When a kickass guardian angel must battle Heaven and Hell to save innocent lives, all the while fighting her own raging desire for a dark guardian working for Hell, feathers fly. In this first of a three-part series, a fallen archangel confronts Greylyn with an ultimatum she canโt refuse. With the devilish Kael by her side, they will seek out the truth of the prophecy and rekindle a forgotten love story for the ages.
This story had been playing around in my head since I was a teenager (and no, I will not say exactly how many years ago that was). Finally, after doing all the expected things in life – college, career, marriage, kids – I had the opportunity to indulge my creativity side once again AND IT FELT SO GOOD! Now I can’t seem to stop the story ideas from coming, and I do not want to stop them!
Book 2 of the series, Revelations, is currently being formatted and a book cover being created so I hope to have Advanced Reader Copies (ARCs) available before the end of 2020 (would be nice to end this crazy year on a up-note!).
I’ve been playing around a bit with this webpage and have added a tab for “Character Introductions” so please check that out so you can become more familiar with our cast as they continue their adventures.
What’s a birthday (or book-day or book-aversary) without GIFTS?!?!!
To celebrate the anniversary of the unleashing of Greylyn and Kael onto the world, I would LOVE to gift everyone with a sneak peek into the second book of the series, Revelations. For everyone who responds to this post with a celebratory comment to mark this milestone, I will send the sneak peek to your email (please make sure to leave your email address in the comments).
But That’s Not All!!!!
One lucky participant will receive a signed copy of Rekindled Prophecy along with some cool book swag. Winner to be announced this time next week!
Thank you to all who have followed me thus far. I hope you’ve had a chance to read Rekindled Prophecy and you are looking forward to the next book in the series.
This topic comes up in just about every interview I’ve been in (whether as the interviewer or the interviewee)…
DO YOU UTILIZE REAL PEOPLE, REAL PLACES, REAL EVENTS IN YOUR WORKS OF FICTION?
Truth is there is always a figment or two (or three or four) of reality in fiction. Whether it be a location the author is familiar with, crafting a character similar to someone you know (it’s fun especially if you don’t like the person), or a message you hope to convey in your writings.
In REKINDLED PROPHECY, I’ll admit that is a lot more truth/reality than you would think in a story about guardian angels, angels, demons, shadow creatures, etc.
I do believe in guardian angels, angels, demons, shadow creatures, ghosts, etc. For me as an author, my own types of characters are 100% real. While the story is a figment of my imagination, I still believe in the truth that these entities exist.
2. The locations in REKINDLED PROPHECY are all based on real places.
The country western bar in the beginning (while with a different name that I do not even remember) did really exist along the Arkansas/Tennessee border. I spent way too much time there during the early 1990s.
The Irish bed & breakfast in rural Virginia in the Shenandoah Valley 100% existed. How do I know? I was married there, underneath the same gazebo Kelly and Matthew were married under. The name was changed in the book since the inn was under foreclosure at the time and I could not get owner approval from the bank to use the name – they said to wait until the property sold and ask the new owners but that never happened.
There really was a koi pond made from a refurbished rectangular pool and the bull frogs were so loud that the innkeeper did leave ear plugs in guest rooms. Sadly, the inn is now closed and for sale if anyone is interested in retirement as an innkeeper.
Even the area of town in Washington, DC where Greylyn goes to find the psychic and battles a demon army – yep! 100% described based on real life knowledge of DC.
3. I may have based a few characters off my friends at the wedding party in the book. And yes, they were known as the “Sex and the City” girls as a joke. And of course, the lovely innkeeper was based off the innkeeper at the time of my own wedding (again, name and hair color changed). Seriously though, that sweet woman made the best eggs benedict!
4. Greylyn’s pride and joy – her 1968 British racing green Camaro? Well, I just so happen to own one. It’s currently being reconstructed from the inside out by my hubby and youngest son who hopes to one day claim it for his own. (Ain’t gonna happen, sweetie!)
Stock photo
5. The drink Greylyn prefers – the Godfather – is my hubby’s favorite cocktail and the only way I will drink scotch.
Ingredients 60 ml Whisky – Blended Scotch whisky 20 ml Amaretto liqueur
So you see, I like to include a lot of truth in my fiction stories.
For places I have not gone to, I research and even find native residents of the location to give me tidbits so I can describe the area accurately. While I have not gone to Ireland yet myself (it is at the top of my bucket list) but I was lucky enough to find a sweet lady originally from one of the areas in Book 3 of the series (which is mostly set in Ireland, and Hell but I haven’t met anyone from there yet). She spoke with me at length about Dun Laoghaire and sent me pictures of the local pier. She even suggested I add something about a 99 (which is Irish for soft serve ice cream and is sold on the pier at Teddy’s), which I did.
For me, there should always be a hint of authenticity in every piece of fiction. It makes it more interesting. So whether you are reading my guardian angel stories, or anything else by me, you can trust there will be glimmer of truth in every one.
The fun part is figuring out what’s truth and what is fantasy.
Thanks, dear friends! And I hope you have an amazing Autumn Equinox!
It has been crazy town all over town, in every town, and it’s just getting crazier. Before the corona virus closed down everything here, our county came to a standstill with an e-coli scare in our water. Schools closed. Businesses closed. And there was a grocery store run as if it was the apocalypse itself!
And the very next day…my state, county, city, village,…went into corona virus lockdown. Schools closed. Businesses closed. Gym closed. Restaurants shut down. AND the good folks of this county and metro-area had already bought up all the supplies. Yes, folks! No toilet paper here either!
Sooooooooo, kids are home for at least 2 weeks! What does that mean for me? All writing/editing/marketing pretty much shuts down for the business that is KC Freeman Author!
