Just a very quick post to let people know Jewel Allen’s book Ghost Moon Nightis finally available. I wasn’t able to go to the release party last night, but I downloaded the book last week and couldn’t put it down.
The ghosts/zombies are really scary, and the island culture is so woven into the story that readers learn a lot about the Philippines, as well. There was a sweet romance subplot, great friends and a terrific main character that I really couldn’t help liking.
If you’re looking for a great Halloween read, check this one out.
I didn’t get to blog last Friday, and I’m still playing catch-up. While there were no new entries to the #burgersandbooks giveaway, I did have a chance to read The Allure of the Gypsies, by Charles Yallowitz.
Here’s a moment of thoughts for the character Luke Callindor:
I enjoyed his character development in the first two books of this series, but I would say his personality deepened quite a bit in this book. For most of the book he struggled with pain and how to deal with it, but by the end, I began to feel that the pain was making him grow, and he was becoming a better person because of it. Nicely done.
I was surprised at how strong Luke Callindor became during the battle scenes, too. Some new powers developed, which surprised and delighted me.
An ethereal creature that appears to be made out of mist, it takes the form of a long-tailed horse. They live on the edges of forests and come out at dawn when they can use the morning fog to their advantage. When the fog clears, the Gimmywhipple hides within the holes of trees or burrows of animals that they have eaten. To hunt, this misty creature will approach other animals, especially humans, to get petted. They are actually very sticky to the touch and will draw prey in through their skin to the acidic inside, which can digest an adult human within an hour.
Trikan
Living within the hair of the stationary giant of Hinx, Trikan are a large species of parasite. It was believed they were related to lice, but they are probably closer to fleas considering they are powerful jumpers. They have the powerful legs of a flea and their bodies are as flat as a piece of paper. This puts them at risk of getting blown away when they jump, so they connect to the giant with tether. At the end of each of their front four legs is a detachable spike that pierces the skin and turns into a hook. Elastic veins keep the spike and leg connect as the Trikan jumps and extends its twenty foot long, spear-like tongue to pull itself back to stable ground. They are harmless to other creatures since they feed off dead skin cells, but they may become territorial during mating season.
Methoocragcor
Half reptilian rock creature and half killer bird, this deadlands predator can be the thing of nightmares. It is incapable of flying even though it has wide, feathery wings of gray feathers that are constantly molting. These sprout from a body of stone scales that connects to an alligator-like tail and an ostrich-like neck. Both are surprisingly flexible and release a sulfuric gas when they are moved quick enough to cause cracks in their hard exterior. The fleshy legs of the Methoocragcor are long and end in wide, three-toed feet that possess deadly talons. A hooked claw is on the ankle and it contains a poison that induces violent vomiting in its victims. Finally, this solitary creature’s head is like that of a rooster with the sharp beak of a crane. Nobody is sure where this monster came from and most would love to send it back to whoever created it.
Jumbor
This arthropod is a barnacle that is no bigger than a person’s fist, but it is incredibly heavy. As a larva, it travels through the water until it finds a place to take root. It will slowly grow on the underbelly of a ship or large sea creatures like a normal barnacle. The Jumbor will even be among its tamer cousins and the only way to tell the difference is that it is a light green and flares at the top. It will gradually get denser and heavier until it reaches adulthood and weighs in at 20 tons. On a whale, this will weaken the beast until it is dragged to the depths where the Jumbor feeds off it until giving birth to a new generation and dying. It is easier to notice on a ship and can cause damage such as the chunk of hull it is attached to breaking off the rest of the vessel. Jumbors that attach to ships meet one of two fates. If they escape then they are stuck to the sunken vessel or piece where they starve to death. If they are taken by the humans then they are killed and opened for their scraps of meat. A sliver of Jumbor meat can fill a grown man for a week.
So . . . things have taken a turn around here. I’m just going to list from mildest to worst:
Saturday is supposed to rain and/or snow, which means the trip to the zoo is out. Hoping the little guy doesn’t remember the promise.
Sunday is the NYC Marathon, which means traffic will be terrible going anywhere near the city. So zoo won’t happen that day either. Maybe next weekend.
My parents left last Wednesday for a 3 week Asian cruise. They returned this morning because my mom broke her elbow and needs surgery. Needless to say everyone is both worried and a little annoyed. So things are going to be thrown out of whack for a while, especially since someone keeps forgetting she’s down a limb. I’ll be helping my dad keep an eye on her. Thankfully, I’m still planning on doing all the cooking for next week and a half. Longer if need be. Honestly, I think this will only be a day or two of figuring things out before we get into a system. There’s plenty on the DVR and on her Kindle to keep her out of trouble.
This does mean that my editing and online activity will be in a state of flux. It could remain untouched or it could lead to days where I’m ‘missing’ until the night. I will admit that I got used to typing on the big desktop. Now I can realize just how tiny my laptop’s screen really is. I start my final edits for ‘Curse of the Dark Wind’ next week, so I hope to finish that by the end of November. When will it be released? I’ll let you know since there are delays on every front just like ‘The Compass Key’.
