Here's the deal. The new book I'm writing will easily be done by Christmas. But when snow hits the ground no person in Manhattan wants to do pictures in Central Park...including me. So...here's what I'm doing.
I put an ad on Craigslist, my FB Page and on Twitter directing people to come look HERE for the scoop.
The scoop is that Moon Over Manhattan is a story about the West Side Pack of werewolves, specifically Denika and Cash (as it's told from their perspectives), here in Manhattan. Much of the book takes place in the subways and in Central Park.
I thought it would be cool to find models to pose as my characters, in goth/industrial gear, and do some photos in Central Park in the fall...this October. Most pictures will be up at Belvedere Castle as the book also has a Gothic (as in the time period) feel with sword fights and so on.
So, below is the ad I put out on Craigs List. Read it...if you or someone you know fits the "look" of one of these roles....well....read on...
Adult Fantasy Writer Tamsin Silver is looking for actors/actresses and/or models to pose for photos for her website for a new book, Moon Over Manhattan.
All characters in the book are part of the Goth/Industrial scene and those chosen will need to be dressed as such for the photo shoot to hopefully be done at the top of October. Do not worry if you don't have the "gear", that will be taken care by pairing something you do have with something we have.
***Note: If you are part of the Goth/Industrial Scene here in NYC but are not an actor/actress/model but fit one of these descriptions still send in some pictures of you! You do not need to be a professional to qualify for this project.
The shoot will be done in Central Park, primarily up at the Belvedere Castle, Umpire Rock and the Great Hill.
The following characters are between 25 & 35 in age. Obviously you do not need to BE that age, just able to pass for it in photos.
We understand these are specific looks, but as we are going off of character descriptions by the author, they have to be. If you don't fit any of these but know someone who does, please pass this notice on to them. Thanks.
Denika: Short petite girl, dark hair (black or dark brown) to shoulders or chin (curly or straight), blue eyes or at least light colored. Preferably a size 6 or 8.
Cash: Tall male btwn 5'11" and 6'3", thin but yet built (not overly muscular), short blonde or dark blond hair, light colored eyes.
Lexie: Average built girl between 5'3" or 5'8" with red or strawberry blond hair (curly or straight).
Phin: Asian or half Asian male around 6' tall, average build, with dark hair that is either in a mohawk or faux-hawk (or something we can gel to look that way).
Zane: Skiny or average built young man with either long dark hair, a shaved head or a mix of the two! Anywhere from 5'7' to 6'2" is fine.
Marlen: Average to skinny built Jewish young man with dark eyes and short brown hair (curly/wavy preferred but not manditory).
Liam: Average built or skinny young man with long blond or dirty blond hair that at least come to his chin if not longer.
Inari: Delicate yet strong looking Middle Eastern girl with long black hair and fine features. Anywhere from 5'3" to 5'7".
Writer will pay for lunch on the day of the shoot and all pictures will be available for your portfolio.
If interested please email Ms. Silver at silver.tamsin@gmail.com with a little about you in the body of the email and headshot or comp card attached. Multiple pictures are encouraged.
***Special Note: If you look a lot different than your formal headshot OR have a more edgier photo of you, especially if its in Goth/Industrial attire, attach it as well.***
Thank you so much for your interest and the author looks forward to receiving your submissions. This looks to be a fun, one day process. If you have any questions please feel free to ask.
Wednesday, August 25, 2010
Thursday, August 19, 2010
Once Lost / Now Found
I know I know, I've been away...but the good news is I've been writing...a lot. Just not here. Oh..don't give me the "tsk tsk tsk"...let's see you work a full time job, try to write a book full time, work out, interview for roommates, have a social life AND keep up a blog.
Uh huh...that's what I thought.
ANYHOO...
So...what to write about...
I guess I'll talk about the big "happy" that happened since I spoke to you all last.
Have you ever had a friend in your life who you adore...and have lost track of? They moved away and lost contact cause they're not a big internet person and don't have Facebook or MySpace or an email they check regularly (I know, it sounds foreign). You think of them from time to time and it hurts because you have no idea how to find them. You've tried the internet over and over. You've been faithful and checked Facebook every 6 months to see if they set up a page outta chance...but no luck.
Then suddenly, 7 years later, you're on Facebook in the middle of the day cause you're home sick from work and you see something in the top right corner of the screen that says, "Some of your friends know this person, maybe you do too"; and--its--him! The friend you've spent 7 years trying to find! Lucky for you his wall states his cell number and that he's not online much but to call him. So you do.
You get his voicemail...and just hearing it bring tears to your eyes. You pull yourself together and leave a voicemail. He calls you back the next day...and he IS living in the same city you are! **insert much rejoicing here**
We've chatted a bit but we're both busy people with opposite work schedules but...he's coming for dinner on Sunday if all goes well. To say that I'm "excited" doesn't really cover it. I'm elated! I'm ecstatic! I'm happy! I can't wait to hug him. :)
So, there's my little bit o' happy to toss onto your Thursday afternoon!
Tamsin xo
Uh huh...that's what I thought.
ANYHOO...
So...what to write about...
I guess I'll talk about the big "happy" that happened since I spoke to you all last.
Have you ever had a friend in your life who you adore...and have lost track of? They moved away and lost contact cause they're not a big internet person and don't have Facebook or MySpace or an email they check regularly (I know, it sounds foreign). You think of them from time to time and it hurts because you have no idea how to find them. You've tried the internet over and over. You've been faithful and checked Facebook every 6 months to see if they set up a page outta chance...but no luck.
Then suddenly, 7 years later, you're on Facebook in the middle of the day cause you're home sick from work and you see something in the top right corner of the screen that says, "Some of your friends know this person, maybe you do too"; and--its--him! The friend you've spent 7 years trying to find! Lucky for you his wall states his cell number and that he's not online much but to call him. So you do.
