He tells them that he will move out to the keep immediately and begin to secure the location as a base for them all to work out of. He says he intends to put a variety of wards up to keep out unwanted elements, however he can key the wards to recognize them so they can come and go as they please. He requests a sample of blood from each of the party members in order to do this. Nobody objects so they all provide the sample. He then says they are at their leisure for now and to report to the keep in a week for further instructions.

In the meantime, Sampson decides to go back to Riverwood to spend some time studying the Dragon Wall (and to learn the Word of Power). And as Lizette is still in Riverwood, spends some quality time with her. The three spellcasters decides to go back to the College of Winterhold to begin research on a new spell that is designed to help give them some advanced warning regarding any dragons that may zero in on Bob’s location at inopportune times.
Detect Dragon Focus
Divination
Level: Sor/Wiz 2, Druid 2
Components: V, S, F
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Range: Touch/ 1 mile per level
Target: 1 Dragonborn
Duration: ten minutes/level
The caster casts this spell on a willing Dragonborn. Utilizing the same mystical beacon that attracts dragons to the Dragonborn the spell reaches out from the Dragonborn seeking any dragons currently aware of and focused on the Dragonborn. If such a wyrm is within the range of this spell it alerts the caster with an affirmative response and the caster becomes aware of how far the dragon is from the Dragonborn. As this information would constantly update, it is possible to determine how long it will be before the dragon arrives. It does not provide any other information such as type of dragon, age, or direction. Only that there is one and how quickly it will arrive. It will also not detect a dragon that has not focused on the Dragonborn through his or her bloodline.

After a week, the players regroup and journey out to the keep to see how things are going with Arvanell. The exterior of the keep looks the same as they left it (in ruins). But when they step inside the keep, the interior looks completely refurbished. Though they are curious how he managed to completely remodel the interior by himself, nobody questions him as he greets them in the main hall (still wearing his robes, but not wearing the armor beneath them) and gives them a tour of their new base. Each player has his own room and private study, but will need to furnish the rooms themselves. He also reminds them that any furnishings they want to do they will need to be able to do themselves, as they can’t have craftspersons out at the keep for security reasons.

Arvanell makes dinner for everyone and discusses their next mission during the meal.

He says that his research requires an original copy of the book Battle of Sancre Tor. The book details then-general Talos’ assault on the fortress of Sancre Tor and how Talos used guile to assault the supposedly impenetrable fortress in the dead of winter. The original version was written shortly after the events in the 2nd Era. Modern versions of the events are a glamorized retelling that focus on Talos’ cunning and heroism. But Arvanell believes the original contains more nuts-and-bolts information on exactly how Talos got into the fortress.

The spellcasters realize that the Arcadium has an original copy (as they have seen it under a locked glass case in the rare books collection.) but nobody mentions this to Arvanell (as they don’t really want to get the librarian angry!) Fortunately, Arvanell thinks he knows where there might be a copy: Hamvir’s Rest. The old tomb is the final resting place of a 3rd era court wizard who collected ancient books. It’s believed he was buried with his entire collection. The mission is to go to Hamvir’s Rest and retrieve any old books there.

In the morning, Arvanell provides breakfast for the party (they out of character note that they are starting to feel spoiled). They decide to stop in Whiterun first so Sampson, Grog, and Bob can check in with the Companions. When they arrive, Aela shoves a letter at Samson with a comment about not being his personal secretary. It’s a love letter from Lizette, who has moved to the Bannered Mare in Whiterun. She then notes that Kodlak has been looking for them.

They find Kodlak, Skjor, and Vilkas in a heated discussion, but they stop as the players approach. Kodlak jokes that it is nice of them to show up for work, since he has a job for them. They received word of bandits that have been particularly vicious as of late, not just robbing caravans but brutalizing the travelers. Go out to the Silver Moon camp and deal with them.

While it’s not exactly on the way to Hamvir’s Rest, the party decides to go handle that situation first as it is the more immediate problem. Bob decides to scout ahead to see how many are in the base. Unfortunately, he doesn’t check for traps while stealthing up, and plummets into a spiked pit trap! He’s caught by surprise that the bandits would bother with a pit trap out in an open field, but more shocked when he realized the pit spikes are tipped in…silver. As a Silver Hand assassin leans over he pit and fires silver-tipped arrows at him, he realizing this whole thing was a trap! (Gee, ya think?)

[Annnnnndddddddd roll initiative…]

The combat is complicated by the entrenched positions of the Silver Hand and the traps that litter the field. The party eventually is able to turn the tide of battle before losing any of their own [Sampson had been reduced to one hit point and Bob was in single digits himself].

No sooner than they defeat the Silver Hand, however, do they realize that Bob’s use of the Thu’um has attracted the interest of a nearby dragon. Spent and injured, they hide in the ruined structure of the Silver Moon camp and wait for the dragon to fly off.

After the dragon leaves, they loot the Silver Hand and check out the base, which is an ancient forge. It seems odd to have a forge out in the middle of nowhere, but as night falls and the moon shines through the opening in the ruins, the forge begins to glow with a strange white light. They also notice a couple of weapons lying around the forge begin to glow as well. Unsure what the weapons actually do, Sampson and Bob decide to identify the enchantment in proper Nord fashion…by stabbing each other with them!

The party has discovered the Lunar Forge, and the Lunar longsword and lunar dagger deal fire damage under moonlight.

They rest for the night and then resume their journey. As they travel, they come across a battered wagon. The wagon belongs to the East Empire Trading Company and was traveling to Whiterun when it was sacked. Because of the war, bandits in the region have grown bold and have been hitting East Empire caravans, so the merchants tried to disguise their shipment as a normal farmer wagon. Obviously, that plan didn’t work and the bandits left them for dead and took the horses and loot.

Being proper adventuring heroes (and liking the additional promise of a reward for the return of the goods), the party decides to track down the bandits after helping the East Empire merchants heal up a little and recover. They track the bandits back to a cave, where they find two Khajiit sitting outside the cave consuming skooma and cracking jokes.

Sampson decides to try to talk to the Khajiit first, since the merchants had said the bandits were Nords. The Kahjiit enthusiastically welcome the party to sit with them and chat. The party cautiously approaches while Sampson asks if the Khajiit know anything about the bandit attack on the caravan.

“Oh, no,” says Sha’cheem. “Kahjiit are not bandits. Kahjiit are thieves.”

The party look back and forth at each other, not sure how to respond to that. Sampson asks if they know where the bandits are. Sha’cheem says that they are in the cave. The bandits would not allow him and his friend Mijah to rest in the cave with them, but seemed content with allowing them to camp outside the cave. Bob scratches his head and asks if they are thieves, why haven’t they stolen anything from the bandits.

“Sha’cheem likes you, so Sha’cheem will share. Kahjiit will steal from the bandits, soon. Kajiit sold bandits some very strong skooma, so as soon as the bandits fall asleep, Kahjiit will take what they want.”

Sampson informs Sha’cheem that he can’t exactly just let them take any of the caravan loot. “Oh, this is fine,” says Sha’cheem. “Sha’cheem does not want to carry heavy cargo. Kahjiit will only take coins and gems.” Sha’cheem looks to the sky to check the position of the sun, then says the bandits should be asleep by now. Amused by the entire situation, the party go into the cave with the Kahjiit to find the bandits all passed out on skooma. Sha’cheem and Mijah rob the bandits of any gems and coin they have, leaving the East Empire cargo to the party.

The party asks how they could get in touch with them in the future, and Sha’cheem says thay since he likes the players, he will tell his friends in the Kahjiit caravans to do business with them, and if they ever find themselves in Riften, to come down to the Ragged Flagon in the Ratway. Perhaps they can do business.

The party ties up the bandits, reclaims the East Empire cargo, and also finds among the left over treasure a very expensive-looking pendant that has the seal of House Battle-Born etched on the back. They catch up with the merchants and escort them to Riverwood, where the local guards take the bandits into custody.