So I will do what I can when I can, but deadlines have pretty much been thrown out the window.
Regardless there is two bits of good news.
Rekindled Prophecy – Book 1 of the Greylyn the Guardian Angel series is up for voting for the April book of the month in the Double Trouble Book Club.
The two books with the most readers signed up will be our winners. We begin reading on 4/1 and conclude on 4/21 followed by an exclusive Author Q&A.
We are voting on:
Good Intentions: Volume One byย Ana Balenย – Contemporary Romance 82 pages –
Available on Kindle Unlimited getbook.at/DTgoodint
Rekindled Prophecy: Greylyn The Guardian Angel Series (Book 1) by KC Freeman -Fantasy Paranormal 392 pages getbook.at/DTrkndled
Finding Purpose (Colorado Veterans Book 1) by Tiffani Lynn – Contemporary Romance 325 Pages getbook.at/DTfndprp
Stone (Castle Sin Book 1) byย Linz Bassetย – Suspense BDSM Club Romance 318 pages – Available on Kindle Unlimited getbook.at/DTstone
Please sign up even if you’ve read the book.
2. Just because I’m a day late getting my blog posted doesn’t mean I can’t post it the next day (today). AND because it’s Tuesday the added bonus is it’s also…#TEASERTUESDAY!!! So without further delay, here’s a snippet from Rekindled Prophecy to whet your appetites and just perhaps encourages you to check out the above item and vote.
For a moment, Greylyn saw the lightning mirrored in his eyes. She shook her head to rid herself of the image.
Great! Now she was imagining things.
He warned, โItโs too late to go running for cover. Letโs just sit here and wait out the rain. Surely, thereโs something we can discussโฆin a civilized manner.โ
Greylyn felt a pair of cornflower blue eyes peering at the two of them from the manorโs covered veranda. Maureen was watching.
After years of being subjected to his particular type of torment, sheโd have to endure the insufferable man for at least one more go-around. But that didnโt mean she had to loiter in a gazebo with him. It was dangerous, in more ways than one. The gold flecks in his eyes beckoned her closer, not just to him but to the edge of her own sanity.
โRain doesnโt frighten me, Kael. And neither do you. This little confab is over.โ Pivoting, she stepped out into the torrential storm.
Instantly soaked, she steeled herself to keep marching right back towards the house, away from him. She felt his eyes boring into her back. It was as if he reached across the distance to trail a finger lightly down her spine, leaving a delicious tingling sensation that raised goosebumps over her entire body.
Just as Greylyn cleared the grove, another, more powerful, surge of electricity pierced the air. She whipped around just in time for a lightning bolt to strike the ground a few yards from her. The ground shook as the resulting thunder boomed and echoed through the valley.
The charged air was exhilarating. Her heart beat against her ribcage in frantic time to the raging rain. Adrenaline coursed through her body in waves. Everything seemed brighter, more vivid. Every detail of her surroundings accentuated.
Was it from the lightning or from the energy radiating from the being in the gazebo?
Greylyn couldnโt be sure. The whole situation seemed fitting somehow, and not entirely surprising. It mirrored the energy surging between them. Her eyes locked with Kaelโs.
Rain pelted her body, and the wind whipped her hair around in all directions. Greylyn no longer felt a thing except his burning stare. It was achingly painful. Every molecule of her being hypnotized by his eyes. Time stopped. For that moment there was only Kael, everything else faded to black.
Probably one of my favorite quotes of all time comes from Chuck (aka God) on the tv series Supernatural, which coincidentally is ending soon. I’m too heartbroken to discuss Supernatural ending, but ENDINGs in particular catch authors between a rock and a hard place.
Chuck (aka God) from Supernatural says it best:
“Endings are hard. Any chapped-ass monkey with a keyboard can poop out a beginning, but endings are impossible. You try to tie up every loose end, but you never can. The fans are always gonna bitch. There’s always gonna be holes. And since it’s the ending, it’s all supposed to add up to something. I’m telling you, they’re a raging pain in the ass.”
This is true not just with tv shows and movies, but books…especially series. You (as a reader) commit your time, your energy, your imagination, your heart and soul to a story and then the author either leaves you hanging with a cliffhanger only your imagination can fill in, or tries too hard to wrap it all up in a nice HEA (Happily Ever After) bow, or leaves you unsatisfied in some way that perhaps even you don’t understand. You just know that you are not happy now that it (the story) has ended. Sometimes, it really is just the fact that something you love has come to an end that there’s a huge hole in your heart. Regardless of the why, ENDINGS SUCK!
This discussion all started with a Facebook dialog on another author’s page and it really has me mulling things over hard, especially as I’m currently editing Book 3 of my own series (which was supposed to end with Book 3, but even I – the author – am not satisfied with the ending so I’m busting this baby out to at least 2 more books after #3 ~ much to the chagrin of the other stories swirling around in my noggin desperate to get out). Whereas the conversation on FB was particular to tv series, this also applies to book series.
Most tv series, and book series, have disappointing endings. For one, if you’re a fan of a show/book series, you’re already sad it’s ending. But why are we so emotionally connected to how the series ends?
For example, when Supernatural ends here in a few weeks…unless Sam and Dean are showing up on my own front porch then I will be disappointed because the characters and story have become part of my life. Watching the show has been my “escape” for years. Now what am I supposed to do? Find another show? *Gasp!* The horror of the thought!
I had the same thoughts/feelings when Buffy the Vampire Slayer and the off-shoot series, Angel, ended. Buffy wrapped up in a cute bow with dozens or more slayers now out in the world to protect us all from vamps and other hellish nightmares. What’s not to love about that? With Angel, it was a fantastic smashup, action-packed cliffhanger with the main character (the incredibly hot David Boreanaz) saying, “I kind of want to slay the dragon. Let’s get to work!” and then fade to black. OMG! What a kickass ending, right? Then why was I left with a huge black abyss in my soul?
