Dark Dealings: Where AM I?

The  tour continues:

Today S.M. Nonnemacher and I talk about Dark Dealings, the writing process and stubborn streaks.

Stop by today at http://smnonnemacher.com/2012/05/31/interview-with-karen-victoria-smith/

Need to catch up on previous interviews and reviews, see all the links and contest details below. NOT TOO LATE TO JUMP IN for a $50 Visa gift card.

http://kvictoriasmith.blogspot.com/2012/05/dark-dealings-release-and-gift-card.html 

Dark Dealings Release and Gift Card Contest:

Jump into Summer: DARK DEALINGS RELEASE CONTEST!

Yesterday we kicked off Week Two with the start of Wakefiled Mahon's Motivation Monday. Submissions must be in ny noon (EST) today. Then tune in later when I make the tough call as judge.


Winner gets free copy of Dark Dealings!


See the rest of this weeks listing below.

Summer is just around the corner. Do you want some great books or music for the beach? Well for starters you can purchase my debut novel, Dark Dealings, at the links that appear in the right-hand column of this blog or through some spectacular blog sites listed below.

Then…. compete to win a $50 Visa gift card.

The card will be awarded to the person who scores the most points.

How can I do this, you ask????

JUMP IN:                                                                                                                                                     

1)       Buy the eBook. Email me a screenshot of your receipt, your twitter handle and Facebook name to   threeworldsproductions@gmail.com           3 points

2)      Like, give stars and tag on Amazon: honor system –email me         1 point

3)      Write a review on Amazon of at least 50 words          2 points

4)      Share the book and the blogs below on your Facebook page and tag my real name (Karen Kenney Smith)            1 point for each share

5)      Tweet up a recommend of the book up  and the blogs below use #darkdealings as one of your hashtags               1 point for each tweet       

6)      On the blogs below leave a meaningful comment. Things like “Hi!”, weather reports, etc. do not count.      1 point          (1 point bonus if you ask a substantive question that I need to answer.)

7)      Like the Three Worlds Productions Facebook page (msg me if you already have)            1 point

               

The blog schedule is an explosive whirlwind tour of some of great movers and shakers in Indie Publishing:

May 21:                The lovely Janelle Jensen at Insights of a Delusional Mind

May 22:                The charming horror writer R.B. Wood at Tales of an Indie Writer

May 23:                I visit with bestselling author, Steve Umstead at Paginations

May 24:                The Baddest Ass in the Publishing World: Jesse James at 11 Questions of Badassery

May 25:                The Queen of WooHoo, Michele Grogan at Once Upon a Time

May 26-27           Memorial Day Weekend in the US. Time to honor those who have fallen--hiatus

May 28                 Kick off the week at Wakefield Mahon’s Motivations Mondays Flash Fiction. I’m judging

May 30                 Elizabeth Ann West and I talk about Books I Re-read at E.A.West Writing

June 1                   Facing the music with the talented and funny Karen DeLabar

If you are a blogger, reviewer and would like to Jump In, please email at the address above.

My son graduates high school on June 6^th, so please be patient. Please read, tweet, visit the blogs and most of all tell your friends.

 I will announce the results on Monday June 11th

Must have it! Dark Dealings.

At thirteen, Micaela was found wandering an Irish pasture, a survivor of a mid-air explosion that killed everyone else onboard. Now, a successful investment banker, she will discover that Wall Street has real fangs and claws. When international power brokers, creatures hiding in plain sight, threaten her and those she loves, will this heiress to a Druid legacy deny her power and let loved ones die again? A global thriller of money, monsters and murder.

Karen Victoria Smith grew up with an Irish grandmother who tried to teach her the old ways and watched horror movies with her in the dark. KV lives in New Jersey with her family who patiently allow her to believe that in a 24-hour world the monsters are real.        

Dark Dealings is now available for all eBook formats at $2.99.  And you may win a $50 Visa gift card in the release contest.

Visit Storyteller's Grove, where you can read excerpts, see contest rules and follow links to interviews and reviews and, of course, purchase a copy for your ereader.