About the Book

Newly divorced and with his career in jeopardy, Detective Connor Parks takes solace in the arms of a beautiful woman he meets at a bar. The next morning, Claire Fletcher is gone, leaving nothing behind but an address and a decade-old mystery. The address leads to the Fletcher family home where Claire’s siblings inform Connor that their fifteen-year-old sister was abducted from a city street ten years ago and is presumed dead.

During those ten years, Claire endured the cruel torture and depravity of the man who abducted her. Paralyzed by fear and too ashamed to return to her family, Claire is resigned to her life as Lynn, the identity her abductor forced upon her. Every time she attempts escape or betrays him in the smallest way, someone dies. Even now, her clandestine run-in with Connor Parks may have put his life at risk, as well as the lives of her family.

Connor is convinced that not only is Claire Fletcher alive, but that she is also the woman he met at the bar. Driven to see her again, he begins his own investigation, off the clock and without the police department’s consent. He is determined to find her and unravel the mystery of her abduction and odd reemergence. But finding Claire Fletcher proves more dangerous than he anticipates. In fact, it may be deadly.

About the Author

Lisa Regan is a suspense novelist.  She has a Bachelor’s Degree in English and Master of Education Degree from Bloomsburg University.  She is a member of Sisters In Crime and Pennwriters. She lives in Philadelphia with her husband and daughter. 

The Inspiration for Finding Claire Fletcher

I fell asleep early on May 6, 2013, so I didn’t find out about the 3 missing Cleveland women, Amanda Berry, Gina DeJesus and Michelle Knight and their daring escape from 10 years in captivity until the next morning.  This is how I found out:  a friend of mine, who is also a journalist posted on my Facebook timeline that there was some “next level” Claire Fletcher stuff going on in Cleveland.  That post was followed by a flurry of messages throughout the next day about this news story, all from people who had read Finding Claire Fletcher and were stunned by the similarities to my book.  It was disturbing to say the least.  Unfortunately, my fictional account of a woman kidnapped as a teenager and held by a depraved captor for several years is becoming more and more prevalent in real life.

I started writing it years before abducted children like Elizabeth Smart, Shawn Hornbeck and Jaycee Lee Dugard were recovered.  My book was actually inspired by a child who has not been found.

When I was eleven years old, Jacob Wetterling was abducted from a small Minnesota town.  If you don’t know the story, Jacob, his brother and a friend were riding their bikes home from a local store where they had gone to rent a movie. A masked man with a gun stopped them.  He chose Jacob and told the other boys to run.  Jacob’s brother and friend ran home to alert their babysitter to what had happened.  In spite of massive search efforts, Jacob was never seen again. 

I remember the news coverage like it was yesterday.  It was one of those that-could-have-happened-to-me moments in my very young life. I was the same age as Jacob, and I used to ride my bicycle all over my neighborhood without supervision.  Decades passed and I never forgot Jacob or his mother Patty, who galvanized her community and still runs the Jacob Wetterling Resource Center which provides all kinds of resources for families and communities in terms of protecting children. I used that website when I needed reference materials to help me start talking to my own child about sensitive issues like strangers and good secret/bad secret.

All my life I wondered what happened to Jacob.  His body was never recovered.  Is he still alive?  Every few years a story would appear on the national news, reminding us that he might still be out there somewhere.  I would study the age progression photo and wonder if someone, somewhere, had run into him and not even known it! 

I wondered what happens to these kids who are abducted but never heard from again.  Finding Claire Fletcher is my fictional exploration of that.  Of course in my novel, the abducted child is a girl, and she is a teenager.  I did many things with the plot to make the book more entertaining, but essentially it came out of my what-if questions surrounding abducted children and that obsession began with Jacob Wetterling.

About the book

Jalal Vaziri has looks, money, women–and a habit of running from reality. Convinced he’s only running from a father who hates him, a career mistake, and endless partying, he abandons Wall Street and reinvents himself as a poet in a California beach house. A fresh start is all he needs. When an intriguing woman enters his life, he believes all his dreams are coming true. But too soon those dreams dissolve into nightmare. Jalal flees again. He’s nearing the point of no return when another woman blocks his retreat and challenges him to finally face the truth about what he’s trying to outrun.
 

 In this contemporary tale of love, loss, and redemption, a desperate man discovers his salvation lies in an unlikely source.

About the author

Author Linda Cassidy Lewis

Linda Cassidy Lewis is a lover of words, drinker of wine, and liar by necessity. She writes life as fiction and blogs about the experience. Indiana born and raised, Linda now lives with her husband in California where she writes versions of the stories she held in her head during the years their four sons were growing up. She is the author of The Brevity of Roses and its sequel An Illusion of Trust.
 

What Dreams Are Made Into

Once upon a time, I wrote a novel and then my life changed—not in a good way. I shelved that novel, shelved writing all together for a while. I went back to mostly telling stories in my head to entertain myself while my life upheaved. Eventually, life settled back to manageable, leaving me with more experience, also known as story fodder.
 

I returned to writing a story or a poem whenever the Muse spoke. And then I had a dream. I morphed that dream into a story of a lonely woman just turned fifty and the younger man who offered her a new life. But that man insisted on more. He wanted to tell me his side of the story. So he did. And I wrote it down. He had a lot to say.
 

Just when it seemed love and loss would leave all in darkness, a tough-on-the-surface young woman entered the picture and forced a turn onto a bumpy road toward the light.  By the end of the year, that story had grown into a novel. The Brevity of Roses is that novel.
 

There’s no greater bliss than characters so “vocal” your fingers fly across the keyboard as you try to keep up with them or have to pull the car over to note a plot twist they surprised you with or grab your eyeliner pencil to jot on the mirror the perfect line of dialogue they whispered as you were showering.
 

There’s no greater honor than seeing that little dream turn into thousands of words to share with readers who are not only drawn into that dream with you, but thank you for it.
 

Once upon a time, I wrote a novel and then my life changed—in a good way.

This is no small matter. The original Dragonborn who defeated Alduin five years ago has not been seen again. Both sides in the Civil War believe her influence could shift the tide of battle in their favor and are actively looking for her. But nobody knew that there was another Dragonborn, and this could significantly complicate things.

Before anyone can adequately respond to what just happened, Bob shanks the bandit leader to protect his secret. This leads to a heated argument between various party members. The paladin is ticked off that he shanked the captive, but the rest of the party finally determines this may have been the only logical course of action. Meridin pointedly asks Bob if he knew the original Dragonborn, and Bob dodges on the answer that he doesn’t want to talk about it for now.

Searching Ryland’s corpse, they find his journal detailing his spy work. The bandit leader also kept a journal of their hauls and marks. At least they have evidence for the Jarl to let him know about the spy and the bandits being taken care of. All that is left of the dragon is the skull and a few scales. They take the skull for now.

Heading back to Riverwood, they stop to return the claw and retrieve their horses. Lucan takes the claw back and abruptly tells the party to leave, while Camilla invites them in for dinner, as she wants to know if they found anything interesting at the Barrow. They mention the bandits and the dragon, but not the spy. Lucan mumbles something about charging the party for the feeding their damn horses while they were gone (as Camilla made sure the animals were well taken care of).

They stop by the smithy to inform Alvor that Ryland is dead and that there were bandits up there, leaving it open to interpretation as to how Ryland died. Alvor also buys the old weapons and armor they retrieved from the bandits and found throughout the barrow.

They then decide to rest at the inn instead of making the trip all the way to Whiterun. Lizette is at the inn and, upon seeing Sampson enter, pays the bard to play a romantic song and invites him to dance (and also invites him to share her room The player playing Sampson reminds everyone that there is nothing in his code about being celibate). They get rooms and rest for the night.

In the morning, they take on a side quest to clear out a hive of giant ants near the mill, and then make there way to Whiterun where they turn the tablet over to Arvanell and inform him of what transpired. Arvanell tells them that they should report the information to the Jarl, as he assumes that there will be a reward and it would be a good way to build their reputations as independent mercenaries. In the meantime, he also pays them 20 gold each for their troubles and tells them that he will need a few days to study the tablet. In the interim, they are at their leisure.

