Pact Days: Atlainticia Maps #ValespianPact

I drew my first map of Atlainticia while writing Alpha Trine. Since then, I have been expanding on it, bit by bit. There is only one land mass on the planet and it has four major cities along the coastline and many hamlets inland that serve the farmers and cultivators, but those are never far from the Waters of Poseidon. Most Mar'Sani need water and chose to live by lakes and streams but they do travel to the coastline at lease once a week. The oceans covers about 70-71% of the planet and divided up in seas and oceans. Waters of Poseidon is all the water claimed by Poseidon, so to speak. 

With each book and the additional world building and plotting that I have been doing, I needed to expand my meager map which only included Thrace, the mountain range, and the military base. I needed Mount Rhodes where the Mar'sani climb a cliff to obtain the birth bed for the youngling on the way. In Alpha Trine, Zeus compares something to Inferno which is a volcano in the center of the content. In Striker it is mentioned that sages live in the desert. Mar'Sani have been exiled away from the Waters, so there will be other communities more central to the continent. So as the story grows, I will create a bigger map showing more about Atlainticia and her people. 

I think as it expands I'm going to have to start taping pages together. This second photo is an expanded part with more detailed map than the first. The paper is too big for my scanner so I had to take a picture. I will have to make a scaled down version of the continent as a whole and then make 'zoomed in' portions, I think. I won't go so crazy and make a city street map of Thrace. I really don't need it since nothing major will take place there... but I can't say it hasn't crossed my mind once or twice. :)

The one thing I like to do is make parts of the map on scrap paper. I can test out size and placement before putting them on the main pages. This one was drawn because I needed figure out what was where for an 'adventurous' crash landing. It's still a work in progress and I think as I write it, there will be more details because though I have to plot a little bit (lot), I still end up pantsing some as I write. 

Well! I hope you enjoyed the look into the maps of Atlainticia. Making maps for my world is a fun thing that I like to do, but the maps don't always make it into the front of the book. Sometimes they are only necessary for me so that I get the details right every time I write about the area. It is fun sharing them, though. :)

Thank you for stopping by and reading!!

What is on the Reading Radar? #TBR #WishList

What am I doing? Well, the beginning of the week, I finished up the edits and starting Thursday I've been at GenCon playing games and making dragon scale dice bag and box. Getting autographs from Mercedes Lackey and Elizabeth Bear. And drooling at all the things in the Vendor Room.

Title: Salt Magic, Skin Magic
Series:
Author(s): Lee Welch
Length: 217 pages
Publisher:

Genre: Romance / Fantasy / Gay / 

Notes: releases on August 9th

Blurb: Lord Thornby has been trapped on his father’s isolated Yorkshire estate for a year. There are no bars or chains; he simply can’t leave. His sanity is starting to fray.

When industrial magician John Blake arrives to investigate a case of witchcraft, he finds the peculiar, arrogant Thornby as alarming as he is attractive. John soon finds himself caught up in a dark fairytale, where all the rules of magic—and love—are changed.

To set Thornby free, both men must face life-changing truths—and John must accept that the brave, witty man who’s winning his heart may also be about to break it. Can they escape a web of magic that’s as perilous as love?

Title: Shades of Circle City
Series: (Circle City Magic Book 1)
Author(s): Stephanie A. Cain
Length: 393 pages
Publisher: Cathartes Press (October 29, 2016)

Genre: Paranormal / Urban Fantasy / 

Notes: Because the location is Indianapolis

Blurb: Chloe is Catholic, a cop, and conventional, not necessarily in that order. But when a run-of-the-mill burglary arrest goes bad, she ends up dead. Turns out there are worse things than having a bra that doesn’t fit right.

When she wakes up alive–yeah, she’s as surprised as you are–she keeps seeing people her friends can’t see. She can’t get those people to talk to her, though, and one of them looks hauntingly familiar, even though it’s no one Chloe actually knows.

A handsome Indiana State Trooper with secrets of his own tells her that her would-be killer is tied to an open robbery case. While they work together to bring a relentless killer to justice, Chloe has increasingly disturbing encounters with the shades only she can see.

She finally realizes her death (and subsequent resurrection) has given her a connection to the restless dead of Indianapolis, and with a recent homicide rate over a hundred a year, there are a lot of restless dead in Indianapolis. What’s a conventional, Catholic cop to do?

Catch the crook, get the guy, and say a few Hail Marys just to be safe.

