Saturday 29 November 2014

Guest Post: Author Kim Cormack - Sweet Sleep & The Children of Ankh (YA Paranormal Fantasy)

Today, we're welcoming Kim Cormack to talk about herself, her book, Sweet Sleep, and her YA Paranormal Fantasy Series, The Children of Ankh (and there's even a sneak peak of book 2 in the series, Enlightenment), so, without further ado, over to Kim.

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My life changed very suddenly. I was diagnosed with M.S. I know that my children, and writing have helped me see the way to the other side of each and every M.S mountain. That damn pesky mountain that keeps appearing, just when I think I've climbed it. Isn't that the story of everyone's life though? Why would you endeavor to climb all of those giant mountains, only to have another one appear? How can you keep fighting forever and still retain some semblance of sanity? I think those feelings were what caused the nightmare that started me on The Children of Ankh series.

I have been eating, sleeping, and breathing this series, since that very first sleepless night. When I awoke from the nightmare, I had a creepy song continuously playing in my head. I had to immediately write down all of the details of the dream. The song still plays sometimes in my head. The creepy lullaby. In the beginning it was upsetting, but now it's almost beautiful.

Sweet Sleep, the first in my YA Paranormal Fantasy series, The Children of Ankh, arrived August 7th 2014 from Corvallis Press. I can't wait to share these characters with the world.

As her vision flickered one last time, the man was gone. It was her mother looking into her eyes. 
Her mother's eyes were filled with so much love that it seemed to release her from her pain and fear as it had when she was a small child. Her mother cradled her as a baby, rocking her back and forth. She was safe now in her mother's arms. She was at peace. Mommy, her heart sang, you're here to save me.  
The warmth of her mother's love enveloped her tortured soul. She looked into her mother's eyes. She touched Kayn's face and started to sing a song that she had sung to her every night when she was very small. 
Sleep, sweet sleep till the morning 
Just dream away and close your eyes 
My love you'll be safe until the morning 
Sleeping in my heart, all through the night 
Although bad dreams come to scare you 
My love will scare them all away 
My heart 
The lights flickered, the pain went away, and her mother was holding her, singing 
"Sleep, sweet sleep." 

The beginning


What if.... 
the things that go bump in the night that you thought were simply a figment of your
wild imagination are in fact very real.  
Would you live your life differently if you knew that you were going to be corrected..... 
erased from this world sometime around your sixteenth birthday. 
You and your twin sister were never meant to be born.... 
There will be no place to run.... 
No place to hide.... 
You won't even know they're coming. 
Do you have what it takes to survive your Correction? 
Do you have what it takes to leave your humanity behind? 
If your answer is yes, then hold on tight...

You can find the series trailers and the teaser online. If you find me somewhere out there in the vast world of social media, I would love to hear from you.



Happy Reading

Kim Cormack




Book two in the series, "Enlightenment" is coming soon. Here are some quotes from book two and a sneak peak.



The silken texture of the grass beneath her body along with the warmth of the sunlight that seductively caressed the length of her bare legs was magic. She lay next to him in the grass as they quietly observed the sky above. His hand seemed to be always just out of reach.  Kayn wanted to hold his hand so badly it was torturous. It was just about touching his but not quite. His fingers brushed a path across her fingertips as if to say in the exquisite beauty of the moment, “I will always be right here.”  She would open her eyes long enough to know it was not reality and then close them again. For her desire to live there in that moment with him was so strong. She had to at least make an attempt to slip back into the dream.

The days that passed had begun to melt together into weeks and months, creating a twisted mosaic of memories in her mind.  Her dreams traveled a tortuous path between what had actually happened, and what could have been.                                                                           



                    
                                         Chapter 1

      Grey grinned raised his glass and said, “To the newest of the Ankh.” They all raised their glasses and then awkwardly attempted to clink their exceptionally classy pink flamingo plastic wine glasses.
     Kayn took a big gulp of the peach cider. She was surprised, it was delicious. She said, “May I ask who picked out these delightful pink flamingo wine glasses? They are absolutely amazing.”
     Grey chuckled, “That would be me. Do not mock my flamingo wine glasses.”
     Kayn said, “How can one mock these flamingo wine glasses. When, they are so obviously awesome.”
     Grey said, “And this is why me and Miss Brighton are going to be best friends.”



                                         Chapter 2

Kayn sat on the shore and wiggled her toes back and forth slowly.  She had always enjoyed the warm calming feeling of the sand. It slipped as a silken scarf of liquid sunshine across the surface of her skin. Kayn took one hand and ran it over the surface of the sand. It shifted as though it had been moved by a light breeze without her hand making contact. Her life now had no room for feet being firmly planted on the ground. She had to allow her mind to take off in flight and except the impossible. She had to embrace life as a toddler. In a child's world, every breath of life is a mystery; everything has the possibility of being magic. She smiled as she imagined that the suns last rays were flames from a distant dragon. Kayn understood that she was an immortal toddler of sorts. She stared at a crab as it tickled a path in the palm of her hand.
      The shade of the sky changed ever so slightly in her peripheral vision. She raised her eyes from her toes to the horizon. To witness the suns last dance in the daylight as it began to descend slowly...Magically into the distant sea. Exotic pastel hues of orange and fuchsia were now painted across the fading expression of the day.  A calm yet isolating vision to take into her heart for it made her feel exceedingly small in the grand scheme of things.


