Do you believe in ghosts? Have any weird encounters?

Do I believe in ghosts? That's the question. While I think a lot of stories are made up for various reasons, I do believe some of the encounters are true. Other than a brief flash a couple times, I've never really seen anything. My sister, Cait, on the other hand, sees all kinds of things.

One of the most memorable was when we were singing at our Grandpa's funeral. I think we were partway into the second verse of Amazing Grace when Cait grabbed my hand and started squeezing. Hard. I swear I had ring marks in my fingers for days. But I managed not to yelp, and we continued singing while her eyes kept darting toward the pews in front of us.

After we sat back down, I asked her what was wrong. She told me that she'd seen our grandparents sitting in one in the fourth pew back - Grandma had died thirteen years earlier. And she was holding a baby. I assumed it must have been either our cousin who'd been stillborn, or our nephew who'd died as an infant seven years earlier.

Cait said that she was sure it wasn't. The baby Grandma had been holding was one she didn't recognize, and she was sure that somehow, this was a baby who hadn't been born yet. A few weeks later, we found out our cousin, Sarah, was pregnant. And in August, she had a little boy that looked exactly like the baby Cait had seen our Grandma holding.

It didn't freak us out at all. Instead, it was a comfort and my cousin said that Grandma was probably holding her son because it was the only way he'd stop crying. That kid was a screamer as a baby. :D

Check out the other Wednesday Bloggers thoughts on ghosts!

Gwen
Jess
Kris

Merlin Club: The Sorcerer's Shadow or The One Where There's Yet Another Fucking Tournament. Seriously, Camelot!? What the Hell with the Tournaments!?

Ohhhhhh, for the love of god...do the tournaments in Camelot never end?  Seriously...her a tournament, there a tournament, everywhere a tournament.  Sorry...I got carried away. This may already be obvious, but this isn't one of my favorite episodes.

Any way, the show opens with Dudley Dursley - okay, fine, Gilli (but he'll always be Dudley to me) is walking to Camelot with a sword strapped to his back. Two thugs, who just happen to be hanging out in the woods...like you do, taunt him and steal his sword.Angry and frustrated, Dudley continues on to Camelot anyway. Because there's a tournament. Again. Another. Fucking. Tournament.

But anyway, it's a no holds barred tournament, anyone can compete, no rules, blah blah medieval big time wrestling blah.

Morgana (knowing full well Uther is her father) flirts shamelessly with him and goads him into competing and honestly the whole conversation seems like one big euphamism for sex - sort of a a, well...if you can't get it up...kinda thing.  And Uther, (knowing full well Morgana is his daughter) flirts back and allows himself to be goaded. It's super gross. But, you know, Morgana is hoping Uther will die in combat because he can't get it up anymore.

So now, the King and Prince of Camelot are competing and so is Dudley Dursley. What could possibly go wrong?

The thugs who stole Dudley's sword are being aggressive toward Merlin and Dudley rescues him - using magic - oooooooooooooooooooooooohhhhhh. Merlin of course goes to tell Gaius all about it. Later after some ill timed magical healing, Dudders loses his magical ring as he's running away and hiding from Camelot's guard. Gaius finds the ring and pockets it before Uther sees it while investigating the suspected magic use.

Uther also cleverly decides that the scorched wood that he sees is proof positive that magic has been used. There you have it folks, charred wood is indicative of magic. So should you see charred wood anywhere in your travels, know that magic has indeed been used and persecute accordingly.

Anyway, Merlin returns the ring to Dudley and warns him to be careful. Dudley just whines about how he wants respect and he's not gonna be a wuss like his father was - the person he inherited the magic ring from.

Episode trudges endlessly on with battle after battle. No...I mean endlessly. Dudley wins every match using magic, progresses up the ranks until he has the respect and adoration he's always dreamed of. He even ends up killing one of the thugs. He's getting totally out of control and decides that he's going to go up against Uther and strike a blow for magic users everywhere.

Aaaaaaand he can do this because when Arthur fought Uther, he threw the fight so as not to embarrass the king. And Uther, per usual, is a total dick about it.

Long story short, Dudley almost has Uther, he's ready to kill him, but Merlin gives Uther a little magical assistance because if Uther dies at the hands of a magic user, Arthur will never allow magic back into Camelot when he's king - so says the dragon that Merlin called with his Dragon Lord voice that drop Jess' panties in 1.5 seconds.

