Please join the IWSG Book Club today on Goodreads for two short discussions about the two books we featured in the month of December. There are still 8 days left in this month so there’s no rush. We are hosting 3 short questions for each book we featured and encourage you to share your reviews and or thoughts. Discussions will remain open indefinitely, so stop by anytime, even if you haven’t read the book(s).
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Falling for the Villain by Kim Elliott. Please click the image below to join the short discussion.
Thank you for taking the time to read this post. If you like it let me know and share it with others. See you next time, Toi Thomas. #thetoiboxofwords #blacklivesmatter
Click here to see all the winners! Read my entry below.
Familia Bond
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Danube
This has been the most cheerful harvest in recent history, with cool days and clear nights. I was put in charge of my first field this Spring and have worked more and harder than I have in years past, finally understanding pride in a job well done. I never before understood putting so much care into food I’d never eat.
As the youngest, male Field Leader in over a century, the anticipation of tonight’s celebration has me on edge, in the best possible way. I’m so honored to be able to attend the formal this year. Being around so many prestigious female leaders will surely increase my chances of establishing a pair-bond, especially if the Harvest Celebration goes as well as planned.
For decades, I’ve imagined the grandeur, etiquette, and politics of the Harvest Celebration, knowing how important it is to our survival. I should have been able to take part in the celebration many times over- I’ve been of the proper age for some time now, but the attendance of the celebration has been restricted as of late. As Josiah puts it, “The balancing of a population is a delicate endeavor. No matter how great our harvest may be, without good numbers, it mostly goes to waste.” I have been fortunate to have Josiah looking after me all these years and am even more grateful for a chance to repay his guidance and education.
I and two others, another male and a female, were sent out to dwell among the citizens to help influence them and protect them from their own ignorance. For a score, we blended into their society and corrected their assumptions, improved their methods, and fortified their medicines and rations. With our help, the citizens have thrived. In the Spring of this year, we were all called home to take charge of fields and prepare for harvest time. This will be the first Harvest Celebration in over a decade with an attendance that reaches beyond the capacity of our Great Hall. We don’t know the exact number of the population, it’s not our way to interfere directly with the citizens, but desperate times called for desperate measures. Now, we’re all highly anticipating the arrival of the citizens to the Harvest Celebration.
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Milsa
Tonight is the night. I have been preparing for this, it seems an eon. Year after year, I’ve attended the celebration, but being the youngest of the elders, I’ve always missed my opportunity to choose a pair. The citizens’ numbers have been so low that there were never any descent Chosen left to present by the end. Not this year though.
I’ve heard wonderful reports from the citizen spies. The citizens are healthier than ever, and their numbers have almost doubled. Josiah was wise to restrict the invitation to the celebration this last score. He will be the savior of us all if this Harvest Celebration is the success we all hope it will be.
It’s foolish really, but the anticipation of this Harvest Celebration makes me feel like a girl again. It’s been so long since I was a mere girl, but even one such as myself does not forget that feeling of excitement, that thrill of mating and reproduction. I know I’m ready for tonight’s ceremony.
After the other citizens have departed with their bounty, our gift to the locals for their sacrifice, the Field Leaders will mesmerize their chosen progeny and then drain them to the brink of death. The other Elders and I will then choose, in ranking order, the Leaders and progeny we deem worthy of the Familia Bond. I will select a young, strong male who has chosen to present a daughter. I will feed his chosen progeny from my wrist and then I shall drink from his heart to replenish my own strength. The servants will clean our bodies, drape us in silk, and bury us together under the harvest moon.
Tonight is the night I finally obtain the family I’ve longed for, for far too long.
Josiah
Oh, this burden I’ve taken on, this great struggle to perpetuate our species has finally begun to lift. My plan to send out our youngest day walkers has served us well. Many disputed my decision, refusing to take in the severity of the problem. It is true the Vmpyrs have never directly interfered with the lives of the humans, the citizens of this land, but if they are to continue serving as our breeding ground, we could not afford to stand by and let them die from starvation, famine, and plague.