Title: Dragons and Healers
Series: Enukara, 1
Author(s): Nina R. Schluntz
Length: 311 pages
Publisher: MLR Press (January 12, 2018)

Genre: Romance / Fantasy / Gay / 

Notes:

Blurb: A simple act of kindness from a human toward a dragon triggered the Enukara--giving the human the ability to heal the wounds of others. The dragon bonded to him was granted immortality. The price for this gift was simple. The dragon's life was bound to the human.

The greed of dragons and humans was underestimated. For if an Enukara's life was taken by another, they would inherit the immortality blessed to the dragon. Both human and dragon could steal this gift. The slaughter of all Enukaras quickly ensued, until one dragon killed his own Enukara.

The power he inherited was unfathomable. He hunted and killed every immortal who had slain an Enukara.

A new Enukara emerges who challenges the mindset of the immortal dragon and the Enukara hopes to alter the fate of humanity, by showing the dragon how to love once again.

Title: Blood-Bound
Series: Ace Assassin, 1
Author(s): Kaelan Rhywiol
Length: 272 pages
Publisher: NineStar Press (June 11, 2018)

Genre: Paranormal / Urban Fantasy MF / MM / Ace / Bisexual / Genderqueer / Demisexual /

Notes:

Blurb: Rhian is content in her life. As a pwca, a Welsh shapeshifter, she is bound to the Dark God Arawn as an assassin. So when he assigns her as ambassador to oversee Ontario for him, it's a shock.

Her new job? To find out who murdered her predecessor and bring them to justice, as well as to oversee the otherkin and clean up their messes before the humans find them—all to preserve the illusion that magic and supernatural creatures do not exist.

The problem? One of the otherkin she's supposed to oversee is her estranged husband, Kai, the only person Rhian never regretted having sex with, and the only one she can't forgive.

Title: Bound by Love
Series: (Duncan's World Book 2)
Author(s): TA Chase
Length: 90 pages
Publisher: MLR Press (July 12, 2018)

Genre: Romance / Contemporary / Cowboys / Gay / 

Notes:

Blurb: Tyler Newsome is heading home to the Lazy N, tired of the rodeo and tired of always being his charismatic twin's shadow. It's time he gets a life of his own -- and maybe the man he's always dreamed of, too.

Ren Alston's attracted to Tyler, but never made a move because of his own mental and emotional baggage. But after years spent taming his demons and gaining control in every aspect of his life, Ren sees the younger man's return as a sign of good things to come.

But first, they have to deal with Tyler's twin, past indiscretions and Ren's brothers. Will these cowboys manage to build a strong foundation of trust and love? Or will their problems be too much for them?

Title: Shotgun Bastards and Other Stories
Series:
Author(s): Andrea Speed
Length: 155 pages
Publisher: Less Than Three Press, LLC (July 17, 2018)

Genre: Romance / Anthology / Science Fiction / Contemporary / Paranormal  / Fairy Tales / Fantasy / Bisexual / 
Aromantic / Asexual / Gay / Lesbian / Trans
Notes:

Blurb: A collection of tales filled with monsters, be they human or beast, ranging in setting from dystopia to pitch black noir and even general silliness. From the ludicrous to the frighteningly plausible; from deep space to after the end of the world. There are clumsy werewolves and bloody revenge, monster sleep overs and a dieting fad sure to kill your appetite. Whether looking into the past or the future, you're sure to find that stuff gets really weird.

Title: Hyena Queen
Series: (The Legend of Synthia Rowley Book 1)
Author(s): Ann Mayburn
Length: 316 pages
Publisher: Honey Mountain Publishing (July 15, 2018)

Genre: Romance / Paranormal / Shifters / Myths & Gods / Reverse Harem / 

Notes: I was on the fence about this book for a while, unsure how it would treat the asexual, intersex, and trans characters. I will probably write a review.

Blurb: My name is Synthia Rowley, and so far I really suck at saving the world.

I’m a latent shifter, a human that randomly became a hyena Queen. Crazy, right? You have no idea. When I turned twenty-five some magical chastity belt that had been completely blocking my sex drive snapped. One minute I was the ultimate shy science dork, the next I had curves that kill and a libido that won’t quit.

Good thing, ‘cause I’m supposed to have four husbands.

Yep, four. I’m destined to marry them all and they were all born to love me and only me. My own little harem. Here comes the really insane part. My husbands? The four men that I’ll be mated to for the rest of my life? They were born female and my pheromones will turn them into men. You heard me right, my hyena Queen pheromones will literally change my mates from women, into hulked out sexy studs. But if I don’t find and transform my mates, and soon, my world and everyone in it will be slaughtered by demons from a different dimension.

Good times.

