Tuesday, February 19, 2013
Thursday, January 31, 2013
Understanding the Saga of the Entity
Jeff Underwood and I have just completed the last book in our series involving the Entity. Below, read and understand our development of the Entity through our five books. Read one book. You will want for more.
Kate
His parents are Cain and Lilith. His birthright is as a savage and mindless killer of all in his path. No one is spared. Yet this is just his first incarnation. He is an intangible force that brings the undead to the world.
His bloodlust populates the world with night creatures, fanged demons that need only blood to sustain them. As the first and the primary undead being, he is actually more than vampire. Unlike his brethren, he is capable of moving from one human body to another, always immortal. And when he is out of body, his being is amorphous, dark and what is visible is shaped as if he were a floating, ugly black spider. And that thing is the entity.
And, in spite of his power, he has an Overlord who rules him completely. This master of his dictates the skins which the entity must inhabit. So what is the nature of this all powerful One?
The first skin is Mezopx, night tyrant who dwells in the bosom of Akkadia along the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers. He scours this desert land for opposing forces and annihilates them. Mercy is not an option.
Then, he is startled when made to exit Mezopx and discovers his true form as no more than a mighty shadow; yet without power supreme. He is sentient for centuries while he awaits the command of his Overlord to permeate another skin. And this skin is that of Septimius Severus. This is a Roman Emperor, petty and brutal, whose bureaucratic iron hand brings most of Europe under Rome’s dominion.
Then miraculously, as the entity inhabits others (those others are always significant in history’s unfurling), a gradual evolution in his core develops. The dark is never struck down but the light continues its advance in order to perpetually encroach upon the evil. The skins, Cinaed Mac Alpin, Kakeobuk, Abel Tasman and finally Marius Petipa, show the entity alternatives of love, compassion and even empathy. Though, as vampire king, this softening always goes nearly unnoticed by those surrounding him; this is much to his frustration finally. And he is always misunderstood except as an icon of evil. So ultimately, with this always upon him, he retreats.
Before his capitulation though, his massive years and habitations take him to many lands. From Mesopotamia, he traverses Europe, becomes intimately embroiled in the formation of Scotland and then leaves that continent. He becomes a mighty and magnificent Mississippian Indian chieftain named Kakeobuk, wise leader of the city of Cahokia. He is flung to the other side of the world thereafter to find embodiment in Abel Tasman, European discoverer of Tasmania and New Zealand. Finally, he falls into his last embodiment as a maestro, an artiste, Marius Petipa.
His Overlord is obviously pleased as the entity is permitted the skin of a noble person, at long last.
And this saga involves other than just the emotional and spiritual evolution of the entity. The clash of cultures (the history presented is always factual to the best levels of Kate and my research) sprang eternal throughout his epochal journey. These cultures most especially include the Gaels, the Picts, and the Vikings, then onward to be enmeshed in North American Indian culture. The cultures of the Moriori and the Maori of New Zealand and Chatham Island impact one another spectacularly. German and Russian culture is seen side by side. Ultimately, the Marius that the entity becomes and remains as visits present day Seattle too.
Some of the characters that are encountered in the saga are luminous but never perfect. Some are harsh and cruel but with a bite of remorse. Some are evil and demonic but never entirely so. None are simply understood. The ironies and paradoxes revealed demonstrate the contest of good and bad within us all, reflected individually and collectively as a society and species. The saga attempts to make a subtle case for letting go of stereotypes and for the evolution of all beings to ultimately move toward the light.
And yes, the books all contain what Kate and I euphemistically call "spice". We try to use explanations that ease the prospective reader into the erotic realms of these books. We think an unvarnished announcement and celebration of sex as one of the most vital aspects of human interaction, species survival and longevity is critical. To be human is to be sexual.
We also use vampires as a template of what might even decently transpire with the worst creatures that the human imagination can conjure up. Vampires certainly fill the bill. The notion of good vampires breaks all stereotypes regarding the conjoined twins of good and evil.
Fairy tales linger in one of the books. Fantasy as fact; fact as fantasy. What is real and what is not? Open mindedness to a full spectrum of possibilities is a positive.
