Let's Time Travel: A Walk in the Future

Beam me up, Scotty!

In terms of science fiction popularity, has any other catch phrase been more widely known, more widely referenced in everyday speech around the world than this one? Many come close, but for recognizability, I think not, but that's not the point. The beauty of science fiction is the dream of the ghost of Christmas future. Transferring a human body from one place to another instantly. Light speed. Humanistic robot entities that can think for themselves. Light sabers. Alien cultures. Science fiction writers are true dreamers who imagine, anticipate, potentially influence technological advances. Now throw in some romance and you've got my kind of book!

Take Jules Verne, for example, the man known as the "father of science fiction" who lived during the 19th century. It's said that his book Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea was the inspiration for the modern day submarine invented by Simon Lake, a huge fan of Verne as a child. After developing his design for a submarine and successfully launching it in 1898, he received a congratulatory message from Jules Verne himself. A number of Verne's fictional ideas became reality. Consider a weapon Verne described in this same book that sounds a lot like a taser. A gun that shoots electric volts? To see more of how his work influenced technology that we take for granted, click here. However, he wasn't the only early science fiction writer that had a strong influence on what we see in the world today. H. G. Wells, once called the "Shakespeare of science fiction", lived in the 19th century as well and happened to describe a weapon that killed with noiseless heat and a flash of light. Something like this can actually be seen in the military now. It's called a Direct Energy Weapon. He also described genetic engineering in The Island of Dr. Moreau, just to name a few of the forward thinking ideas that became reality.

But hold on! We don't even have to travel that far back in time for evidence of popular science fiction somehow giving the world ideas for cool gadgets. The cellphone that sits in your pocket as you read this was made from the genius of Martin Cooper who led a development team over at Motorola. He gives credit to Captain Kirk, no less, because of that handheld communicator that we saw so often on Star Trek. Even more recent, we can see the sequel to Back to the Future when Marty McFly (Michael J. Fox) rides a hover board through a town square. Would it surprise you to know that recently, on "Outrageous Acts of Science" a scientist managed to create a true hover board? (be prepared for a short commercial before viewing the short video)

So here's the fantastic part of all this. Technology is booming. The rate at which it manages to be created grows exponentially with talk of CRISPR, the most cutting edge ability to edit genomes. Oculus rift allows the user to be completed submerged in a virtually reality. These are things that are actually happening. And what's coming down the pike? Zero-sized intelligence which references these super small chips with huge capacity for information, and coupled with that is quantum technology in simplification which is a microscopic entity that can think like a computer but does not need all the circuitry. More of the futuristic craziness includes nano technology that can be seen in all disciplines including medicine and engineering. BMI or Brain Machine Interface will allow you to move things with your mind, just by thinking about them.

So what are the implications? Imagine the great fiction that can come when authors research futurist's ideas and trends before taking the next leap into the future with their groundbreaking plots. Dark Network hactivists (hacker/activist) who wreak havoc on a nation with their plots to destroy government entities. Doctors that can inject nano technology through a syringe allowing microscopic tools to work on a patient at a cellular level in order to cure cancer? Will there be characters that have zero-sized technology implanted in their minds? The possibilities for telling new and exciting stories are not only endless but entirely exciting.

Thanks so much for spending some time thinking about the future with me. What futuristic innovations are you most excited about becoming a reality? I'd love to hear from you.

Hopeless Romantic: When Fate Lends a Hand

One of the most romantic moments in my life was the one where my best friend and I stood in front of our friends and family and said, "I do," after meeting and marrying in a whirlwind romance after only knowing each other ten months. That was fifteen years and a pair of identical twin boys ago. Being that I was twenty-six and had dated a lot of guys that flat out didn't fit the bill for me, I'd begun to think maybe I was getting it all wrong. I was ecstatic to know I was so wrong.

The build up began before we officially met. We were unknowingly members of the same gym. I jumped on the only treadmill that was open during that time in the afternoon, you know that time, the crazy, after-work-rush-hour-crowd trying to fit in a workout before going home for the day? Anyway, this treadmill happened to be right next to him. However, this was not the moment magic happened. There were no cherubs slinging heart arrows just yet. Very pointedly, I looked up, he looked down, and we both went back to our exercise without a second thought. (We were both pretty hardcore about fitness.)

