A rant

Britney vs. Darragha

Britney is talented.
Darragha is talented.

Britney needs to lose weight. Maybe. Ok...Not really.
Darragha is losing weight.

Britney has some substance abuse problems.
Darragha's substance has problems. That's why she's losing weight.

Britney lost custody of her kids.
Darragha has a very good relationship with her daughter and made her French toast this morning before sending her off to work at the stable.

"Gimme More” debuted at number one on both the Billboard Hot 100 and the Hot Digital Songs charts, with 179,000 downloads.

"Mooncusser Cove" has sold 10 copies.

Does Darragha need to become a head-shaving, snatch-showing bad mother for people to buy her book?
If Britney cleans up her act will people stop downloading her music?

Gimme More, says Britney.
Please visit Mooncusser Cove! pleads Darragha

What's important?

We all have our soapbox to stand upon and shout into the crowd, about our cause. I have a personal cause, brought to life in my upcoming tale, "Polishing Saber" included in the vampire anthology "Of Flesh and Blood."

The destruction of Iceland's wilderness areas frightens the living daylights out of me.

Take a look at what will be destroyed in the name of "progress." http://www.inca.is/show/

My heart is bound to Iceland by the same unbreakable, magical fetters that subdued the Fenris Wolf in Norse Mythology. I cannot sit back idly and watch as the land I named my daughter for is destroyed and plundered. It is the last frontier of Europe. It is one of the few countries left in the world where belief in magic exists hand-in-hand with daily life.

I can't toss myself in the path of a bulldozer, but I can support those who are actively seeking non-violent measures to convince the developers and the Icelandic government to preserve, not destroy. There are solutions apart from strip-mining and raping of great tracts of land. Jobs will not be lost. Lives will be saved; generations will rejoice.

Thereby, I wish to donate 1/2 of all my royalties received for "Of Flesh and Blood"

to a group that will help support and save Iceland's wilderness areas.

You can do your part by buying the book when it comes out on October 8th! Who knew? Maybe ebooks can help save the world. Or at least some of it!

In addition, I will be holding a drawing for items related to my story, "Polishing Saber." No, I'm not giving away necropants. But I am giving away the magical stave to attract money to the user! In the form of a coffee mug!

I'm also going to give away a Runic necklace bearing the Helm of Awe (featured in my story "Spell-Crafted for Pleasure" in "A Witch in Time" anthology).

ENTER THE DRAWING BY POSTING ANYTIME BETWEEN 9/27/07 AND 10/31/07! BE SURE TO POST YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS (example: winner @ gmail. com) or EMAIL YOUR ENTRY TO darragha @ gmail. com (NO SPACES) USING THE SUBJECT HEADING: POLISHING SABER DRAWING.

Thank you for your support. I hope reading Polishing Saber inspires you to

A) find your own 18 year old Icelandic boy to roll in the hay;
B) take a trip to visit the land of fire and ice for yourself;
C) buy my other books because damn! they tickle your fancy;

Darr :)

Contest winner!

Robyn (yourstrulee@sasktel....) please contact me! You're the winner of the Mooncusser Cove handbag!

Thank you to all who participated. Look for another wonderful contest soon, in honor of my October 8th release: Of Flesh and Blood.

Darragha

Welcome to Mooncusser Cove!

Buy your copy here.
Now. Please.

In lieu of cyber-flowers and well-wishes for my speedy recovery from tomorrow's surgery, please feel free to rock my world and yours, by buying my new release!

Thank you,

Darragha :)

I love it.

A contest for Mooncusser Cove

I know a lovely lady who recently showed me a handmade purple and amber colored handbag. My favorite colors! I like handbags. They always fit when I try one on. I bought it, of course, and asked her to make me a special bag as a give-a-way item for "Mooncusser Cove."

This custom-made bag was created in a non-smoking home, with love, by Bev! It is shades of blue with silver and black accents, including cute little moon and star dangles and a star-shaped key fob.

The photos don't do it justice! Incidentally, my daughter is the model and not ten minutes before I snapped the photos on our back deck (hence, the mess), she'd been out with the horse, and was a bit grubby.

