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Saturday, July 31, 2010

Support your indie publishers!

Support your indie publishers! Or in short, why I prefer people go straight to my publishing companies to purchase my books.

It's simple: some third-party distributors like Amazon.com take an unfair chunk out of the profits of e-publishers and indie presses, leaving struggling publishing businesses with only pennies for every book that they sell--and the authors with even less.

I'll dispel a common myth off the bat: most of us are not rich. My day job isn't writing for a very good reason; my royalty checks wouldn't even cover utilities let alone my mortgage. I write because it's my passion, not to make money. I figure if I make enough to have me eat out at restaurants from time to time, it's not a bad deal. :)

There are a lot of authors for whom this isn't the case. What little they make is helping them to put food on the table for their kids and often to supplement what is already a fairly small income. And contrary to popular belief, publishers aren't rich, either--especially not the indie presses. Most of them are in it for same reason I am, love of the craft and a desire to put high quality works out there.

There are costs that come into play for publishing and sales of books help offset those costs. There have been epubs in the past which have gone bankrupt, leaving the rights to authors' works tied up in court as the debts are being settled. I would love for such things to never, ever have to be a worry for the publishers whom I am with and who I would love to submit a manuscript for. Why? Selfishly speaking, I'd like my works to stay out there for everyone. I've had one of my books go out of print and one not even make its release day due to a publisher going out of business and it's not a fun business.

Also, my publishers put out some pretty awesome works, often times of the sort you won't see out in the traditional press world. They take chances on works which mainstream places wouldn't, and as a result deliver very quickly high quality, unique fiction to people.

Hence if there's anything I'd love to ask of my readers, it's this: support your indie publishers by buying direct, or find the third-party distributors who are honest and don't employ practices I would consider to be bordering on unethical. Ethical, good third-party distributors I recommend are All Romance eBooks (ARe), Bookstrand, and 1Romance eBooks and all of them have my works on their sites. ARe in particular has supported charity work in the past, including one LGBT related one I took part in and will be submitting a portion of my royalties for once I receive them.


Love & Magic,
Adrianne
www.adriannebrennan.com



Please Note: I am blogging on behalf of the Boston Rape Crisis Center, and if you wish to sponsor me in any dollar amount--none is too small, every bit counts!--please go here: http://tinyurl.com/AdrianneBlogsforBARCC then email me your receipt at adrianne@adriannebrennan.com so I can keep a running total. If you don't know what to put down for the donation, just put "Adrianne Brennan - Blogathon".

Why I don't eat meat, wear wool, or will eat a regular pizza: Vegan Adventures in an Omnivore World

By now people are reading these posts about my being a bisexual pagan female geek and are probably wondering, "Is Adrianne normal or mainstream about anything?" The answer to that is probably "No," but at least it makes for more interesting writing. *grin*

And now I will compound that by telling you all that I don't eat what most of you eat, because blogging about unusual topics is FUN! :D Like all of my topics, I present this as a "this is how I am, and I'm a live and let live sort of gal." At no point will I be turning this entry into a "meat-eaters suck" rant because that's no better than telling me that everyone who lives like I do are a bunch of pale, dying anorexics.

I am vegan! This means that I do not eat or consume animal products. I will not eat meat, poultry, seafood, eggs, dairy, or honey. I will avoid animal derived ingredients such as gelatin, lactose, whey, beeswax, and what-have-you. I neither wear wool, leather, or silk.

I am also a foodie. This means that I've learned the fine arts of preparing meals that satisfy all of my food habits and desires. I've made everything from vegan nachos that you can't tell are vegan to chocolate mousse. I'm known on chats for sharing recipes for stir frys, desserts, drink mixes, casseroles--you name it. I can't eat your standard American diet but I do enjoy a lot of ethnic food which doesn't rely on meat and dairy so much such as Indian, Ethiopian, Chinese, Japanese, Thai, and Middle Eastern food.

My dietary sources of protein include tofu and other soy products, whole grains, wheat gluten (seitan), beans and lentils, nuts, hemp, brown rice, and pea protein. Chickpeas are awesome, and I am quite fond of falafel. I mostly drink either soy or almond milk, and the faux cheeses out these days are absolutely amazing. If you're lactose intolerant, vegan, or just curious you must check out Daiya. It makes pizza loving vegans HAPPY!

I don't write about vegetarians or vegans often in my stories but when I do, I write about them accurately. Vegetarians are less strict than vegans, but they don't eat meat, poultry, or seafood. My biggest pet peeve are people who eat vegetarian meals sometimes but call themselves vegetarian when in fact they eat animal flesh. Shrimp doesn't grow on trees. Neither does ham. Why the most often asked question of me is whether or not I eat seafood is utterly, utterly beyond me, and I blame it on the fact that seafood is still considered by Jewish standards to be kosher pareve even though it is technically meat.

My favorite place to eat in my area is the Pulse Cafe in Somerville, MA. Their nachos are to die for! I've taken omnivores there and they loved it. It's just an excellent food place which happens to serve vegan meals. It's pretty sweet:

http://www.thepulsecafe.com

I've had a lot of people ask me why I went vegan. Once upon a time, I was your bacon-wrapped scallop eating, medium rare streak chewing, die hard omnivore voted least likely to go vegetarian let alone vegan. The initial impetus for the switch was my body's increasing inability to digest animal proteins without screaming, agonizing gut issues. The more research I did on the subject, the more I decided that for philosophical and environmental reasons it would be a good idea to do--hence why I am not just a dietary vegan but also shun animal products and animal testing in bath and body products, clothing, and medications if I can help it.




Love & Magic,
Adrianne
www.adriannebrennan.com



Please Note: I am blogging on behalf of the Boston Rape Crisis Center, and if you wish to sponsor me in any dollar amount--none is too small, every bit counts!--please go here: http://tinyurl.com/AdrianneBlogsforBARCC then email me your receipt at adrianne@adriannebrennan.com so I can keep a running total. If you don't know what to put down for the donation, just put "Adrianne Brennan - Blogathon".

A polytheist in a monotheistic world

Those who have read my fiction are pretty familiar with how many of its characters worship other deities besides the Jewish and Christian God. I've done my best to portray modern paganism in such a realistic way that in comparison with the surroundings, it appears normal...because it is.

This is due primarily to one thing I sometimes mention but do not comment on often, which is my own faith. I am a Greek polytheist. This means I'm an actual, modern-day, real-life devotee of the Greek gods and I practice Greek religion, which is often referred to interchangeably as either Hellenism or Hellenismos. Amanda in my book Blood of the Dark Moon is also a Greek polytheist and has the same deity I do, which is Apollo. Given writing falls under Apollo's sphere of influence, this should surprise no one. ;) It just worked out that way, honest!

