Dare You Walk In Our World?

These were the prizes on offer. Prize draw is now closed.

* $5 or £5 Amazon Gift Card

*$5 or £5 ITunes Gift Card

*One (1) Autographed Paperback copy of Bound, Vol 1 of the Diaries of the Cŵn Annwn

*One (1) Autographed Paperback copy of Alpha, Vol 2 of the Diaries of the Cŵn Annwn

***

# of Winners for this stop: 4

An Introduction to the World of the Negrescu Cŵn Annwn and the Anghelescu Hellhounds

Back in 2013, three friends from the world of Facebook role-play started work on an original story, born of the imagination of one with the character interactions developed with the help of others. Over time further contributors joined them. Some stayed and some left, but amongst it all, they realised that a story drawing in creatures from Welsh and Celtic legend, European paganism and Sumerian myth was going to be much longer than the single book they had thought might be possible. Fast forward to 2016, and, to date, the three friends have produced two books, with a third due for publication later in the year, and sufficient material for ten books in total (so far!).

What if those legends and deities of old had been more than stories? What if they walked the world of today? And one for all the conspiracy theorists … what if they continued to protect us, hidden in the shadows? Do they guide us, or are we masters of our own destinies?

And here are some other thoughts to ponder. Why are Hellhounds always the bad guys? Could paranormals not follow ‘type’ and what would happen if they did? Nostradamus is said to have predicted many events of the modern era, so what if there was a plan to counter some of those events? Religions rise and fall. What causes that?

So many questions, and so many possibilities. Yes, my stories have romances, but they have action also. I wanted to weave my love of history, with my love of paranormal possibilities in with those ideas, and hey presto, the worlds of the Negrescu Cŵn Annwn and the Anghelescu Hellhounds was born.

I hope you enjoy what you see, and perhaps you might be tempted to hit the Buy button for one of the books. Volumes 1 and 2 are available on a variety of e-book outlets. Volume 3 is being edited for publication by the end of this month.

And, if you want an insight into Fane Anghelescu, then check out the 3-part interview on the contents list. https://huntersarrowcouk.wordpress.com/2016/08/01/an-interview-with-fane-anghelescu/

Bound, Vol 1 of the Diaries of the Cŵn Annwn

Fane Anghelescu cares only for two things: his sister, Roxana, and the Hellhound Pack that he would make his own. His desire to protect both defined him, drove him. Establishing Chain and Sprocket, a motorbike customisation shop and bar with Roxana enabled him to blend in with the human world ‘topside’. From there, he could continue to serve his Queen of Hell, to whom he had sworn Bound-LowRes-KDP himself body and soul in return for his sister’s safety. What more did he need?

Stefania Anghelescu fled the Hellhound Pack of her birth and wandered the human world for over fifty years, hiding her true nature as a Hunter. Circumstances drive her to return ‘home’, only to find that her birth Pack has changed. A new Alpha rules. And, he wants answers from his ‘missing’ Hunter.

A Hellhound Alpha with questions. A Hellhound Hunter reluctant to give answers. A jealous Queen of Hell. Enemies who want nothing more than to annihilate them all. No problem. Life for Fane and Stefania was going to become a whole lot more interesting.

“Bound” is the first volume in The Diaries of the Cŵn Annwn, a series of paranormal romance and adventure loosely based on Welsh legends. Dare you walk in our world?

“Bound”, Volume 1 of The Diaries of the Diaries of the Cŵn Annwn
currently free on Kindle Unlimited

Amazon.com $4.99: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B016TQFBNY

Amazon.co.uk £3.99: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B016TQFBNY

Alpha, Vol 2 of the Diaries of the Cŵn Annwn

Can a Welsh legend be relevant in the modern world?

“I have walked this world for 410 years, with 170 years having pas Alpha-Ebook-Smashwords sed since I assumed the role of Alpha of the Cwn Annwn. In that time, I have seen the world change dramatically. I have found my Mate. I have lost close family and throughout, I have remained true to my promise to my Goddess.”

“I harvest souls.”

