Dar’kind Promises – Secret Ten

We are up to the tenth secret already. I hope you have enjoyed the secrets revealed. Have you been surprised by anything so far?

For today. All fairies have wings don’t they?

I would think so. Yet, we couldn’t have Maura walking around Earth Dimension with wings fluttering. Could we? So Verucca had to meddle there too.  She spelled Maura’s wings with Magic. Her wings retracted into her body to remain hidden. Unfortunately, the flaw to the plan was that when Maura got wet her wings would emerge. That’s fine if you are alone in the shower.  It’s a little cramped when you get caught in the rain.

Excerpt:

Maura slipped her key out of her pocket and quietly stalked closer, her senses on high alert guarded against a trap. The young female seemed harmless enough. She watched the woman a moment more before slipping up to her. A shiver shook the girl. As she shuddered, she looked up, noticing Maura in the shadows for the first time. Wretchedness shown from her eyes in a look pleading for the kindness of simple human compassion. At least, that was how Maura chose to interpret it.

She made a quick decision that might become her undoing. She would have to hide her cramped tangled wings until she could get dry and they would recede again. She opened the door and pushed it wide. The stale smell of cheap motel drifted from the room. “Come inside out of the weather. I can spare you shelter for the night, until this storm clears.”

The woman struggled to stand, stiff and cold from huddling on the doorstep. How long had she been there? Maura slipped in under her shoulder and supported her into the room. The décor mimicked early junk, walls painted a flat yellow. Maura couldn’t get past how similar the color of the walls and baby Batura excrement.

Chilled stone cold, nearing hypothermic, the woman allowed herself to be led into the warmth of the room. Maura kicked the door shut and pulled the blanket from the bed as they stumbled by. She wrapped the blanket around the woman, seating her on the toilet seat. Next, she flipped on the shower full force. One positive benefit the rundown roadside eyesore of a motel possessed a generosity of hot water.

Looking at her guest trussed up in the blanket, her skin still had an unhealthy shade of clammy blue.

“We both need to get warm. I don’t think this is a time to worry about the details of how.”

Goddess, she wanted to let her wings stretch out to dry. Maura wanted to shed her wet clothes but couldn’t risk the woman’s reaction to her otherworldliness. Translucent wings erupting from her shoulder blades could not be explained. They’d have to stay cramped a while longer. The urgency of the moment to get the young woman warm in the shower would have to be excuse enough for Maura to stay clothed.

Author Spotlight on Thursday, Jan 17th Welcome Lori Gordon

Author SpotlightWelcome Lori Gordon a Rebel Ink Press author. She will be here on Thursday, Jan 17th to tell you about her Dark Night Trilogy

Dar’kind Promises – Secret Nine

Maura has pointed fairy ears which she covers with a hat when she is out in human public. The bad guy recognizes her as one of the Fae folk. He’s seen her kind before. Could this be a real lead to Ardith?

He comments on her ears and she tries to deflect it by saying — industrial accident when she was a child.

This scene and comment are a nod to an episode of the original Star Trek. In an episode where Kirk and Spock time traveled back to old earth. The City On the Edge of Forever 1967 The conversation as recorded on the link was

[Having arrived in Earth’s distant past, Captain Kirk steals clothing so he and Spock can blend in but is halted by the sudden appearance of a policeman]
Policeman: [seeing Kirk with an armload of clothing] Well?
Capt. Kirk: You’re a police officer. I recognize the traditional accoutrements.
Spock: [in regards to his own appearance] You were saying you’ll have no trouble explaining it.
Capt. Kirk: [on the spot to explain Spock’s alien features] My friend… is obviously Chinese. I see you’ve noticed the ears. They’re… actually easy to explain…
Spock: Perhaps the unfortunate accident I had as a child…
Capt. Kirk: …the unfortunate accident he had as a child. He caught his head in a mechanical… rice picker… but, fortunately, there was an American missionary living close by who was actually a, uh, skilled, uh, plastic surgeon in civilian life…
Policeman: All right, all right. Drop those bundles and put your hands on that wall there. Come on!

It was incredibly funny. I wanted to give a nod to that scene and other trek fans. LOL

Dar’kind Promises – Secret Eight

I wanted a fierce cat for Zelia’s feline form. Yet something that wasn’t really recognizable in this Earth Dimension. Zelia’s large predatory cat form was inspired by a Caracal Cat. They were interesting and unusual.

1272281805HlgSBy

Yet I wanted the animal to have spots. So I found a picture of a Clouded Leopard.  But it still wasn’t right.

Clouded_Leopard_by_Cowgirlsplash

I had my daughter photo shop the cat so it was spotted, with tufts on ears and cheeks. I think she did it in a way that looks very natural. So, the Tracker race was created.

Untitled12

Dar’kind Promises – Secret Seven

Spoiler:

Who is the Indigo dragon trapped in the slaughter house? He’s going to be saved so don’t worry too much about him. Remember, Maura set a spell that will bring someone to his rescue. Oh? well trust me it will happen.

In (WT) Dragon’s Mark Cathwren accidently triggers that spelled portal and is swept to the abandoned packing plant. She finds and rescues Kiernan, the Indigo dragon. There is some conflict on how exactly Magic brought her to his rescue. It is a question unresolved in Dragon’s Mark.  

Now we know the secret!

Dar’kind Promises – Secret Six

The way the bag guy gets into the hotel room to attack Maura is in the guise of the Pizza Deliveryman. What kind of pizza is Maura’s favorite? I didn’t mention in the manuscript.