You get his voicemail...and just hearing it bring tears to your eyes. You pull yourself together and leave a voicemail. He calls you back the next day...and he IS living in the same city you are! **insert much rejoicing here**
We've chatted a bit but we're both busy people with opposite work schedules but...he's coming for dinner on Sunday if all goes well. To say that I'm "excited" doesn't really cover it. I'm elated! I'm ecstatic! I'm happy! I can't wait to hug him. :)
So, there's my little bit o' happy to toss onto your Thursday afternoon!
Tamsin xo
Monday, August 9, 2010
More...Moon Over Manhattan...
Okay...here's more from the Prologue of Moon Over Manhattan! The first half of the Prologue was given to you on 8/2/10 so if you've not read that...scroll down to read it and then...enjoy the end.
Happy Monday people! :) -Tamsin xo
-----------------------------------------
Silver, Tamsin L.
Moon Over Manhattan
© Copyright 2010
PROLOGUE Cont. ...
By now they’d reached the cement bridge that would lead onto Umpire Rock. Up the stairs and then single file they ran the bridge onto the rock. Denika stopped and sniffed the air, she could smell blood, and not just hers. It was close to her and seemed to go to the left. She motioned for Cash to go to the right. He touched his nose and pointed toward the trail she’d noticed and shook his head. Obviously he could smell the blood trail too and wanted to go that way.
She shook her head vigorously and pointed for him to go to the right. He was pissed but as Beta he didn’t have a choice but to obey the Alpha of the pack. He turned and went around one way and she the other.
With one sword out and one in its sheath she quietly and gracefully ran around the side of the rocks, staying as hidden as possible. The blood trail seemed to disappear once she was on the other side. Tucking her dark curls behind her ear to get them out of her eyes she crouched down to get a better whiff.
The smell of blood stopped because simply enough, so had the blood trail. Either he stopped to wrap the leg when they were fighting his goons or he’d jumped; cleared the rest of the rocks and picked up running wherever he landed. This meant they now needed to try and find where the blood trail picked up; somewhere out there in the dark.
“Damn it, where is a blood sucker when you need one!” She whispered.
Werewolves can follow blood and scent easily, like a dog can. But a break in the trail makes it hard to pick up unless you know for a fact the direction they’re heading, which she didn’t. A Vampire, on the other hand, follows the scent of the body’s essence itself as well as the heat trail they leave behind. If they jump the vamp can follow the scent through the air for an hour after they’ve gone through an area.
The wind picked up and she put her nose in the air to sniff. Picking up his scent she began to head in that direction, staying low to the ground as she could and in the darker shadows. That is when she spotted Cash, walking out into the open on the right side of the rock, his blonde hair catching the light. A shot rang out. She dropped flat to the ground but watched as Cash took a bullet to the shoulder and then to the thigh and he went down.
“Cash!” she screamed out and without thinking twice, she headed for him, running across the rocks on all fours.
Another shot fired and she could tell it was coming from up in the trees somewhere in front of them. They were sitting ducks on this rock. She had to re-maneuver their position. When she reached Cash she saw he was bleeding pretty bad but trying to get up.
“Stay down!”
A gun shot fired off and she rolled just in time as it hit the rocks next to her knee. “Damn!” Denika touched the device on her throat again. “Mayday mayday—we got shots fired at us at Umpire Rock. Beta is down, repeat, Beta is down. Need back-up!”
She sheathed her sword and got both her hands under Cash’s arms so as to pull him over to a huge crevice.
“Leave me here, go after him,” Cash said.
She pulled him a bit further. “I’m not leaving you here.”
“You called for help now go!”
“The hell I will!” She said, pulling him a few more feet to the side. A gun shot fired off, missing them again. “Jesus!”
“I’ll lay cover down for you—go!”
“Not till we pull those bullets out of you!” She said and then as random shots hit the rocks again adrenaline kicked in and with one huge pull she rolled all two hundred pounds of him into a large crevice and then jumped in after him. This was a good spot as it obscured their enemy’s view of them from above and well as if they were walking by. Helping him sit up, his back against the rocks, she squatted next to him to check his wounds.
“I’m fine,” he grumbled.
“Fine my ass. Hold still!” She looked at his shoulder. “This is a through and through.” She ripped off another piece of her shirt like she’d done for herself earlier and tied it under his arm and around the shoulder tight.
“Ouch! Damn it boss!”
“Gotta stop the bleeding.” Denika looked at his leg and ripped off another strip of material and handed it to him. Any more wounds and she might as well take off her tank and fight in her bra, she thought. “I trust you can get that bullet out of your leg and tie this yourself?”
His green eyes flashed great irritation with her. “Of course I can! Now get where you can fire on this asshole!”
Denika wore two guns, one on each thigh. She pulled the one from the right thigh harness and checked that it was loaded. She looked at him. “Cover me while I get to that tree.”
She scooted over to the edge of the rock, waited for him to fire a few rounds and used that to cover slipping behind the closest tree; about twelve feet from where Cash hid. She even had time to poke her head around and fire a few rounds up into the tree before they retaliated with shots of their own, which were now coming faster.
“Cash!” She whispered, “You got those heat sensor shades?”
“Yes ma’am I do!”
“Toss ‘em here!”
“The hell I will! Last time you broke my pair.”
“Dude, this is no time for you to be all possessive of your shit!”
“I’ll use ‘em! I got a shot from here.”
“I think he’s too far to the left for you to have a clear shot. I have a better shot from this angle and you know it! Now give ‘em here!”
Denika heard a grumble and then something landed on her foot. She bent down and felt them lying by her toe. She snatched them and slid them onto her face. Sticking her head around the tree again they were showered with bullets.
“Mother fucker has an automatic sniper rifle with silver bullets and a partial silencer! Who the fuck is this guy?!” Cash yelled over the gunfire.
“No idea but silencer or no, if this keeps up someone will hear and alert the good ol’ fuckin’ NYPD and we can’t be havin’ that! I’m gonna end this dude. You ready to cover me?”
“Always.”
“On the count—one, two, three!”