The party makes there way to Dragonsreach, where they come in to the middle of a property dispute between the Gray-Manes and Battle-Borns. The Jarl finally explodes and rules that if the two of them can’t come to terms and agree over who owns the field in question, he’ll take possession of the field himself and they can decide to buy it back from the Hold when they sort it out.

While this is going on, Irileth intercepts the party to prevent them from bothering the Jarl. They give her a preliminary summary, and she pulls them into her office for a complete explanation of what happened and what they found. They give her both Ryland’s and the bandit’s journals, and also inform her of the dragon wyrmling and the concern that a breeding pair may be in the area of Riverwood. She takes them over to the Court Wizard to discuss the information about the dragons, and informs Farengar to have them report back to her for their reward once he gets whatever information he can about the dragon.

Farengar is very excited to know all about the wyrmling. If there is a breeding pair in the area, this would be a wonderful opportunity to obtain a dragon egg and research a dragon through the entire hatching process and life cycle! Of course, the Jarl would frown on a pet dragon in Dragonreach, but if the party should come across an egg, Farengar would pay handsomely for it…and their silence, of course. He asks about the dragon’s body, and the party tries to dodge and weave on the answer since there is no body left. Farengar gets aggravated and starts to push for information, but the party finally pushes back and reminds him that if he wants an egg, he shouldn’t get too confrontational.  He sends them back to Irileth, who gives the party a reward and tells them that the Jarl will know of their deeds when she gives him her report.

Most of the party heads back to Riverwood to further study the dragonwall. Bob, with Dragon Soul consumed, instantly learns the Word of Power (Fus) as soon as he approaches the wall, leading to more questions from his fellow party members. A few days later, Arvanell requests them to return to the Bannered Mare for dinner. Once again, he is cloaked and won’t reveal his features. He informs the party that there was an “incident” with another retainer that has made his situation “complicated.” He needs a safe place to work, and he thinks he has found just the place.

He’s picked up a rumor regarding some necromancers using Fellglow Keep as a base. Necromancy is officially outlaws by the Empire and something Nords are particularly enraged by. Nobody would be surprised by a group of mercenaries eliminating a cabal of necromancers, so it wouldn’t look suspicious for the party to go out there and take over the keep for themselves. Particularly since Arvanell has arranged anonymously for the Companions to eliminate the necromancers. He suggests Grog, Bob, and Sampson ask their associates if they have any work available and get the job, to create the appearance of a legitimate contract.

They go to the Companions and ask Kodlak for work. He mentions that he just got a contract to clear out some necromancers in Fellglow Keep. He was going to send Vilkas and Farkas, but since they have returned he’ll give them the job and has something more pressing he would rather the brothers deal with. When asked if there is a problem, he simply says that it is “A matter for the Circle to contend with.”

The party makes there way to the keep and Bob sneaks up to find several skeletal archers patrolling the courtyard and gate. The smart thing would be to go back to the main group, inform them of what he saw, and develop a strategy. Instead, Bob decides now would be an awesome time to try out his new shout, and knocks two of the skeletal archers off their feet with his Unrelenting Force! Way to be subtle, thief!

[Annnnddddddd….roll initiative]

The party rushes up and combat ensues. After the initial archers are dealt with, Bob checks for traps and confidently determines there is none to be found. This proves wrong, however, when he attempts to unlock the door and almost blows himself up. Upon finally getting the door open, the now prepared necromancers start throwing spells as Grog rushes forward to engage the duegar in melee battle. Celeste is overcome by magical fear and flees the area. Meridin sends his horse (which is his animal companion) after her to try and herd her back. As she is fleeing and starts to regain her senses, she sees a white dragon heading toward the keep…at a very high speed!

“Dragon!” she screams as she runs back to the keep, where the combat is still hectic. Ray of Enfeeblement from the necromancers is taking it’s toll of melee combatants, but Meridin’s Summon Swarm tactic is keeping some of the casters occupied to prevent too much damage. Alicia is attempting to restore and heal the party as quickly as Mara will allow.

With most of the Necromancers and their undead destroyed and the leader casting Fly on himself to try to escape, Bob gets the bright idea to ask the two remaining necromancers to surrender because there is a dragon coming. By a strange quirk of fate (GM Note: a percentile roll of 1!!!) the Necromancer leader (distracted by the eagle Meridin summoned in his face with a Summon Nature Ally spell) flies directly into the oncoming white dragon, who bites him around the waist and kills him. The dragon then circles around and drops the mage’s battered corpse to launch the new round of initiatives and combat as it tries to go directly for Bob.

The two remaining Necromancers earn their keep by turning their spells onto the dragon. Along with the focused attacks of the party, the white dragon eventually falls and once again Bob consumes a dragon’s soul. With the Paladin now watching, Bob can’t shank the mages. The mages, however, realize they are in a bad way and turn to their fellow dunmer.

“Look, we’ll catch a carriage out of town to Windhelm and then set sail for Morrowind. You’ll never see us again. Just let us go.”

The party agrees to let the pair go, and they run at full speed away from the keep. The party goes through the keep to loot the place and look for any remaining undead that might be around.

They finally find a shrine to Hermonius Mora. A heavy black book sits on the shrine, along with some soul gems and other items. Bob opens the book, curious as to what it is. The words start off a jumbled mess, but slowly wiggle and transform into a language he can read. (Once per day, the book allows you to cast Animate Undead as a 9^th level cleric, with a 10% chance of the undead being either ghouls or wights). Both the shrine and altar radiate evil under a Detect Evil spell. Though there is disagreement among the party as to what to do with the book, Alicia doesn’t waste time casting Consecrate upon the evil shrine to destroy it.

The shrine actually crumbles to dust, but a black cloud of smoke emerges from the shadows and takes a faint tentacle form. A disembodied voice chuckles. “Now is that any way to treat a friend’s host?” As quickly as it appeared, however, the form and voice vanish and nothing remains of the shrine itself.

About the Book:

The Endurers – Immortal warriors chosen to fight the evil that stalks humanity. Major players in the upcoming Armageddon. Single, and sexy as hell.

Death. Tragedy. Grief. Pain. For Vincent Chavalerio, immortality has brought nothing but pain and misery. Cursed by an ancient demon when he refused to bed her, he’s been tormented in a way no man, immortal or not, should ever have to experience. One night after a horrendous tragedy, he decides to end it all. Left without any other options, Arch, leader of the Endurers, agrees to give him what he wants.

Real estate agent Scarlett Hamilton flees to New Orleans, desperately trying to learn how to live again after the death of her fiance, Niles. One day, she falls in love with a historic mansion and decides to purchase it, not realizing there is already someone living within the walls, and a doorway to Hell right in the backyard.

Attempting to survive the demon stalking her, plus-sized Scarlett soon discovers an erotic passion in the cursed immortal’s arms. Will he move past his grief and indifference enough to recognize what’s right in front of him, before it’s to late?

Interview with Rose Wynters

JD: How would you describe your book? What kind of story are you trying to convey?

RW: Curvaceous Condemnation is book 2 in my series, The Endurers. It’s a series about immortal men that live on the very fringes of society, protecting humanity from demons that have prowled our world from the beginning of time. These Endurers have started to get a bit jaded, believing that they will never have anything more permanent than a one night stand. What they don’t realize is someone greater than us has huge plans for these guys as the world moves closer to Armageddon.

So far, the heroines have been average, plus-sized women. They are not great beauties, they are just regular women that deserve the total package like all women do! That’s a huge message I am trying to pass along with my books. Women don’t have to be drop-dead beauties to deserve love, happiness, and passion. What every woman does deserve is love. These women thought they’d never have it, but once again, something greater than us already had plans for them.

Book 3 is going to completely flip, though. It will be the story of Kim, who is known as a great beauty. She’s got demons from her past that are eating away inside of her, and we’re going to see a lot of secrets that nobody would guess at just by looking at her. Look for book 3 to be released in June 2013.

JD: Where did the idea for the book come from? What was it’s inspiration?

