Keta's Keep

Saturday, May 25, 2013

Step Back In Time With CRADLE OF DREAMS

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Posted by Keta Diablo |

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CALYPSO - The Time Traveling Cat, is one of the key players in CRADLE OF DREAMS. In fact, she's the key to time travel (sshhh, not many know that, yet).

The name "tabby cat" brings to mind many different things to different people. The old phrase "alley cat" may come to mind with some people: the rough-coated, scar-nosed, tattered-eared lurker of alleys and dumpsters. Others, myself included, will think of their favorite cats. Indeed, I can't remember a time when our home has not been graced by one or more tabby cats.

Tabbies are so ubiquitous that many people think of them as a breed. Not so; the tabby is a color pattern - most often stripes, but sometimes stripes and whorls, or even spots and stripes. The tabby pattern is so popular that it can be found in many pedigreed cats today, and is accepted in a number of breeds by the most popular registries.

Although there are many variations of each, the tabby pattern falls into four basic classes. A fifth includes tabby as part of another basic color pattern, e.g. the "patched" tabby, which may be a calico or tortoiseshell cat with tabby patches (the latter is called a "torbie." Some pointed breeds also allow "tabby points" within their color standards. Is it any wonder the tabby cat is so ubiquitous? In fact, the gene for tabby pattern can be found in all domestic cats. Look at a "coal black" cat in the sun some day, and see if you can find the hidden tabby markings.

Types of Tabby Patterns
Classic: This pattern usually has whorls ending in a "target" on the side of the cat. Many American Shorthair cats demonstrate this pattern. The cat pictured in this chart has very high color contrast, which shows his whorls clearly.

Mackerel (striped): This is by far the most common pattern, so much so that some people think it should have received the title "Classic." Mackerel tabbies have striped rings around their tail and legs, a "necklace" of stripes on the front of their chests, and bands of solid or broken stripes running down the sides of their bodies. They will have the darker color in spots running in two lines across their tummies (called "vest buttons.") The ginger kitten shows an example of broken stripes..

Spotted: The Ocicat and the American Bobtail are good examples of spotted tabby pattern, although some Moggies will also demonstrate this color pattern. The American Bobtail in the chart illustrates the spotted tabby pattern to perfection. (This cat also illustrates the American Bobtail section of my Breeds Snapshots.)

Agouti (Ticked): Most tabby cats will have agouti hairs as part of their pattern. If you look closely, you'll see different bands of color down the length of the cat's individual hairs. Cats with an all-ticked pattern almost shimmer in the sunlight, because of the color variation. The Abyssinian in the chart is a classic example of a ticked tabby or agouti pattern.

INFO FROM ABOUT CATS HERE

Cradle of Dreams, an Erotic Time Travel Novella
Warnings: explicit language and sex, including anal sex

With visions of battle still fresh in his mind, Roane Bradfield returns home to find the woman he loves betrothed to another. He corners Kendrick Moreland at Dowager Huggins’ Grand Ball and whisks her into the secluded library. One way or the other, he will know the reason the duplicitous beauty cut him from her life when she promised to wait forever.

Read More About CALYPSO and CRADLE OF DREAMS

KINDLE HERE

NOOK HERE

KOBO HERE

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Labels: cradle of dreams, erotic, keta diablo, romance, tabby cat, time travel |

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Thursday, May 23, 2013

The Fair Folk, Hag O' The Mist and Werewolves -The Sin Eater's Prince

3:39 PM |

Posted by Keta Diablo |

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"Electric! Full of ancient folk lore as well as werewolves and even dragons!"

Five Stars

Yes, there are frightful creatures in The Sin Eater's Prince. That's one of the reasons I had so much fun researching the setting - WALES. My vampires don't sparkle and seldom are of good character. In fact, they're vicious.

Other nasty beasts you'll find between the pages:
The Hag of the Mist, a horrific-looking woman who screeches out a high-pitched warning when death is near.
Werewolves: Not shape-shifters, but down and dirty wolves who'd love nothing better than to rip someone's throat off. Don't desecrate their graves or they'll hunt you down until Hell consumes you.
The Fair Folk: They can be and good and bad, but all are up to their eyeballs in mischief, tricks and magic.
Tommy Knockers - Grotesque little people who spend eternity in the mines. Some say if you get to close to their habitat, you can hear them banging against the walls of caverns and caves.

Here's a scene from The Sin Eater's Prince. The vampires have arrived in the village of Abergwan and it's going to get ugly:

Mimicking their mother's outcries of panic, children wailed, and men looked over their shoulders searching for the bloodthirsty enemy. Owen tore his gaze from Andras and looked down at Carys, touched by the tears sliding down her cheeks.

