Author: Ally

M. D. Stewart talks about her Fae-Shifter’s magic system

It’s a pleasure to welcome Mindi today to chat about her Fae Shifter world and how the magic all fits together.

Hello! My name is M.D. Stewart, and I’m from a small town in a rural county of southern West Virginia. I’m going to talk about the characters and magic used in my Fae Shifters series.

There are five different species inhabiting my alternative Earth:

In my Fae Shifter world, witches are born male and female, but usually, women carry the “burden” of magic. In some rare instances, men can connect to feminine energy of Gaia, and they are indeed powerful. If a male is born or married to a Witch, they are responsible for policing the Coven and usually act as policemen and firefighters (because they’re hot, right?).

  1. Humans, who are ignorant of other types of humanoids. They don’t do magic, shift into other creatures, or require blood unless they are injured. Originally humans were put on Earth by the goddess to act as a balance to the magical community. Eventually, we lost all knowledge of Others so we live in blissful ignorance.
  2. Witches are natural-born beings that tap into the endless Earth goddess (Gaia) energy to do spell work. They can receive visions and manipulate Earth’s energy to create magic. Anything to do with the Earth, grounding, growing plants, healing, witches gain access to that power. It’s rare, but since the Earth has gravity, some witches can defy that law and levitate or make someone so heavy they can’t move.
  3. Vampires can’t do magic, but they do require blood, sex, and moon energy to live. They cannot absorb direct UV rays. But the moon simply reflects the sun, so it’s not a direct dose. They do have more strength than humans, especially after ingesting blood energy. Unlike myths, they are living creatures with souls who can see their reflection and can have children but can’t shift into other creatures.
  4. Shifters are magical beings that don’t require blood but can drink it, especially during sex. They see and manipulate surrounding energies from the plants, animals or other creatures to create magic. Because of this, they are the most magical beings on the Earth plane. Natural Shifters live in groups or tribes, are Native Americans and shift into one animal; Bears, Wolves, or Lions (as in mountain lions or bobcats here in the states).
  5. The Fae live on Earth but in a different dimension that is accessed through portals scattered all over the Earth. Only members of the magical community can enter the Fae realm (or Faedom). The Faedom is inherently magical, there is no barrier to access magic there, whereas the Earth Plane is a natural magical dampener for the Fae. The Fae are at the top of the magical pyramid, so to speak. Issues between the groups in the magical community are brought before the King of the Fae to judge. Fae can shift into any large land mammal, dog, horse, bear, wolf, but cannot shift into birds (non-mammal) or rabbits (too small). Physics still apply. Human-sized creatures can only shrink so much so no mice shifting!

All magical creatures live longer than humans. Witches can live two times the length of a normal human life span of 70 – 80 years. They have direct access to the Earth and can pull on her energy to heal some wounds and live longer. A mortal wound like a gunshot or stabbing will kill them. They aren’t as fragile as humans but they are the closest to us when it comes to mortality.

Vampires live for centuries but can die by several means. Sun exposure, beheading, blood loss, or the older generation who are tired of living choose to not take in blood or sex energy.  If a Vampire stays out of the moon for long periods, they can be weakened and be killed like any human.

Shifters live very long lives as well. In my books, the Fae King Bran and the Chief of the Bear tribe Black Hawk/Michael met and fell in love in the 1400s. And Black Hawk’s father who turned over the tribe to his son now lives in Florida! Bran and Michael are six hundred years old but look about mid-thirties. Shifters, if injured, can heal most wounds by shifting into their animal form.

Fae, on the other hand, can live for as long as they choose to, even millennia. In Faedom, magic is readily available, and that magic sustains their life force. On the Earth Plane, they are more susceptible to injury and death, but shifting into an animal form heals them enough to make it back home. Blood can speed their healing rate. If they are low on blood, the sun can damage them, but it usually isn’t fatal.  What Fae and Shifters can do to help when someone is gravely hurt is to perform a Vibrational Healing. Healing is at the crux of the stories in my Fae Shifter books!

What is Vibrational Healing?  All things, even plants, have energy fields, but in humans, we refer to them as Chakras or Chi. During a Healing, two alpha males stimulate these centers by creating sexual energy. During sex, when both men reach climax at the same time, it creates Harmony, a high rate of energy that can be directed to an injured person. Alpha males have more aggressive energy (that’s what makes them an alpha). Sex between a man and woman can also create energy, but it’s more “life-creating” energy, which is sustaining not healing.

