#greywalker problems

[house-of-crows]

So come and meet me again-

In a new light In a new guise In a new, and aching form

Stagnation is anathema, thus-

I have no heart to care, For the many tears you claim to weep Over an empty seat Filled to the edges with dust That was never shaped to fit what I became-

Show me a permanent state of self And I will show you what it is To die, alone, Caught between the cracks, upon the verge of Becoming

Tell me how you love me, Show me the works of your hands All that was done by name and word and deed-

And in return, thus,

"Truly I say to you, you never knew me."

-They called it love

#greywalker problems #poetry #family #estranged parents #prodigal child #tw catholicism #relationships #spilled ink #words i never said #words from a book I'll never write

[melodiiesxfmadness]

( au verses: comic | greywalker )

full name: Lourdes Cecilia Rasmussen nickname(s): Lour, Des, Deź, Cece, C.C., Cilia, Mussen. alias: super💥nova date of birth: January 10th 1981 place of birth: Petoskey, Michigan zodiac sign ( west ): Capricorn ( Element: Earth | Color: Brown, Black | Ruler: Saturn | Quality: Cardinal )

Strengths: Responsible, disciplined, self-control, good managers.

Weaknesses: Know-it-all, unforgiving, condescending, expecting the worst

zodiac sign ( east ): Metal Rooster current occupation: bounty hunter former occupation: united states marine, sergeant. ( on paper: 4.2 years | in reality; 6, as the last year & eight months were "voluntary/off the books" additional training for her new abilities. ) current residence: Greenville, South Carolina additional locations: California, Colorado, Nevada, Montana species: metahuman, experimented on. gender: female orientation: heterosexual gray romantic status: highly selective ( multi ship. ) height & weight: 5'9" & 134 pounds hair & eyes: Light Brown & Hazel team affiliation: none. fight training: kung fu, tae kwon do, karate, Thai boxing, jujitsu and judo, plus bayonet and knife-fighting techniques.

piercing(s): both ears & her right eyebrow. tattoos:

MCMLXXXI ( 1981 in roman numerals ); left forearm.

psalm 23; left tricep

sergeant chevrons; right bicep

education: Petoskey High School, class of 1999 ( Summa cum laude in Spanish, French, Mathematics & Science. ) medical: Aerophobia is an extreme fear of flying in an airplane. ( particularly taking off & landing – always had to be sedated half a valium during flights for deployment. ) languages: English, Spanish, French, Greek, Russian, Mandarin, Arabic, Farsi, Pashto, ASL, Swahili/Kiswahili, Dutch, & German. extra: senior girl scout ( grade 10 | sophomore ), girl's track team ( all four years – long distance runner ) parents: unnamed currently siblings: Bridgett Cathryn( born May 1984; accountant ), Imogene Jillian( born October 1987; pediatric nurse – neé Rasmussen, married in 2012 to Lyle Domenic Knight) pets: (2) Belgian Malinois ( brother & sister, both fixed ) Luna ( Moon; the female ) & Sol ( Sun; the male ). vehicle(s): 2018 matte gray dodge charger srt weaponry: Glock 19, Remington 870 12-gauge shotgun, collapsible police baton. additional arsenal: bulletproof vest, handcuffs, zipties, taser & pepper spray.

ABILITIES: Pressure Resistance: User is resistant to damage from being crushed, smashed, or flattened. Enhanced Dexterity: The user can precisely control their movements and muscles, making them unable to be clumsy or fumbling. They can slip through a network of lasers, reach through dangerous narrow tunnels, keep perfect balance, or juggle effortlessly without ever tripping or wobbling. The user can even move their finger or toes effortlessly, with tendon strain no longer being a problem. Enhanced Tracking: The user can track others down easily via various means, ranging from scents to footprints. With enough experience, the user can follow tracks that are days or even weeks old. Some users may be able to reconstruct what has happened by sniffing around the area they are searching. Solar Flare: The user can emit a bright flash of high intensity solar ray emissions that can badly concuss targets, flash fry a stampeding herd or outright blind anyone unfortunate enough to get hit dead on by it. Stellar Regeneration: The user can use stellar elements to regenerate their bodies with the amount of stellar elements used defining the speed of healing. Stellar Attacks: The user can release/use stellar energy/substances to attacks of various shapes and/or intensities, either projected, used as a part of melee attacks, etc., from huge rays of pure energy that can knock over or even obliterate dozens of targets, or slightly singe them. Stellar Constructs: Users can turn stellar energy/substances into different shapes, objects, materials and other substances of varying complexity, permanence and solidity, ranging from items such as tools and weapons, to other forms such as images, elements, entities, structures and environments. Users who have mastered this ability can use it for almost any situation, creating anything they need.

WEAKNESSES: Sensory Overload: generally results in unconsciousness ( in regards to Solar Flare ) From Stellar Attacks: Users will be exhausted when too much energy is used. Users may be over-charged/wounded if too much energy is used at once. From Stellar Constructs: In most cases, constructs will return back into their original state if the user becomes unconscious, leaves the proximity or otherwise loses contact/control of the item. Being struck by lighting / given a highly potent electric shock.

full name: Lourdes Cecilia Rasmussen nickname(s): Lour, Des, Deź, Cece, C.C., Cilia, Mussen. date of birth: January 10th 1981 place of birth: Petoskey, Michigan zodiac sign ( west ): Capricorn ( Element: Earth | Color: Brown, Black | Ruler: Saturn | Quality: Cardinal )

Strengths: Responsible, disciplined, self-control, good managers.