In the breath of a heartbeat the air grew thick with the shriek of banshees. What sounded like a thunderous flapping of wings overhead pierced the panicked voices of the crowd. Demonic guardians dipped, soared and hovered above them, their spines arched against a cloud-filled sky. Led by Dagan, the vampires descended, their arms open in graceful flight.
Cloaked in a pale mist of vapors, the vampire’s crimson eyes blazed fire and their lethal white fangs dripped spittle. An odious stench drifted toward the gallows—a pungent mixture of ashes, the earth and death.

Owen assessed the scene. Please, not Carys, don't take her.

Dagan stood in the center of the paralyzed onlookers, his cape shimmering in a vibrant shade of blood red. Stunned into silence, villagers stared with their mouths agape, their eyes masked in terror.

Things happened so quickly, Owen couldn't remember their order. Dagan sliced through the throat of an innocent bystander with one swift slash of his hand. His companions rushed through the crowd, their dark clothing a wild haze of speed. So many were cut down while frozen in time; their legs anchored to the ground, the whites of their eyes the only part visible. Screams shook the stars, blood arced and streamed, and body parts soared through the air, heads, arms and legs. With vomit rising in his throat, Owen scanned the crowd for Carys and finally saw her brightly-colored shawl.

He jumped from the platform and shouted through the bedlam. "Run, Carys, run!"

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Andras draw the sword and advance on a white-haired ghoul of ethereal beauty. Moving with speed and agility and striking faster than a viper, Andras cleaved an arm from the man's body. The demon reeled back with an anguished scream and pulled a claymore from the scabbard at his shoulder with his able hand.

The Prince's sword came up high, whirred through the air and keened its death knell. Sinking into the vampire's shoulder, the blade wobbled for a timeless moment before Andras pulled it free. The insufferable one fell back, but quickly parried with a deadly thrust toward Andras's heart. His dark eyes cold and lethal, Andras deflected the charge effortlessly.

On and on it went, the long tooth striking, Andras parrying. Metal clanked and echoed across the bloody battlefield. Thunder rolled and lightning flashed in perfect sync with the warring steel. Time and again the blades met and clashed and Owen couldn't tear his eyes from the gruesome battle.

Until Owen heard Carys scream.

He looked in the direction of her voice and his knees knocked. Circling her, Dagan frothed at the mouth, his hands moving in slow motion to encase her throat. Run, Owen, ye dolt, get to her before he kills her.

Without conscious thought, Owen lunged through the air and executed a perfect landing on the vampire's back. He pummeled his fists into the hard muscle to no avail. Dagan flung him to the ground as if he weighed no more than a feather and resumed his advance on Carys.
Owen scrambled to his feet and stepped between them, his arms out at his sides, his voice cold. "Ye will have to kill me first to get to her."

"Sweet Mother of Jesus," Carys rasped behind him. "The hounds of Hell have arrived."

Crimson eyes flared. "I admit I’m baffled. I thought Andras was more your type.” He cast an appreciative gaze on Carys. "Very well, your life for hers although I must say, she looks delectable."

Owen took a defensive stance and waited for the vampire to attack. Under his breath, he whispered, "Run, Carys. I saw Bellamy near the brick house."

Dagan's sinister laughter pierced the vapors shrouding him. "Oh be at ease; I'm not going to kill ye, handsome lad. I'm going to abduct ye."

About The Sin Eater's Prince

Physician Andras Maddock will never shun the sin eater Owen. How do you ignore someone you love? Owen is stunned when Andras saves him from a gruesome death at the hands of vampire. How did the ordinary man kill a vampire who possesses supernatural powers?

Dagan, Dark Lord of the Underworld, vows to take the sword from Andras, the one weapon that allows the vampires to tolerate sunlight. There’s also the matter of his father’s death, and Andras will pay.

Kindle: http://amzn.to/YFGDg9

Nook: http://bit.ly/LxNxus

Nook UK: http://bit.ly/X5S7cR

Kobo: http://bit.ly/MoF14k

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Labels: fantasy, gay fiction, glbt, keta diablo, The Sin Eater's Prince, vampires, wales, werewolves |

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Wednesday, May 22, 2013

This Week's Word - FLIVVER (huh?)

6:30 AM |

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Flivver

noun [ˈfli-vər]

Flivver means: Slang: something of unsatisfactory quality or inferior grade.