Let’s take this to books. I just finished a series by one of my favorite authors. Gobbled up each and every book. Got to the end…good guys won! FMC (female main character) and MMC (male main character) live happily ever after! Supporting characters also live happily ever after! Awesome, right? I should be thrilled, right? NOPE! It was all wrapped up too neatly in a bow. Why on earth would I be disappointed when everyone except the bad guys got a wonderful HEA?
Even historical fiction based on real-life persons, I know how it’s going to end, but I’m still like “WTF? Cleopatra DIES! Octavian Caesar wins?!” Ugh!
Endings suck. They just do. Because part of our hearts and souls are connected to the story. It has fueled our imagination for years possibly. So when the inevitable happens…the ending…we are left with a piece of ourselves missing/torn/bruised.
No ending, no matter how HEA (happily ever after) given to us by tv producers or authors, will ever fill that hole, soothe that ache, or mend that jagged rip in our souls. So despite the best intentions of the creators, we will always remain disappointed to some extent.
As I keep writing my own series, dear readers, I am trying to keep you all in mind as I continue creating to get the the inevitable ending. But the truth is, the story must end how the creator sees it in his/her own imagination. Sometimes even we don’t like our own ending, but that’s just where the story leads. I’ve tried to write stories with different endings, different circumstances that didn’t fit with the story banging around in my head, and to be honest…that was always a huge mistake and I always went back and changed things to authentically sync with the story in my own head. The characters wouldn’t have it any other way.
So please don’t lash out at the authors, the tv show creators and producers and screen writers when the book or show or movie ends and leaves you upset or let down.
Truly, we are not out here in the universe trying to find ways to piss off the fans. No matter what ending is written, it’s never going to be enough to fill that gaping hole in our hearts because it simply is …THE END!
As Supernatural’s Chuck said several seasons ago,
“No doubt, endings are hard, but then again, nothing ever really ends, does it?”
Maybe that’s why endings are so difficult, either we can’t accept that it is “the end” or perhaps nothing ever really ends. Our imaginations make the story live on.
First, let’s get the BIG announcement out of the way because quite frankly I’m too tickled pink to put this off.
DRUM ROLL PLEASE…
After some fantastic reviews from The Naked Reviewers last week, they chose my paranormal fantasy romance book, Rekindled Prophecy – Book 1 of the Greylyn the Guardian Angel series, as their Book of the Month for March 2020!!!!!
The book was also named as the Book of the Week from 2/26/2020 to 3/4/2020!
Somebody pinch me! Okay, not THAT hard! Geez, now I’ll bruise.
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Now for the original posting for this week ~ Lessons Learned from my first book signing event at Penned Charleston this past weekend.
To sum it upย – it was a series of unfortunate eventsย which ended happily ever after.
ย Should travel the night before the event. I was stuck in a traffic jam on I-26 EAST towards Charleston with all lanes blocked due to a horrific accident. Nowhere to turn around, just had to sit there and continue sitting for a long time. Ended up 1 1/2 hours late!
ย Bring an assistant! Can be anyone, friend, foe, hubby, kids! Just bring someone to help out so the author can make trips to the ladies’ room and get food/beverages. Initially the hubby was supposed to attend with me, but he was easily persuaded to ditch me to take our youngest son to a wrestling tournament in Fayetteville, NC. Figured I’d be okay on my own, but easily see now how having a helper with me would have made the whole experience run more smoothly and enjoyable. Also assistants were working the venue by walking around and visiting all the tables and mingling with the guests/readers to direct traffic to their author’s tables. Assistants also freed up their authors to walk around and meet new authors and just mingle.
ย Double-check swag before the event. I found a typo on the bookmarks as I was sitting at the table Saturday. To say I was horrified is an understatement!
Bring more swag! Some authors had some serious swag at their tables. Some had raffles going for their super swag. I had bookmarks with typos, postcards with book info (which I ran out of), candy (mints and chocolate), and mini hand sanitizers.
ย Personalized labels for swag (such as the hand sanitizers) can be easily purchased I learned from one incredibly helpful author assistant. One lady had personalized packaging for candies and chocolates!
ย When the venue doesn’t provide linen table cloths for the tables, bring your own nice linen table cloth, not a flimsy plastic tie-dye one.
ย Check into vinyl posters and heavy duty easels. Most authors had 8-10 foot posters set up behind and beside their tables. I had a foam board 12×18 book poster propped up a stack of books on a chair beside me.
ย Purchase easels for posters and something to connect the banner to the table.
ย Purchase book stands so the books aren’t just laying down on the table.
ย Sneak in snacks. The venue said no beverages or food to be brought in – they provided water stations and some appetizers were handed out in the beginning during setup (which I missed due to #1). I ended up eating more of my own candy which was supposed to be just for visitors to my table.
Sounds a bit like a disaster, right? Actually, it wasn’t at all! I met a lot of amazing authors, author assistants, bloggers, reviewers, cover artists, and most especially readers! I learned a lot! I made some contacts including a lovely author in my local area (Hi, Haven Cage!) who also organizes local author get-togethers, and I now have a Reiki healer to call locally when my chakras are imbalanced. So, HUGE WIN!
Sadly, I ended up leaving right after the event rather than staying for the 60s-themed party that evening (another Lesson Learned – STAY FOR THE PARTY!).
Hopefully this Lessons Learned segment will benefit other newbie authors as you go to your own book signing events.
Well, I’m off to celebrate my Book of the Month award with some of my leftover chocolate from Penned Charleston!
Rekindled Prophecy is the first book in my fantasy/paranormal series, Greylyn the Guardian Angel. It came out in hardcover and ebook last November 2019 and will release in paperback format tomorrow, 2/18/2020!
