Guardian of Fate

Guardian Of Fate
L.J. Kentowski

Fate Series, Book #1

Genre: Urban Fantasy/Paranormal Romance

ISBN: 978-0615581514

ASIN: B006LEFWU2

Number of pages: 302

Word Count: 78,483

Book Description:

Fear of death is all too common. Visions of it chill the bones and skip heartbeats. Seeing it coming and knowing only you can rescue the soul of the victim from the fiery bowels of hell…that’s downright life-altering.

Cassandra Cosgrove’s life was altered at the age of sixteen when she found out that it was her responsibility to save the lives, and ultimately the souls, of innocent victims targeted by Hell’s demons. As impossible as it seemed at first, she was able to live a fairly normal life, while secretly fulfilling her obligation as a Guardian of Fate.

But years later Fate has its own plan when her visions begin drastically changing at the same time two mysterious men appear in her life. Cassandra suddenly finds herself caught in a battle between good and evil, with her own soul on the line. When it seems everyone in her life has a secret they’ve been hiding from her, who can she trust to be the Guardian of her Fate?

Amazon   BN  Smashwords  Kobo

Short Excerpt:

He reached his arm across my body, and I trembled from the mere breeze of his action. Holding my breath, I froze. My eyes were the only thing capable of motion, as I watched him open up the console and grab a tissue. I was so hypnotized by him that I couldn't even form the words to ask him how he knew they were there.

He offered it to me, and I took it slowly. As I wiped my nose, he continued to watch me, his body still too close to mine. Even after I was finished, I remained frozen in my awkward position, afraid to move. Emotions warred within me. My mind told me that I should be terrified of this big, powerful man, whom I just met. Crouching in front of me, he was close enough that I wouldn't stand a chance of escape if he chose to attack me, but something deep inside made me feel safe with him. Maybe it was because I felt I knew him from all the years I'd dreamt of him. Maybe I just had a death wish.

My emotions battled silently, and my pent-up breath rushed through my lips in a pant. As his eyes moved to my mouth, the air between us suddenly felt so thick, I thought I might suffocate.

He moved away from me, but remained crouched next to the car.

"Are you okay now?" he asked.

"Yes."

He stood up, and I was struck by an incredible urge to make him stay, if only for a second longer.

"Hunter, have we met before?" I blurted out. It wasn't just a question to keep him near me I had to find out if, somehow, he knew me too.

He looked at me for a moment with his head tilted slightly to the side, as if a better angle might help him place me. Slowly, he crouched next to me again, causing me to lean back once more.

"No, we've never met."

Not willing to come to terms with the fact that I was the only one who could feel this powerful connection between us, I asked, "Are you sure?"

"Cassandra, if we had met before," he said in a deep, almost seductive voice, "I assure you, it would have been memorable."

My body shook from the meaning of his words. I was sure that he had me under some kind of spell, because I didn't realize he'd actually moved in closer. Wiping a stray tear from my cheek with his thumb, his fingers rested softly against the side of my head. His touch was so light, I would have considered it a mere caress, if not for the burning sensation it left when he pulled it away. My hand immediately flew to the spot he had touched, and I stared at him in astonishment.

"I should apologize for being so forward as to touch you," he said, "but I'm afraid I'd do it again if given the opportunity." Standing up, he continued, "I hope your mother is well. Maybe we'll see each other again."

I felt as if I were in some crazy trance that I couldn't shake, so it took me a minute to process what he said. As he started to walk away, I stood up and called, "I thought you were just passing through?"

            I heard him laugh, and then he stopped and turned around. The smile was still on his face when he told me, "I was, but I'm starting to like what I see here, so maybe I'll stick around for a bit longer." The shocked expression I wore was starting to feel like a permanent facial feature tonight. It remained in place as I watched him turn back around and walk into the night.

Overall:

I liked the book for its plot twists and the interesting take on fate and preventing souls from being taken to Hell. Trying to stop people from being taken by demons, Cassandra uses her visions to try and even the playing field in a war between good and evil. Sometimes her decisions made me want to scream "Don't!!!" (like in a horror movie). Secrets abound and the two hunky men were fun. Pushing limits and taking us on a journey that is driven by fierce characters, passion, regret, angst and lots of drama, this book captured my interest. I will be waiting to see how it ends up with Hunter...

