. Wizard territory.

Read the full story!

at
Amazon, Barnes and Noble or Smashwords

Progress Report 11-18

 So I have the word count for Captivated now at 7376, which is shy of my goal but that is OK at this point in the process. The important part is that I have the framework in place and I can build on it. So that is my next phase that I am going to start today, which is to flesh out Captivated. This will probably involve working with scenes in both Captivated and Keeper of Secrets, since they are so closely tied together. I feel on track and I think it may be possible to have Captivated, and possibly Keeper of Secrets, out to the beta readers and editors by the end of November, which would rock big time!

Meanwhile, Ravynheart has been doing the covers for the series collections that will eventually be coming out, and I am really excited about that! They are coming out very cool looking. I can't wait for him to reveal them.

New Release! Compelled - Touched #4

  London’s made mistakes. A lot of them. Enough so that she’s been marked for elimination by a powerful Unseelie Sidhe. As a human cursed with an addiction to the Touch of the Sidhe, her life and her future depends on finding a Sidhe who will hire her on a permanent basis. The only way to put her reputation for causing trouble behind her is to prove herself by tracking down a powerful druid who’s endangering the Sidhe. But when old enemies resurface, can London trust the man she was sent to investigate? Or will this finally be her fatal mistake?

Now Available on Amazon!

Compelled (Touched - urban fantasy series)

Progress Report 11/6

 At this moment, Keeper of Secrets stands at 10,412 words. I have a few scenes to finish fleshing out, and then I need to work with Ravynheart to work on the parts involving Donovan. My hope is to have the first draft completed by the end of this day.

The cool part is that the first draft is coming out very powerfully in Lugh's voice, so I don't anticipate needing a lot of edits.

I've not touched the other two stories since the last update, although completing certain scenes in Lugh's book will make writing the companion scenes in the other two much easier. In story discussions with Ravynheart, we've worked out some of the details that will be going into Captivated. Once I have Keeper of Secrets complete, I will be hitting Captivated hard.

The reading order for these final three books will be Captivated, Keeper of Secrets, and then Uprising. Writing them so that each book nicely concludes their individual series, without giving away too much of the revelations in the other two books, has been an interesting challenge, but I think we've got it worked out. Readers of the complete The Sidhe series, who have been reading all the books on all three story lines, will see some major revelations building through these final books.

Some readers have expressed that they will miss the series and the characters after these three series conclude, but fear not! All this has been back story leading into the next 'season' of The Sidhe. Stay tuned for more details!

The Sidhe Podcast 4

 In this podcast we talk about Compelled, the next book in the Touched series. With our usual antics and laughter, we discuss the promises that we make to the reader, and how we try and fulfill those promises in each book. The characters are alive in our heads, and we chat about who talks to us most and how we try and stay true to their voice and their personalities.

Due to technical issues as YouTube was going through upgrades we weren't able to post this sooner. But now it is appearing to be running fine, so we hope you don't encounter any problems with viewing it.

Enjoy!

Progress Report

 I haven’t been on the blog or Twitter as much lately, and I apologize for that! I’ll be trying to interact more in the next few months.

Compelled, Touched #4, has been through the beta readers and editing for a bit, but due to some technical issues the release was held up. I am hoping to have it out within the next day or two to Ravynheart’s Sidhe Elites, and then in a week or so to Amazon. (Listen to this podcast to find out about the Sidhe Elite and how you can become one!)

That leaves us with book 5 in each of the three series, Rise of the Unseelie, Touched and Champion of the Sidhe. All three series are going to ‘end’ with the fifth books, but the story is not ‘over’ with the completion of those series. The characters will combine into a new 3 book series which will bring a lot of action, suspense, and answers to some lingering questions. We are in the planning stage with those three books, and we have the overall story arc worked out.

But in the meantime, we are finishing up the writing on books 5 of the current series. All three books will crossover heavily, as the story lines collide, which is why I am working on them together. My goal is to have the drafts of all three books completed by the end of November. So, to have a little fun, and to keep myself on track, I thought I’d keep a running update on my progress here on the blog!

With each of the fifth books I am aiming for a word count between 10,000 and 20,000, but as always, the stories take as long as they take. I never want to include fluff to reach a word count goal. At the same time, I won’t cut any of the action or character development short to keep it ‘on budget.’ The Rise of the Unseelie books have been tending to run longer than the others because there is so much character work going on.

So here is where things stand at the moment:

Captivated, Touched #5 is only at 3205 words. I have the beginning and a couple of key scenes written, so I still have a lot to do here.

Keeper of Secrets, Champion of the Sidhe #5, is at 7884. This is my current focus with my writing at the moment. I have the beginning and the end pretty close to final form, and some middle scenes that will need rewritten. There is also a major fight scene yet to be written. I also need to finish the scene where Lugh and Donovan finally meet after all this time.

Uprising, Rise of the Unseelie #5, is mostly written and is currently at 11,889 words. I’ll have Donovan’s side of the encounter with Lugh to write. There are some bridging scenes to complete that link up the current scenes. Also Malcolm has a big discovery scene that I still have to write as well.

A Song For Malcolm

 The wonderful @RegencyEmma picked Hopeless, by Breaking Benjamin, for a Glamour Club song for Malcolm. This young man has struggled through a lot in the Rise of the Unseelie series. He's come a long way from the goblin cave in Scars of Silver and through the turmoil in Eyes of Magic. Slowly we see him becoming the man he's meant to be in Bloodhound. His story continues in Uprising, the fifth book in the Rise of the Unseelie series which will be coming out soon.

enjoy: Breaking Benjamin - Hopeless

Sneak Peek - Protector of the Light

 Just this week we released the 4th book in the Champion of the Sidhe series. Here's your chance to get a peek at the first chapter! Readers of the series will see a major crossover starting between the Champion of the Sidhe series and the Touched series even in this sample chapter, but the major twist comes later in the book!

Protector of the Light

Chapter One

Lugh raised his cupped hand before him, hiding the light of the magicraft in his palm. Within the small glass vial spun a vortex of gold dust, glowing like a fairy light. If anyone saw him in the dim illumination of the nearby streetlamps, it might appear that he shielded a match within his hand, with the light it produced glowing on his face and between his fingers. Lugh closed his fist over the vial and slipped it back into the pocket of his slacks.