So Uther beats Dudley and lets him live. Morgana is frustrated and furious that neither her father nor brother died. (Thwarted again!) And Uther confesses that he knows that Arthur threw the fight and *that's* the sign to Uther that Arthur will make a super awesome king. Oh, and Merlin has one last heart to heart with Dudders before he leaves Camelot for good.

Okay...now for the questions. 

 

1. If I’d written this episode...I would have made would have had Morgana coerce Uther into fighting using some method that didn't involve overt flirting with her FATHER.

 

2. The thing I loved/hated most about this episode. 

 

Loved: Honestly, I can't think of anything I genuinely loved about this episode. Okay, that's a lie. I did rather enjoy watching Arthur and Uther go at it in the tournament field.

Hated: It's possible that you might have missed this is the recap...and the answer to question one - after all, I was rather subtle. But...it's the nasty,  flirty, incestuous vibe between Morgana and Uther . Also hated another tournament plot.

3. Something you’ve never noticed about this episode before. How Gwen was entirely absent.

4. Favorite Costume. Uther...in armor. 

 

5. Here is Proof of some random head canon I’ve created. I didn't create it, but something is seriously NOT RIGHT between Uther and Morgana.

6. What Merthur moment did Jess have the naughtiest thoughts about? She likes the way Merlin watches Arthur battle. She also likes the way Merlin dresses Arthur for battle. She knows that Merlin gets hot and is grateful for his baggy peasant clothes. 

 

7. What made Jen lose her shit (in a good or bad way) in a bad way? Here...let me show you...

Jess' take on the episode is here, and Jen's is here.

Crushing on Fictional Characters

So this week is fictional crushes. And it’s late Tuesday night while I try to cobble this post together. Trust me, when I tell you that’s it’s been an exhausting week (yeah, I know it’s only Tuesday) but I’m gonna try not to phone this in. Mostly because I’ve haven’t missed a Wednesday blog post since we started doing this way back in January, and I’m not going to start now. 

So…bring on the characters. 

These are in absolutely no particular order because I can’t choose like that. I love these imaginary people. I love them so much I would want to be friends with them in real life… Or something.

Charlie Bradbury – played by Felicia Day in Supernatural. Part of it is that I just fucking love Felicia Day. No really. Adore her. And Charlie – Charlie is a brilliant computer hacker, LARPer, and all around badass. I love that she’s a strong character with her own set of moral guidelines.  Massive crush. Plus she’s adorable.

Neil Elwood – hero of The Boss series by Abigail Barnette aka Jenny Trout. Normally, I *hate* the bazillionaire trope in romance novels. I hate it just as much as I hate cowboys, ranchers and sheiks. They’re just not my bag. At all. However, Neil turns every bazillionaire boss stereotype on its head. He’s not a douchey asshole. He’s funny, smart, sexy as fuck and wait…what’s this? Genuinely kind? All while being a savvy business man. Now, Neil is not without flaws. But that’s what I love about him. He’s not a cardboard stock character. He’s a real human being that I could never speak to because I would be a stuttering idiot in the corner. Did I mention he’s British? And also looks like Buffy era Anthony Stewart Head? And likes to spank? And…do other things? There you go. Tie - er...sign me up.

Will Graham from the TV series Hannibal. Dear lord. I have no idea if TV Will is like book Will because I haven’t read them. Someday… But (and yes, I *know* how dysfunctional this is) there’s something about broken characters that call to me. Maybe it’s the “fixer” in me that wants to take them home and make everything better for them. There’s something about razor sharp intelligence and unwavering intensity combined with vulnerability that gets me every time. Also? Hugh Dancy. 

Galahad  - from…everywhere in Arthurian legend. Okay, I really love this character. He’s always trying to do the right thing and he’s always being beaten the hell down. Yeah, I know. Dysfunctional. That’s me. But the thing is about Galahad is that he never stops trying. He might be clawing his way across a battlefield, bleeding and broken, but he’s not going to stop until his quest is completed. Nowhere is this more apparent than in Jess Jarman’s Albion’s Circle series. Her Galahad is, by far, my favorite. He’s been beaten down life after life, hiding who he is and sacrificing everything. Even though he’s damn near broken, he will not give up. Although, I think he sometimes wants to. But that’s part of the beauty of Galahad. He’ll keep going forever because he’s always going to do what’s right. Even if it kills him in the end. (This isn't Galahad...but I do so love the cover of this book.)