The next time I saw him was a few weeks later while hanging with friends in Pasadena. We were looking for a Saturday night of dancing and flirting out on the town. Unfortunately, so were a zillion other people, and we had to drive down to the lowest parking level of the parking structure because all other spots were taken. We ended up parked right next to him. But this, sadly, was not the moment magic happened either, except that I recognized him as he got out of his car with his then-girlfriend. You see the problem, here.

A few months went by, and I found myself walking down the corridor of the university I was attending in order to complete my master's degree. Working and going to school was a challenge on so many levels, and I was rushing to class so as not to be late when I saw him walking down the hall. I was a bit floored at this point because this was now the third time I'd seen this guy. He noticed my stare and gave me a quick, if impersonal, smile, and yet, this too was not the moment magic happened.

The real magic happened a few quarters later when I was ready to complete my master's degree and was down to my last class, one I'd been putting off and dreading. My good friend was looking over the class schedule with me since she'd already taken this class. Instantly, she pointed to a particular section and said, "Take his class. He's got a really great class. I promise, you'll really like it."

So there I was, sitting in my final class in order to complete my degree, and guess who walks in? 

Caution: There's a Writer in the House

There is no better state of mind than when you're deep into your story, you're on a roll, your fingers are flying across the keyboard as quickly as you can physically make them move, and still, they aren't keeping up with the speed of the narrative voice in your head that's bulleting words that feel like gold. This isn't a daily occurrence, nor a weekly occurrence, which is why I can liken this state of mind to experiencing a high. It feels so good. I want it again and again. Hours can go by sitting on the couch with my laptop revved, trying to find that place, that state of mind, as often as possible. This is why I'm still trying to learn that crucial lesson, finding a healthy balance between my family life, my personal life (taking care of me), my daily job pay-the-bills life, and my writing life.  

Here's how you know when it's bad. There are doctor visits you need that you're not getting appointments for over the course of several years. As your clothes become rattier, you aren't going out to buy more, and the elastic on your last wearable white bra is threatening to snap. Friends and family are rarely invited over, though you promise yourself that you'll have that big party and "catch up" when you feel like you've gotten to a good place in your story. Emotions are entirely reliant on how you feel about your writing, so the people around you will never be able to predict your mood. It's like being part of the roller-coaster ride perpetually. Manicures and pedicures seem like bothersome activities that are time sucks, and make-up is a thing that is only worn under duress during the week for the day job. Finally, you've stopped your normal healthy routines, like getting exercise and making a healthy dinner, which leads to health issues. I managed to gain a good twenty pounds in a one year period of time because I was coming home from work, sitting on the couch to get my third book done, and ordering take-out regularly. The wake up call? None of my usual clothes were fitting, and I'm too proud, and frankly, too cheap, to want to go out and buy a whole new wardrobe. I also want to keep up with my husband and kids on hikes and bike rides, which brings me to my next point.

If your husband and kids have to sit you down and gently explain that you don't see them anymore, you know it's bad. They could physically see me sitting there on the couch working, creating, living in my head for hours, but they had no access to me. My husband and boys are very sweet and supportive of my goals, which was why they were trying to give me space, but they missed me. Every bit of spare time was spent writing, so my kids felt like they couldn't share with me, and my husband felt like he didn't have anyone to talk to.

The fix? Time management and prioritization. My day job is taxing, so I'm not in my most creative mind frame when I get home. Therefore, I shouldn't even try to use that time to write. What could I do instead? Talk with my kids. Find out about their day, and tell them about mine. Decompress.  Check in with them about their homework. Once we've done that, they go off to their rooms to work, and I can get an hour or so of writing in before my husband comes home at least three days of the work week. The other two days I can exercise. The weekends are flexible enough that I can both write and exercise (which brings me closer to fitting my clothes again). Finding alternate times and places to write has also been helpful. During my lunchtime or during my sons' sports practices, I might hand write scenes that I can type in later.

