The Next Big Thing Blog Hop Stop

Courtesy: MorgueFile.com

Hi everyone, I’ve been tagged by Sonya Clark to participate in The Next Big Thing blog hop. Today is my day to post about one of my works in progress or a book you may not have heard of yet. (In my case, that would be short stories.) Considering I have a number of manuscripts in various stages of production, I thought I’d talk about the one that’s closest to being ready for submission. 

What is the title of your book?
The working title is The Zaphkiel Project. But I’ll probably call it Zaphkiel. I have had other names for it over the years, most of which are unprintable.

Where did the idea come from for the book?
I don’t remember. I guess when I was wondering what would happen if an angel unwittingly let loose a demon on a city, and the consequences that would follow.

What genre does your book fall under?
Urban Fantasy, Paranormal, Dark Suspense

Which actors would you choose to play your characters in a movie rendition?
Good question. I’m partial to British actors. Benedict Cumberbatch as Lucifer and Laurence Fox as Sean/Caliel would be two choices. But I’ve no idea who would play Zaphkiel or Ophaniel. To be honest, I’m more interested in having my stories turned into graphic novels. :-)

What is the one-sentence synopsis of your book?
When an archangel unleashes a demon upon a city, he must enlist Lucifer’s help to stop it.

Will your book be self-published or represented by an agency?
Not sure. I plan to submit the book to digital publishers, but self-publishing’s also an option.  

How long did it take you to write the first draft of your manuscript?
Can’t remember. Can’t even remember when I started it. I think I’m on draft nine now, but that’s a guess.

What other books would you compare this story to within your genre?
Maybe Thomas E. Sniegoski’s angel urban fantasies and Kaori Yuki’s Angel Sanctuary. To be honest, I don’t read books in my genre when I’m working on a project. I don’t want to become influenced. However, Dark Halo (Christopher Kokoski), Demon’s Night (Guido Henkel), and Halo of the Damned (Dina Rae) might be similar books. (They’re on my TBR list.)

Who or What inspired you to write this book?
Inspector Lewis. Seems incongruous, I know. There was an episode which mentioned the Venus Transit and that fit one of my characters so well, I decided to make the Transit part of the story. Now, I’m debating whether or not I want to change that aspect.

What else about your book might pique the reader’s interest?

I twist preconceived notions of good and evil. Also, Lucifer seems to be a popular character, at least among the people who’ve beta read the story.  

These are the people I’m tagging for The Next Big Thing Blog Hop. No obligation or purchase necessary. :-)

Amy McCorkle

Donna McDonald

Teresa Reasor

Debbie Christiana

Friday Guest Post: Debbie Christiana

Thank you, Pam, for having me as your guest today. My story in BELTANE, The Thirteen Steps, is about, Isabella, a Sicilian Strega who is falsely accused of consorting with the Devil and comes back one hundred years later, seeking reven…er, justice. 

As a child, my Sicilian grandmother would tell us of the Stregas in her village. She spoke about them with respect, not fear, explaining they possessed certain gifts that others did not. They understood the secrets of nature and knew how to use the healing properties of herbs and plants.

When I was older, I became interested in Paganism and all its many believe systems, from Native Americans, to Buddhism, to Wicca. For me, it was natural to delve into and learn about Italian witchcraft.

Stregheria or La Vecchia Religione, The Old Religion, share some aspects of Wicca, but in itself is unique. The main distinction, until fairly recently, is that Stregheria was a hereditary religion. One could simply not become a Strega or Stregone (male), you had to be “of the blood.”  Secrets, potions, and incantations passed from generation to generation and were not spoken of outside of the sacred bloodline. Many mysteries of the ancient ways of Stregheria remain that only a few are privy to.

Wiccans follow the creed, An it harm none, do what you will. Stregas follow the same rule, do as thy wilt, as long as you are willing to take responsibility for your actions. While having no intention to cause harm to anyone, and unwilling to strike first, if a Strega is attacked they will fight back, with every intention of winning. This was part of my inspiration for Isabella’s story. Here’s a short excerpt. I hope you enjoy it.