RW: There really wasn’t just one idea or inspiration for the series. It was a combination I suppose. As a reader, I enjoy reading books featuring real women with realistic thoughts, hopes, and dreams. As a writer, I want to give other readers these types of heroines. These books can be fast-paced, which love and romance often is in this day and age! As for the heroines, they’ve had a rough time of it in the singles world, which many singles often do.

JD:  How would you describe the main characters in your book? What is the nature of their relationship?

RW: In Curvaceous Condemnation, there are a whole lot of new faces. Arch is the leader of the Endurers. He will have a role in every book. He calls himself an Endurer, but really nobody is quite sure exactly what he is.

Vincent is an immortal Venetian, and he’s been tormented by Hell. He’s cursed by a demon he met while still mortal. Demons are perfect at destroying every aspect of a person’s life, and he knows this well. By the 1800′s, he begs Arch to just kill him and finish it all. Instead of doing this, Arch puts him in a type of stasis, and he’s not very happy when he wakes up nearly 200 years later just to find out he’s still alive.

Scarlett lost her fiancee to cancer six months before, and she moves to New Orleans in a desperate attempt to learn how to live again. She is drawn to this gorgeous, historic mansion and purchases it on a whim. She doesn’t realize there is a gateway to Hell in the backyard, not to mention the home already has an owner.

Ian is back again as well. He’s a single Endurer, with a great love of women. Poor Ian, he just can’t keep from getting in trouble with the other Endurer’s mates.

In this book, we meet Kim and Peter. They will be the hero and heroine in book 3. Peter is an immortal male with two names. To some he’s known as Peter the Priest, a throwback from his mortal days. To others, he’s known as Peter the Playboy.

JD:  When a reader finishes the book, what is it you hope they will walk away with?

RW: If they are single, I hope they walk away with the realization that everybody deserves a happy, loving relationship. If they are married, I hope they walk away relieved they don’t have to attempt to navigate the world of dating (just kidding). In all seriousness, I just hope the reader finds it to be an interesting, exciting, and romantic read!

JD: Do you have any current projects that you are working on? What can you share aobut any upcoming works?

RW: I have a new series called Territory of the Dead. It is a zombie series geared toward young adult readers, although adults will find it a great horror read as well. There will be some romance in it, but it’s definitely more of a horror/zombies series about an 18 year old checkout girl that tries to survive the zombie apocalypse. While my series The Endurers has a heat level of 5+, Territory of the Dead will have a heat level of 1, possibly 2. Book 1, Phase One: Identify just released this month.

I’ve got book 1 of a new werewolf series being reviewed by publishers now, and a new series of 4 short stories completed. I expect these to be released this year or possibly the beginning of 2014. I’m currently working on Book 3, The Endurers.

JD:  Who are some of your inspirations as a writer? Which other authors do you look to for inspiration and motivation?

I’ve been so busy this year that I haven’t had much chance to read. I haven’t read any books that motivated or inspired me to become a writer myself, although I have enjoyed reading their books tremendously! I enjoy a lot of classics when I get the chance, though. My books are as different from these as night and day lol. I would have to say real-life is the biggest inspiration of all.

JD:  If they made a movie of your book, who would you cast in the lead roles?

For the role of Arch, it would be Dwayne Johnson (The Rock) without a doubt. For Vincent Viggo Mortensen is a pretty close match, although he’s several inches shorter than Vincent. Vincent Perez would be another possibility, but then again he’s shorter as well. For Scarlett, she would probably be someone that’s out there and just hasn’t been discovered yet. Alexander Skarsgard or his brother Bill Skarsgard would be perfect for Ian.

JD:  When not writing, what other hobbies and interests do you have?

I’m a people person, addicted to adventure. I like to travel, camp, and just have fun.

JD: Thanks for stopping by today! 

RW: Thanks for having me on your site! I really enjoyed the fun interview.

The Companions

Grog: Nord Fighter, follower of Sanguine so constantly in a drunken state. Suffers from amnesia due to an event that happened years ago. Usually a happy drunk, but certain triggers set him off and he can get belligerent at the most inappropriate of times. Also tends to buy things when he is drunk but doesn’t remember having them, so occasionally pulls something out of his backpack that he didn’t know he had.

Bob: Nord Thief. Identifies himself as Grog’s brother and looks out for him, since Grog has trouble looking after himself. Has a strong “kill first, so they don’t ask questions later” approach to dealing with problems, which puts him at odds with the paladin.

Sampson: Nord Paladin of the Eight Divines (though actually a Paladin to Talos).With the worship of Talos forbidden in the Empire, he works with the Companions to build a name for himself. A bit conflicted over whether to support the Stormcloaks (who will return to worship of Talos to Skyrim) or the Empire (which was founded by Talos and represents his greatest achievement).

College of Winterhold

Meridin: Dunmer Druid. Family escaped Morrowind when Red Mountain exploded and ended up in Windhelm. Though his parents accepted their lot and try to make a living in the city’s Gray Quarter, Meridin couldn’t stand living under Ulfric’s thumb and decided to explore the land. Eventually ended up at the College of Winterhold because it was the one place in Skyrim where he felt accepted.

Alicia: Breton Cleric of Mara. Disappointed her politically driven parents when she chose to become a cleric instead of training to become a Court Wizard. Devoted to the healing arts and spreading Mara’s love across Skyrim. Decided to train at the College of Winterhold to get away from the drama of the Imperial court.

Celeste: Altmer Wizard. Her family remained loyal to the Empire during the war, and we slaughtered for it. She escaped to Skyrim and started a new life for herself at the College of Winterhold, where her fellow mages don’t ask too many questions about her past.

Session One: Introductions

GM Note: This is actually from last week’s introductory session. I’ll get this week’s session up for Friday!

After sitting through one of Tolfdir’s lectures on the Eye of Magnus and the dangers of uncontrolled magic (Celeste was captivated, while Meridin and Alicia had trouble staying awake), the trio of apprentices went back to their dorm rooms to relax. While deciding what they wanted to do, Brelyna, Onmund, and J’Zargo can be heard arguing as they enter the dorm area.

“What does it matter, J’Zargo?” complains Breylna. “You only scored one point higher than me on the final test!”

“Ah, but see, J’Zargo scored a 100, while you scored a 99. This means J’Zargo is perfect, and you are less so.”

It seems the other students had passed their final trials and test and were now officially adepts of the College. What starts as polite congratulations turns into an argument between J’Zargo and Celeste after J’Zargo says “Now that J’Zargo is no longer an apprentice, maybe J’Zargo will let you me his apprentice and will teach you.” Their verbal spat is interrupted by a courier who is looking for Celeste, Alicia, and Meridin.

Each of them is given a letter asking them to come to Whiterun and meet a certain individual at the Bannered Mare. This person, who only identifies himself by the name of Arvanell, has already arranged for the cost of a carriage to transport them to Whiterun, and there will be rooms waiting for them when they arrive. He promises that the journey will be worth their while, and that there is the potential to become very wealthy.

After some discussion as to who the strange benefactor might be (as well as Celeste throwing the invitation in J’Zargo’s face since he didn’t get one), the trio pack their things, say their goodbyes, and go down to the stables to catch a carriage to Whiterun.

Meanwhile, it’s a typical day at Jorvasskr, with Grog and Torvar engaged in a drinking contest that quickly escalates into a drunken wrestling match due to the goading of the other Companions. A courier comes into Jorvasskr to deliver letters for Grog, Bob, and Sampson. They are invited to a private dinner at the Bannered Mare the next evening, with the promise of work and wealth. Bob and Sampson are suspicious and try to ask around town if anyone knows anything about a man named Arvanell. The barkeep at the Bannered Mare knows only that someone by that name reserved a room for dinner the following night and booked some rooms for guests. Paid in gold up front through a proxy. Grog is indifferent about the meeting until Bob tells him that there will be free ale. Grog is suddenly very interested in attending the meeting.