Jareth the Goblin King from the movie Labyrinth. It’s no secret that I love Labyrinth. LOVE IT. To the point that it’s one of my top five favorite movies. It has been for like thirty years – I don’t see this changing. And I adore David Bowie’s portrayal of the Goblin King. Yes, he wants to turn babies into Goblins. Yes, he wants Sarah to fear and worship him. But you know what he wants most of all? Love. Jareth is broken. Probably a little crazy. And if I’m utterly honest with myself and you all, definitely emotionally abusive. But you guys…it’s Jareth. I can’t help but love him in all his epic fuckedupness. 

Other characters I love that I’m too tired to write about?

Dean Winchester – Supernatural

Sean – The Scorpio Races by Maggie Stiefvater

Daryl Dixon – The Walking Dead

THE DOCTOR!!! – Particularly the 10^th Doctor – Doctor Who

River Song – Doctor Who

Donna Noble – Doctor Who

Cassidy Ryan – Ricochet by Kris Norris

Cyrus – The Turning and all other Blood Ties books by Jenny Trout

Giles – Buffy the Vampire Slayer

Willow – Buffy the Vampire Slayer

Wash – Firefly 

Okay – that’s probably enough for now. Who are your favorites? Be sure to click the names below to see who the other bloggers picked. I’m guessing most of them are probably more emotionally stable than my choices. 

Jess

Gwen

Kayleigh

Kellie

Jenny
Kris

Cover Reveal: TURN TO ME

Check out this gorgeous new cover for upcoming release, Turn to Me by Harley Easton! The blurb and excerpt are great, too!

 

 

Blurb: Chrissy Lorcan has lived with werewolves her entire life. Detective Landen Sutherlund has only recently discovered their existence. Will a weekend at the lake be enough for her to teach him how to deal with the wolf inside, or will secrets and sexual tension break them?

Excerpt:

"Stay for dinner," he demanded, his hips pressing into hers. The contact made Chrissy breathless and her cheeks flushed. Landen pulled away and became overly careful again. Walking to the oven, he removed the remains of his dinner.

"You'll need to leave right after," he grunted. It stung a little, but Chrissy's feelings were eased at the flustered look on the detective's face. His eyes drifted closed and his forehead creased in worry before he added, "I want to make sure you get home safe."

"It's sweet of you to be so protective, Landen, but I grew up around here," Chrissy said, pulling a corkscrew out of the drawer and opening the wine with a satisfyingly audible pop. "Nothing in these woods is going to harm me."

"You don't know that." His tone was as tight as the line of his lips as he accented the statement by slamming the oven door.

Deciding it was time to stop dancing around the topic, Chrissy poured herself a glass and downed half of it. Then she refilled it and set it down with a clink that made Landen turn. She could tell he wasn't prepared to find her in front of him, pressing a single finger directly into his chest.

"Nothing is going to hurt me, Landen. Nothing. That includes you, so stop treating me like I'm breakable, and actually listen to me for thirty seconds."

His eyes widened at her unexpected forcefulness. "You don't—"

"Yes, actually I do," she cut him off. "It's exactly two hours and twenty-three minutes until sundown and moonrise is maybe ten minutes after. You got some time, so why don't you tell me how long you've had lycanthropy."

Release Date: 21 October 2014
Pre-Order Links:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00O3USEDS/
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Turn-Me-Romance-Harley-Easton-ebook/dp/B00O3USEDS/
https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/482074

Author Links:
http://harleyeaston.tumblr.com/
http://www.harleyeaston.com/
http://www.twitter.com/harley_easton/
http://www.facebook.com/harleyeastonauthor/

Merlin Club: The Queen of Hearts or The One Where Uther Continues to Be an Insufferable Douchebag

I'm so sorry guys - this is going to be a super short post because it's late, and I'm trying to outrun a migraine.

Blergh.

But this weeks episode is fueled by paranoia and douchebaggary.

Morgana flips shit because she has a dream about Arthur crowning Gwen queen. Morgana cries to Morgause and Morgause tells her it was a true dream and to fix this crap.

Morgana decides to play evil matchmaker between Arthur and Gwen - encouraging them to get together. So Arthur invites Gwen on a romantic picnic and Gwen agrees once Merlin convinces her that it's a great idea.


