Hello My Imaginary Friends,
The best way to help an author is to leave a short review of their work on Amazon or Goodreads. Even anonymous reviews count towards something. Write what you liked and what you didn’t or just a line of what you thought.
The more a book is reviewed the more it’ll show up on recommendations and the more people will see it.
If you didn’t know I have three books out that you can review:
Please and thank you for your time,
Éric
Audrey Ramirez and Helga Sinclair stopped by during their search for Atlantis in OCC 2017. Considering I saw a Milo and Kida at OCC 2018 (I sadly did not get a picture), I think they may have succeeded!
Chapter 1 | Chapter 2 | Chapter 3 | Chapter 4
“…and together with Ezekial the four shall stop the dreaded army of demons from destroying all of Cillian.” The words of the Oracle echoed through Diana’s head as she tried to sleep.
What she was avoiding thinking about was how Ezekiel was pretending to be Zee. She’d recognized the leg she built for him during the concert. He was good, she wished he’d trusted her enough to have told her he was a musician. She had to admit that he looked good up there. The pure joy of performing made his beauty ever more prominent. She wondered if Arty knew about his double life.
Demons are coming, she reminded herself. What had the oracle meant by an army of demons? Wouldn’t they have heard about something like that? She decided to send out a few scout ships just in case. Just to reassure her that nothing was coming.
She had wanted to reassure Ezekiel after the concert but when she’d gotten to the dressing room she found Zee and Arty attempting to exchange tongues. She’d left as Arty had started to take off what little clothes Zee was wearing.
The Oracle was terrible at seeing through disguises; Arty was certainly not Ezekiel, Zee was; Zee was certainly not her Brother, she’d know him instantly; and Arty wasn’t Diana… obviously. She did have one thing right however. They were all pretending to be something they’re not. Ezekiel being Zee, her being Didi, and Arty being a Fighting Monk. The order was dedicated to purity and chastity, two things that were not happening early in the night. Maybe Arty wasn’t even a Monk?
It was petty and hypocritical, but Diana decided to schedule an official visit to the Fighting Monks of Dumas for the next day. That way she could find out for herself if Arty was parading as a Monk or just going against his training.
The army of demons still worried her. Her dreams were filled with waves of angry red demons being led by her brother Paul. She woke up, much too early, in a cold sweat.
***
What am I doing? Diana thought as she inspected the Fighting Monks. What she said was, “Your men are impressively trained.”
“Yes they are, Your Highness,” The senior Master was completely hairless and muscled beyond reason. As he spoke a vein over his left eye bulged offbeat with his words. “Our Masters are always searching for both inner peace and the best way to be of help to others.”
“How many Masters are in the city?”
“We currently have eight Masters in residence and six who are either questing or wandering.”
“And students?” she asked.
“We teach the local boys self-defence and discipline every Saturday. As for apprentices and journeymen we currently have thirty-eight. They we be along shortly for your inspection.”
“That is wonderful. It has always been an honour for the city of Cillian to host the fighting monks. You do us honour.”
His vein pulsed and he almost smiled as he replied, “The honour is ours. You know during the reign of King Castelmore we were the King’s personal guard.”
“Yes and during his son’s reign, your order attempted to take control of the crown.” She smiled at him trying to show amusement instead of annoyance. It was much easier after he sputtered an apology.
The Masters ran through some drills and feats of skill and moved to the side. Then was the time of the students. She easily spotted Arty with his wiry frame, high cheekbones, full lips, and cocky smirk. Her heart fluttered as he was tossed into the air and clashed swords with another student. It was all acrobatics and shows of perfected timing. She heard one of her four royal guards gasp in awe from behind her.
Was she jealous of Arty or of Ezekiel? Or of both? She had spent her teen years working next to Ezekiel and had a crush on him for almost a decade. She’d just met Arty. Maybe it was just lust? She felt foolish about the entire situation.
“Do we pass inspection, Your Highness?” The Master’s vein pulsed and Diana realized why he looked so stressed.
“This isn’t an audit. You have nothing to worry about. I wanted to see how the monks were doing.”
“That’s good to hear. Thank you.” The master relaxed.
A green claw appeared out of nowhere and slashed the master from his neck to his lower back. The master’s eyes rolled back into his head and he fell forward.
A seven foot tall green being in a perfectly pressed suit stood there smiling a sharp toothy smile. “The Prince of Demons says hello.” He lunged for Diana but her guards jumped between them.
As if a spell had broken, the yard was thrown into panic. The observers ran from the space while the monks formed ranks around the demon and the princess.
Her guards fell one after the other but it bought her time to reach into the special folds of her large skirt and pull out her newest model of pistol. These shot large calibre rounds that exploded into alchemist fire on impact.
The monks, in their eagerness to defend her, got in the way of her shot. “Move out of my way!” she yelled but to no avail.
