Excerpt Monday - The Wolf's Torment

Note: This is an excerpt from my upcoming novel, "The Wolf's Torment" which will be released by Desert Breeze 1 MAY. It may vary upon publication.

The set up: In this scene, Theresa's father, wants to give Mihai "the son-in-law" talk - witch style.

**********



Theresa stood and grinned at hearing her father's voice. He walked over, arms extended, and she ran into his burly embrace. He parted from her, gripping his hands on her upper arms. There was no mistaking thepride in his eyes. "You look wonderful."

"Papa! That must have been the fifth time you said that."

"Oh, let me be proud of my little girl. Now, when is your honeymoon?"

"We leave tomorrow morning."

"So soon?"

"Yes."

Theresa's father looked up from her and then at Mihai. "I must talk with your husband. You don't mind if I take him aside, do you?"

"You're not going to scold him, are you?"
A playful spark danced in her father's eyes. "No, I'm just going to threaten him. If he doesn't treat you right--"

"Oh, Papa! No threats."

Her father chuckled. Mihai gestured toward the door. "We can talk in the study."

"Papa--"

"It will be fine, Theresa. I had the same talk with Victoria's husband."

Theresa sighed.

"I'll keep you company," said Sonia. "I'm sure my father had the same talk with Viktor."

"Thank you."

Mihai squeezed Theresa's hand and escorted her father outside of the ballroom. Edward and Victoria joined them. Theresa's father looked at him. "I asked them to join us." When he opened the door to his study, Mihai found Beatrice sitting in a chair, waiting for them. He didn't know if he should be worried, insulted or flattered. Why did Theresa's whole family have to be here?

"Would you like a drink?" Mihai asked.

"No, I want to get right to business."
Mihai gestured for him to take the couch. Theresa's father sat down. Edward and Victoria sat next to him. Beatrice stayed in her chair. Mihai grabbed a spare chair from a corner and joined the circle.

Theresa's father steepled his fingers. "I often wondered what happened to Esmeralda. She had such promise and her father was reckless with her future."

"You knew my mother?"

"Yes, I knew Esmeralda Vacay."

Mihai's heart leapt. What luck! His bride's father had known his mother, but of course, he would -- he was a witch. "What do you mean, her father was reckless?"

"He wanted revenge for a minor insult and promised Esmeralda into service to Hecuba and her coven. Esmeralda refused to go and disappeared. I learned years later through Count Brancoveanu that she married into Moldavia's royal house."

"Hecuba?" questioned Mihai. The witch who killed his mother!

Theresa's father looked at him, his expression serious. "Hecuba isn't your problem. The wolf in your house is."

"Viktor." Mihai drew in a breath. Viktor wasn't the same man he knew in London. Mihai's heart went out to his friend as he struggled with to hold onto his caring and kind nature.

"Beatrice told me what occurred and that you and your sister received lessons from her."

"She has been a good teacher."

"Good. You'll need to keep learning and practicing on your own. Beatrice must accompany us back to Austria. When I can, I'll spare her for a visit or two, but you must be diligent or the wolf will ruin your house."

"Viktor would do no such thing."

"Yes, he will. He is a wolf. He wants two things -- blood and sex. This feral need will consume his human body, and when it does, he will plot against you, purposely hurt you, and eventually try to kill you."

"Nonsense."

Theresa's father snapped to his feet. "You indignant boy! Do not presume to dictate to me how Viktor will behave. I know the wolf mentality and every man succumbs to the feral nature."

Mihai stood as well, unsure of how to react, but convinced the elder witch was very serious and he needed to be serious as well. "Tell me what to do."

"I sense reluctant acceptance coming from you, but you must not be reluctant to act when the time comes. Not only that, but the situation is complicated by Theresa's ignorance."

"Why did you raise her not to know her talents?" asked Mihai.

"I foresaw her future at birth and it dictated she must be ignorant of her heritage. If she ever practices witchcraft, she faces death."

"Death?" A wave of apprehension threaded through him. He'd wanted to explore witchcraft with her. What did her father mean?

My new cover! The Wolf's Torment

Hi all, just wanted to share my latest cover - this one is "The Wolf's Torment" which will be out 1 MAY 2011 with Desert Breeze. The cover artist is Jenifer Ranieri and I love it. I really captures the gothic overtones of the story. I thought today I'd share a blurb and an excerpt from the novel. (Disclaimer: We're in the final stages of editing, but the excerpt might change a little between now and publication. Enjoy!)

Leave a comment and I'll pick one lucky winner to receive a PDF copy of Heart of Moldavia, a prequel short story.