Weaknesses: Know-it-all, unforgiving, condescending, expecting the worst

zodiac sign ( east ): Metal Rooster current occupation: bounty hunter former occupation: united states marine, sergeant. ( on paper: 4.2 years. ) current residence: Greenville, South Carolina additional locations: California, Colorado, Nevada, Montana species: human / greywalker gender: female orientation: heterosexual gray romantic status: highly selective ( multi ship. ) height & weight: 5'9" & 134 pounds hair & eyes: Light Brown & Hazel fight training: kung fu, tae kwon do, karate, Thai boxing, jujitsu and judo, plus bayonet and knife-fighting techniques.

piercing(s): both ears & her right eyebrow. tattoos:

MCMLXXXI ( 1981 in roman numerals ); left forearm.

psalm 23; left tricep

sergeant chevrons; right bicep

education: Petoskey High School, class of 1999 ( Summa cum laude in Spanish, French, Mathematics & Science. ) medical: Aerophobia is an extreme fear of flying in an airplane. ( particularly taking off & landing – always had to be sedated half a valium during flights for deployment. ) languages: English, Spanish, French, Greek, Russian, Mandarin, Arabic, Farsi, Pashto, ASL, Swahili/Kiswahili, Dutch, & German. extra: senior girl scout ( grade 10 | sophomore ), girl's track team ( all four years – long distance runner ) parents: Ixchel ( commonly referred to Chel ) Felicitas née Aguilar ( mother, alive ), Erling Hilmar Rasmussen ( father, alive ) siblings: Bridgett Cathryn( born May 1984; accountant ), Imogene Jillian( born October 1987; pediatric nurse – neé Rasmussen, married in 2012 to Lyle Domenic Knight) pets: (2) Belgian Malinois ( brother & sister, both fixed ) Luna ( Moon; the female ) & Sol ( Sun; the male ). weaponry: Glock 19, Remington 870 12-gauge shotgun, collapsible police baton. additional arsenal: bulletproof vest, handcuffs, zipties, taser & pepper spray.

what is a GREYWALKER: A greywalker is a mortal who has died for two minutes and comes back to life with the ability to see through "the grey", or "the veil". As a greywalker, they have ability to see through / move through the Grey – the realm of ghosts, spirits, vampires, witches, necromancers, poltergeists, revenants, zombies, Voodoo mages, Native American monster, mermaids, otter-people, tentacled merfolk, Chinese demons, Egyptian goddess, creature of ancient legend, bone mages, necromancy, Sirens, Irish Sea Hounds, beast that guards the Grey, mythical creatures – and these creatures can see you as well.

The whole point of being a greywalker is to help those who come to you for assistance, however some entities are more about exacting REVENGE — so you have to be extremely careful when agreeing to help someone / something that you see in the grey ( or that has seen you ! )

How Lourdes' died for two minutes: While on the job searching for a woman who had murdered her parents ( and fled to Helena, Montana where her abusive Uncle lived to kill him too ) — Lourdes ended up stabbed by the woman in question and fell, hitting her head on a rock. She was rushed to the hospital when her partner ( Lorenzo Arturo Rodríguez ) found her after apprehending the woman. In the back of the ambulance, bleeding out slowly from both wounds — Lourdes was dead for two minutes before the paddles brought her back to life. She passed out after that, waking up a few days later in the hospital — fully aware that she had died and come back, adamant to now seek out help from psychics or anyone else within the preternatural realm to help her understand why she was seeing what she was seeing.

#( character bio: lourdes cecilia rasmussen. ) #( additional verses. )

[ninja-muse]

Urban Fantasy Recommendation Masterpost

This is a list of the urban fantasies I’ve enjoyed most over the years, split down a few lines and to be updated as I discover new series. I’m also including contemporary fantasies because the lines often blur. Hope you find something you like on it!

$ for LGBT characters £ for characters of colour € for characters with disabilities * for potentially problematic depictions of the above ! for #ownvoices (all based on my slightly spotty memory, so feel free to correct if I’ve missed something)

World-Focused

or stories that spend most of their time steeping you in the magical world

American Gods - Neil Gaiman £

Shadow Moon gets out of jail and is hired by the cagey Mr. Wednesday to … he’s not really clear, honestly, but it puts him in the path of people who may or may not be gods. Multiple mythologies.

Among Others - Jo Walton €!

A 1980s teen flees her troubled home in Wales to get to know her birth father and attend an English boarding school. Is her mother’s family able to work magic or is it just wishful thinking? Reading science fiction might give her the answers. British folklore and faeries, and a very interesting take on magic.

The Boggart - Susan Cooper

A Canadian family inherits a Scottish castle inhabited by a mischievous boggart—who then stows away and finds himself in Toronto. Scottish folklore.

The Bone Clocks - David Mitchell £

The life of a woman from teen-hood to old age as she lives her life and occasionally intersects with an ancient war between good and evil, fought with telepathy and other things that look a lot like magic.

The Changeling - Victor Lavalle £ !

After his infant son is violently attacked, Apollo Kagwa, used bookseller, descends into the hidden world of New York in search of his vanished wife.

The City We Became - N.K. Jemisin - $ £ ! for race

New York City, newly alive, is being attacked, and six humans, no longer quite human, must do everything in their power to save their city.

the Dark is Rising series - Susan Cooper €*

A group of English kids—four siblings, a seventh son, and a boy who might be a reincarnated Arthur—versus the forces of darkness. Five books, only the last of which includes all the kids. Cornish and English folklores, Arthuriana.