Before more is given away by us, the books within the Entity’s Saga are:
Treason’s Truth; Mac Alpin’s Scotland. This is where Scotland finally comes together in unity in the ninth century A. D.
Eagle’s Eclipse; America Before Columbus. And this is where North American Indian society in the fifteenth century A. D. walks.
Tasman’s Travail; The Journey Down Under. Sadly for the indigenous population, Europeans discover New Zealand in the seventeenth century A. D.
Forbidden Tome; Hansel and Gretel's True Tale. Germany and Russia in the nineteenth century A. D. reveal their hands.
Lethal Assumed; Lost Tome Found. Who knew that vampires existed in present day Seattle and that fairy tales can become corporeal?
Now, for your further reading pleasure, here is the brief backstory to this accomplishment of ours:
Jeffrey Underwood already had writing blood coursing through him. He first put pen to paper in the form of a few short stories. A friend read the stories and thought them to be good enough to encourage him to write more. At the same time, Jeff had finished reading Wicked by Greg McGuire, as well as Anne Rice's Beauty series.
It was this combination of reading, writing and encouragement that found Jeff, collecting his thoughts, ideas and writing his first book, Forbidden Tome; Hansel and Gretel's True Tale, a topsy turvy book that turned a fairy tale on its head.
Shortly after publishing Forbidden Tome, Jeff met Kate Taylor online and asked her to help research and give him her feminine perspective in his next book, Lethal Assumed; Lost Tome Found. The collaboration of their writing together fell easily into place.
Through his early writing career, Jeff was introduced to Mac Alpin's treason and a tattooed clan known as the Picts. He had a desire in the back of his mind to write about Mac Alpin as well as the Picts. As Jeff and Kate worked together, they cultivated that desire and decided to carry his initial tomes through in what has become the full saga of the Entity with history, plot twists and spice as the backbone of it all. And oh yes, there is a subtly evident thread of evolving spirituality too.
We love doing this. Completing the Entity Saga made us sad because it was hard to leave our characters. They are part of what makes writing such a joy.
Thank you for reading us.
Be well.
Jeff Underwood and Kate Taylor
Kate
ENTITY SAGA SUMMARY
His parents are Cain and Lilith. His birthright is as a savage and mindless killer of all in his path. No one is spared. Yet this is just his first incarnation. He is an intangible force that brings the undead to the world.
His bloodlust populates the world with night creatures, fanged demons that need only blood to sustain them. As the first and the primary undead being, he is actually more than vampire. Unlike his brethren, he is capable of moving from one human body to another, always immortal. And when he is out of body, his being is amorphous, dark and what is visible is shaped as if he were a floating, ugly black spider. And that thing is the entity.
And, in spite of his power, he has an Overlord who rules him completely. This master of his dictates the skins which the entity must inhabit. So what is the nature of this all powerful One?
The first skin is Mezopx, night tyrant who dwells in the bosom of Akkadia along the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers. He scours this desert land for opposing forces and annihilates them. Mercy is not an option.
Then, he is startled when made to exit Mezopx and discovers his true form as no more than a mighty shadow; yet without power supreme. He is sentient for centuries while he awaits the command of his Overlord to permeate another skin. And this skin is that of Septimius Severus. This is a Roman Emperor, petty and brutal, whose bureaucratic iron hand brings most of Europe under Rome’s dominion.
Then miraculously, as the entity inhabits others (those others are always significant in history’s unfurling), a gradual evolution in his core develops. The dark is never struck down but the light continues its advance in order to perpetually encroach upon the evil. The skins, Cinaed Mac Alpin, Kakeobuk, Abel Tasman and finally Marius Petipa, show the entity alternatives of love, compassion and even empathy. Though, as vampire king, this softening always goes nearly unnoticed by those surrounding him; this is much to his frustration finally. And he is always misunderstood except as an icon of evil. So ultimately, with this always upon him, he retreats.