4/5

Author Bio:

L.J. Kentowski is living in disguise as the author of her debut novel, Guardian Of Fate, working diligently on the subsequent novels in the Fate series. Her true identity as Supermom and Superwife, living in the Midwest with SuperDog must never be revealed without security clearance. Every day, after tucking in her 6yr old talking prodigy, she rips off her cape and delves into the world of angels, demons, and the in-betweens.

Author website: http://www.LJKentowski.com

Blog: http://www.ljwrites.com

Twitter: https://twitter.com/#!/laurajeanwrites

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

Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5382939.L_J_Kentowski

Dracula's Secret Book Blurb Blitz Tour

Dracula’s Secret

by Linda Mercury

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

BLURB:

SHE HUNGERS FOR HIS LIGHT

She calls herself Valerie Tate. One of the few vampires left on earth, as beautiful as she is powerful, Valerie has resisted her craving for human blood for years, just as she once hid her true gender. But the night she lays eyes on the most enticing man she’s ever seen, it’s game over. He radiates goodness and light—and searing sexual energy.  Valerie must have him. Taste him. Consume him. For he is temptation—and he is her destiny…

HE BURNS FOR HER DARKNESS

Lance Soleil is a rugged war veteran who runs a homeless shelter in Portland. At first gaze, he knows what Valerie is—and wants her even more. But when he welcomes a pack of werewolves into his shelter, he attracts the attention of Valerie’s oldest rival—her bloodthirsty brother, Radu, who hopes to become the first vampire President of the United States. Valerie knows Radu has a hidden agenda, and with Lance’s help she is determined to stop his unholy rise to power. But first, she must risk their growing love by fully revealing herself—as the one and only Dracula…

Excerpt:

His sun pierced her night.

Valerie Tate stopped dead at the sudden stabbing pain and clapped her leather gloved hands over her sensitive eyes. She’d been running full speed from rooftop to rooftop in an effort to bypass the clogged holiday traffic between her and her destination. Portland’s nighttime rain had merely cloaked her progress instead of slowing her down.

 The flare of light, brighter than a magnesium bomb exploding in her face, now left her stunned, blind, and helpless. Any one looking out over the skyline could see her. Not something she wanted. 

She crouched, one foot poised over the lip of a building’s crown. One wrong step and she’d fall off. It wouldn’t be a fatal drop, but it would certainly slow her down. Better to risk being seen up here, prancing about like some crazed musical number, than sprawled out on the pavement in the middle of the Halloween crowd.

Valerie probed the skin on her face. Unlike magnesium and direct sunlight, she hadn’t blistered or burned in response. Good. That would have ruined her evening’s plans. Much depended on her appearance not gathering too much attention.

Blood seeped from under her eyelids in response to the too-bright shine. Under the cover of her palms, she blinked away the achingly intense spots floating before her vision.

How could this happen? Once, a magnesium bomb had detonated next to her. Even as her skin peeled back, she had kept going. Nothing broke her concentration during a mission. Six hundred years of killing had taught her well.

AUTHOR Bio and Links:

Linda Mercury left behind her varied careers as a librarian, art model, and professional clown to pursue writing. She’s interested in writing, romance, the Middle East, reading, organizing, cooking, hand-made silk Turkish rugs, and the Nike of Samothrace.

Website and blog:

http://lindamercury.com

Twitter:

LindaMercury1

Facebook:

Linda Mercury

Linda will be awarding a hand-painted fan to a randomly drawn commenter during the tour. Please follow the tour and comment; the more you comment, the better their chances of winning. 

The tour dates can be found here:  

http://goddessfishpromotions.blogspot.com/2012/07/virtual-blurb-blitz-draculas-secret-by.html

My Immortal Blog Tour and Excerpt

My Immortal The Vampires of Berlin
By Lee Rudnicki

Genre:  Horror

Publisher:  23 House

Date of Publication:  March 9, 2012

ISBN-10: 0984645810

ISBN-13: 978-0984645817

Number of pages: 306

Word Count:  56,000

Purchase Links:

BARNES AND NOBLE

AMAZON

AMAZON KINDLE

VAMPIRE BLOG – (SIGNED COPIES) -- http://www.vampiresofberlin.blogspot.com/

Blurb/Book Description: 

A supernatural adventure set in present day and 1945 Berlin. Our heroine is Eva, a shell-shocked young vampire who is found wandering around in the ruins of Berlin Cathedral on the last day of the war by soldiers.