Don’t have an ereader yet. Visit Amazon.com or BN.com to download their FREE app to your computer/laptop/tablet. Also available as a smartphone app.

Print version will be available soon on Amazon. Watch for details.

Release Party is here!

DARK DEALINGS IS NOW AVAILABLE IN EBOOK FORM! SEE THE LINKS AT THE RIGHT TO PURCHASE

In honor of it I found this great YouTube video to celebrate it. I did not make it or own it, but watched these fireworks from the banks of the Navesink

Click and enjoy...then go to the right and click to buy!

HAPPY READING

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_NB696aogXc&feature=related

Last Bite at the Apple: Chapter 3 Dark Dealings

Dark Dealings, my debut novel, releases officially as an eBook on May23rd.  Today, I give you one last sample chapter to whet your appetite...or your thirst.

Watch here for upcoming details of the launch contest and blog tour!


Links to Chapters 1 and 2 can be found to your right >>>>>>> 

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ 

Chapter 3

           

Micaela stared into chocolate brown eyes. Not Reece, Adam. She shook out the cobwebs of the vision. Her fingers were cramped and curled. She had let go of Adam’s hands and wrapped her own hands first around the invisible rifle and then around the orb. Her palms were warm.

“Micaela, are you okay? You were gone a while.” He massaged her palms and knuckles.

“How long?”

“Ten minutes, maybe more,” he said.

Ten precious minutes. Panic squeezed her chest. “Joshua’s Cave. He’s in Joshua’s Cave. He’s hurt bad.”

“That’s over a mile from the trail.”

From the shadow of the trees, Chief Deerfield, Adam and Reece’s grandfather, emerged and spoke to Adam. “Listen to her, Red Hawk. You know what she saw.”

Micaela let out a soft gasp. “Adam, how much did you see?”

“We’ll talk later, Micaela.” Adam called to the men. “We know where he is. Grab the two-ways and the rifles.”

They raced in the direction of Joshua’s Cave. No questions.

Her head throbbed and her stomach churned. Years before, after the doctors had eliminated a possible brain tumor, they told her the auras, the headaches, the nausea were the result of migraines, but she knew better. Micaela crawled off the step, threw up into Una’s azaleas, and then passed out. When she opened her eyes, Chief Deerfield and Peggy stood over her. Tears ran down Peggy’s face.

“They radioed. They found him, Micaela, just where you said. They’re bringing him down now.”

Chief Deerfield helped Micaela stand up. Her head still pounded and her legs were rubber. He handed her a piece of willow bark. “You remember what to do with this, White Crow.”

When they were seven, Reece had begged his grandfather to make Micaela a member of the tribe and give her a Pokanoket name. Her parents and Una had been at the ceremony.

“Is Reece all right?” She chewed on the bark. The pain started to recede.

“He will be. We will take him to the enclave and help him through this time.”

Micaela’s first inclination was to insist Reece be airlifted to New York; she had a friend who would arrange a police escort. Micaela would call in favors from anyone necessary to ensure Reece’s survival. But she had grown up with the Nation and knew better, they had their own resources.

She watched as the enclave’s EMS vehicle pulled closer. Paramedics in scrubs climbed out accompanied by the aged shaman of the Pokanoket. “If you need anything, Chief Deerfield, Peggy, please tell me.”

Peggy’s eyes were locked on the path to the mountain. She didn’t answer. But knowing now how much Reece loved Peggy and how she returned that love, Micaela didn’t mind.

Chief Deerfield took her hand and walked with her and Peggy to the edge of the forest to wait. “I know what this has cost you, White Crow. We thank you for what you have done for Reece and Peggy… and for Adam.”

“I didn’t want Adam to blame himself, I know how that works.”

“Adam has a destiny and you have helped him on his path.”

Could she get off this path? For now, she would wait in the darkness with the others for Reece to come home.

