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*

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.

Casting Call: Kieran

 If we get the chance to make a television series of The Sidhe urban fantasy adventure, the actor we'd most like to cast as Kieran is Matt Bomer. If you've ever seen his delicious combination of sexiness and humor on the TV show "White Collar" then you know why he'd be perfect. Kieran, or Kie as he's called by some of his friends, is one of the young earthborn Sidhe. By definition, the Sidhe are all extremely attractive, which Matt Bomer definitely is! Even among the casually sexual fey, Kieran is the playboy of the Glamour Club. He's more than just a hot Sidhe, though. Kieran's good nature and friendship with the other earthborns brings the Unseelie closer as a group. He was the first to befriend the troubled Malcolm, taking on a role someplace between a friend and a 'big brother'. Kieran has made appearances in all of the books of the Rise of the Unseelie series, but he'll become a more central character as the story continues to evolve. Watch for Kieran in a major crossover with the Touched urban fantasy series in the upcoming story, Enchanted

Casting Call: Trip

 For our fantasy cast, the actress we'd most like to see play the role of Trip is the lovely Emmy Rossum. Trip is one of the earthborn Sidhe in the Rise of the Unseelie urban fantasy series. Her aspect of magic is 'shadow' and she already has some skill in her shadow weaving. To fit in better among the humans, Trip had plastic surgery to alter the elven points of her ears to a more rounded shape. We first meet Trip in Aftershock where she was captured by wizards before Donovan finds her. We get to discover a little more about her in Eyes of Magic, through her run ins with Malcolm. Look for Trip to continue to grow as the series progresses. She has a 'shadowy' past that has yet to be revealed.

A big thanks to @RegencyEmma for the casting call suggestion! If you have a casting call or Glamour Club suggestion send me a message on twitter @The_sidhe or email me Archer [at] sidhetouch.com

Casting Call - Joe Lansing

 The actor we would love to cast as Joe Lansing from the Touched series is Sullivan Stapleton. He's tough, confident, and good looking. The kind of guy London would want covering her back on a temple raid. We've definitely not seen the last of him. Like London, he's a human addicted to the Touch, and he's going to be playing a role in the story that will be unfolding.

A big Thank You to Kat McCarthy of the Smitten by Bad Boy Heroes blog (@SmittenBadBoys) for the casting call suggestion, and to Melissa (@MelLHay) and Emma (@RegencyEmma) for chiming in with their approval for this casting call pick!

Here's a little blurb from the urban fantasy novella Addicted, when London first encounters Joe.

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Of those gathered, only one stayed off to the side by himself. He had the look of military or law enforcement about him. While tension or fear painted the features of the others, he projected confidence. He wore jeans that fit him nice. A white t-shirt under an open flannel shirt, with a durable looking denim jacket on top, dressed in layers in case the mission took them through the heat of the day and the chill of the night. The steel toe boots were an interesting choice as was the cowboy hat. The hat was not fancy and had seen a lot of use. A pair of UV sunglasses hooked in the front pocket of the jacket. A Glock was holstered on his hip under the flannel, which was not tucked in like the t-shirt was. In his forties, she guessed from the hardness to his face, but physically fit. He had the look of someone who knew how to handle himself and had done so on many occasions. With his arms crossed, and the prepared but patient way he leaned back on the hood of his jeep, he didn’t seem terribly approachable. And while she’d been assessing him, his pale blue eyes had been giving it right back at her. She could see how that level look could intimidate, but she’d stared into some fierce parahuman and fey faces before, and not many humans had the mojo to intimidate her after that.

Casting Call - Malcolm

 The actor I have always thought of as Malcolm is Jason Behr. He would definitely be a great pick for our fantasy cast for the urban fantasy series, Rise of the Unseelie. It's a challenge to pick a scene in Scars of Silver, where we first discover Malcolm, without giving away spoilers. His tale in Scars of Silver and in the upcoming Eyes of Magic is heart wrenching and intense. We've featured a number of songs in the Glamour Club dedicated to Malcolm that captures some of the emotion in his story.

Here's the back cover blurb for Scars of Silver, which gives you a bit of a taste of who Malcolm is at the beginning of his story.

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You’d think the fey would have each others' backs. That’s what you’d think… if you never met any.

Malcolm is Sidhe, the only race that possesses the coveted magic of the Touch. He’s also an untrained teenage runaway who only just discovered that he’s fey. He thought the fey would have each others' backs. That’s what he honestly thought…

Until he met a Changeling.