Overall:

This book is not like most vampire novels you find on the bookshelves today. A supernatural thriller that is a bloody romp through the streets of Berlin and is both chilling and sensual in its prose. The language used by the very talented Lee Rudnicki is lyrical and paints a picture of sexy vampires, the devastation of  World War II and had me on the edge of my seat for the entire read. The relationship between the Germans, Russians and the vampires, wrapped up in the ravages of war is a story that is going to stick with me for a long time. I will be watching to see more from this amazing author and I hope we will see another book!

*sexy vampires

*ravages of war

*humanity in peril

*intelligent prose 

*history in shades of gray

Loved it!

5/5

MY IMMORTAL: THE VAMPIRES OF BERLIN

EXCERPT

Eva sat on the riverbank as the sounds of battle resounded in the distance. She didn't say anything when Sebastian sat down next to her. Nor did he expect her to.

“Guten Abend,” he said. “Not the best time for a picnic on the riverbank, is it?”

Eva didn't respond.

Sebastian didn’t believe in vampires until he met one. Until one bit him. Now, the sight of blood excited him and his strength was growing by the hour. He knew what the other men only suspected. Eva was a vampire and he was turning into one himself. He also instinctively knew that their survival depended on Eva, for reasons known only to God—assuming that God was still in Berlin. Somehow, he needed to get through to her. He tried again.

“Eva. Do you understand me? Do you know where you are? Please, talk to me.”

If Eva heard him, she didn't show it. Opening the lines of communication with the young vampire was going to be far more difficult than Sebastian had anticipated. Discouraged, he turned her towards him. “Look at me. That Luftwaffe pilot over there...”

“Axel,” Eva said softly.

“Yes. Axel is about to die from burns he got when a vampire torched his face. He got hurt saving you.”

Eva blinked hard and then pointed to the sky. “It’s in the stars, Sebastian.”

Sebastian looked up. There were no stars, only a dark gloom lit by the flash of sporadic explosions. Before he could ask another question, an artillery shell exploded in the river. The freezing water that cascaded over them brought him crashing back to reality.

Sebastian got up and took Eva’s hand. It was time to go.

 Lee Rudnicki

Novel – My Immortal The Vampires of Berlin

Guest Blog Spot 

EXCERPT -- MY IMMORTAL THE VAMPIRES OF BERLIN

ROCK STAR

Professor Richter imagined spotlights going back and forth behind him as the music played. He was a best-selling author, but no one in academia had ever given him the time of day. That is about to change. This is my moment.

His powerful voice boomed over the music. “Since May 1945, there has been much speculation about the Tristan weapon. But it has never been publicly identified.”

Right on cue with the chord change, Professor Richter slammed his briefcase on the podium and shouted. “UNTIL RIGHT FUCKING NOW!”

The little audience gasped. No one knew what he meant, but everybody knew what he said.

Richter had imagined this moment for months, but even he was surprised by the obscenity when it flew out of his mouth. Then he surprised himself a second time by being perfectly okay with it. Maybe a little profanity is good for my brand, he thought. In any case, I certainly have everybody’s attention now.

Then, just as Richter pulled a 150-year-old Swiss astrological chart out of his briefcase, the door flew open.

Julia stormed in and made a beeline for the podium; her appearance took Richter right out of his game. “Excuse me,” he stammered. “Please, take a seat. I’ll be happy to sign your book after the presentation.”

Julia pulled the gun out of her pocket and pointed it at him. “I’m not here for a book signing. Sit down, professor.”

Richter was shocked. He knew that a few governments would want him silenced if they knew he had verifiable information about Operation Tristan. But I didn’t tell anybody! I was careful—I even shredded and burned my notes!

“This lecture is over,” Julia told the startled crowd. “Everybody out.”

Professor Richter remained defiant. “This lecture is not over, young lady. We’re just getting to the best part. Put the gun down and let me show you who you really work for.” He pressed a key on his computer and the cover page of the Tristan Dossier projected onto the wall.

TOP SECRET

FOR THE PRESIDENT’S EYES ONLY

Bang! Julia’s first shot struck and killed Richter’s laptop. The second sent the audience diving to the floor.