  

The search team crashed back through the underbrush with a makeshift stretcher holding Reece. Paramedics met them; one grabbed Reece’s arm and, barely breaking stride, started an IV line. They eased Reece onto a gurney and slid an oxygen mask slid over his nose and mouth. The shaman stepped up with Adam as Peggy stood on the other side of Reece and brushed his hair back from his face. When she took her hands away they were smeared with his blood. The shaman began a chant. Micaela stood silent as Adam mirrored the shaman’s motions and words. When they had finished, Peggy bent over and lifted Reece’s oxygen mask so he could speak. She whispered back and laid a kiss on his cheek, then called Micaela over to his side. Reece’s face was gray; his brown eyes had a scary milky film.

“Hey Reece, long time, no see.” Micaela felt the tears pool in the corners of her eyes.

“You were there.” He attempted a smile.

“You’ll be all right. It will be just like before.”

“I’m going to be a Dad. I owe you, if you hadn’t told me….” His eyelids sagged and then shut.

Micaela eyes rose to meet Adam’s. “Is he okay?”

“We gave him something so he could sleep and heal.”

“Any idea what attacked him?”

Anger flared in Adam’s eyes. “Yes, the warriors will deal with it.” He took Micaela’s hands; a tear trailed down his cheek. “Thanks for telling him about the baby. It probably saved his life.”

“When I came out of the vision, you knew, too.”

Adam looked to the old shaman before he answered. “I told you I understand more than you realize.”

Peggy and Adam climbed in the back of the ambulance while a stone-faced warrior escorted the shaman to a waiting Jeep. Micaela watched the motorcade pull away, and then went inside.

 She woke the next morning on the sofa; a quilt covered everything except her cold bare feet. Her grandmother must have taken her stockings off. Micaela swung her feet to the floor, ready to head upstairs for a shower. Her headache was gone, but her body ached with exhaustion. She rested her elbows on her knees and weighed the merits of standing. Brown, dried pine needles protruded from between her toes. Maybe someone had used the quilt for a picnic. She carried it out on the porch and shook it over the railing. No needles. She pressed it to her face. The quilt smelled of detergent and fabric softener.

Una fussed over her the rest of the weekend. She cooked Micaela’s favorite breakfast of Secret Recipe pancakes. They went to Lafferty’s on Saturday night for Shepherd’s Pie. Una insisted on a private booth and Lafferty made sure they weren’t disturbed. Micaela noticed the furtive glances and whispers but no one came near; a blessed change from years ago. Afterwards, they drank tea with a side of Paddy’s Irish by the hearth.

Adam called Sunday morning to tell them that Reece was hanging in. It would be a long road but they were optimistic. After lunch, Micaela sat on the front porch draped in a crocheted throw while Una sat beside her sipping tea. It had rained through the night and into the late morning. Tears of water dripped from the leaves that remained on half-stripped branches. Soon the ground would be covered in frost and then snow. And so began Samhain, the Druid winter when life retreated beneath the earth and darkness ruled.

“I should get on the road. I promised Parker we would meet for a late dinner.”

“You tell your young man I expect to see him for Thanksgiving dinner. I don’t want to hear either of you are too busy.” Una shifted in her Adirondack chair to face Micaela.

“He won’t be able to make it. He’s leaving in the morning for a new office complex project in Vancouver. It’s a great opportunity. He should make partner when he’s done.”

“How long will he be gone?” The furrows between Una’s brows deepened.

“It’s supposed to take several years. He’ll be back every couple of months.” The next part was going to be hard; she knew how much Una liked Parker. “We’ve agreed to take a step back in our relationship. Just friends and all.”

“The wheel turns.” Una nodded. “Are you all right with this arrangement, dear?”

“Parker is great guy, he’s smart, sweet. We’re good together. I suppose it should be enough.” Micaela twirled a multi-hued yarn tassel on the throw between her fingers. “Not everyone can have what Mom and Da had. Can they?”

“Your mother asked me the same question not long before she met your father. Will you be here for Thanksgiving?”

“I’ll do my best, but I was just assigned to a new financing deal, my first international assignment. I don’t know what my schedule will be yet.”

“You tell Brian Moran that Una Rourke wants her granddaughter here. He won’t argue.”

“It’s not entirely up to him. One of our major clients asked for me specifically and I don’t think they celebrate Thanksgiving in Ireland.”