In the first book, Devitt, he and his best friend are forced to participate in a Vibrational Healing to save Dev’s true mate from evil magic that is killing her. During the Healing, they all form a tight bond, but Rhys isn’t part of their mate set. The rogue Fae family who placed the curse on Sienna are actively trying to overthrow Devitt’s family, the ruling Royal St. Clair line.

In the second book, we meet the King of the Fae, Bran St. Clair. In Dev’s book, we learn he and the Chief of the Bear Clan have a history, but it’s only known they participated in a Vibrational Healing over five centuries earlier. They meet again when Bran finds his true mate on the Earth plane, and her life is threatened by the family who wants to destroy the St. Clairs.

I’m releasing a short 18K story starring Bran and Micheal, telling of the time they met and fell in love in pre-colonial America. It’s a prequel to the series, but the story is concluded in Bran’s book. It’s full of hot M/M sex and a steamy promise bonding. That story and other LGBTQ Supernatural romance books will be free March 9th through April 7th on Prolific Works.

Find M.D. Online

Facebook : Amazon : Twitter : Instagram : Webpage

I am over at MD’s blog today talking about the Lost in Time universe and you can read about my own Lost in Time magic system over at Stories that Make you Smile today as part of The Flowers of Time blogtour.

Elizabeth Noble – the world is full of magic

Elizabeth Noble is here today to talk about the magic of her urban fantasy world and her upcoming release, Scintilla!

Thank you so much, Ally for including me. (You are most welcome! – Ally)

The world is full of magic.

Sometimes for me that magic is nothing more than having a pre-programmed coffee maker at work.

Imagine a world where some people were born with magical abilities. A world where magical humans come in four types, scintillas, aether, prisms and acoustics capable of manipulating elements such as electricity, air, sound and light.

There might be a cop who can alter the way light bends for a few seconds or minutes making it easier to catch a criminal in the act. Or, if that criminal had the same ability, they could slip past surveillance cameras. A man with the power to control electricity might use his gift to deep dive into the digital world or short out an alarm.

There are no potions or spells, but there is plenty of magic in my urban fantasy/paranormal romance series, El Corazon. 

When I was planning the first book, Scintilla, I wanted to use magic, but I didn’t want a lot of complicated rules or spells. Their society has rules governing what is considered ethical or illegal of course, but the basic magic is simple. My goal was to make the magic a natural, organic thing that was as part of an individual as their height or eye color. Yes, being magical is special, but no more so than being a talented musician or athlete.  

Magical people sometimes need specialized medical equipment. Other magicals, as they’re referred to collectively, are discriminated against because there are others who fear what they can do. And, of course, there is always some person or organization that wants to exploit those with magical ability.

What I tried very hard to do, was imagine what obstacles a magical person might encounter or what special needs might be required in unusual circumstances. For instance, the young man, Brandon, in Scintilla who manipulates and has power over electricity is Tasered. Not a good idea to do when someone has the power to push that energy back to you. Since this is a romance, there is sex and I was able to explore how an electrified body might react differently. Would it hinder improve his or his partner’s experience? Being a scintilla is a natural part of Brandon, but how much of that part of him can he, or does he share? 

Humans aren’t the only beings that can wield magic in this world, however.

There are the djinn.

Mythology gives us different types of jinni and so far, I’ve included two. One can cause havoc in computers and another sort likes to meddle in the affairs of people. Like anyone else, there are those that are honorable and good, and some that use their powers for crime.

Wait, there’s more!

My world has the magic of shifters. Technically, shifters aren’t magical in the same way as others, but the ability to look human and turn into something else is some serious magic in my opinion. Brandon’s love interest, Raul, is a werewolf, a Dom and a bounty hunter. That right there is darn magical! Werewolves are tough beasts and Raul can take more of what Brandon can dole out than a human could. That gives them plenty to explore, when they’re not fighting crime that is.

There are instances where one’s magic can be used against them. Without revealing spoilers, suffice to say, Brandon gets a harsh lesson in reality. His ability can’t always protect him and there’s always someone else who knows more about what he can do than is healthy for him.

