vacation.... or not

 So I have been off my blog for almost a year. I had been on a diet and trying to get ready for the new year. I have been doing craft shows and crocheting and reading. It has been a busy year. I am going to try to get back into the swing of things, it is my resolution. 

Our new cat! renaissance pet portraits of our cats!

 When we looked at our house there were kittens in the basement. When we got our house we ended up with a boy and a girl. I was in a car accident and did not realize that kittens can get pregnant so fast. I was home alone and Orbit had 4 kittens, one was born not breathing, but I rubbed her until she took a breath. Now, about 16 years later we are blessed to still have Orbit with us. She was an amazing mom!  In the beginning of the year we were given the opportunity to save a cat from going to the Humane Society. She is spunky! 

We named her Doublemint.

Orbit and her sleep on our bed every night and are getting along great! 

Orbit! She likes to talk a lot. 

I took many pictures pictures of the kittens and their dad, and they are hanging all over the house. 

I was given the opportunity to review a pet portrait. I was really excited to check out the options, We have all seen the picture of dogs playing poker. How cool is it that the Mr and mrs paw website allows you to insert pictures of your own pets in great poses!! You can choose up to 4 pets and they have renaissance pet portraits of Duke poses, avenger poses, and even some Star Wars and Titanic inspired poses. There are Harry potter themes, Game of thrones, sports and many others. There are also many different items you can put the picture on, of course canvas portraits, but there are also phone cases, pillows, and mugs. there is something for everyone! 

I chose the pose I did because I wanted my cats to be looking at each other. They also both act prim and proper at times, so I thought the suits were a great fit for them.  

I have many pictures of my pets on my facebook page, and this portrait is a great addition to add to our living room. 

Messengers of the Macabre: Halloween Poems by LindaAnn LoSchiavo and David Davies Poem & Giveaway

Messengers of the Macabre: Halloween Poems

LindaAnn LoSchiavo and David Davies

Genre: Poetry

Publisher: Nat 1 Publishing LLC

Date of Publication: 18th October 2022

ASIN: B0B3NK7QG6

Number of pages: 49

Word Count: 6,400 approx.

Cover Artist: Benyamin Agum

Tagline: Your portal to the dark side

Book Description: 

All Hallows’ Eve, Samhain, Day of the Dead... during this interval, the barriers between the two realms are thinnest. Normal turns paranormal; what's natural becomes the supernatural. That's when the messengers of the macabre are in their rightful element. 

Step inside this collaborative chapbook and embrace a haunted harvest of verses embracing bewitchment, boneyards, and all things that go... BOO!

Ritual

These men got what they deserved.

She looks down at the fresh grave,

breathing the sour odors of wet earth

and the recent sweat of the diggers.

Dressed in mourners' black, naturally.

Far from the smoky lanterns of the street, 

the meat roasting on the stoves,

and the violence and money

men waste on brief entertainment.

She’s the youngest; her sisters and

mother always know where she is.

In front of her, three short steps beyond 

the dark soil, is the wooden cross

with the neatly carved name. 

The carpenter here does fine work.

She rubs a swollen lip. It will heal

and fade like the others, and this one 

will not leave a scar. They all,

mother and sisters, bear record

on their skin from men like this one.

These men deserved what they got.

You’re the one that makes it right,

her sisters tell her. You were born knowing

where to cut, they admire. Our angel

sent to protect us. Small and quick, 

shadow-to-shadow, under dim windows, ​

too clever to be seen, the deed done

swiftly by a small hand and a sharp 

thin blade where no one looks.

And when suspicion arises?

“She’s the baby, we don’t let her out.”

“We always know where she is.”

What more can women do 

but protect each other?

Knife in hand now, she steps forward.

The turned earth gives a little 

under her boots. One hand on top 

of the cross, she hacks at the letters. 

They splinter and crack, until 

there is bare wood cleaved and cut

where a name once stood.

These men deserve what they get.

She’s the baby, her mother and sisters 

always know where she is.