I am so excited about the paperback release for many reasons:
Hardcover books are sometimes too bulky to carry around in your purse, even if you use a drawstring athletic bag as a purse like me. (***Note to self: Buy a real purse one day!***)
A LOT of people (and I do mean A LOT) prefer a physical book over ebooks despite the digital version being much more portable. There are a number of reasons for this preference. Some love the paper smell of books. Some have not transitioned to ebooks and never will (my own mom for one).
An author can’t sign an ebook.
Book shelves don’t get stacked with ebooks. You need hardcover or paperbacks for that. So if you love seeing your bookshelves nearly toppling over with books, ebooks will not do the trick. you need hardcover and paperback.
Paperback books are generally cheaper than the hardcovers. So if you buy books in bulk to add to your TBR pile, paperback is the more economical option.
Don’t get me wrong. I adore my Kindle too. It’s the easiest to transport. Since I do most of my reading sitting at swim meets, wrestling tournaments, and in the car rider line at my daughter’s school, throwing the Kindle in the drawstring bag I utilize for a purse is the fastest, most convenient option.
Also, I LOVE hard cover books! I keep the book cover jackets on them too and line them up on my bookshelves with adoration and love! I have a full collection of hardcover Stephen King and Anne Rice books. When I was a struggling twenty-something, I switched to paperbacks and I proudly display them too on my shelves. (***Side note: All books have been stowed away in boxes while we renovate my office, including built-in book cases! Secretly I believe my hubby wants to keep the books in the boxes as he fails to see the necessity in keeping all my books, and keeping them all displayed for me to lovingly gaze it while I daydream when I should be writing or editing, but he will NOT win this one!)
So if you a bookaholic like myself, and you prefer physical books over the ebooks, and you love fantasy/paranormal with a steaming shot of romance thrown in, please check out Rekindled Prophecy starting tomorrow (it’s available for pre-order now, too).
***
BOOK BLURB:
Guardian angel, Greylyn saves innocent humans from their own inner demons or the more nefarious real ones. Sheโs overdue for some rest and relaxation, but upon finding her archenemy already entrenched at an authentic Irish bed and breakfast, she knows her vacation is over before it ever starts.
Enemies for over four centuries, Greylyn has fought the dark guardian, Kael; and fought her desire for him. This time, however, she must work with the dashing dark guardian to protect innocent lives. Itโs a deadly gamble. One she has no choice but to take.
But the situation is far more treacherous than she realizes as a notorious fallen archangel holds the lives of a mother and her unborn child over Greylynโs head to force her to consummate a dormant, but deadly prophecy. One so deadly that Heaven didnโt even write it down.
Rekindled Prophecy: Greylyn the Guardian Angel is a fantasy/paranormal novel with strong undertones of romance and sex appeal between two enemies โ one working for Heaven, the other working for Hell.
Greylyn gulped in air. She wasnโt dead, not yet. Renewed energy pulsated through her body and gave her strength to push herself up on shaky arms. She stared, turning to look at each man as they circled each other. Both men with deadly intent etched on their faces. In between getting hit, andย throwing jabs of his own, the stranger muttered, โHad to be you! It just had to be you!โ One final uppercut to Jasperโs jaw, and the guardian angel fell back.
Her mouth opened to scream for him to leave Jasper alone, but no words came out. He turned to her, his face bloodied, but with a sad smile. โUntil next time, love.โ Seconds later, he vanished down the alleyway.
Suddenly able to move again, Greylyn jumped up and ran over to Jasper. โWho the hell was that?โ
โOh, Iโm fine, by the way.โ With the indignant look he flashed her, she knew Jasper was far from being fine. Physically, yes, he was alright. But his icy-blue eyes spoke volumes of fury she could not under-stand.
โIโm so sorry โฆโ She checked him for injuries, hands roved over his body. His clothes were spatter-ed with blood. Other than his pride, and a black eye that would fade in an hour or two, he was in perfect shape.
Greylyn knew she looked a mess. Hell, she should be dead. Instead, the blood had already dried and the sizzle of her bones mending underneath her skin comforted her.
Iโm not going to die. At least not tonight.
Jasper cupped her chin. โYes, I know. Itโs my fault. It was too soon to send you out on your own like that. I realized my mistake and came to find you, in case you needed assistance.โ A nerve twitched in his jaw. โAnd, I find I was correct. You certainly needed help.โ
โOh, no! Edward? Did he escape? I came out here looking for him, but these guys,โ she waved her hand toward the corpses littering the alley, โwere after him and โฆโ
โYes, yes. I get it. You ran into the bad guys and as a bonus, you got a bloody dark guardian your first time on your own.โ
โA what?โ
โA dark guardian. The exact opposite of us, darling. You are just lucky I came along when I did. That one wouldโve carved you up like a porterhouse steak.โ He pushed himself off the ground. At his full height of well over six feet tall, he towered above her.
โDoes this dark guardian have a name?โ She didnโt know why it mattered that she find out his name.
Jasper narrowed his eyes at her in obvious disapproval. โThat one in particular is Kael,โ Jasper spat. โTruly nasty piece of work. Avoid him at all costs. Hopefully, you will never have to see that creature again.โ
He turned toward her and grabbed her by the upper arms, leaning forward so they were nose to nose. An aroma of whiskey and tobacco wafted into her face. โGreylyn, promise me that you will stay away from Kael. If he ever crosses your path, either annihilate him completely with your dagger through his heart and then rip it out of his body while itโs still beating; or run. Just run.โ
******
A quick note before I sign off, if you live in (or in driving distance from) Charleston, SC, I will be at the Penned Charleston book signing event on 2/29/2020. Please come by and say “Hi!” I’ll have paperbacks of Rekindled Prophecy to sell and to sign, along with some book swag.