My decision to restrict the invitation to the Harvest Celebration was also unpopular. When an elder, female Vmpyrs is ready for the Familia Bond, she’s ready. Convincing the Elder clans to alternate the years in which their females could choose new pairs and progeny almost cost me my life. An angry Vmpyra can easily withstand the charge of ten Vmpyro, no matter how old or well-trained they are. Vmpyra live for the day they can start the Familia Bond, but with the humans’ numbers dwindling so, there just weren’t any new progeny available.
I myself had given up the prospect of presenting a progeny at the Celebration for the past decade to ensure that others would have a chance. But I am happy to have a chance to participate this year. My favorite and most talented pupil, Danube, has blessed us with a great report of the citizen’s health and numbers. Tonight, he and I will stand before the elders and finally have our chance at eternal bliss. I know Danube has longed for a daughter; perhaps I shall present a son.
I regret now that I once looked down on the Familia Bond, thinking an eternity as a bachelor was the bliss I wanted. After being a bachelor Vympyro for more than three hundred years, I deserve to have the Familia Bond.
This will indeed be the best Harvest Celebration ever.
Greetings readers, bloggers, geeks, and authors and welcome to The ToiBox of Words. I’m your host Toi Thomas, author of Eternal Curse, and today I have a treat to share. A while back, I had the pleasure to interview a wonderful author named, Megan O’Russell. A good time was truly had by all, and here’s how it went down (be sure to stick around for the Kindle Fire & eBook giveaway at the end).
sourced from Twitter.com
Toi:Hi thereMegan! It’s so awesome to have you here at the ToiBox Blog. I’m excited to learn more about you and your work.
Megan: It’s good to be here Toi. I can’t wait to get started.
Toi:So tell me, who isMegan O’Russell?
Megan: I am Megan O’Russell, and I have three young adult series, including the Girl of Glass series. Book two in that series, Boy of Blood, was released on April 10th and I am thrilled to send this new story out into the world!
Toi: Wow, three YA series. I see you’ve been busy.
Toi: Well before we dive into your special message today, let’s get to know you, the person inside the author.
Toi Thomas:Who is so you and why?
sourced from awesomestories.com – “Betsy Ross”, Age 21, Adept, Fair Use
Megan: I had to take a poll. The answers I got were Betsy Ross and Susan B Anthony… they may have been kidding.
Toi: Those are quite interesting. Guess that makes you a cross between a patriotic seamstress and an activist.
Toi:So, what makes you geek out?
Megan: Hamilton, Harry Potter, and Disney are the three biggest geek loves I have at the moment. If I had to choose only one, it would be Harry Potter, though I would feel like I was betraying the other two.
Toi: Ah, the struggle is real when you have to choose between the things that make you geek out the most. For me, it’s books, movies, and comic books.
Current book cover art (2007) by Taeeun Yoo, showing the Mrs. Ws (at the left) and the children at the CENTRAL Central Intelligence building (at the right)
Toi:What was your favorite book or story, pre-teen years?
Megan: Anything Madeline L’Engle. I love all of her books. There’s something in the way she wrote that was just so welcoming.
Toi: It’s hard to believe I haven’t read her books, but I’m very familiar with them. I bet you were excited to get A Wrinkle In Time movie.
Toi:Now, in terms of interviews, whose brain are you just itching to scratch?
Megan: Leigh Bardugo, author of Six of Crows and the Grisha Trilogy. It would be wonderful to sit down with such a brilliant contemporary.
Toi Thomas: Ooo, that’s a good answer. Those are both really popular series. For me, at this moment, I’d probably like to interview Marissa Meyer for her Lunar Chronicles.
Toi: Now that we know a little more about you, the person, let’s learn about you, the author, and dive into your special message.
sourced from Goodreads.com
Toi:Whacha got for me today?