Title: His Wicked Love
Series: Lords of Spells and Steel, 1
Author(s): Mila Benson
Length: 202 pages
Publisher:

Genre: Romance / Fantasy / Gay / 

Notes:

Blurb: As a warlock, Corbin trusts only himself and his master, Nereza. When that master is stolen from him by the kingdom that has long terrorized his kind, vengeance is the only answer. He has traded everything for the power to avenge her, and nothing will stop him. Being arrested is a minor setback. The paladin who arrested him is a bigger obstacle—but not even the heavily muscled, devastatingly gorgeous man who managed to slip past his defenses can keep him from his dark purpose. 

Leonid, a paladin of Sithia, obeys the Archmage’s orders without question. It’s the least he can do to make up for his failures in the past. So when he stumbles on a warlock breaking into a Crown outpost, he doesn’t hesitate to arrest him. Between the warlock’s teasing touches, captivating eyes, and heart-stopping smile, it will be all Leonid can do to deliver him for judgment without yielding to temptation.

But all is not well in Sithia, and neither man can face the chaos alone. If they cannot learn to trust each other, neither will live long enough to see his mission completed.

His Wicked Love is a stand-alone M/M fantasy romance with a happily ever after and no cliffhanger.

Title: Badlands
Series:
Author(s): Morgan Brice
Length: 296 pages
Publisher: Darkwind Press (June 26, 2018)

Genre: Romance / Urban Fantasy / Gay /

Notes:

Blurb: Medium and clairvoyant Simon Kincaide owns a Myrtle Beach boardwalk shop where he runs ghost tours, holds séances, and offers private psychic readings, making a fresh start after his abilities cost him his lover and his job as a folklore professor. Jaded cop Vic D’Amato saw something supernatural he couldn’t explain during a shootout several years ago in Pittsburgh and relocated to Myrtle Beach to leave the past behind, still skeptical about the paranormal. But when the search for a serial killer hits a dead end, Vic battles his skepticism to ask Simon for help. As the body count rises, Simon’s involvement makes him a target, and a suspect. But Simon can’t say no, even if it costs him his life and heart.

Title: Kidnapped by Her Husbands
Series: (Wings of Artemis Book 1)
Author(s): Rebecca Royce
Length: 234 pages
Publisher: Rebecca Royce (July 4, 2018)

Genre: Romance / Science Fiction / Reverse Harem / 

Notes:

Blurb: Alone in prison.
No recollection of the past.
A baby grows inside her.

In a futuristic world where women are scarce and only the wealthy can afford a wife, Melissa Alexander is trapped in a prison rehabilitation center with no memory of who she is. The unborn child growing inside her is all that keeps them from making her pay for the sins she's committed--sins she cannot recall. But when five sexy strangers, claiming to be her husbands, kidnap her and bring her to safety, Melissa fears she can't trust them. All she can remember is what she was taught under the prison's watchful, vengeful eye: to hate them. But how can she hate--or love--what she can't remember?

Title: Starring Role
Series: (shifters and partners Book 20)
Author(s): Hollis Shiloh
Length: 227 pages
Publisher:

Genre: Romance / Paranormal / Gay

Notes:

Blurb: It's his dream job—if he can survive it.

Cooper Hayes has finally landed a great role as the main character on a TV show about wolf shifters working with the police. The only problem? He's not a wolf—and the character he's playing is.

Some people aren't happy about that, including the showrunner, Sahil Singh, who's looking for an excuse to get rid of him. Between that, issues with his unfriendly costar, and his own fragile sense of self-worth, this is no time for Coop to be falling for a hot security guard—who just happens to be a wolf.


~67,000 words – very low heat
A Shifters and Partners story

Thank you for stopping by and reading!!

Pact Days: Star Charts #ValespiaPact

Welcome back to Pact Days. I wanted to talk a little bit about maps. 

I like to draw maps for some of my story so that I can keep track of what is where. For my blog story, Assassins' Retirement, I drew his house floor plans so that I wouldn't get locations wrong or contradict myself. With The Valespain Pact, I found that I needed to make a star chart. Some of this story takes place in space and I had tacked on travel times in Alpha Trine and Striker, not realizing that it could become a problem.

The hardest question to this star chart situation was how do I draw one because space and that in it are not one dimensional. And I don't have the skill to draw something that would be similar to a holographic image in the movies. 

I googled and googled and my google-foo brought up a lot of beautiful pictures and diagrams of space but it really didn't help me. But as i was looking around the house for ideas, I stumbled upon an ancient notebook of graph paper and an idea sparked. 