“Ireland. Who would the client be?”

“Knowth Corporation. Judy will have a briefing file waiting for me tomorrow morning. I understand they’re headquartered north of Dublin.”

“Knowth Corporation. Interesting.”

“You’ve heard of them?”Micaela asked.

“They’ve been around for a long time. Would it be Byrne Connor, you’re dealing with?”

“Actually, my day-to-day contact will be a Liam Farrell. We are supposed to speak by video conference on Tuesday morning.”

“Of course.” Una nodded. “The Farrells have always worked for Knowth.”

Micaela knew her grandmother kept tabs on things back home. She didn’t realize it included major players in the financial community, especially ones who were as reclusive as Byrne Connor. “Is there anything else you can tell me, Una?”

“Nothing right now. Give my regards to Liam and Byrne.”

Available at Amazon for the Kindles, Barnes & Noble for the Nooks and soon at Smashqwords for most other eReaders (included iReaders)

What to Read this weekend: The Camera Guy

In my spare time (LOL) I have been reading  As a result, I am WAY behind on reviews. My goal is to spend Thursdays (except for May 17, the Thursday before the Dark Dealings release) catching up.

Today, I bring you my long overdue review of Richard Goodship's" The Camera Guy. Available on Amazon.

Book Description: Life was not easy for Forensic Investigator Bill Walters. His ability to see the spirits of the victims at his crime scenes gave him an edge, but it kept him isolated from his fellow Officers and gave him the reputation of being a 'Nutbar' on the force.
Bill could live with this. He could even live with the family of ghosts that haunted his apartment, the loss of his friends and religion and the estrangement of his daughter, Eryn.
What Bill couldn't live with was the Demon that came to town hungry for those spirits.

I cannot begin to say enough great things about Richard Goodship’s novel: The Camera Guy.  It is richly detailed in setting, character and plot.  It is apparent that Richard’s expertise in forensics is a part of the success of this novel. But he has also crafted characters with depth and texture that made me care about them and want to know. For me, this is the mark of a great story.

Bill Walters is a man alone and in search of redemption; literally haunted by his past. These events have been destroying his life. We feel his pain and his desire to find connection even when he feels that “relationships” are impossible for one so cursed. We watch as he inches closer to the demonic perpetrator of a string of homicides and at the same time reaches out to people around him that can restore his humanity. We rage and grieve when parts of his human world are ripped from him.

And we want to know more!

The Camera Guy has been optioned for a movie and I understand is in pre-production. It will make an amazing movie, but truth be told, I want a TV series. I NEED to know how Bill is doing.

This is a MUST read and gets 5 Triskeles!

  

Guest Post: Why you can't title your book "Coca-Cola" An Intro to Trademarks

Please welcome my guest, John A. Bermingham, Attormey at Law. John and I met through a local business networking group. In addition to being a specialist in entertainment and contractual law, he is a avid reader and writer with designs on being the next Grisham.  
Recent discussions in PubWrite and in the social media circles over the cease and desist filed against an indie author by a black-light acrobatics group (of recent notoriety on a reality show) prompted me to ask John to share some thoughts on trademarks. 
He will be making periodic appearances here to discuss matter of interest and importance in the evolving publishing world.


So take it away, Counselor!

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Time to be creative, time to inspire, and time to be original!  You get your glass of wine, find your stimulating view, sit by the window pane, light the candles, and look to begin another adventure with your favorite literary characters.  However, as you begin to sit down and write your novel, this little guy with a briefcase and glasses jumps up into your window and yells, “make sure to protect yourself, legally.”  You question, why do lawyers need to be involved in everything?  Was Shakespeare wrong when he penned “first thing we do is kill all the lawyers” as a compliment?

As an artist you may question the need to protect yourself legally. What does that mean?”  Most writers might be aware that they must copyright an original piece of work to prevent infringement and flat out stealing, but how can an author be sued for trademark infringement?”  What does a trademark protect against?