Across the boulevard, the neon light of the sign for the Satin Club hummed, glowing red against the dark bricks. He'd encountered enough vampires in his time to reliably identify one, even from this distance. More than one had already entered the club. None had spied him yet, even though he was not using even the slightest wisp of Glamour to disguise himself. Their focus on their companions and on private conversations distracted the hunters from noticing potential prey practically on their doorstep.

Then again, this was a changed time since Lugh last walked the surface for more than a brief visit. Most humans, and their kin the parahumans, appeared consumed within themselves. Preoccupied with inner thoughts. It served Lugh's purposes well, that he could travel unnoticed without the need to waste his magic on maintaining a Glamour. If he garnered notice at all it seemed only the appreciation of his attractiveness, and not the observation that he was not human. The clothing that Willem procured for him aided in his disguise. To his surprise, the human clothing was more comfortable than he'd first guessed. The satins, suede, and silks of fashions past gave way to denim and cotton. His slacks were comfortable and tailored to fit. The button-front cotton shirt he wore defined his musculature with a flexibility that ensured that if he needed to fight, he'd have complete freedom of movement. While the cut of the clothing flattered him, it left no good place to disguise a weapon of any useful size, so this evening he was armed with nothing but his skill and his magic. At one time that was more than enough, but with the advancing effects of the Fade upon him magic grew less and less of an option.

Lugh timed his crossing between the autos that prowled along the lane and then stepped upon the curb before the club entrance. Over six and a half feet tall, his height alone commanded a certain respect. The vampire stationed at the door held it open for him, but he could feel the curiosity in his stare. Whether the young vampire knew one of the fey when he smelled one was not clear, but he definitely wouldn't mistake Lugh for any derivation of human.

The club was more of the type he'd heard termed a 'lounge.' Settees of the kind that softly sucked you into the cushions, too comfortable to withdraw from quickly, were liberally spaced around the room, many of them occupied by couples or threesomes in various stages of groping. The scent of blood lingered even over the alcohol and tobacco smoke. Lugh crossed to the bar, noting that its tender was at the far end at the moment. He leaned back against the bar, elbows propped on the polished wood. In the low lighting one might have missed the occasional flash of fangs as the vampire clientele freely smiled and laughed, not bothering to disguise themselves. The music that overlay the scene with its hypnotic purr encouraged the slithering, though surprisingly, the patrons remained more sensual than overtly sexual, and even the feeding was sporadic and discrete.

Lugh found the performance neither titillating nor repulsive. Truly, among the fey such casual consorting was tame by comparison. Although he kept his attention diffused enough to gather the sounds and movement about him, for it would not be long before the heady scent of Sidhe blood attracted more attention, Lugh quickly scanned the room. He slipped the vial from his pocket and glanced down, as though checking a pocket watch, just long enough to determine the general direction the vortex indicated, and then he tucked it away once more, lest the light be noticed.

Already, eyes lit upon him. Even as he memorized the items displayed in the niche indicated by the magicraft, his peripheral vision alerted him as the first vampire approached him. Sleek, blond hair so shiny as to be nearly iridescent framed the vampire's pale beauty. The blue of her eyes caught the same sparkle as the sapphire on a silver chain nestled into the hollow of her throat. His gaze lingered overly long upon the silver before trailing down the rest of her svelte figure wrapped tightly within a body-hugging, black sheath of a dress that barely reached mid-thigh. The corners of his mouth quirked up in the hint of a genuine grin of appreciation for the grace and beauty gliding toward him.

Even in heels, the woman's natural height would have only brought her up to his chin, had Lugh been standing upright. Slouched back as he was against the bar, she was just shy of being eye-to-eye with him. It meant that she was still able to give him that upward sweeping look that showed off her long lashes before her face was raised toward his. She smiled at him familiarly as she wrapped her bare arms around his neck. Her body draped against his with yielding femininity. For a moment he thought she might well kiss him, but she only lay against him instead, pinning him neatly against the bar with her lithe, feline body. "Now, what would a Sidhe be doing here in my place, all alone and so delectable?"

"I have never feared those who walk with the night." Lugh's arms slung casually around her back, only to slide down with the silky fabric until his palms cupped her bum. As she angled her hips to slip between his thighs, Lugh smirked and drew her comfortably against him. She'd claimed to be the proprietor of the establishment, and with this display she established her claim upon him. Immediately, the other vampires that had begun to take notice of him relaxed back into whatever previously occupied them, undoubtedly keeping a subtle watch.

"Clearly." Nothing unpleasant in her musical laugh. No suggestion of a threat or hungry growl. The effect more of a friendly acknowledgment that she was well aware of the protection she provided, and she offered it now because it pleased her to do so. "Not at all shy and retreating like the earthborns."

Lugh's attention peeled away from their surroundings as he fully focused upon her. "Like the what?"

"The earthborn Sidhe" she replied, matter-of-factly, clearly expecting him to know of whom she spoke.

"Earthborn Sidhe?" Lugh's normally schooled expression lost its composure, his unawareness of what she referred to blatantly obvious. Nothing about the vampire indicated that she fabricated a falsehood, and yet he could not begin to fathom of what she spoke. Had she confused some tribe of lesser fey for the Sidhe? Indeed, some races of elves could easily be mistaken for Sidhe by non-fey, just as he would lack the awareness to discern one tribe of humans from another.

As she laughed, her body brushed against his in a pleasant way. Her tapered fingers glided down his arms, discovering the shape of his biceps with clear enjoyment, before settling in the curve of his elbow. "Seems I have some information you might be willing to trade for." She leaned in closer and sniffed seductively along the side of his throat. "And you know what I want."

Lugh stroked his hands up her back, enjoying the feel of the woman in his arms, even if she was a vampire. Never departing from her body, his caress slipped up to cradle her head. He used the fall of her hair to shield his skin from the silver of her necklace. Sensual though it was, it also gave him the control he desired. Leaning close enough to feel the stir of her breath against his lips, he inquired, "And by what name shall I call this lady of midnight who desires the pleasure I can give?"