BLURB:

It's 1865 in Moldavia, a country nestled against the shores of the Black Sea, and Crown Prince Mihai Sigmaringen returns after receiving an education in England. His best friend, Viktor Bacau joins him. Mihai is intent on modernizing his nation, but he's also a witch, and it's time he embraces his heritage. The tasks in front of him are many including getting married.

Lady Theresa von Kracken arrives in Constanta as Mihai's intended. Mihai has vowed not to fall in love again, but Theresa manages to break the battlements around his heart.

In an unfortunate twist of fate, Viktor is bitten by a werewolf. Viktor's transformation threatens everyone around him including his wife's safety and Mihai's happiness with Theresa. Viktor's bite is the wolf's torment.

THE SET UP:
Mihai has taken Theresa to his tower in Delfin Castle and they are getting to know each other better:

EXCERPT:

"We'll go as soon as it warms up. Do you have any idea where you would like to go for your honeymoon?" Mihai asked.

She smiled as heat seeped into her cheeks. "I have too many places I'd like to visit. What do you suggest?"

"We could take the yacht to Constantinople."

"All right."
He wrinkled his brow. "That was almost too easy."

"I am very agreeable, but you'll find I do have my opinions."

"I look forward to taking you on several adventures -- and hearing your opinions."

She smiled, glad that he was opening up with her.

"Can I ask you a question? You must promise to keep it between us," he said.
She nodded.

"Did you dream of me during Christmas?"
Her stomach tightened, a little anxious. "Yes, I dreamed of you."
"Were you being chased by a wolf?"
"I was."

His face lit up. "So it's true -- we've been sharing dreams since we were little."

She nodded her head, surprised he was so accepting of it. It had been unnerving at first, but she had learned to enjoy it.
"Do you know why that is?" he asked.

"No, I don't understand it, but I know what I feel."
"What do you feel?"

"Every experience in my dreams was real and true."
He nodded, agreeing with her. "I know why."
"Why?" She rubbed her chin with a finger.

"Again, I must have your confidence."
"Of course."

"My mother was a witch. I have inherited her gifts."
"I know nothing about witches."

Relief crossed his face. "I don't know much myself. My mother died when I was ten and I wasn't trained."

She accepted him at his word, his tone of voice full of conviction.

"Is Sonia a witch?"
"Most likely. We've never really wanted to explore that side of us."

"Why not?"

He scrubbed the back of his head, a little uncomfortable, but remembered Sonia's words. Be honest. "Well, I think we've both been afraid. We didn't want other people to think we were different."

"I wouldn't say you were different, just unique."

"This doesn't bother you?" he asked.

"I may know nothing of witches or witchcraft, but it makes sense how we were able to share dreams, and quite honestly, I liked the dreams we've shared."

"So have I," he replied.

He placed his hand over hers. A spark of warmth trailed up her arm. "I'm starting to learn more about witchcraft, so I hope you won't be afraid. I want to understand my gift."

She studied his expression. This was a deep-seated fear of his. He didn't want to possess these talents, but he was willing to learn more so he understood it and he wanted her to accept this about him. She sensed something deeper from his expression -- he couldn't bear her rejection.

"I will never leave you," she said, softly. And she meant it.

A small smile graced his lips. Again, it grew quiet, but Theresa believed she had earned a certain degree of trust from him.

*******
The Wolf's Torment will be released 1 MAY as an ebook avail on Kindle, Sony ereader, B&N Nook

My 2010 NaNoWriMo Adventure is over.... kinda.

Whewww.... can you beleve it? 50,206 words in 30 days. That's a lot of words. I am exhausted and drained and I must keep going because the novel is nowhere near done. But I got a good start. That said, I thought share some of my 2010 NaNoWriMo experiences with you.

I knew in October I wanted to get involved in NaNoWriMo again. I did it last year, enjoyed the craziness, and I was up for it again. Having a story due in May 2011, I decided to focus on a semi major revision of the story. I got out my maps, did up my character sketches, drafted research notes and outlined. For me, I need to do this premliminary work or I won't be ready to write on day one and I need to be ready to write on Day 1.

OUTSIDE CHALLENGES:
What makes NaNoWriMo demanding for me are my "outside challenges." There's the fact I'm a full time working mom. I answer 911 for LAPD. I'm grateful to have a job, but it's there. The good thing is I can write on my down time at work. The bad thing is because there's no computers, I have to write long hand and then type it up at home. I also have two boys, 8 & 4 and I'm always keeping up with them. There was soccer, gymnastics, religion education, doctor's appt and misc with them.