Somehow Arty had fought his way to the front of the pack and was managing to go hit for hit with the large demon. He fought with a mixture of styles that Diana had never seen before and neither had the demon. After four or five blows the demon fell to the ground and someone stuck a sword into it’s chest.
The action over, the monks moved away and started to take care of their wounded. The master was still alive, and with the help of a good doctor, would live.
Looking at the royal pages who had stood useless during the fight she barked out orders, “Get me four soldiers to move this thing. Alert the guards that they need a detachment to protect the monks. Tell the royal physician to get here as fast as possible, we have wounded and I want him to dissect this thing and tell me everything about it. And tell my grandfather to convene a council of churches.” When they didn’t move she shouted, “Go!”
She moved towards the green corpse and shuddered. It had taken out a dozen monks, four royal guards, and injured twice that many. There was no way they could stand up to an army of these. When she was an arm span away, it jumped to a standing position and howled. She shot both pistols at its chest. The rounds penetrated his hard skin and it looked at her like it had tickled.
The rounds exploded and took most of its chest with them, spraying everyone around it in green blood. It died with a surprised look on its face.
If you’re enjoying this year’s serial story why not check out those from past years?
On May the Fourth, one of the tour companies that I am registered with, Collette, sent an email about their Star Wars Tours. I thought it was cute and decided to share it with you.
The battle scene between the Resistance and the First Order in “The Last Jedi” was filmed at Salar De Uyuni, Bolivia. You can see this location in the Cultures of Peru and Bolivia Tour.
Visit the stormy planet Eadu from “Rogue One” in Myrdalssandur Beach, Iceland. You can see this location in the Iceland’s Magical Northern Lights Tour.
Endor, the forest moon home of the Ewoks, can be found in Redwood National Park. You can see this location in the Pacific Northwest and California Tour.
For scenes in “Attack of the Clones” and “The Phantom Menace,” visit Plaza de Espana, Seville, Spain. You can see this location in the Spain’s Classics Tour.
To see the moon of Jedha in “Rogue One,” visit Wadi, Jordan. You can see this location in the Iconic Israel with 4-night Jordan Extension Tour.
Don’t worry – you won’t see any other planets in the sky.
Are you interested in travelling with Collette? Jen has retired from working as a travel agent. Hope you’ve enjoyed Fandom Travel .
Hello My Imaginary Friends,
This was Baby Dragon’s second year at Ottawa Comicon. Her first year was mostly napping and being held by everyone who wanted with a little time on my shoulders.
This year however was filled with cool activities, playing, chasing people, and NOT NAPPING.
Her favourite activity was waving and saying hello to everyone. Other things she enjoyed:
She loved hanging out with family
She did eventually nap a little, usually on the way home.
I love the picture of her and her grannie.
Overall it was a good year for the Baby… maybe more like Little Dragon.
Later Days,
Éric
Hello Book Lovers!
Come to the launch of my third book and a celebration of an amazing publisher.
Hope to see you all there!
It’s been five years already since Renaissance was founded by a group of friends, and it hasn’t just grown in that time – it’s exploded. In that period of time, we signed a total of 19 Canadian authors; built a team of 13 editors, designers, and artists; published twenty novels and three games; and are planning ten more releases, including one game and one anthology, by the end of 2019.
We’re having a party to celebrate our accomplishments, and most of all, our amazing people. We’d love for you all to join us at the Red Lion (47 Clarence St., Ottawa) on Sunday May 27th, 5-7 PM. Entrance is FREE, and you’ll be able to buy our books and get them signed by our authors!
Since we’ve always been very silly, geeky people, we invite you to attend cosplaying as your favorite literary character. This is entirely optional, but we will be giving out a prize to the best/cleverest costume!
Don’t worry if you don’t feel like dressing up – as always, we’ll also be giving out excellent door prizes as well!
Last, but not least, Frankenstein lovers, you’re in luck! As part of their fifth birthday celebration, Renaissance is also launching an anthology to commemorate the 200th anniversary of the release of Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein. It is currently on Kickstarter, funded in just under a week! — and all backers of the Kickstarter project will enjoy an additional 10% off any Renaissance purchase they make at the launch!
As part of our celebration, we will be launching four new titles, all by Ottawa authors, some of whom you already know and love, and some brand-new names you’ll quickly add to your favorites:
The Sign of Faust (Baker City Mysteries, Elizabeth book 2) by Éric Desmarais (YA Supernatural suspense)
Can Elizabeth find out who’s trying to kill her — and discover the source of everyone’s luck — while navigating dating, concerts, school, and competing in the science Olympics? ISBN: 978-1-987963-33-5 – Available now!
Life After Redby by Kaitlin Caul (Horror)
Die. Become a zombie. Get needled. Do it all over again. Caught in the endless cycle of death, zombification, and resurrection, Cass became scarred inside and out. Now, her skills are needed again. ISBN: 978-1-987963-29-8
To Pluck a Crow by Sue Taylor-Davidson (Historical mystery)
Could Shakespeare’s plays and sonnets have been written by more than one person? As Janek and Sarah investigate, they get tangled up in another mystery. ISBN: 978-1-987963-30-4 – Available now!