"Selena," she confessed.

"Selena," he repeated, the sensuality of his voice caressing her name like a lover. An easy game to play. A familiar one. One he'd mastered ages ago. As his mouth hovered ever so close to hers, Lugh's tongue dipped between her lips. The quick prick of his tongue against fang brought forth a mere trickle of blood. In the kiss that followed, Lugh barely tasted his own blood, as Selena hungrily consumed every drop. She moaned into his mouth and he returned the compliment. He wasn't the only one who'd honed the art of the kiss for centuries. Even after the slight wound ceased to bleed, neither of them ended the mutual appreciation abruptly, allowing the kiss to linger and subside naturally.

Her gaze remained fixed upon his mouth for a thoughtful moment, savoring the memory, he imagined, and no doubt craving more. He prompted her, "About the earthborn Sidhe?"

"The children of the Unseelie exiles who fled the Mounds over the last few decades."

Lugh absorbed her explanation, still no closer to true understanding. Unseelie exiles? His spies in the Unseelie Court had made no mention of any such exiles. "The Sidhe do not sire offspring as swiftly as other races. Surely, these children are not true Sidhe."

"Oh, but they are." Selena stared at his mouth almost obsessively. "Nothing else tastes like Sidhe."

This much he knew. Magic laced the blood of the fey. Blood drinkers craved the fey above all other donors. And the Sidhe, with the purest and strongest natural magic, over the other races of fey. From what he'd gleaned, the scent of Sidhe blood could be detected through intact skin and at a short distance. Even a vampire who had never before sampled Sidhe blood instinctually salivated with feral desire at the mere whiff of a nearby Sidhe. "Where might I discover these earthborn Sidhe, that I might gaze upon them with my own eyes and know them for what they are?"

With a lovely and thoughtful tilt of her head, Selena considered her answer, no doubt determining her price. "What brought you to my place? Not the search for the earthborns, but certainly something worth risking your neck." As Selena stroked over the flesh of his throat, Lugh felt the light drag of her fingernails along the pulse of his artery. No spent vein blood for this nightwalker. She craved the heart-fresh manna with the thickest concentration of magic. The woman knew how to feed from a Sidhe to the greatest intoxicating effect. Arteries dwelt deeper than veins, more challenging to pierce and potentially more deadly. Should she feed from him there he'd immediately suffer blood loss to the brain, impairing his judgment and reaction time.

"I propose to offer you a trade." With a smile of seduction, Lugh gathered her closer. Never did he release her hair, trusting her not that far. Controlling her by her silken tresses, he arched her neck for him. The subtle brush of his nose traced her jaw and she rewarded him with a catch of her breath. With his lips feathering against her ear, he murmured, "I shall grant you the remainder of the evening in a private sharing of selves, in which you yield all command to me, in exchange for one item of my choosing. No questions or exceptions."

Her fingers curled in the fabric of his shirt, demanding more of the attention that he lavished. "And for the location of the earthborns?"

"I shall grant you the privilege of muscle blood." The least potent. He offered her not a vessel of any consequence, but the dregs which might be lapped from a flesh wound. If not for the Fade, he might have offered more, but he dare not waste even what magic laced his blood.

Selena's deep, purring laughter chilled him with the delight of a predator. With an amused snarl, she pushed back from his embrace even as she tore open his shirt, scattering the buttons that popped free and baring the definition of his muscled chest for all to see. Abandoning the whisper of their conversation, she demanded, "And why shouldn't I just take what I want, Sidhe? Take you for my own and bleed you whenever I choose?"

Although Lugh's gaze never departed from her face, the awareness of the vampires that now blocked the front entry and the back hall with the 'exit' sign above it was not lost upon him. No one spoke now. The vampires watched with hungry eagerness, edging closer like beta dogs wanting access to the kill. Undoubtedly, they believed him a brazen fool to stride into the vampire's lair with any expectation to leave it. Selena already proved her aggression and intent, challenging him to deny her. Lugh's easy smirk lost none of its flirtation. "You shall not harm me, nor allow any other to do so. My offer is fair. My friendship and good humor are prizes not to be squandered. Think carefully before discarding them."

Wisely, the vampire mistress hesitated. "What don't I know?"

"My name." Lugh relaxed back against the bar once more, propped easily on his elbows, hands hanging relaxed. Not at all bothered by the damage to his clothing, nor the covetous leers.

"Which is?" Selena's fingertip trailed down the line of his breastbone. A tease. More so a symbolic demonstration that she might take from him anything she wished. Such a small gesture, though, proved her trepidation. She was no more a fool than he.

"Lugh."

He chuckled as nearly a third of the vampires fled the establishment, leaving nothing but a brief blur of movement in their wake. Those that remained were either brave or ignorant. He categorized Selena among the brave, even though her hand snatched back from him.

"Sun god." The whisper escaped her as if unbidden. With that clarification, the ignorant departed in a second wave. The humans, abandoned by their companions, slipped away in silent retreat. Only the stalwart of Selena's coven remained, refusing to abandon their mistress, though none stepped forward to test conclusions with him.

"Have we an accord, then?" Presumptuously, Lugh gathered Selena against him once more, his arms easily wrapping about her narrow waist. Her cool form softened against the solid wall of his chest. No longer challenging or resisting him. "I have use for a vampire ally of your proclivities."

Though the glint of distrust flickered in her eyes, she played his Seelie game with aplomb. With true feminine prowess, Selena curled about him, yielding to his touches. One of her thighs slipped between his legs, so that each tiny sway of her body caused her to rub intimately against him. The tactic could distract a less determined man. As could the press of her breasts. Or the inviting caresses of her hands over his bum, drawing them closer still. "An ally? In what war would you have me enlist?"

"The war to save the Sidhe." Lugh's gaze purposefully lowered to her lips with a hunger that was not wholly feigned. "A connoisseur of your refined tastes surely can appreciate such a quest."

"I can indeed." She tilted back her head, offering her mouth to him. "We have a deal."

Which they sealed with a kiss both deep and salacious.

###

Read the rest of the story in 

Protector of the Light - Champion of the Sidhe #4!

You can grab your copy at Amazon,
Barnes and Noble, Nook or Smashwords!