The Supreme Court ruled in 1995 in the case of Qualitex Co. v. Jacobson Products Co, U.S. Supreme Court (1995), that "trademark law prevents others from copying a source-identifying mark, it 'reduces the customer's costs of shopping and making purchasing decisions,' for it quickly and easily assures a potential customer that this item -- the item with this mark -- is made by the same producer as other similarly marked items that he or she liked (or disliked) in the past.  At the same time, the law helps assure a producer that it (and not an imitating competitor) will reap the financial, reputation-related rewards associated with a desirable product." 

Ok so what does that really mean?  Legally it means that you cannot title your book, for example, “Coca-Cola” or even “Coke” as the Coca-Cola® Company has that trademarked.  Notice the ® or a ™ after the name - these are both considered trademarks and both legally protect the one who has the original trademark.  The ® means the trademark is registered while the ™ means it is in the process of being registered.  Even the shape of a Coca-Cola® glass bottle is trademarked because once you see the bottle you know the product inside the bottle is Coca-Cola®.   

Copyrights and trademarks can often be confused.  A copyright is granted as soon as the piece of work is created, while a trademark might take time for recognition before it is actually trademarked.  Furthermore, as copyrights eventually end after 70 years plus the life of the author, a trademark can be renewed indefinitely. 

In the literary world, if a purchaser looks at your book title and might identify it with a trademarked product, believing both could be produced by the same company or individual, there can be an infringement. 

Just think of finally having the title of your book, the one you thought about night after night, and subsequently getting your cover art for the book – then receiving a cease and desist order from the one who holds the trademark for the same or even a similar mark!  Legal awareness must be considered as soon as you create something.  According to the Trademark Dilution Act of 1995, the owner of a trademark can stop another from using its trademark if there is a resemblance, similarity, or the title of your book might harm the trademark owner of its full value of the trademark. “Unlike copyrights that deal with the marketplace of expressive ideas, trademarks deal with the marketplace of goods and services” (Jassin, 2012).

Nevertheless, keep the legal issues in mind when creating your work.  Laws are involved in everything we do and wherever we go.  You have the right to have your work protected and after all your hard work and getting your creative juices down on paper, it would be a shame to see someone else get the credit you so rightly deserve.

Keep writing!

John A. Bermingham, Esq.

John A. Bermingham is an Attorney at Law who specializes in entertainment law, contractual transactions, and intellectual property.  He can be reached at (732) 500-2081 or johnabermingham@aol.com. 

Additionally, Facebook friend me at www.facebook.com/people/John-Bermingham/172801692

Here is a great website to give you information on trademarks and copyrights: http://www.uspto.gov/trademarks/basics/trade_defin.jsp.

Reference

Jassin, L.J.(2012). CopyLaw.com. Retrieved from 

http://www.copylaw.com/new_articles/trademrk.html

Chapter 2 of May 23 Release of Dark Dealings

The eBook release for Dark Dealings is right around the corner! On May 23^rd, it will be available on Amazon, B&N and Smashwords (for all other e-readers). I am currently working on a print version through CreateSpace and expect an update on when that will be available soon.  I found CreateSpace interior formatting to be fairly straightforward. Setting up the cover,however, is a challenge. I would welcome any advice I can get.

I find it fun and ironic that Dark Dealings will release around the same time as the Dark Shadows movie. Those who know me can tell you that Dark Shadows is a large part of the root of my fascination with paranormals.

A few weeks ago I posted the first chapter of Dark Dealings for your enjoyment. Today, I want to whet your appetite some more with the second chapter.

What is Dark Dealings?

At thirteen, Micaela was found wandering an Irish pasture after a mid-air explosion. Now, a successful investment banker, she discovers Wall Street has real fangs and claws. When international power brokers, creatures hiding in plain sight, threaten her and those she loves, will this heiress to a Druid legacy deny her power and let loved ones die again? A global thriller of money, monsters and murder.

For your reading pleasure:  Chapter 2

Una and Mrs. Ryan disappeared down the path, leaves swirled around their feet. Micaela pulled the sweater around herself in an attempt to chase away a chill that came from inside. She had never tried to call the knowing, in fact just the opposite. She had worked hard to block the images. Now, when she needed them, would they come? If they did, could she put them away later?