Scintilla

How far is too far to go to save someone you love?

Brandon Lynch is magical. He’s a scintilla who can manipulate electricity. Leaving his structured, unexciting life and job at his father’s billion-dollar business in Boston and heads south for a vacation adventure in Rio Rico, Arizona. He’s living out a fantasy by traveling to the El Corazon adult entertainment club and has booked one glorious session with a werewolf Dom, complete with knotting.

Part-time Dom for his family business, the El Corazon, and full-time bounty hunter, Raul Fierro uses what nature gave him as a werewolf to bring pleasure to some, and justice to others. He hasn’t been in a real relationship for longer than he wants to think about and his gruff and growly exterior keeps any unwanted interactions at bay. He’s not against a partner, but he’s willing to wait for the person who sees the real Raul—and his wolf—who lurks beneath the surface.

A seemingly chance meeting with Brandon the day after their scheduled session leads to a week-long affair. Raul accepts it for what it is, a vacation fling for Brandon even though Brandon is someone Raul could easily fall in love with. When Brandon returns to Boston and Raul resumes his normal routine, they keep in touch until the time Brandon’s father arrives in Rio Rico, announces his son is missing, and he intends to hire Raul to find him. Raul wastes no time picking up Brandon’s trail. Rescuing Brandon from human traffickers is only the beginning and more adventure than either man wanted. Their hunt brings them together in an unexpected way. Can they bring down a powerful, international ring of traffickers all while protecting each other and their new-found love?

Excerpt

“We can run current through those barrels, magnetize them and create a barrier. All we have to find is enough copper.”

Raul nodded. “I like it. I’ll get the rods, see if you can find some copper piping, but stay in this area. If we have to go into the rest of the building, we should go together.” 

To Raul’s utter surprise, Brandon didn’t argue but simply nodded. “I’ll start over there. Looks like some sort of utility junction.” He motioned to a floor-to-ceiling metal locker that extended out about four feet from the wall and was at least another four feet wide.

Raul retrieved a half dozen of his iron rods from the van. They were three feet long and a quarter inch in diameter. He’d had them specially made and if needed he was strong enough to bend them. Holding them in one hand, Raul used his free hand to grab one of the metal barrels and carried everything to the ruined door. The rods were deposited on top of the barrel before he carried two more over and set them in a row by the first barrel. He turned to see what Brandon was doing.

“Should you be doing that?” Raul asked as he closed the distance between he and Brandon.

Brandon was poking at what looked like a circuit board, then he grabbed a hold of a bundle of wires and gave them a shake. “Eh, you probably shouldn’t, I won’t get more than a bee sting.” He shrugged. “As far as I can tell there’s no power.”

Raul stepped to the side and flicked a switch up and down, looking up at the ceiling lights. Nothing happened. “You appear to be correct. Bee stings hurt,” he grumbled. The interior of the junction was a mess of dials and wires, levers and smaller switches. There were two tanks in the center. Raul followed the copper tubing from the tanks until they disappeared into the ceiling. “Do you see a ladder or anything I can stand on?”

“Why don’t I stand on you?”

Raul glanced back at Brandon. “Can you yank these things free?”

Brandon rolled his eyes and heaved a sigh. “I’m human but we don’t have spaghetti muscles.”

“My apologies.” Raul nodded and laced his fingers together, offering Brandon a step up.

In one smooth movement Brandon was standing on Raul’s shoulders. Raul held his calves to brace him and watched as Brandon tugged on the closest copper pipe. It took them a half an hour of steady effort to pull piping loose, move to another section and repeat their task. In the end they a half dozen six to seven-foot lengths of copper tubing.

Brandon jumped to the ground still holding the last section of copper. “This should be plenty.”

Raul looked pointedly at the dark lamps. “No power, remember? Unless you’re suggesting we bang on them until they magnetize.”

Brandon heaved a sigh and cocked his head. “Seriously?” He held out his free hand and a narrow blue wave arched to the copper pipe. “Yet, you call me Sparky.”

“Can you actually generate enough power, long enough to accomplish what we need? That’s higher voltage.”

Brandon nodded. “I think so, yes. It’s not something I can maintain forever, but I think I can generate enough for a long enough time for our purpose.”