Don't forget to add Protector of the Light on Goodreads!

The Sidhe Podcast 3

 The Sidhe podcast number 3 is up and ready for viewing! This time around we talk about uber-fans, the new Sidhe Elite, as well as answering questions from some of our fans! We discuss what's coming up next, and what the readers can expecting the near future! And if you have any questions or comments, feel free to email Archer or myself! Or leave a comment under the podcast and we may very well talk about your post on the air next time!

ENJOY!

Coming Soon!

Protector of the Light - 

Champion of the Sidhe #4

 Since the Collapse of the Mounds, Lugh has spent every waking moment collecting the artifacts he needs to rebuild a magical realm for the fey. But without the fey realm to replenish the magic he expends, Lugh is Fading. Fast! Time’s running out. Enemies are circling. Forging dangerous alliances may well get him killed… or drive him down a dark path from which he might never be redeemed.

Coming Soon!

 Sign up for the mailing list to be the first to hear about new releases!

The Sidhe Podcast 2

In the second The Sidhe podcast Ravynheart and Archer talk about the new release Bloodhound, about the progress on the audio recording of In Whom You Trust and End of the World, and about Touched humans and how they play a role in the world of The Sidhe.

A couple of corrections, the scene with Joe that is discussed took place in Eyes of Magic, not Bloodhound. Also, it will be Defender of Magic that will be released next, with Compelling coming out a little later.


Also we discuss plans to do more stuff with mailing list, including exclusive or early content.

Plus a lot of laughs and fun.

Enjoy!

Let's Go!

 This is a great song for the Unseelie, especially the young earthborns of the Glamour Club. No matter their past, no matter their scars, they are overcoming and becoming a force to be reckoned with. They are taking control of their magic and their lives, under Donovan's guidance. The growth they've had in Bloodhound is just the beginning. More to come in Uprising, the final story in the Rise of the Unseelie series that will be coming out this Fall.

enjoy: Calvin Harris and Ne-Yo - Let's Go

The Sidhe Podcast #1

 The first video podcast for The Sidhe, an urban fantasy series by S. Ravynheart and S.A. Archer. In this episode, Archer is flying solo, and talks about the new release, Bloodhound - Rise of the Unseelie #4, and the upcoming books in the Touched and Champion of the Sidhe series. She also discusses the reason for the serial novella style of storytelling, and touches on the overview of the world.

In this podcast Archer asks for your vote on which story of the Sidhe should be recorded as a free podiobook. Vote by commenting here in the blog, or by tweeting @The_Sidhe or by emailing to archer[at]sidhetouch[dot]com. The first book to get 10 votes will be recorded. Let us know what you want! We suggest either Cursed, Aftershock or In Whom You Trust and End of the World.

And let us know what you'd like us to discuss on future podcasts!

Fireflight - Unbreakable

 During the writing of Bloodhound, Unbreakable by Fireflight was one of my favorite songs for the earthborns, especially Malcolm. I love the beat and the energy in this song and I wanted to share it with you. Can't you just see Malcolm, after all his gone through with his dad and the goblins, facing his past and becoming stronger as he overcomes the pain that once consumed him? Can't you imagine Kieran, trying to find his strength in the face of his past with the vampires, and his confusion over the attraction and anger he holds for London?

enjoy: Fireflight - Unbreakable

New Release! Bloodhound - Rise of the Unseelie #4

 At last! Bloodhound has been released! We're committed to 90 days exclusive on Amazon, before rolling it out to the other vendors.

 Readers of Enchanted who've been curious about the Unseelie side of the story events will find their answers in this novelette. There's a lot more to it than just that though! We continue to see the change and growth in the young bloodhound, Malcolm. Plus there is a lot more of the dark and intriguing Unseelie leader, Donovan. We hope you enjoy the story!

Sneak Peek of Bloodhound - Rise of the Unseelie #4

If you read Enchanted, you will certainly see a lot of crossover into this Rise of the Unseelie story. 

Bloodhound

by S.A. Archer and S. Ravynheart

Chapter One

“You’re so dead, mate!” Bryce shouted over the explosion of gunfire.

Malcolm flung himself back from the onslaught with a growl. “You suck!” Blood splattered on the telly as his man on the video game got massacred for the fifth time in a row. “That’s it! No more Mr. Nice Guy.” He hit the rematch button. “This time I’m bringing out the railgun. See how you like that.”

They jostled into each other as they jumped and dodged with their computer guys in a no-holds-barred, two-player combat to the death.

Again.

It didn’t even matter that Bryce crushed him on the stupid video game. Not really. Leastwise for the last few hours Malcolm hadn’t thought about magic at all. Pretty much, anyway. Donovan was the only one who didn’t think Malcolm’s bloodhound ‘magic’ was lame. The other Sidhe did, even if they played it off like it wasn’t any big deal. Like Malcolm wasn’t too awful weird, just kinda twitchy. But for the last couple hours, he’d just been one of the lads with Bryce, playing this video game like they were just regular 17-year-olds. And Malcolm sorta forgot for a tiny bit that they weren’t just that.

All up until a high-pitched whistle sliced over the racket from the game.

It was one of those annoying sounds that echoed in the brain and not just the ears. Malcolm winced, trying to ignore it as he mashed the buttons at a rapid-fire rate. “What is that? Car alarm?”

“What’s what?” Bryce twisted his controller as if that could make his guy dodge for cover faster. “Got me in the leg, you creep!”

“You don’t hear that? For real?” Malcolm paused the game. Even hunching his shoulders against the constant peal couldn’t stop the sound from jangling his nerves. “That whistle?”

Bryce listened and then shook his head. “I don’t hear anything. It’s probably nothing. Come on.” He unpaused the game. A fresh explosion of noise covered most of the magic, but not the whistle.

Malcolm hardly noticed when he dropped the controller. The first sparks of panic prickled all though him as he jumped up and yanked the power cord out of the wall, shutting up the telly. “Is that Kieran? Where is he?”

“Hey! I was winning!” Bryce scowled.

