Can you believe it's January 2015 already? Where did the last year go...
Anyway, as we head into the New Year and the final month of our Shadow of the Witte Wieven Book tour, I thought I'd give you a never before shared excerpt, chosen by my lovely daughter. This is the part of the book wherein Wolf and Aliyana ask for a little ghostly help to catch the bad guy...
Excerpt:
“Buenos días, Padre,” he said in greeting.
“He is here?” asked Aliyana, as her eyes darted about the area.
“Yes, he is standing right in front of me. At this moment, he is looking at me with a bit of suspicion, so perhaps you might want to take over and give him the reassurance he seeks.”
For me, the Thanksgiving week is not only filled with the hustle and bustle of dinner preparations, which takes us two days to prepare, but to also reflect on my many, many blessings. First and foremost, my family. I wished every one of you could meet them. If you stopped in for Thanksgiving or Christmas dinner, you just might! I can't remember a single year our house wasn't filled to capacity with family and friends. With my mother being one of nine children and my dad one of four, I have more cousins than I care to count. All throughout my youth a goodly portion of them always showed up for dinner at our house. As it always does, time marched on, my childhood faded away, and adulthood took over...
My parents during their dating years...Aren't they just the cutest things?
As far as guest blogs go, we have a "bye" this week in our "Spirit of the Knight" book tour (now available in both ebook and print, for those who were asking). Nonetheless, I still wanted to provide a place for your comments and tweets, and give you another opportunity to win our marvelous prizes (we can't have too many of those, can we now). Therefore, I thought this last Monday in June the perfect opportunity to Interview the very awesome, talented, Shandra Kay. Now, just in case you didn't know, she is the artist who created "Prayer for the Fallen," the highly coveted, main prize in our current giveaway! (Breathtaking, I know! I have already ordered my very own copy and I can't wait to have it in my hot little hands!)
Prayer for the Fallen
Those who have followed my blogs and book tours during the past couple of years know that I have used Shandra's talents often. She created the exquisite necklaces for the "Spirit of the Revolution" and "Van Locken's Witch" book tours, as well as the gorgeous cover for "Van Locken's Witch." She also created all of the art work and put together the book trailers for "Shadow of the Witte Wieven" and "Spirit of the Rebellion."
First, I'd like to thank everyone who participated in the Van Locken's Witch, Blurb Blitz Tour. I found every single comment made, such a pleasure to read. You all warmed my heart far more than you might guess (and I'm going to pretend that gorgeous necklace had nothing to do with coercing all of your lovely comments... ;)). I would also like to thank all of my hosts, who so willingly found room for me on their blogs. I especially would like to acknowledge those who followed all, or nearly all, of the stops and made their sweet comments at each and every one of them. You all know who you are and truly, I wish I had a necklace for each of you. But alas, I don't have Lissa's unique talents, though at times, I wished I did.
Now, having said all that, I know you are all anxiously awaiting the name of the winner of our prize, so I won't torture you any longer!
This little Enchantress did the honors of selecting the winner. I couldn't have asked for a better or more capable helper! (I know, isn't she just the cutest thing?)
Last week I had such so much fun asking the characters of "Van Locken's Witch" questions posed by my beta readers, we thought we'd do it again this week! This time we'll pull questions from both my blog-readers as well as finish up the questions from my beta readers that we didn't get around to answering on my last post.
The 'Mauritius' and other East Indiamen between and
Blog reader Nicole had some great questions for the crew of the Rood Draeck. Are you listening boys? Good. Then, here we go.
1. First of all, Nicole wants to know if any of you hesitated in following Wolf as your new kapitein when Rand stepped down...
2. What were your feelings on these new circumstances...
3. Did any of you feel Rand made a mistake in his quest to help Lissa...
4. And finally, did a time ever exist when you disliked Lissa or feared her abilities?
(Joris waves a hand.) I"ll answer that first question. I think I can speak for all of us when I say that not a single crewman aboard the Draeck had any reservations whatsoever in accepting Wolf as our kapitein when that moment finally arrived. Rand taught him well, and the many instances wherein Rand left him in charge of the ship, Wolf proved more than capable of the task and many times over.
