On Tour
Saturday, May 29, 2010
reviews (Comments)
Posted by
Ricky
Hi, everyone! I'm just dropping in to let everyone know the band will be on tour for the next two weeks. When we get back, we'll have some great new giveaways of band merchandise and our new book. If you're not already a groupie, sign up, so you'll have the latest info when we return.
Maelstrom Extra: An Inconvenient Invitation
Wednesday, May 26, 2010
reviews (Comments): 12
Posted by
Maelstrom
This is a Three Word Wednesday offering, so be sure to check out Three Word Wednesday for more fun!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Kalila slipped out of her bottle in a silver mist, poured herself out of the building through gaps in the seal around a door, and drifted into an office park courtyard, where she curled around one of the painted steel spires of a modern sculpture representing the concept of liberty. Or perhaps it was just a rat. Even the humans themselves weren’t sure, and Kalila had no desire to try to figure it out. The sun had warmed the red-lacquered steel and she settled into a comfortable position so she could think.
Sunday brunch with Ricky and his mother. There were so many things wrong with the idea that it would’ve hurt her head to think about it, had she been in human form. For starters, she didn’t care for human food, although she could tolerate it if she had to. But this “meeting Mom” thing was another matter. Although she wasn’t sure of the precise social ramifications, she suspected it would be taken as a sign that she was a girlfriend of sorts, and that simply wouldn’t do.
For Ricky to have suggested it at all was an outrage. She should find him and give him a piece of her mind; make him abandon the ridiculous notion by force if she had to. There was a time not so long ago when she would’ve done just that, but something made her balk, and this new indecisiveness worried her. That she cared what a human might think was puzzle enough, but not wanting to disappoint Ricky was downright un-djinn-like.
She sighed and drifted over backward, elongating herself like a rope and swaying back and forth on the breeze while she tried to bring her scattered thoughts to order. One didn’t spend over two thousand years knocking around the planet without learning how to handle a situation or two. The correct thing would be to track Ricky down and punish him. Severely. The problem was that she wasn’t angry. Instead, she felt oddly excited. No one had ever invited her to meet their mother before. She shouldn’t care, of course, since it was just another human, but the strange feeling of pleasure persisted and she gradually stopped her swinging to contemplate it for a bit.
The twittering of a group of sparrows tussling over a bit of trash brought her back to her senses. Djinns didn’t get emotional. She gathered herself together and slid down the sculpture, drifting past the birds without their noticing. When she reached a service door hidden from view by hedges, she conjured herself into human form, comfortably dressed in jeans, boots, and a natty black jacket. Then she went to the sidewalk and mentally summoned a cab. She would go to Ricky and explain. No brunch. It was simply impossible. Or if she did go, it would have to be a very short brunch, at someplace expensive that served mimosas. And no matter what, he couldn’t introduce her as his girlfriend. Not now, not ever.
A djinn might find humans acceptable company from time to time, but one had to draw the line somewhere.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
AUTHOR'S NOTE: If you enjoyed this story, you can now buy the book in print and Kindle versions from Amazon and e-book format from Fictionwise!.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Kalila slipped out of her bottle in a silver mist, poured herself out of the building through gaps in the seal around a door, and drifted into an office park courtyard, where she curled around one of the painted steel spires of a modern sculpture representing the concept of liberty. Or perhaps it was just a rat. Even the humans themselves weren’t sure, and Kalila had no desire to try to figure it out. The sun had warmed the red-lacquered steel and she settled into a comfortable position so she could think.
Sunday brunch with Ricky and his mother. There were so many things wrong with the idea that it would’ve hurt her head to think about it, had she been in human form. For starters, she didn’t care for human food, although she could tolerate it if she had to. But this “meeting Mom” thing was another matter. Although she wasn’t sure of the precise social ramifications, she suspected it would be taken as a sign that she was a girlfriend of sorts, and that simply wouldn’t do.
For Ricky to have suggested it at all was an outrage. She should find him and give him a piece of her mind; make him abandon the ridiculous notion by force if she had to. There was a time not so long ago when she would’ve done just that, but something made her balk, and this new indecisiveness worried her. That she cared what a human might think was puzzle enough, but not wanting to disappoint Ricky was downright un-djinn-like.
She sighed and drifted over backward, elongating herself like a rope and swaying back and forth on the breeze while she tried to bring her scattered thoughts to order. One didn’t spend over two thousand years knocking around the planet without learning how to handle a situation or two. The correct thing would be to track Ricky down and punish him. Severely. The problem was that she wasn’t angry. Instead, she felt oddly excited. No one had ever invited her to meet their mother before. She shouldn’t care, of course, since it was just another human, but the strange feeling of pleasure persisted and she gradually stopped her swinging to contemplate it for a bit.