Malcolm turned in a circle, tilting his head this way and that, studying the magic around him. Through the walls and floor Malcolm saw glowing silhouettes, like seeing heat signatures, only his senses were geared to magic. Flames flickered around Bryce constantly, though no one else saw that. In the flat across from them Dawn twinkled with her healing sparkles. On the floor below the fey mingled in a sea of rainbow hues. Trip’s darkness floated around her like scarves on the wind as she danced in the club with a group of elves. “He’s not in the club.” Malcolm twisted around. “Where’s that sound coming from?” He blinked as the sudden silence startled him. “It just stopped. Only…” The whistle had been wrong. Desperate, like panic. “Where’s Donovan? He’s not in the club either. Is Kieran with him?”

“Who cares?” Bryce reached to plug the telly back in, but Malcolm stepped on the cord. “Will you move your bloody foot?” He swatted at Malcolm’s leg.

“No! Just wait.” Malcolm listened harder, but couldn’t hear anything of Kieran over the clatter filtering up from the fey in the Glamour Club. Even scrunching his eyes closed tight and gripping the sides of his head, Malcolm couldn’t shift through the racket. Sometimes it was all too much; never ending chaos that blared and flashed and buffeted against him. A minute ago, he’d been able to ignore it. Now it was everywhere around him and inside him and pick-pick-picking at him. And right now, reaching for the itty, bittiest thread through all the masses of magic crowding and pounding into his mind, made him want to scream.

Instead, he ran from it. Malcolm raced from Bryce’s flat and up the flight of steps to the roof. A little further from the magic roiling up from the fey in the club. Bryce chased him though, with his ever-present crackle of flame and campfire scent. Malcolm spun in a full circle, actively listening, but hearing nothing of Kieran’s sound magic. Which was wicked bad. Kieran was one noisy chap, constantly buzzing or humming or whirring or something else loud and usually obnoxious. Only now…

Nothing.

Heart pounding, panic mounting, Malcolm shook his head. “Kie’s in trouble. I know it. Where’s Donovan?”

“How would I know?” Exasperated and impatient and totally not getting it. “Malcolm, forget it. You’re freaking out over nothing.”

Everybody always thought it was nothing. Like Malcolm was some kind of nutter. “It’s not nothing!” Malcolm snatched Bryce by the front of his shirt and jerked him close. “Call Donovan!”

Get your copy of Bloodhound!

Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Kobo, Smashword

Bloodhound - Rise of the Unseelie #4 Coming Soon!

 Donovan rescued the earthborns. Protected them. Gave them shelter from the predators who would feast on their blood and Sidhe magic.

 That time is over.

 Time for the earthborns to train. To fight back. To reclaim what is theirs.

 Time to show the world what it means to be Unseelie.

Bloodhound

Rise of the Unseelie #4

Coming Soon!

Disciple - Dear X (You Don't Own Me)

 For me, I find music is a powerful inspiration when I am writing. As we are working on finishing up Bloodhound, the fourth book in the Rise of the Unseelie series, one of the songs I have in Malcolm's playlist is Disciple's "Dear X (You Don't Own Me)". This song seems perfect for Malcolm at this stage in his life, when he is beginning to recover from the trauma of a year of abuse in the goblins' cave and starting to find a strength within himself.

When you look through the Glamour Club music videos for Malcolm, you can see the emotional journey he's been on. At only seventeen, he's still got a lot of growing and maturing ahead of him. Between the abuse of his past, and the challenges of his magic, the road ahead is still a rocky one. Donovan has been a rock for him and is giving him a foundation on which to build. Sounds all well and good, until you remember that Donovan was the head of the Unseelie Elite and a deadly force to reckon with.

Feel free to leave a comment or send me an email at Archer[at]sidhetouch.com . I'd love to hear your thoughts or suggestions about Glamour Club videos and casting calls, or anything about the stories. Reader comments and questions have already helped to shape the series. I would love to make this a more interactive world for you to feel immersed in.


enjoy: Disciple - Dear X (You Don't Own Me)

Casting Call: London (take two)

 A wonderful fan suggested the lovely and talented Anna Silk for the Casting Call for London, the lead character in the Touched series. We can't agree with them more! Anna has the same kick-ass attitude and inner drive as the character of London Eyer. We'd love to see her added to our fantasy cast. I have to agree with the comment that she would be prefect opposite Matt Bomer, who we picked for our fantasy casting of the Unseelie playboy, Kieran.

Check out an excerpt of Enchanted where the two first meet. Watch for London and Kieran to run into each other in the near future. It'll be just like old times. Yeah... that bad. And that good. *winks*

Heavy Metal is So Unseelie

 Our awesome and lovely Glamour Club DJ @RegencyEmma suggested this song for the Unseelie. In real life, Emma is a sweet and awesome supporter of the Sidhe, giving us Glamour Club song suggestions and shout-outs on Twitter. It's hard to think about the Glamour Club on this blog without thinking of her! (See how many song suggestions she's made?) So of course, Ravynheart and I had to bring her fictionally into the 'real' Glamour Club itself. She had a cameo is Eyes of Magic, as the fairy DJ who keeps the music flowing when there isn't a live band. Watch for her to show up again in Bloodhound, the next of the Rise of the Unseelie books.

Do you have a song suggestion or a casting call suggestion? Let me know at Archer [at] SidheTouch.com

Thanks for today's song suggestion Emma!

Enjoy: Black Veil Bride - Never Give In

Casting Call: Bryce

 For our fantasy cast, we have selected Lucas Till as the actor we'd love to see in the role of the Unseelie firebrand, Bryce. The character of Bryce makes his first appearance in Aftershock, when Donovan finds him locked up for arson. Because he was untrained in his magic he couldn't help accidentally setting things alight. Since joining the Sidhe of the Glamour Club he's gained a lot of control. Bryce appears throughout the Rise of the Unseelie urban fantasy series.


Here's a snippet from Eyes of Magic, when Malcolm is first introduced to Bryce...


For the rest of the afternoon Kieran played tour guide, giving Malcolm the lay of the club. Flats on the second floor, and all of the ‘earthborn’ Sidhe stayed there. Counting Malcolm, there were just five of them so far, but there were enough flats for more. Donovan wasn’t an earthborn and had his own place somewhere on the basement level. The Glamour Club pretty much filled up the main floor, with some offices and storerooms in the back. The best was the lower level, which was one massive training area with a boxing ring, tumbling mat, punching bags, balance beam, targets, and a whole wall mounted with all manner of weapons. The place smelled like sweat and magic.