And if you live in Charlotte, NC (or nearby, or within driving distance), please come out to the Queen City Book Fair on 5/23/2020 to see me and many other fabulous authors. I’ll have more paperbacks to sign, and hope to have a pre-order link set up soon.
I’ll send out updates for future book signings and events as I schedule them.
Last Friday (2/7/2020) evening I held an Author Reading from my debut fantasy/paranormal novel, Rekindled Prophecy – Book 1 of the Greylyn the Guardian Angel series.
Several lovely friends showed up to listen to me read, and asked questions, made comments and generally it was an overall good time.
So what went wrong?
I coughed throughout the entire reading!
No, I don’t have the flu, or the corona virus.
What I had was allergies to all the drywall and general construction dust from my office. The room has been under renovations for some time now, and completely unusable, but I insisted (to myself) that I should do the reading from my office (mostly to avoid any of the other people living in my house from intruding – most of the time they respect the sanctity of my office).
You’ve been warned, but if you’re interested in listening to the reading and the Q&A session, here’s a link to the video on Facebook.
Now I am a self-proclaimed non-techie so I haven’t figured out how to edit the footage yet, and I’m rather certain there wouldn’t be a lot left if I took out all the coughing. My next best alternative is to record the whole thing, but then you’d miss the discussion and Q&A.
In lieu of a teaser for this week, you may have to work for it to listen through the reading of the Prologue from Rekindled Prophecy. Now there’s a lot of controversy these days in the literary community about prologues and epilogues, but I LOVE them and use them frequently. Every book in the series will start with a prologue giving the reader a glimpse from Greylyn’s past that has significant impact on her present and future. It’s a peek behind the curtain.
But if you don’t want to wade through my coughing fits to listen to the prologue, please direct message me here or on my Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/KCFreemanAuthor/ and I’ll send you a word document copy of the text.
Next month, I’ll make another attempt at a live reading from my book and hold another Q&A session. Because…why not? It was fun, despite the coughing.
Now you may be a bit confused by the title of this week’s blog since I normally blog all about my book, Rekindled Prophecy, and all things related to the Greylyn the Guardian Angel series. But this week I wanted to divert a bit from my writing to discuss another aspect of my life I am currently learning more and more about – my family refer to it as the “woo-woo” side of me.
So please indulge me as we travel down a side road seeming to veer away from my books, which I will gladly talk about anytime and all the time. If you want to read more about Rekindled Prophecy, the series, the characters, the inspiration, and all things related to my writing, I’ll be back on track next week. In the meantime, please feel free to visit my Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/KCFreemanAuthor/ for all things Greylyn and guardian angels. I post daily there.
Here’s the first article I wrote on the subject of chakras for the online paranormal magazine, Paranormal Rag (sadly no longer in publication). I planned a whole series on chakras so I may take that up here with my own blog.
*****
The First Chakra โ Root
Series on the Seven Chakras
By KC Freeman
What is a chakra? I keep hearing more and more about chakras all the time. What was once considered โwoo-wooโ is now making its way into the mainstream and I find it fascinating! So as I educate myself on the subject I wanted to bring you all along with me for the adventure. Hope you hop onto the ride and enjoy this metaphysical field trip into chakras. Since there is so much information out there on this subject, letโs take our time and navigate the chakras one at a time.
So again the question โ what is a chakra? Without diving into the complex labyrinth of the history and origins of chakras, letโs just focus on what exactly it is and why itโs important to our overall health.
A chakra, by Wikipedia definition is โa part of the esoteric medieval era theories about physiology and psychic centers that emerged across Indian traditions.โ To break it down further, the theory espouses that human life is simultaneously a physical thing and a spiritual thing. While we spend thousands of dollars a year eating right, exercising, taking vitamins and minerals, and drinking plenty of water, we are taking care of our physical body. Sadly, due to the chaos and hustle/bustle of everyday life, most of us have disregarded our โsubtle bodyโ โ the psychological, emotional, non-physical aspects of our life. We ignore our chakra centers and the neglect heavily impacts our physical bodies regardless of how many times a week we work out.
We need balance between the physical and non-physical aspects of our life.
The chakras help us understand the non-physical and how it relates to our physical bodies. According to theories, there can be many chakras and the number varies depending on the practice. For our purposes, we will stick with the prevalent theory that there are seven primary chakras.
Muladhara โ the root chakra is located at the base of the spine in the coccygeal region of our body. We will discuss this chakra in more detail in just a minute.
Svadhishthana โ the sacral chakra located in the sexual organs.
Manipura โ the solar plexus or navel chakra.
Anahata โ the heart chakra.
Vishuddha โ the throat chakra.
Ajna โ the third-eye chakra located between the eyebrows.
Sahasrara โ the crown chakra located in the crown of our head.
Each chakra makes up our energy centers and each has its own purpose. Blocked energy in any or all of the chakras can lead to illness. However, to truly balance our physical and non-physical bodies for better health, one must start balancing from the root โ much like a flower must first have a healthy root in order to grow and blossom into its beautiful form to be seen by the world. So letโs go back to our roots.
The first chakra, the root, is symbolized by the color red. It is located at the base of the spine and associated with the perineum in the coccyx area. The root chakra represents the foundation of ourselves and, when healthy, gives us a feeling of being grounded/supported. Mula means root. Dhara means support. The root chakra grounds your energy to the Earth. Examples of issues regarding an imbalanced root chakra are problems related to survival such as financial independence, a belief we will never have enough to survive such as money, food, safety, or shelter.
To be balanced in the root chakra, one must feel connected to your own life experience.