A Flivver is an American slang term used during the early part of the 20th century to refer to any small car that gave a rough ride, especially one that is small, inexpensive, and old. A contemporary term was a Tin Lizzy (referring to a Ford Model T). In 1926 Henry Ford introduced a flying car called a Sky Flivver but the project was canceled after a fatal test crash. The word has also been applied to small (750 ton) destroyers and small airplanes.

The term started to go out of style by the late 1930s or early 1940s, replaced by the use of jalopy in the writings of John Steinbeck (In Dubious Battle, 1936) and by Jack Kerouac in On the Road (1957).

FLIVVER is a scrabble word worth 16 points.

Image Reminder

Ford Model T

Get a load of those tires!

Can you think of something in your novel that is of inferior grade or of unsatisfactory quality? (No, not your WRITING, silly)

Here ... let me give you two examples of a FLIVVER in Sojourn With A Stranger, my GOTHIC, Historical novel rife with paranormal elements, i.e., ghosts, tea leaves, voodoo and black magic

Madelina

Today she would be classified as an herbalist, a healer and/or someone who thinks 'outside the box.' In the mid-1860s such people existed, but one would often find them and their dwelling on the outskirts of proper society. Men often knew more about their existence than women, probably for the simple reason they had occasion to be out and about more. Madelina is by no means a 'nasty' person but is of humble means, living deep in the forest outside the proper boundaries of town. She mixes elixirs, potions, and can even twist the hands of fate on occasion because of her knowledge. Derek Stafford must produce a MALE heir (male is the key word here). And rumor has it, Madelina can assist in enhancing the odds of that outcome. Course, one has to take the concoctions she's prepared and have a little faith in superstition to succeed.

Zara

Another lonely dweller of the woods and a Voodoo Priestess. She reads tea leaves, and if you can tolerate the eerie ambiance of her abode long enough, she might read your palm. Among Zara's other attributes is beauty. She's long a sleek, dark cat with hypnotic eyes, ruby lips and a body men kill for. When Derek's brother, Lyman, pays her a visit, he has one purpose in mind: To obtain a tincture that will abort any child his brother Derek sires. Nasty stuff this race to produce a male heir.

Zara gives Lyman the poisonous serum, but she also reads his tea leaves.

The hour is upon us, the day is fading fast.

The maiden's made her choices, his seeds will soon be cast.

A male comes to the manor, with eyes of emerald green.

Raise the goblets; wave the banners, the Stafford heir undoes the scheme.

Did I mention the ghost? Yes, Derek lost his first wife when she walked into the river and drowned. Poor Cinda, she haunts the hallways and graveyard of Stafford Manor. And she won't rest until she unmasks her killer.

Kindle: http://amzn.to/15cDs3l

Nook: http://bit.ly/KicQAa

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Labels: flivver, ghosts, gothic, historical, paranormal, sojourn with a stranger, this week's word, voodoo |

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Tuesday, May 21, 2013

Nasty Creatures from The Sin Eater's Prince - Gay Fiction VAMPIRE!

6:00 AM |

Posted by Keta Diablo |

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"Electric! Full of ancient folk lore as well as werewolves & even dragons!"

Five Stars

Yes, there are frightful creatures in The Sin Eater's Prince. That's one of the reasons I had so much fun researching the setting - WALES. My vampires don't sparkle and seldom are of good character. In fact, they're vicious.

Other nasty beasts you'll find between the pages:
The Hag of the Mist, a horrific-looking woman who screeches out a high-pitched warning when death is near.
Werewolves: Not shape-shifters, but down and dirty wolves who'd love nothing better than to rip someone's throat off. Don't desecrate their graves or they'll hunt you down until Hell consumes you.
The Fae: They can be and good and bad, but all are up to their eyeballs in mischief, tricks and magic.
Tommy Knockers - Grotesque little people who spend eternity in the mines. Some say if you get to close to their habitat, you can hear them banging against the walls of caverns and caves.

About The Sin Eater's Prince

Kindle: http://amzn.to/YFGDg9

Nook: http://bit.ly/LxNxus

Nook UK: http://bit.ly/X5S7cR

Kobo: http://bit.ly/MoF14k

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Labels: fairies, fantasy, gay fiction, glbt, vampires, werewolves, wizards |

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Monday, May 20, 2013

CANDI WALL Is Here With Agent/Editor Shop!!

6:00 AM |

Posted by Keta Diablo |

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As if the question ‘Wanna pitch to an agent or editor’ isn’t enough.

Hello! A huge thanks to all my wonderful hosts as I run all over cyberspace talking about Agent/Editor Shop at the Musetracks blog.