“What’s your plan?”

“Well, copper and iron and steel can be magnetized when electrified.” Brandon pointed to the door. “That door is metal. If we put one barrel on each side of the door and charge them it would be damn hard for anyone to get through,” Brandon said.

“A big version of those little electro-magnets kids make in science class,” Raul added. “And easy enough to find plans for if we need to.”

“Yep. It’ll take me a few minutes.” Brandon sprinted back to the van while Raul pulled the barrels to the door then retrieved the copper and iron.

They worked steadily setting up their barrier. Once it was ready and in place Brandon put both hands on the barrel sitting inside the building. He glanced back at Raul.

“Ready.” Raul backed up a few feet and watched while Brandon took a few deep breaths, closed his eyes and leaned into the barrel.

Buy Links:

Scintilla releases on March 10. It’ll have wide distribution for a week before going into Kindle Unlimited.

Amazon : Universal link

Bio and Social Media Links

Mystery, action, chills, and thrills spiced with romance and desire. ELIZABETH NOBLE lives by the adage “I can’t not write.” She doesn’t remember a time when she didn’t make up stories and eventually she learned how to put words on a page. Those words turned into books and fan fiction that turned into a genuine love of M/M fiction. A part of every day is spent living in worlds she created that are filled with intrigue and espionage. She has a real love for a good mystery complete with murder and twisty plots as well as all things sci-fi, futuristic, and supernatural.

When she’s not chronicling the adventures of her many characters, Elizabeth is a veterinary nurse living in her native Cleveland, Ohio. She has three grown children and now happily shares her little, brick house with an adorable mixed breed canine princess, a spunky Cardigan Welsh Corgi and their sidekick, tabby cat. Elizabeth is a fan of baseball, basketball (go Cavs and Indians) and gardening. She can often be found working in her ‘outside office’ listening to classic rock and plotter her next novel waiting for it to be dark enough to gaze at the stars.

Elizabeth has received a number of amateur writing awards. Since being published, several of her novels have received Honorable Mentions in the Rainbow Awards. Jewel Cave was a runner-up in the Gay Mystery/Thriller category in the 2015 Rainbow Awards. Ringed Love was a winner in the Gay Fantasy Romance category of the 2016 Rainbow Awards.

Website : Newsletter sign up : Circles website :  Vampire Guard website : JMS Publishers : Amazon : Facebook : Facebook Author page : Twitter : Pinterest : Goodreads : QueeRomance Ink : Gay Romance Readers Club : Smashwords :  Bookstrand:

You can read more about my own Lost in Time magic system over at Joyfully Jay! I’m writing about the Green Book of not-spells today.

Jeannelle M. Ferreira – The apparel oft proclaims the man: Hero(in)es in Breeches

Jeannelle is here today to talk about Eleanor, her fictional disaster-lesbian from her book The Covert Captain, Dr James Barry, and the women who fought in the American Civil War. And also to be wonderfully effusive about The Flowers of Time, which I am blushing about, but still not editing out.

Hello! Let’s get ready to ramble. By which I mean I have been most kindly invited to guest blog by A. L. Lester, author of the new speculative romance, The Flowers of Time, third (more or less) in their Lost in Time series but a treat on its own, featuring the many charms of Furthest Himalaya, including Mysterious Tigers, Mysterious Plants, Mysterious Codes, and a faithful Tibetan Mastiff. (I love the cover but it would only have benefited from Argo, I’m just saying.) And a pragmatic and tender romance between two people who ought to have been constrained by their circumstances, but it never feels that way while they’re getting together. (I’m trying to be very unspoilery here. You should read it. Also, it is cheap. Speaking of pragmatic people.)

Jones, whom you will meet when you read The Flowers of Time, is a person who is awkward stuffed into a dress, but comfortably competent — and perceived as competent by those in charge, which in Jones’ time and place means those socialized as male from birth  — when sensibly dressed in man’s array. Jones’ clothes become part of Jones’ character, yes, but they also dress as they do because it is incredibly damp, hazy, hot, cold,  rocky, muddy, and yak-adjacent on this adventure, and folks in breeches are just going to have an easier time.