(Each crewmen nods as Laurens clears his throat.) "Boarding the Witte Wieven with Wolf at the helm seemed a natural step for all of us to take. In all reality, the only thing missing on the Witte Wieven was Rand himself, Antonis, and Hendrick. However, we drew comfort in knowing that we left our good kapitein in very good hands...very good hands. (The crew laughs as Johannes steps forward.) "Indeed we did. Now, for question three, no one ever thought assisting Lissa in the rescue of her sister was a mistake. We were all for it and so cast our vote when Rand made the proposal. Though you couldn't possibly know it, we've taken on a number of quests that had nothing to do with capturing Spanish ships. Each of those quests presented a unique set of challenges, and in turn, gave us the laudable reputation for which we were known far and wide." "That, they did," Pieter agreed. "As for the next question, although we didn't fear Lissa in the true sense of the word, that doesn't mean we didn't carry a healthy respect for her and the particular set of skills she possessed. And dislike? Not possible. We all loved her in our own way." "As long as it's in a sisterly way, I don't have a problem with that," Rand interrupted. much to the delight and laughter of his men.
My wonderful beta readers compiled a list of their more burning questions for Rand, Lissa, and some of the crew! Here's hoping they...and you...enjoy the answers as much as our characters did the questions!
First question goes to Wolf Dircksen Van Ness, First Mate and best friend of Kapitien Rand Van Locken: Tell me, Wolf, were you attracted to Lissa yourself, or were you just pushing Rand's buttons in the beginning of the book? (Wolf laughs.) "Now, there isn't a red-blooded man out there who wouldn't be attracted to the lovely, lady Lissa! However, I knew right from the beginning that Rand was completely besotted by the girl. Stubborn man didn't want to admit it though, so I decided to give him a friendly push in the right direction. After all, a more perfect woman for our highly-regarded kapitein just didn't exist and I think we all knew that." While I have you here Wolf, here is another question for you: What did you have planned for the first man to step into that confessional?"
But before I give you the details of the tour, I feel compelled to give you a little background because, in the grand scheme of things, the 'prequel' does not come after the 'sequel.' (I know...right?)
For those of you coming late to the party, I should tell you that I published "Shadow of the Witte Wieven" (the 'sequel') in April of 2012 through Inkspell—at that time, a brand new, up-and-coming publishing company.
This fun new company said they were looking for polished novels to publish and I just happened to have one I thought I could offer them. However, when I read their guidelines for submission, I discovered they were looking for novels of no more than 80,000 words in length. Mine exceeded that limit by about 33,000. So, I made the painful decision to cut out a great deal of the back story, submit it and see what happened. Several weeks later, the lovely founder and CEO of the company offered me a contract despite the fact the book still weighed in at over 100,00 words. Very gracious of her, wouldn't you agree?
I'm sure most of you know that "Van Locken's Witch," my historical, paranormal romance involves a dashing sea-captain, and the enchanting sorceress he falls in love with while engaged in the rescue of her sister.
But, what most of you don't know, is that Inkspell publishing has released a "second" edition of the story's sequel, "Shadow of the Witte Wieven," and updated it with a brand new cover, created by the very talented Shandra Kay! Yes, I am very well aware that most author's write the first story first, and then move on to the second, but I've never been one to follow the crowd and am quite adept at following the beat of my own drum...ahem...;)
Actually, due to the length of "Shadow of the Witte Wieven," the back-story had to be snipped from the pages. Yet, many of my readers wanted to know about that back-story. So, I picked up the tattered pieces and created a full-fledged novel.
Anyway, the re-editing of book one which is now book two, solicited thoughts of all the old, majestic lighthouses that are just waiting for an opportunity to serve our valiant seafarers. Those who read book one, which is now book two, will understand the reason for that.
Are you with me so far?
Those thoughts led to stories of haunted lighthouses (no surprise there, right?) and then finally settled on the Heceta Head Lighthouse in Yachats, Oregon...at least for the time being. (More will surely follow.)
Heceta Lighthouse as seen from Sea Lion Caves by Oregongirlmary
Construction on this lovely old lighthouse began in 1892 and in August of 1893, Heceta (named for Spanish explorer Bruno de Heceta) reported for duty. The haunting of Heceta didn't begin until sometime during the early 1900's, when the "gray-lady," a wispy spirit dubbed "Rue," chose to spend her after-life within the confines of the lighthouse.
The theory behind the haunting? Some believe that death claimed the life of Rue's young daughter. In response to the tragedy and the sorrow she could never overcome, Rue took her own life in order to be with the daughter she now continually seeks, but never finds. A small grave, discovered within a weedy ravine is thought to be the child's grave.
One lighthouse historian believes the legend originated during the administration of Frank DeRoy and that "Rue" might just possibly be his wife, Jenny. The ghost, whoever she is, is not shy about making her presence known at Heceta, which now serves as a bed-and-breakfast.
