Friday Flash Fiction

Amy C at Romance Book Wyrm and Dottie atTink's Place have come up with the idea for a Monday Morning Flash Fiction challenge. Each Monday a new picture prompt will be posted and if you choose to participate - you publish your Fiction Flash  on Friday - 350 words, give or take. Below you can find the picture posted last Monday:

It will be Tanisia's story part four...but really looking at this great picture of a ginger-haired beauty I had some problems with the continuation. Nevertheless I tried to make the best of it. The previous parts can be found clicking on the label "friday flash fiction", in the bottom right hand corner. Enjoy!

She has been standing motionless for almost two hours. She was supposed to look straight ahead in a pensive, romantic way but right now she was looking plain annoyed. Small wonder. Her legs were aching, she had a stitch, she was thirsty and, at the same time, she needed to visit the toilet. How much grief can a woman take, let alone a witch in disguise?

She had been told repeatedly that during the exclusive modelling session she could speak only if she was spoken to by the maestro himself, in order not to distract his muse. Or whatever he needed to create priceless works of art. She tried to endure as long as she had to. Tanisia the witch reduced to nothing more than a mute prop. Why didn't the maestro have a decency to find himself a life-sized doll for a model? It wouldn't need a drink or emptying its bladder and it certainly wouldn't utter a word, even if spoken to. On the other hand Tanisia's task would have been much harder then.

Being chosen as a model was not easy to start with. Tanisia practically was forced to wheedle that stupid but fashionable artist  into letting her be his prop. She had to smile, charm and buy him drinks and flirt with him  saying nice things about his paintings, she even had to dye her blond hair ginger to meet his requirements. The competition, surprisingly, was fierce. Then he made her wear that ridiculous, clinging, white gown whith low neckline, which almost exposed her breasts in their full glory. As soon as she put it on he started leering at her in a most obnoxious way until finally he had the decency to hide his face and the rest of his ugly self behind a rather  impressively big canvas and paint. That's what an artist is supposed to do, right?

 All that circus was arranged just to enable Barnabas, who played the role of an doting older brother, an easy access to the household. The artist's house was heavily guarded. Officially the warlock was a  chaperone to Tanisia; in reality the situation enabled him to steal that precious, magical watercolour with the Fallen in the meantime without creating much fuss. It was supposed to be a fail-proof, brilliant plan, nice and easy. What took Barnabas so long, though? As far as Tanisia was concerned, the meaintime was getting definitely long in the tooth.

Barnabas was supposed to find that picture he coveted so much, knock on the door thus saving her from any prolonged period of unprofitable hardship and get away under any pretext with Tanisia following his suit. So far, apparently, he haven't done either of these. Tanisia didn't doubt that it was another act of his premeditated cruelty she has been enduring since her enslavement. Let's face it - whereas Barnabas never tortured, punched or even slapped her directly and, to her slight surprise, never forced her to sleep with him against her will, he knew how to make her pay for her bungled assassination attempt time and again. In thousands possible ways. His instinct, telling him what she disliked the most, was simply uncannily correct - as if he could read her mind or knew her very well. Every time he discovered he might make her suffer a bit more, he never hesitated to do so. Right now, he was undoubtedly prolonguing her torment by keeping her longer than necessary in the role of a model or rather an object, a prop. She hated it with all her might. He must have known it from the very beginning.

At long last Tanisia decided enough was enough. First she stirred slightly and cleared her throat. No reaction. Then she dared to say tentatively:

"Maestro, could we just have a tiny little break so you might...refresh yourself?"

Nothing. Apparently such subtleties were lost on the maestro.

"Honestly that is being simply silly. You can't keep me like that forever, you old fool," shouted Tanisia.

Too angry to wait for an answer she threw the red, embroidered coat on the floor and stepped from the dais on which she had been standing. She went closer to the canvas, fully prepared for an angry confontation, looked behind it and gasped. The painter, slouched in his armchair, was so obviously dead she didn't even have to touch him. She glanced at the painting. During these two hours he didn't paint one single line or dot. Tanisia started to sweat with fear. Something was off.

"Barnabas!"

No answer, just silence ringing in her ears. Then she heard the rush of wings and some weak moaning. Something definitely went wrong and she was on her own to find out what and why. As usual.