I needed to draw not only the galaxy that The Valespian Pact covers, I also needed the Milky Way and the galaxy that the Arthro War took place. The graph paper was great because the light years could be equally counted. The Milky Way is 100k light years across and Andromeda is 220k light years across. In between the two sits a small galaxy that is only 3 million light years (Triangulum) that is the Arthro Galaxy.

There are sheets of graph paper joined and it's too big for my scanner. Pictures will have to suffice. :) This is the Milky Way. I bit anti-climatic, right? I've only pinpointed a few things in the Milky Way: Earth, Earth 2.0, the prison planet, and the location of another planet for one of the future books. You can also see the GryFalconi planet, Aries 7. Sidonia is the planet that Dargon and Alpha fought V'Saar on when Dargon was in the military. Cypress, which will be important later on but not a spoiler. And Triangulum according to the Terren star charts but a.k.a Arthro Galaxy by the survivors of the Arthro Way. 

I didn't put a neat circle around Andromeda because it is more filled out than the Milky Way and I wanted to respect the spiral tails of the galaxy shape. These are the primary planets that make up the Cypress Council of Neighn and the Valespian Pact. I even put the space station where Zeus worked on the chart. I'm going to add more space station and transportation buoys that are used for space travel. I might even insert the smaller coalitions outside of Andromeda that Atlainticia has to deal with.

Together, this is what the three galaxies together look like. It's not a "WOW" map but it's a map that will be able to serve a purpose for me and the story. I wouldn't want to get lost in space... LOL!

Thank you for stopping by and reading!!

What's on the Reading Radar? #TBR #WishList

What am I up to? Editing and editing and editing. I've been working on Alpha Trine. I renewed the contract with LT3 Press and I'm polishing Alpha Trine, fixing some mistakes, and adding some depth in areas that needed it. 

Title: All or Nothing
Series: The Chosen One, 1
Author(s): Macy Blake
Length: 210 pages
Publisher:

Genre: Romance / Poly / Paranormal / Dragons / Gay /

Notes: With the Reverse Harem genre, all the love interests are there for and "all about the MC". Sometimes those love interest have intimate relationships with each other, but mostly not. I don't know if the gay harems I've been coming across follow the same rules. So this might not be poly, which has a romantic balance between all characters, but I'm not sure what word I would use to categorize the relationship structure.

Blurb: A Gay Paranormal Harem Romance

Sawyer Smith is preparing to take on the world, and with his graduate degree only days away, he’s hoping to convince his gorgeous best friend and neighbor to come along for the ride. There’s only one problem; Draco has a secret, a big scaly secret, and it’s about to change Sawyer’s life forever.

When three mysterious men move into the new mansion across the street, Sawyer is plunged into a fantastical world he never knew existed, one filled with creatures of legend. Discovering the truth about Draco and his role as guardian of The Chosen One is only the tip of the paranormal iceberg.

Being drawn to this strange new world is challenging enough, but then Sawyer finds himself attracted to all The Chosen One’s guardians. Giving into his desire comes with incredible risks. Once the chosen one is found, Sawyer will return to his human life, without the guardians, without Draco.

As danger mounts, Sawyer must choose between guarding his heart from the men he grows closer to by the day, or give in and risk losing it all.

Title: Homeplanet
Series:
Author(s): Kail Muse
Length: 57k
Publisher: LT3 Press

Genre: Romance / Sci-Fi / Gray-A / Pansexual / Gay / 

Notes: I Love this cover. This title is available for preorder and will be available at approximately 7:00 p.m. Eastern Time on August 21, 2018.

Blurb: Centuries ago Earth was declared a dead planet and humanity was left with a cluster of space stations called the Human Colonies. Now a power shortage could lose them their home all over again. Desperate not to let that happen, they turn to the kyni for help.

One of the most powerful species in the known universe, the kyni are the only ones with both the power and the ability to fuel the Human Colonies. Though Calder has never heard anything good about them, he accepts a job as a bodyguard, determined to guarantee his brother will have a home. If he has to work for terrifying, heartless aliens to do that, so be it.

But when they kyni arrive, they're nothing at all what anyone expects...

Title: Alpha Unit One, New York
Series:
Author(s): Chris T. Kat
Length: 181 pages
Publisher: Dreamspinner Press (July 27, 2018)

Genre: Romance / Paranormal / Gay / 

Notes:

Blurb: The cat’s out of the bag….

In a world that accepts shifters as normal and thinks nothing of human/shifter couples, baby shifters and small shifters are treated as subpar. They are not allowed into the more dangerous professions, and their mates have legal control over what they can and cannot do.