Gabriel Black, born of the Cwn Annwn, must find his Mate or face losing his sanity. The question is can he remain true to his Goddess as the world around him changes? Is his Pack even needed? Surely mankind has evolved?

“Alpha” is the second volume of “The Diaries of the Cwn Annwn”, a series based on the Welsh legends of the Cwn Annwn and the Ddraig Goch, relating the story of Gabriel and his Pack, as they try to remain true to themselves in an ever-changing world.

“Alpha”, Volume 2 of The Diaries of the Diaries of the Cŵn Annwn

Amazon.com $4.99: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01ENZ972O

Amazon.co.uk £3.47: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B01ENZ972O

Smashwords $4.99: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/631708

Fane calls time on The Interview

The last response from Fane made me think that perhaps he was willing to reveal more about himself. After all, at the end of Bound all that we knew of him was that Roxana had died, and he had split his Pack from his former Queen, binding them to himself instead. Surely there was more to come. The change in Chain & Sprocket hinted at that much.

So, it led to the ‘obvious’ question off the list which I had submitted to the Hellhound Alpha. “My final question …” I was not willing to admit that I felt I had managed well just to reach this point. I cleared my throat. “My final question is this. How do you feel about your life right now? What, if anything, would you like to change?”

I told myself that the last thing I could show right now was fear, but then I forgot one key thing. Fear is what Hellhounds can scent from their prey, and the way that Fane’s eyes narrowed, that infinitesimal flare of his patrician nose, and that slowly, so slowly, growing smile, all of them told me that I could try all that I wish, but the Hellhound Alpha sitting in the really quite small office with me could not only smell my fear but he relished in that scent. Nectar to a bee. That would be it.

“What the fuck are you? Some kind of agony aunt? Or do you just have a fucking death wish, human?” The smile was more than just a hint now.

“Do you appreciate what it means that I have broken my oath of loyalty to my former Queen? Let me explain Hellhound politics to you. If you thought human elections could be cut-throat and full of vituperation, you have never seen the Hellhound version.”

“Well, I know it was an oath, so does that make you some kind of oath-breaker and thus a sort of outlaw?” I was taking a guess, if he said it could be worse that some of the anger and hatred generated during a political campaign.

“Hellhounds are created with one purpose and one purpose only: we exist to serve our Queens. We are their bodyguards and we are the ones who provide their food in the negative human emotions. The Queen’s Alpha conveys that ‘food’ to her, and in return, either she will share some of that bounty with her pack, or … other things might happen.”

I had heard rumours of those ‘other things’, and certainly, Fane showed no signs of impairment. Then again, after nearly six months since seeing his Queen, it was not surprising that he would have healed.

“I tore my Pack from our former Queen. Not just said, see you later. I tore us from her service. The Pack is now bound to me, through my use of blood magic: my own blood and that of my late sister, Roxana.” Fane’s voice had taken on a patient tone, almost like he was explaining to a child. I was too fascinated to take offence that he might consider me as such.

“With the energy that my Pack generates now flowing into me, I am the sole beneficiary, but it is a positive feedback loop. What they generate, I refine and feed back to my Pack. You humans might say “You scratch my back, I will scratch yours”. So, how do I feel abut my life right now? Pretty fucking good.” I had the impression that there was more.

“I will give you this much, human.” Fane leaned back in his chair, the leather squeaking under him. I jumped when a cat, incongruously wearing a leather vest, jumped up on the desk, before I recognised the workshop pet, Thing. Fane laughed at the visible sign of my tension. “It’s only a fucking cat, human.” He seemed to find this more than just amusing.

“I will admit that there are things I wish to change. But …” Again there was that smile. “… the point of this interview is that you find out about me, and I reveal just enough that it might tempt someone to read more about me. Am I correct?”