The trio of spellcasters arrive in Whiterun and make their way to the Bannered Mare after getting directions. They settle into their rooms and then make their way downstairs for the dinner meeting, not knowing what to expect. A lavish feast is already prepared on the table, but no sign of their host. Soon the trio from Jorvasskr come into the room for dinner, and Bob is immediately suspicious of the presence of the Altmer and asks her point blank if she is working with the Thalmor. Samspon calms the situation down before it turns hostile and suggests everyone just wait until their hosts arrives to get some answers. Grog helps himself to the wine on the table and starts to drunkenly flirt with the mage and cleric.

A robed figure walks into the room with the hood of his cloak pulled up over his head. He’s wearing some sort of armor under the robes, but the only parts visible are the boots and gauntlets, which appear to be made out of some cream-color material and have red accents. He introduces himself as Arvanell, and speaks in a deliberate, somewhat archaic version of common. He refuses to pull back his hood or reveal his face. “I realize that I ask much. For you to trust me even as I seem to distrust you. But I have much more to lose than you do. So I hope you will forgive me this matter.”

Arvanell will finance the exploration of various locations. His interest is only in items related to the First and Second Eras and the specific items or tomes he requests. Any other treasure found is the property of the players. He dodges when asked the purpose of his research. “You cannot be made to tell that which you do not know.” Under pressure, he elaborates some. The smuggling of Dwemer relics is a longstanding crime in the Empire. Though the Nords themselves often ignore that, they do get aggrieved when people enter the ancient Nord burial tombs. Finally, Arvanell does not wish for the Thalmor to learn of his research, as they too have shown interest in his area of research and he would prefer to avoid them as their goals are mutually exclusive.

When asked why he specifically requested each of them, his reply is that his contacts have informed him that each of them possess the suitable collection of skills necessary to perform the tasks, but none of them are known enough in Skyrim for anyone to pay much attention to their movements. And he needs people who can travel throughout Skyrim without attracting too much suspicion from the authorities on all sides: The Empire, the Stormcloaks, and the Thalmor.

Sampson casts Detect Evil, but Arvanell appears to be genuine. The spellcasters find the notion of researching First and Second era history exciting. Bob likes the promise of being made rich. Sampson is still suspicious, but sees an opportunity to build a name for himself. Grog just wants to know if he will be kept in ale. Arvanell orders a keg for him. Grog is happy.

Once everyone agrees to the task, Arvanell gives them their first assignment: Bleak Falls Barrow. Arvanell says that the Barrow should be relatively safe, as the Dragonborn went through it years ago to retrieve the Dragonstone during the Alduin Crisis. But his preliminary research indicates that there should be a second tablet in the main burial chamber, which would have been overlooked by the Dragonborn at the time. Go to the barrow and retrieve that tablet, then bring it back to Arvanell. He does tell them to prepare for bandits, as he has heard rumors that a group of bandits have set up shop in the upper levels.

He also explains the Nordic Puzzle Door at the bottom of the barrow blocking the Burial chamber. Such doors required unique keys to open. Fortunately, the location of the key, a golden claw, is already known. It is in the possession of the owners of the Riverwood Traders. He tells them that he doesn’t particularly care how they acquire the key: buy it, steal it, borrow it. But they won’t be able to access the main chamber without it.

They make their way to Riverwood and start asking around town for information on the Barrow, getting conflicting information from different sources. 

Alvor the smith tells the party that after the Dragonborn destroyed the Draugr in the Barrow, some adventurers would periodically go up there to look for treasure but only ever really found old weapons and armor. Alvor buys any old Nord weapons and armor made of metal, as he can refurbish them and sell them. But nobody has come by for a few months, so he assumes the barrow finally has been fully emptied of anything of value.

Alvor’s apprentice, Ryland, went up to the Barrow himself last week to see if he could find anything. He never returned. The lad was a bit of a hothead and may have just left, but Alvor worries that if something happened to him nobody would know. He’s too old himself and has too many obligations to go off into the Barrow, and the local guards can’t be bothered chasing after a grown man that may have just quit. But if they are going up there anyway, perhaps they could be on the lookout for Ryland just to make sure he isn’t injured or dead.

Orgnar at the Sleeping Giant Inn huffs something about “More mages” and seems annoyed about questions regarding the Barrow. A pair of mages came through a few weeks asking questions about the Barrow. They were both Dunmer, and had a shifty look about them. Hopefully the Draugr reanimated and dealt with them. If asked about his animosity toward the Dunmer. “Everyone knows Morrowind always ignored Imperial law when it came to necromancy.”

Sven, the bard, will mention that a few hunters reported seeing some movement up at the Barrow, but didn’t investigate. He speculates that it is possible the Draugr have reanimated. As far as everyone knows, the Dragonborn didn’t actually destroy the bodies when she was there. Who knows what the ancient magics are capable of?

Hilde, Sven’s mother, says she was harvesting snowberries south of the Barrow when she claims she saw a dragon!  She volunteers this information, loudly. Sven insists there is no dragon in the area, to which she retorts “Yeah, well, that’s what you said LAST TIME and look what happened!” She claims this dragon was different than the others she had seen because it didn’t have wings. “But maybe they got cut off,” she says with a shrug. Sven suggests more likely it was a large bear, as his mother’s sight isn’t very good.

Bob offers to just steal the claw, but Sampson says they can see if they can just borrow it and return it. Lucan, however, won’t hear any of it. The claw was stolen before and he won’t let it out of his sight again. He also refuses an offer to buy it. Meridin suggests they could borrow it if they leave something of comparable value behind as collateral. Lucan says he’ll take their horses as collateral, and if they don’t return the claw, he’ll sell them for glue! Camilla insists that she would allow her brother to do no such thing and is horrified that he would even threaten such. Meridin and Sampson agree to leave their horses behind as collateral, with Camilla insisting that the horses will be just fine.

So it’s up to the Barrow. Bob sneaks ahead and notices that there is a small group of bandits outside the entrance, but is sure that the party can take them out easily enough. Sampson wants to ask about Ryland, first, and being a paladin wants to give them a chance to be peaceful. He decides to simply walk up there and talk to them. Alicia decides to follow Sampson, in the event things turn hostile. Bob and Meridin hide in the shadows. Celeste and Grog stay at the bottom of the steps out of site, with Grog hitting on Celeste the entire time.

Surprisingly, the bandits do NOT immediately attack, but seem to be expecting someone. Sampson says he is looking for Ryland, and the bandits responds in astonishment “So Ulfric did send the ransom?” Sampson responds with a non-committal “I need to see Ryland first.” The bandits start to give Sampson a hard time, but the one female bandit in the group (who makes it clear she finds Sampson attractive) says to let them in to talk to the boss. Sampson signals for Bob to come out of hiding, but the rest of the group remains hidden (as the bandits think they are from Ulfric, the sight of a dunmer and altmer would ruin the plan).

They go inside and meet the bandit leader and the rest of the bandits. Ryland is in a cage (and he seems just as surprised as everyone else that Ulfric send a ransom for him).

“Let me see the money!” demands the leader.

“Release Ryland, first,” says Sampson.

“Why should I trust you?”

“I’m a paladin. You’re a kidnapper and bandit. Which of us is more trustworthy?”

“He has a point,” says the smitten female bandit.

The bandit unlocks the cage, but won’t let Ryland leave until he gets the 500 gold he demanded. Sampson asks for a moment and huddles with his party. Bob says they can just take the bandits. Sampson wants to get Ryland out in one piece first. They pool their money to come up with 500 gold and pay the bandit. The bandit allows Ryland and the party to leave.

Outside, Sampson immediately starts to question Ryland as to why the bandits thought Ulfric would pay a ransom for him. Upon seeing the elves, Ryland at first clams up and refuses to speak. After a brief interrogation, he admits to being a Stormcloak spy. Jarl Balgruuf claims Whiterun is neutral, but Ulfric doesn’t believe that. So Ryland has been working at the smith’s to spy on Imperial movements and report the information back to the Stormcloaks. He only admitted to the bandits who he was to save his hide. He didn’t expect Ulfric would actually ransom him, but at least it bought him some time to figure out how to escape.