I needed to make up some time with my husband who has always encouraged and supported my personal goals. Making sure that I made myself available once it was time for dinner was a start. Finding time to sit, relax and talk about our day with a glass of wine or just a tired smile once the kids were in bed was a wonderful reminder that I'm absolutely crazy about my husband. Date nights, flirting, texting love messages at different time of the day were my way of showing him that he was number one on my list. Remembering that we don't get forever on this big rock we call a planet helps me keep things in perspective.

It's a busy life, but if you plan it well, you can have your cake and eat it, too.

The first three books of my Dreamwalkers series are complete, and I'm working on book #4. If you're feeling like you need a little excitement, conflict and steaminess, take a look at my titles below.



Amazon BN Carina Press

Amazon BN Carina Press

Amazon BN Carina Press

Feedback Wanted: Read an excerpt from a work in progress

Hi all! I wanted to post my most recent WIP to gain some feedback. Usually, I write paranormal with a touch of sci-fi. This story, however, is almost entirely sci-fi. Have a look! I would love to know what you think.

THE AWAKENING 

Ground Control to Major Tom

“The first time they tried to grab me, I was not yet self-aware.”

The understatement would have made me laugh considering the cliff-hanging shift in reality I’d just experienced, but this was light-years away from a light-hearted moment. It was a Houston-there’s-a-problem moment, a that’s-no-moon-it’s-a-space-station moment, a the-TRex-got-loose-you-need-to-run moment, except I was the only one in danger. Or, maybe I was the T-Rex?

“You had not engaged your genetics?”

“Not as far as I could remember.” My genetics. They made me sound like a laboratory rat, so clinical, which was par for the course.

The room was as cold and sterile as I’d come to expect from this place. Muted tones in metallic shades of gray were the only colors that entered my line of sight. I fought off the shiver that threatened to trickle down my spine, feeling the chill from the metallic chair, the metallic table, the metallic voice, seeping into my bones. Somehow, letting them see that I was cold felt like letting them win. I wasn’t here by choice but by design.

No one else was in the room, but with nearly a five point G.P.A in high school, neither was I an idiot. Bated breath surrounded me, extra sensory cell membranes in my skin were able to sense the heat escape from multiple bodies on the other side of the wall. I was the isolated mouse being studied under the microscope. Carefully studied. From a distance. They were watching me through the two way mirror feeling a sense of safety and security.

Fools. It was the height of arrogance to think they could control me. They had no idea what they’d created.

“What is your name?” The voice was cold. Hard. Uncaring.

“Jules Malloy.”

“And your age? Education?”

“Twenty-four. BA in Literature, BS in Physics, MA in British Literature, Single Subject Teaching Credential in English. I spent the last two years as a high school English teacher.”

“You are quite accomplished for being so young.”

“School was always easy for me.” It was a shruggable reality. No secret. Most everything had been easy for me, from the academic to the physical. Nothing had given me any real pain except personal relationships. Then I turned downright stupid. My heart contracted painfully making my throat feel suddenly thickened. The drive-by thought threatened to sabotage my composure, so I threw it back in the steel reinforced mental cage where it seethed with quiet pain. Now wasn’t the time.

“And you know the purpose of this recording?”

I arched a brow and gave them a hint of a smile. My message was clear. I didn’t drag myself here.

“Were you informed as to the reason we are having this interview?”

“Is that what this is called? An interview?” How civilized. There was some bite to my voice when I answered, “Yes, I was. To document that experiment AB2067 is alive and well and working to protect Fallions from enemies, both foreign and domestic for as long as I believe it’s necessary to do so.”

“Have you ever been a threat to Fallia?”

“Only to the extent that Fallia has been a threat to me.”

               There was silence. It spoke in deafening tones. “The power you harness is reputed to be beyond your control at times, Juliana. It shouldn’t surprise you that we’re very concerned. We don’t know the extent of your…gifts.”

“Then you heard wrong. I exercise complete control at all times. I know exactly what I’m doing. There has never been an incident that was not precisely intended.”

She’d planted that fear, the bitch. She thought I would have been terminated automatically, a not so petty revenge scheme to get back at me for humiliating her. She wasn’t used to having anyone stare her down, particularly not someone she considered of a lower rank, not in her world. My heart clenched painfully yet again. Thinking about her made my thoughts pitch in yet another direction, one filled with anger, pain, disbelief, and the most humiliating betrayal. It was one I couldn’t afford to indulge in.