Fane sat up, leaning towards me, steepling his fingers, elbows on his knees. “Suffice it to say, there will be a couple of fairly major changes to the Anghelescu Pack in the very near future.” Again that smile. “Some fairly major changes.” He repeated. “They will involve all my Pack, not just me. Also, you may be certain that my former Queen is not going to just give up on my being her Alpha. She needs me as much as I might have needed her in the past. Roxana used to call me the ‘fucking Energizer Bunny’, and that is at least part of what I am to her. But I have also set a dangerous precedent. I broke free from my Queen, and my Pack thrives despite us not having a Queen to lead us.”

He smiled. The smile was wider. “Think about that, human. My Pack is thriving. We will continue to thrive and our former Queen will not enjoy any of that power. Do you really think she will let bygones be bygones.” He sat back in the chair again, watching me, waiting for my reaction.

The swallow was inadvertent, I swear it was. “I suppose when you put it that way, no, I doubt she will let you just continue on your merry way.” My voice was quiet. From what I knew, his former Queen was beyond vicious, and in breaking away, Fane had harmed both her power base and her reputation. Shit hitting the fan was an understatement. There was also the unknown of his relationship with Stefania, whom I understood had been appointed temporary Pack Beta following Roxana’s death. “She’s going to come after you, is that what you mean?”

“State the bleeding obvious, why don’t you, human.” Fane’s tone was derisive to say the least. “Of course she will come after me. She will want me back in service. More than that, she will want me to be her obedient slave. If she succeeds, anything she did to me before will seem mild in comparison.” Again that smile, the relish in the challenge facing him. “Having enjoyed six months of freedom, I have no intention of becoming a slave again. Of that you may be certain.”

Standing, he moved to the door. “Interview is over.”

Fane Anghelescu speaks out …

Part 2 of An Interview with Fane Anghelescu, Alpha Hellhound

Fane’s stare was really quite unnerving, I decided. I knew that he had only recently lost his sister, roughly five months ago, and that she had been the reason why he had sworn himself to serve his Queen. Yet, here he sat, no longer in service to her, clearly very much in control of the situation. While his sister had lived, the motorbike workshop had produced the sort of typical custom motorbikes seen all around the USA. It had been a convenient cover for their activities. Yet in under six months, it was clear that the business had undergone a significant change. The British bikes? Where had that come from? I knew enough about them to know that what was in the showroom represented a small fortune to collectors of specific marques.

Again, a brow twitched as Fane took a long drink from his own mug of coffee. “Well, I am waiting. You asked for this interview, remember?”

I nodded. Yes, that I had, but my curiosity had been piqued. Also, his attitude. I mean, he is all about the brooding hero. Clearly he wasn’t the typical Hellhound, because of what had happened between him and Stefania along with his reaction to his sister’s death. But that attitude, bordering on a non-verbal ‘piss off’, it also raised my own hackles. The number of times had I had sat facing a customer with that same ‘I am seeing you under sufferance only’ attitude, and yes, I was going to react just as I had with customers. It was a challenge to me, plain and simple.

I indicated the bikes out in the showroom. “So, are the British bikes an indication that you have changed Chain & Sprocket to your preference, rather than your sister’s choice?” It was sort of one the questions on my original list, but not the exact wording.

The mug of coffee slammed down. “That was not on your list of questions, human.” The attitude took a downhill slide very abruptly. “That was the deal. I would answer a selection of questions from your list.”

“So, is this reaction part of the impression that you wish to make on people when they first meet you?” Hey, what’s the worst he could do to me, I asked myself? Well, other than kill me.

Fane stood. Standing upright he was intimidating. The step forward towards me made him even more so. “You really seem to struggle with this concept that I … am … a … Hellhound.” He smiled. A cold smile. A killer’s smile. “I could lose my temper, but that would mean that I would set the smoke alarms off. Humans do make a lot of smoke when they burn, you know?” From snarling to a pleasant conversational tone. Jekyll and Hyde much indeed, I thought, recalling how Stefania had described him in “Bound”.

“Clearly you like to intimidate.” I was recalling the way I had stood up to one of my teachers in school, when my class-mates thought he was going to tear into me. I may have been shaking inside then, just like I was now, but damned if I was going to show it. “Do you maintain that attitude once someone knows you more?”

