King of Valentines: Saturday Symbol Fairy 2/16/13

This week's symbol is an obvious one given the Valentines Day holiday but it's also a perfect tie-in to the recent discovery of the body of King Richard III: roses.
Roses are a common symbol of love and beauty. However, in various other cultures, the rose also represent fertility, purity, innocence, youth and paradise. In Sufi, specifically, the rose flower symbolizes life's pleasures and the thorns its pains. In many languages, the word "rose" means pink or red. It is the national flower of England.

SFR Brigade Presents (2/15/13)

Yay! SFR Brigade Presents is here again! I adore jumping from blog to blog and reading the fun (and sometimes sexy) snippets by some of the best Science Fiction Romance authors out there. And what an unbelievable honor to be included in the mix!
This week, I present a scene from my post-apocalyptic romance, currently titled "Biters." Sadly, I came up with that name before every zombie story known to man started using it. My novel does indeed have humanistic cannibals, but they are mutants not zombies. Until my protagonist can decide what to call the mutants based on their leper-like appearance (something along the lines of "blanks," "waxes" or "erasers" to match the tabula rasa theme of the book), the Biters will remain...uh...bite-y.
In this blurb, Riley, my heroine, and the other survivors of the "Blast" have stopped at an abandoned gas station in the middle of nowhere to stock up on supplies. Only it doesn't stay abandoned for long...

Many of the mutants were completely fingerless, quite a few were without entire limbs, at least one was missing half a face, and all were covered from head to toe with gaping, pustulating wounds. In total, the severity of the injuries marred any semblance of humanity. The Biters had become lumps of muscle and skin barely held together by bones; genuine monsters in form as well as deed.
For half a second, I thought about making a stand. Thank goodness that idea only lasted long enough for me to get the picture of myself as the flesh version of an ice cream truck for mutants – complete with the happy music.
I ran. Colton did, too. Did he also envision a white van and hear the tinkling of a music box rendition of “Do Your Ears Hang Low?”
The Biters followed, all of them. They poured over the open field, running, crawling, rolling and tripping over each other in their haste to reach us. It looked like one of those TV game shows where the contestants must race to win the game. And we were the prizes.

GO READ THE OTHER ENTRIES! You won't regret it!

Moo-ving In: Saturday Symbol Fairy 2/9/13

Thanks to our little fish pond, we get all kinds of wild visitors at the house: deer, coyotes, rabbits, birds, snakes, lizards, butterflies, tarantula hawks (very frightening three-inch long glossy black wasps with bright orange wings) and cows. Yes, wild cows. New Mexico is a fence-out rather than fence-in state so every now and then, we end up with someone's cows wandering through our front lawn. This week, however, the cow that stopped by decided to stay. The owner knows she is here but she is incredibly shy and with 25-acres to roam, she is impossible to find purposefully. In her honor, today's symbol is the cow.
The cow is a symbol of mother earth, female power and nurturing. It is a lunar symbol and therefore associated with creation, nourishment and rebirth. In Hindu culture, the cow is sacred and symbolizes fertility and plenty as well as strength and life.

SFR Brigade Presents (2/8/13)

It's that time again - already! A week goes by so fast! But like it or not, it's Friday and time for another Science Fiction Romance Brigade Presents. This week features another blurb from my unpublished Steampunk Romance manuscript, "The Love and Legacy of Sylvia Long." (Read the story summary)
In this scene, Sylvia discovers the truth about the special equipment Gabriel wore the day they first met.