How to win this fabulous bag? How to win what I'll stuff it with? Why enter my contest, of course!

1) Join my Google Group! (optional...but...please do!)
2) Fill in the missing words: Born in 1863 to a wealthy coastal family, Vesper Highgate-Adaire was well on her way to becoming a first-rate ______ just like her mother. A ______of boots and brass off the bodies of wrecked sailors, in accordance with family traditions—the traditions of the Mooncusser clan. Traditions that changed after the wrecking of a ship befouled by an accursed sea captain—who in his twisted rage, shared his curse with the clan.

(Hint: you can Google the portion of the blurb in red.)

Survey Form

Name and email address What words are missing from the blurb?

This contest will run September 10-20. I'll announce the winners once I awaken from my lap-band surgery induced painkiller and anesthesia fog :)

One entry per email address, please.

And don't forget to buy your copy of Mooncusser Cove on September 17th (on sale 7pm Eastern)! Just think how happy I'll be to awaken from surgery on the 19th to happy, happy, joy, joy readers emailing me with well-wishes and praises of my new book! (Hint Hint)

Thank you,

Darragha

And April stepped in....

Leave it to April Martinez, the finest cover artist in all of e-bookdom to tweak one of my ads and make it sooooo much better.

I added the web addy. The rest is all April.

Bless her for taking the time!

Darr

Soft, cool moss and lovin' upon it

he put her down on soft cool moss
at the paling of the sky
the cool morning air
encompassing them
the shifter and his lady

lips pressing
tongues speaking
the sensual language of love
lives fusing on the loom of fate
a thread without an ending

like a distant harp
playing the winds of chance
making the streams of time unite
each stroke, each touch, each gentle caress

a symphony of early desires
and lives forever joined

pleasures deep

vibrations strong
to rock the very earth
the rhythmical, ancient magic
of the animal passion in us all

she cried aloud as he loosed her soul

and stole the treasures there
and with her swaying beneath his weight
they knew each other well

and so it was between them

of love so bold and spirits joined
by flesh and conscious binding
that even time could never
sever the bonds
of their reuniting

I wrote this poem, which my cousin set to music, a literal dark age ago. I wish you could hear Rod play it on his guitar. I must figure out how to upload a sound byte! Anywho..."The Orca King, II" uses snippets of this poem in the story. The naughty snippets. The above-poem has been modified from its original version--which was entitled "The Lady and the Bard" and was heavily tied into an unfinished tale of mine. Someday...

Here are some title idea for TOKII. I like the bolded titles best. What's your opinion?

Holding On for Deer Life (I'm kidding)

Magic Happens

An Avenue of the Heart

Bridging Gaps

The Bridge

By Her Scent Alone

Ruling the King

Exposing the Man, the Myth, the King

Man, Myth, King, Snark

Debunking the King

Magic Time

The Book Snark (The Orca King, II)

The Book Snark: An Orca King Tale

Man, Myth, Snark

Spoiler!

I'm using a "spoiler font" below to share a naughty excerpt from "The Orca King, II" which still doesn't have a "real" title yet. I'm pretty sure this scene will be re-written a bit, as it's kind of clunky, but what the heck: Enjoy! You do know how to work a spoiler font....right? (scroll your mouse down and highlight the big "white space" -- there's text hidden there)

Rule clenched her fists. I wish I could write! I hope I live to remember this! This would make one hell of a paranormal erotic romance.

Tommy encircled his lips around Tavis’ flaccid penis.

Rule thought she’d orgasm on the spot. She clenched her legs. It’s like watching Yaoi in the making, and it is freakin’ exciting! But neither of them is gay. Even better!

Tavis moaned again and gingerly moved one of his hands to Tommy’s head. Rule could see Tavis’ shaft swelling with each stroke of Tommy’s mouth. Tommy had good technique. When Tavis was fully erect, he pumped his strong right hand around the shaft so that the sensitive penile head could be quickly caressed in this mouth.

“You’re enjoying this, aren’t you? I can see your bulge from here,” Rule said.