Nicholas Reed is about to challenge the established rules. At twenty-eight, Nick has just been accepted into New York’s Alpha Unit One—an elite law enforcement team, composed equally of humans and shifters, that specializes in drug crimes. It is Nick’s dream job. But if they find out what he’s hiding, his career could be destroyed.

Enter a huge complication in the form of Sam Black, an older lion shifter who is the leader of the unit… and Nick’s mate. Nick wants Sam, and he wants to keep his job, but he can’t have them both. He also can’t choose between them.

Title: Power of Five
Series: Power of Five, 1
Author(s): Alex Lidell
Length: 226 pages
Publisher: Danger Bearing Press (May 4, 2018)

Genre: Romance / Fantasy / Bisexual / Poly / Reverse Harem /

Notes:

Blurb: Four elite fae warriors. One mortal female. A magical bond they can’t allow—or resist. 

Orphaned and sold to a harsh master, Lera’s life is about mucking stalls, avoiding her master’s advances, and steering clear of the mystical forest separating the mortal and fae worlds. Only fools venture into the immortal realms, and only dark rumors come out... Until four powerful fae warriors appear at Lera’s barn.

River, Coal, Tye, and Shade have waited a decade for their new fifth to be chosen, the wounds from their quint brother’s loss still raw. But the magic has played a cruel trick, bonding the four immortal warriors to... a female. A mortal female.

Distractingly beautiful and dangerously frail, Lera can only be one thing—a mistake. Yet as the males bring Lera back to the fae lands to sever the bond, they discover that she holds more power over their souls than is safe for anyone... especially for Lera herself.

Power of Five is a full-length reverse-harem fantasy novel.

Title: Blue Curse
Series: Blue Wolf, 1
Author(s): Brad Magnarella
Length: 315 pages; 
Publisher:

Genre: Paranormal / Military / Werewolves / Dragons / Fantasy / 

Notes:

Blurb: ELITE SOLDIER TURNED WEREWOLF 

Cursed by a blind witch in Waristan, Special Ops soldier Jason Wolfe finds himself transforming into a creature of local legend, a lupine referred to in fearful whispers as Blue Wolf.

Faster, stronger, and more lethal, he’s the perfect weapon — but not for the U.S. military. To break the curse, Jason must join a war between ancient tribal foes: blue werewolves and the formidable White Dragon.

In a battle spanning from the peaks of Central Asia to the valleys of Manhattan, and with the help of a bookish wizard named Prof Croft, Jason will test the limits of his newfound powers. Because with the curse now spreading to his mind, he’s running out of time — and the stakes couldn’t be more personal.

Win and he returns home to his fiancée and a future.

Lose and he dies a bloodthirsty beast…

Title: Black Tie
Series:
Author(s): Ciaran Strange
Length: 361 pages
Publisher: Heartcandies Publishing (June 10, 2018)

Genre: Science Fiction / Super Heroes / Romantic Elements? / Gay / 

Notes:

Blurb: While some folk earn a living driving a cab or waiting tables, this one Brit in America works as an operative for a top-secret international agency. Their existence serves solely to protect a newly-emerged human subrace with bizarre “superpowers” dubbed Anomalies - and, sometimes, to protect society from them. Recently, Agent Cabe Sparrow and his team’s duties have become tougher than ever as the world around them overflows with fear, biased government motive, and societal outrage against Anomaly populations.

And then, out of the blue, the notorious, charismatic, brilliant C.E.O. of the number one global electronics and software corporation WrightTech comes out very publicly as an Anomaly, which means Agent Sparrow and his handler, Agent Moss, already have their next assignment: to safeguard Elliot Wright at all costs.

With unknown forces scheming to eradicate Elliot for the clout he gives to the Anomaly Rights Movement, and the suave, smooth-talking celebrity himself with-holding delicate information that could bring Cabe’s investigation crashing down around him, just how far will this one Agent allow himself to go to fight for a cause that isn’t even his? And is he getting too close to the mission... or just too close to Elliot?

Title: Dragon Slayer
Series: (Twitterlight Book 1)
Author(s): Matthew Lang
Length: 259 pages
Publisher: DSP Publications (September 25, 2018)

Genre: Romantic Elements / Fantasy / Dragons / Slayers / Gay

Notes: releases September 25, 2018.

Blurb: A Twitterlight Story

Kill the dragon, marry the princess, and rule the kingdom. It’s a fantasy come true… if you’re straight.

Adam is a chemistry student and martial artist, active in his local chapter of the Society for Creative Anachronism. But none of that prepares him to be the savior of a faraway land locked in perpetual dusk.