The same could be said, except the yak part, about the Peninsular War. 
It is nearly the two-year bookiversary of The Covert Captain, my own book about a female-bodied person in breeches, and I’ve had time while writing the sequel to deepen my understanding of the ways clothes on a body can entwine with the wearer’s identity. Just to get things out of the way, Eleanor Fleming/Captain Nathaniel Fleming is a woman who only ever thinks of herself as a woman, and she enjoys the romantic company of other people who think of themselves as women — by modern standards, she’s a lesbian.  I decided to try to make this clear-cut as I was writing because I am writing in the Internet Age, even though labeling the people of the past is tricky.

Eleanor dresses as a man of her time — more specifically, she dresses in an army officer’s uniform — because she needs the socioeconomic security and the protective coloration that passing as male can give her. She may be risking her life far away from her home in England, but she’s part of a socially accepted profession, she’s in control of her fate, and she’s drawing pay. She needs the pay packet to eat.  In her case, the decision to wear men’s clothing is not complex. (And the ladies love a uniform. What can she say?)

Eleanor, my fictional disaster lesbian, came into being from two facts: the life of Dr. James Barry, who through his career and achievements proved a female-bodied person could attain officer’s rank in the British Army and more than make his name in the Peninsular Campaign; and the statistic that at least four women fought at the Battle of Antietam in the American Civil War. Surely there must have been that many female-bodied folks in the cavalry or the infantry at Waterloo. 

By conservative estimate, 750 women enlisted in the American Civil War  — dressed as men/dressed as themselves, just-for-now disguised as men, fighting and dying as men. (And some women traded corsets for trousers to follow their husbands, and would go home and put on hoops again and have heteronormative marriages and children;  and some people had been wearing traditionally male attire for years before the war and would do so long after the fighting was over.) Without their personal testimony, we can’t say whether they enlisted from patriotism, out of boredom, for money, or for adventure.  What we do know is that relatively speaking, it happened all the time. Recruitment officers, regimental doctors, and a person’s peers among a company of soldiers proved surprisingly adept at seeing what they wanted to see. Perception became acceptance. (A very timely Guardian article is here).

Eleanor’s decision to wear men’s clothing is “not very identity-freighted,” to quote my long-suffering first reader. Her Hussars’ uniform ties her firmly into her life as an officer and a member of a regiment, but her uniform is not her inner life. There is, however, a person close to Eleanor for whom every inch of tailoring, from cravat on down, is part of a careful mix of choice and necessity, freedom and concealment; they appear briefly in The Covert Captain — everyone has that one ex — but learning to write them properly has been a wild adventure, and I can’t wait for you to meet them in the sequel. 

Find Jeannelle:

Website : Amazon : Goodreads

Today, I am at Drops of Ink, talking about Jones’ thoughts on Gender.

Zaya Feli talks about journeys

Zaya Feli is the author of the wonderful Stag’s Run fantasy-historical trilogy, the Icefjord duology and has an upcoming release, Wild Sky, which has dragons! Zaya is visiting today to talk about journeys in her work- both physical ones and mental ones. Plus, making world-maps!

Welcome, Zaya!

My name is Zaya Feli. I’m an illustrator and author living and working in Denmark, writing LGBT+ genre fiction, and journeys have been a part of my life for as long as I can remember.

I rarely sit down with the intention of writing about a journey.

My one exception is my upcoming novel, WILD SKY, where I created an expansive world I knew I wanted my characters to explore. From the backs of dragons, they could cover large distances in little time, so I deliberately focused on creating a world that would allow my characters to, quite literally, stretch their wings.

But most often, the physical journey simply happens. I’ll finish plotting an outline and realise I’ve dragged countless lines all across my world map in the process.

Sometimes, the characters’ mental journeys reflect their physical ones.
In my fantasy trilogy, IRON BREAKERS, the main character, Ren, is forcefully ripped from the comfort of home within the first three chapters, and doesn’t get a chance to return until the very end of the final book. At the start of his journey, the world around him feels almost like an enemy in its own right. By the end of the third book, he’s been across the nation and back, as at home in the wild as he once was in his comfortable castle quarters.

My stories rarely take place in the real world.

Maybe it’s the result of being an illustrator as well as a writer, but one of the first things I do when I start working on a new story is to draw a world map. I create a world first, then place my characters in it. The world might change as I write, and then I’ll redraw the map, but it helps me to have markers, locations and a solid layout of geography.

