AE Rought writes passion and pain, sword and sorcery, magick and mayhem--most of which is in her current release NUERMAR'S LAST WITCH, from Samhain Publishing. {There is a sexy collection under AE's sassy Southern-style penname, as well}
That's right. I've recouped, pulled up my big girl panties, got my Fierce on and dove back into the deep end of the query pool. I'm praying silently, but chugging on, I've got too many stories to drown in query angst. So, for the fun and fierceness, I'm posting the poem I wrote from my heroine's POV:
I Would Cease…
I would that this renegade heart
Cease within my breast
That I might be free of its permanent pain.
I would that this severed soul
Cease its tattered bleeding
That I might be free of this venom not my own.
I would that I not be this beast,
Cease to be that, which I most despise,
That I might not suffer such sanguine savagery.
I would that I had died when he left me,
Cease in my quest for life,
For in the blessed death of sleep I would be free.
I would live this life no more,
Cease the slaughter I embraced,
For alive, alone, my heart howls in silence.
I would cease...
~by Sariah DuShayne, upon the hundredth full moon copyright AE Rought, 2009
Since finishing Vengeance Moon I've been struggling with Post Write 'em depression--y'know, when you finally finish the book and wonder, 'what next?' I know what I should be doing, I should be writing a sequel, but currently no story is singing. *sigh* Today is pretty much a wash, I'm tired and the arthritis is flared up and making my upper arm muscles achey'; tomorrow, I kick my own ass, fire up the coffee pot early and get cracking.
Last weekend we visited a cottage in Shamrock, Wisconsin; a little piece of Heaven hidden in the woods. To say I love it at Polly Falls is a massive understatement. The long cottage is situated yards from a small waterfall, and a cluster of rapids. We slept to the lullaby of dancing waters, read and played on the little beach during the day, drank good wine and ate great food in the evenings. The last day, my hubby took me by the hand and walked me right up to the falls (he is such a romantic!). Thousands of gallons of water pouring on my feet, kinetic energy charging the air, earth's energy flooding me...absolutely amazing feeling. It's a sensation I wish I could share.
I've been tinkering with a few different WIPs: a 'space opera', a western sequel, a horror romance with zombies *gasp*, Vengeance Eclipsed the sequel to Vengeance Moon, even a realm-to-realm fantasy with a tattooed magician.
Still waiting on word from The Knight Agency. Cross what you've got for me!
Yes, I've been MIA for quite a while. I'm worried I'm going to turn into a soft, squishy version of John Rambo, go crazy, blow up a town and then cry about it. *snort* In the time I've been off the blogs I have completed the werewolf novel (and it kicks ass. Seriously). I've also rounded up some pictures of actors who best typify my characters (no, no film deal), worked up to different blurbs, a three-sentence pitch, and brain stormed the sequel. So, here's a little taste of what I've been up to:
Werewolf packs have a hierarchy: lap dogs, guard dogs, top dogs. I’m nothing like them, a werewolf hybrid and hell-bent on taking out Xander, the pack alpha and sadistic son of a bitch who made me. Regardless of my werecat distraction, or Xander’s guard dog, I will rip out his throat and spit it back in his face because revenge is a bitch, and so am I.
Xander Waithorn, (Christian Bale) alpha of the werewolf pack. He's a pompous sadistic playboy with a penchant for busty blonds -- he takes what he wants and leaves someone else to clean up the mess. After nearly a century as pack alpha, and with a loyal sergeant-at-arms, Xander thinks his seat of power is secure. Sins pile up. Karma eventually grows teeth. After a life of arrogancy and self-gratification, he has more than one creature gunning for him.
Agro Johnson, (Matt Damon) the enforcer of the werewolf pack. Agro was hired and turned werewolf for his brawn, not his brains. A dog who's been kicked too many times, Agro's turned on his maker, and set a plot in motion to bring about Xander's downfall and his ascenion to pack alpha. Agro's biggest mistake is discounting the bonds of loyalty formed between his enemies in and out of the pack.
Sariah DuShayne (Jessica Biel) She foolishly thought she could share herself with two men, two breeds of Were and not pay a price. When a full moon threesome goes awry, Sariah's lover is killed and she becomes a hybrid. Decades later, when her tolerance for Xander has grown thin and a friend is attacked and left for dead, the time for revenge has finally come. Sariah will risk last life and limb to punish the male Weres for their crimes, to her and the other girls left behind in Xander's quest for gratification.