For a moment, Fane glared at me, before he resumed his seat. He took another long slurp from his coffee mug. “You are ballsy; I will give you that.” He commented. “So, yes, in answer to your question. I like to push people on a first meeting. It is interesting to see how they react. Do they expect a stereotypical Hellhound Alpha, or do they know that I am playing them? You know a bit like a cat plays with a mouse.” He scrunched up a sheet of paper into a ball, tossing it from one hand to another. “You know, bat you around, a bit like this paper, until …” The ball of paper was dropped to the floor, and the decidedly large biker boot landed on it with a resolute thud. “… until bam! Squashed.” He smiled, that predator’s smile. “Or maybe not. Maybe I will be nice. Maybe I will let you walk out of that door.” He picked up the squashed paper ball, and tossed it into the bin. “Next question.”

“Right.” I nodded. “So, what’s the worst thing that’s happened in your life? What did you learn from it?” I tapped the stylus on the top of my iPad. “I am going to take a guess it was something to do with your sister.”

“Very clever, human. You are right. The worst thing was the realisation that I didn’t have to swear myself into the virtual slavery of being an Alpha in service to a former bride of the Hunter.” Another pause as he drank from the coffee mug. “My dam raised me in the expectation that I had what it took to be an Alpha. She knew that much. But, she believed that the only way for me to be an Alpha was to swear my oath the our now former Queen. Until Roxana died, that was my belief also. But, what I didn’t allow for was that my sister was also a Hellhound. We are not some pathetic Hollywood wolf-shifter species. We are Hellhounds. My sister was more than capable of protecting herself. The question is whether I would have learnt enough without the Queen’s training of me to beat Aurelija and take the title of Alpha?”

“And the second part of the question? What did you learn from it?” I was dogged in my determination.

“What did I learn from the experience?” I learned that I must know my Pack. I must know their capabilities and I must be ready to trust that, with the correct encouragement, they will act in the way that I need them. Then again, if Roxana hadn’t made her opposition to my former Queen so clear, would the bitch have killed her?” He gave another bark of laughter. “I might still be in service to her. Now there’s a thought.”

An interview with Fane Anghelescu

I will admit it. I was as nervous as hell at the prospect of interviewing Fane Anghelescu, the Alpha of the Anghelescu Hellhounds. I mean, he’s a Hellhound for crying out loud. They are seriously bad guys in just about every book that features Hellhounds, and I was going to interview the Pack Alpha? I must have been tripping when I agreed to that one.

The inspiration behind the ‘look’ of Fane Anghelescu

Must calm down, I thought to myself as I pulled up outside of Chain & Sprocket. As a concession, he had agreed that the interview could take place in his office at the workshop. That was a concession? It could have been loaded with stereotypes: dirt, grease, tough and scary bikers, not to mention the other members of his Pack. Instead, the place was almost surgically clean, the floor scoured. The door opened into a showroom of sorts, with the British classic bikes on display, each one lovingly surrounded by a protective rope. Perish the thought that anyone might touch them, clearly. Pride of place went to a Vincent, and I had to admit to drooling over this thing of beauty. This was THAT BIKE, the one that Fane’s former Queen had given him when he had first become Alpha. It seemed strange in some respects that he had kept it, but then again, it was a thing of beauty … Did I mention that I was nearly drooling?

Approaching the counter, I was met by the smiling visage of Bhavita, herself almost a myth. This was the woman whom Fane had hired as the business’ desk jockey, at the time when he was a confirmed hater of humans. She was the face of the business. She had stood up to some fairly formidable individuals. Fiercely loyal to her employer, she had been responsible for his changing attitude to humans. According to all the books, Hellhounds see humans as little more than a food source; they are prey, and little more than that. Yet this individual had changed that, at least as far as Fane was concerned.

The question was would I meet the human hater, or would I meet the reformed Hellhound?