The problem with not being mainstream is that we often get thrown in with the kooks and the crazies, the people who are more than a "little out there." It's that way all over; loud-mouthed crazy people often negatively color an entire group, and fundies exist in all religions without exception. For that reason I'm often quiet about my beliefs because I don't believe in proselytizing and think people should simply live and let live.

Without getting too much into the technicalities of my faith, I will suggest to others who wish to read up on it to learn more about what Hellenists believe go to the following urls:

http://old.ecauldron.net/dc-faq.php
http://kyrene.4t.com/intro.html

Since Wicca is the most well-known of all of the pagan faiths out there, it's confused people into believing that all pagans are Wiccan and follow Wiccan beliefs on things--which simply isn't true. While some of us engage in mystical practices others are more conservative in their approach to their spirituality. It's therefore in accurate to assume that all pagans believe in and/or practice magick or witchcraft.

Like with my efforts to defuse LGBT stereotypes in my writing, I aim to do the same for pagans. I portray them as being the same way anyone else would be with the same goals, wishes, and dreams--dealing with every day life as anyone else would.

It's often thought--and perhaps this is a human thing and not just culture--that just because someone is different, it means that they are not actually the same as you. As a writer, I enjoy the chance to meet all sorts of different people, find out more about how they think, and allow it to influence my writing. I'd like to think that in the process of writing, I can introduce people to a better place and help to broaden their world too.

And then there's the hot sex. ;) :D


Love & Magic,
Adrianne
www.adriannebrennan.com



Please Note: I am blogging on behalf of the Boston Rape Crisis Center, and if you wish to sponsor me in any dollar amount--none is too small, every bit counts!--please go here: http://tinyurl.com/AdrianneBlogsforBARCC then email me your receipt at adrianne@adriannebrennan.com so I can keep a running total. If you don't know what to put down for the donation, just put "Adrianne Brennan - Blogathon".

LGBT in fiction: breaking down stereotypes to write about the reality in the fantasy

It's no secret that in addition to "traditional" romance and erotica, I write about women falling in love and/or having sex in addition to men doing the same. One thing I have always stressed and advised others on is that beyond researching the physical mechanics for realism (especially if you're writing about the opposite sex!) the thing to do is to remember you are writing about people. It's really that people. Two people falling in love. Two people who are attracted to each other. Two people who are finding each other in a crazy, crazy world.

I believe in this strongly. I myself am a self-described "peoplesexual", and while I fit into the so-called "B" spectrum on the LBGT scale as a bisexual I don't feel that the term itself describes my sexuality accurately. I'm not attracted to gender, I don't "crave" one gender if I'm with someone else, and I also don't feel that the binary scale when it comes to gender is all that reflective of reality when it comes to what the culture perceives as gender versus what is.

Then there are the stereotypes about bisexuals, which anger me because they not only come from heterosexuals but our own LGBT community. We all cheat, "need" the other gender if we're with someone else, or we're declared to be nonexistent all together, just a bunch of gays in denial or straight people who are "experimenting." Even in fiction bisexuality is frequently done with someone in both a gay and a straight relationship or they're "not really bi." As a monogamous bisexual, this irks me, and this is why I'll often make references to past experiences with lovers of either gender regardless of who they are devoted to at present. It spells it out: if we're bisexual, we can be in a gay relationship or a straight one. It doesn't make us no longer bisexual; we're still capable of being attracted to someone regardless of gender. While there are indeed bisexuals who are polyamorous, they do not make up all of bisexuals.

Because of my own sexuality and friends of mine who are all over the LGBT spectrum, I am a strong supporter of marriage rights and label said rights as they should be labeled: civil rights. People have the right to fall in love. Consenting adults have the right to be together with their chosen and preferred. And nobody has the right to say otherwise. It sickens me to think of how prejudiced people are with such little basis or understanding.

As a writer, I do my best to contribute to causes I feel strongly about--such as this Blogathon, for instance. :) But also when I write, I do my best to portray what I feel to be important and what I want to leave people with. People in my books are very fluid sexually, are often of minority faiths and backgrounds, and have often have reasons to be labeled as "alt".

I contributed to an anthology called To Love and To Cherish, which is a collection of stories about women marrying women. Note that I don't use the term "lesbian" as I feel it excludes the segment of women who are bisexual but wind up in a monogamous gay relationship. My own story, "My Big Fat Greek Pagan Lesbian Wedding" is about two women who are Greek polytheists, one who is a devotee of Hera and the other Aphrodite, and the trials and tribulations that unfold for them as they plan their wedding. Between friends and family who try to mean well but sometimes miss the mark and miscommunications between them, I take snapshots of it all. LGBT couples go through the same sorts of issue we all do regardless of our backgrounds, and that was more or less the point of my story.

Proceeds from To Love and To Cherish are donated towards Marriage Equality in order to fight for civil rights.

You can find my story in the anthology in ebook, Kindle, or print format on Amazon.com and other retailers online.




Love & Magic,
Adrianne
www.adriannebrennan.com



Please Note: I am blogging on behalf of the Boston Rape Crisis Center, and if you wish to sponsor me in any dollar amount--none is too small, every bit counts!--please go here: http://tinyurl.com/AdrianneBlogsforBARCC then email me your receipt at adrianne@adriannebrennan.com so I can keep a running total. If you don't know what to put down for the donation, just put "Adrianne Brennan - Blogathon".

Going once, going twice...sold! Bidding for Love PG-13 Excerpt

Once again, another one of lovely Savannah Chase's excerpts. Anyone want to bid for love?

Just a reminder...TWO CONTEST GOING ON! There are one of two ways to win a copy of one of my books in PDF format:

1) Comment on my posts
2) Donate to BARCC on behalf of my Blogathon (details on how below in BOLD)

Good luck!!


Love & Magic,
Adrianne
www.adriannebrennan.com



Please Note: I am blogging on behalf of the Boston Rape Crisis Center, and if you wish to sponsor me in any dollar amount--none is too small, every bit counts!--please go here: http://tinyurl.com/AdrianneBlogsforBARCC then email me your receipt at adrianne@adriannebrennan.com so I can keep a running total. If you don't know what to put down for the donation, just put "Adrianne Brennan - Blogathon".

Bid For Love by Savannah Chase

Genre:Erotic Romance/ Contemporary

Length: Short

Price: $2.50

Publication Date: August 18, 2008

Her fantasy man is up for auction. Will Nico dare to bid?

Nico's history of romantic disasters has taught her when she gambles on men, she fated to lose. That doesn't stop her from secretly lusting after Jeff, the handsome construction worker she sees everyday on her way to work..

