It's been unleashed upon the world...

I'm not going to blog for long today save to give a small update about my latest urban fantasy release, Khepera Redeemed, book two of the Khepera series (Lyrical Press, Inc.) which was released yesterday.

See: http://www.lyricalpress.com/store/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=236

Because I'm a bit stressed out of my skull at the moment, I elected to have a small, intimate book launch among close friends and acquaintances at Roxy's Cafe on Dunkley Square in Gardens, near the Cape Town CBD. A word on Roxy's... It's one of the few venues in the Mother City that captures the spirit of the Cape Town I knew while growing up, and the Cape Town James Edward Guillaume of the Khepera series belongs to.

Bohemian doesn't even begin to do it justice. It's a mixture of Victoriana and retro, with that particular spirit of "hey, it's all good" which is peculiar to the late 1980s-1990s generation. (Yes, I'm that old).

Speaking of the spirit of a city that has inspired my writing, I wish to speak of a person, who pretty much summed up the soul of Long Street. I pause to remember Leonard Wichtman, aka Uncle Lenny, or the Metal Moffie, a rather colourful character and one who summed up the era I grew up in. He passed away last Thursday. I bumped into him only the day before, as I did almost every other day.

RIP, Lenny, you are much loved and sorely missed. You never had any ill to speak of anyone and even though you probably suffered a lot, you never complained. You never failed to cheer up my day and you always had a spare hug for me and a few words to make me smile. Travel safe, old friend. I will always hold a special place for you in my heart and trust me, I will find a way to immortalise you in my writing.

Release of Exiles from Christmas

I know, it doesn't fit with the topic this week, but I'm excited that this book released from Lyrical Press on Monday and I wanted to share :-) And at 2.50, why not pick it up for a little holiday cheer?

The inspiration behind this book was a fascination with Santa. It’s not what you think. It amazes me that the Santa myth still holds strong today and I find it amusing that sentiments are so strong regarding the issue: does he or does he not exist?

So, I decided to turn the jolly old man on his ear and Exiles from Christmas is the result. It’s my take, or explanation on the Santa scene. What’s more, I didn’t just stop with the jolly elf. I’ve taken a lot of the myths and childhood stories and created a sort of “what if” scenario in my Holiday Magic Series.

Here’s a blurb and excerpt for Exiles for Christmas:

Blurb: Santa’s nephews have come to Crystal Falls to run a cookie business. If they fail, they’ll have to go back to the North Pole and fill their uncle’s black boots when he retires. But sick of toys, elves, and the North Pole’s influence, that’s the last thing Landon and Aaron want. They’re looking for love.

Jayne isn’t much for sentimental family holidays and she certainly doesn’t believe in magic. Working in the Crystal Falls post office, she is mystified when she handles mail bearing a North Pole postal mark.

When Landon and Jayne meet, their attraction for each other is undeniable, but will the truth about Landon’s life make Jayne a believer, or will it be his love that finally melts her heart?

Excerpt #4:

Landon was glad when Peg finally walked away. “Tell me why you hate Christmas.” Pleasure snaked through his gut when Jayne’s cheeks infused with a rosy stain. He had the insane desire to see her smile. He wondered if the back of her wrist was ticklish. “Or is it just the commercialism of the holiday that turns you into Scrooge?”

Her lips twitched but she didn’t follow through with a full grin. “Why don’t you tell me why I should like this holiday?” She dipped a triangle of her golden sandwich into her orange-red soup then took a delicate bite.

“Everyone likes Christmas.” He floundered for words. “It’s... It’s...magical.” He broke open the flaky crust of his chicken pot pie to let the steam escape.

“What’s so magical about the whole population of the world succumbing to avarice and greed?” She pointed her spoon at him. “And don’t get me started about that jolly old fat man in the red suit.”

“How do you know Santa is old or fat? Have you seen him?” Her abhorrence to Christmas fascinated him, but the information he was about to tell her would make or break the new friendship.

“Have you?”

It was now or never. For some reason, he trusted her. “Actually, yes. In fact, I know him pretty well.” He kept his gaze glued to her face, alert for any outward signs of derision or ridicule. Prior relationships usually broke down at this point. Some had even ended with drinks to his face or upended dinners in his lap. When Jayne did nothing more dramatic than blink, he released his held breath. Maybe it’d be different this time.

“How can you possibly know him? He’s a make-believe character from story books.” She narrowed her eyes. “Unless he’s an invisible friend of yours.”