Thoughtful Thursday, 14 of July

Welcome to Thoughtful Thursday!

This week my question is deceptively easy: why do you read? What do you look for in a book? Is it an escapism pure or simple or something beyond that ? What is more important to you: an interesting plotline, great philosophical remarks, characters you can relate to, action-packed plot or maybe just those steamy sex scenes and never-ending HEAs ? 

Here are some quotes and pics I found about reading and liked enough to post here:

“To read is to fly: it is to soar to a point of vantage which gives a view over wide terrains of history, human variety, ideas, shared experience and the fruits of many inquiries.”  A C Grayling, Financial Times (in a review of A History of Reading by Alberto Manguel)

“The things I want to know are in books; my best friend is the man who'll get me a book I ain't read.”  Abraham Lincoln

"She understood now why her friend Elizabeth, with her near-genius, analytical mind gave wide berth to murder mysteries, psychological thrillers, and horror stories, and read only romance novels. Because, by God, when a woman picked up one of those steamy books, she had a firm guarantee that there would be a Happily-Ever-After. That though the world outside those covers could bring such sorrow and disappointment and loneliness, between those covers, the world was a splendid place to be."

—Karen Marie Moning

“To read a writer is for me not merely to get an idea of what he says, but to go off with him and travel in his company.” - Andre Gide “Give me a man or woman who has read a thousand books and you give me an interesting companion. Give me a man or woman who has read perhaps three and you give me a dangerous enemy indeed.” - Anne Rice, The Witching Hour “Reading is sometimes an ingenious device for avoiding thought.” - Arthur Helps “No matter how busy you may think you are, you must find time for reading, or surrender yourself to self-chosen ignorance.” - Confucius “The reading of all good books is like conversation with the finest men of the past centuries.” - Descartes “I find television very educating. Every time somebody turns on the set, I go into the other room and read a book.” - Groucho Marx “The man who does not read good books has no advantage over the man who can't read.” - Mark Twain “I divide all readers into two classes: Those who read to remember and those who read to forget.” - William Phelps “All the best stories in the world are but one story in reality -- the story of escape. It is the only thing which interests us all and at all times, how to escape.” - Arthur Christopher Benson

Mini summer review: Mark of the Demon (Kara Gillian 01) by Diana Rowland

Book info:

Mass Market Paperback: 384 pages

Publisher: Bantam (June 23, 2009)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0553592351
ISBN-13: 978-0553592351
Genre: urban fantasy, paranormal romance, crime story
Target audience: adult


Synopsis:

Kara Gillian a recently promoted homicide detective, in her free time summons demons. Her job gives her a sense of belonging, her hobby – an adrenaline rush sufficiently thrilling to make her forget some dark experiences from the past, like a rape at the age of eleven or a period of drug abuse or the premature death of her parents. Well, who said that demons are safer than drugs, though? Certainly not Kara.

In her small Louisiana town called Beaulac strange murders have happened and the perpetrator, known only as the Symbol Man, has never been caught. Now it seems he or she returned to previous activities and soon enough horribly mutilated bodies with a strange symbol on them are found in different places. Kara, although a newbie detective, is given this case because she happens to be a resident expert. It is a blessing and a curse – she is given a chance to prove her value but she might lose her job if she fails to do so - every help is very welcome, even some occult knowledge about arcane procedures and runes.

Kara decides to summon a minor demon to help her with that difficult investigation but something goes wrong and a definitely more powerful being goes out of her portal – a demon Lord called Rhyzkhal. He is scorchingly hot (platinium blonde mane of hair, crystal blue eyes, muscled body, not unlike poor Rhaegar Tangaryen if you get the drift) a bit angry but instantly smitten by Kara. Our heroine of course knows that demons are highly mercenary beings, never giving anything for free but…will Rhyzkhal help her investigate? What will he ask in return? Or maybe there will be more useful help provided by a handsome FBI agent Ryan Kristoff, delegated to assist the local police?

Titilating factor:

Two sex scenes between the demonic Lord and Kara, hot and rather descriptive - pure lust, nothing more. I suppose that the in the next installment we will be shown Kara dealing with a demonic STD. ;p

What I liked:

Kara was a bit different that the rest of kick-ass heroines, usually inhabiting such books. She had darker side, a lot of flaws and she had her doubts – plenty of them.

