Angels and Angel Books

In Yesterday's Angel, the angel Azazel isn't a demon as often portrayed by Hollywood. He is a fallen angel, but not evil. He feels he isn't fallen because he feels the Grigori fell for the sake of love.

In my research, I discovered a book simply called Angels written by Malcolm Godwin. This book is a wealth of information about the subject, presented in an interesting and witty writing style. Even the character and seals of some of the more famous angels are given, and he goes into detail about questions you didn’t know you had, for instance, the identity of the Watchers or Shining Ones.

Who the hell are they? Choirboys of the Ninth House, aka the Grigori mentioned in the Book of Enoch (another interesting find!), they were angels sent to Earth to teach Man. Unfortunately, they were a little too zealous in the performance of their jobs and taught the use and design of weapons.  There is one mention of them in the Bible, King James Version, in Genesis 6:2: That the sons of God saw the daughters of men that they were fair; and they took them wives of all which they chose.

Have you ever wondered where your guardian angel stands in the heavenly scheme of things? Well, Mr. Godwin can tell you!

According to the Hebrews, the universe is a hierarchy. The Christians adopted this model of the Cosmos in which God is both at the center of the Cosmos and the highest point of the hierarchy. Entities radiate outward from His Presence, some being close to the center while others move further and further away from the Divine Source of Light and Love.

Let’s look at the Nine Choirs of angels:

Highest Triad

1.   Seraphim

2.   Cherubim

3.   Thrones

Middle Triad

1.   Dominations

2.   Virtues

3.   Powers

Lowest Triad

1.    Principalities

2.   Archangels

3.   Angels

Guardian angels would be of the Lowest Triad, therefore, further from the center of the Cosmos and closer to Man himself.

In my new release, an angel fantasy, Yesterday's Angel uses a lot of background from the Grigori as Azazel, the point of view character, was the leader of the Grigori when they fell in love and fell from Grace.  The story is a love story in war's shadow, running along Azazel's being a conscientious objector to the Fallen in the war to end all wars--Armageddon. Both Celestials and Man fight for the fate of Man and the rule of Heaven.  Here's the blurb:

I am, and always was, addicted to love. ~ Azazel

 

Azazel is a warrior angel, the leader of the Grigori when they fall from Grace for marrying mortal women. Their other sin is revealing the secrets of Heaven. Azazel gives the women the arts for seduction—mirrors, paints, perfumes. He gives men the weapons of war.

 

Fast forward to the current day. Azazel lives in Las Vegas, but he’s bored and seeking a Purpose. He finds Nan—badly in need of his talent with beauty. She’s a sad, faded woman working double shifts in a diner. He determines to polish this diamond in the rough. Azazel never fails. His problems begin when he falls in love with his lovely (but married) project…and Gabriel’s Trumpet announces the Second War in Heaven.

Excerpt:

As I strapped on a shiny breastplate bearing Lucifer’s seal, I shook my head. “Sam, we’re on the losing team.”

My brother nodded and continued with his armor.

At the first opportunity, switch sides.  I belted my sword sheath around my waist.

Samyaza frowned as he fitted a silver helmet with Satan’s sigil over his dark hair. The Righteous won’t allow us to fight with them. 

 I tossed my sword, end over end, and as it dropped, caught the jeweled hilt.  If you don’t ask, you don’t get.

I felt less certain than I sounded, but, as a leader, I must wear the mask of confidence.  The nightmares flickered in the corner of my eye.  I shivered.  Would I be one of the angels who ceased to exist in a shower of colored sparks?

Again, Gabriel’s golden trumpet shattered the expectant silence.  Paimon’s bagpipes shrilled an answer. The bruised sky rained angels. Wings of every shade and hue eclipsed the clouds, a great hissing in the air. Swords flashed like wands of light, clashed with the clangor of black iron. The Hosts were armed to kill.

Paimon piped the Legions of Hell into battle to the haunting strains of Amazing Grace.  Every hair on my body stood on end. We took the field in absolute darkness, a smothering blanket that would cloak the entire earth.  A bolt of lightning spotlighted a lone angel standing above the battle on an outcropping of rock.  As thunder rocketed through the valley, he bowed, his golden hair sweeping the ground.  He straightened, capturing every particle of faint light until he shone like a gilt statue.  The most beautiful and evil of the Host smiled.

