Selkies' Skins

Selkies' Skins
Current book in series Temple and Skinquest. Enjoy Castle and Well from Amazon, B&N and Smashwords while waiting for that and the prequel's audiobook "Pearls of Sea and Stone: Book of Seals".

Friday, April 26, 2019

Podcasting upcoming

The Flash Fiction Fridays recordings will be turned into a podcast for the interested. It is my intent to have them on Google Play and iTunes. As time goes forward I hope to bundle a flash fiction, a review, and perhaps either a guest poem/story, depending on the week. Those interested in submitting their work for inclusion or shout outs are welcome to contact me. It is a fledgling, but springs from a comment long ago inquiring why I wasn't doing the library readings as a podcast.

What does this mean?

It means that when I post for the Flash Fiction Fridays entries there will be options posted to listen via the audio only podcast in addition to those that like having a video backdrop or prefer to stick with the Youtube channel.

How to subscribe to the feed

iTunes
 iTunes Podcast

Google Play
Listen on Google Play Music

Spotify
 Listen on Spotify

SoundCloud


Flash Fiction Fridays #8: Playfulness (written) and Wikatcha (reading)

The below flash fiction is set in the Selkies’ Skins universe sometime after Kirsty and David have graduated, married, and started their life together. I have left it intentionally unclear as to exactly how long after graduation. It is long enough for a house in the once again village of Seal Point to be finished near the home Kirsty grew up in.
Playfulness
David rummaged in the impeccably clean pantry looking for his tinned fish. Kirsty was at the office doing whatever her father had called her in for. Her skin was another matter. She had left it to keep him company since she expected a boring day of paperwork and meetings. Said skin was very enthusiastic about staying home, causing mischief, and preventing him from being too sucked into his own pursuits.
Kirstyskin never liked hanging on a peg pretending to be a cloak, at least not since she’d gained enough strength to move around on her own. He may, or may not, have contributed to this. It was so hard not to spoil such a cute skin, especially when it so exuberantly communicated things Kirsty herself tried to be more adult and circumspect about. He still couldn’t understand why anyone in their right mind would hide a skin from the corresponding selkie, wife or not. Marsali’s husband had deprived himself and her of a great deal, in his opinion.
“Ork! Ork!” The skin attempted to whisper. The barking did not translate well into a whisper at all. She hauled up on her tail and clapped her flippers at him excitedly. Her front gaped open to reveal her smooth suede inside. Sparkling blue eyes glinted at him.
“I’m looking dear, I’m looking.” He sighed to himself. “I knew I shouldn’t have said the magic word…”
“Feesh! Feeeesh! Feeeeeeeesh?” The skin flopped down and rolled over and over around the kitchen behind him. How and what she filled herself with whenever she’d do this he had no clue. Kirstyskin did not exactly hold still long enough for him to ever satisfy his curiosity about that.
“Yes dear. I’m looking for our feesh.” David’s lips lifted in a smile that released his chuckle. “I will make sure you are fat and shiny when the rest of you comes home.”
“Feeeeeesh…” The rambunctious skin calmed herself and plopped a head on his foot, nibbling at his ankle through his socks.
“I’m not a fish, silly selkie skin.” His rummaging finally yielded fruit.
“Are. Wolffish.” She rumbled at him.
“Bad pun.” He grinned as he looked down at the very self satisfied smirk on the skin’s face. Kirstyskin blew an impish raspberry at him.
One can of little anchovies was still hidden. Unfortunately now she knew the hiding spot. It was just a matter of time before she’d sneak up there in the middle of the night with a chair. He’d have to consult Imp later for ideas on where he could hide Emergency Fish so he’d be more likely to have spares. David’s musing as he made his way to the corner he preferred to flop with her in was interrupted by a flying streak of white.
Said streak humped along the floor at top speed from the kitchen to the living room barking gleefully around her mouthful.
“I thought we were sharing!”
Laughter floated back to him and thumping started up the steps. His own laughter joined hers as he started running after her.