Kara's story is told in the first person, and is often vividly described. Apparently the author has worked in a morgue, so the autopsy scenes seem very unsparing and true to life but it added some grit which suited me just fine. Overall I suppose the author must have some law enforcement experience because the crime scene, forensic, and medical details in the book are spot-on.

The criminal mystery was good enough, despite the paranormal touch – I didn’t guess the perpetrator to the very end and when the identity was revealed, it was done with a proper psychological background.

Finally the book was rather readable - although not exactly short. I finished it in two evenings.

What I didn’t like:

Demons shouldn't ever be boring or mundane like us, weak-kneed mortals, and here, unofrtunately, they were. Rhyzkhal was portrayed as such a typical male – he saw a nice mortal summoner female and here we go, a sex scene is inevitable. Then he goes away, undoubtedly to brag to his demon friends about the new conquest, and returns to have some more…you could insert a werewolf here or a vampire or even a normal hot human and the result would be the same…really too predictable and a bit crass.

The police narrative I found a little bit unreal, especially when it concerns out heroine. Kara is just a detective, one from many others, but she behaves as if she worked on her own, operating in a very free-wheeling manner, keeping her own hours, rarely checking in at work, doing paperwork, or coordinating with her serial-killer-taskforce. Where is reality here?

We never get a clear picture of why summoners call demons other than that they can but I suppose it might be explained in other parts of the series. Oh, and there is a loophole concerning Rhyzkhal but it also might be somehow patched in other books so I will let it pass this time…

Finally the romantic thread…you do know that more often than not I have problems with romance? Well this book isn’t different. A short tryst of Kara and Rhyzkhal was purely carnal so to speak, not involving any higher emotions apart from raw lust but I didn't feel any great chemistry between Kara and the FBI agent she was partnered with for the case either. Ryan Kristoff behaves very boyishly, then he apologizes like a sweet little child and then…nothing changes. Truly frustrating. I like paranormal novels where romance takes a backseat, but it still needs to pack a punch from time to time. Demanding, aren’t I?

Final verdict:

It certainly wasn’t very bad but it wasn’t very good either…I recommend it but mostly to the fans of the genre. The storyline and characters have some great potential - the idea of a police officer who can summon demons to help her solve murders is quite original- that’s why I am willing to see where Rowland takes them next.

Teaser Tuesday, 12 of July

Teaser Tuesday is hosted by MizB at Should Be Reading.

Here are the rules: Grab your current read. Open to a random (or not so random) page. 
Share the title & author, too, so that other Teaser Tuesday participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

This week my teaser comes from "A Spectacle of Corruption" by David Liss, which I dedicate to my romance-loving friends:

"But despite what the novelists will tell us, we live in a world more inclined to pragmatic action than romantical ideals. We might sit about with neat little volumes and imagine the blissful love in a cottage but such ideas are but phantasms. We cannot live them. Instead, we must eat and dress and comport ourselves with companions of our liking. And it is always preferable to live without fear of creditors."

Summer mini review: Heartless by Gail Carriger (The Parasol Protectorate series 04)

Book info:

• Mass Market Paperback: 400 pages
• Publisher: Orbit; Original edition (June 28, 2011)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0316127191
• ISBN-13: 978-0316127196
• Genre: paranormal fiction, romance, steampunk, 
• Target audience: adults and not only...

Synopsis:

Alexia lady Maccon, nee Tarabotti, might be in her last months of  pregnancy but never indolent, inactive or bored. With a werewolf Alfa male for a husband and a single vampire extraordinaire for a best friend you can practically never have one  minute of peace. As if anybody would want one. 

An unknown ghost with short concentration span has just informed Alexia that somebody is plotting a regicide and certain vampires are still hell-bent on killing her unborn infant-inconvenience. To protect her unborn child she is going to do something unthinkable - let it be adopted even before it is born. And the happy foster parent will be... well, guess. :-)

One problem solved; now Alexia, still employed by Queen Victoria as a mujah, must do her utmost to prevent any regicide, especially that most likely a supernatural being is involved - more precisely a werewolf. The uncomfortable investigation will make her discover a lot about her husband's and her late father's past, always a dangerous thing when there are so many secrets to unveil...and so many sensitive toes to tread on. Prepare yourself for plenty of tea, treacle tart and some murderous teapots as well.