“Lucifer,” I murmured under my breath. “Why isn’t the Morning Star leading us into battle?”

“Do I detect sarcasm in your tone?” Samyaza's eyes narrowed at the spotlighted figure.

Buy Link  Special Price 99 cents on Amazon.

Do You Need to Have Writing Goals?

Becoming a writer is such a strange phenomenon. You start out just wanting to tell a story, and that soon evolves into wanting to tell it better, so you dive head-first into craft books and classes.  Then you get fussy over character development. After that, you start thinking about your writer's voice and style. And before you know it, more established writers are asking you about goals.

If you're going to be a writer, do you have to have goals?

The short answer is yes! But don't close out of this blog post just yet.

Yes, you do need to have goals, but your goals don't have to be about money or fame. Remember that you sat down and started writing a story because you wanted to tell a story. That was your goal. Sure, your writing goals have grown and shrunk over the time that you've worked on your writer's toolbox (skills and techniques), but your overall goal has stayed the same. You want to tell a story.

Now, there's nothing wrong with wanting to tell a story that is also profitable. That's a great goal too, but what I often see as I bounce from writing conferences to retreats is that the writers talking at these events are usually talking about making money with their stories. Again, this is a great goal, but it's not everyone's overall writing goal. Some people just want to tell stories, and that's a GREAT goal to have as well.

Just because we don't have the same overall goals doesn't mean that we can't work together as a community. There are so many good ideas and writing tips out there, and while one of those tips is having a writing goal, I wanted to validate all sides of the writing world regardless of your long-term goals.

Some of us want to write short stories, while others only write novels. You're all fabulous!

Still others want to remodel their kitchens off the money they make from their stories. To which I say, You go writing friend!

To those who love to write fanfic because they were that invested in a story. I see you, and keep it up!

Writing friends who haven't fallen in love with a singular genre, so you keep trying out new ones. Go you!

To the awesome humans who write every day, yay! And to those who don't: those words are coming!

And to anyone in between, your goal was to tell a story, and that is the loveliest goal of all.

Happy writing.

 

How I Research for a Fantasy Story

Researching for a fantasy story sounds weird, right? It's not like I can pop over to the farmer's market and find a local Fae to double-check my world-building. I don't have a friendly neighborhood vampire or troll to phone up either. What I do have is mythology.

Peruse Some Mythology:

I think, oftentimes, we forget, or maybe it's just me, that we have hundreds of years of stories to pull ideas from. We don't have to reinvent the wheel, so much as we get to add our own imagination to the pot. 

When I sat down to work on The Curse Breaker, my debut novel, I pulled an old Irish folktale anthology off my shelf (one of those in-the-moment purchases that I couldn't bear to part with and vowed I would read one day) and perused it. I didn't make it through too many stories into that collection before I found the story that served as my foundational novel idea. 

I have done the same for other stories of mine as well. I've pulled mythology details from Korean and Japanese stories, Greek and Roman, as well as Scandinavian literature. There's seriously a treasure trove out there if you don't mind getting a little lost in the countless amazing stories that have been passed down over the ages. 

Google Image Search What World You Have in Mind:

Once you've got a pocket full of neat ideas, it's time to move forward in your story universe. The next step, for me, is to go search for some nifty images on the internet. 

You can also tag in Pinterest or Pixabay (which is a free image site and where this post's photo came from). I'm sure that there are dozens more that are just as great. 

Artists have such a fabulous way of taking dreams and turning them into something living and breathing; something shareable. I often look to artwork for world-building detail inspiration. Plus, this serves as an excellent way to actively work on your story on the days the words just won't come out. 

Add Your Own Spice to the Mix:

Inspiration is great, and there is lots of it. But the very best part of any story is what you, my lovely writer friend, add to it. 

There's no one else who can build a story like you. No other writer has the same voice or style as you. So use all the things that make you fabulous (of which there is a lot) and sprinkle it all over those foundational ideas.  

Just as it is the artist's heart that adds magic to their painting or sketch, it's your emotion that adds heart to the story you're writing.

