Valentine's Day Blog Hop: What Paranormal Creature Would Be Your Perfect Valentine?

Thank you to all who stopped by and commented, and especially to those who also liked my Facebook page as part of the blog hop! The winner of this blog's drawing is Louisa Cornell. Louisa,  I've tried to get in touch with you through your website, but if you didn't get my communication, please email me at cecilia at ceciliadominic dot com

Thanks again to everyone who participated!

I'm participating in the Valentine's Day Blog Hop sponsored by J.A. Garland. First, the fun details:

For a list of participating authors, click here or see below. To enter the grand prize drawing, click on one of the graphics above or here.

I couldn't help but notice that there have been a plethora of quizzes appearing on Facebook, and it's been a time of great discovery for me. First, I found out I'm an ambivert, which is somewhere between an introvert and an extrovert. Then I discovered that instead of Atlanta, Georgia, I need to live in Paris, France. Most recently, a quiz told me the profession I'm most suited for is that of a writer. Hmmm... But so far, no one's told me which paranormal creature would be best suited for me. Assuming, of course, I wasn't married.

Without further ado, here are some questions to figure out which creature would be your perfect mate. I tried to find a widget to automatically score it for you, but sadly, I couldn't, so be sure to keep track of your answers.

1.  Pick a color:

a. Red

b. Silver

c. Green

d. I find this question offensive to those who are color blind. 

2. Pick an ideal first date:

a. Dancing with a lot of neck nibbles.

b. I don't care as long as it's magical.

c. Long walk or hike in the woods.

d. Picnic and gazing at the full moon.

Photo by Lachlan Donald from Melbourne, Australia
I bet he's of Scottish heritage with that name. 

3. What fashion accessory needs to come back in style?

a. Capes

b. Wands

c. Nature colored clothing.

d. I don't care as long as you can chew on it.

4. Pick a hashtag:

a. #biteme

b. #lifeismagic

c. #vnotf

d. #arooo

5. In a relationship, the most important characteristic for compatibility is:

a. Understanding of night owl tendencies.

b. Being okay with your significant other bringing work - and any strange consequences that ensue - home with them.

c. Being okay becoming part of a large family whether they approve of you or not.

d. Letting your significant other have a late night with his "pack" every so often.

6. You've just had a crappy day. How do you deal with it?

a. Write it out in a journal that I'll hide later.

b. Whipping up something interesting in the lab or kitchen.

c. Long walk in the woods.

d. Venting. Howling works nicely, but I can complain to my close friends, too, if I'm feeling verbal.

French Quarter building at night (photo by Falkue at de.wikipedia)

7. What city would you like to live in?

a. New York, New Orleans... Anywhere they're up all night and don't look at you funny if you're a little strange.

b. London, Paris... Somewhere with a strong history of legend and magic.

c. Atlanta, Seattle... Someplace with a lot of trees. Too much concrete makes me feel suffocated.

d. Someplace smaller where I can sneak away easily for long runs.

If you chose mostly a's... Go on and interview that vampire.

You like a man or woman of mystery, someone dark and controlled with moments of passion. The promise of romance draws you in, and the danger keeps you coming back for more. Emotional intimacy may be a little cold, but that's okay, you like the thrill of the chase, and the physical moments more than make up for feeling pushed away and the fact he/she will never return your calls during the day. Plus, no one rocks a cape like a vampire, who scoffs at superhero rules.

If you chose mostly b's... You'd totally sign up for that "I wish I'd gone to Hogwarts" dating site and find your own wizard.

You see the potential for magic in everything, and your ideal mate feels the same. Magic is not only being, but doing, and wizards will come up with that "your friends won't believe this" gesture. The downside:  they're always thinking about ten things at once, and you might not be the priority if they're puzzling over some tricky problem or spell. On the other hand, when that intense attention is on you and making you happy, there's no comparison to the normal mortal's version of romance. Just watch out if they want to make a commitment - your mother-in-law might literally be a witch.

Eileen Donan Castle in Scotland (© Guillaume Piolle / CC-BY-3.0)
Tell me this doesn't look like a romantic wizard getaway.

If you chose mostly c's... You're getting back to nature with a little elven love.

Sure, they might hate the holidays because of the undignified portrayal of their cousins, and you'll never find them in the midst of the concrete jungle, but when it comes to revealing the secrets of the forest and wild places -- and bringing their own magic to your wild places -- nothing compares to the elves. Elves' long lives make commitment a little tricky, so enjoy their presence in your life while you can. You'll gain a whole new appreciation for the term au naturel.

If you chose mostly d's... Let your wild side loose with a lycanthrope.