What I liked:

I don't try to conceal the fact that I am Gail Carriger's fan. Why I like her novels so much? Of course I might tell you that this book, like the previous ones, had very good plot with interesting twists and turns, a well-paced  narration which flows nicely, a strong, likeable heroine, a bevy of great secondary characters and so on. It would be all true but it wouldn’t make the whole series unique. So, what makes The Parasol Protectorate books really great and distinctly different from many other paranormal series? I tried to pinpoint some of the features in the list below:

• The heroine is married and pregnant for the second book and still there is some well-balanced romance between her and her werewolf husband - go figure ;). No love triangle, no teenage angst, no third party involved.
• The series is undoubtedly steampunk but without getting very violent or bloody or deadly serious. I would call it steampunk entertainment because it does entertain.
• As I've already mentioned entertainment...the paranormal aspect is seasoned with a healthy dose of humour, that's why even vampires, ghosts and werewolves are palatable.
• Generally Ms. Carriger's sense of humour appeals to me (which means I grin or even laugh like mad while reading her books)...forgive me if I repeat myself.
• Comestibles like tea, treacle tart, sponge cakes and finger sandwiches make the book so incredibly appetizing to read that I get instantly hungry. Normally I am a poor eater so it is an advantage, no?
• Secondary characters from previous parts are never forgotten; what’s more, they are also  given a chance to develop and become more and more three-dimensional with every part (I think here mainly but not only about Lord Akeldama, Madame Lefoux, Professor Lyall, Floote  and of course Alessandro Tarabotti, the long-deceased father of our dear Alexia; I can never get enough of him).
• Finally Victorian London and its society is really nicely rendered here.

Quite a list, isn't it? Would you wish for anything more? Well, perhaps you would but it would be also rather foolish...;)

What I didn’t like:

I do admit that Madame Lefoux disappointed me a bit in this part with her mad scheme (a sensible woman and a scientist should have known better than resort to brute force even in very dramatic circumstances) and zombie porcupines never seemed half as funny as mechanical ladybirds, presented in part three but perhaps it’s only the old grumpy me.

Final verdict:

A lovely series with great steampunk accents which gets better and better. Definitely worth discovering and reading. What else could I say...I am looking forward to the next part – I’ve already pre-ordered it!

A mechanical spider via Wikipedia - I want one!

Silent Saturday

Friday Flash Fiction

Amy C at Romance Book Wyrm and Dottie atTink's Place have come up with the idea for a Monday Morning Flash Fiction challenge. Each Monday a new picture prompt will be posted and if you choose to participate - you publish your Fiction Flash  on Friday - 350 words, give or take. Below you can find the picture posted last Monday:

I am continuing Tanisia's story - if you want to know more about her, consult my previous Friday Flashes.

As Tanisia couldn't move, Barnabas relaxed a bit and sat opposite her. Now she could take a good look at his new host. Nothing as dashing as the previous one but still quite presentable. Well, you don't stumble upon a handsome viscount very often. He also looked her over rather thoroughly.

"I see you take good care of my lovely Helen's body. I approve and let me add that it really suits you, dear Tanisia. Those blond curls...I would say, dashing," he said after a while.

"Cut that crap, Barnabas. What do you want?"

His mouth twitched a bit.

"Oh dear, how such a lovely woman could you be so...abrupt?" His voice was mockery incarnated. Tanisia tried to stir but without much success.

"Let me go and you will see abrupt, pal."

Barnabas gave a silent chuckle and then got serious again.

"As you know very well I can drag you, litteraly drag, mind you, to the Supernatural Court and have you executed after a very short and perfectly legal trial for a magical murder attempt. You are at my mercy, Tanisia; There are plenty of witnesses of our previous skirmish and I have a proof of your nefarious activities you had left in the tomb of my ancestors. You were in such a hurry that you quite forgot yourself - always a bad move, permit me to say. Returning to the topic at hand... after a moment of deliberation I decided to give you  one more chance to redeem yourself. Are you interested or should we proceed to the...er...unpleasant dragging part?"

Tanisia blinked several times but she really had no choice. If he had a proof...oh well...she might have forgotten this and that...she was so happy, so elated after those months of being imprisoned inside an old body...