I had been asked to submit a list of the questions I wished to ask. No problem there, but what I didn’t know was which questions off my list he would deign to answer. And make no mistake, when Bhavita showed me through to his office, ‘deign’ was the correct word. Standing 6ft 7in tall, dressed casually in leather trousers, bike boots and a grey cotton t-shirt, there was no doubt about him being an Alpha. I could not help but wonder how anyone might be deluded into thinking that he was subservient to anyone, even if she was a former Queen of Hell. Well, let the fun and games begin.

The grin was all predator as he waved me to a chair. Bhavita shut the door behind her. To my surprise, Fane made me a cup of coffee. He didn’t bother asking how I took my coffee. It was a case of drink what you are given and be glad of it. Just as well I drank black coffee then. Taking a seat, he stretched his legs out in front of himself. That’ll be a 33″ or 34″ inside leg easily, I thought. He had a half smile on his face. He knew I was nervous. Damn him. Okay, I could do this. I have been in sales for nearly 20 years. Asking questions is my job. Eliciting information is my job. So, how bad could this be?

“I hope you brought your list of questions with you.” Damn, even his voice rippled with the sort of power that made it clear that he was the boss, the one in control. “Unsurprisingly, I won’t be answering them all.” He gave a bark of laughter. “You honestly expected to ask me if I believed in God?” He shook his head, clearly thinking that I had given an excellent example of the idiocy of the human species. “I am a Hellhound, or did you forget that little detail? Your Christian ideal of God is nothing, a neophyte in comparison to those with whom I must interact.” He took a sip from his own mug of coffee. “So, you may ask your questions. I will tell you if it is one I have chosen to answer.” A raised brow was all the indication he gave of his readiness.

TO BE CONTINUED

Taking Part … Newbie’s Version

Gulp! I have just signed up to my first ‘Blog Block Party’. And cue … panic … and breathe … I can do this, really I can.

Mini-panic over, so what I am I hoping to achieve. Well, it would mean that hopefully, on one day in August, my humble little blog will hopefully have a few more visitors and maybe some of them might even take a look at my books. I am willing to try. And, of course, there will be prizes, so that’s something else to look out for.

$5 or £5 Amazon Gift Card
$5 or £5 iTunes Gift Card
Signed copy of “Bound”, Volume 1 of the Diaries of the Cŵn Annwn
Signed copy of “Alpha”, Volume 2 of the Diaries of the Cŵn Annwn

So that makes four potential winners for this particular blog stop, and more to the point, I am willing to post the signed book copies out to the USA, given that I am in the UK.

I have the blurbs for each of my books. Those lovely Facebook memories reminded me that two years ago, I decided to take all those bits of stories that I had written over the years and turn them into proper novels, but even that stage wouldn’t have happened were it not for the encouragement of my two friends, Tracy Andrews and Donna DeBoard.

On several of the writing groups that I have subscribed, the question is asked time and again on the differences between self-publishing and traditional publishing. I went down the route of self-publishing, not least because, having worked in sales for a couple of decades, I couldn’t see the point in giving away a portion of my royalty income to an agent. Agents have lots of clients generally. Yes, they have the names and connections, and if I was dependent on my book sales for income, I might see this as an advantage.

But, I am in the fortunate position that I do have another source of income, so it means that succeed or fail, it will be down to how much effort I am willing to put into the promotion of my books.

So, back to the original point. Little steps into that big wide world. I will look at it as I did the first demonstration I ever did to a customer. Well, less said about that one … The point was, as bad as it was, my customer bought from me. Two decades later, I am doing a job I love. My efforts will determine whether writing will remain something I enjoy and love.

#RRBC #RaveReviewsBookClub

Procrastinap … The Fine Art

Procrastination

Wonderful word: procrastinap. My son defined it for me as the ability to delay working on something by taking a strategic nap, or, in my case, indulging in something else … anything else, except what you are supposed to be doing.

In my case, the timely reminder was that my father asked me to sign a paperback copy of my book for him. My son was looking at the flyleaf and commented that the next book was due out in October 2016. That would be Beta, the story of the Negrescu Cwn Annwn Pack Betas and how they find their own Mates. There is a lot more to the story that that, but as the saying goes, buy the book to find out.