Before his capitulation though, his massive years and habitations take him to many lands. From Mesopotamia, he traverses Europe, becomes intimately embroiled in the formation of Scotland and then leaves that continent. He becomes a mighty and magnificent Mississippian Indian chieftain named Kakeobuk, wise leader of the city of Cahokia. He is flung to the other side of the world thereafter to find embodiment in Abel Tasman, European discoverer of Tasmania and New Zealand. Finally, he falls into his last embodiment as a maestro, an artiste, Marius Petipa.
His Overlord is obviously pleased as the entity is permitted the skin of a noble person, at long last.
And this saga involves other than just the emotional and spiritual evolution of the entity. The clash of cultures (the history presented is always factual to the best levels of Kate and my research) sprang eternal throughout his epochal journey. These cultures most especially include the Gaels, the Picts, and the Vikings, then onward to be enmeshed in North American Indian culture. The cultures of the Moriori and the Maori of New Zealand and Chatham Island impact one another spectacularly. German and Russian culture is seen side by side. Ultimately, the Marius that the entity becomes and remains as visits present day Seattle too.
Some of the characters that are encountered in the saga are luminous but never perfect. Some are harsh and cruel but with a bite of remorse. Some are evil and demonic but never entirely so. None are simply understood. The ironies and paradoxes revealed demonstrate the contest of good and bad within us all, reflected individually and collectively as a society and species. The saga attempts to make a subtle case for letting go of stereotypes and for the evolution of all beings to ultimately move toward the light.
And yes, the books all contain what Kate and I euphemistically call "spice". We try to use explanations that ease the prospective reader into the erotic realms of these books. We think an unvarnished announcement and celebration of sex as one of the most vital aspects of human interaction, species survival and longevity is critical. To be human is to be sexual.
We also use vampires as a template of what might even decently transpire with the worst creatures that the human imagination can conjure up. Vampires certainly fill the bill. The notion of good vampires breaks all stereotypes regarding the conjoined twins of good and evil.
Fairy tales linger in one of the books. Fantasy as fact; fact as fantasy. What is real and what is not? Open mindedness to a full spectrum of possibilities is a positive.
Before more is given away by us, the books within the Entity’s Saga are:
Eagle’s Eclipse; America Before Columbus. And this is where North American Indian society in the fifteenth century A. D. walks.
Tasman’s Travail; The Journey Down Under. Sadly for the indigenous population, Europeans discover New Zealand in the seventeenth century A. D.
Forbidden Tome; Hansel and Gretel's True Tale. Germany and Russia in the nineteenth century A. D. reveal their hands.
Lethal Assumed; Lost Tome Found. Who knew that vampires existed in present day Seattle and that fairy tales can become corporeal?
Now, for your further reading pleasure, here is the brief backstory to this accomplishment of ours:
Jeffrey Underwood already had writing blood coursing through him. He first put pen to paper in the form of a few short stories. A friend read the stories and thought them to be good enough to encourage him to write more. At the same time, Jeff had finished reading Wicked by Greg McGuire, as well as Anne Rice's Beauty series.
It was this combination of reading, writing and encouragement that found Jeff, collecting his thoughts, ideas and writing his first book, Forbidden Tome; Hansel and Gretel's True Tale, a topsy turvy book that turned a fairy tale on its head.
Shortly after publishing Forbidden Tome, Jeff met Kate Taylor online and asked her to help research and give him her feminine perspective in his next book, Lethal Assumed; Lost Tome Found. The collaboration of their writing together fell easily into place.
Through his early writing career, Jeff was introduced to Mac Alpin's treason and a tattooed clan known as the Picts. He had a desire in the back of his mind to write about Mac Alpin as well as the Picts. As Jeff and Kate worked together, they cultivated that desire and decided to carry his initial tomes through in what has become the full saga of the Entity with history, plot twists and spice as the backbone of it all. And oh yes, there is a subtly evident thread of evolving spirituality too.
We love doing this. Completing the Entity Saga made us sad because it was hard to leave our characters. They are part of what makes writing such a joy.
Thank you for reading us.
Be well.