The fact that they have a fancy name along with the everyday term werewolf indicates that these creatures are more complex than just full moons and howling. Want an alpha hero in your life? How about a literal one who's nice to run your hands over and likes to cuddle. Perhaps you're the alpha and need a caring beta -- fear not, your lycanthrope lover has had plenty of practice and is eager to please. The downside - love them, love their pack because even a lone wolf will find one eventually. But if you need a lover to fetch your heart, look no further. (Sorry, couldn't resist.)

So, which paranormal lover did you end up with? Is it a good fit for you? Tell me in the comments, and you'll be entered to win one of the following - your choice:

1. An electronic copy of The Mountain's Shadow - so many werewolf men, so little time! Which one will Joanie choose as she investigates the mysteries behind her own career's end and her family legacy?

First it was ADD. Then pediatric bipolar. Now the hot behavioral disorder in children is CLS, or Chronic Lycanthropy Syndrome. Public health researcher Joanie Fisher was closing in on the cause in hopes of finding a treatment until a lab fire and an affair with her boss left her without a job.

When her grandfather leaves her his multimillion-dollar estate in the Ozarks, though, she figures her luck is turning around. Except her inheritance comes with complications: town children who disappear during full moons, an irresistible butler, and a pack of werewolves who can’t seem to decide whether to frighten her or flirt with her.

Joanie’s research is the key to unraveling the mysteries of Wolfsbane Manor.  However, resuming her work means facing painful truths about her childhood, which could result in the loss of love, friendship, and the only true family she has left.

Warning: Some sexy scenes, although nothing explicit, and adult language. Also alcohol consumption and food descriptions that may wreck your diet.

2. An electronic copy of Long Shadows, the sequel to The Mountain's Shadow, which will be released on March 25.

By day, Lonna Marconi’s busy career keeps her mind off the fact she was turned werewolf against her will. By night, a dose of wolfsbane lets her inner wolf out to play while her physical body stays safe at home.

When an overheard phone call at work warns her a trap is about to be sprung, she turns from hunter to hunted in the blink of an eye.

She finds refuge with the Ozarks pack she never claimed as her own. Upon discovering a family secret that explains why she’s unique among her own kind, Lonna finds heat in the arms of Max, who’s the one thing she cannot trust—a wizard.

Another kidnapping attempt sends her navigating the treacherous metaphysical borders of a centuries-old war, pursued by rogue sorcerers, a band of ghostly wolves, and repressed memories that prevent her from reclaiming her heritage. All the while, trusting her back to a wizard who demands the price of her heart…who may not have the luxury of giving his in return.

Warning: Some sexy scenes, adult language, and alcohol consumption. Also descriptions of Italian food that might offend carbophobes.

3. A Mountain's Shadow t-shirt. These shirts are made of a wonderfully soft fabric that hangs beautifully on feminine and masculine shapes alike. Feathered gray with an image of a wolf and the tagline "Some mistakes can literally come back to bite you" on the front and the book title on the back, this shirt will show you're a lycanthrope lover through and through. Available sizes: L-XXL

The winner of this blog's drawing will be announced next Monday, February 17.

Disclaimer:  this quiz has absolutely no psychometric properties. None. It also doesn't really indicate anything meaningful about those taking it. It's just for fun. According to Facebook, I'm Captain Picard, so you know you can trust me on this.

Participating blog hop authors with posts and giveaways:

Celia Breslin

Pippa Jay
Mimi Sebastian
Jude Johnson
Isabella Norse
Dani Harper  
Rita Bay
Allison Knight
Joyce Proell
Holly Hunt
Ceci Giltenan
Ute Carbone
Cassiel Knight
Audra Middleton
Angela Kay Austin
Morgan Wyatt
Liz Crowe
Susan Frances
January Bain
Linda Rettstatt
Dani Collins
Kelly Martin
Pauline Creeden

Note:  I will do my best to keep up with responding to comments, but please be aware that due to the impending ice apocalypse with frozen flakes of doom, I might lose power and be unable to. I will respond to comments when I am able, possibly once spring arrives.

Friday Flash Fiction: A Balance of Souls

Vampires are interesting because they're conflicted, and I've gotten tired of the whiny ones. They're not my usual thing, but I guess every spec fic writer has to do a vampire story at one point, so I consider this to be my "getting them out of my system" tale. Comments welcome, as always! For more flash fiction, search the #fridayflash hashtag on Twitter

A Balance of Souls

Elizabeth fled to the orchard. She ignored the cries of her nurse behind her, "Lady, stop! Please, Lady, listen to your mother!" At sixteen, Elizabeth was too old to listen to her mother, especially when she had such horrible things to say.

