*NEW* Book: The Tribe of Ishmael is FINISHED!

Afterlife Chronicles Book I

THE TRIBE OF ISHMAEL

~Horror/Dark Epic Fantasy~

There are no heroes. Only villains.

My name is Ishmael. Brilliant biochem genius. Undercover associate in the Maldini crime family. Blessed with a handsome face that occasionally gets accused of terrorism. My mother always told me diversification was good for my resume.

The last thing I remember is being on my way back home for my mother’s birthday party. But something happened, and now I’m on a strange train with a conductor who may or may not be a demon, and in order to figure out what the hell is going on, I teamed up with a girl who may or may not be a murderer. She’s not even the worst one aboard.

The worst one may be...me

Welcome Aboard the Sunnyside Express.
Next stop: the Afterlife.
Whatever you do, please don't abandon all hope. That wouldn't be as much fun.

__________________________________________________________________

OH THANK GOD it's done.

Well. Draft numero uno, anyway. Clocks in at about 173,000 words. 349 pages in Microsoft Word. Someday my beta readers will forgive me :) Hey, they don't call it epic fantasy for nothing.

My freshman year, I read Dante's Inferno. It instantly wowed me with its sheer imagination. My reading partner and I admitted that there was something ghoulishly “fun” about taking a trip through Hell. Much of the fear surrounding “Hell” comes from the idea that it is so unknown; nothing we comprehend can prepare ourselves for the horror that awaits there. Dante kept that allure of horror alive by revealing just enough detail to enchant our imaginations, while keeping other secrets hidden. I found myself wondering about the demons who lived there on a daily basis. What would their cities be like? Did they think it was fair that they were being punished for their fathers’ sins? What does it even mean to be a demon? And that’s where Milton came in, weaving an accountable and yet sympathetic portrait of Lucifer and his followers. Toss in two humans with a heavenly host of secrets, and The Tribe of Ishmael was born. 

It bears saying that this is a work of pure fiction. It explores how we create our own heavens and hells, but it is not intended to represent any faith or religion. Although certain characters and concepts are definitely influenced by Biblical, Rabbinical, and Islamic literature, other parts are entirely the result of my hyperactive imagination *grins*.

So I've surfaced briefly for air to celebrate the manuscript's completion, but now I must dive back under into the editing world. I do hope to have this book available by the end of the year, and I will post a cover as soon as I'm able.

In Changeling Sisters Series news, I know many of you have been patiently awaiting for Book II, Year of the Tiger, to be available outside of Amazon.com. I'm pleased to say that I will be free of exclusivity clauses in late October. Look for the third book in the series, Year of the Dragon, to be released sometime in 2014. 

If you haven't visited yet, check out fellow author Sharon Stevenson's website, where this August she will be releasing a Top Five Kickass Heroines article featuring Citlalli Alvarez from the Changeling Sisters Series! She's also hosting a  Reader Survey with an Amazon gift card prize draw and conducting indie author interviews, so a lot of cool stuff happening there. Sharon is the author of the Gallows Series, which features a pair of demon ass-kicking twins. She's also launching a brand new series, Book I: Raised, on August 15th, so make sure to go check it out!

THANK YOU EVERYONE for your support, reviews, ratings, in general, for just taking a chance on my books. I love sharing these stories with you. As my fellow indie authors know: writing isn't a choice, it's what we do.

Awesome song!

'Nuff said. Wish this singer every success. 

"Royals" by Lorde:

July 2013 Book Review: Darkfever

Darkfever

By Karen Marie Moning

~Book Review~

*Minor Spoilers*

THIS HIGHLY ADDICTING START to the five-book Fever Series introduces a darkly atmospheric Dublin full of twists, turns, and vicious fey who feed on the unwary at night. All of this is made highly amusing when picturing heroine “Mac” toddling along the dusky streets, as she is a self-professed lover of all things pink and often likened to a Barbie doll. The sheltered twenty-two-year old lives a blissful life in the South, sipping on sweet tea and working on her tan. However, when she receives an odd message from her sister staying abroad in Ireland, followed by the news of her horrific murder, Mac takes it upon herself to track down her sister’s killer.

Mac’s reluctant guide in Dublin is the mysterious Jericho Barrons, a sexy and aloof bookshop owner who agrees to help Mac for reasons of his own. The tension absolutely crackles between these two, particularly as Mac has a habit of doing the opposite of everything Barrons orders. However, when it becomes apparent that Mac can sense Fey artifacts, there’s no way Barrons is letting Mac go anywhere. Both Mac’s sister’s fate and the key to ruling the mortal and Fey worlds seems to be tied to the fabled Sinsar Dubh, a book of immense power in Celtic lore, and the unlikely pair set off to find it.