I allowed myself a moment to find that perfect image of the sea, rippling with the breeze. Closing my eyes allowed it to crystallize.

“Juliana, do you swear loyalty to Fallia?”

Warm sand between my toes. A blue sky with a few scattered cottony clouds. The steady roar of the waves crashing on shore before racing up the sand toward my feet bringing a refreshing spray of cold salt water to my toasted skin. It was the perfect moment.

I felt the calm return.

               “Juliana!” Impatience tinged the voice coming through the speaker. “Do you swear loyalty to Fallia? Do you promise to always protect and serve Fallia’s interests?”

               I stared at the two-way glass for a moment, pulsing just enough power to my eyes that I could see through the stupid glass and make perfect eye-contact with the prune-lipped stooge who was glaring down at me from the self-constructed ivory tower of his mind. He was just a fucking “yes-man”, but I wasn’t. Giving not an inch, I let him see how little he impressed me. With barely a stir of my finger, because I was getting to be that good, I sent him the mental message that he had dried spit in the corner of his mouth.

               He ignored me.

“I promise to protect and serve my interests. Fallia has yet to earn my loyalty, but if you’re asking whether or not I have ill will toward Fallia, then I can say with all honesty, I have never considered raising arms against you.”

               “You’re making this difficult, Juliana.”

               The name always made me cringe inwardly, but figuring they were trying to get under my skin, I didn’t correct them. With a file on me several inches thick, I wasn’t telling them anything they didn’t already have documentation on. So I said nothing. There was power in silence.  

“We need to know everything about the immediate threat. Begin with the beginning. Leave out no detail.”

Would they make me a target once they had the information I could give them? Opening my mind, extending my inner sensors, I tried to determine what the intent was. While this wasn’t exactly the Ritz, I’d been given reasonable accommodations: food, a bed. It could have been much worse, and I didn’t feel a sense of threat.

I’d come to rely on my intuition. It was all I had in this place.

I took a deep breath and focused, letting my thoughts roll back in time, organize themselves, select and discard events and thoughts before putting a mental thumbtack on the first moment I had a sense that my world had begun tilting on a separate axis.  

               There was a sudden disturbance of air on the other side of the wall, the addition of another heat source. It was him. Because of our connection, I felt him enter the room without having to expend an ounce of energy. My lungs threatened to seize. The heavy weight of my wrath charged forth with the opportunity of annihilating its target. It took a tight mental leash and fierce determination not to show how much this hurt, but I would in no way let him see my pain.

               With the slightest coloring of distaste in my voice and a smirk meant to convey that he would forever be a bastard in my eyes, I offered, “The Golden Boy decided to show up. How timely. Maybe he can fill you in on the details.”

***

Thanks so much for reading. You can find me at www.facebook.com/Writer.D.Adele, www.twitter.com/DanubeAdele, www.google.com/+DanubeAdele, www.danubeadele.com, www.goodreads.com/author/show/7340150.Danube_Adele

Top Ten Teen Movie Romances I Grew Up With

The top ten romantic movies that helped shape my views of love, life, and relationships during my teen years are movies that still have the power to move me, even today. They have the ability to take me back to those universal issues that I went through during my own high school years, the angst, the excitement of first attraction, the triumphs, the disappointments that teens have to live through. It’s a challenging time in life, and these movies got it right for me.

Sixteen Candles – You cannot argue this one. Jake Ryan was one of the most romantic icons a young teenage girl could have. He was gorgeous with a tough guy exterior, but we also saw that he had kindness and integrity. He wanted the smart, thinking, caring, quirky girl, not necessarily the beauty queen who was fine with trashing his house. But the best part of all? He goes after who he wants. There’s that moment, that one perfect moment at the end of the movie when Samantha is coming out of the church, having just gotten through the crazy wedding with her equally crazy family, and suddenly he’s there, waiting for her outside the church. Makes me tear up every time. Everyone wants to have their Jake Ryan.