And this happens.

And also this.

Unfortunately, before anyone can have too much fun, Morgana convinces Uther that they haven't spent nearly enough time together and wheedles until he agrees to go for a ride.

So this happens, too.

And also, this bit of awkwardness.

Back at Camelot, Arthur thinks that Uther is going to ream him out for kissing Gwen, but Uther congratulates him instead. He thinks that Arthur is getting laid by the staff and is all kinds of proud, because that's the kind of douchebag he is. I'm paraphrasing, but it's basically, "Good job getting that servant ass, son! Servants exist to make our lives easier and our dicks happy." Then he tells Arthur to end it with Gwen. Arthur isn't having it and tells his father that he's in love with Gwen.

Morgana later suggests to Uther that Arthur must be enchanted to have fallen in love with a serving girl. Uther sees the inherent wisdom in this, and with cries of, "Sorcery!" has Arthur's room searched where the knights find a suspicious poultice.

Uther asks Gaius if the little hex bag looks magical and if it could be used to enchant someone. Cand Gaius, dumbass that he is, says yes, knowing what's at stake. Gwen is accused of sorcery and thrown into the dungeon to be burned at the stake the next morning.

Merlin comes up with the plan of providing another sorcerer on which the blame can fall, thus clearing Gwen. So he uses a spell to age himself - becoming Dragoon.

So he makes his presence known in Camelot and unfortunately, can't reverse the spell on his own and gets caught. He admits to enchanting Arthur and he's now sentenced to burn in the morning. Meanwhile, Arthur is looking for Merlin and Gaius helpfully tells Arthur that Merlin is in the tavern.

Gaius uses his magical chemistry skills and stays up all night creating an antidote. As Dragoon is being led to the stake, Gaius motions that he's got the antidote, so Merlin creates a diversion by yelling at Uther and then escaping his guards, grabbing the potion from Gaius and distracting the crowd by using magic to make the stake and all the wood erupt in a huge fireball.

He escapes into the castle, drinks the potion and turns back into himself right before Arthur finds him and demands to know where the sorcerer went and why Merlin was at the tavern. There's also a threat of punishment before Arthur tries to track down Dragoon.

Later we see Arthur pull Gwen into an alcove and promise that they'll be together someday and we see Merlin covered with horseshit from his punishment of mucking out the stables.

Okay...now for the questions. 

1. If I’d written this episode...I would have made Gwen and Arthur question the whole Dragoon situation a little more carefully. I mean, they both knew they weren't enchanted and he basically ended up saving Gwen, wouldn't they wonder about that at least a little?

2. The thing I loved/hated most about this episode. Loved: This right here. 

Hated: Uther's callous assumption that the servants exist to be banged.

3. Something you’ve never noticed about this episode before. How creepy the vibe is between Morgana and Uther when she's begging him to go riding with her. It's this weird little girlish begging and he's sort of indulging her like he would a mistress. It just sat wrong with me.

4. Favorite Costume. Dragoon, of course.

5. Here is Proof of some random head canon I’ve created. I didn't create it, but Merlin and Arthur's true love. Arthur thinks Dragoon's eyes look familiar, so some part of him recognizes Merlin.

6. What Merthur moment did Jess have the naughtiest thoughts about? See above, though that's sweet and not naughty. And I'm sure she had an entirely different punishment in mind for Arthur to mete out to Merlin. Something that involves spanking, I'm sure. 

7. What made Jen lose her shit (in a good or bad way) in a bad way?  The fact that Gaius was all, "Yep, sire. Looks magical to me." when Gwen's life was on the line.

Jess' take on the episode is here, and Jen's is here.

My Collections

It's another edition of Wednesday Randomness, and this week, we're blogging about our collections. And, I didn't really realize how many I had...until I started wandering around the house taking pictures. I'm not even including the fabric or yarn, because, well, this shit is already out of control - as evidenced from the following pictures.

First off, there's my vintage tea set. I've always loved Cottageware - my Gram had a set that I adored. But I fell in love with this PriceKensington pattern, and I've been slowly collecting it. It's nowhere near complete, but it's getting there. I've found a bunch of pieces in antique stores in the U.P., and my very awesome friend, Kim, has sent me several pieces from shops in Wales. Which, coincidentally, is where my Gram's set came from.