“You, sir, are a cad. A…a…bounder of the worst kind. If I was not a lady, I would slap you for such an affront.”
Gabriel didn’t even deign to look up from the open tome on his desktop. “What have I done now?” He touched his finger to his tongue then nonchalantly turned a page.
I bristled, my lips and eyes becoming mere slits, my nose and fingers twitching. “I have just learned the nefarious purpose of the spectacles you wore the night we met.”
“Ah, that.” He closed the book and slid it aside.
“As if entering a lady’s bedchamber to abduct her wasn’t ghastly enough, you used your newfangled technology to see me in the altogether!”
Gabriel’s eyes met mine at last and he smiled that sly smile of his, the one that made him appear more devil than angel. “How did you find out?”
“Levi enlisted my aid to re-stock the inventory. He felt it was his duty to make me aware of the capabilities of each object. Imagine my surprise when he explained the function of a pair of goggles I couldn’t help but recognize.” I plunked my hands on my hips.
“Yes, I presume that was quite a shock.” He laughed. “I confess I couldn’t resist the chance to see your…uh…charms in their natural state.” Gabriel pushed back his chair then casually strode around the desk. He took hold of my braid from my nape, sliding its long length over my shoulder. “You are a truly beautiful woman.”
Before I could do or say anything in response, Gabriel grasped my chin between his thumb and forefinger, tipping my face towards him. Then he kissed me.

I hope you enjoyed this taste of my work. Please let me know what you think by leaving a comment.
And go check out the other incredible SFR Brigade Presents posts!

In Sickness and In Health: the Return of the Saturday Symbol Fairy

The mule deer that visit our pond appear unconcerned by the curse of Cthulhu (statue on far left)

The craziness of life (and my sweetie being home) sent the symbol fairy into hibernation during the holidays but, at long last, the Saturday Symbol Fairy is back...sort of. I feel more dead than alive. I am miserably sick. Have been all week. With strep throat no less. Ugh. Yet thanks to lots of rest, and tea, and doggy love along with some much-needed antibiotics, I am on the mend. So to go with the theme, this week's post is on health. Only I am doing things backwards. Instead of explaining the multiple meanings of a single symbol, I am listing some, but not all, of the items that symbolize good health.
The most obvious symbol of health is the Rod of Asclepius, the serpent-entwined rod wielded by the Greek god Asclepius, a deity associated with healing and medicine. Relatedly, snakes are a symbol of healing but in a dual expression of both helping and harming. Other symbols of good health from around the world are apples, peaches, deer, the color pink, the Elder tree (Celtic), the crane (Japanese), and the tortoise (Chinese). And on the subject of good health, here's to yours!

SFR Brigade Presents (2/1/13)

The Science Fiction Romance Brigade is hosting a blog-hop in which all participants post a snippet from a SFR novel or manuscript. Whether you are curious about science fiction romance or an avid fan, this is your chance to get a taste of what is available or soon to come. And it's absolutely free!
My first entry is science fiction romance - very, very old-style. It's from my Victorian Science Fiction (also known as Steampunk) manuscript, "The Love and Legacy of Sylvia Long." To give you an idea of the story, here is a short summary:

Moments from being married to the man of her dreams, Sylvia Long is abducted by Gabriel Villeroi, leader of an unorthodox band of explorers known as S.N.U.F.F., the Society of the Novel, the Unorthodox, the Fantastic, and the Futuristic. Swept into a world of invention and the supernatural, Sylvia discovers some extraordinary truths about her past as well as a growing affection for Gabriel. Together they must face the horrors and wonders of legend in order to save the world. And yet they find the greatest threat of all is not fantasy but very real indeed.

The following scene takes place immediately after Sylvia's abduction by Gabriel:

“This is the second time you have alluded to this substantial offer of yours. I tell you no matter what it entails, it interests me not. Your offer – and you – can go to the blazes. If you have any sense of decency, you will let me go.”
“I have concluded the opportunity I am proffering must be seen to be believed.” He pushed away from the wall to approach the bedside. Then he leaned in, lifting a platinum tress from my shoulder and rubbing it between his fingertips. “You will have to suffer my presence a bit longer,” his long-lashed eyes met mine, “my decency be damned.”
I had provoked him. The last thing I needed to do was make this man angry or spiteful. He had already kidnapped me, what he would do next? I tried another tactic. “Sir, please, I didn’t mean my harsh words. I promise no retribution if you will just let me go. I beg you to do so.”
He stepped back, releasing my hair. “Cease your pleas, Sylvie. Nothing you can say will change our current course. I am obliged to show you what is yours by right. It is my duty. You cannot dissuade me.”

Please let me know what you think by leaving a comment below! Don't forget to go here and take a look at the other amazing entries in the SFR Brigade Presents. And thanks for stopping by!