DAY 1

Day 1 hit and I hooked up at the Panera with Jenifer Ranieri. Jen does the cover art for Desert Breeze and lives maybe 20 minutes from me. She's also writer. It really helped that I could meet up with her and work on my project. Jen has a great sense of humor and that's really motivating for me.

I pretty much stuck to 1600 words a day. I'd like to think I'm slow and steady. Hey, slow and steady wins the race! And I had a passion for my project.

What was my project this year? I intended it to be a semi-major revision of The Wolf's Torment. It's turning into a MAJOR revision with a lot of changes that I'm very excited about.

HERE'S THE BLURB:
Crown Prince Mihai Sigmaringen has a lot to look forward to. Recently returned from England, he's engaged to Lady Theresa von Kracken. He hopes to unite the Romanian principalities into a nation, but when his best friend, Viktor Bacau, is bitten by a werewolf, Mihai's dreams and his relationship with Theresa threaten to shatter into a thousand tiny pieces.


Some of the major changes are that Sonia is now Mihai's half-sister instead of a maid and Mihai is more accepting of the witching power in him, and activitly learns to be a practicing witch. The plot is still the same, but how the characters get to the end has changed dramatically.


EXCERPT

Here's a small excerpt for you to enjoy. Mihai has returned to castle at the same time Theresa and Beatrice have.

******

He turned around and to find Theresa and Beatrice bundled up in warm coats, hats, and scarves. Their cheeks were red from the chill. He smiled at them.

"Hello, ladies."
"Hello, Mihai."

Beatrice bowed.

"So what were you ladies up to this afternoon?"

Theresa grinned. "We sent the wedding announcements out and Beatrice and I ordered our dresses."

"Well done. What else is there to do?"

"We need flowers, musicians, caterers, a daguerreotyper…"

"and rings," he added.
"Yes, and rings."

Her sweet expression warmed his heart. The thought of putting his ring on her finger thrilled him.

"We'd love to have your thoughts on our plans," said Beatrice.

Mihai gestured toward the castle, walking next to Theresa. He wanted to get the women out of the cold. Tybeski walked behind him.

"Well, tomorrow, Mr. Tybeski and I have a busy day. Parliament passed my tax, so I must send out notices requesting bids, and Mr. Tybeski will be working on our behalf for the orphanage."

Theresa stepped in front of him, grabbing his hands. They were right in front of the castle's steps. Her face sparkled with excitement. "That's wonderful! Thank you, Mihai."

God, he wanted to be alone with her right now. He curbed the desire, pushing it away for now, knowing that the promise of later might be fulfilled.

"I'm glad you approve. After dinner I want you to come to my study."

She raised a curious eyebrow.
"I want to tell you about the railroad."

"You want to work on the railroad bid, you mean." Her face slightly frowned.

He looked directly at her. "If I wanted to work, I wouldn't ask you to come to my study."

"I'm sorry," she said, gently.

"Oh, let's go inside, I'm freezing and I want a very warm cup of tea," said Beatrice. She looked at Mihai. "And if you want Theresa to join you in the study, she needs a very warm cup of tea, too."

Mihai cast his eyes toward the door and gestured with his hand for the ladies to go ahead of him. Beatrice was a colorful one, but it was Theresa who heated his blood with her innocence, her sense of adventure, and her caring nature. It was Theresa who he wanted to be with tonight – alone.

Week 3 - NaNoWriMo - Challenges

Week 3 NaNoWriMo has probably been the most challenging so far. Why? Because real life has a nasty habit of interfering!! Gosh, darn!

I did NaNoWriMo last year and this year. Last year I was a winner. This year I intend to be, too. I did all my prep work, cast my characters, did character bios, made maps, researched herbs, roots, werewolf and witch myths and I was ready to write on day one.

My NaNoWriMo project this year is kinda old and kinda new. I have a "deadline" to the publisher so I had to work on my rewrite/revision of The Wolf's Torment NOW. This project was previously with IUniverse, but I took it down, intent on changing some "big" things about the story. For one, I wanted to pair down the horror elements and focus more on the romantic elements. The biggest changes I've made: Sonia is no longer a maid - she's Mihai's half sister and Mihai reluctantly agrees to learn witchcraft, since his mother is a witch, and he is too. I just finished the first arc of the story - Viktor is bitten by Bane. I find the plot remains the same, but how I get there is much more different.


This week has been a challenge. The first two days of the week I was off and I usually do my writing at work on down time. I had to set aside time and work while my kids were home. It got tough when Joe wanted to jump all over my back. Yesterday, at work I couldn't do any work simply because I was on the the phones and I had no down time. I hope to work on the story today since I'm at a position that will allow it.