The twittering of a group of sparrows tussling over a bit of trash brought her back to her senses. Djinns didn’t get emotional. She gathered herself together and slid down the sculpture, drifting past the birds without their noticing. When she reached a service door hidden from view by hedges, she conjured herself into human form, comfortably dressed in jeans, boots, and a natty black jacket. Then she went to the sidewalk and mentally summoned a cab. She would go to Ricky and explain. No brunch. It was simply impossible. Or if she did go, it would have to be a very short brunch, at someplace expensive that served mimosas. And no matter what, he couldn’t introduce her as his girlfriend. Not now, not ever.
A djinn might find humans acceptable company from time to time, but one had to draw the line somewhere.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
AUTHOR'S NOTE: If you enjoyed this story, you can now buy the book in print and Kindle versions from Amazon and e-book format from Fictionwise!.
Maelstrom Extra: Nothing But Trouble
Wednesday, May 19, 2010
reviews (Comments): 7
Posted by
Maelstrom
This is a Three Word Wednesday offering, so be sure to check out Three Word Wednesday for more fun!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
It had been a tight touring schedule and tonight the demons were tired and hungry. Vic leaned against the bar, pale and brooding, sniffing the air occasionally for a whiff of his favorite blood type. Lazaro already had his eye on someone - a studious-looking sort who probably had just the type of intellectual brain he liked to call dinner. As for Bo...Ricky looked around. If the bass player wasn't in a dark corner with one of the girls who had been vying for his attention during the last set, then he was probably up to no good in the manager's office, maybe with the manager himself.
Ricky sipped his drink, thinking how he dreaded nights like this. He needed to do something fast and pacify the band members before things got out of control, but he was out of sorts, himself. Days on a tour bus with a group of demons, a naive fairy, and a sexy, moody, djinn could do that to a guy.
He had been hired to babysit demons, though, no matter that his alleged title was "manager," so he set his empty glass on the bar and went to Vic. "Come on, man. You've got a nice stash of blood products in the fridge backstage, remember?"
Vic scowled and showed a hint of fang. "All I have left is AB negative. Nasty stuff. And don't get me started on the plasma. After a few days it starts to taste like the plastic bag it's stored in."
"Maybe you can find a fresh meal later at the hotel." He grasped Vic by the sleeve of his leather coat and pulled.
"Not if Bo starts banging the maids again," Vic protested. Nevertheless, he went with Ricky to where Lazaro was lurking behind a heavy post, keeping an eye on his chosen meal.
"Give it up," Ricky said. "I have it on good authority he repeated third grade twice and dropped out of high school."
Lazaro made a face. "Stupid brains are mushy."
"Exactly. Now come on. Don't you have anything left in your cooler from when you raided that medical school a few days ago?"
"I'm tired of pickles."
"I'm tired of him eating that crap, too," Vic said. "Every time I try to talk to him, it's like formaldehyde-breath."
"At least I don't smell like hemoglobin."
"What's wrong with iron and oxygen, zombie freak?"
Ricky ignored their squabble and led them through the crowd to the backstage dressing room, glad they were too tired to fight him. Inside, they startled Bo on the sofa in the voluptuous embrace of the girl who had been taking door charges earlier.
The girl saw them and shrieked, Bo's incubus seduction spell broken. She squirmed out of his grasp, threw on her clothes and darted from the room.
"Damn you." Bo glared at Ricky. "You couldn't have waited another fifteen minutes?"
No, Ricky couldn't have waited. He needed Vic and Lazaro someplace safe, away from temptation, and besides, the band was entitled to a generous percent of the cover. "She needed to get back to her job taking money at the door."
"Like we care about money." Bo flung himself full length on the sofa.
"Uh...would you please put some pants on?"
"Why? Do I turn you on?"
"In your dreams. You go back on stage in another..." he looked at the time on his BlackBerry. "Ten minutes."
Bo shrugged in unconcern while Lazaro fumbled in a cooler for snacks and Vic bit into a plastic blood bag. Ricky headed for the door, in no frame of mind to watch the vampire and zombie feed.
He was in the hallway leaning against the door and wondering how much trouble the guys would give him when it was time to take the stage again, when Kalila walked up, her breasts nearly bursting out of her leather corset and her red hair shimmering below her waist. "So this is where you are."
Ricky suppressed a sigh. "Yes, you found me. What kind of trouble do I have to get you out of?"