Our local pizza the Mellow Mushroom has a great Caesar Pizza. My son loves the meat lovers pizza. The local pizza buffet, Cici’s Pizza does a great BBQ Pizza. And we have the choice of a variety of delivery pizza places. Is it sad they they recognize me from caller I.d. and ask if I would like my regular order? LOL.

Maura and I share a common favorite flavored Pizza. Pepperoni, Mushrooms and Black Olives. It is also the favorite pizza of Cathwren in that dragon story I’ve been working on forever. LOL Secret shhhh

What is your favorite pizza concoction?

Dar’kind Promises – Secret Five

Secret Number Five. The quest of the story is central to following up on leads in search of Ardith. Who is Ardith?

The whole world of WyrmArach, the Dimension where things are quite unusual. Dragons fly, feline shape shifters, fairies and more was created in my novel length WIP called at the moment Dragon’s Mark.  This is the working title. I know the name will need to change because when I google “Dragon’s Mark” I get a lot of information pointed at a video game.

The Second book WIP in that series is Dragon’s Soul is The story of Isobeau and Kiernan. Yes, Isobeau the healer from Dar’kind Promises. 

In Dar’kind Promises I had the chance to explore other races from the WyrmArach Dimension. The Trackers and the Fae. The tendrils of this story are in Dragon’s Soul

In that story line, Isobeau is captured and taken back to the WyrmArach Dimension where she will be sentenced to a life of pleasure slave. She is pierced and fitted for her slave chains by a Dar’kind Fairy. Yes, Ardith. Ardith has her own secrets in what has happened to her. Some of her past is horrific. The torture and her disfigurement leave her unable to rescue herself. She is trapped.

While working on Dragon’s Soul and meeting Ardith, I wondered if anyone was looking for her. Didn’t she have anyone to save her? Didn’t anyone care?

Maura’s story grew out of these thoughts. Ardith isn’t rescued yet but I have a feeling her time will come. Happy Reading.

Dar’kind Promises – Secret Four

Verucca Toadswizzler has meddled in the affairs of the WyrmArach Dimension for many many years. She has her own secret about the birth of the royal twins.

When she placed a spell on Zelia to give her a form to hide her while she is in the Earth Dimension things back fired a little bit. Or perhaps they turned out exactly like Verucca planned? She is a wise old wizardess and ordinarily manipulates things to be just as they should.

In any event, why did I choose the form of an ordinary orange tabby house cat as Zelia’s alter ego in the Earth Dimension? LOL, her earth cat form is my cat Peyton. And the scene where Maura is trying to get the cat off her doorstep at the hotel is inspired by real life events. This kitten would NOT go away no matter how much I ignored her. She was destined to be my kitty I guess.

DSCF0056

Dar’kind Promises – Secret Three

The ancient wizardess Verucca Toadswizzler helps prepare Zelia for her mission to the Earth Dimension. Her meddling causes some startling  problems.

So, Where did I come up with the name Verucca Toadswizzler?  I’ve had several people comment on the interesting choice. Names are key in my stories. I will sometimes struggle for the right name. I’ve often written blurbs with Alphabet letters in place of names. It looks something like this blurb for an upcoming Amethyst Desire Collection story.

Bi-sexual lovers X and Y decide a little variety is the best gift they can give each other to celebrate their holiday yule. Girls just wanna have fun. All X and Y want for Christmas is a little cock. They suspect their neighbor, Z, can fit the bill in a big way. To be totally fair in how they’ll take turns with Mr. Lucky they purchase an amethyst necklace from Salynne’s Crystal’s and Thyme. Whoever has the necklace gets all their boy-toy’s attention. Then, they’ll switch. It’s only fair.

 Z’s had his eye on the girls next door and he’s just the man to fill their fantasy and more. Z’s not a boy. He doesn’t plan on being a toy and never, never played it fair. He takes the necklace as the first prize of his seductive war with the pair. He’s willing to take prisoners and plans to have both the women in his bed on his terms. He’ll consider their release for good behavior, perhaps in time for summer. 

Sometimes the names have to be carved out of the story. Other times they are right there in the front for me. I can’t always predict. Such is the case with Verucca Toadswizzler. Her name was not popping, squeaking or carving in any fashion. Then one day playing on Face Book I found an app…something like What is your wizzard name? I put in my name and the result was  — you guessed it Verucca Toadswizzler. LOL Secret revealed.

Dar’kind Promises – Secret Two

So the second secret in the count down for the creation of Dar’kind Promises was found in what type of love story it would be. I am so often drawn to the stories of never ending love. The physical and spiritual attraction that you are mine and will always be so draws me in.

Perhaps it is a consequence of living in a disposable modern society. ‘I want a love that will last’ is a popular song. However, how do we create a love story like that and retain free will? Also, where can we find enough conflict to keep the story interesting?

In Dar’kind Promises our two heroines are thrown together on a quest. They are compelled to be together to accomplish a task to try to uncover leads to find one of the Fae who disappeared.

Zelia is a feline shapeshifter. She’s called a ‘Tracker’ by her race. She has a human form and a very fierce predatory feline one. An ancient wizardess helps prepare her for blending in to the human Dimension by magically giving her a third form.

Maura is one of the race of Fae, a Dar’kind Fairy. Her life has been consumed searching for Ardith her Fae ‘sister’. She carries a burden of guilt for Ardith’s loss. She doesn’t allow time for distractions. Zelia constitutes a major distraction that she can’t resist. She is over loaded and over whelmed.

Zelia feels the connection to Maura first. She wants to reject the connection. She struggles to resist her attraction. Of course, without success.

I hope you will find the result an entertaining read.