Gods Behaving Badly - Marie Phillips

The Greek pantheon now lives in North London and is as dysfunctional as ever. Artemis walks dogs. Aphrodite does phone sex. Apollo is a washed-out TV psychic who’s just fallen, via Eros, for the cleaning lady—who’s trying to date someone else, thank you very much. Greek mythology.

The Golem and the Jinni - Helene Wecker £

A golem and a jinni both find themselves in turn-of-the-century New York, both literally and figuratively. A beautiful exploration of the immigrant experience, friendship, and identity. Jewish and Arabic folklore.

Good Omens - Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman

A mostly-good angel and mostly-wicked demon discover they’ve been training the wrong Antichrist days before the scheduled apocalypse. The real Antichrist wants a dog and to save the whales. Also features a legacy witch, a rookie witch-finder, the Four Horsemen, the Four Other Horsemen, Satanic nuns, and a Queen soundtrack. Christian mythology.

The Hunter’s Moon - O.R. Melling

A Canadian teen visiting her Irish cousin ends up mounting a cross-country road trip to retrieve her cousin who’s run off with the faeries. Irish mythology.

The Left-Handed Booksellers of London - Garth Nix $£

In the summer of 1983, Susan Arkshaw travels to London to find her birth father. What she discovers is a family of magical booksellers, and an Old World that’s very much alive.

Middlegame - Seanan McGuire

Roger and Dodger are exceptionally gifted, telepathically linked, and a little more than natural. James Reed will stop at nothing to use them, or people like them, to get ultimate power. Alchemy, time travel, and portal fantasies are involved.

Neverwhere - Neil Gaiman £

Richard Mayhew has it all: a good job, a hot fiancée, a nice flat. Then he helps an apparently homeless girl with the power to create doors and is pulled into the magical community below London. Nothing will ever be the same.

Of Blood and Honey and And Blue Skies From Pain - Stina Leicht

It’s tough, living in Northern Ireland during the Troubles, and Liam finds it harder than most. No one trusts him, he can’t find work, everyone wants him to choose a side, and to cap it off, he feels like a monster is inside him and knows something inhuman is stalking him and his. The war between the Fey and the Fallen is heating up, and the only people keeping peace are an order of priests—who also, surprise, want Liam’s help. Irish and Christian mythology.

The Sixth World series - Rebecca Roanhorse $£€ ! 

Maggie Hoskie is a Monsterslayer of Dinétah, but she’d rather not be. Even rescuing a kidnapped girl is supposed to be a one-shot deal. But the monster’s a new one, an apprentice medicine man’s attached himself to her, and Coyote’s around, so of course it’s not that simple. Navajo mythology.

Son of a Trickster - Eden Robinson £€ !

Jared’s life sucks. He’s sixteen, living in a crap house in a crap town with crap prospects. He’s paying his dad’s rent with weed money. His mom’s more interested in parties than holding down a job. His only friend’s a pit bull. And just when he thinks that’s as low as it gets, a raven shows up and say he’s Jared’s real dad. Heiltsuk (and other First Nations) mythology and folklore.

Sparrow Hill Road - Seanan McGuire

Rose Marshall, the Phantom Prom Date, the Ghost of Sparrow Hill Road, hitches her way from coast to coast while dealing with paranormal problems and route witches—and avoiding Bobby Cross, the immortal who killed her.

Sunshine - Robin McKinley

Rae is a baker. Tough and practical and smart, but a baker. Who’s just rescued herself and a vampire from captivity using magic she’d half-forgotten she had. Unfortunately, the master vampire’s still after them, the magical police know something’s up, and she just wants to keep being normal. Includes mild, realistic PTSD and a whole lot of delicious desserts.

An Unkindness of Magicians - Kat Howard

The Turning has started in New York and every magician in the city has their own reason for entering the tournament—power, status, acknowledgement, revenge, revolution. The high stakes would be enough for anyone, but it’s starting to look like there’s something suddenly wrong with magic, too.

Witches of Ash and Ruin - E. Latimer - $ £ € *

Dayna wants to be a witch, live her life, and block her OCD thoughts so she doesn’t have to deal with them. Then scary but gorgeous Meiner and her coven roll into town prophesying Bad Things, and a serial killer reappears who seems to target witches and shit. Meet. Fan. Themes of family and abuse.

Ysabel - Guy Gavriel Kay

Ned Marriner’s tagging along with his photographer dad to Provence when he begins to notice magic awakening around him. There’s an ancient love triangle that‘s repeated throughout history, using contemporary locals as proxies—and it’s very interested in Ned, his new friend Kate, and his father’s entourage.

Mystery-Focused

or stories that spend most of their time solving a magical crime

The Arcadia Project series - Mishell Baker $£€ !

Millie’s nearly broke, scarred, a double amputee, mentally ill, and Done with all the BS around that. She’s also despairing of ever resuming her directing career, so when a mysterious woman offers her a job with her temp agency, she’s intrigued. What wasn’t mentioned? She’ll actually be an immigration agent working with the Fae of Hollywood, and one of them’s just gone missing.

the Blood series - Tanya Huff $£€

Vicky Nelson is the pinnacle of the tough, no-nonsense PI—which poses a bit of a problem when she’s hired to catch a “vampire” on the streets of Toronto and then actually meets one. (He writes romance novels.)

the Felix Castor series - Mike Carey $*

Felix Castor is an exorcist. A hard-drinking, down-at-the-heels exorcist in a London brimming with ghosts and demons. Unfortunately, he never seems to get the easy cases where he can just waltz in and play a tune—and his past mistakes might be coming back to haunt him.