Malcolm whispered in awe, “Bloody brilliant.”

The only one other person besides them in the whole basement was a redheaded fellow who pitched fist-sized balls of fire at a metal target. Flames flickered over his entire body, but didn’t catch his clothes on fire. Each fireball he flung whooshed through the air and then burst on the metal target. Kieran called out to him, “Hey Bryce, meet Malcolm.”

Flames licked over him even as he reached out to shake hands. Malcolm jerked away, but Bryce just laughed, “Kinda twitchy, isn’t he?”

Malcolm backed off from him as Bryce went back to blasting the paint off the target. Blokes with flames coming out of their skin shouldn’t be practical jokers.

The Sidhe book trailer

 We've made a teaser trailer for the three lines in The Sidhe urban fantasy series: Rise of the Unseelie, Champion of the Sidhe, and Touched. We hope you find it intriguing. Enjoy!

The video is also available on YouTube, if you'd like to see a larger version. 

Feel free to share or link to the video.

A Song For Kieran and London in Enchanted

 The guys from the Rise of the Unseelie urban fantasy series make an appearance in Enchanted, the latest book in the Touched urban fantasy series. Kieran and London have one wild evening. I can't tell you much without giving away spoilers, but today's Glamour Club song is a fun one and fits really well with the action in Enchanted, with Kieran's sexy/ playful style, and with what the future holds in store for these two. 

enjoy: Maroon 5 - Moves Like Jagger

Enchanted - Touched #3

 Here's a sneak peek at the first chapter in Enchanted!

 Chapter One

London wasn’t looking for Mr. Right. Not even Mr. Right Now. No, she searched for someone much more special than that. More unique. She searched for someone with that special Touch. The Touch she craved. The Touch she would die without.

Most humans cursed with this particular addiction died lonely, miserable deaths. But London wasn’t most humans. She wouldn’t go out that way.

Six weeks.

For six weeks she’d scrounged for every lead. Hit up favors from every underworld scum, fey or otherwise. Promised some disgusting favors to others, if they could point her in the right direction.

Six weeks of total agony. The need… the longing… twisted within her, becoming more and more unbearable with each breath. Finding a Sidhe wasn’t an option. It meant her life and her sanity.

But finding this special someone was only the first problem. The second… well, that’s what the gun was for.

So when she spotted tall, dark, and Sidhe slipping out of the curtain of Glamour that disguised the entrance to a fey-only club, London trailed him. She knew how to tail a suspect, not that this fellow taxed her skill set. He glanced up from his smartphone just often enough to navigate.

To the uninitiated, this particular Sidhe could pass for human. A really sexy human male. The kind of sexy that made you stare. The kind of drop dead gorgeous Hollywood would pay millions for, but could only achieve after hours in a make-up chair and with careful camera angles and creative lighting. There was simply no such thing as an unattractive Sidhe. Heck, there was no such thing as a kind-of good-looking Sidhe. They were all— every last cursed one of them— too damned sexy for anyone’s good.
So that was one reason London hadn’t a single doubt that her prey was Sidhe.

The rugby jersey, the jeans, the trainers, none of it fooled her for a second. He moved with the fluid grace of a dancer, covering ground easily on those long, sexy legs of his. London spoiled herself, admiring his gorgeous bum as she followed. Those jeans fit him wicked perfectly.

The enjoyment lasted only a few blocks, where he passed from the sparsely populated industrial area to a street lined with shops. The Sidhe ducked into the music store. London paused outside, watching him through the window as he flipped through CDs. She smiled to herself. That should occupy him just long enough.

Within five minutes, she parked her car along the Sidhe’s route. London squeezed the steering wheel, but her hands still trembled. Every second telescoped with impatient agony as she glared at the empty street. Where is he? What if he doesn’t come back this way? The earthborns, the young and inexperienced Sidhe, didn’t often stray from the club. There was no telling how long she’d have to wait for another opportunity. “Come on, now,” she murmured. “You’ve jerked me around long enough.”

The Sidhe turned the corner two blocks down, heading her way. London stared at him, transfixed by the perfection of his body and the promise of his magic, both lethal obsessions. Snapping herself out of her daze, she accused him, “You did this to me.” Maybe not this guy in particular, but one of his kind. They didn’t care, these Sidhe. None of them cared. Just like Rico, who cursed her so she’d work for him. Just like the dark-eyed Sidhe whose name she didn’t even know, but who’d sent her and the other hapless humans he controlled off on a doomed temple raid, to slaughter or be slaughtered. They just didn’t care. None of these Sidhe cared.

They’d meant to enslave her with this curse. Time for them to pay the price. Time for her to take control again.

The Sidhe carried a small shopping bag, his attention focused on the CD case in his hand, reading as he walked.

London slipped unnoticed from her vehicle and circled around the rear bumper, out of his line of sight. As she peeked over the car, her hand slipped into her blazer pocket. She’d have to time it just right. When the Sidhe passed the front bumper, London moved.

Not every private investigator was trained in hand-to-hand combat. In truth, London hadn’t done much herself until she’d begun to specialize in parahuman cases, those involving former humans who’d become either vamps or weres. Even now, she’d still be considered a novice. But what skills she did possess, coupled with the element of surprise and the determination of her addiction, inspired her body to flow almost without her conscious effort.

As she strolled past the Sidhe, he glanced up and flashed a smile so brilliant that she couldn’t help but blush as she smiled back. Certainly, the Sidhe never expected her to catch his wrist as she ‘brushed’ against him. The click of the handcuff snapping into place caught his attention, too late though. London spun in behind him, jerking back the wrist she’d snared and grabbing his other arm before he could fathom what she meant to do. Just after she locked the second cuff into place, London kicked him in the back of the knee, forcing him to kneel before her.

“What the bloody hell are you playing at?” the Sidhe yelled over his shoulder, struggling against the bonds.