***

The thirteen wooden steps to the gallows creaked beneath Isabella, moaning a dismal welcome to the top.  The village of Messina, Sicily hadn’t hung a witch in over three hundred years.  At the height of the Spanish Inquisition, Sicilians showed tolerance for those who practiced the ancient religion of Stregheria, but today that would change. With her hands bound behind her, Isabella walked to her death.

She peered into the crowded sea of spectators below and fixated on her accuser- The Visconte of Sardinia.  He stood tall, his broad chest proclaiming self-importance.  Beneath the smug, arrogant expression, a longing lingered in his eyes. She refused his advances to have her in his bed. Isabella invited men she found desirable to share her love, not the other way around.  Now she would pay for it with her life.

           

“My heart is heavy with sorrow that after years of practicing the ways of the Strega with honor,” Reverendo Signor Parroco Fiolisi announced, “you allowed the devil into your heart and soul.”

           

The devil was a ridiculous creature Christians used as a scapegoat for things they didn’t understand and to justify their cruelty.  Isabella would never associate with such a reprehensible entity – even if it existed.

“Isabella Cangelosi,” the rotund parish priest continued, his deep voice booming with grim piety. “You are sentenced to hang until dead for the crime of collaboration with Satan, today, Friday, October thirteenth, the year of our Lord, eighteen ninety eight.  May God have mercy on your soul.”

Cries of grief echoed from the onlookers, most of whom she had known her entire life. It was no secret who she was. They came to her to cure their ailments and heal their wounds. For aphrodisiacs and love potions. Women wanted her to ease the pain of childbirth and help bring their babies into the world.  She knew their secrets, too. Many a maiden paid her a visit to rid them of an unwanted burden after spending time with the Visconte.  A few even sought her out after confessing their sins to Reverendo Signor Parroco Fiolisi.  She was not a gossip. It was not the Strega way.

“I’m so sorry, Signorina Isabella.” Roberto, a man of considerable bulk, whose virility returned thanks to a simple herb from her, looped the noose around her neck.

“Grazie, Roberto,” she said. “This isn’t your fault.” With her head held high and more bravado than she felt, she spoke. “I am innocent of this charge. My family will not soon forget this injustice. Neither will the Visconte’s, if they ever falsely condemn another.”

           

She was plunged into darkness and the pungent stench of rotten onions filled her nostrils as a burlap sack enveloped her head.  After a couple breaths, the air around her was suffocating. She tightened her gut and braced herself, calling on the Goddess Diana for a quick death.

           

The floor jerked out beneath her.

BIO:

Debbie Christiana would sit in her room as a little girl and write stories about ghosts, unexplained events and things that go bump in the night. She combined her love of the paranormal with her fascination of unusual love stories and decided to write paranormal romance.  Her debut novel, Twin Flames, was released in 2011 with Black Opal Books. Her second book, Solstice, is a 2013 release. This year she’s had two short stories published. The Land of the Rising Sun, was one of ten included in the anthology BITES: Ten Tales of Vampires and The Thirteen Steps is featured in BELTANE: Ten Tales of Witchcraft. Debbie is a member of RWA and Secretary of the Romance Writers Chapter of Connecticut and Lower New York.  She lives in Connecticut with her husband and three children.

www.debbiechristiana.com

Twitter: @DebChristiana

Facebook: Debbie Christiana, author

"Family Tradition" is Almost Here!

My short dark fiction suspense story, "Family Tradition", officially releases this Friday, but I have a guest blogger then, so I'm posting my good news a couple of days early. 

Back Cover:
Artist Rick Stanton needs a commission. He faces eviction from his apartment and his latest project is on hiatus. Worse, his muse refuses to cooperate. A recent letter may contain the inspiration he needs. Inside is the photograph of a mysterious woman, her face hidden by an umbrella. But there’s no identification, no way for him to contact her. A month later, another envelope arrives, this time with a phone number. Realizing this may be his last chance, Rick calls her. The woman introduces herself as Elizabeth and tells him she wants him to paint her portrait.