Samhain and a full moon. If she could believe the stories, tonight was her best shot to make the visions happen, not just let them happen. It had started with the brief vision of Reece. Hugging Peggy opened the door a crack, so contact was important. She couldn’t touch Peggy again. The poor thing was swamped by emotions and hormones. Maybe Adam; he’d been on the mountain with Reece. Would he cooperate or shut down? Well, he'd asked for her help. As she crossed the threshold into the kitchen, she thought: that’ll teach him.

Adam stood over the sink washing dishes and strategizing with the other searchers. She crooked her finger at him to follow her outside.

“What’s up, Micaela?” He eased the screen door closed behind him.

“I’m not sure how to start this conversation without sounding like a lunatic. I’ve worked years to avoid what I’m about to say and do.”

“Spit it out. Our families have known each other for generations, you can trust us. You can trust me.”

Micaela stared out into the oaks. “Things were said about me when I was a teenager…. I was different, I saw things.”

“I was little, but I kind of remember. Is that what Peg was talking about?”

“I thought it was gone. That I’d outgrown it. That I could be like everyone else.”

“But something happened in there.” Adam made it sound more like a statement than a question.

“I've opened Pandora’s Box. But if I can help find Reece, I can’t close it now.”

Adam leaned on the porch railing. She watched the emotions play across his face. His eyes lost focus and he seemed to go somewhere inside.

“Micaela, I understand, more than you know, what we’re asking of you. We’ve looked for Reece for hours. Time’s running out.” His eyes were haunted. His voice was barely a whisper. “It was my idea to go out tonight. I said it would be easy to hunt by the light of the full moon. Reece didn’t think we should ignore the Elders.”

“I can’t guarantee anything, Adam.”

“But you’ll try, that’s all that matters.” He pushed off the porch rail and faced her. “Tell me what you need.”

“I’m not entirely sure. For starters, I think we should sit, in case someone passes out.” She moved to the bottom step. After the dizziness brought on by her brief contact with Peggy’s mind, she didn’t want too far to go if she went down.

“Now what?” Adam sat beside her.

“Take my hands.” They faced each other. His large hands swallowed hers in their grip.

At first nothing happened. Micaela struggled for a way into the vision. What happened in the kitchen had been so sudden and violent. She had been overwhelmed by the emotions. That was it --- Peggy’s strong feelings acted as a trigger. It must have been Reece’s own emotions that brought the vision on the highway. Micaela would have to ask Adam to relive the event and the sensations. She wished she could protect him from them, but she didn’t know how.

“Adam, I need you to think about the last time you saw Reece, about what happened up on the mountain.” And I need to stop resisting, she thought, for now.

He chewed his lower lip, his dark eyebrows knit together. Micaela exhaled and focused on releasing the stress in her shoulder. She opened herself to the magic. Images slammed into her. She could see through Adam’s eyes. She was Adam.

Reece and the other four men headed into the woods. The temperature dropped as the sun set. She reached beyond their muted voices. The forest air filled with the hoot of an owl, the skitter of small feet, the final screech of a small rodent, and the snap of branches as larger things moved.

Adam signaled to Reece that Henry had spotted a six point buck. She felt Adam’s confusion turn to concern when Reece wasn’t bringing up the rear as usual. Adam retraced his steps. At first he scanned the path, then whispered Reece’s name, no reason to spook the buck. But another noise and a different scent drove the buck deeper into the woods. Silence was no longer necessary.

The men called out to Reece, but there was no answer. They retraced their steps but couldn’t pick up Reece’s trail. Micaela needed to get past what Adam saw and to Reece’s vision. She would not leave another child fatherless. How could she find Reece without touching him? Then, in Adam’s memory, a gift from the gods, Adam found Reece’s rifle at the edge of the path and picked it up. The same rifle he’d used since he was a teenager. The stock of the gun was infused with Reece’s sweat, his skin cells, and his energy. Micaela followed the energy into Reece’s mind. Chaotic images flooded her. The part of her that was separate and logical hoped Adam couldn’t see what she saw.