I really enjoyed the mystery of *what* Barrons is and the power that radiates off of him in every scene—he may be a jackass, but he’s a very compelling one. Equally as fascinating is the death-by-sex Fae Prince V’lane. Yes. I just said “death-by-sex.” Moning’s imagination absolutely shines when writing about Mac’s encounters with the Dark Fey. There are some truly grotesque ones, and picturing them lurking in the foggy streets of Dublin after the pubs close is wonderfully spine-tingling. Both Barrons and V’lane are ruthless, ambitious, and multi-layered—which makes the innocent Mac’s relationships with them a tad uncomfortable.

It was difficult to respect Mac. It should be easy enough; the girl’s flown across the Atlantic to track down her sister’s murderer, and that takes guts. However, the pink love affair was blown over the top, making it hard to take her seriously when she took a stand against Barrons. Oftentimes she challenged him out of sheer obstinacy (hiding important clues and information), and not because it was the smart decision, which made her feel pouty and immature. Kudos to Moning for creating a heroine who has a backbone, but a whining, self-absorbed Barbie doll is damn near impossible to like. Let’s toast a pint of Guinness to hoping Mac matures in future installments. 

 

Despite an irritating protagonist, the story is well-told. The pacing idles and surges ahead at all the right moments, making the book nearly impossible to put down. When you reach the “end,” you will curse the universe for being unfair, as there is not much in the way of finality. It feels like the brakes were unnecessarily pumped on the story (ahem, publisher’s decision?). As I obviously enjoyed the world-building behind the Dark Fey and the mystery of the sinister Sinsar Dubh, I can happily report that the series concludes satisfactorily in Book V—but it is definitely recommended to have the next book on hand.

Recommended for fans of: Ilona Andrews, Patricia Briggs, and Anne Bishop

August Book Review: The Immortal Rules by Julie Kagawa

Author Spotlight: Multiculturalism in YA Fantasy, Sci Fi, Paranormal, and Fun Books

Hi Everyone! To folks in the US, I hope you have a lovely Fourth of July weekend!

I was recently selected for an Author Spotlight in the Goodreads Groups, "Multiculturalism in YA Fantasy, Sci Fi, Paranormal, and Fun Books." I've had a lot of fun participating in the thoughtful discussions here and meeting folks from all over the globe. It's fantastic to hear about so many other indie books that are breaking out of the mainstream, Euro-centric mold. You'll definitely want to be part of the discussion. Check it out here:

http://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/1398656-a-blend-of-urban-and-high-fantasy-with-a-strong-latina-protagonist-autho

For those of you who don't know, this Goodreads groups is moderated by the fabulous duo Libertad and Guinevere, who run a wonderfully thought-provoking blog dedicated to celebrating multicultural entries into YA fantasy. They conduct book reviews, host discussions, and keep us updated on their upcoming novels, so please drop by!

http://twinjabookreviews.blogspot.com/

July Book Review of the Month coming soon! Karen Marie Moning is well-known for her Scottish romance novels, but in her dark fantasy Fever Series, we get to go to Ireland :) I had the marvelous opportunity to spend time over there in the small coastal town of Galway, so I'm excited to revisit old legends of the Sidhe in Dark Fever.

Author Interview

Hi All,

I was recently interviewed by fellow author Alexandra Butcher, who hosts a great blog for readers and authors to interact at the Library of Erana. Alexandra is also the author of The Light Beyond the Storm Chronicles. 

You can find the interview here. 

To US readers, have a great Fourth of July!

Jjimjilbang It! 찜질방에 가자!

KOREAN TEACHERS unfortunately have to work on Saturdays, but if you're a foreign English teacher, you most likely get weekends off! There are probably a number of places you’d like to visit for a quick weekend getaway, but hotel costs have you worried. Or maybe you find yourself out in Seoul for the night, and you don’t really feel like taking an hour-long subway ride home. Jjimjilbangs are the famous Korean bathhouses that offer hot spas, saunas, massages—and even a little mat on which to spend the night. 

Image courtesy of koreagetaround.wordpress.com.

 This is your poolside alternative to motels and hostels. Visits can cost as little as 8,000 to 14,0000 won per night ($8-14), depending on the bathhouse. Inner city jjimjilbang stays may cost more. 

I’ve stayed at a number of different jjimjilbangs in Seoul, North Chungcheong, and Jeju Island (which featured one built over natural hot springs). The main routine is basically the same: at the counter, you will be given your jjimjilbang clothes—usually pink or orange shorts and an overlarge T-shirt—and two locker keys on a bracelet for your shoes and clothes. The first room is where you will deposit your shoes for the duration of your stay. Next you’ll arrive at a main co-ed room, set up with a snack counter, TV, and mats & pillows for sleeping. One of my favorite Seoul jjimjilbangs was built like a multi-level hive with massage chairs, quiet/loud rooms, and sand rooms for stripping the dead skin from your feet.

Image courtesy of http://english.visitkorea.or.kr/.

