THE LADY
“Summer has filled her veins
with light and her heart is washed with noon.” C. Day Lewis
You'll wake in the morning to the wonderful smell
of waffles and coffee. The Lady will greet you with smiles as she sings along
with the radio and serve you a breakfast fit for royalty. She's a lovely young
woman with a love of life and a 1950s fashion sense.
But don't linger in the kitchen, no matter your
appetite. Just before noon, you might notice she has aged ten to twenty years.
Run now. You don't want to see The Lady in her midday form. She's at once
beautiful and terrifying, radiating golden light. This is when she's most
powerful and the least tolerant of those who vex her.
Before the sun sets, she takes on her final form:
a white-haired old woman that doesn't always make sense when she speaks. There
is wisdom hidden in her words, and maybe you'll spy a plate of brownies left on
the kitchen counter. She'll shuffle off to retire for the night and sleep as if
she does not exist.
Favorite line from The Lady: “I
do like that demon. It’s a pity he won’t come into my house. It’s not like I
bite the heads off my mates anymore.”
Tidbit from the author: The
Lady was inspired by the Slavic myth of Pscipolnitsa, the Lady Midday. She
could be a young girl, a beautiful woman in white, or an old hag. She would
bring heatstroke at noon to workers in the field and sometimes madness.
Erin Driscol works the perfect job consoling
fellow demons by feeding off their grief at Putzkammer & Sons Funeral Home.
When fledgling vampire Nicolas Reese comes to Erin for help, she learns the truth behind the legends and hides him from his sire and the vampire hunters who seek him. But when the Putzkammers begin to die one by one, Erin is caught between her act of kindness and the need to save her adopted family. Only by facing her own personal demons can she stop the slaughter and still rescue Nicolas from his dark fate.
When fledgling vampire Nicolas Reese comes to Erin for help, she learns the truth behind the legends and hides him from his sire and the vampire hunters who seek him. But when the Putzkammers begin to die one by one, Erin is caught between her act of kindness and the need to save her adopted family. Only by facing her own personal demons can she stop the slaughter and still rescue Nicolas from his dark fate.
About the author:
Christine Rains is a writer, blogger, and geek
mom. She's married to her best friend and fellow geek living in south-central
Indiana. They have one son who is too smart for his parents' own good and loves
to pretend he's Batman. Christine has four degrees which help nothing with
motherhood, but make her a great Jeopardy player. When she's not reading or
writing, she's going on adventures with her son or watching cheesy movies on
Syfy Channel. She's a member of Untethered Realms and S.C.I.F.I. (South Central
Indiana Fiction Interface). She has several short stories and novellas
published. Of Blood and Sorrow series is her first urban fantasy novel.
Please visit her website and blog.
You can also find Christine on Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest, and Goodreads.
You can also find Christine on Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest, and Goodreads.
Untethered Realms hosts #SpecFicChat on Third Fridays on Twitter.
Next chat begins March 20, 2015 at 4:00 p.m. GMT/12:00 p.m. EDT
Topic: Build a better hero/heroine.
Use #SpecFicChat to join the conversation any time.
The chat is ongoing.
33 comments:
She ages a lifetime every day? Now that's a freaky twist.
The Lady sounds like someone not to be messed with.
Thanks so much for hosting me today, Cherie. :)
The Lady is a bit freaky, Alex! Hehehe!
Nick, not at all!
I liked the cover, but the blurb did its job. I need to read this book :-)
Anna from Shout with Emaginette
Anna, thank you so much!
The Lady sound fascinating...and a bit creepy, a good combination. I love tour favorite lines!
Wow, that premise sounds awesome, Christine! Definitely keeping this book in mind for when I have more time!
Also, Cherie, I'll be checking out your story on Wattpad, too!
I would probably miss the lady every morning because I don't like getting up early and would have to deal with her other forms. But I guess if there's brownies... LOL
The 'anymore' at the end of Lady's line made me laugh. I love Christine's stories. I'll definitely be reading this one.
I loved the Lady, so it's great learning more about her, and the mythology that inspired her. Fascinating character! :D
Chrys, thanks! She can be a bit scary. Hehehe!
Shelley, thank you!
Patricia, I'm definitely not a morning person either, but I might be if I had someone cooking and cleaning for me!
Mary and Clare, thanks so much!
"a 1950s fashion sense" this made me giggle!
In other words, don't mess with her.
Ooh, I'm so intrigued by the Lady already. And how cool that she was inspired by a being from Slavic myth! It's always fun to see folklore incorporated in books somehow like that...
Awesome cover! So eye-catching! The synopsis sounds intriguing and I am definitely interested in reading this one. Thanks for sharing!
~Jess
Holly, it's just as hilarious to imagine it! :)
Diane, exactly!
Heather, I love learning about new folktales and how weird some foreign ones are.
DMS, thank you!
That's a really interesting
premise! I like that this "lady" is the personification of the problems people face in their everyday lives. And, vampires, too? Tips it over the top.
The Lady sounds pretty dang awesome. :-)
Cathy and Misha, thank you!
Ooh, love Christine's excerpt. Very spooky.
What a cool character! Definitely will have to read this book!
From the cover and blurb it surely sounds intriguing.
What a great and super creepy post! I'm totally freaked out by the Lady and also can't wait to read the book. Congratulations, Christine!!
While The Lady isn't the kind of genre I am usually interested in, I really would consider it. That bit got my interest!
Wow! That was a great intro for the Lady!
The Lady sounds very scary - in the best possible way! Congrats Christine!
Ooh! That sound fascinating! Great twist!
The Lady sounds intriguing and intense. Congrats to Christine.
Congratulations Christine!
Of Blood and Sorrow sounds chilling but thrilling!
I'm a sucker for myths! Christine's book sounds/looks amazing!
I age a lifetime everyday! I thought everyone did. Just kidding. Love the idea as long as it's fiction. Would hate to think about it in real life.
Sounds like such a fun book. Congratulations to Christine.
Post a Comment