Monday 22 September 2014

Stupid... Stupid... Stupid...

"Stupid is as stupid does..." that quote from Forrest Gump so fits me right now. I found a whole lot of flash-drives... and stupid me thought I'd just plug them in and see what was one them.

All I can say... one said flash-drive I couldn't open anything on it and when I pulled it out of my computer the whole computer changed.

I hear you asking me how? well that panel that opens up when you press on the files icon was just gone... everything just magically went away. I'm assuming the flash drive contained pictures from my first trip to America... but for the life of me I can't access anything.

Lesson learned... Don't open up anything when you have no fricken clue what the damn flash drive contains. I'm just lucky when I shut down the whole computer and restarted it everything came back.

Sunday 21 September 2014

SENTINELS OF VARNUSE 1: When The Walls Come Tumbling Down #22

# 22.
Quinlan handed the note Josep had given him to Fane, who seemed to be just as overcome with both a mixture of grief and happiness as Quinlan himself was. He was glad Talon and Javier were tending to the man because right now his thoughts were focused on his own war waging inside of him. Grabbing Josep’s arm he walked over to Ingrid and the others. Quinlan looked into the sea green eyes of Josep and asked, “Is he truly safe?”

“He is… or at least he was when I left him. I’ve left men that I trust completely to keep watch over them both.”

Ingrid stood beside him and Quinlan smiled when she spoke. “Tell the rest of you men to come into the open. If what you’re telling us is true than they have nothing to fear.”

Josep cupped his hands to his mouth, let out a whistle making the perfect echo of the Nightjar’s call, it wasn’t long before the three other men in question walked out of the darkness.

“My men are Conner, Vayne & Andrej. They come with me only as protection. Once I’ve established the note is truly from Consort Brayden, and you will cause me no harm they’ll head back and help our friends look after your kin.”

Ingrid tapped Quinlan’s hand and he got the message. His royal bodyguard believed them, nodding he spoke. “We’ll not harm you. I want my husband back and you are the one who knows his exact whereabouts. Will you and your men help us rescue him?”

“Yes, that’s the reason I’ve come, but we do have conditions.” Josep sounded nervous. “When all is said and done, then me and my men—all of my men will be returning to the High City of Panthea with you. We have all sworn to protect and serve the old ones. All three known to us, and the others who will come to us for protection.”

“Others?” Quinlan asked. He couldn’t even begin to fathom there were more shifters out there among them. How had he not known this?

Josep smiled and nodded, “We were once the children of Varnuse. We studied the ancient ways of how life was before everything changed and our histories were forgotten. There’s more than just the shifters of this family line. There are five in total: cat, which is in the Caldwell lineage. There are also wolves belonging to the Wharden lineage. Avian shifters who were born into to the Aarondyte lineage. Sea creatures belonging to the Waterford lineage. The fifth is a rare lineage who can take the form of anything.”

“And which lineage do they come from?” Quinlan asked. All of this was news to him. Once home he was going to make sure he was brought up to date on everything. Right now he’d have to settle for the crash course on the species he never knew about.

“I do not know,” Josep answered, “we never did work out just who they belong to. Al we do know is they exist. I can’t even tell you how many they even number.”

Talon stepped forward. “Is there a way of finding out?”

Josep shrugged, “Through study.”

Quinlan groaned in frustration. “So you’re basically telling me we need to find these other lines of old ones and bring them in under our protection.”

“Yes, that’s exactly what I’m saying. Once we’ve rescued your kin, and return them safely home you’ll need to search out the others who’ll eventually need your protection. It was once said long ago the sentinels of the high city would be the ones to mate and protect the old ones. So for every sentinel you have, I can guarantee there’s an equal number of old ones out there in hiding and waiting to be found.”

“Shit!” Quinlan scrubbed a hand over his face I have twenty-four…”

Fane interrupted, “Twenty-five… I was a sentinel when Thayer was king.”

Josep, Vayne and Andrej all nodded. “Five sentinels for each sect of old ones.”

“So that means there’s still two more of my kin out there somewhere.” Javier looked in shock.

“I wonder who your mate is.” Talon asked sadly. When Quinlan turned and stared at him he continued. “It can’t be me because I’m not a sentinel. I’m just a palace guard.”

“No! Talon you’re my mate. We’ve bonded, it cannot be anyone else” Javier grabbed his arm, pleading with his strange eyes. “I only want you.”

“Then I guess that throws out your theory,” Quinlan turned to Josep.

“No, my theory holds true. King Thayer belongs to the last generation of old ones. So that means that you have twenty-four sentinel plus Talon who is apparently meant to be one.”