Jeff Underwood and Kate Taylor
Tuesday, January 8, 2013
Perfectly Paired
You will never look at Peanut Butter & Jelly the same way again!
I am submitting a recipe to be hopefully included in a romantic cookbook. Do you think this will get me a spot?
Title of the recipe - Perfectly Paired PB & J
The table is set, a jaquard white linen, palest pink napkins. Two wine glasses and a single rose in a cut crystal vase in the center. One small plate, fine china edged with 18 karat gold. A bottle of Madeira or a favorite wine is waiting to be poured.
...
The recipe
The bread - Select a baguette that has a rustic crust and a plush malleable interior
Soft butter
Fresh peanut butter (spanish peanut or even almond butter)
Your favorite flavor of jelly - preferably something homemade from a fair
The recipe
The bread - Select a baguette that has a rustic crust and a plush malleable interior
Soft butter
Fresh peanut butter (spanish peanut or even almond butter)
Your favorite flavor of jelly - preferably something homemade from a fair
The romance in this recipe is all in the making.
He holds the peanut butter. She holds the jelly.
Two thick slices of the bread are cut with a serrated knife.
Each slice is buttered.
He takes his knife and scoops up some of the rich nut butter. Holding the bread flat and open, he spreads the nut butter on his slice, taking care to firmly and thoroughly, spread the butter out from the middle to each side, all the way to the edges. He keeps the nut butter on the edge as thick as in the middle. He wants to see this ooze from the sandwich. His tongue licks away any butter that has clung to his fingers. She watches this all the while.
She in turn, spoons the jelly sweetness onto her slice of bread, swirling the jelly all around until it begins to dribble over the edge ever so slightly. She licks and sucks the jelly from spoon and her finger tips and delights in the sticky sweet taste. Mmm. He doesn't take his eyes away from her.
It is then the joining begins. Simultaneously, each picks up their slice of bread, adorned with the nut butter and jelly. Holding them with the filling facing one another, they press them together, and feel the sweet sweet surrender as the two become one.
This loving couple now joined, kiss.
Each takes turn holding the sandwich while the other bites, chews and swallows. Sips of wine quench their thirst as they devour the deliciousness that has been created together. This continues until the sandwich is gone, sharing the last bite via a deep kiss.
Sigh...
He holds the peanut butter. She holds the jelly.
Two thick slices of the bread are cut with a serrated knife.
Each slice is buttered.
He takes his knife and scoops up some of the rich nut butter. Holding the bread flat and open, he spreads the nut butter on his slice, taking care to firmly and thoroughly, spread the butter out from the middle to each side, all the way to the edges. He keeps the nut butter on the edge as thick as in the middle. He wants to see this ooze from the sandwich. His tongue licks away any butter that has clung to his fingers. She watches this all the while.
She in turn, spoons the jelly sweetness onto her slice of bread, swirling the jelly all around until it begins to dribble over the edge ever so slightly. She licks and sucks the jelly from spoon and her finger tips and delights in the sticky sweet taste. Mmm. He doesn't take his eyes away from her.
It is then the joining begins. Simultaneously, each picks up their slice of bread, adorned with the nut butter and jelly. Holding them with the filling facing one another, they press them together, and feel the sweet sweet surrender as the two become one.
This loving couple now joined, kiss.
Each takes turn holding the sandwich while the other bites, chews and swallows. Sips of wine quench their thirst as they devour the deliciousness that has been created together. This continues until the sandwich is gone, sharing the last bite via a deep kiss.
Sigh...
Thursday, November 15, 2012
Surrendering...
White Flag
No more quips,
no more quotes,
no more cutsey pie
Today, I am in pain
Today, I am powerless
You said you want it
You said you'd take it
Well, you can have it
All of it
I hand it over
You fix it
Amen
Wednesday, November 14, 2012
it's all attitude, isn't it....
Every time I allow the challenges to overwhelm me and keep me from doing what I need to do and want to do, and they insist on pushing me to hide under the bed even further, they win. No more. Hear me now. NO more. I am out and the dust kitties have been brushed off. I am on my way.......
Standing on the line...
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