With a handful of his incredibly silky hair, she arched his head back. The muzzle of her gun pressed to his temple. “This is the part where you come with me,” she said, her voice low and direct.

“Are you insane?”

Certainly a rhetorical question, but she snapped, “If I am, it’s all your fault, Sidhe!” She released his hair to reach over and open the door. “Now get in!”

He closed his eyes. Winced hard.

London bent close to his ear and whispered, “You’re not teleporting anywhere with those silver handcuffs you’re wearing.”

He twisted around, maybe trying to look at her, maybe attempting to wiggle away from her. It didn’t matter. He managed to plant one foot on the ground in his struggle and London used the moment when he was off balance to shove him, with all her weight behind him, right into the backseat. He dove in head first. When he rolled back up to a sitting position she had the seatbelt ready. With the gun jammed in the hollow of his throat, forcing him to lean back, she reached across and belted the restraint into place. She backed out of the car and slammed the door. Snatching him from the street hadn’t even taken a full minute.

London hopped into the driver’s seat, diagonal from the Sidhe. The gun she tucked into the pocket on the door, where she could retrieve it quickly. She sped off. The only evidence that he’d ever even been there was the CDs, scattered and abandoned on the ground.

###

Read the full story in Enchanted - Touched #3

Enchanted is now available on Amazon, Amazon UK, Barnes and Noble, Kobo, and Smashwords

Linkin Park - In Between

 This song resonates with me when I think about Lugh, the lead character in the Champion of the Sidhe urban fantasy series. Between his pride as the Champion of the Sidhe and The Shining One of the Seelie Court, and his promise to do everything he can to protect his people, he's found himself on a near-to-impossible quest to restore the magical realm of fey.

 The lyrics within this song touches on the subtle clues in the series, which raise the question: Could Lugh have prevented the Collapse, had he only made different choices? And foreshadows the events to come in the next two books, Protector of the Light and Keeper of Secrets, when his storyline and the storylines in the Touched series and Rise of the Unseelie series collide.

enjoy: Link Park - In Between

Coming Soon!

 Enchanted - Touched #3

 All London wants is her life back, not something easy to accomplish with her addiction to the Sidhe Touch constantly gnawing at her. This time she's found an earthborn Sidhe who just might take the edge off her craving. If she can keep the other predators like vampires and werewolves from claiming her prey, that is.

COMING SOON!

30 Seconds to Mars - The Kill

 Readers of the Rise of the Unseelie urban fantasy series have come to know Malcolm, the young earthborn Sidhe. Today's Glamour Club music video is one that captures the emotion Malcolm has through his ordeal in Scars of Silver and Eyes of Magic. Like all Unseelie, though, he's a fighter. You'll get a glimpse at what he is becoming in Enchanted (Touched #3) when the Unseelie make a crossover appearance in that storyline. And then discover much more about the wild card Malcolm is becoming in Bloodhound (Rise of the Unseelie #4).

enjoy: 30 Seconds to Mars - The Kill

Aftershock - Excerpt

Chapter One

Jhaer dodged through the local fey crowding the market street of the village built up around the Seelie castle, thankful that his plain, loose-fitting clothing disguised him. Brightly colored streamers from the celebration draped from tree limbs and windows to flutter festively about the revelry. The ale flowed and the music played. Seelie fey of every race danced and sang ancient victory songs, obliviously ignorant that in conquering the Unseelie, they ensured the downfall of all fey.

Stealth carried Jhaer as far as the courtyard wall and then he unsheathed his fury and magic. With a rage that rent a boulder from the ground, Jhaer’s magic burst forth. His power over the element of earth belonged to him alone, so the boulder that splintered the teak courtyard gate with the explosion of cannon fire announced with certainty the Unseelie Elite who wielded it.

Anticipating a final assault while the captive Unseelie monarchs imprisoned within succumbed to the pressure to surrender their authority, the Seelie forces lined the top of the inner castle wall beyond the courtyard. Archers drew back at the sight of him, even as the Seelie Champion on the parapet called out to Jhaer. The corona of sun magic flared around Lugh, as if determined to prove his nickname as the Shining One. The golden boy of the Seelie Court in his sculpted armor vaulted down into the courtyard with a dramatic flair. If the demonstration of grace and courage aimed to impress, it missed the mark with Jhaer.

“Lugh! Have you been staring at your own magic so long you've blinded yourself?” Jhaer rushed into the courtyard. As the archers launched their first volley, Jhaer summoned a shield of stone from the very ground before him. The rock wall preceded him, the last couple feet at the top tilted back over his head, in case any clever archers aimed with a high trajectory. After the arrows in the initial strike splintered on his shield, Jhaer jerked up his hands, his magic heaving skyward the ground in front of the castle wall to block off the archers. His personal rock shield fragmented into dust that defused to the ground he’d drawn it from. He snarled at Lugh, the sole obstacle between Jhaer and the castle proper. “This must stop! Before it’s too late!”

“One Court, Sidhe!” Lugh proclaimed. “We can be brothers, you know. This feud can end. It should end!” Yet the Seelie ignited a barrier of fire, disproving his claim of brotherly love.

Jhaer shielded his face against the fire between them, an all too familiar tactic from the Sidhe with the magical aspect of the sun. “Light and dark cannot merge. One will always consume the other. You know this! Yet the arrogant Seelie’s hunger for power would rather destroy everything than have balance!” With that, Jhaer sank into the ground, closing it up over him.

Moving swiftly through the earth in a self-contained cavern like an air bubble rising through a viscous liquid that parted the ground before him and resealed it behind him, Jhaer detoured beneath the flames. He felt the vibration from the footsteps of the Seelie above, rushing to pursue him.

An unexpected tremor charged though the earth and slammed into him, lancing a dread dead into his heart. The Unseelie warrior gripped his chest, breath stolen from him by a horrendous shift in the magic surrounding him. Stunned to the point of panic, Jhaer surfaced once more, the Seelie not but a few quick strides from him. Before a cry of dismay could escape his lips, a shockwave of magic knocked him off balance. A crack climbed up the outer wall like a growing vine, reaching ever higher.

“Trying to bring down the entire castle?” The Seelie snarled. “Danu is in there!”