“But I’m the king and no longer a sentinel. So your theory is still wrong.” This was all making Quinlan’s head spin. And right now they didn’t have time to debate this. He had a mate to rescue.

Andrej coughed and said, “That’s because you’ll recruit yet another sentinel who will mate with your son… I think.”

Fury rushed through Quinlan at the man’s words. “No one will be touching my son.”

This brought a snicker from some of his own men. And Quinlan knew he was being an arse, but just the thought of someone laying claim to one of his children was ludicrous.

“King Quinlan, we need to get you hidden before Tondran finds this place.” Ingid urged.

Quinlan shook his head. “I hide from no one.”

**~*~**

“Master Brayden.” Brayden came awake to someone shaking his shoulder. His mind was fuzzy and it took him a moment to realise Lucas was talking to him. “Wake up Brayden. Tondran and Ormand are back in the compound. Vayne just got back with a message from Josep. King Quinlan and his men are getting ready to come and rescue you, but for now it would be wiser if we spirit you away from here.”

Brayden pushed himself into a sitting position. His stomach ached at the thought of Quinlan coming here. Josep had been gone for just on two weeks. More than once it had crossed his mind the man had been killed, but Lucas’s words gave him new hope.

“Where are you taking me?” he reached for his father’s unconscious body. “I can’t leave my father behind.”

“Your father is also one of ours to protect. The children of Varnuse will hide you well until we can take you to your rightful home.” He smiled, “Now come. We need to be away before Tondran decides to follow through on the execution of King Thayer.”

They were the exact words needed to get Brayden moving. His distended stomach no longer fit in his clothes so he welcomed the robe one of the men held out to cover his nakedness. “Thank-you.”

The young man smiled and bowed in his direction while he took a careful hold of Brayden’s arm to steady him. Brayden watched as another man gently picked up his father, and led them from the room. He wasn’t going to look back on what had been his home for the past few months. Leaving behind the confines of this cell was the first step in the rest of his life. A life he so desperately wanted to share with Quinlan.


As they stole along the corridor a thought struck him. “Lucas, who are the children of Varnuse?”

Friday 19 September 2014

Re Reading & Lazy Writing

Oh...My...God... As I told you yesterday I'm re reading The Lines Of Marsden. Today I realise I need to send out a big apology to my editor at the time Kimberly Brandt... I finally get what you were telling me.

I recently acquired a copy of a styling guide which explains all those things you tried to get through my head, and I fought you so hard on.

I'd also like to apologise to all my past, current,  and future editors, as well as my beta readers. I won't say my habits will change over night... but I'm starting to work on everything I didn't understand and had locked in the back of my mind.

So today I'm sending out a big thank you to the awesome Kathy Kozakewich over at Fireborn Publishing who gave me the guide in the first place. You totally rock!

Thursday 18 September 2014

The Diamond Rose

I started off today by going through and re reading what I've already written on The Diamond Rose. I'm trying to eliminate the use of the words: That... Felt... Like, and so on. I can't believe how different it reads without them.

I've also been of a night re reading The Lines Of Marsden, and taking down notes of all the important stuff. The more I read these books the more I like Doyle... I don't know why he's my favourite he just is, with Michael coming in a close second.

NOTES: The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles was excellent... I will so be buying it on DVD when it comes out... This weekend I'm taking Emily and Ethan to see The Maze Runner.

Wednesday 17 September 2014

Just Finished - Moon Runners 1: Heart-mate, Mine!


















Today I'll be finishing off Moon Runners 1: Heart-mate, Mine! and sending it to my beta reader James A to work his magic before I submit this extended and totally re written story.

Friday 12 September 2014

I Feel Like Crying...

Yes, I feel like throwing my head back and screaming. Why, I hear you ask? Because I was writing down all the wordages I have in all of my WIPS so I know which books I need to pull into line for my writing schedule. Only to come to see I've lost all my work containing to The Connelly Chronicles.

I can look at this from two ways: 

(1) I've moved it to some weird arse place on my computer that I just haven't thought of to look yet - Hopefully Emily will have better luck.

(2) It's a gone for good and I have to start from scratch. At least I've still got most of my hand written notes to fall back on and my wonderful editor, Faith B-B sent me the in depth synopsis for each of the books so it at least gives me a starting point. I'll let everyone know if I find them or not...

On a brighter note: I'm taking the kids and a couple of nieces (ranging in ages from 13 to 31) to see The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles tomorrow at the cinema's. So really we're going because I want to see them and I'm dragging them along with me.

I also have a release date October 3rd for the upcoming Lancaster's Way 2: A Different Way Of Seeing. I will share the cover art with you all when I get it.