Julia moved around the podium and squeezed off two more shots at Richter, both of which missed.

Julia was between Meg and the door, so Meg tackled her and fought for the gun. Another shot rang out; Tom fell to the floor screaming and holding his foot. Professor Richter jumped over him and bolted for the door.

With help from students, Meg managed to pry the gun out of Julia’s hand. She held Julia down as two highly-amused math majors bound her hands and feet together with their belts. Then a janitor showed up and zapped Julia in the leg with a stun gun. Julia screamed in agony and kicked the janitor in the balls. The trifecta of misery was complete when the enraged custodian accidentally zapped one of the mathematicians, promptly kicking him out of the highly-amused category.

There was chaos and mayhem inside the classroom … and there was chaos and mayhem outside of the classroom.

Richter ran down the hall, screaming at the top of his lungs. Kids and books went flying.

At the end of the hall, he pulled a door open and bolted down the stairs. Two flights later, Richter stopped in his tracks and backed up. He was terrified...

****

KILLER LINKS

My Immortal on Amazon

My Immortal on Barnes

My Immortal on Facebook

Seven Thoughts - Lee’s Blog

Tale of a Drum Line (Lee’s drum corps story)

Author Bio:

Lee Rudnicki is an entertainment lawyer, producer, and writer in Los Angeles. Lee has a law degree from the University of San Francisco, a music degree from San Jose State, a Certificate in Screenwriting from UCLA and studied international law at Trinity College, Ireland and Charles University, Prague. Before law school, Lee was a world-class rudimental drummer and drum corps instructor.

BLOG - http://leerudnicki.wordpress.com/

TWITTER – https://twitter.com/Drumlaw80

FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/VampiresofBerlin

Devil's Mountain Blog Tour

Devil’s Mountain
By Bernadette Walsh
Book One of the Devlin Legacy

Genre: Paranormal Romance/Horror
Publisher: Lyrical Press
ISBN: 9781616503697
Number of pages: 122
Word Count: 39,000
Blurb/Book Description:
You will hate Him for all that he's taken, but you will love Him. God help you, you will love Him.

Mary Devlin accepted her fate years ago, to serve Slanaitheoir, the mountain spirit who saved her ancestors from the Irish Famine. The hauntingly beautiful woman submitted to His every caress, His every humiliation, but He’s gone too far by threatening her family.

Mary’s daughter-in-law is now an unwitting pawn in the fickle spirit’s game. Mary must challenge her fate and that of all future Devlin women, but Slanaitheoir is the most powerful being in the land. And when part of her still yearns for His touch and love, how can she fight him and win?

Overall:

This book was a paranormal romance with some pretty creepy vibes. The mythology behind it was intense, with the Devlin women being enslaved to the devil Slanaitheoir until he freed them with their death and he would take the next female in the line. Yup. Sounds like a "marriage" made in Hell alright. This book incited all kinds of emotions and is filled with love, longing, hate and a whole lot of loss. Sometimes it was hard to tell which POV I was reading, but this did not detract too much from the overall feel of the book.

From the onset of page one, I was hooked. The voice grabbed me. It was sensual in its wording and yet was able to capture even the smallest detail and have you reveling in the verbiage. Lovely! 

4.5/5

1. What was your favorite thing about writing this book? 

This was my first foray into writing paranormal and the freedom it allowed me in terms of world building was amazing. I really got bitten by the paranormal bug.

2.  Having a spirit seduce you into submission sounds kind of sexy. Tell us about the dark side to this story... 

Mary Devlin is the latest in the line of Devlin women who serve the spirit who inhabits Devlin’s Mountain. During the time of the Irish famine, Five Families lived on the remote mountain known as Devlin Mountain. One day a  stranger came to the Mountain with tremendous powers. He saved the Five Families from the devastation of the famine, and bewitched the people into thinking they lived in a wonderful paradise. They even referred to the stranger as their “savior” or Slanaitheoir in Irish. However, eventually the men realized that they were being duped by Him, and that He had seduced their women and filled their cottages with His own children. When they revolted, Slanaitheoir took His revenge. Their crops suffered, some of their children and cattle sickened and died.  Roisin Devlin who was a witch, made a deal with Slanaitheoir. In exchange for letting the rest of the Five Families go, He would be given the most beautiful girl on the Mountain, the witch’s own daughter. He would be entitled to the first daughter of the girl, and each succeeding generation to do what He wanted with. With each generation Slanaitheoir seduced the Devlin women, made them love Him, and then tortured them both physically and mentally. Mary does not want her daughter and grand-daughters to suffer the same fate. Her goal is to be the last Devlin witch.

