From Asenath

Once again we’ve fired up the Time And Relative Dimension In Space Machine and directed it at ancient Egypt. Out of the sands of time and the pages of Asenath, we've managed to nab Khasekh.

Tell us a bit about yourself, Khasekh.

I am a novice magician in the Temple of Amun. I am originally from an inconspicuous fishing village along the far-flung shores of the Nile river. After a group of invaders ransacked my home and killed my family, I and some other orphans were rescued and brought to the temple at Heliopolis. It was there where I discovered my passion for magic arts, and thus decided that I wanted to become a magician.

How do you know Asenath?

I am her best friend since childhood. Together, we survived our captivity and our adjustment to life in Heliopolis.

How do you feel about life in the big city? Must be quite a change from a fishing village.

I love it. It did take a bit of an adjustment, of course, but I soon learned to love it. There are just so many exciting opportunities here. In the fishing village, life is so stagnant. That is not to say that I am no longer grieving over the loss of my family – of course I am, and will never stop doing so. But I don’t think they would want me to be mourning forever. I am sure if the gods told them where I am now, they would be happy and find peace in the Field of Reeds.

We can hope... I think. How have these events affected your relationship with Asenath?
Well, I love knowing that me and my best friend have gone through so much together, not to mention that we have both morphed from ignorant, illiterate peasants into sophisticated city folk. This was a grand opportunity given by the gods, and it was even grander shared with my best friend. Asenath, alas, seems a bit lost though. I hope that in time, she too will learn to love her new life.

On the whole, things are better for you.

Definitely. I am no longer the naïve provincial boy I was when I first arrived in Heliopolis. Sure it was tragic at first. And as I said, sure I will never stop missing the family I lost. But I was able to overcome all that and I am now a magician. Everything led to the illustrious position I now hold. The gods willing, one day, I will be one of those who personally serve Pharaoh (may he live forever).

Yes... um... Could you be a bit more careful with that staff? Thanks. 

Where do you see yourself in the future?
In the service of His Majesty, the Living Horus. If not that, well then… perhaps one of the senior magicians in Amun’s temple. I have always been excellent at what I do, so I see a bright future ahead of me.

<pouffe>

Gah! <cough> I’m not sure if that was magic or a short in the time machine, but Khasekh has left the building.
If you want to find out more about Khasekh and Asenath, you’ll have to read Asenath, by Anna Patricio, Imajin Books. Available in eBook and trade paperback.

<cough> Is there a Doctor in the house?

From Rowena Through the Wall

We've had a couple of the men from Rowena Through the Wall in the studio, tonight we welcome the ravishing Rowena Revel.

When Rowena falls through her classroom wall into a medieval world, she is kidnapped twice, married – sorry I’ve lost count how many times – and has enough sexy men after her to fill a Chippendale calendar.

That’s me: Rowena Revel, twenty-something, long auburn hair, medium height, medium weight, really bad luck with men. Degree in Veterinary Science, terrific on a horse. Oh, and I can talk to animals.

Like Doctor Doolittle?

Doolittle? Isn't that the guy with the reality show on the Animal Network? Some young chicks told me he didn't understand a chirp! Believe me, it's all cheep tricks with that charlatan.

How does it feel to be the object of so much attention?
Did I mention having bad luck with men? First Steve back home; great looking financial trader with the empathy of a weasel. Then Sargon, the king beyond the wall who just takes what he wants, and finally Cedric, the sexy sociopath – yikes! And there’s more…

More? Yikes! How did you get yourself into this predicament?

I walked through a wall. No, really – a portal opened up in my classroom wall, and I found another world on the other side of it.

Now I ask you – who wouldn’t be curious enough to walk through that wall?

Hey, I’ll be looking for my own wall after we wrap. Still, this must have put a crimp in your career.

My career? There is lots of work for an animal doctor in a land where horses are the main mode of transportation. Indeed, I use my gift for reading the thoughts of animals all the time in Land’s End.

And your love life is active...

In Land’s End, I actually have one! Things were pretty boring before, and – to be honest – I’m the sort of female who likes a lot of loving. So…I’m not complaining. It’s been one wonderful adventure.

What else is better in Lands End?

I would say I am a more generous person now – less quick to judge others. In truth, I had to do things to survive that sometimes conflicted with my own morals. It made me realize that civilization is a veneer, and our feeling of moral superiority is due to the times we have been fortunate enough to live in.

What’s worse?

Women from medieval times had an incredibly tough life. I have so much more appreciation for simple things, such as flush toilets, sanitary items – you get the picture. But truly, the thing that smarts the most is how little control a female had over her own destiny.

Also – I would have thought a world short of women would value women more. Instead, I found females have less power, and less control over their own lives. It makes me worry for places in our time where gender selection before birth has resulted in a shortage of female babies.

What’s next for you?

Now there is the million dollar question! Even I don’t know yet. My friend and author Melodie Campbell tells me the next book will answer this. As you can imagine, I am anxious to know…

Any advice for people seeking their own walls to walk through – assuming they get more than a bruised nose.

Everything comes down to survival. What do you need to do to survive in a different world? Sometimes it means accepting that different times demand different behaviour, and if you insist on maintaining 21st century morals, you may not live long in a more primitive world.

Any final words?

Just my favourite line - even though it was my student who said it: “Is that a broadsword on your belt, or are you just glad to see me?”