Procastinapping then. I have actually set myself the target date of end of August for Beta to be published. The joys of self-publishing. Why? My niece in Australia has finished reading both Bound and Alpha, and she wants more. So, at her instigation, I am trying to produce Beta a bit sooner. But, I need to translate it from the 1st person narrative in which it was written into 3rd person deep point of view (POV). That is not a quick process. I have done around 50,000 words of a 150,000 rough draft, but that still leaves me with 100,000 words to go. And that will just be the first draft of the 3rd person deep POV version.

Then the work starts. Leave it at around 150,000 words, or try to reduce it down to 120,000 or so, about the length of the other two books. More words means higher production costs for the paperback version. Decisions, decisions. So what is my solution? Out and out procrastination.

I was telling myself that it was all for a good cause. I was working on some of the later manuscripts: Ddraig, Anatarchi and the current work-in-progress, Cythraul. So it was good, it was all related. But it is not Beta. Any writer will tell you, this is a common problem. Not quite writer’s block, but still the same effect. The book on which I need to work is the one I am avoiding. I need to ‘get back in touch’ with the main character. That’s the problem. Once I am in the zone, when I can hear Bran’s deep voice echoing in my mind, the warmth, the feeling of ‘cwtch’ that he epitomises, then it will start to flow again. I will hear the music in his voice, the emotion, the love that he holds for those dear to him, coupled with the rage if anyone thinks to harm those dear to him.

Picture me smiling … That’s better. I can ‘feel’ Bran in my mind now. So, my friend, shall we talk further?

Turn the black dog to a puppy

So, I was in a foul mood earlier, but now … what made a difference? Yes, sending off my Appraisal form to the boss. Now I can forget about it until Friday.

Now I shall relax a bit, and turn my mind to my stress-relief, which is my writing, and in particular, pulling all the chapters of the last but one work in progress into one document. That way, I can keep an eye on consistency in the earlier books.

But that damn black dog. I don’t mind admitting it. My first encounter with yon black dog was just after my son was born, 22 years ago. Periodically, it rears its head again, that voice that tells me I am not good enough. Strange how it hits at appraisal time.

What can I do about it? I can ensure that the niggling voice which tells me I am not good enough is silenced, or at least pushed into the corner where it belongs. I can look at the feedback I receive from my friends and my family, the people whom I trust to be honest. They are the ones who matter to me.

Mental illness, depression, is still a taboo subject. Now, with employers putting more and more pressure on individuals, any weakness is something unwelcome. Don’t delude yourself that they care. All that matters is the bottom line. The ones that care are closer to home: your family, your true friends. They are the ones who will understand. So it took me a couple of decades to learn that lesson, but there you go.

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Finding my ‘oomph’ …

my-black-eyed-dog1

What is it about that time of year … The Annual Performance Review, a time for ‘the management’ to make themselves feel good. No, no! It is a time for you to put yourself forward, to show what you can do and what you have achieved. It is your time to shine, and to blow your trumpet, because the Gods know, no one else is going to do it.

Excuse me while I reach for the bucket/bin/paper bag …

In case I wasn’t clear, I hate the annual performance review, because after 20 years in sales, one thing has become apparent. A salesperson is hired to sell. Fail to achieve your target and it doesn’t matter one whit what else you have done, whether you have glowing references from your customers, whether someone else caused a problem. Fail to hit your sales target and you have failed. End of story.

The thing is, how do you take it? Sales is a tough game. Even tougher than it was when I started. I am a third-generation salesperson as well, courtesy of my grandfather in India and my father here. So, if anything could be send to be a part of my genetic material, it was a career in sales. Like I said, the field of sales in which I work has changed dramatically, and as this is written under my real name, that’s all I will say on that one. Other than last year, I did not hit my sales target.

The reasons don’t matter. What matters is what I will do about it.

I don’t mean what wonderful plans I will put in place, what projects I will set up. I don’t mean how much more proactive I will be in the follow up of those projects. I don’t mean whether I will let a setback be a problem or an opportunity to change the game plan.