Rick agrees, only to learn there are conditions. Elizabeth is a recluse who lives with her two servants in a Victorian manor. She never allows her face to be seen. Not only must he stay at Elizabeth’s residence while painting her, he can’t leave, nor can he ever tell anyone about the portrait.

Sensing something isn’t right, Rick is even more disturbed by the sinister undercurrent beneath the household’s genteel façade. It’s somehow connected to the family portraits hanging in Elizabeth’s living room. Could they be haunted? And why doesn’t Elizabeth’s housekeeper want Rick to finish the painting?

---

Excerpt:
The housekeeper waited for me in the corridor. “The mistress requests your presence.” She pressed her hand against a panel and a heretofore-unseen door swung outward to reveal a narrow, dark stairwell. I’d no idea if this hidden room was a common feature of Victorian houses, but given Elizabeth’s mysterious photograph, a secret room seemed to fit.

“Through here, sir, and up those steps. The mistress is in the room at the top.”

Hand pressed against the door, I looked up the narrow stairwell. Once the door closed, I’d be in total darkness. I swallowed, apprehension tracing the back of my neck with icy fingers. Not that I was claustrophobic, but the thought of being surrounded by such gloom unnerved me. I turned to the housekeeper. “Don’t suppose you have a light?”

“You’ll be fine.”

What then? I wanted to ask, but the door had already started to swing shut. I made a grab for it. Too late.

I fumbled for an opening, some notch for my fingers to grasp—a knob, latch, anything. Nothing. Not even a light switch.      

Inside the passage, the musty odor of old wood and stale air assailed my nostrils. Tattered cobwebs brushed against the top of my head. Had this stairwell ever been aired out? Probably not. I guided my hand along the wall as I edged my toe forward until I touched a riser. I stepped up and repeated the process, counting twenty steps until my hands pressed against what felt like wood. I pushed and whatever was in front of me scraped open.

“Welcome, Rick.”

I recognized Elizabeth’s voice, but her head and face were concealed by a hooded cape.
She stepped past me to close the door. I looked back and bile rose in my throat. Grotesque demons, carved in the wood, glared and leered at me in various stages of agony and bestial ecstasy. What the hell had I gotten myself into?


The story is currently available for pre-order from MuseItUp.

Cover Love!

Authors know a cover artist nails it when she or he "gets" a story's premise. I'm proud to say Delilah Stephans, head of MuseItUp Publishing's art department, has done a smashing job on "Family Tradition", my short dark fiction suspense story. 

"Family Tradition" Blurb: 

Artist Rick Stanton needs a commission. He faces eviction from his apartment and his latest project is on hiatus. Worse, his muse refuses to cooperate. A recent letter may contain the inspiration he needs. Inside is the photograph of a mysterious woman, her face hidden by an umbrella. But there’s no identification, no way for him to contact her. A month later, another envelope arrives, this time with a phone number. Realizing this may be his last chance, Rick calls her. The woman introduces herself as Elizabeth and tells him she wants him to paint her portrait.

Rick agrees, only to learn there are conditions. Elizabeth is a recluse who lives with her two servants in a Victorian manor. She never allows her face to be seen. Not only must he stay at Elizabeth’s residence while painting her, he can’t leave, nor can he ever tell anyone about the portrait.

Sensing something isn’t right, Rick is even more disturbed by the sinister undercurrent beneath the household’s genteel façade. It’s somehow connected to the family portraits hanging in Elizabeth’s living room. Could they be haunted? And why doesn’t Elizabeth’s housekeeper want Rick to finish the painting?

"Family Tradition" is scheduled to release this month, but street dates can change, so I don't want to say it'll be available on a certain date until I know for sure. :-)