Stephan Colinford (Ryan Reynolds) He's a natural born werecat with no control over his powers. A rogue lion, he fled the lion Pride in Europe looking for a life in the world of cage combat and Mixed Martial Arts. His dreams for normalcy are dashed the night he first sees Sariah in her hybrid Were form. Drawn like a moth to her flame Stephan shadows her full moon raids, yearning to touch her, taste her, plumb the depths of the connection he feels to her. In falling for Sariah, Stephan embarks on the path to claim his blood heritage, taking control of the lion within.
Shaynie Dawson (Michelle Tractenberg) Orphan and sister to a deceased member of Sariah's den. Hungry for the life her sister led, Shaynie skims the edge of the werewolf world, unaware of the hell she will go through when Xander drags her by his teeth into it's dark abyss. Raped, mauled and left for dead, Shaynie awakes in Sariah's arms. She is destined for a pivitol role in the simmering feud between Sariah and the male werewolves, a role where she will come into her own strength, a role where her heart and soul will be tested.
Jaxon Black (Jared Lehto) is the cousin of Creston Black, local grunge singer and Xander's favorite pet. Jaxon is also Stephan's main competition in the local MMA gym. Jax's dreams of pack inclusion happen on the same new moon that his cousin is killed while Xander hides behind his bodyguard. Blood is thick in the Black clan, and his cousin's death is the turning point in Jax's immortality. He runs both sides of the fence, keeping himself close to the one who let Creston die, while he wins his way into the murder's den and into the heart of her newest addition. To avenge his cousin's death, he will side with the killer, and join the war to take down Xander, the Were that let Creston die.
And my favorite blurb:
Some dogs should be put down. Xander Waithorn is one of them. In Victorian England, he killed my lover and turned me Were. Little did he know, when he bit me, he gave me the power to one day get revenge.
For decades I struggled to harness the gift of my new moon hybrid powers. I regret most of the blood I shed over those years--it is illegal to kill humans, after all. A century later, in a Michigan port town, I found Xander entrenched behind a mercenary bodyguard and an entire pack of werewolves. Xander hadn’t changed--he was still the sick sadistic son of a bitch he’d been when he attacked me. I’ve changed, taken control of my powers, and taken the string of female victims he left behind into the safety of my den.
Only Stephan Colinford, a sexy as hell MMA fighter with a hidden secret has distracted me from my growing vendetta. After Xander attacked a close friend, I waged war on the monster, stealing his territory block by block. And, one night, after I’ve taken his friends, and undermined his authority as Alpha male, I’ll rip his throat out and spit it back in his face, because... Revenge is a bitch, and so am I.
Okay, back to spiffing up the outline. *groan* Well, maybe brew a pot of coffee first, THEN I'll work on the outline. Yep! That's a plan. Honestly, I'll have the brainstorming page for the sequel open, too...probably at least one other story as well... (I should have been a Gemini...)
You're goody basket will be packaged and shipped to the cold, snowy north shortly. And to all those who entered, Thank you for playing!
Due to the great response, I will be posting another give-away as soon as I get something crafted. Maybe a basket and a teddy bear? I have done a bear in a long time. I kind of miss making the little cuties. So, check back in a couple weeks and we'll see what I can whip up for y'all.
It's time to unveil the Goody Basket contest for Slade and Kally!! I've been holding this one back until the ARe interview, so I could announce it on air. ^_^
Basket Contents:
TWO baskets, one handwoven by me
crystal soap, scented with my custom blended New Moon perfume oil
bottle of New Moon perfume oil, a light airy mix of jasmine and lavender
Western wear inspired green turquoise bracelet beaded by me
AND a bevy of items donated by the gals of the Midnight Moon Cafe! MMC items include:
a pile of goodies, note cards, pens, etc from the MMC girls!
So, what do you do to be put in the running for the goody basket? Here's the rules:
Read the EXCERPT posted on Samhain's website, and answer this question: What was the last thing Kally felt?
Go the the Midnight Moon Cafe BLOG and answer this question: What are the titles of the three free reads in the left hand column, and their respective authors?
Email you answers to AERought@gmail.com with the subject line SLADE AND KALLY GOODY BASKET (only emails with this subject line will be counted.)
I write and my family tolerates it. Chocolate and coffee are my friends. I love the darker side of things, especially when it comes to writing--fangs, fur, full moons, empty veins...
That's right. I've recouped, pulled up my big girl panties, got my Fierce on and dove back into the deep end of the query pool. I'm praying silently, but chugging on, I've got too many stories to drown in query angst. So, for the fun and fierceness, I'm posting the poem I wrote from my heroine's POV:
