Let’s Build Some Monsters by Sarah J. McNeal #BuildingMonsters

The Niamso in The Witch-Queen

I love fantasy writing, creating worlds, beings, and, oh yeah, monsters. Even as a kid I was fascinated by monsters. Lord knows, I experienced enough nightmares about them. Most kids have had the belief that a monster is lurking under the bed ready to bite if a foot or hand many dangle down past the mattress into their lair. It is my understanding that every self-respecting closet has its monster.


Myths and Legends are crammed full of monsters, wild things, and creatures of another realm—usually one invisible to humans. From these myths and legends writers can pull up a monster and add or subtract from its original creation and form a completely new being with the magic of imagination.

The Demon, INX in Witch-Queen

I looked up a few of these creatures from “The Writer’s Complete Fantasy Reference” from Writer’s Digest Books. Here are just a few of these monsters and fantasy creatures:


Kraken: a sea creature big enough to be mistaken for an island


Leprechauns: the little people of Irish lore who love to trick people

The Minotaur: a creature half man-half bull who lived in a labyrinth and devoured 7 sacrificial maidens ever so often


Nemean Lion: a gigantic lion that devoured people but could not be killed because its impenetrable hide.


Sasquatch (Bigfoot): Well here’s one of my favorites. This creature is known throughout Native American lore as a big, hairy, humanoid creature who lives in the deep woods. Some honor the creature, but never speak of it while others believe it steals and eats children.


Vampires: Humans who have died but have revived due to a bite from another vampire. They continue to “live” only by consuming human blood.


Zombies: the undead who must consume human brains in order to continue “living”


Medusa the Gorgon: A monstrous woman with snakes for hair who can turn humans to stone by a mere glance at thus hideous specter.


Fairies: magical human-like beings with wings. Some are kind and good, while others are evil


Dragons: huge lizard-like creatures that breathe fire. They are often assigned to guard some type of treasure.


Clowns: thought to be human and humorous except, every once in a while, an evil clown comes around with diabolical intentions.


Well that’s just a few of the many creatures from myth and legend. There are so many to choose from to build an original monster to delight readers.

In my new release, THE WITCH-QUEEN, Legends of Winatuke, book 1 (completely revised from the previous DARK ISLE), I used several monsters. 

I named the creatures the Niamso, creatures who were part human and part Dark Blood Clan who were evil beings from the Dark Isle ruled by a particularly wicked queen named Mahara. The Niamso look somewhat like Big Foot with thick, hairy bodies, huge teeth and a rapacious appetite for human flesh. They have an uncanny sense of hearing, which is also their weakness. All in all, they are formidable creatures. 

The Evil Dragon OBYOS from The Witch-Queen

Do you write about monsters? How do you build them? Do you give them both a strength and a weakness? What is your favorite monster?

THE WITCH-QUEEN, Legends of Winatuke, book 1

The legend begins when love and evil collide.

Blurb:

The Dark Isle has been a refuge for evil since time began in the world of Winatuke, and the most depraved and wicked of them all is the witch-queen, Mahara, who rules over the malignant kingdom of darkness.

Mahara has taken a captive, a prince of the Nimway people, and she plans to use him for the revenge that burns in her soul. By forcing her own daughter, Isadore, into marriage with Prince Gabriel, she hopes to gain the power she craves over the Nimway—especially her ex-lover and Isadore’s father, Raven.

Her scheme goes awry when love begins to grow between Isadore and Gabriel. Isadore realizes the only way to save Gabriel is for them to escape together, but at the last minute, that plan fails. Separated from Gabriel,  Isadore is forced to continue to the Nimway kingdom of Valmora alone to seek help from her mother’s enemies.

Once Isadore gains their trust, Gabriel’s brother, Raphael, volunteers to travel to present-day Earth to get help. To save his brother, he must bring Raven back to the world of Winatuke, and ask him to risk his own life in the battle against Mahara’s evil forces.

It seems an impossible task. How can they ever defeat Mahara? With the evil forces she can summon at will, it seems Gabriel’s life will be forfeit. But Isadore refuses to allow that, risking her own life to save him. Forced to follow her heart, Isadore wonders if she can ever win her father’s trust or Gabriel’s love. She only knows she must defeat her mother’s evil vendetta for all time. No matter the consequences she must vanquish THE WITCH-QUEEN…

Excerpt:

 "You think you can fool me, Isadore, but you should know by now that is impossible." Mahara's eyes glowed like two red hot coals of anger as she faced her daughter. "What were you doing with my prisoner yesterday, that arrogant Nimway brat?"

     "Nothing, Mother, I swear it. I only wanted to see what the filthy Nimway looked like." Isadore could not quite look her mother in the eyes. She bent her head to avoid facing her, and stared at the floor. "I did talk to him just a little." She whispered her confession.

     Mahara whirled around, her black gown whispering and swirling around her as if it had a life of its own. She lifted Isadore's chin with her long, thin finger so Isadore would have to look at her. "And what did you two converse about? Be very careful that you tell me the whole truth," she warned, "I shall know if you lie, or omit anything." There was a nasty tone in her voice.

     Isadore shook visibly in her fear. She knew her mother's powers. There was reason to be afraid…very, very afraid. She swallowed the lump in her throat. "We talked about my father."

     Mahara's eyes grew black with rage. "How could you talk with a child of my enemies about the very thing for which I hate them?" She dug her fingers into Isadore's shoulders and shook her. "Why? Why would you do such a thing?"

     Isadore could barely look at her mother so great was her fear. She didn't want Mahara to see this weakness in her. Her words stumbled from her lips, "I...I wanted to know if...if..."

Buy Links:  Paperback   Kindle

Sarah J. McNeal

Diverse stories filled with heart

Facebook

Twitter

Website

My Amazon Author’s Page

Prairie Rose Author Page

The Wildings

Prairie Rose Blog

Fantasy & Dreams Blog

Ghost Riders and the Wild Hunt by Kaye Spencer

Image courtesy HistoryLink.org*

Artist: Leno Prestini (1906-1963)

Ghost riders in the sky…

Those five words conjure vivid images for me, not the least of which is “Slade’s Last Ride” scene from the 2007 movie, Ghostrider, with Nicolas Cage and Sam Elliott.

The song, (Ghost) Riders in the Sky: A Cowboy Legend, was written by Stan Jones and released on June 5, 1948, and has been heralded as the Number 1 country music song of all time**.

There are many, many recordings of this song that cross the musical spectrum. Here is a partial list of performers who have recorded the song:

• Vaughn Monroe
• Bing Crosby
• Frankie Laine
• Johnny Cash
• Willie Nelson
• Eddie Arnold
• Peggy Lee
• Gene Autry
• Burl Ives
• Duane Eddy
• Sons of the Pioneers
• Judy Collins
• Willie Nelson
• Roy Clark
• Lawrence Welk
• Patrick Stewart
• Baja Marimba Band
• Tom Jones
• Spiderbait
• Boston Pops Orchestra
• Elvis Presley
• R.E.M.
• Chris LeDoux
• Blues Brothers
• Dean Martin
• Marty Robbins (my personal favorite)
• Christopher Lee (Some ideas are better left unfinished...)

The legend of the ghost rider has its roots in Europe, particularly Britanny, Ireland, Wales, Scandinavia, Spain, France, and Germany. Jacob Grimm of the fairy tales Brothers Grimm, developed the idea of the 'wild hunt' through comparative mythology that he published as Deutsche Mythologie (1835) "...as a folkloristic survival of Germanic pagan tradition, but comparable folk myths are found throughout Northern, Western and Central Europe...The Wild Hunt is an ancient myth of a spectral or otherworldly hunting party that sometimes appears at night."***

The warrior-leaders most associated with some form and version of the Wild Hunt are Wodin, Wodan, Odin, Herne the Hunter, King Arthur, and Old Nick. A few modern works of literature that use the Wild Hunt myth as part of the story are Sir Artur Conan Doyle's The Hound of the Baskervilles, William Butler Yeats' 1893 poem The Hosting of the Sidhe, and Susan Cooper's 1973 book series The Dark is Rising. There are also comic books, movies, and operas with the wild hunt/ghost rider theme woven throughout or as the predominate story line. I've read that the song Ghostriders in the Sky was the inspiration for the song Riders on the Storm by the Doors.

The Wild Hunt: Asgårdsreien (1872) by Peter Nicolai Arbo****

My novel, The Gunfighter's Woman, is a paranormal western romance inspired by this legend and the song. I incorporated the wild hunt in the form of the cowboy ghost riders as a motivating force in the hero's life to change his ways before it’s too late. This story was originally published in 2006 as a novella, and several years later, along with a significant amount of plot added to the story, it became the novel-length story it is now with a deeper romance and nastier villains. The ghost riders still want to claim the hero's soul, but he's not going down without a fight now that he's found the redeeming love of a good woman.

Here’s a little more about The Gunfighter’s Woman:

When beautiful widow Brenna Gérard comes upon semi-conscious gunfighter Matt Caddock, all hell is about to break loose. An unholy storm’s a-brewin’, and Brenna makes a split-second decision to save Matt from the spectral fire-eyed cowboys who forever chase the devil’s herd—and pick up lost souls along the way.

Once they reach the safety of the ranch, Brenna cares for Matt’s wounds and makes him welcome—no questions asked. But Matt must learn to accept the fact that Brenna is being guarded for a while longer by her deceased husband’s spirit—and he’s not leaving her just yet.
Though Matt and Brenna are fast falling in love, there’s the matter of a fortune in gold that stands between them—gold that Matt never wanted, but now must find and use to keep Brenna’s ranch from failing. Archer, an outlaw who Matt once partnered with, wants that gold just as badly—and he’s prepared to kill for it.

Can Matt settle the score with Archer and keep Brenna safe? And when the ghost riders return on the next lightning-laced storm, will they be taking Matt with them? Or will the love of The Gunfighter's Woman be enough to ensure the future they hope for together?

Excerpt

“We have to leave. Your horse is still on the other side. We can ride my horse to the ranch.” She pointed to her horse, Samson, and immediately felt silly for the gesture since the man’s eyes were clamped shut in a grimace of teeth-gritted pain.

Lightning slashed the sky with an explosion of thunder that shook air and Earth and deafened ears.

The man came off the ground in a lunge, feet planted wide, and his attention fixed on the black billowing cloudbank rolling along McBride Mesa to the west. Mesmerized, Brenna stared at the clouds as they transformed into a mighty herd of cattle stampeding along the mesa’s rim. As she watched, the herd curved east, dipping low along the ancient stone wall and then soaring into the sky. The herd doubled-back with the sinuous motion of a Chinese dragon in an undulating journey from ground to towering clouds and back down again.

On the second pass, the cloud-herd swung south and swooped down from Trinchera Pass, passing overhead on a blast of scorching wind. Brenna flinched and ducked as the lead steers overtook them. Samson snorted, bolted, but she held fast to his reins. Eyes blazing with the fires of Hell, the herd pounded the air with steely hooves on peal after peal of thunder as it swung out north across the prairie to come charging low over Pine Canyon on the east.

Then, the clouds split open into a sandy ravine that cut a wide, ragged path to a range in the heavens. Brenna felt their breath in a whoosh of hot wind and saw their black horns glistening and brands flaming with each lightning blaze as the ghost herd plowed up that draw.

“No! Not going. They’re not taking me!”

“What is that?”

The man snaked an arm around Brenna’s waist and tossed her to the saddle then swung up behind her. “Hang on!”

Clamping one arm around her middle, he grabbed the saddle horn with his other hand, and slapped spurs to Samson.

The horse reared, leaped, and came down at a dead run, ears flattened against his head, and his neck stretched out. A mournful, skin-prickling cry cut through the air. Hot wind whipped their clothes; lightning-scorched air left an acrid sulphur stench in its wake. Brenna twisted to look behind. The sight coming at them was terrifying and fascinating.

Hurdling from the midst of the churning maelstrom of boiling black clouds came spectral cowboys riding hard and fast after the phantom herd on hollow-eyed, fire-snorting skeleton horses pawing the air as they roared toward them. A low keening wail rose on the wind.

Matthewwwww Matthewwwww Caddockkkkkkk.

The man warned, “Close your eyes! Don’t look!”

But Brenna couldn’t look away from the spectral cowboys charging over them, their gaunt eyes staring from fire-flaming faces as they swung around and away in their relentless pursuit of the ghost herd. Rain burst from the clouds; hail peppered down. A blast of frigid wind hit them broadside...

The Gunfighter's Woman is available on Kindle, in print, and through| KindleUnlimited at 

Amazon.com

Until next time,

Kaye Spencer

Writing the West one romance upon a time

Website/Blog - http://www.kayespencer.com
Twitter - @kayespencer
Pinterest - http://www.pinterest.com/kayespencer
Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/kayespencer23
Amazon - http://www.amazon.com/author/kayespencer
LinkedIn - http://www.linkedin.com/in/kayespencer/
YouTube Channel - http://www.youtube.com/user/kayespencer?feature=mhee

Resources:
*HistoryLink.org
http://www.historylink.org/Content/Media/Photos/Small/Prestini_Leno_Ghost-Riders_1954.jpg AND https://goo.gl/images/zYPGju

**Stan Jones
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stan_Jones_(songwriter)

***Wild Hunt
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wild_Hunt

****Megalithic Myths
http://www.athenasweb.com/MegalithicMyths.html

“Miraculous Staircase” by Kaye Spencer

Loretto Chapel front view

At the end of the Old Santa Fe Trail stands the Loretto Chapel. Inside the Gothic structure is the staircase referred to as miraculous, inexplicable, marvelous and is sometimes called St. Joseph’s Staircase. The stairway confounds architects, engineers and master craftsmen. It makes over two complete 360-degree turns, stands 20’ tall and has no center support. It rests solely on its base and against the choir loft. The risers of the 33 steps are all of the same height. Made of an apparently extinct wood species, it was constructed with only square wooden pegs without glue or nails…**

Within the well-preserved and quiet walls of Loretto Chapel in Santa Fé, New Mexico, is a staircase steeped in two mysteries that, for many people, have yet to be solved:

1. Who built the staircase?
2. How is its construction possible?

The Miraculous Staircase, as it is called, was built during a six-month period sometime between 1877 and 1881. To understand the story of the staircase, we must understand a little about the chapel’s history; the vision of its founding; the courage and determination of the people dedicated to its success; and the unwavering faith of these pioneering spirits.

Loretto Chapel’s story begins in 1853 and ends in 1971 when it became a private museum for the primary reason of preserving the Miraculous Staircase and the chapel.

Here is the truncated version of the chapel’s history from the chapel’s website**:

1850
*Bishop Jean Baptisite Lamy appointed to Church in Santa Fe, New Mexico Territory.
*Bishop Lamy begins letter writing plea for priests, brothers and nuns to come out and help him.

1852
*Sisters of Loretto send seven sisters from Kentucky.
*Sisters leave St. Louis and travel to Independence, Missouri.
*Encounter cholera epidemic, Mother Superior dies, and one nun is too ill to continue and returns.

1853 - 1873
*Sisters open Academy of Our Lady of Light (Loretto).
*From small school numbers to 300 students (girls) in a short period of time.
*Tuition, donations, and from the sisters own inheritances ($30,000) fund the school and chapel.
*Property is purchased, work on Loretto Chapel begins.
*School facilities cover a square block with 10 buildings.
*Architects from Paris design Loretto Chapel in the gothic style of King Louis IX's Sainte-Chapelle.

Loretto Chapel choir loft

1876
*Stained glass is purchased in Paris, arrives by ship in New Orleans, goes by paddle boat to St. Louis, and then travels by covered wagon via Old Santa Fe Trail.

Loretto Chapel altar

1878
*Chapel is completed.
*No access to the choir loft twenty-two feet above the main floor except by ladder.
*Due to limited space within the chapel, there isn’t room for a staircase.

Loretto Chapel staircase and confessional

[1877-1881]
*Staircase is built – without a railing.

Loretto Chapel staircase before railing

(picture of a picture)

1887
*Staircase railing is added.

Loretto Chapel staircase

I think I captured an orb.

Loretto Chapel staircase from below

Loretto Chapel staircase close-up

1880s & 1890s
*Chapel undergoes additions, renovations, such as the introduction of the Stations of the Cross, Gothic altar, frescos.

Loretto Chapel back view - Stations of the Cross on right

Now, back to the mysteries of the story of the staircase…

According to the history on the Loretto Chapel website, the Miraculous Staircase is believed to have been constructed by St. Joseph, patron saint of carpenters, who answered the sisters' prayers for a solution to the access problem to the choir loft, when he arrived at the chapel with a donkey and a toolbox, and said he was looking for work. When he finished the staircase, he disappeared, vanished, without payment or thanks.

Is the Miraculous Staircase a miracle or a hoax? To quote a line from 'The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance'… When the legend becomes fact, print the legend.

The 1998, made-for-television movie, 'The Staircase', stars Barbara Hershey as the mother superior and William Peterson as the mysterious carpenter. Yes, there's the Hollywood spin that fiddles with the facts, and the story is a little slow, but it’s still worth watching, even if you only watch it once.

Until next time,

Kaye Spencer

Writing the West one romance upon a time

Website/Blog - http://www.kayespencer.com
Twitter - http://www.twitter.com/kayespencer
Pinterest - http://www.pinterest.com/kayespencer
Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/kayespencer23
Amazon - http://www.amazon.com/author/kayespencer
YouTube Channel - http://www.youtube.com/user/kayespencer?feature=mhee

Resources:
**http://www.lorettochapel.com/history.html
http://www.csicop.org/si/show/helix_to_heaven/
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/01/15/AR2010011501810.html

All of the images are from my collection.

THE LEGEND OF VENTURE CANYON by Shayna Matthews

The Legend of Venture Canyon by Shayna Matthews.

            Step right up folks, gather ’round and hug your children close! We have before you a show today, a show unlike any you’ve ever seen before. Come closer friend, don't be afraid. Closer still, and allow me to regale you in a tale where deception is the norm.

     Do you believe in what you see? Will you succumb to the speech of a man slicker than a vat of bacon grease...the sideshow talker? Or will you trust the charms of a Mediterranean Goddess as she lures you to her stage? Perhaps neither, for certainly the suspicious cowboy drifter would be the fellow worth trusting with your life. Right?

     In the year 1872, entertainment is a necessary evil. Life is raw, harsh and relentless. What could bring more excitement to the drudgery of daily survival, than a traveling sideshow? Sword swallowers, serpent women and exotic dancers--who wouldn't want to see The Show? Certainly, a few measly pennies will be worth a peek or two at whatever mysteries lay beyond the curtain. What could it hurt?

     When the traveling show hits a small town in Utah territory, submitting to one's curiosity is not always a good thing. You see, for Marah Romerro and her family, deception is not just the norm...it is Master. And the show must go on, no matter what the cost.

      Hello. My name is Shayna Matthews, and I am an author. I liken what I do to that of a weaver. I 'weave' stories of historical fiction, illuminating epic tales of the era with a flair for characters who represent the fighting spirit of the men and women who have come before us. This is my passion, chasing down the embodiment of human spirit through the great American West. In the midst of research and travel for a work-in-progress series based in 1880's Texas, I stumbled across a call for submission from a publisher aptly named: Prairie Rose Publications. The subject matter intrigued my adventurous nature. That night I perused my collection of research material, searching for a nugget of inspiration. As I skimmed page after page, a name struck me. Venture. The murky shadows of an idea formed within the cobwebbed corners of my mind, and a legend was born.

      Venture Canyon is my debut pride and joy, written within a month, including editing. I hope you, dear readers, will enjoy reading about Venture and Marah as much as I loved writing them. Their journey is indeed legendary. Let them take you along for the ride, I think they'll surprise you along the way.

     Below is an excerpt from "The Legend of Venture Canyon" for your enjoyment. Please feel free to leave a comment below, as I will be choosing one commenter at random to win a free e-copy of The Legend of Venture Canyon.

     Before you go, my friends, remember...a good legend never dies. Not because they can't, but because sometimes, they just don't know how.
Thank you for dropping by!

      Excerpt from "The Legend of Venture Canyon" by Shayna Matthews.

      Froth from the horse's mouth flew back in his face. Nostrils flared; his mount was blowing hard. Venture tried to concentrate on rhythmic pounding of the bay's hooves under his seat, but concentration didn't come easy when one was about to die. They were coming for him. Coming fast. They had fresh horses and arsenals strapped to their hips; a few even had rifles. What did he have? One lousy .44 with a handful of bullets.
      The cowboy glanced over his shoulder, gauging the distance between his pursuers and his own tired mount. They were too damn close!
      "Hells-fire, where'd they all come from?" Six had been closing in, now there were four more. Ten men. Ten, after him. He didn't like those odds at all. Digging spurs to flank, the bay leaped ahead with a valiant burst of speed, and he laughed. It was a sadistic laugh, that of a man who knew time was running out.

Be sure and leave a comment to be entered in a drawing for a free ecopy of THE LEGEND OF VENTURE CANYON.

BUY LINKS    Barnes and Noble     Smashwords    Kobo