One of NaNoWriMo pleasures is meeting with my NaNoWriMo buddy, Jenifier Ranieri at the local Panera. We sit, chat a bit, drink coffee and write. It's fun to have a NaNoWriMo buddy. She's been able to get out to a couple of write-ins around the area where I haven't and it's nice to hear about her experiences.

My "unofficial" Word Count right now is 33K. My goal is to kick out another 3K today and tomorrow when I meet with Jenifier I need to get to typing.

Yes, Typing. Most of my writing is handwritten because at work, I can't have a computer and it's all handwritten. Just another challenge for me during NaNoWriMo.

I have a feeling Thanksgiving Week is going to pose another challenge for me.

Here's a RAW NaNoWriMo excerpt:
Bane watched form the rail of the ship as it approached Odessa. He had booked passage on a steam-powered boat as soon as Hecuba told him of his mark's destination – Odessa. And his mark had a name – Viktor. How delicious.

Viktor was several hours ahead of him, but Bane was resourceful and confident in his abilities to finally get what he wanted.
The winter wind wiped against his face. Hecuba was down below, resting. The potions she used to transform her body were getting more and more painful. Black magic had devoured her body. She had lived long – 200 years, but that was because she drank his blood, allowing his ability of regeneration and longevity to assist her body. It was now failing her. If she lived another two years, he would be surprised. And maybe it was time to give up the beast. He was nothing without her, and maybe he could finally consider death – especially if he could train Viktor to be his heir.

Bane ran a hand through his greasy hair. There was something about this Viktor that resonated deep in his bones. Something that he couldn't place – only that the man's natural scent, that of tiger lilies reminded him of home.


Odessa's port came into view. Bane enjoyed being a wolf, reveling in the supernatural power of his body. He was the leader of his pack and due to his age, he had skills younger wolves did not possess. Bane closed his eyes, recalling his younger days. He was born in a small Ukrainian tower – Chernivtsi, over 200 years ago, near the Romanian principality of Transylvania.

Bane looked to the sky, always aware of the phase of the moon. Because he was so old and a leader, he could transform at will. Younger wolves would only transform on the full moon when the moon's eerie light was at its full power, igniting the wolf's blood in its human host.

Werewolves needed two things come the full moon – to eat and have sex. When it came to satisfying the awful hunger, only human flesh and blood would do. There was something in human blood that held the hunger in check until the next full moon. Pig's blood would do if a wolf's appetite couldn't be properly attended to, but it lacked that special quality to be totally filling. A wolf would go insane if they drank pig's blood three moons in a row.

Then there was the insatiable desire to have sex. Only a witch could sate the wolf's heightened desires. Their energy was intuitive, feeling the wolf's emotions, calming him. A human woman could accommodate a wolf, but couldn't calm – the sex would be rough, dangerous with a human. Most wolves hunted for food at night, rested, and then, during the day, when they were human, coupled with the witches.
The full moon would occur in Odessa and while he hated to be away from his pack in Mulfaltar, he was not going to let the opportunity of biting Viktor pass him by again. He left Timon in charge. Timon was crafty yet cold, but the other two wolves could hold their own with Timon, and the witches would be protected by the wolves.

He smiled, recognizing the Potemkin Stairs. Soon, he would have a new wolf for his pack.

Promo Wednesday - Review for "The Wolf's Torment"

The Wolf's Torment was published with IUniverse in 2007. I was very proud of the story when it came out. It's a bit darker for me, and I'm currently (slowly) writing the sequel, "Twilight Over Moldavia."

THE BLURB:
In the mid-1800s, Moldavia is a dark, mysterious country near the Baltic Sea, steeped in mythical legends of vampires, werewolves, and witches. At a young age, Crown Prince Mihai Sigmaringen realizes the legacy of his country when he witnesses his mother’s gruesome murder at the hands of a vengeful witch.

When he comes of age, Mihai goes to England for his education, intent on modernizing his country and ridding it of its dark reputation. His father recalls him to Moldavia to resume his royal duties and find a wife. Mihai reluctantly returns, but his life takes a stunning turn when a werewolf bites his best friend, Viktor.

Despite his distaste for the supernatural, Mihai allows Viktor to stay in Moldavia and watches as Viktor struggles to maintain his humanity. But faced with demons and other paranormal beings, Mihai’s loyalty to his friend may very well plunge his country into chaos …


**********
Review from:
Andrew Ian Dodge, Blogger News Network


The Wolf’s Torment
S.G. Cardin
iUniverse (2007)
ISBN 9780595417339
Reviewed by Andrew Ian Dodge, Nov 2007

I am fan of gothic horror novels, having written a few tales myself in the genre, but I do have a low tolerance for derivative novels that add nothing new to the genre. This is not one of those. Despite the fact the author has never been to places in the book; she has been in the region however, she evokes the feeling of that part of Central Europe oh so well.