Life and Lemonade by Jamieson Wolf (LGBTQIAPP2+)
All’s fair in love and war . . . but sometimes life gets in the way. ISBN: 978-1-987963-36-6 – Available now!
This location has a street-facing accessible entrance, and a city parking lot directly across the street from it.
We will have a specialized menu for the event which will include vegetarian, vegan, and gluten-free options.
The location unfortunately could not offer gender-neutral restrooms at this time, but we will have designated and clearly identified bathroom buddies to accompany you to the bathroom for any reason, no questions asked.
The location has provided us with a specialized menu just for the event. Please note that burgers have optional gluten-free buns!
Nachos $17 : Corn Chips/ Pico de Gallo/ shredded cheese/ Jalapeños/ sour cream/ salsa/ guacamole.
Spicy Thai Chicken Bites $15 : Breaded chicken/ cucumbers/ sweet & spicy Thai sauce
Chicken Wings $15 : Breaded Wings/ Fries
Classic Poutine $15 : French Fries/ Cheese Curds/ Gravy
Kung-Pao Calamari $15 : Spicy Breaded Calamari/ Cucumbers/ Red Onions
Caesar Salad $15 : Romain Mix/ Parmesan/ Bacon Bits/ Croutons/ Creamy Caesar Dressing
Chicken Avocado Salad $17 : Heritage mix/ Red Peppers/ Red Onions/ Balsamic dressing/ Avocados/ Cheese
Fish & Chips $16 : Haddock/ Beer Batter/ Fries/ Tartar Sauce
Garlic & Herb Chicken Sandwich $17 : Garlic Chicken/ Bacon/ Cheddar cheese/ Southwestern ranch/ Pico De Gallo/ Lettuce/ Avocado/ Kaiser bun
The Loaded Stack Burger $17 : Double Beef Patty/ Sautéed Mushroom & Onions/ Southwestern Ranch/ Bacon/ Cheddar & Swiss Cheese/ Lettuce/ Tomatoes/ Pickles/ Kaiser
Shepherds Pie $15 : Ground Beef/ Corn/ Mash/ Cheese/ Gravy
Bangers & Mash $15 : Banger sausages/ Mash/ Onions/ Bacon/ Gravy
Chicken Curry $17: Chicken Curry/ Rice/ Naan
Sundried Tomato Pesto Penne $15 (available Gluten Free) : Broccoli/ Sundried Tomatoes/ Mushrooms/ Pesto/ Cream/ Penne
You may have heard of LGBT. So why did I add all those extra letters on the end? Well, the four letters doesn’t really cover the complete spectrum. Neither does LGBTQQIPP2SAAADGG+, honestly. That’s why there’s a plus on the end – because there is no complete form!
I thought I’d give a list to tell you what each of these letters mean. Here we go!
LGBTQQIPP2SAAADGG+: Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, Questioning, Intersex, Pansexual, Polyamory, 2-Spirit, Agender, Asexual, Aromantic, Demisexual, Genderqueer, and Graysexual. The plus sign is there because there is no complete form.
And that’s it for this post!
Just kidding. Here’s a tiny summary of each one:
Lesbian: a woman who is attracted to other women
Gay: a man who is attracted to other men
Bisexual: a person attracted to other people of both their gender and other genders
Transgender: a person who was assigned one gender at birth, but does not live as that gender. It is not a requirement to undergo gender confirmation surgery to identify as transgender
Queer: an umbrella term to indicate not specifically heterosexual and/or monogamous
Questioning: a person who is exploring their sexual orientation or gender identity
Intersex: people who have a combination of chromosomes, sex organs, hormones, and/or genitals that differ from the “binary”. Some intersex people are visibly identified at birth, but still more are not noticeable until they try to have children, or sometimes never discovered
Pansexual: a person who is attracted to all gender identities and expressions
Polyamory: a person who is involved in (or open to) multiple relationships with the consent of all partners
2-Spirit: Aboriginal term for people with attributes of more than one gender
Agender: a person who does not identify as male or female
Asexual: a spectrum defining little to no sexual attraction to other people
Aromantic: a spectrum defining little to no romantic attraction to other people
Demisexual: part of the asexual spectrum; little to no romantic attraction is felt until an emotional bond is made
Genderqueer/Genderfluid: a gender identity for people who do not identify with the binary, or are fluid, or many other reasons
Graysexual: a person who experiences sexual attraction very rarely, or at a very low intensity
+: there is no complete form. The plus sign indicates that there are many more letters that could be added.
https://lgbtrc.usc.edu/education/terminology/
https://lgbtqia.ucdavis.edu/educated/glossary.html
If you’re enjoying the Blush blogs, consider learning more with Blush: The Card Game from Renaissance Press.