Tommy lifted his mouth from Tavis’ penis. “It’s not about that—but yes, I am enjoying it.”

“Well, I’m enjoying it. Are you going to do him, too? Roll him over and give him what-for?” Rule asked.

Admitting to a crush

I think Anthony Bourdain of Food Network and The Travel Channel fame is freakin' handsome. He is the "bad boy" I'd like to write about someday. He is so deliciously naughty. I DVR "No Reservations." If he didn't smoke, he would be perfect. However, the ciggies only ad to his "bad boy" image.

He is hysterically evil. A snark of cooks.

I loved his No Reservations in Iceland. As an Icelandophile, I relish the adventurous palates of those who try the rather uniquely gruesome traditional dishes of descendants of Vikings.

more ad proofs

How about these ones?

Ad Sense

Left= Ad No. 1
Right= Ad No. 2

Which ad catches your eye first?
Which ad would make you say, "Hey, I'm going to go buy that book right now!"
Which ad makes you wonder if there are nekkid land pirates ravaging coastal shores?

Please vote in the poll to your right.

Thanks!

Darr

Excerpt: The Orca King, II

Tommy smiled slyly. "I suppose, beings that I am the perfect romance novel hero, that I should say make love to me, Rule. Make love to me and the world will fall into place as the stars move across the heavens. But that wouldn't really help the situation now, would it? I kind of think an old-fashioned ass whooping is in order, actually."

Rule shook her head. "Yeah, no. It wouldn’t help. I am fresh out of magic vaginas. No part of me save my wit and willingness will help you stop the slaughter of deer on this island."

"How's your bladder working these days?" Tommy asked. "I need to leave a scent trail that will force the deer onto Mt. Constitution. Where we met, that fire break re-christened Lover's Lane, is where I need to finish, you know, to close the circle I've been making that will force the deer away from the cull-zone.” Tommy paused, the words at the tip of his tongue. “Rule, would you like to urinate in the forest with me tonight?"

"I'm not into water sports." Rule laughed nervously. Tommy didn't seem to get her joke.

"I don't mean it to sound crass or strange--but human urine will scare away deer. Not all of the deer on this island are magical beasts."

“If you’re the alpha stag, why can’t you just order them to Mt. Constitution?” Rule asked.

“Because they are deer. You can’t reason with deer. You have to get them to act instinctively.”

Hell cat

Photo caption: Hi. I'm Teague. I'm 12 weeks old and nothing is sacred. And I mean


N O T H I N G.

Of Flesh and Blood-April Martinez has got us covered

Coming in October from Liquid Silver Books
A vampire trilogy "Of Flesh and Blood"

From Darragha Foster: Polishing Saber
These ain't your mama's Carpathians, baby!

From Tina Holland: Dealing with the Dead
Vampires, Werewolves and Zombies - OH MY

From Celine Chatillion: Blood Betrayal
One fatal night in Istanbul will change Vlad's afterlife forever. Can he abide a "Blood Betrayal?"

I am officially not crazy

I passed the psych eval necessary as a part of the pre-op scenario before having lapband surgery today. I realize many of you might disagree as to the status of my mental health, but if nothing else, I can share this: NOT telling a psychologist that you enjoy covering yourself in green Jel-O is a good thing :)

I have a tentative date of September 19th scheduled. After tomorrow, after I meet the surgeon and he determines whether or not I need a sleep study, the date will get set in stone.

Darr

Currently reading....

I am currently reading Roxy Harte's "Sacred Revelations" the sequel to "Sacred Secrets." Roxy's writings bring out such strong emotions in me. I think that's the point of her books, too.

I'm also reading "Plenty: a year of eating locally." Not sure I could give up coffee, which is far from local unless you live where it is grown. No coffee is the same problem I had with Sacred Secrets. The heroine in that book had to give up coffee, too. I was screaming, "Give that woman her cup of coffee!" at my computer screen. By the time I finish "Plenty" I bet the author's husband will have screamed the same phrase a time or two.

Coffee. The tie that binds.

Darr