A Fenian Warrior by Mary Morgan

As I stated in my February post, I have this fascination with Celtic mythology, specifically the Tuatha Dé Danann. They are known as the Shining Ones, Sidhe (Shee), or the Fae. When I first created my Fae warriors, I sought to give them the name of Fenian.

Here is the definition of Fenian from Merriam Webster:

1. A member of a legendary band of warriors defending Ireland in the second and third centuries (A.D.). 

2. A member of a secret 19th century Irish and Irish American organization dedicated to the overthrow of British rule in Ireland. 

Obviously, I went with the first definition. To expand more, the Fenian name derives from the Fianna Eireann, the legendary band of Irish warriors led by the fictional Finn MacCumhaill (MacCool).

In my stories, a Fenian warrior is part of a group called the Brotherhood. They’re elite warriors within the Fae world who safeguard the realm between Fae and human. These warriors have the power to travel through time called, the Veil of Ages. They are often summoned by the Fae council to restore balance in the mortal world, or to aid humans in need of assistance.

There’s only one actor I’ve envisioned for Conn in Quest of a Warrior, and that’s Alexander Skarsgard. From the moment Conn stepped forth in my first book, Dragon Knight’s Sword, I saw this actor. It’s the way Alexander walks into a room—commanding and fierce. A true warrior.

Image from tvtropes.org

Here’s a preview from Quest of a Warrior, Legends of the Fenian Warriors, Book 1 ~

"You met them in the Order of the Dragon Knights. Now, journey to the realm of the Fae and witness their legends!"

Fenian Warrior, Conn MacRoich has traveled the earth for thousands of years, guarding the realm between mortal and Fae. His deeds are legendary. Yet one mistake will force him on a journey to fix a broken timeline. On Conn’s quest, he must face a human female who will eventually bring this ancient warrior to his knees. 

When Ivy O’Callaghan inherits her uncle’s estate, she never imagines there will be more secrets to unravel, including the one she hides from the world. With the help of a mysterious stranger, she learns to trust and step out of the shadows. However, nothing prepares Ivy when she learns Conn's true identity. 

As the loom of fate weaves a thread around the lovers from two different worlds, will the sacrifices they make lead them to love? Or will their secrets destroy and separate them forever? 

On sale for 99¢ 3/12 - 3/26

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A Twist Writing Through Adversity by Tena Stetler

 

Well, this wasn’t the topic I’d planned for today.  But it is what it is.  I’m a very determined person, I plot my road ahead and follow my path.  Roadblocks do occasionally land in my way, I bulldoze a way around them and continue on.

2021 couldn’t get worse than 2020 could it? I never voiced those words until now. But February11, 2021 the COVID-19 possible UK variant  roadblock crashed in my path and was impassable. I’ve never been to the UK and this was not what I had in mind, either let me tell you! Talking about being knocked flat unable to get up or figure a work around. Luckily I’d finished the rough draft of my manuscript due the end of the month, however butt in chair with head held up for editing. Wasn't going to happen no matter how hard I tried!

What this experience has taught me is sometimes you just have to let the world roll over you for a few days. Get up brush yourself off and start again. You’re not a machine, but human. Hubby is the same way same date and diagnosis. He’s the second set of eyes for my manuscript after it's done. That didn’t happen either. After a trip to the ER a few days ago, today is day eleven and my butt IS in the chair and I am writing this post. Appetite is starting to return but food is still not my friend. The upside, weight loss is ongoing.  Yippee!

The month long promo planned for February/March is slower than anticipated, but I’m making it work with the help of friends. I’d ask you help with getting the word out on my sale of CHARM ME AGAIN. A blurb about it is below. 

A little about CHARM ME AGAIN on sale for 99¢ for a limited time.

For several months a Scottish Highland Ghost has haunted Daylan, in his personal life, his professional life and at his forge. Yet, being a talented warlock, he is no closer to discovering what the ghost wants or why he chose Daylan. A trip to his estranged sister’s home in Colorado may have unforeseen consequences especially when family history leads him to a shocking discovery.

As his attraction blooms for Josie, a yoga instructor in his sister’s studio, he realizes there may be more to Josie than he can imagine. When an ancient rogue Fae Warrior set on revenge kidnaps her in an attempt to claim her as his own, a devastating curse comes to light.