Then she’s gone in her black dress

before any—alive or dead—can notice her, 

this cemetery ritual complete

Book Trailer: https://youtu.be/dQJA4_d_EsU</ span>

Amazon</ a>      Amazon CA    AmazonUK

About the Authors:

New York City necromancer LindaAnn LoSchiavo, a wily clairvoyant, honed her psychic abilities during childhood and has the power to haunt any benighted soul who disparages this chapbook.

Some of her Elgin Award-winning poems have been seen here: Bewildering Stories, Blood ‘n Bourbon, Mermaids Monthly, South Broadway Ghost Society, Star*Line.

Formidable dragon slayer David Davies left Wales under baleful circumstances for The Lone Star State. “Have sonnets, will travel,” announces his business card.

His Pushcart- and Bram Stoker-nominated poems and stories have been known to appear in: Granfalloon, Green Lantern Press, MacroMicroCosm, Moon Shadow Sanctuary, Ripples in Space.

https://messengersofthemacabre.co m/

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Unusual Light by J. Elizaga Poem, Excerpt & Giveaway

A Moment at the Louvre

With map in hand and Mona Lisa in my heart,

I joined the mass of harried tourists scurrying

From wall to wall of gilded frames. My eyes entranced in art

Until from my periphery you stood, perusing.

I moved right in a small intentional dance

Impulsively and without thought — ugh, amateur guile,

But then successfully, our eyes did more than a fleeting glance,

My cheeks felt warm. I managed a smile.

We stood close, face to face, enough for an embrace,

But seconds left with only our smiles. (Sigh!)

I still remember the moment, and not attempting with grace,

Any human greeting as I passed you by.

Unusual Light

J. Elizaga

Genre: Young Adult fantasy

Date of Publication: July 31, 2022 

ASIN: B0B85ZRPSZ

Number of pages: 86

Word Count: 20,000

Cover Artist: The Book Cover Designer

Tagline: A young engineer, a ghost, and a mystery at the morgue

Book Description:

How does one keep a promise to a ghost? Engineering student Ana Juliet (AJ) Diwa takes a summer job as a swing-shift security guard at a hospital morgue—the same morgue once investigated by the police for unusual calls received during full moons. And the calls happen only when Matt, a guard assigned to the overnight shift, is on duty.

AJ scoffs at the idea of otherworldly activities. But soon after, she witnesses a mysterious orb at the morgue. The orb reveals itself to be the ghost of Binni Almond, a teenager who went missing thirty years ago. Despite AJ’s shock, she befriends the entity. She vows to use her problem-solving abilities to find Binni’s family and solve the mystery of the young girl’s disappearance. But darker spirits are afoot.

As AJ descends to the morgue’s basement to capture evidence of Binni’s remains, Matt’s visions worsen. Evil spirits surge around the premises. And AJ is in danger of getting caught in the middle of a paranormal showdown.

Amazon

Chapter 1: An Unusual Call

AT half past midnight, a public safety dispatcher received a familiar but unsettling call. Amid the static and crackle, a voice uttered, “Send help.”

The strange calls started nine months ago, and they always occurred on or near the full moon. The voice supplied only their first name and location. The caller’s name changed every month, but the location stayed the same—Shoreline Hospital morgue. The police officer who responded to the first dispatch spoke with Matt Faulson, the morgue’s overnight security guard. He denied dialing for assistance. The officer walked around the perimeter of the building and witnessed nothing out of the ordinary.

But after threemonthly calls involving the same person on duty, the department assigned Officer David Jackson to patrol around the time of the full moon, when they estimated a call would occur. They suspected the twenty-seven-year-old Matt to be the prankster.

Police interviews failed to pin him. Instead, the detectives saw video footage of stationary objects moving randomly in various rooms in the morgue late at night.

The young man admitted to seeing strange activity during his shifts. Adding to the mystery, the city’s emergency dispatch system saved the calls, but the hospital had no record of any of their phones being used.

David arrived at the parking lot with another patrol car at 12:25 a.m. He saw a lone figure sitting on a bench near the morgue’s main entrance.

“Matt.” He approached the security guard with friendly caution. As the guard greeted him, the officer couldn’t help but notice the dark shadows under the young man’s eyes and the ruffled hair. “Man, you look terrible.”

