Guest Post: Mortality Counts By Dianna Hardy

A 'Witching Pen' guest post - Mortality Counts
By Dianna Hardy

In The Witching Pen trilogy, the stories were very much about a specific group or set of people (as well as an ethos set by the existence of the pen). The Last Dragon throws that on its arse and demands we ask the question again: who or what is this book really about?

New characters were introduced at the end of The Demon Bride (book three of The Witching Pen), namely Lucifer, Morgana and Abaddon… but is The Last Dragon about them?

We still have our main characters: Karl, Elena, Amy and Pueblo, and they are really coming up against some huge challenges … so is the book about them?

But there are also two specific characters that didn't get so much airplay in the previous books: Katherine and Paul.

They are the older mortal characters. They represent the mothers and fathers, and those that have lived through birth, death and rebirth. They represent humanity in all its vulnerability, and while the apocalypse is happening around them - while immortal beings are agitated and the more young, fully able humans try to find their place in the new world - our older, "weaker" characters offer a quiet strength that is borne of experience and mortality.

While The Witching Pen books had a bit of a "young" vibe about them, The Last Dragon is written in a slightly different way and encompasses an older feel to reflect the maturity present: the world has entered an apocalypse. It's time to grow up.

So, what is The Last Dragon about? It's not about a person, or a set of characters. Among other things, it is about rebirth through experience, and the strength to adapt through acceptance. And that acceptance only comes through living in your mortality.

Oh, and there's a whole bunch of other stuff that happens too ;)

The Last Dragon (dark, adult urban fantasy) is released on 4th October. It is highly recommended that you read The Witching Pen trilogy first (paranormal romance) as The Last Dragon begins where the trilogy leaves off.

All info about the series, can be found at The Witching Pen.

About the Author:

Author of The Witching Pen and the international bestselling Eye Of The Storm series. Dianna combines a titillating mix of paranormal romance and urban fantasy into her writing to bring you stories that are action-packed, fast-paced and not short of heat, with the focus on both character development and the plot. She writes both full-length novels and short fiction. All further info can be found at Dianna Hardy's Website

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Amazon | Google + | The Witching Pen website

Giveaway:

Surprise Dianna Hardy Mini Swag pack to one lucky winner, International

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Promo Blast: The Three Kitties That Saved My Life By Michael Meyer

The Three Kitties That Saved My Life
by Michael Meyer
Inspirational Romance
Categories: Memoir, Love and Loss
Publisher: Pacific Books
Release Date: April 23, 2013
Heat Level: Sweet
Length: 134 pages

Available at:
Amazon B&N

Description:
AN UPLIFTING TRUE STORY OF LOVE

Losing loved ones is an awful fact of life; losing one's loving spouse, one's day-to-day partner through life, especially in the prime of life, is one of the most unbearable tolls that we humans are forced to endure. This is the true story of my journey from grieving widower, not caring if I lived or died, to the once-again happily married man I am today, a man who both loves and cherishes life. My three kitties have given me a new zest for living.

Both inspiring and entertaining, my story might just make you laugh at times, or bring a tear to your eye, as you journey along with me.

Excerpt:

What a difference a week makes, a gigantic difference in our case. Kitty and I had made a decision, in one week, that would change both our lives completely.

Kitty's daughter and son-in-law greeted me as if they had known all about me for months and years. They were both so gracious and accepting. In fact, Kitty's entire family, just as my sisters had been, were completely accepting of our decision to marry, and only after having known each other for a week. Nobody seemed one bit surprised by the extremely short-and almost unheard of-time frame.

Kitty and I were the complete opposite of the norm. We had both literally fallen in love with each other at first sight, and then we had acted upon this. The most common reaction we heard from others after telling them about our whirlybird romance, after expressions of "Wow!" was something to the effect that people can certainly tell when they meet The One. Our friends and acquaintances all seemed to be rather in awe of us, that we could find the perfect life partner in such a short time. It was as if we were held up on a pedestal. Our story was told over and over. People ate it up.

Kitty and I had both been teens back in the 60's, and now we had found love once again in our sixties. We both knew in a heartbeat that we had found the soul mate we had been seeking, and this was clear to all those around us. Smiles were everywhere.

Kitty's mom, dad, sisters, daughter and son-in-law that night upon my return from Monterey immediately treated me as one of the family. It was as though Kitty and I had dated for a year or longer, and that they had all met me numerous times and were thrilled by what they knew about me and by the fact that their daughter, sister, and mother was marrying the perfect man, a guy they all knew so well.

To say that it was an amazing turn-around for both of us, Kitty and me, who one week before had not really known one another, was to put it way too simply. What was happening was almost unheard of: it was the mother of romances, one that even the greatest of novelists would surely have difficulty pulling off for their readers.

We were married less than three months after our engagement, which, of course, had come a week after having dated for the very first time. We decided to invite only our families and our next-door neighbors, our dear friends, who were like family to us.

Kitty's sister wanted to perform the ceremony. We found out that she could be commissioned, after a bit of training and paperwork, to serve as a county commissioner to officiate at one in-county marriage ceremony. Since we wanted a small, family-only ceremony, this was wonderful news to us.

We checked out a variety of sites around town, but finally decided to have our marriage ceremony in our own home, with all of our loved ones surrounding us. And why not? After all, isn't it true that home is where the heart is?

About the Author:

Mike Meyer recently retired from 40-year career as an English professor. He literally taught at universities throughout the world: Thailand, Saudi Arabia, the Virgin Islands, and he spent the last 24 years of his teaching career at a California community college. He lives in Southern California wine country with his wife, Kitty, and their two adorable rescue cats. Contact Mike on Facebook.

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