Valencia

Every good story needs a (sexy) villian and Valencia (Model: Amanda Magyar) is mine, especially in the first book. By the second book you start to see her point of view and by the third book you may think you had it all wrong to begin with...that she's got the right idea. But, well, that's how life is, right? Things change as we learn and the lines between good and evil are sometimes blurred.

Unfortunately I cannot give too much away about her background or I give away HUGE plot points and spoilers for the book so I'll give you what I can.

Valencia was a witch who was made into a vampire...forever trapped in her 25 year old body. She made the mistake of falling for the wrong man and he was a vampire, bound and determined to make her like him and when she refused he made her one anyways...by force. But, seeing as she was already a bit unstable to begin with, it follows her into her new life. She can love and she can hate but there seem to be no middle ground on either of those. If she hates you she hates you more than the devil himself and if she loves you, she loves you with all her heart, to the point of internal pain.

Due to her late "change" her soul was also damanged. Made vampires in this world I've created go through a something called Vampire Sickness after the change where its a internal battle to regain their soul...hence proving they are worthy of eternal existance on the earth. She didn't totally get hers back.Not that it was a good one to begin with so you mix the two together and she's a piece of work. She is almost devoid of empathy, except for possibly herself and one or three other people she truly cares for, but that's it. In life and in unlife she's always been a violent girl. She can hold her temper at bay just long enough to be cold, calculating and deadly. (Pictures are of Valencia in an argument with Carmone Keziah; Model: Rodney Ladino)

But, in contract to her interior, her exterior is very different. Valencia is very much a girl...but without the pink and lace. She likes skirts and flowy tops with low cut fronts and backless dresses with slits up the leg. Insted of pinks she dives toward vibrant colors (especially emerald green, like her eyes) and she wears a lot of leather, heels, corsets...anything to expose her volumous cleavage. She uses sex as a weapon as much as for pleasure and sees nothing wrong with that.

The fact that she is a made hybrid of two factions makes her existance illegal and so she couldn't work with The Great Order so she took over the Superior Order and now runs it. They have an enormous castle that includes just as many rooms underground as it does above. This estate is called Asmarahald and it is the dungeons there that hold Sean Cameron as the book starts. Valencia is the reason he's been turned into a vampire and left to rot in a cell.

But, because he's a strong creature she's decided to use him for her experiment. She and her lover and right hand man, Jonathan, have a plan to take over The Great Order and they plan to use Sean to help them do that. But that, like many things for Valencia, doesn't go as planned.

Picture of (L to R) Devon Worthy, Carmone Keziah & Valencia on Asmarahald grounds discussing plans. (Models: Jon Corry, Rodney Ladino, and Amanda Magyar)

During the story you learn many things from her POV as well as other characters. But most importantly, it's through her and others on her side of the story where you'll learn many of the truths that are going on behind closed doors. Things Atlanta can not seem to learn from The Great Order.

Is Valencia just misunderstood or a royal bitch with no one she cares for but herself and power?

Hmmm...you'll know soon enough I suppose. Why spoil by telling you?

Until our next profile(s)...
Tamsin :)

Stephan Throneburg

Stephan Throneburg ---pronounced Stef-ah-n---(Model: Thomas Daniels) has both been seen and mentioned on this blog previously in accordance with both Gray and Roman; as Gray is his love interest and Roman is his best friend and boss, so to speak. And seeing as you've heard a bunch about him already, I thought maybe this'd be a good/fun time to tell you the story of BEFORE the books a bit...since they are how Stephan's life gets woven into Roman's. Sound like a good idea? Great...let's begin...

Many years ago, before the Great Order came to be, there were just the Royal families and much free rein for those falling into one of the four factions of the Clandestine World: Vampire, Werewolf, Shape Shifter and Witch. But much like how human society began to become more violent and more evil, so did the Clandestine society. The Throneburg family, though not of royal blood, became alined with the one royal household; Keziah. They worked closely to create something their world would one day call The Great Order; laws for the Clandestine World. But, much like in human society, change for them was hard to come by...rules were balked and people retaliated, create opposing sides. War broke out and the first seperation of members of the Clandestine World began.

