It's the Blue Moon!

If you've seen the news (or even been on social media) recently, you know there are all kinds of crazy things going on with the moon right now--eclipse, super, blue moon, right? This blue moon is particularly important to me because it actually appears in Illumination, Book 5 of The Clandestine Saga.

For years, readers had been making one specific request regarding the series, or at least complaining that I'd made one particular choice as a creative artist. If you've read the series, you can probably guess what I'm referring to (I don't want to give away any spoilers!) The events of Repercussion (Book 3) all had a purpose, but I would be the first to admit I agreed with the readers. But how could I undo what had already been done?

Will the blue moon really open a portal like in Illumination?

Enter the Blue Moon Portal! In Illumination, Cadence discovers that on the night of a blue moon, a portal will open that allows a Guardian to come back from the other side. But the use of the portal come with a price, and there's a good chance something evil will come through. Illumination revolves (see what I did there?) around Cadence's decision as to whether or not using the portal is a good idea and the consequences of her choice.

Will Cadence make the right choice for her team?

If you haven't started reading The Clandestine Saga yet, you can find the first book, Transformation, here for only 99 cents. If you're all caught up but haven't taken on Illumination yet, find it here.

What if everything you've ever known is a lie, and you're really a Vampire Hunter?

I'm also excited to announce that the whole series will be getting new covers soon! Stay tuned for the reveal and information about when you can expect the first novel in the spinoff series Backstories.

American Horror Story Hotel a.k.a. Hotel Transylvania

One of these two is about some comical vampires who run around a hotel, talking funny, and playing around with other monsters. The other is a cartoon my little girls watched with their dad on Columbus Day when they had the day off from school. I jest--sort of.

Not so gaga over Gaga.

I've been a fan of American Horror Story for a while now, particularly of season one when it was actually about a haunted house.  The story line always kept me awake for several nights after each installment, wondering what the creaking noise might be or if I had closed the shower curtain all the way (no need for surprises there!). This fifth season has got me a little perplexed, although the appearance of Evan Peters in the second episode has me hopeful that things will improve rapidly.
I guess my Gaga meter is running low. I just can't seem to get on board with the Countess character she is playing. She's supposed to be a vampire--and that's my thing (after all, I have written a few novels about bloodsuckers) so I should be enjoying watching her and those sexy minions lap up blood from unsuspecting party-goers and the such, but I am finding her ability to say words and convey meaning a little lacking.  I'm not sure if she's throwing the rest of the actors off a bit or if her fellow cast members didn't quite get enough rehearsal time, but a cast that usually leaves me spellbound is not bringing the splendor this time around--with few exceptions.
And Peters always brings his A game, but his portrayal of millionaire JP March seemed a little cartoonish as well.
Kathy Bates and Sarah Paulson never skip a beat, and so far they have really stood out for me in this otherwise questionable season.
But it's early, and things can always get better--although I'm not sure they can get any more sadistic and creepy. We've already gone down some pretty unfathomably grotesque, macabre, and sexually explicit paths in the two offerings. It's hard to imagine anything worse than being super glued into the corpse of woman nailed to your headboard. But I'm sure the writers will come up with something. They always do.
Meanwhile, Hotel Transylvania Two was also pretty good, according to my daughters, who even a week later are still repeating the most famous line, "I do not say blah, blah, blah..."