Dirk Gently’s Holistic Detective Agency and The Long, Dark Tea-Time of the Soul - Douglas Adams

Dirk Gently solves mysteries by wandering around, getting into strange situations, and then connecting dots no one believes even exist. Like time traveling robots and Romantic poets, or rampaging eagles and mold-ridden refrigerators.

The Grendel Affair - Lisa Shearin £

Makenna Fraser is a seer working for Supernatural Protection and Investigations in New York. “Seer” meaning she can spot the ghoulies and ghosties few people can, including her coworkers. When an off-the-books gnome removal turns into a blood-soaked crime scene, she and her partner are handed the case—but will her eagerness to prove herself just land her in hotter water?

the Greta Helsing series - Vivian Shaw $£

Dr. Greta Helsing serves the undead of London. Her best friends are vampires and demons. The boundaries between worlds are thinning, causing all manner of metaphysical trouble. Plays with 1800s horror classics; equal parts sensible, disturbing, and funny.

the Greywalker series - Kat Richardson $£

Harper Blaine prides herself on rationality and unflappability, but after briefly dying on a case, she’s suddenly wrong-footed and seeing ghosts everywhere. In the middle of all that, she’s hired by a mysterious voice to track down an organ that’s more than it seems, and suddenly haunted street corners are the least of her problems.

the Incryptid series - Seanan McGuire $£

Meet the Price family, a close-knit group of cryptozoologists whose mission is to protect and preserve endangered cryptids like dragons, gorgons, and the religious Aeslin mice from humans. They’re also hiding from the Covenant of St. George, a.k.a. why the cryptids are endangered in the first place. Technically paranormal romance.

the Iron Druid series - Kevin Hearne £

Atticus O’Sullivan is a herbalist and seller of New Age paraphernalia by day, two-thousand-year-old druid by night. He thought moving to Arizona would keep him safe from gods bent on revenge. He thought wrong. Multiple mythologies.

Last Call at the Nightshade Lounge - Paul Krueger $£€ !

Bailey Chen is fresh out of business school, broke, and living with her parents. When a childhood friend offers her a job as a barback, she takes it as a stopgap—but then she discovers the secret cabal of bartenders who fight demons using magical cocktails and after that, there’s no looking back.

Moonshine - Alaya Johnson £

Zephyr Hollis, a charity worker and ESL teacher in 1920s New York, and therefore flat broke, takes a side job from a student, Amir, without asking questions. But will the vampire mob, the drug-crazed vamps, Amir’s literal smoking hotness, or her family history do her in first?

Night Owls - Lauren M. Roy $

Valerie is a vampire with a successful campus bookstore. Elly grew up fighting monsters and fearing for her life. When their paths collide via a book in Elly’s keeping, they must unite to prevent said monsters from unleashing hell and then some.

the October Daye series - Seanan McGuire $£€

Toby Daye wants sleep, coffee, and for everyone to leave her alone already—not necessarily in that order. Unfortunately, as a changeling Knight and PI with a knack of finding people and solving problems with maximum chaos, none of those things will ever be easy to come by. Multiple folklores.

the Olympus Bound series - Jordanna Max Brodsky $£

Selene di Silva’s been keeping her head down for a long time, shutting herself off not just from New York, but from the world. (Being a former goddess will do that.) But then she stumbles on the body of a woman who’s been ritually sacrificed and her past as Artemis comes rising up again. Greek and Roman mythology

the Rivers of London series - Ben Aaronovitch $£€

When Constable Peter Grant meets a ghost at a crime scene, it’s only logical for him to take a witness statement. When DCI Thomas Nightingale learns of this, he offers him a job as an auror the sorcerer’s apprentice a valued member of a magically-focused police unit. London, its river goddesses, various magic workers, assorted Fae, and the Metropolitan Police will never be the same.

the Shadow Police series - Paul Cornell $£

Following the mysterious death of a suspect, four Metropolitan Police officers are drawn into London’s sinister magical underworld in their hunt for a killer.

the Smoke series - Tanya Huff $*£

Tony Foster’s found his footing as a PA on a Vancouver-shot vampire show. Unfortunately, the paranormal weirdness that is his life continues and it’s somehow up to him to save the day.

Unholy Ghosts (and following) - Stacia Kane £*

Chess Putnam works as a Church exorcist, partly out of obligation and partly for the pay, which goes to fuel her drug addiction. Unfortunately, no ghosts are nice ghosts and her private life keeps intruding on her cases.

the Watch novels - Terry Pratchett

Ankh-Morpork is the citiest of fantasy cities. Its City Watch is a bunch of misfits. Sam Vimes isn’t putting up with any nonsense. Somehow, they fight crime.

Zoo City - Lauren Beukes £

Zinzi December is a con artist and occasional finder of lost things who lives in the Johannesburg slums with her sloth familiar. Her latest case? Find a pair of missing teen pop stars—before the apparent assassins do.

#book recommendations #masterposts #urban fantasy

[rhysford]

Guest Author Blog Post: Setting the Mood By Jeri Westerson

Setting the Mood By Jeri Westerson

One of the reasons I’ve never gone in for writing screenplays is that I love writing the narrative prose of a novel. I love the descriptions, setting the tone and mood of a piece. I’m a prose whore, and nothing gets me all a-tingle like some well-written sentence, or a paragraph or page that puts me in another world.