"I am all ears, your Kindness."

"Good. These are my conditions. You will live at my house, magically bound to me, and serve me for one year. During that year your task will be to replenish my magical treasure trove. You see, I need you because I am definitely poorer, all your fault of course, and I do not intend to remain so any longer. With your help I might become the most powerful warlock rather sooner than later. Mind you I take only the best artifacts, the very best, no common-or-garden baubles for senile idiots.  I need 77 of them and it will be up to you to locate and bring them to me. Every month you will present me with your booty and  I will decide whether they are up to scratch or not. If you manage to collect 77 artifacts of the most potent nature during that year, you will be free to go and I will drop all the charges. If you fail to do so...as far as I remember the crime of a magical murder attempt can be persecuted for the next 100 years after the deed."

Tanisia groaned and closed her eyes. If she was a weak female she would faint just to be free a little bit longer. One year of pure hell, hardship and servitude...or execution. Speak about a rock and a hard place. She knew she had no choice. She knew it was her only way out and she had to try.  Barnabas, seeing her inner turmoil, smiled nastily.

"Are you feeling unwell, Tanisia my dear? I am awaiting your answer and my patience is wearing thin. Make your choice: yes or no?"

She gritted her teeth and scowled in most unladylike manner.

"Your silence meaning..."

"Yes."

He pretended surprise but it was a very amateurish act. He knew the outcome from the very beginning. Only a complete fool would reject such a chance and Tanisia has never been that foolish.

"Oh, great. Now just a few more questions and it will be over. Or rather it will start anew. Anyhow...please answer loud and clear. Do you, Tanisia Mooney, accept your bondage to me, Barnabas Oak, for a year out of your free will?"

"Yes I do."

"Are you going to serve me and do my bidding without any ulterior motive no matter what I ask, when I ask and how I ask?"

"Yes I am."

"Do you renounce any nefarious violence and ill will directed at my person, no matter in what form, includding aiding and abetting any other sentient being, enemy or friend?

"Yes I do."

"Lovely. I suppose that covers most important issues."

A sudden flash emitted from Barnabas fingers and Tanisia was shortly blinded as it coiled around her neck and then turned into a fine gold necklace. The necklace was seamless, without any clasp or other fastening, not to be removed...she knew its purpose only too well. Now she was magically bound to Barnabas Oak, a warlock, as long as she wore it and if she tried to break the bondage she would die instantly. Oh well...just a year of hell...

Barnabas smiled, rubbing his hands.

"How lovely to have a slave again. Now then, dear Tanisia, pay close attention, your first order is coming. I would like you to find and obtain this little painting for me."

Tanisia looked and held her breath. Barnabas was showing her a copy of a small watercolor or ink sketch in rather subdued hues with some...ugly, nasty, rabid, pox-ridden fallen angels. Oh no. Her former self kicked in at once - she couldn't stop herself asking:

"Barnabas are you mad?"

As soon as she uttered these words her new necklace became definitely hotter, heavier and more uncomfortable around her neck. Not unlike a boa constrictor made of metal.

"Are you trying not to obey your master's direct order, Tanisia? Right after the bondage and an oath? I would call you mad," Barnabas answered with a sneer.

" No, I am not disobeying you but do reconsider. I just know what this painting is for. It is dangerous as it supposed to give its owner an upper hand over some fallen angels which are depicted in it but it's pure madness as they are..."

Barnabas stopped her mid-sentence with a deceptively mild gesture. When they looked at each other, however, there was nothing but steel in his grey eyes. His voice was not so gentle any longer either.

"Welcome to your new life, Tanisia. Pure madness is exactly the thing you might expect from now on...and please, dear girl, no more lectures about magical objects. Believe me, they bore me to death because I do know what there is to be known about them. It might sound stupid but I know it all. If, however, for some unfathomable reason I am ever in need of your opinion I will ask, be sure of it. Now, collect your things and let's go home. You might start looking for this trifle tomorrow morning. Here, take my arm. Tonight we shall celebrate, smile and be merry."

He opened the door and bowed slightly like a real gentleman helping a lady to go outside. Tanisia retrieved her carpet bag without much enthusiasm and went out of the shop, taking the arm of her enemy, smiling through her tears.