We arrived in the dead of night, so there was a lot of competition for sleeping space. At the very top floor, we managed to find a cluster of little “dens” built out of wooden blocks that you could climb up ladders to nest in. Surrounded by strangers and suffering from an incredible paranoia of getting my phone jacked (ever since I nearly got pick-pocketed in England many years back), I think it’s safe to say I didn’t sleep well. It was incredibly warm, though.

At other jjimjilbangs, I’ve fallen asleep on massage chairs or mats. It’s generally a pleasant free-for-all with families, couples, or working people spending the night there, and you get to enjoy delicious snacks like sikhye (rice juice) and most awesome of all, patbingsu (shaved ice topped with sweet red beans, kiwi, strawberries, and whip cream).

An amazing patbingsu. Image courtesy of www.thewalrus.com/blogs.

 The next day, we got to explore a bit before checking out. The baths are segregated, so men and women go to their separate locker rooms, strip down, and enter a steamy room filled with hot and cold baths, dry heat saunas, and depending how creative your jjimjilbang is—ice, crystal, sand, or wood rooms. Regular showers are available to use before entering the spa, and most include some combination of mirrors, sinks, blow dryers, soaps, and sometimes even shampoo—but don’t count on it. 

My hat is off to foreigners who go by themselves. Korea is a pretty homogenous place, so your birthday suit will often earn gawks and gossip from the older crowd. However, if you go with a group of friends, it isn’t so bad. Tuck up your hair in Sheep Head, or the “Princess Leia” look (luckily I had a friend along who could show us how to fold the towel!) and relax.

 Image courtesy of Cyworld.com. Link to English translation KpopNews.org.

“Itaewonland” in Itaewon (이태원) is a jjimjilbang famous for where famous actor Hyun Bin (My Name is Kim Sam Soon, The Snow Queen) filmed scenes for the successful K-Drama Secret Garden. You get to take a picture with the cut-out!)

 Image courtesy of http://www.lostintherok.com/.

To find a jjimjilbang, look for the Hangeul characters, 찜질방, or find the sauna symbol of three heat waves, pictured below:

Above, you might recognize "사우나": Sa-oo-na, or Sauna. Image courtesy of www.hobotraveler.com.

Some may be several floors up or down in a building, so look carefully for floor numbers (L1 = Level 1, ect). It’s recommended to travel with someone up to speed on their Korean, as there may be no English speaking services available, and it's also the best way to take full advantage of massage/bathing routines available (like the "thread face shave"! :D). And perhaps don’t go to a jjimjilbang too close to where you live—you never know if you might run into one of your students out with their family for a spa night. 

BONUS MATERIAL

If you’ve read Year of the Wolf, you’ll remember that some foreigners are still working through their bathhouse culture shock. Here’s a snippet of a conversation between Citlalli and Rafael on an important initiation night:

WARNING! Spoilers!

Twilight carpeted the land. Overhanging oak branches blocked what little light was left, so all I could see was the glint of Rafael’s white T-shirt ahead of me and a flash of raggedy jeans. He caught me looking at him and grinned, falling back into step beside me.

“Is that really what you’re going to wear?” he asked, raising an eyebrow as he looked up and down my leather jacket, shimmering silver V-neck, and skinny jeans.

“Well, yeah. I didn’t expect it to be such a hike to get there,” I huffed, dragging my tote bag along. He didn’t make any effort to help me carry it.

“I’m just saying,” he gestured to that white T-shirt hugging his lean, defined muscles. “We wolves go through clothes pretty quickly. It’s not like clothes can change with us. We’ve all seen enough of each other at one point or another—or too much, in Jaehoon’s case.”

I must have looked mortified, because he grinned evilly. “Come on, Citlalli. You’ve lived here for four years? You must have braved the jjimjilbangs at one point or another.”

The jjimjilbangs were Korean public bathhouses, notorious for scrubbing off all that dead, nasty skin until you were left raw and clean and fearful of any ajumma wielding an abrasive sponge. However, there was a strict no bathing suit rule. Mami had made me go once. I’d had to break into the liquor cabinet to summon up the nerve. Everyone was naturally curious about foreigners, and had no qualms, none at all, about staring. I was terrified, absolutely terrified, of public nudity.

I tossed my hair and glanced back at Rafael. “Sure. I have no problem with it.”

—© 2012 Year of the Wolf

Disclaimer: The above is depicted as fiction, not fact.

YEAR OF THE TIGER *free* for Father's Day Weekend

YEAR OF THE TIGER, the second book in the urban fantasy Changeling Sisters Series, will be free June 15-16th on Amazon.com. 

"Citlalli Alvarez checks her pride in order to convince the Seoul werewolves to launch a dangerous scheme, while her half-sister Raina plays a risky game of seduction in order to steal the soul of a gorgeous 16th-century vampyre. One thing's for certain: no one is waiting on rescue."

Free Copy can be downloaded onto Kindle, Kindle App (Smartphone/Tablet/iPad), and Kindle Cloud Reader (PC).