In a world of shape-shifters, necromancy, and religious politics, Adam is fated to slay the golden dragon, Khalivibra, and defeat its mind-controlling sorcery to help Princess Esmeralda of Aergon retake her city. Tradition dictates he’ll rule by her side—but Adam is much more interested in Duin, a warrior who changes to beast form in the light of the sun… or fire.

Adam hopes he and Duin might end up together when their ordeal ends. But first, the reluctant hero, the spell-casting heir to the throne, the beast-shifting object of Adam’s desire, a six-legged cave lizard, and any allies they can gather must do the impossible… and live to celebrate their victory.

Title: The Power of Three
Series:
Author(s): Pelaam
Length:
Publisher: MLR Press (October 27, 2017)

Genre: Romance / Paranormal / Gay / Poly / 

Notes:

Blurb: Kidnapped as a sacrifice to a demon, Darcy must learn the magic and love behind the power of three.

Visiting his grandmother near isolated wetlands at Halloween, Darcy is kidnapped by Medea, a witch serving the black arts, to be served up as a demonic sacrifice.

Trapped in her cottage, Darcy finds unlikely allies in Bastet, a talking cat, Broom, a mechanical with magic of his own, and four kittens who refuse to leave his side.

Bastet brings Darcy's rescuer, the rougarou Bardou, to break him free, and Darcy's taken to Bardou's home.

There he meets Bardou's lover, Hunter. The men are as opposite as chalk and cheese, and yet are equally attractive to an increasingly confused Darcy.

But Medea isn't finished with Darcy yet, and all three men will face more dangers to find their power of three.

Thank you for stopping by and reading!!

Pact Days: Illustrations and Sketches #ValespianPact

Well, today is the last day of sketches and illustrations... Well, until I pencil some more. Next Thursday I will be at GenCon but I'll see if I can't get something scheduled for the day before I "go offline" for several days. :)

Well, the last group to show you are the Vondorians: Azaes, Shaneva, and Zeus. 

I have to admit that I worked the longest and hardest on Azaes. He is much harder than drawing humans, especially with his scales and his ridge.

I found the ridge the hardest and didn't really get it right. The bony-ridge is a slightly raised thick, bonelike scales that are red. From the red strip, barbs/spikes protrude. There are some Mar'Sani who can retract the spikes. 

The ridge starts at the crown of their head and follows the spine to the tip of the tail. With the Vondorians and Warlord Sohm'lan, these barbs can be retracted otherwise they would go through a lot of sheets when sleeping. LOL :-) Well, unless they are stomach sleepers.

Okay, so his arms aren't great but the face is pretty good. I need to redo the mouth though. That looks more like a bird beak. Anyway, since I didn't get some elements of his body right, neither did the illustrator, though she did a much better than I did. 

Shaneva's sketch is a bit more whimsical. With Azaes's drawing, I realized that I couldn't get the colors correct. So with his sister, I stuck with the idea that this was just going to be black and white sketch. 

When I sent this to the illustrator, she thought Shaneva was wearing a gown. I had to explain she was in stormy waters, and then I explained Shaneva's coloring. I had her add the spines on Shaneva's arms. When she asked me if I wanted Shaneva's head turned as if she was looking over her shoulder, I responded with an emphatic yes. 

Shaneva and Azaes are my favorite illustrations, but my favorite sketch is Zeus. He looks a bit innocent but I think his was the best sketch that I have completed so far. 

I think that because I really loved Zeus's sketch, his illustration was just meh for me. The colors are great and you get a better idea of what his eyes look like and the color of his hair is spot on. The bound locks are good, too but the shape of his face is different than my sketch. Like I said, I REALLY liked my sketch, but I'm terrible with the coloring and other aspects of creating something that represents my characters.

That's it for the sketches that I'm okay with showing the public. Hopefully, I'll have some new ones to share in the future. I also hope that you enjoyed this look into some of the characters of the Valespian Pact. 

Thank you for stopping by and reading!!

What's on the Reading Radar? #TBR #WishList

What have I been doing? Buckling down on edits for Alpha Trine. I spent a lot of time watching the World Cup gamesThe last few weeks. I haven't watched that much TV in two years. Now that it's over, I have to get these edits finished and turned in before the end of the month. 

Just in case you missed it (because I'm crap at self-promotion) I had a new release last week. Caledonia Destiny went up and you can now get it through several retailers. Amazon, Payhip, and Books2Read (that's a universal link that includes Kobo, iBooks, and B&N).

As for reading, I've been looking for new stuff to add to my TBR/WishList. I've been rather picky with lots of DNF-for-now.