The female bandit comes out and is heading down to Riverwood. She pays no mind to the rest of the party and asks Sampson if they will be leaving immediately. (GM Note: At this point, I named her Lizette, as she needed a name). Sampson says they have some unfinished business in the area first so they aren’t leaving immediately. She says that she is going down to the town to get a room at the inn and spend some of her share before leaving the area. Sampson milks information out of her while flirting back. The bandits will be leaving the area soon to find a better spot. Nope, what he saw was all of them. No, she hadn’t seen any dragon, duegar, or mages.

After Lizette is out of sight, they tie Ryland to a pillar until they decide what to do with him. He is a Stormcloak spy, after all, and the Jarl will want to know. Much to Bob’s delight, Sampson says they should clear out those bandits for good before they can move on to another area. They walk back up to the entrance, where the bandits are packing up.

“You forget something?” asks the bandit leader.

“Yes,” says Sampson. “I’ll give you one chance to surrender.”

[Annnnddddd….Roll initiative.]

They beat down the bandits and the leader surrenders. They lock him in the cage and discuss whether or not to bring Ryland back in and put him in the cage. Thinking they may end up killing each other (or working together to escape) they decide to leave Ryland outside for now.

Down in the lower levels, they come across a bunch of frostbite spiders, and they fight their way through the spiders until they finally reach the Nordic puzzle door. They find the corpses of the two dead mages and a destroyed duegar. Apparently they tried to reanimate it and ended up getting killed in the process.

They open the door and enter the chamber. And here they stand before history, as they see the enormous Dragonwall at the far end of the chamber. Everyone but Grog takes a moment to appreciate the wall before looking for the tablet. Grog actually starts to get a little testy and goes back upstairs to drink any ale the bandits left behind. They find the tablet and go back upstairs.

They loot the remainder of the bandit’s gear and take the bandit leader with them. When they get outside, they find Ryland’s corpse still tied to the pillar, but his midsection looks like something large took a bite out of him.

Then the dragon comes out from behind rubble and makes a B-Line straight for Bob! [Used the brown dragon wyrmling from the Monsters of Faerun book because it was the best option for the CR]).

After an intense combat, the dragon falls. Meridin realizes that this is a wyrmling, which means a mating pair must be in the area. Before much more investigation can occur, however, the corpse starts to glow with a strange light and spontaneously combust into magical fire! The dragon’s soul leaves the body and…enters Bob.

The session ends with the rest of the party staring blankly at Bob. He has some explaining to do.

 About the Book

Creating Syd Jupiter 

As a writer I have long thought that there is an alternate universe in which characters exist and where they spend their time trying to find someone—a writer—to tell their story. For several years I had this story percolating in the back of my mind and part of the story included a climax in which the hero rescued someone in a very dramatic way. Eventually, as all writers do, I began to make notes and sketch out characters and begin the process of shaping a story that I called Depraved Heart. One thing I knew for sure, I needed a very special and unique character for the hero.

I grew up in central Pennsylvania and, because I had a bunch of brothers, football was a big part of life. At that time the Pittsburgh Steelers were a pretty awful team but we loved them anyway. I went to Penn State and, while I was a student, our football team had a couple of really impressive players—one was named Franco Harris. I remember seeing him on campus—all the girls were crazy about him because he was so darn cute. After graduation from Penn State he was drafted by the Steelers and for the next decade or so the Steelers were the most exciting team in the NFL with players like Mean Joe Greene, Rocky Bleier, Terry Bradshaw, Mel Blount, and, of course, Franco. I was visiting my dad a few years back and he was watching a program on television called America’s Game. That particular episode was about the 1974 Pittsburgh Steelers and, as I sat there watching it with Dad, I thought, “A football player! That’s what my character needs to be, a football player! Someone like Franco Harris!” And in that moment Syd Jupiter was born.

When I got back home, I went to YouTube (how did writers write before the internet?) and started watching videos of old football plays. I knew that in order to accomplish the rescue I had in mind, my character had to act quickly with a natural instinct for what needed to be done. The play that actually convinced me that I had made the right choice was a play I saw Mel Blount make on a video. From that point on Syd took shape rapidly.

Syd was born in New Orleans (a city I love), the son of a Texas shrimper and a Cuban Santeria practitioner. He grew up in the French Quarter working in his mother’s Santeria shop and being an altar boy at St. Louis Cathedral. During the summer, he fished for shrimp in the Gulf of Mexico with his father. He attended Texas A&M on a football scholarship and eventually was drafted into the NFL.

I love Syd. He’s intelligent and highly intuitive but also quick-tempered and impulsive—prone to act before thinking, which is what made my story possible. The title, Depraved Heart, comes from a legal term for a type of murder also called Depraved Indifference.  When the story opens Syd has just been released from prison after serving fifteen years of a twenty-five year sentence for the Depraved Heart murder of his brother-in-law, a distinguished dancer named Raven Silver. It is Syd’s task to manage the liquidation of an estate that his fifteen year old daughter, Anjelica, has just inherited. The estate, called Hathor after the Egyptian goddess of pleasure, is on an island in the North Atlantic, populated with some colorful and eccentric characters. But nothing is what it seems and Syd has secrets that are getting harder and harder to keep. Syd Jupiter is one of the best characters I’ve ever created. Without him Depraved Heart: A Novel would never have worked.

About the Author

Author’s Website: KathleenValentine.com

Author’s Blog: KathleenValentineBlog.com

Author Kathleen Valentine

Kathleen Valentine was born and grew up in the Allegheny Highlands of Pennsylvania. She graduated from Penn State with a degree in The Arts and worked for over twenty years in the art/marketing departments of high-tech corporations. Since 2003 she has run her own design business, Valentine-Design.com. She is the author of “Fry Bacon. Add Onions”, a cookbook/memoir of growing up Pennsylvania Dutch, as well as 4 novels, several novellas and short story collections, and knitting instruction books. She has been listed as an Amazon Top 100 Author in Horror. Her novellas, “The Crazy Old Lady in the Attic” and “Ghosts of a Beach Town in Winter” were Amazon Top Ten Best Sellers in Horror and Ghost Stories for over 20 weeks. Her blog at KathleenValentineBlog.com has been read by thousands of readers since its beginning in July 2005. She currently lives in Gloucester, Massachusetts, America’s oldest seaport, and is writing every day.

About the Book

The shoes didn’t fit. It was an omen.

Eighteen year old psychic-medium-germ-a-phobe Lila should have listened to her ghostly Gram’s advice the morning of her wedding, “Take off that dress and those shoes. And run.”

En route to the honeymoon, she decides to listen after too many disagreements with her groom. It doesn’t pay to go along to make everyone happy.

Still in her wedding dress and shoes, she escapes out a diner’s bathroom window into the Florida woods despite her fear of snakes and germs with her dead Gram’s direction.

So she begins a journey of finding her inner strength, putting her on a deadly run from her psychotic groom and his deranged friends.

Will she ever get past her fear of germs and snakes? Will she survive her honeymoon?

About the Author

 When Shelly isn’t doing the laundry, cleaning, cooking, chasing grandkids, listening to daughter drama (five of them), or lopping heads of hair at the salon, she’s writing beside her two fur-peeps, Sir Poops and Hair Ball, popping an occasional chocolate while her hubby is flipping through TV channels. She lives in New Port Richey with her husband and two dogs. She’s also a member of Florida Writer’s Association and Writer’s of Mass Distraction.

Author Shelly Arkon at a book signing for Secondhand Shoes.

Q & A

What can you tell us about your nominated title?

Secondhand Shoes is the published title. It’s Book 1, in the Lila’s Journey Series. It’s about a young psychic-medium, in the eighties, who on the morning of her wedding day is visited by her ghostly Gram, telling her not to marry the groom. But the girl doesn’t listen and spends her honeymoon running from the psycho and his creepy friends.

How did this particular work take shape?

Years ago, after two divorces and five daughters, I got to thinking. Thinking how my mother hooked me up with the two men I divorced. I always listened to my mother-not always a good idea. Most girls in the eighties still listened to their mothers’ advice. But then I thought what if this girl was special and her mom thought she was crazy…you see where I’m going, right?

What was the inspiration for your characters?