Daylan’s world spirals out of control as he searches for Josie. Can he break the age old curse to save her and their future, or will she be lost to him forever?

 Amazon,  Barnes & Noble, and Itunes 

 Next month I promise a sunnier post with odes to Spring and chirping birds. LOL

 Until then stay safe and wash your hands, mask up, wipe down your keyboard and mouse, and use hand sanitizer.  We're not out of the woods yet.  

 

 

When Secondary Characters Demand their Story by Mary Morgan

 

As a writer, I’m constantly surprised by the secondary characters in my stories. Often, they emerge silently through a scene. Yet their powerful presence does not go undetected by me or my readers, and they soon demand their own story. Let me expand further with one of my favorite secondary character who also became one of the greatest heroes I’ve written.

The Journey of a Fenian Warrior Leader… 

To understand this great warrior, Aidan Kerrigan, let me tell you about the world of the Fae…

I have always been fascinated with Celtic mythology, so it only made sense that I would develop and expand the world of the Fenian Fae Warriors. Theirs was a world rich in legends, colors, and senses. I’ve based my own fictional account on the legend of the Tuatha Dé Danann—one of the invasions of Ireland. They were known as the Shining Ones or the Fae. The Tuatha Dé Danann were defeated in two battles by the Milesians, whom historians and scholars alike agree were probably the first Gaels in Ireland. It was agreed that the new invaders (Milesians) and the Tuatha Dé Danann would each rule half of Ireland. Therefore, it was that Amergin of the Milesians chose that half of Ireland which lay above ground, leaving the Tuatha Dé Danann to retreat below. They were led underground by Manannán mac Lir, God of the Sea, who shielded them with an enchanted mist from mortal eyes. As time passed, they became known as the Sidhe (Shee), or Ireland’s faery folk. 

The great Aidan Kerrigan was a tale I feared to write. When he first appeared in the story, Dragon Knight’s Medallion, Order of the Dragon Knights, Book 2, I panicked. I did not know he was a Fenian Warrior until he walked through the crowd of people at the airport to greet his daughter, Aileen. His presence loomed mighty and grew with the previous stories in the Legends of the Fenian Warriors. Regardless, I knew then his and Rose’s love story had to be told. 

With each Fenian Warrior’s story, I shared a layer about this Fae. Little did I know when I penned Aidan’s first line of dialogue that he was the leader of the Fenian Warriors, came from royalty, and his sister was Queen of the Fae realm. He chose not to reveal any of this to me. And this is why I became terrified. What more could he share?

Well, dear readers, Aidan made it simple. He told me to write a love story, stating, “For you see, love is greater than all the power attained in the world—be it human or Fae.” 

Therefore, I took you back in time to when Aidan was the leader of the Brotherhood. To when this great warrior had no blemish to stain his life and love tossed his world upside down, altering everything he knew. 

And the lovely Rose MacLaren was a perfect match. As he professed to her, “I saw beauty inside the depth of your soul. Your intelligence would rival any Fae in the herbal gardens, and you possess a wisdom that sparks from a desire to learn more. You challenge me, leannán.”

 

I hope you’ve enjoyed a glimpse behind the scenes of this powerful love story.

 

(Leannán = Gaelic for lover, sweetheart, beloved.)

 As leader of the Fenian Warriors, Aidan Kerrigan’s accolades are many and his loyalty to the Fae unwavering. When an unexpected mission sends him to the human world and a chance encounter with Rose MacLaren, he’s tempted for the first time in his existence to discard duty and claim what is forbidden.

 

Rose MacLaren, a Society of the Thistle member, yearns to expand her botanical knowledge with her love of history. After her rescue by a handsome stranger, she is compelled to look beyond what her rational mind comprehends and unravel the secret of the standing stones, as well as the man who captivates her. 

 

In a mystical world ruled by ancient laws and edicts, can a fierce warrior choose a path destined for love? And will a woman honoring the ways of the land believe in a myth only spoken of in legends? If they do, will their love be enough to defy death’s punishment?

 

On sale for 99¢ for a limited time! 2/12/21 – 2/26/21

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