Cash twisted to his left, his right hand and head slipping out just enough to see and fire off a bunch of shots toward the tree but not really aiming. This gave her the chance to lean out without being fired upon; which she did. Looking up into the trees she quickly spotted him, as clear as could be, his heat signal glowing at her from high up in a tree to the left. She took aim and squeezed off a few rounds and watched as the blob of heat react to them and fell from the tree. After the thud he made hitting the ground, all was silent.
“Well done boss!”
She let out a sigh of relief and leaned against the tree for a moment, listening, but there was nothing. She’d not wanted to kill him. Secretly she hoped her usually perfect aim hadn’t been. She couldn’t question him if he was dead.
Denika went over to Cash. “I’m going to go out for a look.” She looked down at his leg; it wasn’t wrapped yet and hence bleeding all over the rocks. “Do you need me to go get your mommy to wrap your leg?”
“Fuck you. Been a bit busy thank you very much.”
“Get that silver out of there! I’ll be right back.” The longer the silver bullet was in his tissue the more it would hurt, the sicker he’d feel, and there was a larger chance it would do permanent damage.
His hand grabbed her leg. “Where you goin’?!” He was obviously upset.
“I need to see if he’s alive or not. I’ll be right back.”
“Wait for back up!”
“He’s laying out where anyone can see him Cash! I need to move him. Take care of your leg and that’s an order!” With that she stepped out of his hold and away from the rock’s protection.
“Damn it Denika, get back here!”
As she moved out into the open she saw no one else for as far as the eyes could see. Glancing up into the trees proved to show anyone either. She sniffed the air and smelled no one but herself, Cash, and the guy from the tree. But if someone was approaching from downwind she’d not smell them. Because of this she moved the glasses to the top of her head and quickly went to the man lying on the ground.
Again she had to hurdle over one of the green seeding fences and then run across the grass. That’s when she saw the man had fallen backwards, landing on the blacktop path vs. the grass. Denika hurdled yet another seeding fence so as to get to the body on the other side.
She crouched down and touched his neck. His pulse was slow and he was injured but it looked like he’d live, thank goddess. Quickly she realized how many lamp posts were in the area. With a curse or two she lifted the huge man to a sitting position against the fence, which he leaned against with his side.
As she finished she noticed a couple, holding hands, walking towards them. Damn it! They must’ve come from the bathrooms by the playground. Still in a squat she slipped her gun behind him and turned so her front faced them, relying on the glamour spell on her swords to work. Denika looked up at the couple with a smile. “He can’t hold his liquor even at his weight! He’ll be embarrassed tomorrow!” She laughed.
The gentleman semi-offered to help her; meaning he offered but yet he didn’t take even one step closer or let go of his girl’s hand—typical human New Yorker. Denika declined saying her friends were on their way so he was quick to say that was great and scuttle off towards West Drive. She twisted back to look at the man, more specifically at his leg and began to curse again as she grabbed her gun; this wasn’t the target.
“Looking for me?”
She spun about. There sat a man, on the green bench, looking very relaxed; leg crossed over the other like her dad use to do, his right arm draped along the back of the bench and a gun in his left hand directly pointed at her head. This man had an injured leg. This was our guy. Problem was he now wore a full coverage black mask with mesh over the mouth and eyes that you couldn’t see through from her side. She could see no features to support their informant’s claims. Quickly she glanced about for humans. But that couple must’ve been one of the last idiot humans in the park after one in the morning. The park was bare.
“Drop your gun,” his deep voice said. It sounded like it was being modified by something in his mask.
“You first,” she said with a smile. He pulled the hammer back on the gun and she cussed under her breath, dropping hers to the ground.
“Kick it away.”
Instead she stood up. It was a better tactical advantage. “Who do you work for?”
He laughed. “Kick it!”
“Fine fine—” Denika said and kicked her gun across the path into the dirt of the kickball diamond. He motioned for her to raise her hands so she did. She figured if she could keep him talking the rest of her team would be here in moments and they’d take him down. “You know, your friend here isn’t fatally wounded, you can still take him and go. You kill me and you’ll have the whole West Side Pack after your ass.”
“I wouldn’t bet on that,” his distorted voice said.
“Why? Who do you work for? I’ll pay you double what they are! We can make a deal!”
He coughed out a laugh and then said, “You talk a lot.”
“Tell me about it!” a voice said from behind the mystery man. It was Cash. He’d somehow gotten enough strength in his leg to totter out into the open, like the fool he is.
Two shots rang out as Cash fired upon her attacker. The man moved like lightning and was up and dodging in seconds. His first move saved him from the first bullet but the second on hit him in the shoulder. He fired upon Cash, who ducked behind the tree our sniper had fallen out of.
The man started to run towards Central Park West. The minute he got there he’d snag a cab and they’d lose him. Denika knew they couldn’t let that happen. She stooped to pick up her gun when another shot rang out. She heard Cash yell out her name but as she stood up she felt a bullet go through her chest and then another rake across the left side of her head and she went down.
“Denika!” Cash yelled. Suddenly she could see his face above hers. “It’s just a grazing on your head—hang in there—I can hear Marlen coming with the team.” He touched his throat. “Mayday, Alpha down,” he choked out, his voice catching. “Alpha has been hit—Marlen get your ass the fuck over here now! Path by the kickball field.”
“Shit. On my way. Hang on!” Came Marlen’s voice in their ear pieces.
She could feel blood on her face and a warm sensation at her back that told her blood was pooling out under her onto the blacktop. She coughed and tasted blood. She reached up to grab Cash’s glasses from the top of her head. “I didn’t break them this time.”
Denika knew she must be seeing things since it looked like tears were forming in Cash’s eyes. He took the shakes from her.
“You crazy woman, I don’t care about the—”
She coughed again and the pain began to hit her and she started to silently scream, her body curling in on itself.
“Hang in there Denika—just hang on!” He took her hands for her to squeeze, which she did until it all went dark.