A lot of different people and scenarios inspired me when it came to forming my characters. One, I’m a hairdresser by day. I get to watch and listen to people all day long. This people watching thing started as a hobby where I would memorize their expressions, repeat phrases, twitches, and etc. After they’d leave, I’d try to talk, walk, twitch, use their expressions…you get my drift. Trying on the characters I wanted to create so to speak.

Two, I live in Po-dunky-dunk-ville, Florida. It’s a transient state with many different dialects and lots of rednecks and real Crackers. Not to mention, back in the eighties drug running was quite popular and still is-pharmaceuticals seem to be the thing of the day. You see, Lila, steels the grooms car only to find it full of cocaine and guns. I hope I didn’t give too much detail here.

Three, Lila, the main character, is a little bit of me. And no I don’t see dead people. I’d probably have a heart attack and die if I did. There are lot of scenes in this book that actually happened to me. Seriously.

Four, since I’m a hairdresser I meet a lot of nice people, and, of course, the occasional rude ones. It’s the rude ones that stick in my head. That’s how I came up with Babs, Lila’s mother. She’s controlling, manipulative, verbally abusive, and knows everything according to herself. But she was so fun to write despite her flaws.

Five, Dot Butz and Max…well…everyone knows a religious nut who has a criminal side. They flourish here in the Sunshine State. They all seem to know Jesus really well…when they need to.

Six, Cockroach, Coon, and Vinny, Max Butz’s partners in crime…well…they reminded me of some really bad dates I had couple of times back in the day.

Seven, Gram. She’s the scene stealer. She might be dead, but she’s spunky and always available to help guide her granddaughter out of danger. I used my deceased paternal grandmother to create her. But unlike my grandmother, Gram speaks her mind.

Eight, Cynthia, Lila’s best friend, is exactly like my best friend with the same name and looks. She feels really honored to be in my book, too. And to be honest, she’s been a real angel to me in the worst of times.

Nine, B.J. Clemmons. I always loved Burt Reynolds and the movie Smokey and the Bandit. B.J. is the one who always seems to show up where Gram can’t really help. Guess what he drives. A semi.

Funny, too, a couple months ago a guy came in for a hair cut. His voice matched the one I heard when writing this particular character. It was really weird. I couldn’t believe my ears.

Ten, Julio. Well, I’ve always had a love for Latin men. Need I say more.

Do use symbolism in your story?

Yes. I do. Lila’s secondhand wedding shoes were bought by her mother, Babs, who loves a good bargain. However, the shoes didn’t fit right. They were a half size too small, but she kept them on anyway. They symbolized all her fears, her mother’s brainwashing, her own fears of germs and snakes and speaking up for herself. Being afraid of what others’ may think. The fear of following her own heart and believing in herself. Sometimes it’s easier to keep things the way are.

As young women, we do go through a bit of this as we venture throughout teenage years and onto adulthood. I know I did. Not to mention, I believed my mother’s words to be the Gospel truth, which led me onto a path I really didn’t want.

This book was written with the intention to get girls and women to think about following their own hearts and passions despite what someone else may think you should do.

Why did you choose self-publishing?

I chose self-publishing after spinning this off to agents and publishers for a couple of years. Some really liked it, but felt they couldn’t market it because the main character was an eighteen year old in the eighties. ***shrugs*** And then, there were the ones who never responded. ***shrugs again*** So I thought, what would I have to lose to do it myself? Nothing really, except some out of pocket costs-editor, formatter, and cover artist.

And I’m glad I did, because I get to be in control, and a lot of people love it. In fact, I’ve received some emails wanting to know when the next book is coming out. Hopefully, that will be December 2013. Killer Stilettos. The first draft should be finished by June 1, 2013.

Where can people find your book?

Anyone can find Secondhand Shoes on Amazon. The paperback is 13.50. The ebook is 2.99. [Sith Witch's Note: Amazon Prime subscribers can borrow the title for free. Don't worry, the author still gets paid!]

Also, coming this summer are three short stories for Kindle. The Partner’s Progeny, Samah Ronit, and Time on Her Side.

And Julie, thank you for having me today.

Hugs and chocolate to everyone!

You can also find my blogs:

Secondhand Shoes, A Novel @ http://secondhandshoesnovel.blogspot.com/

The Life of a Novice Writer @ http://www.shellysnovicewritings.blogspot.com/

About the Author

”I am a self published author and have been writing all of my life. I love working on new projects and building my businesses. I believe that everyone has the opportunity to create the life they want to live and why not start by writing your plans!

As an Author, I have been able to express different points of views with an added message to help encourage and enlighten many readers. As a life coach in my own right, adding my love for people along with seeing them successful has made me more of a well rounded person. As I help others get to their next level, in turn I am elevated to the next level.

Writing is more than my passion. Writing is my canvas; my art.”

Author Ellynne Witherspoon

 About the book

Two women from different places and different sides of the track meet in Atlanta, GA becomes roommates On the surface they are seemingly different yet as time goes on they find out that they are not so different after all….

Random Trivia from Ellynne!

Soul Gems

A soul gem is a gemstone that has been specially imbued to hold life energy. Soul Gems have a variety of uses for spellcasters, but are most often associated with Daedra worshippers.

 Clerics and Soul Gems

Clerics of the Nine Divines in general consider black soul gems an abomination and will not use them unless there are extreme circumstances. Even then, the cleric will feel the need to atone for the sin of using a mortal soul. Clerics of the Nine Divine believe that mortal souls consumed by soul gems are destroyed and thus denied the afterlife. Clerics, however, have no problem using normal soul gems as they do not believe animals or creatures have souls in the same way that mortals do.

 Daedric Followers and Soul Gems

Daedric Followers with the Soul Tap innate ability, or clerics that follow Daedric entities, see the use of soul gems as their birthright. They have no qualms about crafting soul gems of any type for their own use, though each will follow the general protocols of his or her favored Daedra. Followers of Hircine, for example, may make it a point to Soul Tap powerful game animals and monsters, believing that doing so will transfer the creature’s soul to Hircine’s hunting grounds in Oblivion to provide more game for the hunters. Followers of Namira and Peyrite, on the other hand, will use the ability on skeevers and other loathsome creatures to satisfy the corrupt needs of their patrons.

Daedric followers generally assume that mortals use are Soul Tapped end up in their patron Daedra’s domain after the gem is used. Most consider this an offering to their particular Daedra, though followers of Azura, Merinda, and Sanguine consider this a “gift” to the mortal, who gets to spend eternity enjoying the realm. (Azura and Merinda, as the two “good” daedra, are believed to release unwilling souls back to their divine patrons. Sanguine is considered chaotic neutral, and his followers assume the mortal is invited to party.)

Druids and Soul Gems

Druids do not generally believe that Soul Gems hold actual souls, but instead store the life energies of a creature that has died. Druids consider the use of soul gems a sort of “recycling” of life energies and will routinely use Soul Tap on a creature that they intend to kill anyway for legitimate cause. Druids frown upon the practice of killing creatures solely to collect their souls, a wasteful practice they condemn like trophy hunting. Because Druids don’t believe that soul gems hold actual souls, they don’t condemn the practice of creating black soul gems in the course of a legitimate combat.

Other Spellcasters and Soul Gems

Bards, sorcerers, paladins, rangers, and wizards will use soul gems as per the belief system they follow (Nine Divines or Daedra)

Craft Normal Soul Gem [Item Creation Feat]

You know how to craft a Soul Gem from a gemstone. Crafting a Soul Gem takes 1d4 hours per category: Petty (1), Lesser (2), Common (3), Greater (4), Grand (5). Crafting a soul gem requires a normal gemstone of sufficient value (based on the category) and very specific reagents. Imbuing the gemstone requires casting a level-appropriate spell into the gem. Normal Soul Gems cannot hold the souls of humanoid races, such as humans, elves, orcs, etc. only a Black Soul Gem can hold such souls.

For petty and lesser gems, any combination of the required reagent will do, and the creator should be able to find these in the wild without paying for them. Apothecaries in capital cities will always have at least a small quantity of these reagents.