Once sure she had outrun the elderly nursemaid, Elizabeth slumped against a gnarled trunk. Nurse never came into the orchard after dusk, and the sun would set any minute. The dying light of the day gilded the west side of the trees and cast dark shadows to the east.

Once she caught her breath, she yawned. Every night for the past month, she'd woken to see a figure standing at the foot of her bed. The apparition itself wouldn't have bothered her so much – perhaps it was her guardian angel, or the day's patron saint – but for the smells of blood and gunpowder. It reminded her of when her father and brothers would go hunting and come back bloody and reeking of death. Sleep had become hard to find.

What would be worse, she wondered, to be lost to the dark creatures that hunted in the orchard at night, or to be sent to the Convent of Perpetual Sorrow? Wasn't there a third choice?

"Your father lost everything when his cargo ship sank last month," her mother had told her that afternoon. "We have nothing for a dowry or education. Mother Margaret will accept you into the convent with this." She held out a gold Rosary with pearl Hail Mary beads and diamond and ruby decade beads.

If only they had sold the Rosary, they would have had enough, but it had been her great-grandmother's.

"But Eric's parents have plenty of money! They won't care if I don't have a dowry."

That's when her mother had taken Elizabeth's face in her cold, dry hands. "Eric was killed in the war, Elizabeth. A month ago. They just found out."

Tears slipped down Elizabeth's cheeks, and she slid to the ground. She didn't remember the rest of the conversation or running out of the house, only when her feet had met the dirt path to the orchard where she and Eric had courted under Nurse's watchful eye.

She raised her hand to wipe her eyes. She heard clinking and saw that she held great-grandmother's Rosary. Her mother must have handed it to her before she told her about Eric.

The pearl beads slipped through Elizabeth's fingers. "I'm lost. Hail Mary, the Lord is with you, help me find my way…"

A tall figure stepped out of the shadows between two large trees, and Elizabeth shrieked, then looked closer. She rolled to her knees, breathless at the sight of the face she thought she'd never see again. "Eric? You were killed in battle."

"So they say." He lifted her chin with cold fingers. She could barely make out his face in the waning light. Yes, it was him, but there was something strange...

"They said you were dead. They gave your sword and gun to your father." She rose to her feet and stumbled before she regained them. The Rosary clinked and swung with her drunken motions. "I… I can't marry you. There's no money for a dowry."

"Even if there was, it's too late for that," he said. "Things have changed. I've changed."

She felt her mouth press into the thin line that was her mother's disapproving expression. "What do you mean, you've changed? Your parents have plenty of money! And they'll be happy to see you."

He shook his head. "Not like this. I came to say goodbye, Elizabeth."

She touched his cheek. It was so cold! He lit a match, and she saw in the seconds between when the flame flared and faded that he had changed. His skin, always pale, now was white, and his sad smile showed her…fangs. Nurse had been right! Vampires did hunt in the orchard after dark.

She gasped and stepped back, crossing herself with the Rosary. "Who did this to you?"

"It was a creature, a man dressed like a looter, who crossed the lines after the battle. He found me. He asked if I wanted to die. I said no, and that's when he did it. If I had known…"

"Have you killed anyone?" she asked. "Oh, Eric, your soul! You'll go to Hell!"

"No, only animals." He looked away. "But time grows short. I feel the thirst."

"Stay with me tonight," she said, remembering Nurse's stories. She came up with a plan to save him. "You can be gone in the morning. And I shall go into the convent and pray for your soul."

He nodded. They talked all night of their childhoods, and the plans that they had made for when he got back from the war. Elizabeth saw the sky lightening to the East.

"I want to come with you," she said.

"What?" He looked at her with narrowed eyes.

"Let me join you. There's no life for me here, and I'll die in the convent!"

"Are you sure?"

She nodded and offered her neck, the spot where he had often stolen kisses. She gasped when she felt his fangs slide through her skin, and she let him drain her as she kept one eye on the sky.

"Now you," he said. He bit a pair of holes in his wrist and held it to her mouth. She turned her head away.

"Elizabeth, drink!"

Her vision swam, each breath an effort. "No."

"But you said…"

"I'm saving your soul, Eric," she said. "Wait for me, my love." The rim of the sun peeked over the horizon and shone through the spaces between the leaves. She closed her eyes so as not to see him burn, but she heard and smelled it, the popping and sizzling, blood and gunpowder. She curled her fingers around the Rosary and prayed, "Holy Mary, mother of God, pray for us sinners, now at the hour of our death…"