Happy Monday people! :) -Tamsin xo
-----------------------------------------
Silver, Tamsin L.
Moon Over Manhattan
© Copyright 2010
PROLOGUE Cont. ...
By now they’d reached the cement bridge that would lead onto Umpire Rock. Up the stairs and then single file they ran the bridge onto the rock. Denika stopped and sniffed the air, she could smell blood, and not just hers. It was close to her and seemed to go to the left. She motioned for Cash to go to the right. He touched his nose and pointed toward the trail she’d noticed and shook his head. Obviously he could smell the blood trail too and wanted to go that way.
She shook her head vigorously and pointed for him to go to the right. He was pissed but as Beta he didn’t have a choice but to obey the Alpha of the pack. He turned and went around one way and she the other.
With one sword out and one in its sheath she quietly and gracefully ran around the side of the rocks, staying as hidden as possible. The blood trail seemed to disappear once she was on the other side. Tucking her dark curls behind her ear to get them out of her eyes she crouched down to get a better whiff.
The smell of blood stopped because simply enough, so had the blood trail. Either he stopped to wrap the leg when they were fighting his goons or he’d jumped; cleared the rest of the rocks and picked up running wherever he landed. This meant they now needed to try and find where the blood trail picked up; somewhere out there in the dark.
“Damn it, where is a blood sucker when you need one!” She whispered.
Werewolves can follow blood and scent easily, like a dog can. But a break in the trail makes it hard to pick up unless you know for a fact the direction they’re heading, which she didn’t. A Vampire, on the other hand, follows the scent of the body’s essence itself as well as the heat trail they leave behind. If they jump the vamp can follow the scent through the air for an hour after they’ve gone through an area.
The wind picked up and she put her nose in the air to sniff. Picking up his scent she began to head in that direction, staying low to the ground as she could and in the darker shadows. That is when she spotted Cash, walking out into the open on the right side of the rock, his blonde hair catching the light. A shot rang out. She dropped flat to the ground but watched as Cash took a bullet to the shoulder and then to the thigh and he went down.
“Cash!” she screamed out and without thinking twice, she headed for him, running across the rocks on all fours.
Another shot fired and she could tell it was coming from up in the trees somewhere in front of them. They were sitting ducks on this rock. She had to re-maneuver their position. When she reached Cash she saw he was bleeding pretty bad but trying to get up.
“Stay down!”
A gun shot fired off and she rolled just in time as it hit the rocks next to her knee. “Damn!” Denika touched the device on her throat again. “Mayday mayday—we got shots fired at us at Umpire Rock. Beta is down, repeat, Beta is down. Need back-up!”
She sheathed her sword and got both her hands under Cash’s arms so as to pull him over to a huge crevice.
“Leave me here, go after him,” Cash said.
She pulled him a bit further. “I’m not leaving you here.”
“You called for help now go!”
“The hell I will!” She said, pulling him a few more feet to the side. A gun shot fired off, missing them again. “Jesus!”
“I’ll lay cover down for you—go!”
“Not till we pull those bullets out of you!” She said and then as random shots hit the rocks again adrenaline kicked in and with one huge pull she rolled all two hundred pounds of him into a large crevice and then jumped in after him. This was a good spot as it obscured their enemy’s view of them from above and well as if they were walking by. Helping him sit up, his back against the rocks, she squatted next to him to check his wounds.
“I’m fine,” he grumbled.
“Fine my ass. Hold still!” She looked at his shoulder. “This is a through and through.” She ripped off another piece of her shirt like she’d done for herself earlier and tied it under his arm and around the shoulder tight.
“Ouch! Damn it boss!”
“Gotta stop the bleeding.” Denika looked at his leg and ripped off another strip of material and handed it to him. Any more wounds and she might as well take off her tank and fight in her bra, she thought. “I trust you can get that bullet out of your leg and tie this yourself?”
His green eyes flashed great irritation with her. “Of course I can! Now get where you can fire on this asshole!”
Denika wore two guns, one on each thigh. She pulled the one from the right thigh harness and checked that it was loaded. She looked at him. “Cover me while I get to that tree.”
She scooted over to the edge of the rock, waited for him to fire a few rounds and used that to cover slipping behind the closest tree; about twelve feet from where Cash hid. She even had time to poke her head around and fire a few rounds up into the tree before they retaliated with shots of their own, which were now coming faster.
“Cash!” She whispered, “You got those heat sensor shades?”
“Yes ma’am I do!”
“Toss ‘em here!”
“The hell I will! Last time you broke my pair.”
“Dude, this is no time for you to be all possessive of your shit!”
“I’ll use ‘em! I got a shot from here.”
“I think he’s too far to the left for you to have a clear shot. I have a better shot from this angle and you know it! Now give ‘em here!”
Denika heard a grumble and then something landed on her foot. She bent down and felt them lying by her toe. She snatched them and slid them onto her face. Sticking her head around the tree again they were showered with bullets.
“Mother fucker has an automatic sniper rifle with silver bullets and a partial silencer! Who the fuck is this guy?!” Cash yelled over the gunfire.
“No idea but silencer or no, if this keeps up someone will hear and alert the good ol’ fuckin’ NYPD and we can’t be havin’ that! I’m gonna end this dude. You ready to cover me?”
“Always.”
“On the count—one, two, three!”
Cash twisted to his left, his right hand and head slipping out just enough to see and fire off a bunch of shots toward the tree but not really aiming. This gave her the chance to lean out without being fired upon; which she did. Looking up into the trees she quickly spotted him, as clear as could be, his heat signal glowing at her from high up in a tree to the left. She took aim and squeezed off a few rounds and watched as the blob of heat react to them and fell from the tree. After the thud he made hitting the ground, all was silent.
“Well done boss!”
She let out a sigh of relief and leaned against the tree for a moment, listening, but there was nothing. She’d not wanted to kill him. Secretly she hoped her usually perfect aim hadn’t been. She couldn’t question him if he was dead.