Overactive root chakras manifest in the need for a person to feel secure all the time. They are controlling, aggressive, materialistic, and can come off as being extremely greedy. There is never enough money, never enough food, never enough of anything. This leads to anxiety. The body will experience stress and fear regardless of how well our basic survival needs are covered for fear it will be taken away. Even when there is no real threat to our survival, an overactive root chakra will make our bodies still experience that fear and stress.
Underactive root chakras are just as troubling. Again, insecurity raises its ugly head.ย Instead of anger or aggression, this causes anxiety and chaos. Those with underactive root chakras may be highly disorganized and inefficient. These people are insecure and detached from the world and may feel unwelcome, so they hide away from the world or are considered to be โday dreamers.โ
Some physical ailments brought about by an imbalanced root chakra are lower back pain, hip pain, digestive issues, as well as ovarian cysts in women and prostrate problems in men. Considering the number of over-the-counter medicines for digestive problems and the surge of patients seeking help from gastrointestinal medicine, Iโd say that root chakra overbalance is an epidemic.
With both over and under-active root chakras, a person may experience significant weight loss or weight gain, high or low sex drives, over-activeness or laziness. Depression is also common in individuals with root chakra imbalances.
So now that we know the symptoms of root chakra imbalances, how do we fix them?
Without going into specific details here, common therapies for root chakra imbalance include yoga, aromatherapy, guided meditation, and visualization. There are numerous books and articles on the subject, as well as, excellent alternative medicine practitioners to help you along your path.
Hereโs some other suggestions:
Dancing, going for a walk, even getting a pedicure will help ground you. You will find that self-care is extremely important to balance all chakras.
Yoga poses such as Warrior One, Bridge, and Mountain are excellent poses to balance the root chakra. For more information of yoga therapies for chakra healing, I suggest you search on Kundalini yoga.
Crystals are a part of the chakra healing system which we can discuss in more detail in a later post, but to balance the root chakra, you can use yellow topaz, bloodstone, or azurite.
Nutrition is not just for the physical body. Add red foods (no, not with red food dye โ natural red foods) such as apples, cherries, tomatoes, beets, and even high protein foods such as red meat. Even hot sauce and spicy peppers are beneficial.
Apply essential oils to pulse points or to the soles of your feet to relax and open up the chakra. For the root chakra use ylang ylang, rose, or frankincense.
Meditation โ imagine a lotus flower at the base of your spine while practicing measured breathing or listening to relaxing music. The main point here being to be mindful of that area of your body to bring healing energy to it.
Acts of kindness are another way to open up an overactive root chakra.
Activities such as gardening or walks in nature can help calm an overactive root chakra.
Reiki practitioners are an amazing resource for balancing and cleansing chakras.
To be completely healthy in both our physical and non-physical (emotional, spiritual) bodies, we must first have a healthy root chakra as this is the basis of energy flow throughout the body.
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And just in case you’re still interested in my fantasy/paranormal novel, Rekindled Prophecy, but have yet to purchase one…I know it’s a shameless plug…
So you may be a bit confused by the title of this week’s blog but here’s my logic which may or may not pass for real logic but it is what it is, folks!
I’m a huge Buffy the Vampire Slayer fan
I’m a huge Supernatural fan
When the Ghostfacers asked “WWBD?” or “What Would Buffy Do?” I squealed with delight.
There’s a somewhat similar push/pull/stalkerish vibe with my characters, Greylyn and Kael, as was between Buffy and Angelus (not really Angel, but his alter ego) and between Buffy and Spike.
Buffy was “The One”ย –ย According to buffy.fandom.com/wiki/Slayer, the definition of “Slayer” is…โInto every generation, there is a chosen one. One girl in all the world. She alone will wield the strength and skill to stand against the vampires, the demons, and the forces of darkness; To stop the spread of their evil and the swell of their numbers. She is the Slayer.โโThe original prophecy of the Slayer. Well, Greylyn, was the one person who could fulfill this prophecy that the bad guy wants fulfilled. She’s “the One” but he doesn’t call her that.
Now the story of Greylyn the Guardian Angel isn’t based on Buffy. I just wanted to compel any Buffy fans out there, that if you liked Buffy, you’ll love Greylyn too!
Also, WWBD…
If you’re looking for something Twilight-esqe, Rekindled Prophecy – Book 1 of the Greylyn the Guardian Angel series is not for you. Sorry in the Greylyn universe vamps are not romantic, although they do try to fake it in the second book of the series (so maybe you’ll like this series after all if you’re a Twilight fan), Revelations which is currently with the editor.
Here’s a little excerpt to showcase just how Greylyn and Kael are a bit Buffy and Angelus (evil Angel obsessed with tormenting Buffy). And if you have no clue who Buffy is…please do yourself a favor and look up this series (I think it may be on Hulu now).
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A wave of heat originated from his touch, spreading out to her entire body. โEverythingโs al-right now, Grโโ His voice, smooth yet husky, trailed off but with a slight accent marking him as not English.
A chill raced through her veins, freezing her in place as she watched his glowing topaz eyes morph to a deep crimson.ย
A demon?
No, not exactly. The hint of sulfur was missing. The way pinpricks of pain flashed out when a demon touched her skin didnโt happen. Oh, there were pinpricks of something, but definitely not the same sensation. No, he wasnโt a demon, nor was he possessed by one. Of that she was certain, but the realization something was different about this man was enough to jar her back to her senses.
Her fingers coiled tighter around the hilt of her daggerโa weapon bestowed upon her as part of her initiation into the world of guardian angels. The handle, intricately carved with a Celtic symbol inter-laced with the sign of infinity and two opals of varying shades embedded in the center, now pressed into the soft skin of her palm. Months of intensive practice, it was now an extension of herself. Its sharp, jagged edges of an almost blue metal were forged specifically to kill demons, to kill anything not intended for this world. Greylyn prayed it also worked on whatever this man was.