Rocks. I know...it seems like a silly collection, but I really love rocks. I was always that kid who came home with pockets full of rocks. I'm still that kid. Everywhere I go, I pick up rocks. My friends bring me rocks home from their travels. My kids pick up pretty stones for me.These are just a small sampling. Read: places in my house where I didn't have to clean in order to take pictures.

I'm a fan of driftwood, too. As you can probably see.

I also collect books on Arthurian Legend. Other than the complete works of Chaucer and Shakespeare, this is all Arthurian stuff in this bookcase. Oh, look...more rocks.

And fairy tales! I freaking love fairy tales. I've got stories from tons of different cultures  - both modern and traditional stories. Brand new books and antiques. I love them all.

Okay...what else...oh! Skeleton keys. I adore them. I've been collecting them ever since my Gram gave me the skeleton key to her house. Sometimes, I even wear them as necklaces. I don't have these displayed anywhere. But, I'm thinking of making a mobile with some of them.

Charms - these are all in one, chunky dangerous place. This bracelet doubles as a weapon. But it's also a collection of memories. Each charm has a specific meaning and memory that accompanies it.

Okay, so that's pretty much it for my collections. I can't wait to see what kind of stuff the other bloggers have! Because I'm nosy. Click their names along with me and we'll all find out what they're hoarding. :D

Gwen
Jess
Kris

MATED Cover Reveal!

Mated

by Gwendolyn Cease

Genre: Paranormal Romance

Tour Organizer: N K Author Services

Laira Marshall had to admit—getting kidnapped wasn’t something she’d expected. Discovering her kidnappers were aliens who planned on selling her into sexual slavery, definitely tipped the scales into the truly bizarre. But she’s determined to fight her way through this—until their slave ship is attacked, and Laira’s faced with an entirely new problem.

Rakin and Dev were the leaders of the Sandaki—a race genetically engineered to fight. Using their enhanced traits, they’ve freed their people and have devoted their lives to seeking out those who enslaved them. They never considered the concept of love—or that one woman could bring them to their knees.

With unknown enemies working against them, the three lovers must come together not only to save themselves, but the Sandaki race itself.

Gwendolyn Cease has been writing ever since she was old enough to pick up a pen. From the very beginning, her stories involved handsome heroes, tough heroines, and happily ever after. Even as she slogged through two undergraduate degrees and a master’s in education, writing remained top priority. Though she now works full-time as a history museum educator, she still makes time for her characters and their never-ending adventures.

Currently, Gwendolyn lives in Kentucky with her incredibly spoiled cats. If you’d like to contact her, she’d love to hear from you. She loves to hear from anyone who enjoys a good book, especially the ones she’s written. You can email her at gwendolyncease@insightbb.com.

Website – http://www.gwendolyncease.com
Blog – http://gwendolyncease.blogspot.com
Twitter - @GwendolynCase
Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/gwendolyn.cease?fref=ts
Tumblr – http://gwendolyncease.tumblr.com/

RICOCHET Cover Reveal!

Ricochet
by Kris Norris
Genre: Erotic Romance
Tour Organizer: N K Author Services

A moment he can’t take back…

An unlucky rebound has left US Marshal Ashton Kane broken. His partner’s dead and, consumed by guilt, he’s walked out on the only woman he’ll ever love.

A love she can’t forget…

Cassidy Ryan has tried to move on. Losing the love of her life cut deep, but she vowed she wouldn’t let it break her. And she’s finally taking back her life—until she stumbles upon a deadly encounter that threatens to destroy everything and everyone around her.

One last chance at redemption…

Ash has fooled himself into believing Cassidy’s better off without him—until she puts her life on the line, forcing him to face the demons that still whisper in the dark—or risk losing her. Again. Only this time, it’ll be no one’s fault, but his.

Author, single mother, slave to chaos—she’s a jack-of-all-trades who’s constantly looking for her ever elusive clone.

Kris started writing some years back, and it took her a while to realize she wasn’t destined for the padded room, and that the voices chattering away in her head were really other characters trying to take shape—and since they weren’t telling her to conquer the human race, she went with it. Though she supposes if they had...insert evil laugh.

Kris loves writing erotic novels. She loves heroines who kick butt, heroes who are larger than life and sizzling sex scenes that leave you feeling just a bit breathless.

Website – http://www.krisnorris.ca

Blog – http://krisnorris.blogspot.com

Twitter - @kris_norris

Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/kris.norris.731?fref=ts