Pretty in Pink – One of my favorite scenes is when Ducky comes to Andie’s place of work, the record store, and starts singing the Otis Redding song “Try a Little Tenderness”. Love that scene! It was a scene that prompted me to buy the Otis Redding album that had that song. I loved that she was so creative, making her own clothing. She represents the alienation we all feel at one point or other in life, not fitting the mold, which is truly a gift, but in high school, you don’t know that. I loved her strength, and it was the first movie I’d seen where a child had to step into a parent role. Her father was a flake, with reason, but still.

Breakfast Club – I wanted to see Claire (Molly Ringwald) get together with the bad boy, who I had the biggest crush on. They were so far apart in school culture and societal expectations, but I wanted to see her get a little dirty and him get a little clean. I wanted her to stop being such a tight-ass, and him to have some self-respect so they could meet in the middle and not just make it out alive, but thrive in life. I wanted them to be able to stick it to “the man”.   

Some Kind of Wonderful – Eric Stoltz. Doesn’t that just say it all? And the angst Watts goes through  watching him fight for a girl who doesn’t even care about him gets me every time, probably because I was a bit of a tomboy as a kid and didn’t know how to be soft for a long time. She was in love with him, but he only saw her as his friend. How was she going to get him to see that she was not one of the guys, and was, in fact, a girl with a sweet heart?

The Pirate Movie – Completely sexy for a young teen girl. All these hot guys were chasing all of these hot girls. There was tons of skin, tons of sexual innuendo, and the music was just fun. It was playful, didn’t show anything I wouldn’t want my own kids to see, and didn’t take itself seriously in the least.

Seven Brides for Seven Brothers – My mother loved musicals, and while there were many musicals I saw, this one sticks out the most. Again, all of these handsome mountain men were going after all of these beautiful young women, which involved a lot of singing and dancing. Great fun. Under it all, I loved that even though they were newly married, Milly kicks Adam out of the house until he can grow up, get his head on straight, and realize that he needed to learn what it meant to truly love and respect another person.

Grease – If this movie is on, you might have to cover your ears because I’m going to sing along, and I won’t by shy about it. I love the music, the dancing and the innocence of the romance. Who didn’t want to be Sandy wearing the black pants and leather jacket at the end of the movie, minus the cigarette, which she ends up ditching anyway? Innocence spreading her wings for a test flight into sensuality. 

Desperately Seeking Susan – I had a thing for Madonna. I must admit this. I did my best, as much as my mother would allow, to wear clothes that would be reminiscent of her style. She was such a free spirit in the movie, and I thought it was awesome that Rosanna Arquette’s character had the opportunity to step outside of herself and experience life from a different perspective with joy, excitement and true love. I learned that we can’t let ourselves be hemmed into categories, and that realizing your full potential as a human was part of fulfilling your responsibility in life.

Footloose – Kevin Bacon was hot! Need I say more? It was also quite freaky that a small town would have a law against dancing. What was ultimately cool, the wild child preacher’s kid pretty girl breaks the stereotype she’s molded herself into and learns to have self-respect, and to question who she really wants to be in life.

Goonies –  Just so playful and innocent. The cute girl grows a pair by the end of it all and isn’t just reliant on the jock to take care of her.

It was so hard to choose only ten movies because there were so many that I loved. I’m sure I’m missing a bunch that were equally good, but I’m sticking with these.

What teen romance movies influenced you growing up?

NEW RELEASE!!!

Would you like a steamy read over the holidays? Book Three of the Dreamwalkers series just came out! Here's a quick summary...

Dr. Cecilia—Ceci—Bradford at your service.

I dance, rock climb, and have mastered MMA, because just being a twenty-six-year-old doctor isn't enough. It doesn't keep me from remembering the terrifying night my life changed, the night my true love died. I was nearly seventeen.

Life goes on, but the secret I keep is that I still talk to him in my dreams. That was getting me by until Tabron showed up—or, more specifically, until the six-foot-two brute of a Viking whisked me off to another planet because his leader is dying. And the joy didn't end there. I'm being forced to choose a mate. The Brausa are facing extinction.