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If you don't mind a slight spoiler, here's a brief scene with Malcolm from Scars of Silver.

The goblins spilled into the cell. For once Malcolm didn’t resist them as they shoved and cajoled him out into the chamber. They released the shackles, letting them clatter to the stone floor. Malcolm examined his ruined wrists. More bone exposed than last time. Bigger than his thumbprint on the right side. The wounds gave off a hot, coppery stench. Slick and gnarled like raw meat all the way around. How much longer before the silver burned through the tendons and crippled his hands permanently?

The goblins ringed around the three of them, chattering and eager, sensing impending violence. Rand restrained Flora, preventing her escape despite her struggling, her hair a mess. Malcolm opposite them, nude and glaring. Fists and teeth clenched.

“Come on, Sidhe.” Rand chuckled, his voice cold and mirthless. “You know you want your revenge on her.”

Flora kicked out at Malcolm, but missed. “No! Don’t Touch me!”

Malcolm leveled a deadly stare at her. How could she, who never showed mercy, expect mercy from him? From him, of all people? Because of her everything was stolen from him. He had nothing but pain and fury. All because of her. She’d seen him, a homeless kid, dumb as a stump. Trusting. An easy victim. That kid would never hurt her. That kid was gone now. Beaten to death long ago.

“She sold you for the goods to make that brew you’ve been downing. Cases of the stuff.” Rand gave her a jerk. “What do you sell it for, eh? Five thousand a bottle?”

It was true. The terror in her eyes proved it.

Malcolm stalked forward. He reached for her face.

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Scars of Silver 

Amazon

Barnes and Noble

Smashwords

Casting Call - Jonathan Wyndracer

When we think of the actor who could best portray the character of the dragon Jonathan Wyndracer in the Champion of the Sidhe series, we can't help but think of Liev Schreiber. Especially as he appeared in the role of Sabretooth. Seriously powerful and not to be crossed, the Champion of the Dragons is one formidable fellow. Here's a snippet from Defender of Magic - Champion of the Sidhe #3. See if he doesn't fit the role perfectly!

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As he descended his shape changed. Rather than the four taloned-feet of the dragon, it was a man’s booted feet that touched the ground. The wings shrunk as they retracted, reducing the wingspan to twelve feet. Those wings wrapped about his shoulders and, as his magic flexed to make him visible once more, the wings acquired the appearance of an ankle-length leather duster. His tail also reduced in length and girth so that when he wrapped it about his waist, it appeared as nothing more than a scarlet snakeskin belt. The clothing that reformed around his humanoid shape was real and no illusion. To the highly developed magicraft of the dragonkind, causing his clothing to disappear and reappear as he required for shapeshifting was a trifle thing. He smoothed back his thick black hair, the tips of his claws scratching lightly against his scalp. Magic disguised the claws, but he still had them, just as his irises still possessed the reptilian slit, though at the moment they appeared rounded like a human’s and the steely grey of gunmetal. The black dress shirt and slacks fit his muscular form. Though taller than most humans at seven feet high, Jonathan imagined that he passed well enough for one. The locals accepted him without an undue amount of staring, though much of that was the result of his frequent visits to the towns in his territory, to condition them to become accustomed to him.

Casting Call - Tiernan

 Ian Somerhalder looks about as Unseelie and bad ass as they come, so he is our pick for our fantasy cast to play the amoral dealer of all things lucrative and addictive, Tiernan Kilgrave. This sexy Sidhe makes appearances throughout the Rise of the Unseelie series, and in the future we'll see more of his story.

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Tiernan swagged with his lazily confident style and his usual smirk of self-satisfaction. Though only a century old his cocky attitude didn't soften even for the head of the Unseelie Elite. Then again, most exiles 'didn't give a shite' about the customs in the Mounds. One thing could be said for Tiernan; he embraced his Unseelie nature with as much vigor as he embraced life on the surface. Those pale eyes just focused on me with all seriousness, never acknowledging the other fey around him. To him 'earthborn' usually was synonymous with 'dumbass.'  Although outwardly a laid back individual, Tiernan hadn't established himself in his amoral endeavors and criminal empire by slacking.  He had been one of the key informants from some of the most secret and deadly of missions the queen of the Unseelie Court required.