He hadnโt moved. Just stared at her with those freaky eyes of blood. She slashed upward with the blade. He jerked away, but not in time. A gash appeared across his cheek, and his hand flew up to his face. Greylyn used his momentary surprise to push herself off the ground to run away. Not two steps later, the man grabbed her upper arm, hauling her backward into his chest with such momentum she felt, as well as heard, the cracking of her spine from the impact. The small bones of her wrist popped painfully under pressure from his much larger hand, forcing her fist to unclasp and the dagger to fall. His other hand snaked around her waist to press firmly into the small of her back.
โGoing somewhere so soon?โ His voice held a gruff edge to it now, no longer velvety smooth.
Every instinct screamed at her not to, but she defiantly craned her neck to stare up at her captor. Big mistake. He whipped her around to face him. Now pressed against his chest, the thumping of her own heart mixed with the sound of his own rose to a deafening level, blocking out all other sounds. His lips curled on one side, highlighting a dimple. Perfectly white teeth glinted in the dim moonlight. Warm breath caressed her face, smelling slightly of bourbon.
โLet. Me. Go,โ she ground out from clenched teeth. Her body shivered, but she refused to acknowledge the fear. Although she thought she might not survive her first guardian assignment, Jasperโs mantra that heโd drilled into her head over the last year rang in her earsโNever acknowledge the fear. A guardian does not have the luxury of giving in to fear. Greylyn prayed her eyes reflected resolve and courage, not the terror coursing through her veins. Or whatever else was pulsing through her body.
A full grin broke out on the manโs face. The red flames dancing in his eyes smoldered before returning to their topaz hue that had riveted her in place earlier. His entire face relaxed. โNow, love. Why would I do that? Thereโs so much we have to discuss before โฆโ
Greylyn stomped down on his foot with all her strength. Considering their significant size difference, she didnโt expect it to work, but it startled her captor enough for him to loosen his grip. She wrenched her arm away while her other fist swung up and slammed into his face. Blood gushed from his nose, flowing down to drip off his chiseled chin.
Instead of an angry shout or a return punch, he glared steadily at her with no other outward show of pain or emotion.
โSo much for civility then.โ The words were spoken so softly through thinned lips that she almost doubted heโd spoken at all until his fist shot out. Excruciating pain blinded her.
The jerk broke my nose!
Strong hands gripped her arms and yanked her with such force her neck snapped as her body sailed across the alleyway. Colliding with the moss-covered stone wall of the tavern, all the air whooshed out of her lungs. A coppery tinge filled her mouth.
Pain and anger boiled up, fueling a surge of adrenaline that brought everything into crystal clear focus. All sound, except for her assailantโs heavy breathing, stopped. She waited.
Why didnโt he attack?
She raised her head in defiance, blood, and muck clinging to the strands of hair covering her face.
I am a guardian angel. No evil shall pass by me.
The words were drilled into her for months by her mentor. Heโd made her repeat it verbally every day before lessons and every night before sleep.
This man was obviously evil. Demon or not, evil was evil. She had no choice but to put an end to him.
โLike hitting little girls, do you? Not very gentle-manly.โ She clicked her tongue behind her teeth as her arms numbly pushed her into a squatting position. Sizing him up, this time as an opponent, Greylyn saw past the fashionable attire and good looks to the dark soul underneath. A blackness exuded from his aura, so dark it mingled with the night sky. How had she not seen it before?
The man straightened to his full height, hands at his side curled into fists. โYou shouldnโt be here, love.โ Sheโd expected an angry retort or another attack, but his voice was soft and shaky.
Her eyes darted around the alley. She needed a weapon, preferably her own. Where had it gone? With the moon fully ensconced behind the clouds, it was impossible to see more than his faint outline, even with her superior nighttime vision.
Greylyn rose to stand, her fists clenched at her hips and her back against the broken stone wall. โWell, I am here. Ready to party.โ Sheโd aimed for a daring, but jovial tone. The slight squeak at the end belied her inner fear.
โLooking for a good time, I see. Well then, how about a dance?โ
He sprung at her in a blur, but Greylyn dodged just an inch to the left, and he slammed into the same wall heโd thrown her against. She pivoted to attack while he was still prone on the ground, but a sudden glint of blue caught her attention. Her dagger! Just a few yards away.
She dove to the right, her outstretched fingers grazed the hilt, but her hesitation cost her. A hand clamped down fully on the handle and wrestled it away from her grasp. He rolled her over roughly, straddled her hips with her arms trapped under-neath his knees, and smashed her face with the fist holding her own weapon.
Pain exploded as bones and tendons cracked, and blood seemed to spurt from every pore. The assault continued, punch after punch, blow after blow. Greylynโs world turned crimson just before a blackness edged her vision.
Her first assignment as a guardian angel. Her first failure, and quite possibly, her last.
Death was inevitable. Not even her own super-natural strength could save her from this monster.
Despite the agony racing throughout her body, her mind clearly accepted her fate.
Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I shall fear no evil โฆ
Silence fell over the alley. The rain of punches stopped. Greylynโs eyes opened to peek at her attacker. What she saw chilled her to her soulโthe demonic red eyes had smoldered away, back to their original gold-flecked hue. The manโs face trans-formed from pure rage to sadness as a tear rolled down his face. A tear? โIโm โฆ I โฆ Oh, no โฆโ His trembling lips continued to move, but no coherent words formed.
โWhat in the bloody hell โฆโ An angry roar shocked her out of her stupor. That voice she recognized. Jasper.
A tall shadow with piercing eyes of ice jerked her assailant away from her.