Jhaer stumbled backward before catching himself, his eyes wide as he stared at the fractures creeping up the courtyard walls. “Would I knock myself off balance? Open your eyes, Lugh! Something is wrong!”

Thunder rumbled like a landslide and then the sky flickered. Or rather the magic that gave the ceiling of the Mounds the appearance of a sky. Both Sidhe warriors relinquished their aggression to witness the cascade of destruction rupturing the fabric of their world. Cracks like a spider’s web shattered the illusion until the great bowl of rock overhead became visible for the first time in as long as any Sidhe could remember.

Jhaer kept his balance better the next time the ground shifted, although the horror that stabbed through him threatened to drive him to his knees. The thunderous sounds of earth ripping from earth filled the cavern that housed the magical realm of the Mounds. As the ground above them shifted ominously, Jhaer’s hands snapped upward, fingers curled as if gripping something heavy. Trembling from the strain, his mastery over the earth alone supported the bowl of rock overhead.

“Lugh!” Jhaer growled through clenched teeth, “Help Danu! NOW! I can't… hold it up… much longer!” All his concentration, his strength, focused solely on preventing the Mounds, home to hundreds of thousands of fey, from catastrophic collapse, for as long as he could.

Differences postponed in the face of imminent demise, the Seelie raced toward the castle as Jhaer bore the weight of the world. With muscles trembling from the effort, Jhaer waited for the dread to dissipate, anticipating the Creatrix to reach out and fortify the Mounds. But what he felt was life, the connection to Danu, fading away. The All-Mother, she who bound the Mounds together for centuries, was disappearing. She was dying.

All hope shattered, leaving only fatalistic determination. Through raw force of will, Jhaer held aloft the vast cavern ceiling, allowing as many fey as possible the chance to escape, the stronger ones via teleportation, the lesser fey certainly crowding the portals that might whisk them to the surface. Alone, Jhaer balanced each rock, each clump of dirt. For miles. Sweat ran in rivulets down the strained muscles of his body. Holding. Binding. Unyielding. And yet fissures snaked through the cavern under the oppression of tons upon tons of earth overhead. Fissures Jhaer could not mend. Fissures that sheared as chunks broke free and rained from the sky. Chunks that slipped through his shattering strength. Jhaer dropped to his knees, giving all his power to the failing magic. The edges of the cavern crumbled, creating a cascade as each lost rock freed those above it. Rockslides like waterfalls poured down in a roaring that could not completely annihilate the screams of terror. Down the ceiling fell in ever greater pieces until the entire cavern plummeted down like a mountain to entomb everything beneath, burying alive everyone who had not already escaped. Including Jhaer.

###

This ebook is free in most ebooks stores.
Get a copy from Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Kobo, or Smashwords

Find out more about the Rise of the Unseelie urban fantasy series.

Free On Amazon!

 Defender of Magic will be free from Amazon May 15th- May 17th, 2012. Get your copy today! And feel free to share this news with your friends!

Raiders have attacked Danu’s temple, slaughtering its defenders. The artifacts that are the last hope for the survival of the fey are in danger. With Changelings out to kill him, and goblins determined to abduct him, Lugh’s on a quest to find a stronghold for those treasures. Perhaps he should have thought twice before seeking a safe haven in the territory of shape-changing, fire-breathing dragon.

Defender of Magic is the third book in the urban fantasy series Champion of the Sidhe.

End of the World - Excerpt

Chapter One

“The world as we have known it ends this day.” The warriors, men and women both, needed to hear him speak. The grit and determination in his voice carried as much emphasis as the words themselves. Many cut uncertain glances his way, the deep-seated beliefs ground into them over the centuries nearly as much a part of them as their skin and their magic. Lugh patrolled the top of the castle wall, watching the courtyard below. The elaborate breastplate strapped to him served more as a status symbol than actual protection, even with the magicraft worked into the polished leather. He was the Champion of the Sidhe, even for the Sidhe who would sooner slit his throat than call him their champion. It mattered not. He protected his people regardless, most especially from themselves.

The Sidhe and lesser fey warriors of the Seelie Court spaced themselves at intervals of less than a full arm span. Wood elves, dwarves, selkies, and even a stout-hearted fairy held the line for this final watch, bows, spears, and magic at the ready. Although the technology-embracing world beyond the Mounds  long ago abandoned the grace of the bow for guns and other modern weaponry, the long-lived fey of the Mounds shunned such graceless devices.

“Keep a sharp eye on the barrier.” The canopy of magic reached just beyond the courtyard wall, preventing Glamour or teleportation within the castle grounds. If any fey dreamed to raid the stronghold of the Seelie Court this day, they faced more than simply this entire cadre of fey warriors. They would have to best the Champion of the Sidhe, a near impossible task. For greater than a thousand years, only a handful had ever crossed purposes with Lugh and bested him. A few of these skilled warriors manned the line with Lugh now. Others, such as the greatest of the Unseelie guard, had yet to breach the courtyard threshold. His heart harbored no doubts that at least one would challenge Lugh’s mettle and resolve.

Lugh cast a proprietary glance across the outer wall to the fey town in the protective shadow of the castle. The hills rolled into the distance. The internal measure of the Mounds roughly equated to Ireland in width and length. Lugh knew every tree, every step of every path. Twice he held the Seelie crown. Since he was a much younger Sidhe, Lugh held the mantle of Champion. He earned it. The very sunlight in the sky was his gift to the Mounds. The Celts once worshipped Lugh as the god of the sun, for in that lay the aspect of Lugh’s unique magic. All the life that grew and prospered in the Mounds did so by the very power of his love for this place and these fey. He would defend it, and them, until his final breath.

With a great explosion of shattering wood, a boulder crashed though the courtyard gate. No such boulder had been transported though the city beyond the castle. This one had been ripped from the ground and flung with a magic only one Sidhe possessed.

“Jhaer!” Lugh growled, “Bring me your rage, Elite.” With his spear, Lugh pole-vaulted the low parapet and dropped the twenty feet into the courtyard. Using the grace of the fey, he hit and rolled, then came back up to his feet in a charge for the Unseelie intruder.

This ebook is free in most ebook stores. Grab your copy!

Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Kobo, Smashwords