When the New York's Sexiest Bachelor auction begins and Jeff comes up on the block, she's seriously tempted to place a bid. The wager can't be taken lightly — it might be for a good cause, but she's making a bid for love……

Excerpt

Nico was intrigued by the things people revealed when they only had three minutes to talk and make a first impression. So far, most of them were not good ones.

After all she had seen so far, she was more than ready to bolt, and fast. The only thing left was to figure out how.

Just as her last three minute nightmare was coming to an end, she glanced around the room. Surprisingly she saw something that made the evening even worse than it already was.
There on the other side of the room, sitting at a table, was Jeff. The man who rocked her world. The man she wanted with every fiber of her being.

He was seated with a drop dead gorgeous brunette who had the tightest little number on she had ever seen. The woman's extra large sized breasts were pushed up and out for every guy to see. There was no way to miss them.

Nico tried to finish off the last few moments of her meeting with her current so-called date, but her attention kept shifting back to Jeff. It didn't help that the woman he sat with was throwing herself at him. The flirtation couldn't have been any more obvious, especially considering her leg was rubbing his up and down before it disappeared above his knees. One of Jeff's hands was also under the table.

She could only imagine what he was doing. Actually she didn't have to, she knew exactly what he was doing and she wished she wasn't here to witness it.
Buy Now at

The Writing Process: General Advice to Writers

I've been writing since I was ten and am now thirty-two. That's a lot of years to write and keep writing! One of the biggest helps to me along the way is a wonderful English teacher in high school who not only took my fantasy novel-in-progress home with him to critique during his summer vacation, he drove it to my house so we could talk in person about it. I was sixteen years old. Between his encouragement and him going above and beyond the call of duty to help me to grow as a writer, he inspired me to stick with it and gave me the push I needed to continue writing and believe that someday I could succeed in the world of writing.

My advice to those who want to write professionally is this: write, and keep writing! Never give up. If you are truly passionate about your craft, you will seek to keep writing and improve your skill as you do so. Join critique circles. Don't be afraid to take red ink and look at it as a good thing. I actually look forward to the editing process with my editors; it gives me the chance to polish up a work and figure out how to get better! I've learned an awful lot from my rounds of editing, and if you can take constructive criticism from a good editor who knows how to keep your voice and help you to improve, you're golden.

That's what it's all about--constantly striving to grow and evolve as a writer. Always doing better, never giving up. You will get rejections, you will find people for whom your writing and chosen genre(s) isn't their cup of tea. As a writer, you won't be able to please everyone but if you find an outlet for your work and find ways to make your writing more successful in reaching others, you'll do yourself a world of good.


Love & Magic,
Adrianne
www.adriannebrennan.com



Please Note: I am blogging on behalf of the Boston Rape Crisis Center, and if you wish to sponsor me in any dollar amount--none is too small, every bit counts!--please go here: http://tinyurl.com/AdrianneBlogsforBARCC then email me your receipt at adrianne@adriannebrennan.com so I can keep a running total. If you don't know what to put down for the donation, just put "Adrianne Brennan - Blogathon".

Ravishment, "forced seduction", and sexual violence in erotic romance

This is a topic which came up in the comments earlier and was something I wished to talk about during the Blogathon.

There is, in my opinion, a difference which needs to be drawn between the desire to be able to let go without shame, guilt, or repercussion that which this culture often forces us to feel guilty about, and trivializing sexual assault and violence upon women. We read fiction to escape because some of us identify too heavily with the idea that being swept away by passion is a "forbidden" thing due to the way we were brought up, religious hangups, cultural hangups, and what-have-you--hence why "forced seduction" fiction can be a popular turn-on for some. It allows people to feel that they can experience feelings they normally feel shameful about and/or need to take responsibility and control for and relinquish that control in a very controlled, safe setting, namely fiction. When writing about such things, this needs to be made VERY clear, in my opinion.

Outright rape-as-titillation in fiction is what trivializes rape and sexual assault and contributes to the culture that blames victims, is convinced they enjoyed (and hence consented) to it and therefore can't "actually be raped", and overall destroys what should be a healthy expression of sexuality in regards to the fantasy world.

I think editors and publishers who understand the differences between these settings and assist authors to be clear in writing such should be applauded. Comprehending the psychology in certain kinks and sexual desires goes a long way towards writing good erotic romance and erotica.

And I would hope it would go without saying that rape in erotic romance is NEVER okay. Rape is an expression of power and enforcing control over someone and has NOTHING do to with desire let alone love.



Love & Magic,
Adrianne
www.adriannebrennan.com



Please Note: I am blogging on behalf of the Boston Rape Crisis Center, and if you wish to sponsor me in any dollar amount--none is too small, every bit counts!--please go here: http://tinyurl.com/AdrianneBlogsforBARCC then email me your receipt at adrianne@adriannebrennan.com so I can keep a running total. If you don't know what to put down for the donation, just put "Adrianne Brennan - Blogathon".

Love Under Will - PG Excerpt

Congrats! You're among the first to preview my upcoming story, "Love Under Will", now contracted for the Mammoth Book of Hot Romance, to be published by Running Press next spring!

More details when I have them! :)


Love & Magic,
Adrianne



Please Note: I am blogging on behalf of the Boston Rape Crisis Center, and if you wish to sponsor me in any dollar amount--none is too small, every bit counts!--please go here: http://tinyurl.com/AdrianneBlogsforBARCC then email me your receipt at adrianne@adriannebrennan.com so I can keep a running total. If you don't know what to put down for the donation, just put "Adrianne Brennan - Blogathon".


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Blurb:
Angels who serve the Powers That Be must work to fulfill Divine Will, or become one of the fallen. An overwhelming assignment weighs upon Aliyael’s angelic shoulders: return Julael, a recently fallen angel, back to his rightful place among the rest of the seraphim.

However Julael brings not only challenges towards her perception of angels and humanity, but to her heart as well. Can she rescue him from the darkness, or will she fall with him? Or worse yet…for him?


Excerpt:
“They want me to rescue what?” Aliyael was glad for being back at the Sanctuary; had she still been manifested in the physical world on Earth, her voice would’ve hurt her throat.

To Loriel’s credit, if her reaction startled her she didn’t show it. “An angel who fell.” Loriel tossed her long, light brown hair over one shoulder. Aliyael had noticed the hair thing became a nervous habit for the other angel. She’s still not used that hair, or her body….