Denika went over to Cash. “I’m going to go out for a look.” She looked down at his leg; it wasn’t wrapped yet and hence bleeding all over the rocks. “Do you need me to go get your mommy to wrap your leg?”
“Fuck you. Been a bit busy thank you very much.”
“Get that silver out of there! I’ll be right back.” The longer the silver bullet was in his tissue the more it would hurt, the sicker he’d feel, and there was a larger chance it would do permanent damage.
His hand grabbed her leg. “Where you goin’?!” He was obviously upset.
“I need to see if he’s alive or not. I’ll be right back.”
“Wait for back up!”
“He’s laying out where anyone can see him Cash! I need to move him. Take care of your leg and that’s an order!” With that she stepped out of his hold and away from the rock’s protection.
“Damn it Denika, get back here!”
As she moved out into the open she saw no one else for as far as the eyes could see. Glancing up into the trees proved to show anyone either. She sniffed the air and smelled no one but herself, Cash, and the guy from the tree. But if someone was approaching from downwind she’d not smell them. Because of this she moved the glasses to the top of her head and quickly went to the man lying on the ground.
Again she had to hurdle over one of the green seeding fences and then run across the grass. That’s when she saw the man had fallen backwards, landing on the blacktop path vs. the grass. Denika hurdled yet another seeding fence so as to get to the body on the other side.
She crouched down and touched his neck. His pulse was slow and he was injured but it looked like he’d live, thank goddess. Quickly she realized how many lamp posts were in the area. With a curse or two she lifted the huge man to a sitting position against the fence, which he leaned against with his side.
As she finished she noticed a couple, holding hands, walking towards them. Damn it! They must’ve come from the bathrooms by the playground. Still in a squat she slipped her gun behind him and turned so her front faced them, relying on the glamour spell on her swords to work. Denika looked up at the couple with a smile. “He can’t hold his liquor even at his weight! He’ll be embarrassed tomorrow!” She laughed.
The gentleman semi-offered to help her; meaning he offered but yet he didn’t take even one step closer or let go of his girl’s hand—typical human New Yorker. Denika declined saying her friends were on their way so he was quick to say that was great and scuttle off towards West Drive. She twisted back to look at the man, more specifically at his leg and began to curse again as she grabbed her gun; this wasn’t the target.
“Looking for me?”
She spun about. There sat a man, on the green bench, looking very relaxed; leg crossed over the other like her dad use to do, his right arm draped along the back of the bench and a gun in his left hand directly pointed at her head. This man had an injured leg. This was our guy. Problem was he now wore a full coverage black mask with mesh over the mouth and eyes that you couldn’t see through from her side. She could see no features to support their informant’s claims. Quickly she glanced about for humans. But that couple must’ve been one of the last idiot humans in the park after one in the morning. The park was bare.
“Drop your gun,” his deep voice said. It sounded like it was being modified by something in his mask.
“You first,” she said with a smile. He pulled the hammer back on the gun and she cussed under her breath, dropping hers to the ground.
“Kick it away.”
Instead she stood up. It was a better tactical advantage. “Who do you work for?”
He laughed. “Kick it!”
“Fine fine—” Denika said and kicked her gun across the path into the dirt of the kickball diamond. He motioned for her to raise her hands so she did. She figured if she could keep him talking the rest of her team would be here in moments and they’d take him down. “You know, your friend here isn’t fatally wounded, you can still take him and go. You kill me and you’ll have the whole West Side Pack after your ass.”
“I wouldn’t bet on that,” his distorted voice said.
“Why? Who do you work for? I’ll pay you double what they are! We can make a deal!”
He coughed out a laugh and then said, “You talk a lot.”
“Tell me about it!” a voice said from behind the mystery man. It was Cash. He’d somehow gotten enough strength in his leg to totter out into the open, like the fool he is.
Two shots rang out as Cash fired upon her attacker. The man moved like lightning and was up and dodging in seconds. His first move saved him from the first bullet but the second on hit him in the shoulder. He fired upon Cash, who ducked behind the tree our sniper had fallen out of.
The man started to run towards Central Park West. The minute he got there he’d snag a cab and they’d lose him. Denika knew they couldn’t let that happen. She stooped to pick up her gun when another shot rang out. She heard Cash yell out her name but as she stood up she felt a bullet go through her chest and then another rake across the left side of her head and she went down.
“Denika!” Cash yelled. Suddenly she could see his face above hers. “It’s just a grazing on your head—hang in there—I can hear Marlen coming with the team.” He touched his throat. “Mayday, Alpha down,” he choked out, his voice catching. “Alpha has been hit—Marlen get your ass the fuck over here now! Path by the kickball field.”
“Shit. On my way. Hang on!” Came Marlen’s voice in their ear pieces.
She could feel blood on her face and a warm sensation at her back that told her blood was pooling out under her onto the blacktop. She coughed and tasted blood. She reached up to grab Cash’s glasses from the top of her head. “I didn’t break them this time.”
Denika knew she must be seeing things since it looked like tears were forming in Cash’s eyes. He took the shakes from her.
“You crazy woman, I don’t care about the—”
She coughed again and the pain began to hit her and she started to silently scream, her body curling in on itself.
“Hang in there Denika—just hang on!” He took her hands for her to squeeze, which she did until it all went dark.
Thursday, August 5, 2010
Cassandra Clare Book Signing Night (w/NicoleVirella & Holly Black)
****Above pic from L to R is me, Nicole Virella (the graphic novel illustrator for the Mortel Instruments GN to come out soon) and Cassie****
LAST NIGHT WAS BLOODY FANTASTIC!
Cassandra Clare, my favorite author, was in NYC for a book signing and Q&A. Luckily enough, one of her best friends is well known author Holly Black and she was one of our MC's of the night.
Both ladies looked fabulous and as always, wore their unique and fantastic shoes!
Anyhoo...here's how the night went and THIS time folks, I do have pictures! Woot!