Title: Here Be Sexist Vampires
Series: Deep in Your Veins Series, Book 1
Author(s): Suzanne Wright
Length: 10 hrs & 29 min
Publisher: 

Genre: Romance / Paranormal / Vampires / Kickass Woman / 

Notes: 

Blurb: Sam Parker is a vampire with a gift so strong and substantial that she is invited to partake in a test for a place in the Grand High Master Vampire's private army. She finds that not only has the army never included a woman, but it has never included a Svente vampire; a breed that is regarded by the super strong Pagori breed and the hypnotically beautiful Keja breed to be too tame and human-like.

Most refuse to take her seriously, especially a Pagori commander named Jared who she craves in spite of herself. The Grand High Master, however, sees her potential and offers her the position of Jared's co-commander to help train the newest squad in time for the impending attack on his home. Sam has to demonstrate to Jared and the squad of chauvinists why it is incredibly foolish to underestimate a wilful, temperamental, borderline-homicidal Svente female.

Title: Human Omega Discovered on the Slave Planet
Series: (Pykh Book 1)
Author(s): Eileen Glass
Length: 287 pages
Publisher: Glass Fiction (May 26, 2018)

Genre: Romantic Elements / Sci-Fi / Aliens / Language Barrier / Human Not Stupid or Useless / Human Saves the Day / Poly / Gay /

Notes: I will probably write a review of this book. The title doesn't do it justice.

Blurb: How does a bad day get worse, you ask?

Well…

How about being squished between two huge, naked dudes with their meaty schlongs hanging out and everything?

It's all a matter of opinion, but Carter's day is going pretty badly. He's an engineer captured by bug aliens, now depending on his large, muscled, naked cage mates for food and warmth. They seem sentient, so that's good. But they're also handsy. Which is… complicated.

The military isn't looking for him. Slaves taken by the bug race never come back. Yet, Carter is very much alive, and if he wants to stay that way, he'll need to trust Pykh and Siel, two affectionate aliens with claws, teeth, and size.

Title: His Vampire Harem
Series: 
Author(s): Lily Harlem
Length: 231 pages
Publisher: Lily Harlem (July 12, 2018)

Genre: Romance / Poly / Paranormal / Vampires / Demons / 

Notes: 

Blurb: He's special. He just doesn't know it yet.

Darius Linnet has it all. He's a top male model, he's traveled the world, and everyone wants to either be him or be with him.

But would they really want to walk in his shoes? Because when emotions consume him, heated sparks fly. When he sleeps, his dreams take on an other-worldly twist. And his perfect body--sometimes it doesn't even feel like his own.

Until, that is, he meets a group of sexy, mysterious men who claim they've been searching for him for centuries. He's their savior, apparently, the key to their release from eternal damnation. They love him and they want to show him the pleasure he's been denying himself. There's only one problem: Darius's demon father has other ideas.

This novel contains male/female and male/male scenes. It is intended for mature readers and ends on a happy for now.

Title: Hunter by Blood
Series: 
Author(s): Robin White
Length: 50 pages
Publisher: Less Than Three Press, LLC (November 12, 2013)

Genre: Romance / Paranormal / Gay / 

Notes: This title is available for preorder and will be available at approximately 7:00 p.m. Eastern Time on August 7, 2018.

Blurb: In the middle of a job, Kayn is bitten by one of the werewolves he is hunting—and wakes up one of them. Except he doesn't shift like he should, and he's not an out of control monster the way he should be. Unfortunately, the key to figuring out what makes Kayn different—and possibly more dangerous—may be found in the past that he prefers to leave behind …

Title: Mark of the Incubus
Series: Robert & Caleb, 1
Author(s): E.S. Hutch
Length: 232 pages
Publisher: 

Genre: Romance / Paranormal / Gay / 

Notes: 

Blurb: Robert Layton is dead.

But at the same time, he isn’t. He eats and breathes, walks and talks, but to the rest of the world he might as well not even exist. He’s forgotten as soon as he’s out of sight.

A former cop, Robert’s arrogant ways led to him being possessed and then destroyed by an ancient evil, a demon that preys on man’s deepest desires. Now that same demon has led him to its latest victim, the first person capable of remembering Robert since his death.

Caleb Miller has made some monumentally stupid decisions, all before the age of twenty-three. He dropped out of college, is stuck in an affair with a married man, and struggles to make ends meet as a folk singer at the same coffee shop he slings drinks at all day.

When a handsome stranger shows up and claims Caleb’s been possessed by a strange sex demon, he’s obviously skeptical. But Robert turns out to be the man of his dreams, and Caleb can’t believe his luck. Too bad Robert has vowed never to touch him.