Very witty, Jayne. Funny and sexy. A great combination. He fought a smile. “He’s definitely not invisible.” No longer hungry, Landon pushed his mostly untouched plate away. “You never believed in Santa when you were a kid?” He watched as hope briefly flitted across her face but that moment of vulnerability vanished as quickly as it had come.

“No.”

“Why?” He wasn’t about to give up. He felt a tiny seed of belief buried beneath her protests and he wanted to draw it out. He needed to draw it out, if only to justify his own determination to remove himself from his own issues.

Jayne busied herself by crumbling little bits of her sandwich into her soup bowl. “Santa has always been a disappointment to me.” She captured her bottom lip between her teeth. “When I was eleven, I desperately wanted a microscope. I loved science and thought it would be fun to look inside living things.”

“And you didn’t get it, I assume?” He wrenched his gaze from her invitingly wet lips to focus on her face.

“Of course not.” Bitterness crept into the confirmation. “Not only that, a few months after that, I found all the letters I’d written to Santa in my mom’s underwear drawer. She never mailed them. I understood why later—there was nowhere to mail them to. Santa’s a fake.” She shrugged. “I found all but one letter. She must have lost it.”

“I’m sorry you had a bad childhood. What about now? You’re older and wiser. Do you believe in Santa now?”

“Are you kidding me?” She gaped at him as if he were a car wreck. “Why should I believe now? What’s the point?”

“Because.” Landon cleared his throat. “Santa Claus is my uncle.”



Book video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6LskHJWnRb0

Promo video for Crystal Falls: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JpABxT0D9iA

Buy link: http://www.lyricalpress.com/exiles_from_christmas
Or visit my website for more information:
http://www.sandrasookoo.com

Keep your eyes open for more books in this series.

Thanks again for having me here. I love to hear from readers and other authors so look me up on Facebook or email me at sandrasookoo@yahoo.com.

Meet Liz Strange

Liz was born in Kingston, Ontario where she still resides with her four children and a menagerie of pets. She enjoys scary movies, reading, spicy food, rainy days and is a huge Star Trek fan. She has long had a fascination with Easter Island and ancient Greece, and hopes to visit both. Though she writes about all manner of dark subjects, vampires are always nearest and dearest to her heart.

Liz's novel, My Love Eternal, will be released by Lyrical Press, Inc. next year, and I've so far had the pleasure of editing this work of fiction.

Thank you Liz, for your time, and for joining us on Frightening Journeys today.

What scares you?

I am good with any scary movies involving monsters, ghosts, demons, serial killers and all that kind of stuff. But anything with clowns or aliens and I’m outta there. The movies that have scared me the most are Fire in the Sky, Communion and IT. I also have a phobia of water – things in the water, drowning and more, and of being buried alive.

What got you writing in the first place?

I was creating stories as a very young child, before I could even physically write. I would dictate stories to my mom, who would write them down and then I would illustrate. She has a whole series about this bird family that I created at about age three. After that, there was no stopping me. I always excelled in English and creative writing all through school, and would read just about anything.

Who are some of your favourite authors and why?

I enjoy horror, dark fiction, fantasy and crime/forensic stories. I read Kathy Reichs, Patricia Cornwell, Karin Slaughter, Sue Grafton, Anne Rice, Stephen King, PN Elrod and Tanya Huff. Oh, there’s so many., and I love books about vampires, whether the stories are fun or very dark. One of my very favourite authors is Michael Slade, and I enjoy his books because they involve the Canadian legal system, and are brilliantly written.

Care to share any strange/paranormal encounters?

As a child I grew up in a very old farm house. It even had a name – Horizon House. I swear it was haunted. There were lots of strange sounds, and cold spots and things never seemed to be in the same placed that I left them in my bedroom. Very spooky. My friends and I liked to play the Ouija board there and scare ourselves silly.

Tell us about your upcoming LPI release in one sentence.

My Love Eternal is a vampire love story with all the good stuff – scares, blood, sex and an unexpected twist.

Why vampires? What do you like about them?

Vampires are like the ultimate bad boys or girls. They’re dangerous and can seduce you like nobody’s business. I have been fascinated (some might say obsessed) with them since childhood, when I first read Salem’s Lot. I love the idea of being powerful, immortal and forever young.

You can connect with Liz at her website: www.lizstrange.com or on twitter:www.twitter.com/LizStrangeVamp