Matt sighed. “There’s not a lot of sleep with the graveyard shift, as you know. I don’t like walking the floors between midnight and one a.m., but I took too long answering an email, and I forgot the time. I rushed through the hallways, and let me tell you, I had more than one sighting,” Matt said. “I guess you received a call?”

David nodded. “You have to get me in there one of these nights. I want to see for myself.”

​

“I’ll call next time. But I didn’t make the call tonight,” Matt replied. He stood up and prepared to go back in the morgue, but froze. “Oh.”

“What is it?” David asked. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw the second officer took a defensive stance.

“A gray entity floated out of the wall to my left,” Matt said softly as he kept his head very still.

David looked as soon as Matt spoke. “I don’t see anything.” He glanced at the other officer.

“I don’t see anything either.”

“Really?” Matt asked as his shoulders dropped. He gingerly turned his head and looked. “Am I the only one who sees ghosts?”

“I’m beginning to believe that,” David replied.

About the Author:

J. ELIZAGA is a fan of science fiction and science mysteries. Born and raised in Manila, Philippines, she peered over her father’s shoulders as he watched TV shows such as In Search Of, and Carl Sagan’s Cosmos during the 1970s. 

J. lives in California. She wrote stories in high school but had set aside her hobby for college and career...until she attended a writer's conference in San Francisco in 2010. The experience unsealed a door in her mind that she thought had long closed.

J. works in information technology by day, and makes time to write stories about humans who face extraordinary circumstances and discover their superhuman abilities. 

Website: https://www.jelizaga.com</ div>

Twitter: https://twitter.com/jelizaga1 </ span>

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ jelizaga1 

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/​ j.elizaga/

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Alpha Receptor by Karenna Colcroft Excerpt & Giveaway

A Werewolf’s Thoughts on Werewolf Costumes

Every year for Halloween, people don costumes to present themselves as various monsters. Because my brain tends to wander to odd places, I’ve sometimes wondered what those “monsters” would think of those costumes. Since I write werewolves, I decided to ask one of my characters what they thought. The following is a take from Kyle Slidell, the world’s only(?) gay vegan werewolf; although Kyle is not a major character in Alpha Receptor, he’s a main character in other books, and his story has a big impact on the main characters and plot of Alpha Receptor.

Hmm. What do I, Kyle Slidell, think about humans dressing up as werewolves for Halloween?

Honestly, I think it’s weird as heck. The costumes don’t even look like us, for crying out loud! They’re the movie-land version of werewolves, not the reality. We look like wolves.

Since I live full-time as a werewolf, I don’t really get why anyone would want to pretend to be one. Shifting is about the least fun I’ve ever had. Not having a choice about shifting at least once every month also really sucks. The reality of being a werewolf isn’t something I would wish on my worst enemy. (Even though my worst enemy is a werewolf.)

On the other hand, I completely get spending a night pretending to be something you aren’t. There have been plenty of times in my life when I’ve either done or wanted to do exactly that.

Of course the costumes aren’t accurate depictions of werewolves, but I suppose for some humans, that’s part of the fun. They aren’t trying to actually be wolves. They’re just playing dress-up for a night, and for a lot of humans, that’s exactly what Halloween is for.

So while I personally think humans dressing up like us—or like the film versions of us—is weird, I also fully support the whole “play pretend for a night” as long as everyone’s having fun with it. Just remember that the way most humans see werewolves isn’t our reality.

Alpha Receptor

Real Werewolves True Mates 

Book One

Karenna Colcroft

Genre: Paranormal Romance

Publisher: Vegan Wolf Productions 

Date of Publication: July 14, 2022

ISBN: 978-1958346006

ASIN: B0B4T6FMPR

Number of pages: 263

Word Count: 72,300 

Cover Artist: Winterheart Design

Tagline: Can a “curmudgeonly” Alpha who has closed his heart to love open up when he finds his true mate?