Tabron has no need for a mate, himself, and he's told me as much. Multiple times. What he does have are hands and wicked lips that stir feelings I thought lost forever. Choosing him (just to play along until I can find a way home) seems to irk him and I find this surprisingly fun. But surviving a hidden conspiracy and the dangers of this alien place might be more difficult than I could ever imagine…

Book Three of The Dreamwalkers

BUYS LINKS...

Carina Press

Amazon

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All Romance

Thanks so much for spending time with me. You can find me at www.facebook.com/Writer.D.Adele, www.twitter.com/DanubeAdele, www.google.com/+DanubeAdele, www.danubeadele.com, www.goodreads.com/author/show/7340150.Danube_Adele

Here Be News

New Releases

Dr. Cecilia--Ceci--Bradford at your service.

I dance, rock climb, and have mastered MMA, because just being a twenty-six-year-old doctor isn't enough. It doesn't keep me from remembering the terrifying night my life changed, the night my true love died. I was nearly seventeen.

Life goes on, but the secret I keep is that I still talk to him in my dreams. That was getting me by until Tabron showed up--or, more specifically, until the six-foot-two brute of a Viking whisked me off to another planet because his leader is dying. And the joy didn't end there. I'm being forced to choose a mate. The Brausa are facing extinction.

Tabron has no need for a mate, himself, and he's told me as much. Multiple times. What he does have are hands and wicked lips that stir feelings I thought lost forever. Choosing him (just to play along until I can find a way home) seems to irk him and I find this surprisingly fun. But surviving a hidden conspiracy and the dangers of this alien place might be more difficult than I could ever imagine...

Book Three of The Dreamwalkers

Get it today!

Group News

It's Winter Paranormal Week at Here Be Magic. Check back daily as we pay tribute to a variety of books and characters set amidst a paranormal world — in winter! In case you missed it, you can read the first of the week's posts by author Nicole Luiken here.

The Knowing and the Myst by Danube Adele

The Knowing and the Myst

By Danube Adele

Free image from http://www.sxc.hu/ used according to the Image License Agreement.

“I know you’re there.”

Bryland said this casually, the deep timbre of his voice giving me those warm, swirling tingles in my tummy. He donned his shirt over his sweaty chest. I pursed my lips with pouty displeasure. One of my favorite activities was sitting up on a leaf in the old oak tree closest to his home and spying on him. It was a plus if his shirt was off.

I wasn’t going to lie. I loved looking at his big man muscles. He was tall and broad, his dark hair tied back at his nape, and with a presence that commanded the respect of those from his village, Tregarsby.

“You aren’t very subtle.” He grinned, leaning his ax against the bottom of my tree and pausing, as though waiting for a response. Strange.

Who was he talking to? I did a curious scan of the immediate forest. No one was on the path. There was no other cottage for several miles. Was someone in the house?

“I’m talking to you, little sprite.” He smiled warmly, reaching to put a hand on the trunk of my tree. A faint blue light glowed under his palm. “I can’t see you, but I can feel you.” He closed his eyes and sudden warmth pulsed through the tree surrounding me.

Mother of the forest, he was talking to me! My heart fluttered. Escape? I pushed off my comfy seat to hover above it, but he opened his sparkling, green eyes and turned a wolfish grin my direction.

“I’ve surprised you.”

That was an understatement. It was unheard of for anyone of the Myst to be discovered by those of the Knowing, or anyone else for that matter. How in the worlds had he done it? Apprehension began to stir. This was unacceptable within the Myst community. We weren’t supposed to show ourselves to anyone. Ever. There were horrific consequences for such actions.

He frowned. “Don’t be afraid, sprite. I’m not sure of your exact words, but I can feel you’re worried.”

Yes, I was worried. This was wrong. Very wrong.

“I’ve enjoyed feeling your presence. It’s given me comfort. I’m sure you’ve heard talk of coming war. The Vieshins are in preparation.”

We’d heard rumor, but the Myst didn’t involve themselves in the affairs of the humans. We’d seen many battles over time, and this one would not be the last, but it would likely weave threads of destruction that would be devastating to the forest. We were nurturers. Healers. Helping the forest grow was our primary job. We would have much to do after the battle with repairing the forest. There would also be human death.