“Look, it’s a major assignment,” her friend continued, “a huge deal. You’ve proven in the past you can handle the most impossible cases, surely this one wouldn’t be beyond your means?“

Aliyael shuddered, unable to reply. One of the fallen. Once an angel had fallen, no telling where they’d go. Some went mad, some tried to go mortal, others…demonic. Sorrow and terror welled up in her every time they were mentioned. Mostly terror, really, she admitted. Once removed from grace, powerful angels could transform into dangerous, deadly creatures.

But Loriel was right; this was a fantastic chance to prove herself further to higher ranking Seraphim. Taking on more challenging assignments meant evolving and moving up further in the Sanctuary—not to mention the possibility of serving the Powers That Be better than before. She might even wind up someday serving among the ranks of the Archangels. How could she turn such an opportunity down?

Then again, how could she not? Convince one of the fallen to return? What if it backfired and he joined Lucifer against them? What if they themselves fought?

I can’t be Michael, and I wouldn’t dare even try.


Copyrighted 2010 by Adrianne Brennan




Confessions of a (Semi) Recent Slash Addict

And no, I don't mean "slash" as in slasher horror films, either. ;)

I have a confession to make: I am one of many women who didn't understand the appeal of slash for a very, very long time. Comprehending what was hot about watching two men go at it was beyond me. Slash between two women I’ve always found hot, mostly because I could identify with either woman but can't identify with a man, but never got into erotic romance novels between two men.

It actually was not until my favorite fandom pairing arose that I "got" it: it's really about two men whom you find to be hot and whose chemistry you find to be hot that makes it work. It's also about that lovely, perhaps-only-slightly-subconscious desire to be the filling in that sandwich. It is my belief that this is why m/m erotic romance sells well with women who want to appreciate men’s bodies and sexuality and find it to be a turn on.

The genre of m/m erotic romance had gone mainstream recently, and I blame it on the British sci-fi television show known as Torchwood. Its pairing of two of the main characters, Captain Jack Harkness and Ianto Jones, have sold the show for many people who may have never watched it. I personally got into the show because I am a fan of the original show it spun off from, which is Doctor Who. Torchwood broke through a lot of boundaries for the GLBT world with its loose boundaries and definitions of sexuality with its omnisexual main character, Jack.

Often times my writing is inspired by what I read and watch on television, and I write what I consider to be “gender blind” characters for the most part. So far, my books have featured m/f, f/f, f/f/f, f/f/m, m/m, and m/f/m pairings. My scifi/paranormal erotic romance book Dawn of the Seraphs is my entry into the wide, wonderful world of m/m and it definitely won’t be my last! :D

Readers and writers, feel free to sound off! Are you a fan of the m/m genre and if so, why? Do you have any preferences as to associated genres? Do you prefer m/m paranormals, historicals, contemporary?


Love & Magic,
Adrianne
www.adriannebrennan.com



Please Note: I am blogging on behalf of the Boston Rape Crisis Center, and if you wish to sponsor me in any dollar amount--none is too small, every bit counts!--please go here: http://tinyurl.com/AdrianneBlogsforBARCC then email me your receipt at adrianne@adriannebrennan.com so I can keep a running total. If you don't know what to put down for the donation, just put "Adrianne Brennan - Blogathon".

Favorite paranormal/scifi/fantasy tv shows?

LOST, True Blood, Doctor Who, Torchwood, Buffy, Firefly,Star Trek, and Babylon 5 all rank among my favorite paranormal/scifi/fantasy tv shows.

What ones have you enjoyed/are enjoying lately? I've heard good things about Being Human but have yet to check it out.


Love & Magic,
Adrianne
www.adriannebrennan.com



Please Note: I am blogging on behalf of the Boston Rape Crisis Center, and if you wish to sponsor me in any dollar amount--none is too small, every bit counts!--please go here: http://tinyurl.com/AdrianneBlogsforBARCC then email me your receipt at adrianne@adriannebrennan.com so I can keep a running total. If you don't know what to put down for the donation, just put "Adrianne Brennan - Blogathon".

Movie recommendations!

I think the most underrated movie out right now is The Sorcerer's Apprentice. GO SEE IT!!

What movie(s) have you seen thus far this summer that you recommend? My list is Inception and The Sorcerer's Apprentice. I'm also dying to see Salt.

Suggest away!


Love & Magic,
Adrianne
www.adriannebrennan.com


Please Note: I am blogging on behalf of the Boston Rape Crisis Center, and if you wish to sponsor me in any dollar amount--none is too small, every bit counts!--please go here: http://tinyurl.com/AdrianneBlogsforBARCC then email me your receipt at adrianne@adriannebrennan.com so I can keep a running total. If you don't know what to put down for the donation, just put "Adrianne Brennan - Blogathon".

Dawn of the Seraphs - PG Excerpt

Please Note: I am blogging on behalf of the Boston Rape Crisis Center, and if you wish to sponsor me in any dollar amount--none is too small, every bit counts!--please go here: http://tinyurl.com/AdrianneBlogsforBARCC then email me your receipt at adrianne@adriannebrennan.com so I can keep a running total. If you don't know what to put down for the donation, just put "Adrianne Brennan - Blogathon".


Dawn of the Seraphs - Available at Love You Divine and Amazon.com!
Series: Immortal Fire
Ebook ISBN: 978-1-60054-402-6
Print ISBN: 978-160054-372-2
lyd Category: His and His Kisses
Cover Price: $3.50 for standalone ebook, $20 for print anthology


Blurb:
Tamar is a Seraph, a member of an influential organization of powerful psychics known as ANGEL. Seraphs are humans who have evolved to have varying psychic abilities. Possessing a greater lifespan and intelligence than ordinary humans, Seraphs within ANGEL grow to their full potential through study and practice.

In the year 4287 on planet Earth, ANGEL has deteriorated to become the harbor of the bored elite. A small but passionate rebellion rises to take back the power they once held. In pursuit of his own dreams, Tamar is caught in the chaotic struggle for evolution, power, and to define the greater good.

Kir, an old rival from his days as an apprentice within ANGEL, resurfaces, threatening to shred Tamar’s world into bits...along with his heart. Their ideals clash, and a bitter fight ensues between them. Can Tamar’s courage save Kir from the darkness which plagues him while remaining true to himself and what he holds dear?

“Shut. UP.” Something struck Tamar hard and he fell, his back smacking the ground with a thud. It took him a few moments to register that what hit him wasn’t an inanimate object, but a blond man in black and scarlet.

Blinking, Tamar stared up into Kir’s light-colored eyes, now turned gray with his rage. The blond Seraph’s weight bore down on him, his strong grip pinning his shoulders to the floor. Tamar could feel his hot breath upon his face, the warmth of his body against his. And what cologne did Kir put on that day? It smelled familiar, something spicy. A hint of cloves, perhaps? His head hurt, and the room grew hazy.