So, I jetted from work around 5pm b/c the gig was at 7pm in Union Square and I wanted to get a good seat in front. Uh, I think everyone else felt that way too. I got there and I was lucky to get a seat on the middle aisle half-way back (a lovely girl named Eva slid over one seat so I could sit on the aisle due to all my bags...thank you darlin!).
Just like with a movie, I felt the need to use the ladies room before the show. As I walk in...I run into Holly Black. WHAT FREAKIN LUCK HUH? Anyhoo...she was nice enough to chat with me for a few minutes about how she got published...in the ladies room. Ya gotta love that! And let me say, Holly is just a wonderful lady. :)
So I head back to my seat elated and sit down for a fun Q&A where someone, who's not me, won the first printed copy of "Clockwork Angel" that doesn't actually come out until August 31st. There were two more prizes for trivia given out as well; an actual clockwork angel pendant and the original drawings of the main characters from Mortel Instruments that will be in the graphic novel, drawn by Nicole Virella. Here are some pics of Holly and a lovely girl who's name I missed starting us off for the eveing telling a story about Cassie:
Then, Cassandra Clare came out and made the announcement that there will be two more new books in the Mortel Instrument Series that will follow City of Fallen Angels! City of Lost Souls (Spring 2012) and City of Heavenly Fire (Fall 2013). Add that to how she has Clockwork Angel, Clockwork Prince and Clockwork Princess all coming out too and you have a landfall of Cassie books hitting us in the next three years! HA-ZAH! Here's Cassie making the announcement:
Cassie finally got to take a seat for the Q&A and I was able to get a lovely shot of her:
After the Q&A we all did the "wait in line" to say hi to Cassie and have her sign anything we brought. I bought the box set of the first three novels and had her sign them. I also happened to have my soft back of the 1st book with me...I had her sign it for a friend of mine, another aspiring writer who is a young adult. I can't wait to surprise her with it!
We received swag at the event, as per usual. :) A poster of the cover art for Clockwork Angel, a piece of chapter 4 from the book, an invite to the release party in NJ (which I wish I could go to...anyone got a car and want to go? I'll pay for gas!), and a free comic with a sampler from the soon to be released graphic novel of the first Mortel Instruments books, City of Bones. I had both Cassie and Nicole sign it and I actually stayed up on the platform longer than most as I got to talking with Nicole. Amazingly talented girl. I'll try to get pics of the comic for you all later.
So, alas, the night is over. I've had my moment to talk to Cassie (she loved my shirt from Salam btw), she signed my books, I thanked her for answering my questions on Twitter all the time (and we clarified who I was on there and she remembered I ask publishing questions!) and then it was time to go.......
Or was it?
Holly Black was sitting with some friends chatting and so I decided to get up the courage to go over and ask for a photo. She was nice enough to oblige:
Then I actually got to talking with she and the two lovely gentlemen who were there. One of which introduced himself to me as Josh and as it turns out, he is Cassie's fiance.:) Then, they were gracious enough to include me in coversation for about a half hour! I can't say how much that meant to me. They were so much fun to chat with! It was really fun! Let me say, Cassie is a lucky woman. Josh is both sweet and handsome. Well done girl!;) Also, Holly was obviously tired and she didn't need to make this time for me, but she did. For a fellow writer, it was a really wonderful treat.
So, I got home late...walked the dog....uploaded this pics...ate a bowl of cereal and passed slap out! Hell, when I woke up at 8am I was in such a heavy sleep it was hard to move.
On my way out the door I found a letter in my mailbox from an agent I'd submitted to...returning my letter with a slip of green paper in it that basically is a rejection. They couldn't even write a letter to me? Nice. Glad you're not my agent...sheesh!
Nothing like reality slapping you in the morning huh? Oh well. Last night was fun enough to make me rip up the little green 3x4 rectangle of paper and say, "whatever...your loss".
Have a great Thursday folks and btw...there is a review of Holly Black's White Cat on this blog...scroll on down to my entry on Father's Day (6/20/10)!
Tamsin :) xo
P.S. If you'd like to see Cassie's online chat she did at 5pm on U-Stream, here's the link you can copy/paste into your browser window: http://www.ustream.tv/simonandschuster
Monday, August 2, 2010
A taste of Moon Over Manhattan...
Today, instead of writing a full blog, where you listen to me ramble on and on about stuff...I thought I'd give you a taste of my new story...you know, the one I mentioned in mid July.
Silver, Tamsin L.
Moon Over Manhattan
© Copyright 2010
Prologue
This was not going as planned. But when do things go as planned?
She should’ve known better.
Denika ripped a piece of her black tank top off and tied it around her upper thigh where it was still bleeding. She scanned the area below her for movement; nothing. Sheathing her sword across her back she walked across the tall hill of a rock towards her second in command. As she approached him she looked out into the darkness again. This time her eyes caught movement in the distance below. She didn’t know how he’d gotten that far ahead of them but she wasn’t happy about it.
“Shit, he’s getting’ away!” she yelled out, picking up her second sword and pointing at the figure she saw jumping over the fence into the playground with it.
“Not for long! Come on!” Cash said as he popped a new clip into his gun. He quickly shoved his mess of blonde hair out of his eyes and saw her leg. “You still bleeding? Sure you can handle this boss? I mean, I’m sure I can do this without you if you if you need to sit this one out,” he said with a smile, his humor escaping Denika completely.
“Fuck you! Quit dickin’ with your gun and lets go!” She started to run at full speed until hitting the edge of the hill and then she was airborne. This was faster than walking down the sloping side of the large rock they were on top of.
Cash followed in suit, landing seconds after she did, still chuckling. He then made an off color comment about his dick and his gun which she ignored as she tore across the lawn, hurdled one green seeding fence after another until she was on the lawn just outside of Heckscher Playground. Unfortunately there was a taller fence around the kid’s playground in Central Park and she’d not be able to hurdle that one.
“He’s heading up Umpire Rock!” Cash yelled.