I think most authors have their own writing-related quirks, and mine include keeping track of distance and time. It’s something I’ve always done, even way back when I wrote my very first original story about puppy dogs when I was 10 years old.

How long will it take the characters to get from this town to this inn? On horseback? Dragonback? How much time has passed since they left home, and how long a distance do they still need to cover? I’ll cover whole pages of notebooks with timetables and charts.

In my Norse-inspired fantasy duology, THE ICEFJORD SAGA, the story takes place in two distinct locations – one for each book.

The first book centers largely around one of the main characters’ home town, while the second book sees them leave the safety and comfort of home behind, and sail to a hostile and uncharted frozen woodland in the high north, in search of a magical runestone.

In a way, this split of locations paralleled my own life at the time: when I wrote the first book, I based the map of the characters’ home on my own home. And just like my characters, I was uprooted midway through writing the series, having to adjust to a whole new place.

And that is perhaps why physical journeys keep being such a strong, subconscious theme in the stories I write.

I haven’t gone on many holidays in my life. I’ve only ever left the country twice, and have never been outside Europe. My physical journeys are on a smaller scale, but no less impactful. Throughout my life, I’ve rarely lived in one place for more than three or four years at a time.

I started my life in the capital city of Copenhagen, moved within city borders before moving to the countryside across the island. There, I moved around even more, before making a big switch to the other end of the country two years ago. And within the coming year, I’ll move again, to a different place.

Like my characters, I’ve lost and gained things and people along the way. I’ve changed and grown as a person, not to the extend I often force my characters to, but in a way that still feels profound.

Maybe I simply enjoy writing about new places and varied scenery. Or maybe I keep searching for the various ways in which I can translate the same core idea that means so much to me: that home isn’t necessarily a place. Sometimes it’s a feeling. Or a person. Or a soft sweater on a cold day. It’s what you make of it.

You can connect with Zaya here:

Twitter : Instagram : Amazon: Website : Goodreads

You can read my own post talking about The Flowers of Time and Edie’s Journey today, at Love Bytes Reviews

Visitors! Quick! Tidy up!

I’m tidying the sitting room and shoving dog-toys under the sofa with my foot and generally making sure my high-brow books have their spines prominently visible here at Lester Towers this week. I’m going to have visitors!

To celebrate the launch of The Flowers of Time this week, I have some fantastic guests coming in to talk about aspects of their own work on the themes of magic, journeys, landscape and gender.

The linked posts won’t go live until the day of the interview, but just to give you the head’s up:

Mon 24 Feb – Zaya Feli is talking about the importance of both physical and mental journeys in her books. This ties in with me talking about Edie’s journey to Srinagar, a deleted scene from The Flowers of Time, at Love Bytes Reviews. Zaya’s post.

Tue 25 Feb – Jeannelle d’Ferreira is here to talk about hero(in)es in breeches and I am at Drops of Ink with a deleted scene about Jones’ inner thoughts on gender. Jeannelle’s post.

Wed 26 Feb – Elizabeth Noble has written about the urban fantasy world of her upcoming release Scintilla and I’m talking about the magic in the Green Book at Joyfully Jay. Elizabeth’s post.

Thu 27 Feb – M. D. Stewart is here talking about the magic of her Fae-Shifter world and I am over at Stories That Make You Smile talking about the Lost in Time magic system. MD’s post. I’m also at MD’s blog later today talking about the Lost in Time series.

Fri 28 Feb – Daniel Aegan is here talking about magic and time-travel and I am at Mirrigold’s Mutterings talking about my works in progress. Daniel’s post.

Sat 29 Feb – Sarah Remy/Alex Hall talks about writing gender diverse characters. I am at Xtreme Delusions, talking about Jones and Edie’s journey over the mountains. Sarah’s post.

Sun 01 Mar – Emily Carrington interviews her non-binary character Ash, from Yew & Thorn, #3 in her upcoming Hartwood series and I am talking about Jones and her dislike of petticoats, with an excerpt from The Flowers of Time at Valerie Ullmer’s blog. Emily’s post.

Today, I am at My Fiction Nook talking about life, the universe and everything.