Casting Call - Donovan (Jhaer)

 No doubt about it Goran Visnjic makes an excellent choice for the dark Unseelie, and former head of the Elite, Donovan. Also known as Jhaer. As the leader in the Rise of the Unseelie mini-series, he's been praised for being the dark and sexy bad boy you don't want to meet in a back alley. Check him out in this back alley in a snippet from Aftershock.

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Donovan left cash and his untouched drink on the table. In no particular rush, he left the pub. By the time his pace carried him near the corner, the black-clad vampires had already flowed from the Town Car, scattering the youths who tried, and failed, to stand up to them. Kieran bolted from the scuffle, his friends buying him time, seconds at most.

Vampires moved far faster than any fey could on foot. Herding Kieran into the alley by cutting off all other routes of escape hardly taxed their skill set. Donovan did not need to see this to know where they’d gone. Following the vibration of footfalls against the earth served as a sixth sense. Without even breaking into a run, Donovan strode into the alleyway as two vampires toyed with Kieran. Every time he moved to try and bolt past them, they blocked. They’d played this game with the boy before. They enjoyed it. Kieran knew he was as good as drained. Probably got drained on a regular basis. The vampires would never kill him, their addiction to the Sidhe blood too strong to risk losing such an easy source.

“This is what my people are coming to? The noble elves of legend and fact... pinnacle of magic to ever take form… the Sidhe who were once worshipped by the Celts as deities… Reduced to little more than livestock for bloodsuckers?”

Donovan had not raised his voice. His commanding presence rarely required him to shout to garner attention. His glare alone, one that had seen far more enemies laid to waste before him than these vampires could begin to imagine, backed them away. Novice vampires at most, the both of them barely older than Kieran. Sensing their peril, the night creatures scrambled up the alley walls to escape the mere threat of Donovan’s presence. Little more than black blurs in their haste, they fled like shadows from the light.

Only Donovan hardly thought of himself as a light. No Unseelie, and member of the Dark Court, would ever think such a thing of themselves.

With the vampires gone, Donovan leveled his penetrating focus on Kieran. The youth had sense enough to tremble beneath the threat of it. He shouted at Donovan, “What do you want?”

Donovan reached out a hand, open and unarmed. “I want the Sidhe to thrive.”

Casting Call - Danu

 Anna Torv is our pick for the All-Mother Danu is our fantasy cast. Here is a snippet from End of the World that describes Danu.

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(Edited to reduce spoilers)

Fear for friends and lovers kindled behind the greater dread that brought Lugh to a sliding stop on the dust-covered floor just inside the chamber.

In the center of the oval chamber… a lone woman curled onto her side on the floor. The fine layer of debris dulled the shine of the blond hair draped about her. Her slender back, decorated with premium fey brocade and lace, faced him. Like a finely crafted statue, she remained stone still.

“No,” Lugh exhaled. Utter shock drained the strength right out of him. His spear clattered to the floor with hardly a notice that he’d dropped it. If not for the quake that pitched the building and lurched him forward, he might not ever have broken the paralysis of shock. “Danu…”

Lugh scrambled forward as the very world gave a shudder.

Lugh gathered the tall, thin frame of the Sidhe All-Mother into his arms, rolling her body as he lifted. Twice again as ancient as Lugh, Danu’s delicate beauty remained unchanged from the innocence of grace she possessed at seventeen. Not even the pallor of blood loss could rob her of her Sidhe perfection.

The Creatix of the Mounds… The All-Mother of the Tuatha de Dannan… The people of Danu… The Sidhe… The single unbreakable tie binding together all magic in this fey realm…

Casting Call - Lugh

 For me there is only one actor who comes to mind when I think of Lugh. Orlando Bloom has all the right moves and the iconic Sidhe sexiness to portray the Champion of the Sidhe in our ideal fantasy cast. See if you can't just picture Orlando Bloom, as the heroic Seelie as Lugh describes himself in the snippet below...

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Lugh, in his own words...


Reminiscing about the past is not something I am fond of doing, given all that has been lost. At one time I was a king, but that kingdom has been laid to waste. At one time I was one of the most celebrated deities of the Celtic Pantheon, but the pantheon crumbled under the weight of its own diseased power struggles. I lost family and friends in the desolation.