The novel includes a pack of wolves, some witches and a bunch of vampires thrown in for good measure. For this story she has come up with a few legends and “facts” about supernaturals which is a nice touch. The legends of all intertwine in that part of the world; so the method used in this novel is accurate.

It reads well and does not hang around too long. There is none of the bloat that you find in modern gothic horror novels. While its plain to see that the author is a woman; from the romance aspects of the novel, there is none of the soap opera like plodding that can affect some novels in this genre. I found this far more enjoyable than the last few Anne Rice and Anita Blake novels.

Steph: The last line of the paragraph makes my day!

The fact several of the main characters start out in London is a nice touch. The spoiled upper class girl who gets more than she bargained for is most amusing as well. Might be a lesson to some of those in the UK/US who marry Eastern Europeans without finding out who they really are first.

Only one criticism and this is personal taste. Why does it always have to be the werewolf that is the evil one in the end? That said the author was keen to make sure her werewolves were not one-dimensional knuckle-dragging beasts.

I hope to hell that she decided to publish this via iUniverse and its not because publishers rejected her novel. Because any publisher who rejected this novel needs to seriously have their head examined.

STEPH: Thanks, Ian!

I enjoyed the novel immensely and was pleased to see that there will be a sequel in future. I hope that they author will include me on her review list once again. The fact I stayed up past midnight two days before an operation to finish this novel speaks volumes.

Excerpt Monday - The Wolf's Torment

THE WOLF'S TORMENT

Since Halloween is just around the corner, I thought I'd post a excerpt from my "scary" fantasy, "The Wolf's Torment."

The Set up: Prince Mihai finds out his friend, Viktor, has a dark secret.

********

“Do you believe in myths? Vampires? Werewolves? I never did, though I heard many tales about them growing up,” Viktor said.

Mihai felt a cold shiver run own his spine, recalling the old witch’s pursuit of his mother. Had something similar happened to Viktor? No wonder his friend was distressed. Mihai grew distant, sensing Viktor had something to tell him that involved those repugnant legends.

“I’ve heard tales. The one that intrigued me the most was where a deadly plague ravished a village in Carpathia in the dark ages. Everyone died except the son of the count who oversaw the village. The son was changed somehow from the plague, and when he grew up, one offshoot of his children became vampires, the other werewolves. There’s more to the myth, but I’m being brief. Why do you ask?”

“I have been bitten by a werewolf, Mihai.”

Mihai got to his feet, stunned. Not his best friend! How could such foulness touch him? His eyes raked over Viktor, drinking in his friend’s features. Viktor was a man, but a werewolf was sly and cunning, a beast that, if left untamed, would ravish those he cared for.

Mihai lunged at Viktor, choking him. “Damn you. How could you let this happen?”

Viktor’s hands clamped around Mihai’s wrists, and with relative ease, he pushed Mihai backwards, causing him to crash into one of the posts of the gazebo.

“That wasn’t the reaction I expected from a friend.”

“How can you be a friend to me now? You don’t understand—!”

“Then explain it to me, Mihai. I have built a life here in Moldavia and I don’t want it taken from me.” Viktor balled his hands into fists.

Mihai drew in a deep breath. “I didn’t tell you the entire truth about my mother’s death. Yes, there was a carriage accident, but she was being pursued by a witch. It was a witch that slew her, and I witnessed it.”

“Why was a witch after the Queen of Moldavia?” Viktor asked.

“My mother had been promised into servitude to the witch as a little girl,” Mihai said.

Even now, at this moment, when Viktor was being totally truthful with him, Mihai couldn’t confess to his own mother being a witch. Not even to his closest friend. How could he? Viktor was a wolf, and Mihai had heard several tales of the werewolf’s cunning nature.

“I see. The witch took no pity on your mother, and the bastard who did this took no pity on me either. I have transformed. Sonia witnessed this. She’s so upset she won’t let me touch her, and I fear I might have tried to harm her in my unnatural state.” A tear escaped from Viktor’s eye.

Mihai stood there, rocked by his friend’s confession and his own painful memories of the night his mother died. How could he let such a beast into his home? How could he not? Viktor loved Sonia, yet even now his confession spoke of the werewolf’s inability to control his actions.

“How dangerous are you?” Mihai asked.

“I don’t know. But there’s more - Sonia is pregnant with my child.”

******

The Wolf's Torment is available at http://www.amazon.com