Without a word, she kissed him, her lips golden honey and her body sweet fire. His mind a haze of heat and desire, Ricky pulled her to him. Nothing mattered in this moment; not the band, not the show, not even the air he breathed. The djinn was trouble, worse in her way than any of the others, but she was all he needed, now and forever.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
AUTHOR'S NOTE: Good news, peeps! Maelstrom is now available in print and Kindle versions from Amazon and e-book format from Fictionwise!.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
It had been a tight touring schedule and tonight the demons were tired and hungry. Vic leaned against the bar, pale and brooding, sniffing the air occasionally for a whiff of his favorite blood type. Lazaro already had his eye on someone - a studious-looking sort who probably had just the type of intellectual brain he liked to call dinner. As for Bo...Ricky looked around. If the bass player wasn't in a dark corner with one of the girls who had been vying for his attention during the last set, then he was probably up to no good in the manager's office, maybe with the manager himself.
Ricky sipped his drink, thinking how he dreaded nights like this. He needed to do something fast and pacify the band members before things got out of control, but he was out of sorts, himself. Days on a tour bus with a group of demons, a naive fairy, and a sexy, moody, djinn could do that to a guy.
He had been hired to babysit demons, though, no matter that his alleged title was "manager," so he set his empty glass on the bar and went to Vic. "Come on, man. You've got a nice stash of blood products in the fridge backstage, remember?"
Vic scowled and showed a hint of fang. "All I have left is AB negative. Nasty stuff. And don't get me started on the plasma. After a few days it starts to taste like the plastic bag it's stored in."
"Maybe you can find a fresh meal later at the hotel." He grasped Vic by the sleeve of his leather coat and pulled.
"Not if Bo starts banging the maids again," Vic protested. Nevertheless, he went with Ricky to where Lazaro was lurking behind a heavy post, keeping an eye on his chosen meal.
"Give it up," Ricky said. "I have it on good authority he repeated third grade twice and dropped out of high school."
Lazaro made a face. "Stupid brains are mushy."
"Exactly. Now come on. Don't you have anything left in your cooler from when you raided that medical school a few days ago?"
"I'm tired of pickles."
"I'm tired of him eating that crap, too," Vic said. "Every time I try to talk to him, it's like formaldehyde-breath."
"At least I don't smell like hemoglobin."
"What's wrong with iron and oxygen, zombie freak?"
Ricky ignored their squabble and led them through the crowd to the backstage dressing room, glad they were too tired to fight him. Inside, they startled Bo on the sofa in the voluptuous embrace of the girl who had been taking door charges earlier.
The girl saw them and shrieked, Bo's incubus seduction spell broken. She squirmed out of his grasp, threw on her clothes and darted from the room.
"Damn you." Bo glared at Ricky. "You couldn't have waited another fifteen minutes?"
No, Ricky couldn't have waited. He needed Vic and Lazaro someplace safe, away from temptation, and besides, the band was entitled to a generous percent of the cover. "She needed to get back to her job taking money at the door."
"Like we care about money." Bo flung himself full length on the sofa.
"Uh...would you please put some pants on?"
"Why? Do I turn you on?"
"In your dreams. You go back on stage in another..." he looked at the time on his BlackBerry. "Ten minutes."
Bo shrugged in unconcern while Lazaro fumbled in a cooler for snacks and Vic bit into a plastic blood bag. Ricky headed for the door, in no frame of mind to watch the vampire and zombie feed.
He was in the hallway leaning against the door and wondering how much trouble the guys would give him when it was time to take the stage again, when Kalila walked up, her breasts nearly bursting out of her leather corset and her red hair shimmering below her waist. "So this is where you are."
Ricky suppressed a sigh. "Yes, you found me. What kind of trouble do I have to get you out of?"
Without a word, she kissed him, her lips golden honey and her body sweet fire. His mind a haze of heat and desire, Ricky pulled her to him. Nothing mattered in this moment; not the band, not the show, not even the air he breathed. The djinn was trouble, worse in her way than any of the others, but she was all he needed, now and forever.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
AUTHOR'S NOTE: Good news, peeps! Maelstrom is now available in print and Kindle versions from Amazon and e-book format from Fictionwise!.
Maelstrom Extra: Missing Books
Wednesday, May 12, 2010
reviews (Comments): 11
Posted by
Ann (bunnygirl)
This is a Three Word Wednesday offering, so be sure to check out Three Word Wednesday for more fun!
Ricky struggled with the heavy box, cursing as he tried to get it in the door of the studio. From behind the reception desk, which was really just for show since the band didn't allow visitors, Calvin frowned.
"What are you doing, human?"
"What does it look like? I guess you couldn't have held the door or anything."
Calvin returned his attention to a video game. "Not really."