Mary Devlin as the Devlin witch has the gift of healing, of sight. Slanaitheoir’s abilities seem almost endless. He can take any form, from a bird, to a goat, to a sheep, to His most cruel apparition, that of a seven foot, green-eyed god.

The Devlin witches really bewitched me and I can’t seem to stop writing about them!

3. What is your favorite zombie book or movie?

 I’m a bit of a wimp about zombies. 28 Days still gives me nightmares

4. If you had to live through a zombie apocalypse, what four things would you want with you?

 A lifetime supply of mint chocolate chip ice cream, my kindle filled with two thousand books, mascara and oh, I guess sneakers so I could run away from the zombies. I haven’t been to the gym in a while, so I guess I wouldn’t be able to put much of a dent into that ice cream before I became some zombie’s lunch!

5. The Walking Dead vs. Shaun of the Dead?

 No doubt, Shaun of the Dead.

6. What first interested you in the supernatural?

 I’ve always been interested in ghosts stories and I am a huge fan of the Charlaine Harris Sookie Stackhouse books. My first two books were women’s fiction. After writing those, I started writing about a woman who’s mother-in-law is a little strange and has a strong hold on her son. Originally I expected Mary’s “witchiness” to just be a symptom of mental illness but I had so much fun writing about her powers midway that through the book I decided to make her a real witch.

7. Writing myths into erotic or romantic fiction/horror can be a lot of fun. Is your story based on mythology?

 No, I made it all up, which I think is much more fun!

8. Do you have a playlist?

 No, I like a lot of U2 and Neil Young. I originally like Adele, but after I heard her songs at least 100 times in a one week period, now she makes my ears bleed.

9. What are some authors that have influenced your writing?

 From a paranormal perspective I like Anne Rice, Charlaine Harris and I recently read The Witch’s Daughter by Paula Brackston which I loved because it was soooo sad. On the women’s fiction/general fiction front, I like Alice McDermott and admire how she writes about Irish-America which is the world I also explore in my books. I like Jodi Picoult too.

10. What are you working on now?

 The Devlin Witch. I had originally intended the Devlin Legacy to be a trilogy, but those Irish witches still have me under their spell so I am writing a full length stand-alone book that incorporates some of the characters from Book Three. I’m about a quarter of the way through the first draft, so not exactly sure where I will wind up.

About the Author

          I have always been a bookworm and had always meant to write a novel “someday.” You know, when I won the lottery and could live in beach house and look out onto the water and feel inspired. Four years ago I decided to stop waiting for my winning lottery ticket and sat down and started writing in between work and family obligations, I piled the words on top of each other until they formed sentences, paragraphs, chapters and eventually a book.  My first book, a contemporary romance, Gold Coast Wives, was published in November 2011. The House on Prospect is my second novel. The first book of my paranormal trilogy, Devil’s Mountain -- Book One of the Devlin Legacy, was published in June 2012. While I’ve hopped around genres, all of my books to date have a common theme: strong women handling what life throws at them the best way they can.


http://bernadettewalsh.com

@BWalshWriter   Twitter

https://twitter.com/#!/BWalshWriter

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Bernadette-Walsh-Author/196567653686807

http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5321197.Bernadette_Walsh

Darklands: The Blog Tour and Giveaway

DARKLANDS

By Nancy Holzner

Book #4 in the Deadtown series

Genre: Urban fantasy

Publisher: Ace

ISBN: 978-1937007706

ASIN: 1937007707

Number of pages: 336

Word Count: Around 110,000

       Amazon         B&N         Powells    

      BookDepository 

Blurb/Book Description:

They call it Deadtown: the city’s quarantined section for its inhuman and undead residents. Most humans stay far from its border—but Victory Vaughn, Boston’s only professional demon slayer, isn’t exactly human…

Boston’s demons have been disappearing, and Vicky’s clients are canceling left and right. While fewer demons might seem like a good thing, Vicky suspects foul play. A missing Celtic cauldron from Harvard’s Peabody museum leads her to an unwelcome conclusion: Pryce, her demi-demon cousin and bitter enemy, is trying to regain his full powers.