In this crazy world of easy access to information, it’s also easy to miss huge opportunities, or forget! Because I get so many comments that writers either forgot, or didn’t know Musetracks did pitch sessions, I asked a bunch of fellow writers, bloggers and readers to help me spread the word.

For those of you who don’t me, I’m Candi Wall, one of the authors who co-contribute to the Musetracks blog. Jennifer Bray-Weber, Marie-Claude Bourque, and Stacey Purcell are my super smart co-contributors and goodness knows where I’d be without them!

I’ve been hosting acquiring Agents at Musetracks for almost two years, and only recently, we decided to add editors as our guest. We’ve been lucky to have agents like Melissa Jeglinski, Jessica Alvarez, Mollie Glick, Becky Vinter, Kevan Lyon, Scott Eagan, Lois Winston, Jill Marsal, Michelle Grajkowski, Kimberley Cameron, Emmanuella Alspaugh (now Morgan), Laura Bradford, Jenny Bent, Sara Crowe, Weronika Janczuk and Stan Soper.

Our guest editors thus far have been Rhonda Penders w/ The Wild Rose Press, Jennifer Miller w/ Samhain Publishing, Debby Gilbert w/ Soul Mate Publishing, Beth Walker w/ Secret Cravings Publishing, and the editors at Books To Go Now have booked three dates in the future!

What we offer is a ‘Pitch Day’. I only take 30 pitches, and only the first thirty VIABLE pitches that come in on pitch day will be seen by the agent or editor. And I will warn you, I’m a stickler for following guidelines. If you don’t include exactly what is in the rules… I delete without prejudice. And I delete quite a few. (And yes, I receive plenty of hate mail.)

You can find us here:

Musetracks and there is a sidebar with Agent/Editor Shop dates and attending professionals

You can find the rules for pitching here:

Musetracks Agent/Editor Shop rules Please read them carefully!

I’ve also created a Yahoo group so writers can sign up to receive Agent/Editor Shop updates. I only send messages with agent/editor attendance updates, reminders of pitch dates, and any information about the contests we run on pitch day. Usually a giveaway or a chance to comment for the Top Pitch Slot. You can request to join here:

Editor/Agent Shop Newsletter Group

Easy as pie! We welcome every stage of writer and at Musetracks, we strive to help other writers, the way we were all helped when we first started out, and the way we are supported today.

Hope to see you all at a pitch day, and if not, feel free to pass the word along to others.

Happy reading and writing!

~Candi

A little about Candi:

Candi Wall is an author of contemporary romance, and YA.

Her début novel PRIMITIVE NIGHTS released from Samhain in Jan 2013, and STAY, the first in the Changing Tides series releases from Samhain on Aug 6^th 2013.

She’s a mother of four (21,17,12,9), a rescuer of six (4 dogs & 2 cats), proud auntie of too many to count, a soon-to-be grandmother and great-auntie, a retired Cub Scout leader of 16 years, an avid animal lover/protector and ex-animal control officer. Oh yeah, and wife.

You can find her here:

www.candiwallbooks.com

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Labels: Agent Editor Shop, Candi Wall |

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Sunday, May 19, 2013

Weekend Writing Warriors Sharing Again!

8:00 AM |

Posted by Keta Diablo |

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Welcome to Weekend Writing Warriors . . .

Dear Madame,
The army regrets to inform you, your husband, Sergeant Dawson Finch, has been listed as missing and presumed dead.
Time ceased to exist and a sound Rory didn't recognize escaped from her throat. She sensed Isabelle standing beside her. She dropped the missive into her sister's hand, turned her back on the soldiers and vomited.

Long minutes passed before a throat cleared behind her. "Our sincere regrets Mrs. Finch. Heathens rode off with your husband's body." The voice paused. "We, that is, the army, did not recover his remains."

Missing? Presumed dead? His body taken by heathens? No! No! No!

The above passage is from SKY DANCE, Book 2 of the Sky Tinted Water series. Sky Dance will released in July of 2013. In the meantime, you can find out more about Book 1, SKY TINTED WATER here:

AMAZON KINDLE

Barnes and Noble NOOK

About Sky Tinted Water:

Malevolent schemes and passion collide in this sweet historical novel. Set in Minnesota during the Civil War and the Sioux uprising, this is the story of Rory Hudson, the exquisite Irish lass with an unbreakable spirit and the enigmatic Dawson Finch, a man bound by honor, duty and loyalty.

"Diablo will capture your attention and once she's got it she will not let go until you read the very last sentence."

"A well written story, well placed and with a good plot."