Forced to live together while battling their intense attraction, they must find a way to stop the demon before it’s too late to save Caleb’s life and his memory of Robert.

Title: The Architect and the Castle of Glass
Series: 
Author(s): Jade Mere
Length: 230 pages
Publisher: Dreamspinner Press (March 27, 2018)

Genre: Romance / Fantasy / Gay / 

Notes: 

Blurb: Chasing his dream will send him into a dark and twisted nightmare.

Tahki’s only goal is to become a world-famous architect, even if that means betraying his father’s wishes by abandoning his comfortable life for one of unpredictable danger.

After Tahki blindly accepts what he thinks will be a dream job, his skills as an architect are put to the test as he is given the bizarre—and slightly unethical—task of turning a remote castle into a new-age machine for Prince Dyraien. The castle provides a challenge unlike any he’s had before, and Tahki finds the only way he’ll be able to succeed is to swallow his pride and work alongside Rye, a guarded young man who is quick to see the flaws in both Tahki and his work.

Yet the looming deadline proves to be the least of Tahki’s troubles. When a horrifying creature begins to haunt him, Tahki turns to Rye for help. The more he learns about the history of the castle, the more terrifying the hauntings become. Even with Rye by his side, Tahki realizes achieving his dream might send him down a dark path from which he can’t return.

Title: Twice Bitten
Series: 
Author(s): Rayna Vause
Length: 194 pages
Publisher: Dreamspinner Press (July 17, 2018)

Genre: Romance / Paranormal / Gay / 

Notes: 

Blurb: With a new species of vampire stalking the streets, the stakes are high. But that’s not the only reason hearts are on the line.

Danny Reynolds thought Kieran McCade was the one—true love and hot lust forever—until Danny found out Kier’s bloody secret and ran away screaming. Months later, Danny is facing his own paranormal crisis, and he needs Kieran’s help, but are there enough ways to apologize for breaking a vampire’s heart?

Nothing about Danny’s transformation is normal—not the attack that led to it, and not the symptoms Danny’s plagued with—but being in close proximity to Kieran is even worse than becoming a thing that goes bump in the night. Danny and Kieran aren’t the only things threatening to bump each other off, though. Secret organizations and clashing vigilante agendas want to get their hands on Danny. His only hope is to find a fix for his problem before he’s either captured or his abnormal transition starves him to death.

Danny and Kieran might have a real chance to repair their broken romance… but only if they keep Danny alive!

Thank you for stopping by and reading!!

Pact Days: Sketches and Illustrations #ValespianPact

Welcome back to Pact Days. I have more illustrations and pencil drawings for you. 

As with a lot of the characters that I write, I don't have one picture inspiration that makes them up. Dargon is one of those characters. His thylakos form is loosely based off the extinct Tasmanian tiger, being bigger and shaped a bit differently due to Dargon's ability to morph into a humanoid shape. My pinterst board has his eyes and a few other pictures where I took this body part or that down to his clothes. All pieced together would make Dargon, sort of, maybe, but not quite. So I attempted to put my hand to how he looked and it started out all right. 

But the further I got along, the more frustrated I became. It's my limitation with drawing. I don't practice enough to be better and since drawing isn't my passion as it was when I was a teenager, my skill will continue to be meh. :)

Nothing to write home about. But the illustrator did all right with it, though I'm still not happy with it. If I could pluck the image out of my head and drop it on paper, I would do it in a heartbeat.

I did decide that I was going to give drawing Dargon another try but I didn't get far. You could say that I got distracted with other things and just haven't gone back to finish it.

So perhaps one day I will get further along. I drew Athena, which I won't show you because I really hate it. I attempted a profile and she looks sorta of reminds me of Beavis and Butthead. She could be Beavis's relative with better hair. I'm going to try a front facing drawing, like Zeus's. I might have better luck. 

The last one I have for you is Canry. I didn't do so bad with his drawing, though I got the spines on his head the wrong height, They are supposed to be shorter in the front, growing gradually taller toward the back.

I wasn't a fan of how I drew Canry's lips, but I talked to the Illustrator about that and she fixed them. We also had long conversations about Canry's coloring and what his armor looked like. I think she did a great job on both. 

Well that is it for now. I think I only have a few more drawings left to show off. I do have several more, they just aren't public worthy. The Vondorians are all that is left. I have Azaes, Shaneva, and Zeus. I wish I could do a portrait of all the Vondorians together. That would be cool. But first, I need to pick up the pencil and start exercising my drawing skills again. :-)

Thank you for stopping by and reading!!