Heceta Lighthouse, 1938, George A. Grant, Photographer
People have not only felt her sitting down on their beds, they see the indentation she makes upon the mattress as she does so. She's been known to move objects about the place, set off fire alarms, lock doors, make the lights flicker, and even sweep broken glass into a neat little pile. Now that particular incident occurred after she scared the living daylights out of a worker who saw her floating atop the floorboards in the attic while he busily repaired a window. Overcome with fright, he dropped the glass and broke it. He didn't care. He just wanted out. The following day the caretakers crept upstairs to clean the mess, only to discover the need didn't exist, save tossing the shards into the trash bin.
One might question this particular worker's sanity, if not for all the guests and natives who have also caught a glimpse--and sometimes far more than a glimpse--of Rue. There are several reports of guests fleeing their rooms at night, vowing never to return after one of her late-night visits.
What about you? Would you be inclined to remain for what's left of the night if Rue were to visit you?
For
me, the Thanksgiving holiday conjures visions of family gatherings, an
outpouring of love, laughter, a ton of delicious food crowding the table, and a
silent inventory of things I'm thankful for. That list is endless, but always
begins with my wondrous, amazing family. When I contemplate that family, I have
to include my adventurous ancestors. They who gathered their courage, hopes and
dreams, boarded a ship, and sailed to America.
"Mayflower in Plymouth Harbor," by William Halsall, 1882
John Howland and Elizabeth
Tillie, my ninth great-grandparents through my father's maternal side, were the
first of my ancestors to do just that. They boarded the Mayflower in England,
as single, young adults, September 16, 1620. The ship dropped anchor at
Plymouth Rock on the 16th of December, that same year. Three years later, John and
Elizabeth were married after surviving the hardships of the first deadly winter
that claimed the lives of half the passengers.
For the most
part, the Dutch words “Witte Wieven” translates into English as “White Women.”
However, in the Low German language, spoken in northern Germany and in the
eastern portions of the Netherlands, the translation is “Wise Women.” No matter
how you translate it, these women are known as herbalists, healers, and prophesiers.
They were, and still are, highly respected in some cultures.
In answer to readers burning questions concerning "Van Locken's Witch," I thought I'd share some of the Germanic
legends concerning these captivating women. After all, my heroine, Lissa Capoen
is a direct descendent of the Witte Wieven, and has inherited all of the abilities
of her revered ancestors.
According to
the myths and legends of the Netherlands, dating back to at least the seventh
century, mortals admired the wise women during their mortality and honored them
at and after their death. Once death claimed them, their spirits remained earthbound and
according to their pleasure, they could choose to help or hinder those they
encountered.
Legends tell us that the ghost wieven made their homes in forests,
swamps, hills, lakes, grave hills, trees, stones and any other object of nature.
In Drenthe, tombs were also seen as homes of the Wise Women. Many mistook the sound
carried by the breeze as the White Women busily spinning cloth and mists seen
in the night, were mistaken for their ghostly forms as they went about
gathering herbs, stems and leaves.
In dabbling in the realm of wizards and
witches, we can't write a blog dedicated to the same without talking about one
of the most famous wizards of all time, King Arthur's Merlin.
Howard Pyle illustration from the 1903 edition of The Story of King Arthur and His Knights
In honor of this childe, the
fates shall bring
All their assisting powers of
Knowledge, Arts
Learning and Wisdom, all the
hidden parts
Of all-admiring Prophecy to
fore-see
The events of times to come.
His Art shall stand
A wall of brass to guard the
Brittan Land.
The Birth of Merlin, III, iv.
William Rowley (c. 1582-1642)
Everyone knows Merlin, but not everyone knows
the anciently recorded details surrounding his birth. According to some of the early
chronicles, the great wizard is the product of a mortal woman and the demon who assaulted her as she slept. The story tells us that in an act of revenge against Christ's liberation of Adam and Eve from Hell, a council of demons devised a plot. They would beget a man and endow him with their knowledge and maliciousness. He would know all there is to know and see all there is to see, both past and present. In this way he could rule over and control all mankind.
Wizards
and Witches and Ghosts, oh my! (Okay, that's enough of that...I swear...) Seriously,
what would Halloween be without an adorable little poppet showing up at your
door with black dress and pointy hat? After all, witches and wizards have been
around since the most ancient of times, working their magic in every culture throughout the world.
John William Waterhouse - 1849-1917
Take the beautiful sorceress, Circe, for instance. In her forest home near the Adriatic Sea,
she kept sailors as pets. After luring them to shore with her enchanting songs,
she would turn them into pigs, bears and wolves. Not half bad when one
considers what she did to Scylla, the nymph. Now Scylla had a shepherd lover
that Circe desired as well. So, Circe created a spell that would rid her of her competition. She poured the emerald green liquid into the sea where Scylla bathed and then disappeared.
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