โYou damn โฆโ He didnโt finish his sentence, just punched the man in the face while holding him by his lapel.
Greylyn gulped in air. She wasnโt dead, not yet. Renewed energy pulsated through her body and gave her strength to push herself up on shaky arms. She stared, turning to look at each man as they circled each other. Both men with deadly intent etched on their faces. In between getting hit and throwing jabs of his own, the stranger muttered, โHad to be you! It just had to be you!โ One final uppercut to Jasperโs jaw and the guardian angel fell back.
Her mouth opened to scream for him to leave Jasper alone, but no words came out. He turned to her, his face bloodied, but with a sad smile. โUntil next time, love.โ Seconds later, he vanished down the alleyway.
Suddenly able to move again, Greylyn jumped up and ran over to Jasper. โWho the hell was that?โ
โOh, Iโm fine, by the way.โ With the indignant look he flashed her, she knew Jasper was far from being fine. Physically, yes, he was alright. But his icy-blue eyes spoke volumes of fury she could not under-stand.
โIโm so sorry โฆโ She checked him for injuries, her hands roved over his body. His clothes were spatter-ed with blood. Other than his pride, and a black eye that would fade in an hour or two, he was in perfect shape.
Greylyn knew she looked a mess. Hell, she should be dead. Instead, the blood had already dried, and the sizzle of her bones mending underneath her skin comforted her.
Iโm not going to die. At least not tonight.
Jasper cupped her chin. โYes, I know. Itโs my fault. It was too soon to send you out on your own like that. I realized my mistake and came to find you, in case you needed assistance.โ A nerve twitched in his jaw. โAnd, I find I was correct. You certainly needed help.โ Disappointment was evident in his tone.
โOh, no! Edward? Did he escape? I came out here looking for him, but these guys,โ she waved her hand toward the corpses littering the alley, โwere after him and โฆโ
โYes, yes. I get it. You ran into the bad guys, and as a bonus, you got a bloody dark guardian your first time on your own.โ
โA what?โ
โA dark guardian. The exact opposite of us, darling. You are just lucky I came along when I did. That one wouldโve carved you up like a porterhouse steak.โ He pushed himself off the ground. At his full height of well over six feet tall, he towered above her.
โDoes this dark guardian have a name?โ She didnโt know why it mattered that she find out his name. Jasper narrowed his eyes at her in obvious dis-approval.
โThat one in particular is Kael,โ Jasper spat. โTruly nasty piece of work. Avoid him at all costs. Hopefully, you will never have to see that creature again.โ
He turned toward her and grabbed her by the upper arms, leaning forward so they were nose to nose. An aroma of whiskey and tobacco wafted into her face. โGreylyn, promise me that you will stay away from Kael. If he ever crosses your path, either annihilate him completely with your dagger through his heart and then rip it out of his body while itโs still beating; or run. Just run.โ
******
And one of my favorite Kael lines:
โBesides, if I want you dead, Iโll do the deed myself. No one else gets that pleasure. No one.โ His tone was teasing, but she suspected it was the underlying truth.
Until next week!
When in doubt, remember to ask yourself…
Buffy would buy Rekindled Prophecy – Book 1 of the Greylyn the Guardian Angel series.
Rekindled Prophecy: Greylyn the Guardian Angel is a fantasy/paranormal novel with strong undertones of romance and sex appeal between two enemies โ one working for Heaven, the other working for Hell.
Welcome to a new year, a new decade! 2020 started out a bit rough for this author. I’ve basically been sick since November 2019 but have finally recovered enough to get back to writing and editing.
What does that mean for the Greylyn the Guardian Angel series? It means forward progress on Book 2. Yesterday evening, just before the college national championship football game (Geaux Tigers!), I sent off Book 2 (working title: Revelations) to the publisher. Now on to editing Book 3 which is going to a bit more strenuous since I’ve had all these lovely ideas for plots twists and expanding the series to incorporate.
With Book 2 off to the publisher, thought I’d offer up a teaser just to whet your appetites for more Greylyn and Kael. I hope you enjoy!
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Considering how traitorous her body reacted to the dark guardian in normal circumstances, she didnโt want to imagine what being this close would do to her over the long term. Twenty-four hours? Did the vamp expect them to do this little exercise for that long? At the very least, shouldnโt they be given potty-breaks?
Her head already throbbed with tension to fight her body for control. She couldnโt allow herself a second to relax. All it would take is one moment of weakness.
Too late. His closeness was already sending ripples of goosebumps up her arms while a delicious heat crept up her cheeks. To distract herself, she scanned the garden for signs of surveillance. Anything to avoid looking at Kael. Being here with him made her more nervous than facing down the entire throng of Olivierโs minions months ago.
Absentmindedly, she pulled out a platinum chain tucked underneath her shirt and toyed with the ring dangling it โ a nervous tick sheโd picked up after their first encounter. The ring had been in the pocket of the drab wool dress sheโd been buried in. The one and only link to a life she didnโt remember, a normal human life.
Kael reached over to touch her face, but a voice boomed over the loud speaker again. โNo touching.โ He withdrew his hands, holding them up in the air as a sign of surrender.
Forcing herself to lock eyes with Kael might be the hardest thing sheโd done since tearing herself away from him at Gaelic Haven. She had wanted nothing more than to lose herself in his arms. That night had haunted her ever since. Sheโd dreamed of melting into his strong, inviting arms, caressing the stubble along his jawlineโฆ
Great balls of fire, Greylyn! Get over it! Hasnโt even been two minutes!
Truly, we are not out here in the universe trying to find ways to piss off the fans. No matter what ending is written, it’s never going to be enough to fill that gaping hole in our hearts because it simply is …THE END!
To sum it upย – it was a series of unfortunate eventsย which ended happily ever after.
