Hooked on First Change; The Chosen One #MFRWauthor #MFRWHooks

The dragshi are more than just a man or woman. Each are two beings–one a dragon, the other a human–sharing one body in space in time and able to change forms with the other at will. Their world and the adventures of the dragon shifters are recorded in the Dragshi Chronicles

Within each of the chronicles, the ceoltiers, the keepers of the past and teachers of the present, recount some legend. As with all such tales, some contain larger than life deeds. Others are the simple story of a man or woman doing what must be done, regardless of the cost. Sometimes embellished, the ceoltiers use the stories of times and actions past to educate and inspire.

Unlike the previous works in the series which related to the trader girl Anastasia and Lord Branin Llewlyn, First Change features the real story behind the legends told in the previous volumes. First Change contains five stories of duty and honor, love and loss, happiness and despair from the chronicles. As with all such tales, some contain larger than life deeds. Others are the simple story of a man or woman doing what must be done, regardless of the cost.

Excerpt from Fire and Ice:

Others supplicants can be heard, but not me. My petition will never be made. 

Resentment threatened her control, to release the tears. Wrapped in the dignity of her rank, Mirabeesh held them at bay. I am Empress. I fear no man—or god, the woman in the gong declared. But the red eyes hidden behind the veil proclaimed the truth. She was afraid to die.

~ * ~

Buy Links: List of ebook sellers is at https://www.books2read.com/u/49PMZp

And if you missed Hatchling's Vengeance, an excerpt from the fourth book in the series can be found here.

We're all hooked on books. Follow the links below for more teasers.

Close the door. It's private. #mfrwauthor

There are different ways to approach the prompt of "open doors, closed doors." It could be the concept where one door opens, another closes.

Photo by Julie McMurry

Her true gender revealed, Glyn, bodyguard to the newest dragon lord, could no longer fulfill her duty to the dragshi. However, the closing of that door removed the barricade to love. Hatchling's Curse

An alternate scenario was related in Windmaster Legacy. When Ellspeth, captain of Sea Falcon, is stripped of her rank, it seemed like the end of the world. She lost her ship, her crew, and she thought...her future. But then a called out asking to speak to the council and in the open door stood the archmage Lord Dal. I'll leave you to read the story to learn about what path that door led to.

Photo by CullyBarbosa

However, open or closed doors can relate to the steam level of a story.  First off, I admit I don't usually write sweet romance. And I prefer sensual versus explicit. I try not to write anything I would be embarrassed to have my mother or mother-in-law read. 

That is not to say that my characters don't go beyond a simple hug or even a passionate kiss. In one book, the consummation of the main characters’ relationship started off in real terms then allegory did the rest. Remember the 1950s movies? A passionate kiss, heading toward the bedroom, the closing door, fireworks going off, then the heroine emerging from the bedroom in the hero’s pajama top.

Thanks for stopping by and be sure to visit the other posts in the challenge to see whether the doors are open or closed.

~till next time.



If the links above don't work, try these.

Sherry Lewis

Inspiration Floats On The Wind #mfrwauthor

Welcome to week 14 of the 52-week blog challenge. This week's topic is story inspiration.

I find inspiration in various aspects of the world around me. A verse of music, a few notes of a tune or a photo from some exotic place can trigger an idea. But not all inspiration is the same. Sometimes a dream awakens me in the middle of the night and gives the overall storyline for a new work or a scene unfolds like a scene from a movie.

Those are inspiration for a specific item. Then there is the writing inspiration. The music or image that transports you to another world. For fantasy worlds, celtic flute gives me dragon wings or lets me sail with mages. 

 



Pictures provide a ground in a setting while the music invites the muse to visit.

Sometimes the inspiration comes from the story and the characters themselves. When the end was typed for Hatchling's Mate there were several characters whose ultimate fates remained to be determined. Their paths could be sealed by vengeance or redeemed by love. The storyline was a new approach I wanted to explore and I took the inspiration from the characters themselves. And the result was Hatchling's Vengeance.

Stop by the other authors in the challenge to see what inspires them. And come back each week for new insights into the authors of MFRW and their writing life.
 
~till next time, Helen