And you must sense it, too, because the readers of this blog love to sink into these different worlds, different places.

I was once in conversation with another author about world-building. We know the masters of it; J.R.R. Tolkien, JK Rowling, George R.R. Martin—they take what we know from history, from the world around us, throw in a smattering of mythology, and make a perfectly reasonable alternative reality to what we know. But my contention was that every book has some measure of this world-building, even in the historical mysteries that I also write, because readers need to be re-introduced to medieval London, to the everyday life and customs of such an intimate society. And the same is also true of paranormal novels. It’s the writer who must set the world first in a reality that the reader can relate to before she can expand upon that foundation. Only when that foundation is firmly in place can you use it as a jumping off point.

And then there is the author’s personal reality of the world she has built. With Anne Rice, her vampires are sexy but deadly and dangerous, and most definitely do not go out into the sun. But in Stephanie Meyer’s Twilight world, vampires sparkle in the sunlight, and long to live among humans, not dine upon them. At least the good ones.

Similarly, my world of BOOKE OF THE HIDDEN involves demons and mythological beasts mostly found in England and Europe. My demons have a certain character, a certain list of do’s and don’ts, of what they can do and what they can’t. It makes the drama more interesting if they have weaknesses to exploit, and they can’t solve every problem with magical powers. And once that is established, readers go along with it. And woe to the writer who cheats or somehow dismisses all she has established before. Readers have a sharp eye. They know the details of these worlds. How many times have I corrected someone in a conversation that “a Dementor can’t do that”?

These series of six books that I have embarked upon take place in the weeks leading up to Halloween. And since we are in New England, and my favorite time of year is fall, I get to have as many fall leaves around me as I want! And that is saying something from this southern California gal.

In fact, you can always tell at what time of the year I write the coldest scenes, where it is the rainiest, windiest, most autumny. It is bound to be smack in the middle of summer where I live, sixty miles east of Los Angeles without even the memory of a sea breeze. It’s hot. One hundred plus degrees hot, even through October, so you’d better believe I pour all my descriptive powers into writing the most fall-like scenes you’ve ever read. You can almost taste that pumpkin spice latte.

Besides, cold fall evenings are perfect times for a warm and crackling fire in the fireplace, of snuggling down in your sweater and woolly socks next to a handsome man…even if that man is a demon.

My little New England village of Moody Bog is a conglomeration of villages I have seen in Ohio, Indiana, and North Carolina (though ironically, not in Maine). Don’t we all have those places in our mind’s eyes where we fantasize about living; the New England of our collective nostalgia? Robert Frost’s snowy woods and birches. White clapboard houses with porches and elm-lined streets. A picturesque church with a tall steeple before a village green. A quaint market, and friendly neighbors. We long for a place most of us have never been and maybe doesn’t exist. But it is always in these particularly idyllic places that danger and evil seems to lurk. Where the smiling faces of your neighbors are not always about being friendly, but harbor secrets instead, secrets you’d rather not know.

This is my Moody Bog. The perfect little small town…with a deadly secret.

Preorder Booke of the Hidden on Amazon now.

Booke of the Hidden by Jeri Westerson After a relationship gone bad in California, Kylie Strange moves to rural Maine for a fresh start. But she gets more than she bargained for when she finds a supernatural book bricked into the wall of her new tea shop. As soon as she opens the Booke of the Hidden, the quiet town of Moody Bog suddenly becomes a lot more interesting. First the mysterious and handsome Erasmus Dark shows up unannounced, claiming to be a demon and warning Kylie of untold destruction. She waves him off, until a museum proprietor turns up dead, and the sheriff targets Kylie as a suspect. With the help of Erasmus and a ragtag group of local Wiccans, Kylie unravels the Booke’s secrets, and they begin to believe the culprit is someone—or something—much more sinister than a run-of-the mill human murderer.

“Subversively clever, Westerson creates an utterly believable history of witches, demons, and magic for her claustrophobic New England village…including a heroine with enough spark, smarts, and stubbornness to keep both the bad guys and the deliciously dangerous love-interest on their toes.”

 –Kat Richardson, author of the GREYWALKER series

Award-winning author Jeri Westerson writes her new paranormal series, BOOKE OF THE HIDDEN, in the comfort of her home office, her own imaginary small town. Her book will be released on Halloween! See her “booke” trailer, her Pinterest page, friend her on Facebook, or read an excerpt on her website BookeoftheHidden.com.

Los Angeles native and award-winning author JERI WESTERSON writes the critically acclaimed Crispin Guest Medieval Mysteries, historical novels, urban fantasy (including the upcoming BOOKE OF THE HIDDEN series), and the Skyler Foxe LGBT Mysteries. To date, her medieval mysteries have garnered twelve industry award nominations, from the Agatha to the Shamus. Jeri is the former president of the SoCal chapter of Mystery Writers of America, and frequently guest lectures on medieval history at local colleges and museums.

    from Guest Author Blog Post: Setting the Mood By Jeri Westerson

#Guest Author Blog Post: Setting the Mood By Jeri Westerson

[house-of-crows]

in relation to the "how do others view me as" post: in my head you've got black hair and green eyes, you're taller than me, and i never read your bio (i suck at reading bios) and cant remember what you identify as or your assigned birth gender so you're femme-presenting non binary. im gonna go read your bio again now

Haaaa hahaha!