                                                              
                                           Chapter 3

     Moments… there are always moments where a decision has to be made. In mortal life there is a choice to be made. One road, or another? The ultimate chose your own adventure story. In the clans, there is only one option, and that is to do whatever your clan’s oracle tells you to do.
     Kayn's steps crunched through the icy snow. She smiled as she watched her breath escape into the crisp evening air. She sat down on the cold wooden bench outside the clinic. Gentle flakes of white powdery snow began to float from the heavens above them.  Kayn loved to watch Grey's face in moments such as this one. He never forgot to enjoy the simplest of things. He practiced what he preached. It made them all want to enjoy those moments with him. He smiled and kept his eyes open as the flakes caught in his eyelashes. He blinked as they melted instantaneously from the warmth of his breath as the twirling waves of his moist heat traveled up from his parted lips towards his eyes. Kayn found herself trying to emulate him.  She went one step further and stuck out her tongue. The flakes melted instantaneously, it wasn't quite cold enough outside for them to remain. She had now been to places where her bubble gum froze inside of her mouth as she tried to chew it. Places where when your nose ran it froze solid on her skin in seconds. It was a place like that where Zach learned that peeing in the snow was an incredibly inept idea. She smiled at the memory. Kayn stuck her tongue out as far as it she could in an attempt to see the flakes that rested on its tip. Realizing she was cross eyed as she attempted to look at the tip of her tongue and she probably looked hilarious. She slipped her tongue back in between her lips.     



                                              Chapter 4

          A large part of their training for the testing seemed to revolve around just that. Understanding that they could not die, this was a surprisingly difficult thing to wrap your mind around.  There was only one of the clan members that had no fear. This was Lexy. Lexy ran head on into situations that most sane people ran away from. She never flinched. There was never a moment of hesitation for her. They met up with Markus, Arrianna and a girl named Flora. They needed Arrianna to run the tombs so they could take a trip to the in-between with Lexy. Kayn loved this part of the training.
Lily had borrowed a storage unit. They walked inside and Frost pulled the rope on the door and closed it. Grey created a small flame in the palm of his hand for light. Grey, Lily, Lexy, and Frost nonchalantly threw down their Ankh stones on the floor. They made a hollow sound as they landed on the cement. In the dimly lit storage unit, four stone Ankh tombs appeared as a hologram and then solidified.
  
     Zach said, “That is always so cool.”

     Kayn looked at him and said, “Ditto.”

     Grey climbed into tomb and glanced at Arrianna. She chucked Grey's tunes at him. He caught them mid air and said, “Thanks babe” Everyone hopped into their tombs. Kayn wondered, Which Ankh would she be sharing a tomb with?

     Grey teased, “Melody, come hop in mine. There’s plenty of room."

     Arrianna shook her head at Grey and sparred,” Oh, just lay off the poor girl, Romeo.”She directed Melody to Lily’s tomb and said, “That one doesn't bite.”

     Grey winked and said, “Just in case you three haven’t figured it out. I’m being mocked and ridiculed because Arrianna is my ex girlfriend. She thinks she can get away with it. I’ll have you know that I haven’t bitten anyone in a very long time.”

     Arrianna teased, “Is that the true Lily?”

Tuesday 25 November 2014

FB3X Drabble Cascade #88 - word of the week is 'kink' (a chance to test and share your writing skills)

Fantasy Boys XXX Drabble Cascade


Welcome to FB3X Drabble Cascade #88 - This week's word of the week is 'kink'.

Suitable for all.
The Way A Cascade Works

it's really very simple, be inspired by our word of the week and just write :).

To see this week's entries check out the list at the bottom of this post. We put it behind a cut so it doesn't clog up your scrolling.

A drabble is a work of 100 words exactly. Flash fiction is a work of up to 500 words. Both may be submitted to the cascade. So What Can You Write? The simple answer is - anything! Our work here on FB3X will be erotically themed. but feel free to take the inspiration any way you want to, fiction, fanfiction, non-fiction, meta, since variety is the spice of life!

To those struck by inspiration (and no you don't have to be a professional writer to join in, anyone can embrace their inner author):
  • Below you will find a chance to join in the cascade in the form of a linked list
    • Write a drabble/flash fiction inspired by the word of the week.
    • Post the fiction to your own blog, social media, or website 
    • Then insert a link into the linked list to that drabble/flash fiction for everyone to find (A hint of the genre of your drabble/flash fiction in the title of your post would be appreciated.), e.g. A Little Bit of Fun (PG, Science Fiction)
    • To encourage your friends to join in and hence cascade the fun, you can also add the list into your own post by copying the code.
  • OR you can just write us something in the comments :)
For folks who enjoy reading drabbles/flash fiction: you can then peruse the cascade to your heart's content :).