A sense of anxiety washed over me.

Could Bryland be killed in the coming battle? The Knowing were strong and skilled warriors and many had mastery of their blue magic. But even if they won, some might die.

“Don’t worry, little sprite. We’ll be fine. Guards are posted all over the forest. We’ll know the moment they come.”

At least that was something. There was nothing the Myst could do in any case, and besides, we tended not to become involved in human matters. Feeling a sense of heaviness, I realized this was more time than I’d ever spent spying. I had work to do.

“You’re leaving.” He seemed disappointed. “I understand. I thank you for listening.”

I didn’t know what to say, or if he’d even be able to interpret my thoughts, so I left. I spent the rest of the day mysting through my trees, creating the life-giving nutrients to spread within their veins and deep into their roots, accepting their thanks and feeling their renewal of strength and growth; however, a feeling of dread held me in a strong grip by the end of the day.

“Eadaya! Come quickly to the West Valley!” My sister Harine sent her message on a breeze. I could hear the urgency. Mysting to her at nearly the speed of sound, I covered hundreds of miles quickly and found her deep within the crevice of two boulders on the edge of a human encampment. A campfire was melting metals into the shape of a strange looking harness.

“They have strange winged creatures.” Harine looked to me with fearful eyes. “Look.”

Penned across the way were enormous, half-grown humans covered in scales, with reptilian-skinned wings that looked to span twenty feet. More than a dozen were chained together. When had they come?

“I heard the humans talking. They plan to drop liquid fire and burn the forest within the in a matter of days.”

“Oh no!” I thought of Bryland. They would expect an attack from the ground, not the sky. They would all die for certain. “You need to find the Council of Elders.”

“I told them. They said not to interfere, but that doesn’t seem right.”

“No. It doesn’t.”

“Eadaya?”

My sister called after me as I mysted through the forest faster than I ever had before. I went straight to Bryland’s home, but found it empty. Where would he be? The village? I knew where it was.

Only a few moments later, I was there, weaving undetected through people, between the buildings, and within village stores, trying to catch sight of him. He was on a training field not far beyond the village’s boundaries wearing breeches and a wielding a large sword.

He felt me immediately. A look of concern touched his face as he turned in my general direction.

“Little sprite?”

“Who are you talking to, Bry? Did I knock your senses loose just now?” His sparring partner chuckled, but frowned, not having any sense of my presence.

I tried to tell him about the attack, but Bryland only shook his head, frustrated.

“I can feel your fear, but I don’t know what you’re saying.”

Panic fueled my determination. There was only one thing left to do. I would need to morph into form on the human plane so he could see and hear me. However, stepping through the myst might mean never again being able to return.

I couldn’t let him be murdered. Concentrating on the film between my world and his, I created the light, and it enveloped me. Sticking my hands out, I pulled the film apart, tearing it, and stepped through one foot at a time into the cold air. Unused to the weight of the world, I fell weakly to the ground, my long black hair covering most of my pale naked body, and looked up, gasping for breath.

All of the men were speechless.

“The Vieshins created flying creatures,” I said with a soft, shaky voice. I’d never used it before. “They plan to pour fire from the sky.” The energy it took to move so quickly through the forest and undergo change from one dimensional plane to another drained me. I could only put my head down as darkness blacked out the world.

*

Bryland was watching over me when next I woke. I rested on a bed, likely at his house, with a sheet pulled over me. His expression was one of no nonsense as he captured my eyes, refusing to let me look away for a moment, but something he was holding caught my attention. It was a heart-shaped box he was pulling apart. Two small stones, soft and pearlescent, spilled into the palm of his hand.

“What is that?” I asked faintly.

“A conduit, from my heart to yours. It will give you energy to heal. It will also allow you to know my thoughts, and for me to know yours. Is that all right?”

I hesitated.

“With war coming, we need to be able to communicate.” His green eyes were piercing with their intensity. “We can help each other.”

I realized it was for the best and nodded.

Holding one of the stones over his heart, it came alive, turning into blue light and sinking harmlessly beneath his skin. Holding the second stone over my breast, I saw his hand glow a light blue before the heat of the stone sank through me.