Rowena Through the Wall, published by Imajin Books, is available through Amazon.com, Amazon.ca and Smashwords
Warning: This book is not a sweet romance. It is a sexy, funny, rollicking adventure with a spunky heroine and the medieval men of her dreams! Continues in Book 2.

Find out more about Rowena and her author, Melodie Campbell at: funnygirlmelodie.blogspot.com and www.melodiecampbell.com

From Cheat the Hangman

Tonight we welcome Leander, Lyris Pembroke's spirit guide.

Lyris Pembrooke’s life is forever changed when she inherits her late uncle’s antique-filled Georgian mansion and discovers a small corpse hidden in the tower room, a 68-year old mystery that becomes her obsession and forces her to acknowledge that she will find the answers she seeks only through the intervention of Leander, her spirit guide, and her own budding psychic talents - if she dares to cross that threshold .

So, Leander, can you tell us a bit about yourself? You know, where you live when you aren't communing with Lyris Pembrooke, how many mortal lives you spent here on earth, that kind of thing?

No.

No?

That's classified information. Against the rules to talk about it.

Well, can you at least tell us what you did when you were last here? Maybe your profession?

Nope.

Okay. Would something cataclysmic happen? If you gave us some personal information does the space-time continuum collapse? What?

Nothing.

Then why can't you tell us?

This is my first gig as a spirit guide and I don't want to screw it up. Believe me, I spent enough lifetimes on earth and once or twice on other worlds, so I've done my time. As soon as Lyris joins us in this dimension, I hope to get a job with someone a little more enthusiastic about the gift of psychic ability. Actually, I hope next time its someone of the male gender. Lyris goes hormonal sometimes and takes up a lot of my time.

But, isn't that what you do? Watch out for your human subject and try and keep them out of trouble.

You're confusing spirit guides with guardian angels. Lyris has three of those and, believe me, they don't have a minute to themselves. My job is to help her develop her abilities, to raise her spiritual awareness so she can accomplish her soul's objectives.

How is she doing?

I guess not too badly. She finally accepted her gift, but only after I spent years poking her in the back, trying to get her attention. Finally I had to pop in without an invitation. That's not recommended but it was an emergency and I knew she would never invite me in voluntarily. Now she's getting used to me but, on the down side, sometimes she calls me just to talk.

What's wrong with that? It sounds like your relationship is progressing well.

She's supposed to contact me when she needs advice. I have a lot of other things on the go and don't appreciate being called away to talk about her cousin, the Family Trollop, or some other member of her fruitcake family.

Okay then. Speaking of your other activities. Lyris tells us you attend rock concerts. Who are the headliners – John Lennon, Rick Nelson, Jim Morrison ?

Pay no attention to Lyris. She keeps trying to find out who I hang out with but it's classified information.

So you said. Apparently, Lyris thinks you were once Winston Churchill because you quote him on occasion.

I also quote the Mad Hatter on occasion. Lyris will do that to you.

I understand that you and Lyris are, um, paired for life.

Her life. Yeah, we were matched by the Divine Source, so there's no getting away from her. Request denied.

Well, Leander, we appreciate you taking the time . . .

Time's nothing to me. But I gotta go, dude. I'm late for racquetball with... Oops, almost spilled it there.

And he's gone, folks. 

That's concludes our first ever interview with a spirit guide. I'm not sure Fred counts and he's no Guide -- maybe a Scout. Next time we'll see if we can get a spirit that's more forthcoming. Fortunately, we can always read Cheat the Hangman by Gloria Ferris and find out more for ourselves.

Clive from the Chasing Clovers

Nighthawk here, taking a walk on the west side. Stepping out of the pages of Chasing Clovers, we have the T Bar Ranch foreman. Tell us a bit about yourself, Clive.

I've known John Taylor all my life. We grew up together in Calgary. Hell, he's my best friend.

I moved away from Calgary when I was 18, but my own circumstances made me come back to my hometown and the friends I knew there. I needed a job and John owns one of the largest ranches this side of the rockies, so I knocked on his door and asked for a job.

And he took you in.

Better than that, I'm foreman on a prospering ranch, and my best friend is my boss. I'm not sure how long I'll stick around. Every now and then I feel the itch to move on, and lately it's pesterin' me somthin' awful.

Tell us about Livy Green.

Well, now Livy is stubborn, ornery, strong, and sweet all rolled into one. She keeps John
in line and looks after his children.

But things didn’t start off that well, did they?

About the time Miss Green showed up, all hell broke loose on the T bar. John and I didn't know where to begin. Accidents started happenin’ and no, things weren’t goin’ well.

Without giving too much away, how did things turn out?

I saw that it’s possible for people to change. I've also seen my best friend learn to love
again, and that's somthin' I didn't think would happen.

Tragedy's happen. People die. But there is always hope. There is always someone there
to hold your hand during those bad times. Allow yourself to be comforted. Don't hold it
in. I've watched two people who were ravaged with guilt, anger, and despair find
happiness. So I guess what I'm sayin' is if John and Livy can do it anyone can.

What about you?

Ah, hell I don't know. Anyone ever tell you, you're nosy? I reckon I'll stay on the T bar
for a while.

What about romance?

Nighthawk, my love life is none of your damn business!

What can I say? Inquiring minds want to know.

To find out more, pick up Chasing Clovers by Kat Flannery, published by Imajin Books. Available in eBook and soon coming out in trade paperback.