So, that’s where I’m standing now. I think. I got new glasses yesterday for the first time in over 5 years. I’m still not used to everything being so bright and clear. Transition lenses too, which are cool. Guess that’s the highlight of the week until Halloween where I escort ‘Olaf’ around the neighborhood.
So I ran out to get my new glasses. The world is so much brighter now. Not in the way of intelligence after a few of the psycho drivers I saw. Here’s the two that made me wish I could teleport, fly, or never leave the house:
Stopped at a red light, a woman gets out of the passenger seat and goes into the back seat. Seen it before, so nothing strange there. We start going along and I see her silhouette pulling stuff out of a bag. Then she holds up something with wiggling legs, waving arms, and pigtails. A diaper change while her husband was driving. I’ve dealt with stinky and wet diapers in the car, but I would NEVER do this. Especially when we’re passing various parking lots, stores, and side streets that one could easily pull over to. One wrong move and a dirty diaper is the least of your child’s problems.
Be careful when leaving a parking lot and having to go across a few lanes of incoming traffic to get in the direction you want to go. If you can’t see what’s coming in the lane you’re aiming for then it’s probably a good idea to either wait or find a place to do a U-Turn. It’s stupid to gun your engine, shoot across two lanes that includes cutting off a bus, and nearly slamming into the people who had the right of way and NO IDEA YOU WERE THERE! I don’t give a crap that you’re unhappy about me letting you in and now you have a bus driver honking his horn at your stupid ass. I don’t care that the guy behind me decided to let you sit longer while she went by you. All I care about is that you tried to make our cars kiss because you thought a blind sprint was the smart thing to do.
This is why I try to walk everywhere. Though in Florida this didn’t keep me safe from cars since sidewalks down there are occasionally considered parking space or a ‘secret’ lane.
These creatures were ‘donated’ by Labyless. Check out the blog!
Swampshy
This tiny, swamp-living beast resembles an gerbil with two long tails that end in flat, wide sections. The ends are used to cover the creature’s eyes whenever they think they have been seen. It may seem like a ridiculous defense mechanism, but a Swampshy grows a rock-like covering when in this state. This stasis allows it to hold its breath for days as well, so it can hide in shallow water like this. It is only when it is relaxed that it can be harmed unless the predator can swallow it whole and digest it. Otherwise, the rodent will crack teeth, get choked on, or tear up the intestines only to be ‘released’ unharmed.
Oshant
Found within ancient cemeteries, this undead is created when a bolt of lightning hits a gravestone and is channeled into the wooden coffin. The rotten corpse inside attaches to the casket and uses it as a new body with only the legs and arms seeing from holes in the wood. There is always a few holes scattered about the new form that one can see a putrid eye peering through. An Oshant hunts by remaining on the ground as if forgotten or hiding in an open grave. They have even been known to dig up other graves and take the place of the original coffin in order to catch gravediggers or anyone else that gets curious. To attack, they grab their prey, stuff them into their new bodies, and seal their lids until their food is broken down.
Plombus
Found on the windy plains of Kintu, these amphibians are always in search of fresh water and juicy insects. They catch prey by inhaling bugs into their expandable throat, which is not as interesting as how these blue creatures move. Each ankle and wrist has a wart that can grow into a balloon with a tether. These carry the Plombus along the winds and they retract them when they find a new home. It is not uncommon for them to drop from great heights and they bloat their bellies to act as a cushion. This is not a perfect system since hitting a rock or anything pointy will cause the creature to explode. Mating is done by the females laying eggs in the water and several males aiming to land into mass with the first one releasing sperm upon impact. Occasionally, the second will get a few eggs if they are close enough behind the first.
Since I’ve been rather a Gloomy Gus lately, it’s time for a giveaway. Who knows? It might become an annual event. (Yes, I realize the irony of using a smiling sun with a “gloomy” giveaway. Irony is what I live for.)
What is a Gloomy Gus? “A person who is habitually gloomy” according to Merriam-Webster.com. Out of curiosity, I searched for the origin of the term Gloomy Gus and found this:
From a comic-strip character created by Frederick Burr Opper 1937 American cartoonist
First Known Use: 1904
Thank you again, Merriam-Webster! Go here to find out more about Gloomy Gus and his brother, Happy Hooligan. This Gloomy Gus is not to be confused with Gloomy Gus the Homeless Ghost, developed by Herbert W. “Red” Holmdale. You can read about that here. There also was a football coach nicknamed Gloomy Gus. The list goes on.
Just a reminder that I’m running a Goodreads giveaway for Occasional Soulmates, but it ends on November 5, so now’s your chance to join the fun. If you haven’t purchased the book yet (and come on, you know you haven’t!), step up and put your name in the hat. You have a 1 in 30 shot at winning a copy.
But if you don’t win… you have to promise to buy the book when the giveaway is over.
And by the bye, if you have read the book, I’d dearly appreciate a brief review on Amazon. I’m holding at seven right now and hoping for ten before too long so it looks like more than just my family has read this puppy!