AND NOW - on to the fiction :)
~

Tuesday 18 November 2014

FB3X Drabble Cascade #87 - word of the week is 'sensitivity' (a chance to test and share your writing skills)

Fantasy Boys XXX Drabble Cascade


Welcome to FB3X Drabble Cascade #87 - This week's word of the week is 'sensitivity'.

Suitable for all.
The Way A Cascade Works

it's really very simple, be inspired by our word of the week and just write :).

To see this week's entries check out the list at the bottom of this post. We put it behind a cut so it doesn't clog up your scrolling.

A drabble is a work of 100 words exactly. Flash fiction is a work of up to 500 words. Both may be submitted to the cascade. So What Can You Write? The simple answer is - anything! Our work here on FB3X will be erotically themed. but feel free to take the inspiration any way you want to, fiction, fanfiction, non-fiction, meta, since variety is the spice of life!

To those struck by inspiration (and no you don't have to be a professional writer to join in, anyone can embrace their inner author):
  • Below you will find a chance to join in the cascade in the form of a linked list
    • Write a drabble/flash fiction inspired by the word of the week.
    • Post the fiction to your own blog, social media, or website 
    • Then insert a link into the linked list to that drabble/flash fiction for everyone to find (A hint of the genre of your drabble/flash fiction in the title of your post would be appreciated.), e.g. A Little Bit of Fun (PG, Science Fiction)
    • To encourage your friends to join in and hence cascade the fun, you can also add the list into your own post by copying the code.
  • OR you can just write us something in the comments :)
For folks who enjoy reading drabbles/flash fiction: you can then peruse the cascade to your heart's content :).

AND NOW - on to the fiction :)
~

Tuesday 11 November 2014

FB3X Drabble Cascade #86 - word of the week is 'remember' (a chance to test and share your writing skills)

Fantasy Boys XXX Drabble Cascade


Welcome to FB3X Drabble Cascade #86 - This week's word of the week is 'remember'.

Suitable for all.
The Way A Cascade Works

it's really very simple, be inspired by our word of the week and just write :).

To see this week's entries check out the list at the bottom of this post. We put it behind a cut so it doesn't clog up your scrolling.

A drabble is a work of 100 words exactly. Flash fiction is a work of up to 500 words. Both may be submitted to the cascade. So What Can You Write? The simple answer is - anything! Our work here on FB3X will be erotically themed. but feel free to take the inspiration any way you want to, fiction, fanfiction, non-fiction, meta, since variety is the spice of life!

To those struck by inspiration (and no you don't have to be a professional writer to join in, anyone can embrace their inner author):
  • Below you will find a chance to join in the cascade in the form of a linked list
    • Write a drabble/flash fiction inspired by the word of the week.
    • Post the fiction to your own blog, social media, or website 
    • Then insert a link into the linked list to that drabble/flash fiction for everyone to find (A hint of the genre of your drabble/flash fiction in the title of your post would be appreciated.), e.g. A Little Bit of Fun (PG, Science Fiction)
    • To encourage your friends to join in and hence cascade the fun, you can also add the list into your own post by copying the code.
  • OR you can just write us something in the comments :)
For folks who enjoy reading drabbles/flash fiction: you can then peruse the cascade to your heart's content :).

AND NOW - on to the fiction :)
~

Tuesday 4 November 2014

FB3X Drabble Cascade #85 - word of the week is 'ludicrous' (a chance to test and share your writing skills)

Fantasy Boys XXX Drabble Cascade


Welcome to FB3X Drabble Cascade #85 - This week's word of the week is 'ludicrous'.

Suitable for all.
The Way A Cascade Works

it's really very simple, be inspired by our word of the week and just write :).

To see this week's entries check out the list at the bottom of this post. We put it behind a cut so it doesn't clog up your scrolling.

A drabble is a work of 100 words exactly. Flash fiction is a work of up to 500 words. Both may be submitted to the cascade. So What Can You Write? The simple answer is - anything! Our work here on FB3X will be erotically themed. but feel free to take the inspiration any way you want to, fiction, fanfiction, non-fiction, meta, since variety is the spice of life!

To those struck by inspiration (and no you don't have to be a professional writer to join in, anyone can embrace their inner author):
  • Below you will find a chance to join in the cascade in the form of a linked list
    • Write a drabble/flash fiction inspired by the word of the week.
    • Post the fiction to your own blog, social media, or website 
    • Then insert a link into the linked list to that drabble/flash fiction for everyone to find (A hint of the genre of your drabble/flash fiction in the title of your post would be appreciated.), e.g. A Little Bit of Fun (PG, Science Fiction)
    • To encourage your friends to join in and hence cascade the fun, you can also add the list into your own post by copying the code.
  • OR you can just write us something in the comments :)
For folks who enjoy reading drabbles/flash fiction: you can then peruse the cascade to your heart's content :).

AND NOW - on to the fiction :)
~