“You. Are. A. Disgrace,” Kir spat out. “You’re holding back in front of all of these people. A Seraph like you. Pitiful. Have you no shame?”


“I’ve no idea what you’re talking about.”


“Are you ashamed of what you are? You disgust me.” Kir’s hold grew firmer, his fingers digging into him harder. Ouch, what the frag? Tamar’s shoulders began to hurt, but he ignored the pain and glared at him instead.


“There’s no machinery in this room, Kir.” he stated in a calm and even tone. “No computers.”

Kir’s voice became a low growl. “Your datapad, or someone else’s then.”


“Fine. Whatever.” He cleared his throat. “Will you please get off of me now?”

Copyrighted 2009 by Adrianne Brennan


To read more and/or purchase, go here: http://www.adriannebrennan.com/dawnoftheseraphs.html

The Writing Process: Where to get ideas?

As an author, I'm often asked where I get my ideas from. Quite honestly. the source of the majority of my works happens to be my dreams. I have been known to dream almost an entire book, sometimes over the course of one or many dreams. I'm careful to write them down when I have them, and they help me to later come up with stories around them. I'm lucky to both remember my dreams and dream vividly, and if you have a talent like that--use it!

But where else can people get story ideas from? I tell you all, read books, watch movies, and think and daydream about them afterwards. Ever get frustrated out how a book or a story ended? Why not think of how you would written a similar circumstance differently in a completely original work geared towards your own writing style, ideas, and experiences?

I have met writers who are afraid to read books; there's the concern that they will affect their writing process so much that they will accidentally copy or plagiarize someone else's material. Unless you have no control over your own work and are being possessed by the spirit of a fictional character from that work or something utterly exotic like that (ooh, plot idea!!), there's no reason to worry about this. You can get inspiration for themes in stories and still be able to write your own work.

Also, here's another thing: personal experience. It's often said you should write about what you know. Why not take an event that inspired you and rework it into a plot with its own characters and theme? And if you enjoy writing speculative fiction as I do, imagine the same set of circumstances only with magic, advanced technology, aliens, supernatural creatures...let your imagination run wild!

And that's really the thing: imagination. You have to embrace it, daydream, run wild with it. Spend time by yourself in order to think. Take long walks and dig into your creative process. You'll be glad you did!



Love & Magic,
Adrianne
www.adriannebrennan.com

Please Note: I am blogging on behalf of the Boston Rape Crisis Center, and if you wish to sponsor me in any dollar amount--none is too small, every bit counts!--please go here: http://tinyurl.com/AdrianneBlogsforBARCC then email me your receipt at adrianne@adriannebrennan.com so I can keep a running total. If you don't know what to put down for the donation, just put "Adrianne Brennan - Blogathon".

He's on the menu! But can someone suggest a drink pairing for him? :D

Once again, I bring an excerpt in from Savannah Chase, a wonderful author and friend of mine who donated a few excerpts for today's cause.


I bought this anthology when it was released, and I absolutely loved it! This story was one of my favorites. If you have the chance, do check it out along with its many talented authors in it.

Please Note: I am blogging on behalf of the Boston Rape Crisis Center, and if you wish to sponsor me in any dollar amount--none is too small, every bit counts!--please go here: http://tinyurl.com/AdrianneBlogsforBARCC then email me your receipt at adrianne@adriannebrennan.com so I can keep a running total. If you don't know what to put down for the donation, just put "Adrianne Brennan - Blogathon".

Sweet_Anth_Cover.jpg picture by SavannahChase

One Touch, One Glance: A Sweet Romance Anthology
Available December 9, 2008
by Various
Genre: Anthology/Contemporary/Time Travel
Rating: Sweet
Book Length: Humongous Novel
Price: $6.49

Whatever happened to good, old-fashioned romance? Remember reading about a man’s clothed physique, or how a fellow admired a woman in a pretty red dress? How about stories where couples fall in love with just one glance or that first gentle touch? Then open this anthology and enjoy 18 beautiful stories of love lost, love found, intrigue, heartache healed, the miracles of life, passionate admissions, and tearjerkers that make one sigh with longing. From best friends who find romance to time travel to a bit of Christmas magic, step into the realm of hearts on fire and love everlasting.

Authors: Gwen Hayes, M.E. Ellis, Maryann Miller, Adelle Laudan, K. Starling, Trinity Blacio, Debbie Gould, Ava James, Faith Bicknell-Brown, Savannah Chase, Lisa Alexander Griffin, Kensana Darnell, Brieanna Robertson, Nicolette Zamora, Kathleen MacIver, Missy Lyons, and Jambrea Jo Jones

He’s On The Menu by Savannah Chase
One Touch One Glance A Sweet Romance Anthology

All Jessie wanted to do was get home safe and sound from a shift at the diner, not crash her car into a tour bus that belongs to a mega star. Ian’s traveled the world and met lots of women but non like the one who’s crashed into his life. She’s different and unforgettable and now he’s ready to show her he’s perfect for her and just the thing she needs on her menu.

Excerpt

A sudden stop and the sound of crunching metal startled Jessie. She shrieked as her forehead cracked the steering wheel. Thank God she hadn’t been driving any faster or the airbags might have deployed. Rain washed over the windshield, the wipers struggling to keep up, but she couldn’t see anything beyond the car’s grill ornament.

“Darn it! No! Please don’t let me have hit someone.” She shifted the car into park and turned the engine off.. Jessie swallowed a lump in her throat. Frantically, she reached for her seatbelt with damp, shaking hands. Once the seatbelt clicked, her heart raced a mile a minute. Tears streamed down her face. She didn’t know what she would do if she’d harmed anyone.

She opened the car door and got out. Dark clouds blanketed the sky, and the rain still fell fast, hard. Jessie inspected the damage and what she’d crashed her car into. Every possible thought ran through her head as she looked at the bus she’d just hit. It wasn’t just any bus. Oh, no…this was a large, black-and-silver tour bus.

This couldn’t be happening to her. How on earth would she explain this to her insurance company? How would she explain this to the owner of the bus?

Her shoes squeaked with every step she took. Water sloshed around her toes, and her running shoes were ready to fall off at any moment. She approached to knock on the bus’s door, but it opened before she touched it.

“I’m sorry. I’m so sorry. I didn’t see your bus parked here,” she called out.

“My bus driver is going to kill you,” a voice said.


Buy Now

I am a Purple Unicorn: Being a female geek in male-dominated industries, interests, and hobbies

In my "requested blog topic arsenal", I am pulling out this one, as it's a topic which has come up in chats, interviews, emailing lists, and general discussions.

I am a woman. I am also a senior level software engineer, a gamer, a Trekkie, a Doctor Who fan, and a scifi/fantasy fan in general. In short, I'm a card-carrying geek. And as anyone who's seen the author pic of me from the back with the red cloth and tattoos, I look like anything but.

In short, I'm a purple unicorn.

I've been told in message boards, movies, tv, and books that I don't exist. If I do, I am obviously a "Mary Sue", which means I'm a projection of some weird male fantasy where chicks like me like the sort of thing guys in my culture (and by my culture, read: American suburban) like. I even got published due to writing "Vader pr0n", ie., Star Wars erotic fanfic.

So what's a gal like me to do when I hang out in the chats with other women who have no idea who David Tennant is, don't know the differences between Star Trek and Star Wars, and prefer watching Desperate Housewives over Torchwood (and no, the episode where John Barrowman guest starred in DOESN'T COUNT)?

Or how about when I show up for a job interview for a lead tech position in an industry filled with men who have publicly stated that they know of no female programmers, they don't exist and when they do, they're awful to mediocre coders? Add the fact that I look significantly younger than my age to the mix, and it's been a recipe for disaster and outright, blatantly-stated gender and age discrimination. In one interview, I was told with a pointed look that they were looking for a "mature" engineer. I very bluntly asked them if thirty-two was mature enough for them, which was met with much shock, recovery, followed by hemming and hawing by someone who clearly didn't read the full resume including the year I graduated college (1999, for the curious).

It's funny. I live in a culture with such very clear gender roles and ideas to the point where even so-called feminists can't think outside of them. I get told on a regular basis what is considered to be "male" versus "female", what is "appropriate" for my age and gender--and not all of this is coming from older generations, either. I hear it from those in mine and younger.

So what's a purple unicorn to do, and how do you get more women to read science fiction, become Computer Science majors, and watch Star Trek with their male boyfriends? The answer is this, my friends: BREED. Raise your daughters to have these sorts of things in their environment and don't point out anything as being "male" or "female". There's nothing "male" about RPGs, science fiction, or computers--and it's honestly bullshit stereotypes like that which cause a science fiction manuscript to be rejected when a female name pens it, but when the same one is submitted with an androgynous name to be accepted.

The cycle feeds itself. We need more women writing hard science fiction, going to conventions, becoming math and science majors, and stop pinning them to roles which we find to be more "appropriate" and give them talking Barbie dolls which inform them that "math is hard".

It's not hard. But dealing with batshit stereotypes about gender is. It makes me feel especially for those who are transitioning into their internal gender; I've been told by some trans women that they were expected to behave in a way they found insulting in order to "pass" and receive the appropriate help they needed to transition. That's seriously insane.

On the whole, I'm proud to be a purple unicorn. We exist!



Love & Magic,
Adrianne
www.adriannebrennan.com

\Please Note: I am blogging on behalf of the Boston Rape Crisis Center, and if you wish to sponsor me in any dollar amount--none is too small, every bit counts!--please go here: http://tinyurl.com/AdrianneBlogsforBARCC then email me your receipt at adrianne@adriannebrennan.com so I can keep a running total. If you don't know what to put down for the donation, just put "Adrianne Brennan - Blogathon".

In love with love: the appeals, pitfalls, and social commentary in the romance genre

Often when I tell people I write erotic romance, sweet romance, and erotica I get a very similar sort of response: "Ohhh", said in a certain tone which makes me think they're envisioning me writing the sorts of novels that have the heroines on the covers in the corsets and heaving bosoms, with the male leads dressed in outfits you'd typically see at a Renaissance Festival, featuring overly poetic sentences such as "His pulsing rod of love entered her floral castle". And I sort of laugh because I know fully well the sort of stuff I do write about, and how it manages to sometimes put me out of the mainstream erotic romance genre.

Love it or leave it, sex and romance sells. People enjoy reading about falling in love, being lost in passion, that thrill of being swept off your feet, and finding that special someone with whom you connect on a special level. Ideas on what constitutes as romance in our culture are often flawed: romance will make your life perfect. People should find that special someone to "complete" them, as if being alone is this weird, flawed, freakish thing with people running around with only half a head and partial limbs, deformed and "incomplete". Then there's the idea that everyone should fall in love, marry, and have 1.5 kids in that white house with the picket fence and the SUV in the driveway.

I've often found that being able to deal with life's pitfalls, bad days, and the standard obstacles of being human and still manage to be in love and have a fulfilling sex life to be the most romantic thing there could possibly be. When I write about obstacles to romance in my books, they usually surround people's own uniqueness and lack of ability to share that with others, let alone find people who can both understand and embrace it. Uniqueness is not a flaw, although some in our culture would have you believe that it is.

So what's the deal with being in love with love? Why does romance truly appeal? Is real romance romantic, or are we just kidding ourselves for the sake of getting some hot sex between the sheets into print? For me personally, I love reading and getting into the heads of people whose emotions and lives are intensely complex, as is their interaction with others. Real romance is never smooth sailing; otherwise the moment our characters hooked up on page 15 there'd be nothing more to really write about. The plot wouldn't progress, the characters wouldn't evolve, and by that point you'd just have a lot of really great sex scenes, the sort of thing you dream about reading in fiction.

But emotions are real; we are all emotional creatures who seek fulfillment in our heart of hearts. We want to see our wishes, hopes, and dreams fulfilled--and even be able to share that with others, in particular a partner who can accompany us in our adventures and pursuit of living one's life. It's why most people prefer a "HEA" or "happily ever after" ending in their fiction; they read to feel better and to hear about good things happening to good people. They want to believe in true romance. Perhaps not perfect romance, but true romance.

And above all else, everyone just wants to be happy. :)



Love & Magic,
Adrianne
www.adriannebrennan.com


Please Note: I am blogging on behalf of the Boston Rape Crisis Center, and if you wish to sponsor me in any dollar amount--none is too small, every bit counts!--please go here: http://tinyurl.com/AdrianneBlogsforBARCC then email me your receipt at adrianne@adriannebrennan.com so I can keep a running total. If you don't know what to put down for the donation, just put "Adrianne Brennan - Blogathon".

Why I chose the Boston Area Rape Crisis as my Blogathon charity

And here's the post that answers the question which may be on people's minds: why did I choose the Boston Area Rape Crisis Center for my charity of choice for the Blogathon? This is where I have chosen to blog about an uncomfortable topic in the hopes of raising awareness and keeping people informed.

The statistic of women who have been sexually assaulted in some form or another has been quoted to me as one in four. From talking with others, I'm very sad to say that this statistic is alarmingly and inaccurately low; I would place it as more like three out of four women.