“No shit!” Did he think his eyes were better than hers? Arrogant ass.
She was halfway to the playground fence when a gun went off. Even though a silencer was used her werewolf senses could hear it and inborn reflexes took charge. Due to the little bit of light still in the park she saw the bullet, as if in slow motion, coming for her. Twisting her left shoulder down and back at the last second, it zipped past, embedding itself in the tree behind her.
Denika dashed to look at it. “Jesus! He’s using silver bullets!” As she spun back towards her partner, who had turned to face her, she saw a dark figure appear out of nowhere behind him. “Cash! Behind you!”
He whipped around, pulling his sword out in the same move. She heard the metal hitting each other before seeing it. Reaching behind she started to pull out one of her swords so as to go help him when three more dark figures dropped from the tree branches above to stand between she and Cash. Two turned towards her and one headed for her Beta.
“At your seven Cash!” she yelled out and then looked at the two large men in front of her. Denika realized she must’ve looked like easy pickings due to her small stature. Smiling, she unsheathed the second sword from her back; they were in for a surprise. “Oh, you wanna dance I see. Well then gentlemen, let’s dance.”
Denika advanced on the two men with immense speed, a sword grasped firmly in each hand; being ambidextrous has its benefits. In seconds both her swords touched metal and she was spinning about with them. Both swords were made of a lightweight silver compound which meant that with each strike that came in contact with the enemy’s skin they would cause damage that wouldn’t heal right away, like her current leg wound. Lucky for her she could tell by the sound their swords on hers that this was not the case with their weapons; a definite turn in her favor.
Problem was she needed to go after the primary target, not deal with these two. Not only that, but if Cash killed his attackers before her, she’d never hear the end of it. Denika’s opponents were agile and she felt a sword tip slice her exposed stomach and then an arm, both of which began to heal immediately; the benefit of being both a werewolf and of royal blood.
At this point they’d gotten themselves both behind her. She arched her back and spun around, hitting them with both swords yet using that bend to fuel her flip backwards, planting one foot in one man’s jaw as she brought both swords slamming into the other. The two goons fell backwards, giving her the break she needed so as to head toward the primary target. She sheathed both swords at the same time and bolted at full speed to the right, following the fence, hoping to get closer to the rocks. Problem was they were still close on her heels; too close.
“трахать!” She swore. As strong, agile, and fast as Denika was for her height, when fighting one’s own kind it didn’t change the fact that her legs just weren’t long enough to outrun them without more of a lead.
She veered to the left towards a tree on her side of the fence. Denika ran up the tree a few steps and flipped her body up and over to land behind the two men running after her. While flipping through the air she pulled one sword out and as she landed, without hesitation, she shoved it through the back of the man on the right. She hit a button on the hilt, twisted the sword, and pulled it out, blood and tissue flying out of the hole in the man’s back as he fell to the ground.
The other man was bearing down on her left. Without time to parry back to him or grab her second sword the only thing left to do was to jump up and kick him in the gut with her left leg. Unfortunately this caused the flat side of his sword to smash into her head before he went flying backwards into a tree. Denika staggered backwards, slightly disoriented. He hit the ground but was up quickly and running at her again, sword in hand.
“Goddess I don’t have time for this!” She grunted while dropping to the ground at the last second and swinging her leg to trip him. He fell to the ground and rolled a bit away but not far enough. She too dropped to the ground and just as he spun back in her direction she brought the sword down toward the ground in a hacking motion. With a loud ‘kathunk’ it hit his neck, severing it from his body. Pulling the sword back to her she caused blood to shoot out. She quickly jumped up, wiped his blood from her face and turned to look for Cash.
He wasn’t more than twenty feet from her. One of his assailants was already on the ground. The second had been disarmed, as had Cash, but weapon or no he’d gotten behind Cash and had him in a choke hold. The man was easily fifty pounds heavier in muscle than Cash as well as a half foot taller. If it’d been anyone else but Cash she’d have needed to rush to help.
“Quit dickin’ around Cash, we gotta go!” She yelled. Nothing spurned her Beta on like attitude.
“Do I look like I’m dickin’ this dude?” he grunted out, his hands on the man’s arm, trying to pull it from his throat.
She ran her hand through her dark curls to get it out of her eyes. “Yes, actually it does.”
He rolled his eyes at her and then with a yell he squatted and flipped the man over his head with a spin so that he landed face down in the dirt. Cash spun, grabbed his sword that was sticking out from the ground, and as the man got up to his knees Cash arced the sword in such a way that the blade contacted with the man’s chin, slicing upwards on an angle until it exited the top of his head. He fell over.
“‘Bout time! Let’s go!” Denika yelled. Without waiting she ran at the tall playground fence. As she reached one of the tall wooden posts she planted her hands on the flat top of it and flipped herself over, landing squarely on both feet inside the playground. Trusting that Cash would follow she barreled forward, touching the device on her throat and saying, “We need clean up just outside Heckscher Playground!”
A voice came back in their earpieces, “You got it boss. How many?”
“Four. East side of the playground,” she said.
“Consider it done.”
.......to be continued.......
(I actually have more done but I thought I'd give it in sections... :) Have a happy Monday all!)
Tamsin :) xo
Silver, Tamsin L.
Moon Over Manhattan
© Copyright 2010
Prologue
This was not going as planned. But when do things go as planned?
She should’ve known better.
Denika ripped a piece of her black tank top off and tied it around her upper thigh where it was still bleeding. She scanned the area below her for movement; nothing. Sheathing her sword across her back she walked across the tall hill of a rock towards her second in command. As she approached him she looked out into the darkness again. This time her eyes caught movement in the distance below. She didn’t know how he’d gotten that far ahead of them but she wasn’t happy about it.
“Shit, he’s getting’ away!” she yelled out, picking up her second sword and pointing at the figure she saw jumping over the fence into the playground with it.