But Pryce isn’t alone. He’s conjured another, darker villain from Vicky’s past. To stop them from destroying everything she loves, she’ll have to face her own worst fear—in the realm of the dead itself.

Reviews:

 “Ms. Holzner truly delivers with this incredibly solid debut UF novel. Deadtown is told with an authoritative voice starring a great new heroine, and puts an imaginative spin on the usual paranormal suspects; the plotting and worldbuilding are compelling and undeniably fresh.

“In short – I absolutely loved Deadtown.” ~Reviewed by Thea at The Book Smugglers


Part demon-busting tale, part political thriller, Holzner's take on urban fantasy is exciting and fresh. Here's to the future adventures of Vicky Vaughn! 
~RT Book Reviews


Deadtown is a welcome addition to the urban fantasy landscape. Nancy imbues an emotional aspect into her debut that resonates with our own past prejudices and fears and forces us to evaluate our beliefs about this unreal world in a very real way. There is a lot of great action, social commentary, and a dash of romance in Deadtown. The world building, borrowing heavily from Welsh mythology, is fresh and complex. Vicky is instantly likable and realistically tough yet vulnerable. And I can't wait to read more.  ~Abigail at All Things Urban Fantasy


Deadtown was one of the most unique books I have read and I spent an hour gushing to my husband about the world. I am so glad that Nancy brought her monsters out of the closet in Deadtown! ~ Reviewed by Robin at Intense Whisper

What I Liked:

The world that comes to life in this series is chock full of emotional impact, characters that practically breathe and a twisting plot that never ends. The action is spot on, something that is a challenge to write, as I am learning with my own work. Harpies, zombie classroom show and tell, demon hunting and vampires...that is just the beginning. I haven't read the earlier books in this series, but after reading this book, I will be going back and looking into the rest of them. Nancy Holzner does a superb job of crafting a world that I wouldn't mind spending some time in.

What I Didn't:

Damn. It ended. (But at least I can go and get the other books in the series!)

Overall:

If you love a good supernatural story with zombies (well, of course you do, you're here, aren't you?) harpies, sexy vampires, demons that are a little cranky, and some other surprises, then you are in for a treat. This book sucked me in and didn't let me go. I will be in search of the other books. Dialogue and action are a deal breaker. You all have read a story that doesn't flow right because of a glitch in how the author tries to purvey a sequence of events. I struggle with this myself in my own work. Simply put, you know it when you see it. The biggest compliment I can give is when I don't stop to notice something is off. When you can suck me into a story and I can walk around there awhile, you have me as a fan. Nancy Holzner does that in spades. You are there with the characters and feel each breath (or not) that they take. I highly recommend this novel. 

5/5

Darklands Short Excerpt:

Calling a spirit is tricky business. To do it right, you need a ritual dagger, along with candles, incense, salt, and an altar loaded up with all kinds of magical paraphernalia. Except for the kitchen salt shaker, I didn’t have any of that. What I had was my intention.

I stood in the center of the living room, having pushed its few pieces of furniture against the walls. I took a couple of minutes to get centered, breathing deeply and going inside myself. Breathe in . . . breathe out. Breathe in . . . breathe out. No thinking, no guilt, just a steady focus on each breath. When the world seemed to pulse in time with my heartbeat, I opened my eyes. I pointed at the cabin floor and moved in a slow, clockwise circle. I concentrated on my intention: protection. I projected my will from my brain, my heart, down my arm and through my pointing finger, creating a sphere of protection around me. Nothing could enter the circle unless I allowed it.

Let it be so.

Then, I called the Night Hag. I pulled up everything I knew about her legend. I remembered the terror I’d felt as a child—lying in bed, sure she was coming for me, pulling my pillow over my head to block out the sound of galloping hooves. I could see the pages of a book of Welsh folktales, one from Mab’s library, where I’d read her story. I felt the uncanny shiver that had tingled through me when, walking alone at night in a dark Welsh lane, I’d felt something pass by. My pulse pounded like those galloping hooves. My whole body trembled with the desire to run, to flee, to stay out of range of the hag and her pack of hellhounds. But I stood my ground.

And I called her to me.