Unfortunately I am one of them. I have been date raped in the past, and last summer I was sexually assaulted by someone whom I had considered one of my best friends for a number of years. I have personally gone through the stages of denial, grief, rage, and other feelings I can't even begin to describe. People think it happens to others, anyone but them, and they don't realize how easily it can happen to you and by those whom you thought you could trust. People often envision it as an act of extreme violence where your life is threatened, and picture thugs in dark parking lots and alleyways as the instigators. While such incidences are also a part of the reality behind sexual assault, they are not the entire picture. Significant others, acquaintances, former lovers, spouses, close friends--it can happen to you from anyone. There is no "template", no universal trigger, just the idea that someone can violate you, your body, and your personal boundaries on a large enough scale that there is no doubt that someone tried and succeeded to exert a power over you which you did not give them permission to have.

There are people who often quote the saying, "No one can harm you without your permission." Blame in this culture is frequently placed on the victim: what they were wearing, did they have anything to drink, was there suggestive body language, why didn't they go to the police? They will be accused of lying and if they speak up, they are told that they are making "matters which should be kept private public" and essentially told to shut up.

I know this not just due to talking with others, but because it has happened to me. No one wants to hear it, people want to sweep it under the rug, pretend it didn't happen, and can we talk about the sports scores instead now? All that I know is this: NONE of this should be as common as it is. I shouldn't have to tell people it's okay to speak up, that I was told to shut up and keep it private, or in one case be told "tl;dr" (Net speak for "Too long; didn't read") and refer to it as "TMI" when I came out to speak of it.

I want to help to change the culture I live in to stop accepting this as normal events to be swept under the rug, to stop victim blaming, to prevent people like me from thinking that they should keep quiet and not "burden" people with this information. This is why I'm blogging today and raising funds towards a local organization that fights against rape and sexual assault, and supports survivors of such. This shouldn't be normal. It shouldn't be accepted. I shouldn't be hearing from so many people that this, too, has happened to them. It's not right.

So to those of you who have endured, struggled, had your good days and bad, and gone through anything like what I have: you are not alone. And I'm blogging for you, me, and all of us today.

I thank you all in advance for your support, for reading my blog posts--especially this one. *hugs*



Love & Magic,
Adrianne
www.adriannebrennan.com


Please Note: I am blogging on behalf of the Boston Rape Crisis Center, and if you wish to sponsor me in any dollar amount--none is too small, every bit counts!--please go here: http://tinyurl.com/AdrianneBlogsforBARCC then email me your receipt at adrianne@adriannebrennan.com so I can keep a running total. If you don't know what to put down for the donation, just put "Adrianne Brennan - Blogathon".

Also, one person has reported that they had to provide an additional small percentage as a "tip" to the Network Good that gives the donation in the link above. I've only seen this reported when Paypal is the payment of choice and not sure if this is universal. Just letting people know in case they need to adjust their donations accordingly.

Reality is bent and broken: blurring the lines of reality in fiction

It's easy to see by my favorite movies, tv, anime, and books that there's a running them in many of them:

The Matrix - the blending of the real world with a computer generated one
The Neverending Story - the blending of the real world with that of fiction
Serial Experiments Lain - the blending of the real world with virtual reality and the Internet

To add to the growing list, I watched Inception last night over at the local IMAX. Another good one, the blending of reality with that of dreams: which is the dream and which is the reality? How it ended could even be in debate, and I had a few theories of my own as the movie went on.

What is it about such stories that is so compelling? Many of us read and watch fiction to be entertained and to escape. Or is it merely an escape? Do some of us feel deep down that the lines drawn around what we perceive to be reality are false in some areas and exaggerated in others?

Or perhaps it's a need not to escape, but to explore reality, to entertain the "what-if" possibilities. What if parallel realities existed as derived from fiction? How many of us have not on occasion daydreamed about what it would be like to tour the starship Enterprise, take a trip to Narnia, or visit Bon Temps in True Blood? What if our technology grew so powerful that something such as the Internet would blend and redraw our map of existence? And just what it is about the idea that computers will somehow dominate and rule over our so-called real world as a dystopian vision of the future that we find so compelling and so...true to life? In an age where we are attached to our Netbooks, iPads, and Blackberries it doesn't seem too far-fetched. And if machines could become sentient, what then?

The world of the machine and the world of the mind. The world of information and the realm of thought. The world of imagination and ideas which generate it. We separate them for the sake of our own sanity and the perception of what we can and cannot change in addition to what we see, feel, and sense in the world around us. If we discover how to develop 3D virtual realities so real that they can affect the world around us, would it ultimately spell out a new, profound way to create and influence life? Or would it ultimately corrupt us and foretell our doom?

What do you think of fiction which portrays reality as being so malleable? Do you find a grain of truth in what they are portraying, are forecasting the developments of new and dangerous technology? Or do you find them to be merely fanciful tales born in wishful thinking and a desire to escape what we perceive as being unalterable?



Love & Magic,
Adrianne

Please Note: I am blogging on behalf of the Boston Rape Crisis Center, and if you wish to sponsor me in any dollar amount--none is too small, every bit counts!--please go here: http://tinyurl.com/AdrianneBlogsforBARCC then email me your receipt at adrianne@adriannebrennan.com so I can keep a running total. If you don't know what to put down for the donation, just put "Adrianne Brennan - Blogathon".

Also, one person has reported that they had to provide an additional small percentage as a "tip" to the Network Good that gives the donation in the link above. I've only seen this to be the case when Paypal is the payment of choice but I'm not sure if this is actually universal. Just letting people know in case they need to adjust their donations accordingly.

Blood and Mint Chocolates - PG Excerpt

Please Note: I am blogging on behalf of the Boston Rape Crisis Center, and if you wish to sponsor me in any dollar amount--none is too small, every bit counts!--please go here: http://tinyurl.com/AdrianneBlogsforBARCC then email me your receipt at adrianne@adriannebrennan.com so I can keep a running total. If you don't know what to put down for the donation, just put "Adrianne Brennan - Blogathon".


Blood and Mint Chocolates - novella within the Dark Moon series
Genre: Vampire/Paranormal/Lesbian
ISBN: 978-1-935013-44-0
Rating: Spicy
Book Length: Novella
Price: $3.99

This novella entitled Blood and Mint Chocolates is among the dark urban fantasy/vampire/paranormal erotic romance books known as The Dark Moon series. Blood and Mint Chocolates takes place after the first bookBlood of the Dark Moon () and just before its sequel, Shadows of the Dark Moon. Originally slated for the Masquerade: Collier House vol 2 anthology at Aphrodite's Apples, after the publisher closed it was expanded to become a stand-alone story, and is now published with Freya's Bower. It is also available on Fictionwise, eBookwise, Bookstrand and ARe.