So you've accurately described.... two of us~ That's hilarious.

I used to have black hair thanks to dye, but my physical eyes have always been blue. I am in fact femme NB, most of the time, unless one of the boys is front-facing, and even then it depends on what's available re: wardrobe. We generally physically present femme, and we're collectively NB due to how many of us there are lol.

#I love that Jareth's energy shines through so much lmao #our old Host hanging around still from way back in 2013 #funny #greywalker problems #laugh rule #this genuinely amuses

[house-of-crows]

Calling everything vaguely weird or land-spirit-y a "fae" or a "faerie" is the same as calling every "evil" discarnate being a fucking demon. They're not, and you should know better by now.

#use the correct cultural terms wherever possible ffs #just do better #and stop trying to make everything fit a tiny worldview #a Djinn is not a Fae anymore than a fuckin Yokai is #they are THEIR OWN THING #witchtok #witchblr #witchcraft #ffs just do better please #I am so sick of this shit #it's so damn disrespectful to the religions and cultures that birthed them #greywalker problems

[house-of-crows]

maybe it'll hurt less in the morning.

or maybe my eyes will burn with the salt tears I can't stop

or maybe the hangover will be worse

or maybe my aching bones will creak and twist

in time to my shattered heart

time might heal all wounds

but I've been bleeding out slowly from the moment

I learned your name

#relationships #spilled ink #heartbreak #poetry #d/s dynamic #greywalker problems

[house-of-crows]

In which I am Chastened

I don't want to do this, was the first thought in my head when I felt the PULL. It was like a weird hook in my solar plexus yanking me in the direction of the kitchen. This is ridiculous, it's Pop Paganism, it goes against everything I do, my modus operandi, my academic studies- All the time and effort I put into being Historically Accurate, reconstructing how folk at home would actually pray, stand, kneel IF they knelt-

I felt more than saw Their stare. Arms crossed, gaze level. The Look I haven't seen since I disappointed Him/Them so many years ago. Inwardly I was cringing, knowing exactly how this was going to play and not wanting to walk that road. But it was already laid before me.

But... it's...

When you cringe...? came the question. A rumble of thunder. A lion's roar.

Do not kill the part of you that is cringe, kill the part of you that cringes, I recited dutifully, with a glare over my own shoulder at the statue that almost appeared to be smiling smugly down at me from Her place of pride.

FINE.

I flipped through my music first, knowing I would need a respite from the D&D game happening in the other room. That rankled as much as anything. But... needs must, and I do not get to control my space. Things happen when they are meant to happen, or not at all, all too often and this was important.

I want a 99C sponge. Their voice was implacable. Almost cold. Not angry just... cold. There, like a stone in the road.

Okay. It is still 103F without the heat index. I do not have much wiggle room on my card, and I don't think I could manage to haul my bike up and down 6 flights of stairs and make the 3 mile ride round trip and still finish the task.

I stole a look at the cabinets and suddenly the push from yesterday to order more baking supplies hit me like a truck. I followed through then- I had vanilla; GOOD vanilla since my usual brand was out of stock; I had new sugar, I had eggs... I had frozen strawberries. With a wince, I exhaled, and asked if it was an acceptable substitute.

You will make this with your own hands? Sacrifice your time, your energy, your closely-hoarded "spoons" of energy that you meant to spend on other tasks...? You will exchange the completion of this task for another? The tone was considering, His gaze still level, but a little warmer. Like sheets of ice and snow falling from a cliff into the Fjords when the sun hits them in the spring. I felt more than saw the smile, a gentle warming touch to my shoulder. It is enough. Continue. I don't have whipped cream, I muttered to myself, considering what lay in the fridge. He smirked. Isn't the TRADITIONAL offering honeycakes? You have honey yogurt. Give me that.

~*~

I left the music playing and went to the computer, looked up recipes. Most called for so many ingredients in such large measures I knew that I would never complete them, let alone be abel to consume them. And the point of the exercise is not needlessly wasting food. The point was to make it, offer part, and consume the rest myself. Sharing a moment, time and energy, and thoughtful process with a God. Repairing a bridge I had unwittingly burned behind me 9 years ago, almost to the day. The significance was not lost on me.

The Nth wave travels furthest up the beach...? came the gentle-mocking voice and I nodded.

"The price is not the same as the cost. The symbol is not the thing it represents. The seventh wave travels furthest up the beach."

Anxiety is a deity that does not answer prayers. He answered, and waved towards the ingredients laid out on the stovetop. It is the 9th wave this time, but no matter. Continue.

~*~

There was a prickle in the corner of my eyes when I paused to take a picture. Breathe. Ground myself. I had found a mug cake recipe that was deemed acceptable, I had all the ingredients for it. So, I took down a mug and began the process.

Not-quite losing myself in the process. My logical brain demanding to have proof of the moment. Proof of the process. I measured everything, checked the recipes over and over again to make sure nothing was left too long-

When I got to the point of adding the flour the tears were in full affect. It didn't fit. There was too much, despite measuring so carefully.... I poured everything into a bowl and soldiered on.

Didn't you have something for this eventuality...? The tone was that ever-gentle mockery of my hang-ups, my assumptions about the way the world, magic, GODS worked. But He was right just the same. I DID. And... wonder of wonders, the amount of batter perfectly filled both. A minor miracle.