A Soul Gem can only hold a soul up to a certain size, depending on its type. A larger soul gem can be used to store a smaller soul. For example, a Common Gem could be used to store the soul of a 1 HD creature. When used in this manner, the soul gem is only as effective as the size of the soul inside of it. Even if the creator spent the time and resources to craft a Grand Soul Gem, if it is used for a 2 HD creature it will only function as a Lesser Soul Gem.

Craft Black Soul Gem [Item Creation Feat]

Prerequisite: Craft Normal Soul Gem, ability to cast 5^th level necromancy spells

You can craft Black Soul Gems, which can be used to hold human souls. Crafting a Black Soul gem requires 1d4 days of undisturbed work. A Black soul gem requires a gem of at least 1000 gp value and the following reagents: Three of the following: Daedra Heart, Ectoplasm, Glow Dust, Spriggan Sap, Taproot, Vampire Dust, Void Salts, Wisp Wrappings. Apothecaries in cities have only a 25% chance of having any given reagent on this list. The College of Winterhold has a 50% chance of having any given reagent. Crafting a Black Soul Gem requires casting a 5^th level or better necromantic spell into the gem.

Soul Tap (Spell)

Necromancy

Level: Clr 1, Drd 1, Sor/Wiz 1

Components: V, M

Casting Time: One Standard Action

Range: Short (10 ft + 5 ft per level)

Target: One Living Creature

Duration: one round per level (maximum ten rounds)

Saving Throw: Will (Negates)

Spell Resistance: No

You attempt to capture a creature’s life force into a soul gem. If the creature dies while the spell is active, part of its essence is captured in the gem. If you do not have a soul gem of the appropriate size, the spell automatically fails. Dragons, undead, unintelligent plants, and automations cannot be affected by this spell.

Material Component: A Soul Gem of the appropriate size.

Using Soul Gems

Filled soul Gems can be used for a variety of purposes, however not everyone can use Soul Gems for every purpose. How a person can employ a soul gem depends on their level of understanding of the nature of soul gems and their spellcasting ability. Note, an empty soul gem grants no benefits. The gem must be filled with a soul to use.

Non-Spellcasters (Followers of the Divines)

Prerequisite: Knowledge: Arcana 2 ranks or Knowledge: Religion 2 ranks

A non-spellcaster who follows one of the Divines can use a soul gem for the following:

*Follower of the Divine Perk Boost: Use a soul gem at an altar to one of the Divines to boost the healing granted to the equivalent of a Cure Serious Wounds spell cast by a 15^th level cleric. Black Soul Gems cannot be used at Divine Altars.

*Request Blessing: You can use a soul gem at an altar to one of the Divines to request a Blessing. The nature of the blessing depends on the size of the soul gem. Only one blessing can be active at a time. Black Soul Gems cannot be used at Divine Altars.

Petty: +1 Divine Bonus to a designated skill for one day

Lesser: +2 Divine Bonus to designated skill for one day

Common: +1 Divine Bonus to all Knowledge checks for one day or +1 Divine Bonus to one Saving Throw for one day

Greater: +2 bonus to all Knowledge checks for one day or +1 Divine Bonus to all Saving Throws for one day or +1 bonus to attack and damage rolls for one day

Grand: +2 Divine Bonus to Saving Throws and attack and damage rolls for one day or a +4 bonus to all trained skill checks for one day.

Non-Spellcaster (Follower of Oblivion Perk)

*Daedric Healing: As a standard action, you can destroy a soul gem to heal yourself, depending on the level of the soul gem.

Petty: Heals 1 HP and stops bleeding or wounding affects.

Lesser: 1d4 HP and tops bleeding or wounding affects.

Common: 1d8 + 2 HP and stops bleeding or wounding affects.

Greater: Heals 2d8+5 HP and stops bleeding or wounding affects or restores one loss attribute point or restores one lost level.

Grand: Heals 3d8+5 HP and stops bleeding, wounding, and over time elemental damage or restores two lost attribute points or restores two lost levels

Black: Restores all lost health, attribute points, and levels and stops bleeding, wounding, and over time elemental damage

*Daedric Blessing: You can offer a soul gem at the shrine of any Daedra to request a blessing. This ability works exactly like the Request Blessing ability, except as follows:

Petty to grand gems: if the blessing is requested at a shrine to your specific patron, the granted benefit increases by +1.

Black: Preemptive Resurrection. A “Get Out of Death Free” card, if your character is reduced to -10 hp and officially dies, you are resurrected the following round as per the Resurrection spell. You can offer a second Black Soul Gem to negative the level loss of the Resurrection. This blessing lasts for one day if requested at a shrine to a Daedra other than your patron and three days if requested at a shrine to your patron. The protection ends at the end of that time period or upon use.

*Summon Daedra: You can offer a Black Soul Gem at the shrine of your patron to request an audience with a representative of your patron. This summons a Daedra to the shrine. While the Daedra will not immediately attack you, it is not under your control in any way. You can converse with the Daedra and request information, aid, or that it serve as your advocate to your patron. The type of Daedra that appears will be representative of both the nature of your patron and how highly (or lowly) your patron thinks of you. You need to negotiate separately with the Daedra to convince it to offer any sort of aid, and it is free to refuse to help you. Depending on the nature of your patron and the reason for your summoning, the Daedra may agree to offer aid in exchange for a small offering, or require you to perform a quest first to earn its help. Once the daedra agrees to the terms, it is bound to abide by them, but note that it will often follow the LETTER or the agreement. Not the spirit. Tread carefully.

Spellcasters (Soul Gem Feats)

Besides the associated abilities available to non-spellcasters of either the Divines or the Daedra, spellcasters can select from the following feats to use soul gems for other purposes.

Craft Automation [Item Creation Feat]

Prerequisite: Craft (Any): 8 ranks, Knowledge: Arcana 8 ranks, Craft Wondrous Item

You can craft automations, such as centurion spiders, to serve as guardians. Blueprints for automations can often be found in Dwemer ruins and are sometimes available from other spellcasters. You can also reverse engineer automation by studying a destroyed one (Knowledge: Arcana check DC 25). Studying a destroyed automation requires one week of uninterrupted research. Each type of automation has its own material requirements and requires various soul gems depending on size and abilities.

Recharge Wand [Item Creation Feat]

Prerequisite: Knowledge: Arcana 8 ranks, Craft Wand

You can use a soul gem to recharge a wand as a standard action. So long as the wand has at least one charge in it, you can use a soul gem to recharge it.

Petty: 1d4 charges

Lesser: 2d4 charges

Common: 3d4 charges

Greater: 4d4+2 charges

Grand: 5d4+5 charges

Black: Full recharge

Substitute Spell Component [General]

Prerequisite: Knowledge: Arcana 8 ranks, Eschew Materials

You can use a soul gem instead of a rare or expensive ingredient as a spell component.

Petty: up to 5 gp

Lesser: up to 10 gp

Common: up to 50 gp

Greater: up to 100 gp

Grand: up to 200 gp

Black: any value

Special: You cannot use a soul gem as a substitute for materials when creating empty soul gems.

Temporary Enchantment [Item Creation Feat]

Prerequisite: Knowledge: Arcana 8 ranks, Craft Magic Arms and Armor

You can temporarily enchant any normal sword. Enchanting an item is a full round action that provokes an attack of opportunity. You can replicate any weapon or armor enchantment available on the minor magic tables for weapons or armor. The length of time the enchantment remains active depends on the type of soul gem used:

Petty: 1d4 rounds

Lesser: 1d4 minutes

Common: Ten Minutes

Greater: One Hour

Grand: 1d4 + 1 Hours

Black: One Day

Only one temporary enchantment can be on a weapon at a time. Weapons that are already enchanted normally cannot benefit from this feat. Masterwork items so enchanted return to normal at the end of the enchantment’s duration. Mundane weapons and armor crumble to dust at the conclusion of the enchantment. This feat is often useful for explorers who find themselves confronted by creatures that are only vulnerable to specific types of damage (for example, wanting a Frost enchantment to fight a fire elemental, or a fire enchantment to combat a troll).