This story will be available to listen to next week on my Patreon, Youtube, and Soundcloud.
It was originally posted on my Patreon where it can be read for free there as well. https://www.patreon.com/posts/flash-fiction-26345888

Today's recorded flash fiction is the one posted last week. I read for you my retelling of the tale of Wikatcha.


Are you interested in having your work featured? Thinking about having your story read in the Youtube programs? Send a note. Guests are welcome.

Wednesday, April 24, 2019

Ame's Bookshelf Review: Berkley Street by Ron Ripley



Book Review

Title: Berkley Street: Supernatural Horror with Scary Ghosts & Haunted Houses (Berkley Street Series Book 1)

Author: Ron Ripley

Where to get: https://amzn.to/2Nxf1aW

Star Rating: 5

Age Rating (IMO): YA



This was a well done creepy story.  Parts of it did not hit me as hard as they should have. That may have to do with reading in bed with the heater going and surrounded by dogs though, so I was not given the solitude to fully appreciate all that had been intended to be scary. There were still several things that broke through though. Vivienne was one of those things that managed to get through the protection of doggie sentries. So did the explanation tale of how Carl came to become one of the ghosts.



Some are going to be confused and off-put by the way the story is arranged. There are times that flashbacks take place where we experience with the characters an important past event that would have made no sense if it were discovered in chronological order. They are clearly delineated though and the author does a good job of moving us back and forth as non jarringly as possible. I will certainly be reading more of this series.



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Email necessary?  Send me a note at ladyrainstardragon@hotmail.com but bear in mind that I have been having problems with it eating things sometimes from even verified senders.

Sunday, April 21, 2019

Mythical Minstrelsy Volume Three is now also available on Amazon Kindle

Gather under the tree with the traveling bard while she recounts poetry and short stories centering around various mythical and magical creatures. Month by month her project grew as her supporters lent their ears. Here and there she shares some artwork, some snippets about her books, and even a little in the realms of meditation. This is the third year of her Patreon anthology, and this is arranged in month by month format. This anthology is a handy gathering of the year's work, not including the progress made in the "Selkies' Skins: Temple and Skinquest" manuscript which will be provided her patrons separately.

Although some images are in black and white others are in color. Even though they look good in black and white it does not do them justice. For the full effect of the art pieces it is suggested that you view on a color capable device.

Year four's collection ends in August 2019 which will also mark the beginning of year five.

Mythical Minstrelsy Volume Two now available on Amazon Kindle

Gather under the tree with the traveling bard while she recounts poetry and short stories centering around various mythical and magical creatures. Month by month her project grew as her supporters lent their ears. Here and there she shares some artwork, some snippets about her books, and even a little in the realms of meditation. This is the second year of her Patreon anthology, and this is arranged in month by month format. This anthology is a handy gathering of the year's work, not including the progress made in the "Selkies' Skins: Temple and Skinquest" manuscript which will be provided her patrons separately.

This title contains color art among the leaves and is best viewed on a color capable device. Black and white does not give the full impact.

Year four's collection ends in August 2019 which will also mark the beginning of year five.

Buddhistic Prayer: A Han Folktale

Here is the Sunday story. This week for the library is "Buddhistic Prayer" wherein a husband tries to cope with his wife's overzealous devotion to Pure Land practices.

Saturday, April 20, 2019

Mythical Minstrelsy Volume Three available now on Smashwords

Mythical Minstrelsy Volume Three by Teresa Garcia is now available on Smashwords. This collection of fantasy #Art #Poetry and #ShortStories spans the year of August 2017 to August 2018. http://ow.ly/rlsQ30ousjY Volumes Two and Three are to port to Amazon as well after conversion.