Megan: Boy of Blood is the second book in my Girl of Glass series. Taking place in a mid-apocalyptic world with chemically induced vampires, the series takes a look at the fall of society from the point of view of the upper one percent.
Toi: This sounds like a unique twist to both the vampire and apocalyptic story tropes. Kudos to you.
Toi:Who’s starring in this 2-dimensional script read ofBoy of Blood?
Megan: Nola Kent is my protagonist. She’s spent her life living in the safety of the domes, secure in the knowledge that she is protected. When watching those on the outside of the glass suffer becomes too much, she is drawn into a world of darkness she never imagined.
The thing I love most about Nola is her heart. She doesn’t do everything right–she sometimes hurts people–but even when she screws up, she always began her actions through a place of compassion.
Toi: Sounds like you have a pretty solid, strong female character to lead your series.
Toi:Now, what’s so special about this story that’s going to reel in the readers?
Megan: We’ve all seen dystopian worlds from the point of view of those starving on the street. The Girl of Glass story twists that trope. The question then becomes how much suffering can you watch before it is your obligation to help?
Toi: That’s a great selling point, and you’re right; that’s not a perspective we often receive in stories such as this. I’m intrigued.
Toi:Past, present, future, is there a rhyme or reason to your writing?
Megan: At the moment, I’m purely working on the Boy of Blood book release fueled by massive amounts of coffee and queso. After life calms down, I’ll be back to editing book three in the series, currently titled Night of Never.
Toi: Oh, I can totally relate. Sometimes the book release can be more grueling than the whole writing process, but it all pays off in the end.
Toi:What author(s) has most influenced your writing? Why or how?
Megan: Madeline L’Engle for her sense of engaging wonder.
Toi:I can see that. It’s got to be hard being a fan without also being influenced as a writer.
Toi: Now this is where the questions get a little kooky; are you ready?
Megan: Yeah, do that.
sourced from Wikipedia.com – Theatrical release poster
Toi:If you could only watch one movie for the rest of your life, what would it be?
Megan: Big Hero Six because Baymax brings me joy.
Toi: I know what you mean. Wish I had a Baymax in my life.
Toi:When the soundtrack of your life is playing in your head, what songs express your glee and what songs bring out your rage?
Megan: Basically, Mumford and Sons Pandora station for Joy, Flogging Molly Pandora for Rage.
Toi: Wow. I guess it’s good Pandora offers so much variety; everything you need for joy and rage is right there.
Toi: Let’s play zombie urban survivor. What 3 things do you need to survive a black-out in Central Park the day zombies attack?
Megan: I’d want a hunting knife, rope, and matches.
Toi: I like it. Forget about flashlights; let’s light some stuff on fire. LOL!
Toi:What’s the most fun experience you’ve ever had, to date?
Megan: My husband and I took a two-week road trip through Ireland. That was the most relaxed and joyful I have ever been. Live music, wonderful scenery, amazing people. I would go back in an instant.
Toi:That does sound nice and relaxing. I haven’t been anywhere as special as Ireland yet, but I too love those quiet, intimate road trips with the hubby.
Toi: Last question of the day; here we go.
Toi:Not that you can see into the future, but in your opinion, what does the future hold?
Megan: I’m going to err on the hopeful side. In five years, we’ll all have realized that all humans are humans, nothing more nothing less. I personally will have a thriving publishing career and own a house near the water… and a cat.
Toi: Now, that’s a future I can get behind. I wish you all the best.
Toi:Thank you so much, Megan,for spending time with me today.
Megan: Thanks for having me, Toi. It was tons of fun.
Okay readers, bloggers, geeks, and authors, that’s all for today. Be sure to follow this blog to see who will be visiting next time. And don’t forget to check out this cool Kindle Fire & eBooks GIVEAWAY. For more fromMegan O’Russell, check out these great links:
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Find it on Amazon.
Find it on Amazon.