“Not for long! Come on!” Cash said as he popped a new clip into his gun. He quickly shoved his mess of blonde hair out of his eyes and saw her leg. “You still bleeding? Sure you can handle this boss? I mean, I’m sure I can do this without you if you if you need to sit this one out,” he said with a smile, his humor escaping Denika completely.
“Fuck you! Quit dickin’ with your gun and lets go!” She started to run at full speed until hitting the edge of the hill and then she was airborne. This was faster than walking down the sloping side of the large rock they were on top of.
Cash followed in suit, landing seconds after she did, still chuckling. He then made an off color comment about his dick and his gun which she ignored as she tore across the lawn, hurdled one green seeding fence after another until she was on the lawn just outside of Heckscher Playground. Unfortunately there was a taller fence around the kid’s playground in Central Park and she’d not be able to hurdle that one.
“He’s heading up Umpire Rock!” Cash yelled.
“No shit!” Did he think his eyes were better than hers? Arrogant ass.
She was halfway to the playground fence when a gun went off. Even though a silencer was used her werewolf senses could hear it and inborn reflexes took charge. Due to the little bit of light still in the park she saw the bullet, as if in slow motion, coming for her. Twisting her left shoulder down and back at the last second, it zipped past, embedding itself in the tree behind her.
Denika dashed to look at it. “Jesus! He’s using silver bullets!” As she spun back towards her partner, who had turned to face her, she saw a dark figure appear out of nowhere behind him. “Cash! Behind you!”
He whipped around, pulling his sword out in the same move. She heard the metal hitting each other before seeing it. Reaching behind she started to pull out one of her swords so as to go help him when three more dark figures dropped from the tree branches above to stand between she and Cash. Two turned towards her and one headed for her Beta.
“At your seven Cash!” she yelled out and then looked at the two large men in front of her. Denika realized she must’ve looked like easy pickings due to her small stature. Smiling, she unsheathed the second sword from her back; they were in for a surprise. “Oh, you wanna dance I see. Well then gentlemen, let’s dance.”
Denika advanced on the two men with immense speed, a sword grasped firmly in each hand; being ambidextrous has its benefits. In seconds both her swords touched metal and she was spinning about with them. Both swords were made of a lightweight silver compound which meant that with each strike that came in contact with the enemy’s skin they would cause damage that wouldn’t heal right away, like her current leg wound. Lucky for her she could tell by the sound their swords on hers that this was not the case with their weapons; a definite turn in her favor.
Problem was she needed to go after the primary target, not deal with these two. Not only that, but if Cash killed his attackers before her, she’d never hear the end of it. Denika’s opponents were agile and she felt a sword tip slice her exposed stomach and then an arm, both of which began to heal immediately; the benefit of being both a werewolf and of royal blood.
At this point they’d gotten themselves both behind her. She arched her back and spun around, hitting them with both swords yet using that bend to fuel her flip backwards, planting one foot in one man’s jaw as she brought both swords slamming into the other. The two goons fell backwards, giving her the break she needed so as to head toward the primary target. She sheathed both swords at the same time and bolted at full speed to the right, following the fence, hoping to get closer to the rocks. Problem was they were still close on her heels; too close.
“трахать!” She swore. As strong, agile, and fast as Denika was for her height, when fighting one’s own kind it didn’t change the fact that her legs just weren’t long enough to outrun them without more of a lead.
She veered to the left towards a tree on her side of the fence. Denika ran up the tree a few steps and flipped her body up and over to land behind the two men running after her. While flipping through the air she pulled one sword out and as she landed, without hesitation, she shoved it through the back of the man on the right. She hit a button on the hilt, twisted the sword, and pulled it out, blood and tissue flying out of the hole in the man’s back as he fell to the ground.
The other man was bearing down on her left. Without time to parry back to him or grab her second sword the only thing left to do was to jump up and kick him in the gut with her left leg. Unfortunately this caused the flat side of his sword to smash into her head before he went flying backwards into a tree. Denika staggered backwards, slightly disoriented. He hit the ground but was up quickly and running at her again, sword in hand.
“Goddess I don’t have time for this!” She grunted while dropping to the ground at the last second and swinging her leg to trip him. He fell to the ground and rolled a bit away but not far enough. She too dropped to the ground and just as he spun back in her direction she brought the sword down toward the ground in a hacking motion. With a loud ‘kathunk’ it hit his neck, severing it from his body. Pulling the sword back to her she caused blood to shoot out. She quickly jumped up, wiped his blood from her face and turned to look for Cash.
He wasn’t more than twenty feet from her. One of his assailants was already on the ground. The second had been disarmed, as had Cash, but weapon or no he’d gotten behind Cash and had him in a choke hold. The man was easily fifty pounds heavier in muscle than Cash as well as a half foot taller. If it’d been anyone else but Cash she’d have needed to rush to help.
“Quit dickin’ around Cash, we gotta go!” She yelled. Nothing spurned her Beta on like attitude.
“Do I look like I’m dickin’ this dude?” he grunted out, his hands on the man’s arm, trying to pull it from his throat.
She ran her hand through her dark curls to get it out of her eyes. “Yes, actually it does.”
He rolled his eyes at her and then with a yell he squatted and flipped the man over his head with a spin so that he landed face down in the dirt. Cash spun, grabbed his sword that was sticking out from the ground, and as the man got up to his knees Cash arced the sword in such a way that the blade contacted with the man’s chin, slicing upwards on an angle until it exited the top of his head. He fell over.
“‘Bout time! Let’s go!” Denika yelled. Without waiting she ran at the tall playground fence. As she reached one of the tall wooden posts she planted her hands on the flat top of it and flipped herself over, landing squarely on both feet inside the playground. Trusting that Cash would follow she barreled forward, touching the device on her throat and saying, “We need clean up just outside Heckscher Playground!”
A voice came back in their earpieces, “You got it boss. How many?”
“Four. East side of the playground,” she said.
“Consider it done.”
.......to be continued.......
(I actually have more done but I thought I'd give it in sections... :) Have a happy Monday all!)
Tamsin :) xo
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