For the curious the cover art incorporates Second Life Photography done in the Nisa parcel (part of the Dreaming Twilight group) in the sim of Ontario by myself (Teresa Garcia) via Amehana Ishtari/Arashi. The figure is "Maria Lightwatch" as represented on my main account. The singing stones have since been relocated to one of the other parcels controlled by the group. Each of the Dreaming Twilight parcels represents another country and/or world in the Dreaming Twilight universe/multiverse/world. Visitors are welcome and encouraged. One can expect to find either Maria or her lute featuring in cover art for this series of anthologies.

Friday, April 19, 2019

Flash Friday, the tales of Kolowisi and Wakitcha

It is Flash Fiction Friday! Today's flash fiction more closely fits as a typical short story.

Today's flash fiction reading "Water Bride, or How Kolowisi gained his bride"

This was originally posted in writing on Teresa Garcia's Patreon and can also be found in her DeviantArt gallery. This and other tales and poems like it will be gathered into the fourth volume of the Mythical Minstrelsy anthology series. The end of volume four and beginning of volume five is in August.
You can read it free here: https://www.patreon.com/posts/longer-flash-25944807

This week's written flash fiction

For this Friday's written piece I have "Wikatcha," a fanciful retelling of legend surrounded a water dwelling cat from Creek mythology. It is told rather much differently than how they tell the legend as it is my own version.
You can read it free here: https://www.patreon.com/posts/flash-flood-of-26160423

Thursday, April 18, 2019

Dragon Shaman: Taming the Blowing Wind has received a feature!

After recording some narration fixes for "The Ian's Realm Saga" and the flash fiction for the Friday audio posting I checked my email while waiting on audacity to open for processing that audio. I found a very nice surprise.

"Dragon Shaman: Taming the Blowing Wind" was included in a YA Dragon Book Wiki. The other eight books listed here look pretty interesting, I will have to look into them. You can read all nine on their list here. They also include a lovely video.

9 Fantastic Young Adult Books About Dragons




 https://wiki.ezvid.com/m/9-fantastic-young-adult-books-about-dragons-1j0rR2JbxNyfQ

I am very honored and excited. It is great to see Blowing Wind and Ryu getting some attention while I work on the selkie series that meets up with this series and will meet up with the still unpublished Shadow Chronicles.

Bones Coffee's Carrot Cake Flavor: Is it good?

Monday, April 15, 2019

Review of The Story of Kao Yu

The Story of Kao YuThe Story of Kao Yu by Peter S. Beagle
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I loved this short story. The unicorns of Europe are mentioned as are the unicorn-like beings of the Middle East and both differentiated from the qilin (kirin). A Mandate coming to a just judge is a wonderful turn away from only Emperors getting them. The impossible and one sided romance was intriguing and well handled. The qilin though, he and the judge tie for my favorite character. A qilin not goring someone that lied in his presence because he was asked not to by a generous and previously just man that had his respect? Unheard of previously!

View all my reviews

This review will later be turned to an audio format for the Youtube channel.

Saturday, April 13, 2019

Narrator Illya Leonov gives his personal thank you for surgery help

Illya Leonov, narrator of Selkies' Skins: Castle and Well and regular library reader for the Trotsdale and Intersim library network, gives a personal thank you message (and a rare glimpse of his face) to those who assisted with his surgery GoFundMe and his fans.


Friday, April 12, 2019

Mythical Minstrelsy Volume Two available on Smashwords

The long awaited second volume in the Mythical Minstrelsy anthologies is now available on Smashwords. I have not yet gotten the Amazon Kindle version set up and uploaded yet, nor the print. Volume three I hope to have ready to push later this year after I get the cover ready. Long term Patreon Patrons will be sent the appropriate years in ecopies for their support.

Maria Lightwatch, a three tailed kitsune character of mine is the mascot and "official tale teller" for this series. Each book is a collection of that year's art, stories, meditations, and poetry, not including installations of the Selkies' Skins series or illustrations done for children's books. Each year's anthology will therefore be of varying lengths but will mostly tie in with mythology or folklore in some fashion.

https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/933783