At one time I was the Champion of the Sidhe and defender of all fey. I was a hero. I was revered. My reputation preceded me. I was the greatest of the high race of fey known as the Sidhe. Now the fey survivors are scattered to far flung realms of existence. I have found few Seelie fey, those of the lawful alignment like myself. I hope some Seelie Sidhe still live and are just in hiding. The Unseelie have coped with their change in circumstance far better. Their chaotic spirits adapt easier to the environments where they find themselves. The difference between Seelie and Unseelie is more than just the difference between light and dark. It’s the difference between civilization and the wild. Neither is truly ‘good’ or ‘evil’, just motivated by different goals.


I suppose the heroic tendency is not easy to shrug off, even though I have tried. I find myself on a hopeless self-appointed quest to build a realm of magic for all fey. A homeland. Since the old realm collapsed I have discovered a very disconcerting problem. I knew my magic was tied into the realm in which I once dwelled, but I had no idea just how true that was until I was without it. My new vulnerability is disconcerting and I am determined to hide the truth from friend and enemy alike.


For as you may know or have suspected, I am Lugh Samildanach of the Tuatha de Dannan. The Shining One. Son of Cian. Master of battle and sorcery. The Celtic god of the sun. I am the greatest of the high and glorious race of fey. Champion of the Sidhe. And the once and future king of the Seelie court.

Casting Call - Deacon

 Zachary Quinto would make an awesome Changeling, especially in the role of Deacon in Cursed. He definitely makes our fantasy cast for the Touched series, with that wicked look. Check out Deacon in this snippet and see if you can't just picture Zachary Quinto in this scene.

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London scrambled to back away. Belatedly, she reached for her gun. Her grasp didn’t even come close. Deacon’s companions descended on her from behind, hooking her arms and twisting them up behind her back. She yelped at the pain, which only made them laugh.

Deacon held his blade out at a downward angle. The blood dripped from the tip. He snatched her jaw and jerked her face up to meet his cruel glare. “Look who is screwing with the elves.” He snapped his teeth just shy of the tip of her nose. “Playing wicked games. Wicked, wicked human.”

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Casting Call - London

 Jennifer Connely is our fantasy cast pick for the role of London in the Touched series. We first meet London Eyer in Cursed. London is a private investigator specializing in parahuman cases, who gets herself tangled in the world of the Sidhe. Her best friend is a vampire. Her clients are wizards. And now she’s cursed right into the heart of the Sidhe conflict… with all sides trying to kill each other and her smack dab in the middle of it. Check out this snippet from Cursed, and see if you can't just picture Jennifer Connely in this scene.

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Her blazer was a bit much in the heat of the day, but she wasn’t going in without her gun holstered under her arm. Maybe it was the curse that made her feel more vulnerable than usual, or maybe the ease with which Rico had disarmed her that had her questioning her luck-to-skill ratio. The fey were not human and she couldn’t anticipate them the way she could humans and parahumans. In this line of work, what you didn’t anticipate could get you killed. The curse was a case in point.

London glanced up at the arrow slits and caught the glowing glint of eyes before they blinked away. The Ghille Dhu inhabited the ruins, if they could be called ruins. She’d seen a flicker of what was hidden by the Glamour. Beneath the disguising layer of magic, the opulent décor would overshadow the collections in Buckingham Palace. London knocked on the open wooden door that appeared to hang on rusted hinges, aware that nearly everything in this place was an illusion.

“Bain?” She called out into the gloom. They were not skimping on the Glamour this time. Not a careless flicker of the magic gave away the true appearance. It put her on edge. Last time she’d been here, they hadn’t closed her out so completely. “Bain Greim? You remember me, don’t you?”

The prince of the Ghille Dhu had entertained himself with his bratty antics last time she visited the tower. This eerie silence crept over her nerves as threateningly as a dog’s growl. “Come on, Bain. I know you’re here.”

The scuttling sound of claws and scales against stone came from above. London searched the shadows overhead. As the creature hung upside down from the rafters, its huge eyes glistened wetly. Humanoid in basic anatomy, the thing was skeletal thin. Arms and legs half again as long as a human’s and oddly jointed so the knees and elbows angled backward like a mosquito. The flesh, as best as she could make it out, was a nearly black green. The ears pointed a full hand span above the top of its bald head. The rows of teeth it bore in its gaping mouth were needle sharp and inches long.

Show… No… Fear…

London drew her gun. Two-handing the grip she aimed it at the creature. “I brought gold,” she told it, voice steady. Precious metal loosened his tongue before, but this time Bain didn’t even blink at the mention of it. Bain used Glamour to appear human before. This time, not so much. More like the fey equivalent of “get the hell out… or I’ll eat you.”

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