“A time of reckoning has come.”

---February 2014

Find out more about Danube Adele!

Going Down the Rabbit Hole: Quicksilver Dreams, Book #1 of the Dreamwalker Series

Today's post is the first by new Here Be Magic contributor Danube Adele, whose book, Quicksilver Dreams, released earlier this week. Take it away, Danube...

**

The absolutely fantastic part of being a writer is taking the time to follow your hare-brained schemes and loco-crazy ideas down the rabbit hole, having absolutely no idea where you might end up.  As an author, a general rule is to keep putting one foot in front of the other and trusting that your steps will lead you somewhere amazing that you haven’t been before.  This doesn’t always pan out, but the ride is usually worth it.  One of the most pleasurable parts of the whole creative process is spinning out the chain of “what-ifs”.  Here’s a sample of what mine looked like for Quicksilver Dreams:    
What if you could suddenly read people’s minds?  What do you think you might hear?  Where would be the most fun place to hang out and “listen” to what people were thinking? 

What if you had the power to go into someone’s dreams?  Whose dreams would you want to lurk in?  What do you think you might see?  What’s in their deepest psyche? 

What if these powers came to you suddenly?  How do you think you’d react?  Would you become a believer right away?

My own personal rabbit hole led me to another planet where a generations old war was taking place over a highly prized resource, the ore, mylunate.  It’s what gives people power to transfer a few feet or hundreds of light years.  Pretty cool, right?  Would you want to travel to an earthlike planet far away if you could do so instantly?  Being able to create whole new worlds and allow a character from modern day Los Angeles to react to it all kept the story speeding along an exciting path.

Cue my spunky, kick*ss female character:

Taylor Lane, the snarky, fiercely independent girl in my first book, Quicksilver Dreams, a New Adult paranormal/sci-fi romance, suddenly finds she can do both of these things (read minds/dreamwalk), which is when the adventure instantly takes off.  Her life is forcibly being directed in ways she wasn’t expecting, keeping her off-balance, but ready for whatever would come her way.  I loved writing her character because she was ready to meet anyone head-on.  When I’d finished writing the book, I missed her.  I wasn’t having conversations with her on a daily basis anymore.  That sounds crazy, right? 

I did right by her, though.  She deserved to meet tall, dark and handsome in the form of Ryder Langston because it drove her insane to feel any kind of vulnerability toward him.  Their chemistry was pure joy to develop and revel in. 

Tell me, would you go exploring if you had the chance to transfer in an instant to another planet?

Thanks so much for spending time with me!  You can follow me on: Twitter | Facebook | Blog | Carina Press.

Quicksilver Dreams: 

My name is Taylor, and damn but my life changed overnight. One moment I was just a regular girl working two jobs to pay my bills, and next thing you know, I'm uncovering secret metal disks at my boss's house. Now I'm reading minds, dream-walking and being saved from bad guys by Mr. Dark and Brooding. 

That would be Ryder Langston, my new next-door neighbor. He's sex on legs but he's also a secret agent from another world—no joke. I believe him now because he dragged me back here "for my protection" after he discovered someone was trying to assassinate me on Earth. It isn't working out so well. 

There's a war going on, one that's been fought for generations. Ryder's having trust issues (not that it's stopping us from falling into bed), and it turns out I'm connected here, if you know what I mean. The target on my back finally makes sense, but there's nowhere left to hide…

Author bio:

Danube Adele wrote her first romance at the age of seven when she penned the story of her dogs falling in love and having puppies. She’s been dreaming up romantic tales ever since. A lifetime resident of southern California, she spends time playing at the beach, camping in Joshua Tree National Park, and hiking Mammoth Mountain. Always a lover of adventure, she and her husband took their sons on a cross country road trip to Florida and back in an old VW Westfalia, that had no A/C, in the month of July, and still, it continues to be the best trip they ever took. Extensive travel and trying new things has kept the creative spark alive. Danube lives in Claremont with her biggest fans, her loving husband, amazing and wonderful identical twin sons, and a teddy bear of a Rottweiler. Her debut novel, Quicksilver Dreams, Book #1 of the Dreamwalker series was officially released January 6, 2014.