Book Description: 

When ​ Lara Jameson’s employer transferred her from Orlando, Florida, to Boston, Massachusetts, moving wasn’t as simple as just finding an apartment. As a werewolf, Lara also had to transfer to a new pack. And when she met Chal Torres, the Alpha of City Pack in Boston, she knew she had found not only a new pack but her mate.

Chal Torres has resisted love since a dominance fight shortly after he was changed resulted in the death of the woman he believed he loved. Now, as Alpha of the largest pack in the United States, he allows no one close to him out of fear they might be used against him. But when Chal meets Lara and recognizes her as his mate, his resistance is no match for the call of the mate bond and of his heart.

As Chal and Lara begin to build their relationship, Chal lets down his guard. But an attack on Lara during the pack’s hunt night and the reveal of a plot within the pack to take down Chal as Alpha lead Chal to begin putting up those walls again. Will he let Lara in, or will his fear end their relationship before it truly starts?

Amazon</ div>

When he was confident none of his pack remained among the trees, he went to the house and found Art already in human form near the back door. Art possessed the distinct ability to shift instantaneously with no pain or effects; for him, it was as fluid as breathing. Meaning Chal needed to shift rapidly and give no sign of the effects.

Once back in human form, he straightened, towering over Art, who flinched. The reaction pleased Chal. The man deserved to be afraid.

“You attacked a pack member,” he said.

“Can...” Sweat beaded Art’s forehead as he frantically searched around for an escape. “Can we discuss this privately, Alpha?”

“We cannot.” He spoke more loudly than he intended, not caring that he’d drawn the attention of the other wolves. “Lara is lower ranked than you. She wasn’t interfering with you. You had neither cause nor right to attack her. Go home,​ Art. You are confined to your apartment until I speak with you.”

Art bowed his head. “I have no way to get home, Alpha. I rode here with others.”

“Dave.”

A small, wiry man hurried over to him. One of the trackers, second in command to Connor.

“Yes, Alpha?”

“Are you able to leave at this time?” Chal asked, continuing to pin Art beneath his gaze. “Art is going home.”

“Yes, Alpha. I’ll tell Hillary to find another ride.” Dave grasped Art’s elbow. “Let’s go.”

Art followed the other man without protest. But when he peered back over hisshoulder at Chal, his eyes were filled with the same darkness weighing on Chal.

It would be crucial to resolve the situation more permanently. For the moment, Art was dealt with. It was time for Chal to check on his mate.

He found her a short distance from the house, lying on her side in wolf form, panting heavily.

Tobias, in human form, sat cross-legged beside her. “Follow my voice, Lara,” he said in a low, almost hypnotic cadence. “It’s time to shift back. I’m here. Your Alpha is here. We’re both with you. Come back.”

Painstakingly, so much so Chal trembled with sympathetic agony, Tobias guided Lara back into human form. When she finished the shift, she lay gasping on the ground.

“I can’t do anything more for her,” Tobias said.

“I can. Thank you, old friend.”

Chal crouched and gathered Lara into his arms. She stirred and murmured something unintelligible. Ignoring the others around them, Chal carried her into the house and up to the second floor, to the bedroom where he and ​ Tobias had spoken earlier. 

Tenderly, he lay her on the bed. He wished he could kiss her, stay with her, but he still had a duty to his pack. He maneuvered the sheet from under her and covered her.

“Sleep,” he said. “We’ll speak in the morning.” Quickly, he left the room.

About the Author:

Karenna Colcroft lives just north of Boston, Massachusetts, and has been in love with the city since childhood, though she has yet to encounter any werewolves, vampires, or other paranormal beings in her travels. At least none that she knows of. Though since in her non-writing life, under another name, she offers services as a channel and energy healing practitioner, it could be said that she herself is a paranormal being. The jury’s still out on that.

Karenna is a polyamorous, nonbinary human who splits time between the home she shares with her husband and the one she shares with her committed partner. She also has two adult children and a bonus son, three grandchildren, and two and a half cats. (Half in terms of time the cat lives with her, not in terms of the cat itself...)

Website: https://karennacolcroft.com</ div>

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ KarennaColcroft

a Rafflecopter giveaway