Whoops! Need that bucket again …

Okay, what I will do is I will examine what went wrong, because if I didn’t achieve my target, then clearly something went wrong. To me, that was my innocent belief that somehow my colleagues and I are in this game together. To be blunt, no we are not. It is a lonely old world out there, and when it comes down to it, the only one who will look out for you is … you. So, big girl panties pulled up, and a tough dose of realism.

Whether you are trying to make it in a sales career, maintain the impetus in a sales career, advance up the career ladder, the message is still the same. Only you can make the difference in what happens. I am sure others will say they are there to support you, but if there was one lesson I learned in reviewing my performance for The Appraisal, it was that their support will disappear faster than snow on the Equator.

Rely on yourself. Simple as that. Your dream. Your reality.

So, you are a writer

Were there ever five words which are heard more than once or twice. And, let’s not forget that, because the cover implies romance, the next question: “Is it like …?”. I will leave out the name of THAT book.

Actually, I am not just a writer. I am a working mother and wife as well as being a writer. Ironically, more recently, the writing came about as a means of relieving stress and boredom as my day job requires more than a few nights away from home in hotels. I had long since thought that no one would want to read what I had written. It was just a schoolgirl’s fantasy, after all …

In to my Facebook messages dropped a note from someone who ran an online role-play group related to one of my own favourite authors, Sherrilyn Kenyon. Would I be interested in writing with their group? Cutting to the chase, I started to write the part of one of the Dark Hunters of Ms Kenyon’s creations, and much to my surprise, I discovered that people liked the way that I interpreted how he might react after the story in ‘his’ book.

Unfortunately, that group imploded for various reasons, and I started my own group, the very early stages of the Hunter’s Arrow. I was delighted when my writing partner from the role-play group decided to continue writing with me, and even more so when another writer from that group joined us.

It seemed that we ‘clicked’ as writing partners, as demonstrated by us writing a first draft of what would become Volume 3 of our series over the Christmas break of 2014. Who would guess that by 2016, we would be writing the first draft of Volume 9?

And now? Where are we now? Volume 9 “Cythraul” is progressing. Volume 3 “Beta” is being edited for publication in October 2016. We have three very gifted and creative younger writers who have joined our group. I have made friends with people around the world. Yes, some whom I had called friends have parted company, but that is life.

In answer to that question above: yes, the stories do contain sex. And no, it is not like that ‘other’ book. If you want to know more, then look up the titles on Amazon.com, Amazon.co.uk, Smashwords and iTunes.

What a week!

The difficult thing about writing stories which incorporate real news events is that some of those events can be fairly harrowing. As a result, this week, I needed to ‘take a break’, and do something not quite connected.

That little something was a bit more character development for what will be Volume 10. Omigosh! I am into double figures in terms of the number of volumes in the Diaries of the Cwn Annwn series.

So back to this character. Some of the author and writing sites which I use have discussed whether it is necessary to be ‘inclusive’ in your characters. For example, should you have a variety of types: white, black, Asian, American, British, European? The list is endless on that front alone. Add to that the question of should all the romances be M/F, or should you include M/M or F/F? If it is all M/F romance, is the male the stronger character or the female? Who takes the lead? Follow tradition or do something a bit different?

The character I chose to explore further this week is called Cerys. She was introduced in “Alpha”, but has not had much else to do in subsequent books. The issue I chose to use to explore her character more was related to something in the news, in that Cerys was living away from the Pack, in the UK, because of ‘something’ which happened in the USA, which meant that she was ‘revealed’ as a supernatural character. But, in “Alpha”, she is quite clearly a Sentinel, a soldier. So how would her character work if transplanted away from Pack? Would she miss them? Did she have friends elsewhere which in part compensated for her lack of Pack? Would she meet someone, her Mate perhaps?

So many questions, and attempting to find answers has been fascinating. I have encountered a few new writers as a result, and that has been part of the enjoyment. Suffice it to say that young Cerys has a surprise or two lurking for Volume 10. Best think of a name for the book then.