The recipe said to fill them half full... they were perfectly filled. I baked them with a feeling of trepidation, respect, and shaking hands. What if they exploded? What if they cracked down the middle? What if-

Do you think I only accept perfect things? Knowing where this began, knowing what you Know, having seen what you have Seen? You doubt, now? He had a point. I took another deep breath, and waited for them to be done.

When the timer beeped and I slid them onto the counter, I was shocked by how golden and perfect they looked. Turned each out onto its own plate, whipped up the yogurt as much as I could, and plated them with care. More to soothe my spirit than out of genuine fear, but such is life.

I was almost too afraid to look at it, then. So I took my time cutting His, dividing it until it sat perfectly on the offering plate, the same exact mini ceramic bowls I use for my regular pantheon. Moved a tiny dish aside, and put His there right beside Their libations of wine, and water, perfumes, and incense grounds.

I re-lit the candle, and stood there, quietly, watching it flicker.

"I didn't have to wait 9 years to fix this," I muttered, rebellious. "You could have told me, you know." Nine years from your discovery that you could disappoint the gods, nine years from your discovery that you could talk to them, walk the Dreaming as you walked the Grey- Nine years of study, mistakes, penances, trial & error, and dogged pursuit of your self-betterment... and you didn't realize that til now? The gentle mocking tone was replaced with what felt like genuine pity. You stand there, cloaked and protected, with weapons in your hands and inked into your skin, God-touched, and think I needed to tell you? Truly?

"No. Not truly. I should have known and approached you to apologize much sooner than now. I should have known better, and I should have pursued it years ago. I was a child then, and I should have listened when my mentors told me you would not unduly punish a child; whether of age or inexperience.

I should have reached out then, the gate was open. But I was wrapped up in pursuit of the Morrigan. I did not truly believe I could make amends. Not to a god. Not to you."

For not recognizing a god you had never seen before, in an unfamiliar place, before you had built your Dreamscape, your personal lexicon. Before you had studied. Before you knew... anything, really. Newly awake, newly out of a horrible situation, and newly listening... it was a test, yes. But not so great a one as you thought.

I was seeing if you would pursue. If you would learn the lesson, and try again anyway.

"I am here now."

And are you willing to try....?

~*~

Well. That's the question now, isn't it?

Happy September 4/5th. Happy Spongecakegate.

I have a lot to think about..

#Loki #Spongecakegate #The Seventh Wave #The Seventh Wave Travels Furthest Up The Beach #greywalker problems #Dreaming #Greywalking #personal pantheon #In Which I Am Chastened #Pop Paganism #Pop Culture Paganism #Witchcraft #Speaking With The Gods #Beaches to Waves #Freedom and Not Peace #The Morrigan #Sayings #Anxiety is a Deity that Does Not Answer Prayers

[house-of-crows]

so @gothiccharmschool will appreciate this first half of my christmas gift from my beloved datemate~ #vintage Original #YSL#opium 2oz bottle, semi-accurately dated to between 1977-2003. 90% full, and what's gone is only gone from evaporation. I HAVE MISSED THIS SCENT SO DAMN MUCH!

It opens as a powerful incense, sharp and spicy. The top notes are muddled or gone altogether from age, but as it sits on my skin it fades in and out of incense & spice and back to powdery warm soft florals and fruits with an undercurrent of incense. 30 minutes later? Soft florals with a pale glimmer of incense. As though I just stepped out of an abandoned church overgrown with vines and flowers on a moody autumn day. The ghost of vetiver and myrrh lingering with pale peachy jasmine and roses.

Definitely a skin scent, unless I DOUSE myself in it at every pulse-point. But one drop from the stopper between the wrists and pressed together makes this a very intimate experience. It lingers like ghosts and prayers, complex and whispy by turns and so COMPLICATED-

Incredible. Absolutely incredible.

#Vintage #Vintage Perfume #YSL #YSL Opium #Opium Perfume #the original mass market perfume #80s perfumes #Unicorn Bottles #greywalker problems

[house-of-crows]

In Clarity:

Was that surgery "helpful"? That is INCREDIBLY debatable.

Were they bullied into surgery? Yes absolutely their mother is awful.

Is the surgery having negative impacts on their health now? Yes, absolutely, their health has markedly declined since having the surgery.

There's been a perfect firestorm of bad results:

-rent aid never got processed and the office "lost" their ESA paperwork for the cat which caused an additional charge on top of late rent due to the following:

-Medical Leave was approved but not in a way that made sense; they are counting it as "business weeks" and not according to their actual schedule of 3 days on, 4 days off, with 12 hour shifts. So the amount of paid leave they had accrued got eaten WAY FASTER than it should have and they didn't get a restful convalescence post-op due to worrying about the financials.

-Their mother promised rent aid as a co-signer to the lease, and then reneged on the deal leaving them without a safety net only AFTER they had already underwent surgery.

-The mold issue in their apartment from a leak caused by their overhead neighbor last summer was only actually taken care of as of a week or so ago, and the management office's idea of "fixed" was just scraping the drywall and painting over it, not REPLACING the impacted drywall which means it will likely come back due to how bad it had spread. This mold issue has also been impacting their health and making it harder to heal, and they have lost clothing, furniture, and personal items due to the mold growth which will now require replacing post-move.

I'm only one person. And even with their other friends, we're so spread out over the country that any kind of direct aid from mutually cash-strapped Queers isn't enough to move the mountain that has fallen on them. We're doing everything we can to help, we've all donated what we can, we just need more than what we can provide.