Blood and Mint Chocolates won Best Overall Lesbian Novel in the 2009 Rainbow Awards. It also took Best Lesbian Erotica 2008 in the Lesbian Fiction Readers Choice Awards and came in #2 for Best Horror Short Story in the P&E 2008 Polls.
Blurb:
    Merideth, a vampire and librarian, spends most of her nights researching and book collecting for Clan Gladius within the Order of the Dragon and the Rose. Much to her surprise, the head of Clan Gladius unexpectedly presents her with a luxurious gift: a trip to stay at Hotel Paradisio at Crystal Island!

    The heat is on at the island resort under moonlit skies and palm trees. The tropical heat quickly transforms into a scorching hot time that will be seared into her memory forever when she runs into her long time crush, Kalia. Merideth is presented with a gift from a goddess which allows her to experience in reality her deepest fantasies, which existed before in dreams alone. But can their passion survive the intrigue and potential dangers that await them, or will it only last as long as her vacation?
A steaming romance between two women and occult intrigue set the stage for the future of the Dark Moon series. The world of the Order of the Dragon and the Rose is about to change, and this story is a small taste of what's to come.

For more information on it and other works in the series, please click here: http://www.adriannebrennan.com/books.html
To read reader and reviewer reviews of this book, go here: http://www.adriannebrennan.com/reviews.html


---

A rather generous gift from one of her students sat on Merideth's desk in her office within the Sanctuary's library, begging to be enjoyed in many different and most sinful ways. She sampled it eagerly: rich, dark heaven with echoes of mint in just the right places.

Oh, how she loved chocolate mints. And these Godiva dark chocolate ones embodied the definition of "exquisite."

Closing her eyes in ecstasy, she sank back into her chair and savored the taste. How fresh the taste of mint, and how decadent the chocolate. For a moment, she let her mind wander back to the days of her mortal youth. Merideth never had the privilege to have such indulgences in those days, and she refused to allow herself to be any less deprived as a vampire.

Why should immortality restrict one from such delights?

A knock came at the door. "Amaltheia? Are you there?"

Oh, shit. Janius. With great haste, Merideth stashed the rest of the sweets in the desk drawer. She didn't want to let the magister know about her addiction to mint chocolates and be forced to submit to his stern lectures on "maintaining vampiric purity" and the necessity of alchemical transformation through transcending physical needs typically ascribed to humans.

Blah blah, no longer human, we're above that nonsense, blah blah blah…. "Sure—come in, Magister."

The door opened, and the magister briskly walked in and closed it behind him. Merideth gazed warily upon Clan Gladius's leader. Janius earned his magister title on numerous occasions with his stern, albeit gentle guidance. Being the founder and head of the Clan, a fairly prestigious reputation within the magickal order of Ordo Draconis et Rosae—also known as the Order of the Dragon of the Rose—preceded him. She respected Janius a great deal and thought well of him. However, in spite of the fact that the two of them shared a strong friendship and had worked together as fellow magicians for decades—Janius often called her "the Clan's favorite librarian"—Merideth thought little of his stuffy and pretentious demeanor, but she kept her opinion to herself. Sometimes she wished she belonged to another Clan within the Order. Perhaps Clan Corvus in New Orleans, or even Clan Diamhair Aingeal in Boston. Both lacked the taciturn nature which embodied the character of Clan Gladius.

And neither, as far as she knew, upheld the ideas of vampiric purity by the letter of the law as much as its spirit.

"Hello, Merideth," he greeted her, addressing her by her real name versus Amaltheia, the one given to her by Clan Gladius as her Order name. Dropping the formality relieved her of any notion that the magister sought her out for any negative reason, and she was thankful for it. Only those who knew her well called her Merideth, and her closest friends called her Meri for short. "I hope that I have not caught you at a bad moment?"

The elfish vampire was all sweetness with her smile, all the while praying that bits of chocolate didn't show on her teeth. "Of course not, James," she replied, dropping the customary Order tradition in return. They were behind closed doors, after all.

"Excellent. Merideth, you've been working hard keeping the Sanctuary's library the way it is, and I notice you haven't taken any time off recently."

She blinked at him. "Time off, James?"

"Well," he shuffled his feet, "I notice you go on occasion with Theodotos to play darts in the common room, but you could use some time away from the library. As much as we know you like it here."

Blood have mercy. "James, I love it here—you know that. Do you have the impression that I'm unhappy or something?"

The magister laughed. "Meri, don't be silly. You're a workaholic like the rest of us, and while some of us have our ways of managing time off, I thought that you alone could use a special…respite."

She fought down a smirk. Workaholic, indeed—James was certainly one to talk! When did he ever take a vacation? Had he ever taken a vacation? But she bit her tongue in her customary fashion.

"Me, James?"

"Yes, you." He placed an envelope face down on the desk in front of her, and she stared at it curiously as if it might leap up and bite her. She hesitated and raised an eyebrow at him.

"Plane tickets to Hotel Paradisio on Crystal Island. The flight will arrive at the airport near the resort, and an escort will be there to take you to your hotel well before sunrise."

Merideth began to sputter. Never in her wildest dreams did she ever imagine that the magister would ever present her with such a gift. She would've been grateful just for the license to take the night off and attend an event at a nearby blues club with Asharael and Lyrael. "James, this is so…," she fought for a word adequate enough to describe how she felt, "frivolous. I just can't—"

He raised an eyebrow at her in an echo of her previous gesture. "You're allowed to indulge yourself every now and again, Meri. Moderation and all that, you know. Oh, and by the way," he added, "remember not to overindulge too much. You're among humans but not of them. Enjoy some alcohol, but stay away from those silly confections."

Grateful blood-tears filled her eyes. "I…I don't know what to say, James."

Her head swam. A hotel resort on a beautiful island. Granted, it'd take more than a few light spells to allow her even an hour's comfort in the sun, but surely the nightlife must be sultry, grand—exquisite like her dark chocolate mints.

"Say 'Thank you, James'. Then get on that flight and have a good time."

"Thank you, James," she mumbled, her voice not much louder than a whisper. What would she wear? What should she take? What would she do while she stayed at this hotel? But above all of her concerns she felt an enormous sense of gratitude. This generous time off touched her more than she could possibly express to James.

"You're welcome. Consider it a thank you from the rest of the Inner Circle for all of your hard work well done. Have fun!" With a big, almost goofy grin, he left her office.

Merideth stared at the door in disbelief, a blood-tear finally coursing down her cheek.




Copyrighted 2008 by Adrianne Brennan




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