Ricky set the box on a table and wondered if it would be worthwhile to say something about Calvin's manners. Since a lecture would probably be a waste of time, he went to the desk and started looking for something he could use to cut the box open.
"There you are, Ricky." Kalila strolled into the room. "You promised to be here half an hour ago so you could hear our new song."
"I needed to pick up a package."
Kalila approached the box and eyed it warily. "I see. And what's in here that's so important?"
"Books."
She raised her eyebrows. "Not those books."
Ricky stopped fumbling among the items on the desk. "Yes, 'those' books. They're copies of that new book about us."
"You mean the story about how you went from being in fear of your life from us to--"
"Don't give the ending away."
"Who would I be giving it away to? Calvin, you know this whole ridiculous saga, don't you?"
Calvin ignored her, absorbed in his video game.
"Look, would you just help me out, here? I need something to cut open the box with. Or better yet, how about you...?"
"Open it and remove the books for you by magic."
"Why not?"
"Because I'm not your personal servant?"
"I thought maybe you'd do it as a favor."
Kalila turned away in annoyance. "Djinns don't do favors," she said, but as she left the room, she waved her hand in the direction of the box.
Ricky hurried over in a rush of excitement, and it opened at his touch.
Empty. He picked up the box, weightless now without the books, and looked around in dismay. "Kalila!"
From the end of the hall, he heard a faint voice. "Come hear our new song, Ricky."
"But...the books."
Calvin looked up from his video game. "She didn't hire you to sell books, human. Better go see what she wants."
With a sigh of frustration, Ricky trudged down the hall. "This had better be good, Kalila."
AUTHOR'S NOTE: Yes, folks, the rumors are true. Maelstrom is now available in e-book format from Fictionwise. Information about how to get the print version will follow just as soon as it's available But for now, if you're an e-book fan, go buy a copy of Maelstrom by following this link: Maelstrom!
Ricky struggled with the heavy box, cursing as he tried to get it in the door of the studio. From behind the reception desk, which was really just for show since the band didn't allow visitors, Calvin frowned.
"What are you doing, human?"
"What does it look like? I guess you couldn't have held the door or anything."
Calvin returned his attention to a video game. "Not really."
Ricky set the box on a table and wondered if it would be worthwhile to say something about Calvin's manners. Since a lecture would probably be a waste of time, he went to the desk and started looking for something he could use to cut the box open.
"There you are, Ricky." Kalila strolled into the room. "You promised to be here half an hour ago so you could hear our new song."
"I needed to pick up a package."
Kalila approached the box and eyed it warily. "I see. And what's in here that's so important?"
"Books."
She raised her eyebrows. "Not those books."
Ricky stopped fumbling among the items on the desk. "Yes, 'those' books. They're copies of that new book about us."
"You mean the story about how you went from being in fear of your life from us to--"
"Don't give the ending away."
"Who would I be giving it away to? Calvin, you know this whole ridiculous saga, don't you?"
Calvin ignored her, absorbed in his video game.
"Look, would you just help me out, here? I need something to cut open the box with. Or better yet, how about you...?"
"Open it and remove the books for you by magic."
"Why not?"
"Because I'm not your personal servant?"
"I thought maybe you'd do it as a favor."
Kalila turned away in annoyance. "Djinns don't do favors," she said, but as she left the room, she waved her hand in the direction of the box.
Ricky hurried over in a rush of excitement, and it opened at his touch.
Empty. He picked up the box, weightless now without the books, and looked around in dismay. "Kalila!"
From the end of the hall, he heard a faint voice. "Come hear our new song, Ricky."
"But...the books."
Calvin looked up from his video game. "She didn't hire you to sell books, human. Better go see what she wants."
With a sigh of frustration, Ricky trudged down the hall. "This had better be good, Kalila."
AUTHOR'S NOTE: Yes, folks, the rumors are true. Maelstrom is now available in e-book format from Fictionwise. Information about how to get the print version will follow just as soon as it's available But for now, if you're an e-book fan, go buy a copy of Maelstrom by following this link: Maelstrom!
Book Release Announcement!
Monday, May 10, 2010
reviews (Comments): 3
Posted by
Ricky
Hey, everyone - Ricky here. That book about us has just been released on Fictionwise, and guess what? It looks like it really is about me. (Sorry, Kalila.)
It's only available in e-format right now, but if that's what you like, click on over and get it. There's a "new book" rebate in effect right now, so it's a bargain!
Maelstrom
It's only available in e-format right now, but if that's what you like, click on over and get it. There's a "new book" rebate in effect right now, so it's a bargain!
Maelstrom