“Mallt-y-Nos!” My voice rang out with a confidence I didn’t feel, pushing past the cabin’s walls. “Matilda of the Night! Lady of the hunt! Mistress of Hounds! Night Hag, who drives lost souls to the Darklands! I, Victory Vaughn, do invoke thee!”

The words echoed back to me, then faded. My intention cut through the silence, as I held the image of Mallt-y-Nos in my mind. A silhouette on horseback, shadowy against the moon, long hair flying behind her as she rode. She reined in her horse and cocked her head, listening. I called out again: “Mallt-y-Nos, come to me!”

In my imagination, the hag wheeled her horse around. She whistled to her hellhounds. Shrieking a bloodcurdling hunting cry, she raced toward me.

“Come!” I shouted, shrieking too, raising the volume to blot out the horrible sound of the hag’s approach. “I command thee!”

Hounds bayed and howled in the distance. The sound grew closer. The ground shook as thundering hooves pounded closer, closer. I clamped my hands over my ears and kept shouting. I wasn’t saying anything now; I was just making noise. Anything to fight the terror of her approach.

An explosion jolted the cabin as the wall collapsed. I staggered back a step, almost falling, covering my face with both arms. A tingle in my shoulder told me I’d bumped into my protective magical barrier, and I jerked forward. I had to stay inside the sphere.

I dropped my arms to see what I’d called

I stared into the fiery, red eyes of a massive steed. Flames shot from its nostrils, but they broke to the left and right before they reached me. Hounds leapt forward, jaws snapping, but they couldn’t reach me. My protection held.

“Quiet!” shouted a woman’s voice. The hounds fell back, milling around the cabin. The wall they’d burst through remained intact. The half-dozen hounds that crowded the place didn’t look like any dogs I’d ever seen. Each was the size of a small horse. Their eyes glowed red and orange, lit by inner fire. Saliva dripped from their fangs; it sizzled when it hit the floor.

The horse turned sideways, and Mallt-y-Nos came into view. I blinked. This was the Night Hag? The woman astride the horse was young and beautiful, with blue-green eyes and golden blonde hair that flowed, shining, to her waist. She looked nothing like the nightmare hag that had terrorized my childhood imagination. “Why have you summoned me?” she demanded, regarding me imperiously from her demonic steed.

Before I could answer, her face changed. Wrinkles formed around her eyes, on her forehead, between her nose and mouth. Her blonde hair faded to gray, then bleached white. Her skin went from creamy to blotchy red to jaundiced. I gaped, unable to look away, as the beautiful young woman sagged and faded into an ancient crone. Finally, the hair thinned to a few wiry strands. The skin shriveled and peeled away, baring the skull beneath. Flames consumed the eyes, leaving only a red glow.

I looked into the face of death.

The cycle began again. In the course of a few minutes, Mallt-y-Nos flowed from youth to middle age to decrepitude and death. And back again. And then again. I stared, fascinated, almost forgetting the terror of her presence.

In her death’s-head form, she pointed a skeletal finger at me. “Why did you call me?” she asked again, her voice impatient. Youthful flesh covered her skull. Her cheeks turned pink; her eyes sparkled. Thick, shining hair cascaded down her back. “Do not suppose, mortal, that you can command me. I came because I was curious. Mortals run from me; they do not request my presence.”

That I could believe. Even in her youthful form, she was terrifying.

“I called you to ask you a favor.”

 Author Bio:

Nancy Holzner grew up in western Massachusetts with her nose stuck in a book. This meant that she tended to walk into things, wore glasses before she was out of elementary school, and forced her parents to institute a “no reading at the dinner table” rule. It was probably inevitable that she majored in English in college and then, because there were still a lot of books she wanted to read, continued her studies long enough to earn a master’s degree and a PhD.

She began her career as a medievalist, then jumped off the tenure track to try some other things. Besides teaching English and philosophy, she’s worked as a technical writer, freelance editor and instructional designer, college admissions counselor, and corporate trainer. As Nancy Conner, she writes how-to and reference books on topics ranging from classical mythology to using Office 2010.
Nancy lives in upstate New York with her husband Steve, where they both work from home without getting on each other’s nerves. She enjoys visiting local wineries and listening obsessively to opera. There are still a lot of books she wants to read.

Website: nancyholzner.wordpress.com

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/NancyHolznerBooks

Twitter: http://twitter.com/NancyHolzner

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