The hand clamped over her mouth was barely human and covered with hair or fur that scratched her face. No, not hers… Reece’s mouth. She struggled to keep her mind apart from Reece’s. She sensed danger if she was sucked in too far. Reece fought back against the beast until it dropped him to the ground. A blow to his head left Reece dazed. The creature dragged him into the forest, threw him over its shoulder, or maybe its back, Micaela wasn’t sure, it didn't feel like it walked upright. The image was lost. Reece had blacked out.

Every nerve in her body strained to regain the thread of contact. If she didn’t, Reece was lost. I don’t know how to do this, I’m not strong enough, she cried out to the darkness in her mind.

Voices chanting seeped into her from beyond the blackness. Barely audible at first, they grew louder. She heard the crackling of a fire. Una whispered through her mind, “We are here. We will help you until you can make the journey alone.”

A new image appeared. Adam was gone, the others were gone. She stood alone outside Joshua’s Cave. They had played as children in this cave tucked into the side of a ravine. As she walked in, a low moan reached her ears. She knew she hadn’t left the porch, yet she felt the mat of pine needles under her bare feet. Where had she lost her shoes? She reached out to touch the damp moss covered rock, her hand passed through it.

Another moan. She couldn’t see more than a few inches ahead. In the darkness she'd never find Reece or know if the beast was still here. She held her hand out again in what she knew was a futile grope in the dark. This time a small glowing orb formed in her palm. She curled her fingers around the edges of the softball-sized object. It was bright but cool to the touch. It allowed her to see several yards out. In the light, she saw Reece naked and propped against the rough cave wall; his head lolled to one side. His torn and bloody clothes were scattered around the cave. She could smell the air; it reeked of blood and beneath it the musky scent of sex. A new vision of what had already occurred materialized before her. A vision within a vision. Whatever it was stalked into the cave with the unconscious Reece. The beast was definitely female, but more wolf than human. Unable to stop what she saw, Micaela screamed in frustration.

The beast stripped away Reece’s clothes, inflicting the first set of wounds. Reece jolted from unconsciousness and he tried to scramble away. The wolf creature overpowered him and began to use its hand-paw to arouse him enough to force him into her. It made a sound that was a cross between a hum and a growl. It sounded like a chant. Reece’s eyes glazed over and he stopped struggling. Had the beast somehow gained control of his mind? The beast mounted him and ground itself into him until he climaxed. Micaela watched helplessly. Tears streamed down her cheeks.

Reece regained awareness. His face twisted in horror and rage as he swung at the she-wolf. She lunged at him again, this time clamping her jaw into his shoulder. He brought his knees to his chest and kicked up with his two feet to gain leverage. She lost her grip and staggered back. She howled, a furious sound, and slashed at him, tearing into his chest and flinging him against the cave wall. Without a further glance at him, the creature turned and left the cave. The air shimmered and Micaela was back in her original vision of Reece dying in the cave.

Reece’s eyes fluttered open. “Micaela?”

“You can see me?” If he could, there was hope. She smiled at him.

“I never thought you’d be the last face I saw.” Reece’s skin was pale, almost translucent.

“You are not dying.” She hoped she sounded optimistic. Two of his ribs jutted out from under the torn chest muscle.

“Could have fooled me.” He coughed out a laugh. Blood sprayed from his lips as he struggled for air.

“Hang on, please.”

“Don’t tell Peggy what the she-wolf did to me. Peg doesn’t understand the power your totem animal can have over you. How it can make you do things.” Reece squeezed his eyes shut.

“I won’t. I know how hard these things are to explain.” She tried to reach out and take his hand, but like the wall her hand passed through his.

His voice was a broken whisper. “I know you two aren’t close anymore, but promise me you will tell Peg that she’s the only one I ever loved.”

“Tell her yourself. No child should grow up without a parent.”

“Child? Peggy’s pregnant?” A red-tinged tear trickled down Reece’s cheek.

“Yes. Hang on, I’m going for help.”

“I’ll try to be here when you get back.” His head slumped forward.

Copyright 2012 Karen Smith  Published my permission by Three Worlds Productions LLC