#If my NP let me work this might be a different story #don't think that I don't know that #greywalker problems #fundraising #gfm #go fund me #and I'm putting the link in because if you stumble over this post I dont want you to have to search my blog

[house-of-crows]

weeeeeelll Shit~ I don't know how you hoard of new followers ain't pornbots but I'm not complaining. Welcome to my lil corner of the internet hellsite! We do bullshit here, strange posts about nothing, an ever-growing tag system, and some religious/spiritualist vent posting on top when I'm not rambling on about Dreamwalking; which makes up the bulk of my spiritual practice. #Local_Politics is my Kink Discourse Tag, as well as, well, Local Area Politics. #Greywalker_Problems is for my dreamwalking and spiritualist endeavors along with #Dreaming and a handful of others, which will all be utilized below. Happy hunting.

#Local Politics #Greywalker Problems #Dreaming #Dreaming Again #it's only an omen if you take it as one #humans are weird #poetry #relationships #music appreciation #today on ED blogs are entitled little shits #please block that one if eating disorders trigger you #when I was in Active Recovery some pro blogs reblogged my shit #and my tags have never recovered #Chronically Ill #chronic illness #Leather #Gay History is Leather History #Leather History Is Gay History

[house-of-crows]

Look.

Don't be fucking stupid, okay? You can pull the dumb shit on your own time in your own space just keep it the fuck away from me alright? Okay~ Don't thank the Good Neighbors that help you keep your home clean, don't sweep your porches, keep certain plants growing at the gate and for the love of all holy do not cross Boundaries, do not move Their marking stones, and do not cross Their portals.

What happens to humans who get lost in the Wilds is never a good time. Whatever you THINK you're going to get; a new name, a partner who will never leave you, rid of your old identity, a child, whatever the fuck; WHAT YOU WILL RECEIVE is probably a century or three of hell and then literally eaten. Probably before you're actually dead, and potentially you'll be awake to see it happening.

FFS don't be stupid and assume that the Spicy Romance Novels are telling you the truth. It's not a funny "escape from capitalism" meme anymore. At BEST you'll be lost in the woods, probably get dehydrated, and sprain an ankle or catch something from improperly filtered water. At WORST?

Do your own research on "worst." And remember what the Good Neighbors share the land with: All the cultures that came before our immigrant ancestors walked these woods and hollows.

Tch'yeah. It ain't just the Good Folk you've got to keep an eye for. It's Indigenous critters and spirits. It's things that you should never speak the name of, if you know them. It's knowing never to whistle at night or look out your windows after dark because you will NEVER like what you see.

Do the research. Know whose lands you're squatting on. Be respectful.

Keep your eyes open and your mouth shut. Keep your eyes on the trail in front of your feet if you find yourself going in circles, don't listen to whatever is calling in the deep wood, turn your shirt inside out, and pray. Whatever gods' you've got might listen. Hope that the Folk in the wild places don't hear you first.

#mythology #greywalker problems #Spiritualism #paganism #Be Respectful #The Bones Of This Land ARE NOT WHITE #I'd tag this as fiction but we all know it's aint #so dont be fucking stupid #This Is How You Get Eaten #The Fae #Daione Sidhe #Aios Sidhe #The Sidhe #Tuatha De

[house-of-crows]

Spirituality is the skeleton dressed in the robe of religious expression that stands behind the altar and beckons

#god things #witchcraft #paganism #Greywalker Problems #sayings #spirituality vs religion #spiritualism #spirituality #religious problems #religion #personal pantheon

[house-of-crows]

O for...

Okay. OKAY. Fine.

Just give me... I don't know, an hour or two.

#Presented without Context #greywalker problems #Spongecakegate #Fixing Old Problems #Personal Pantheon

[house-of-crows]

I don't know about anyone else, but Personally I despise the Y/N/Character or ReaderX fics because it's god moding. If you're going to write what is essentially a Script Fic, it's bad form to control the actions of another person and basically strong arm them into certain situations. It's like reading the most god awful newbie RP no matter how well it's written.

You don't know how I'd respond to certain stimuli. You don't know how my mind works. And you definitely don't get to decide things about my character; OOC or not. Everyone is welcome to do what they like, of course... but there's a reason I hit the X button the moment I see the first Y/N or "you" on the opening page. It should be common courtesy to tag what voice the work is written in, honestly.

Third Person past, please and thank.

#Just another angry ex linguist student #greywalker problems #Fic #fandom wank #fandom problems #truly honestly do whatever you want dont let me stop you #but dont expect me to read your work either

[house-of-crows]

I found my Gods in the dawn after the storm

In a moment of raging winds and torrential downpour, I was reminded of the floods and tides of the Nile. In the flash of lightning and the roar of the thunder I heard voices in a sky full of song. And One said "come" and so I went.

Out into the darkness, led by the inexorable tug at the leash of blood and pain I am bound with. Chosen, for all of that... but still a leash. It wasn't exactly hot, not after the torrential downpours of the past few days but it was warmer than I am used to. Not hellish, but not comfortable either. The path I ran along was laid before me as I went, no direction, no instruction, just "Go" and so I went. Farther than I thought I had in me, and shorter than I could have pushed myself. For all of that, I was grateful when the inexorable tug led homeward instead and I was allowed to turn and go back.

.

.

I am stronger than I think. More powerful than I credit myself. I have a long way to go before I am whole and wholly myself again.

Many things are true. This is simply one truth out of many.

#Greywalker Problems #personal pantheon #Bh'ahoriel #[ke] #Badb #Ubasti #Ubasti Re