During a raid attack one night Stephan's family was killed. The only reason he was spared was because he was too young to be at any activist events. So, at the age of almost two Stephan came to live with the Keziah family. But they were in their own turmoil. Harrison and Joelle Keziah were getting a divorce. Joelle took Stephan with her and left her two sons, Phoenix and Harmon with their father as they were older and were needed to work at building The Great Order with their father and his younger brother, Savion, and his two boys, Javin and Carmon.

Joelle soon met a man, Nathaniel Pierce, a very tall and handsome scholar/teacher with a fondness for books and his daughter, Elizabeth, from a previous marriage. When Joelle and he wed, Stephan moved into the home with her and when he was three she bore a son; Roman. Of course Joelle's son's from her previous marriage would visit and though Harmon was more aloof, Phoenix became fast friends with both Roman and Stephan.

(L to R) Roman Pierce, Phoenix Keziah and Stephan Throneburg. (Models: Greg Lucas, Peter Gosik and Thomas Daniels)

Soon into his adolescence Stephan noticed he was different, and not just in one way. And both of the things discovered could and would have made him an outcast at the time if his family wasn't who they were. Firstly, he came to the full understanding that he was gay. The Clandestine World may have always far ahead of the human world in technology, medicine, architecture and socieal issues...but homosexuality still wasn't widely accepted. Secondly, his gift was something normal Living Vampires couldn't do. Not unless there was a Witch in his family line somewhere, but as such things (mixing of the races) was frowned upon, Stephan's talent to relay events to others by a mere touch was hidden.

But, as you know from my previous entries...he didn't have to hide his sexuality forever. By the time our story takes place, 1997, his sexuality was much more widely accepted (but not his gift) and when he meets Grayson Stoltz (a human), there is a true passion between them that eventually helps blur the lines of race even more.

Stephan is a proper gentleman of old England in many ways, in both posture and presence. Though he comes from nothing he was raised with royalty and thus behaves and dresses as such. Though older than Roman by three years they are closer than most blood siblings and when he became appointed Roman's Aid for The Great Order he felt no shame in it. Roman is half royal blood and to him, working with/for Roman is an honor and makes him a good wage without leaving his friend's side.

Honor. I think that's a great word for Stephan. He has this in abundance. His allegience to the Keziah/Pierce families and to The Great Order are strong in him...but so is love and unlike Roman, when the two collide, he's not so slow or thick headed to see the importance of both and yet, make a choice. He loves Alex very much. But the question stands, will he turn the once happy "boy-toy" into his partner...forsaking all others?

Ah yes...you'll have to read and see if Gray throws away his playfull...and as Atlanta says, "whorish ways," for Stephan. It's one thing to date, it's another to make a commitment to a vampire, wouldn't you say?

Though, if someone deserves the happiness...its Stephan. Though he's a cool headed, stoic loner sitting in the corner of the bar sipping a cozmo as he watches the crowd, one leg crossed over the other, back straight in his chair, with his tailored outfit just "so" and his blonde ponytail tied neatly behind the nape of his neck...he's the rock that can either hold Roman together or break him apart.


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And that's the end of today's tale and info on Stephan...I hope you found it interesting. The names you heard (Phoenix, Harmon, Javin, and Carmone) are all characters you'll meet soon enough. This was just meant to give you a taste of the political side of the novels.

Side Note: I had a friend named Charlie at Western Michigan University (Theatre Department) who had long blonde hair and golden brown eyes who OBVIOUSLY Stephan's look is based on. Mind you, he was NOT stoic or a loner but he had this way of watching people as he sat in a coffee shop, leg crossed over the other as he smoked a cig that is still part of Stephan's character. Charlie was (and still is) a vibrant soul who I cherished from my time at WMU. I'd tried to find him on the net to no avail...until this year. SO happy I finally found him...and of all things, he lives near my mom! LOL! Ya gotta love Facebook!
xoxo

Tamsin :)

The Royal Family of The Great Order

Keziah/Pierce Family L to R: Carmone Keziah, Javin Keziah, Elizabeth Pierce, Roman Pierce; Phoenix Keziah. (Models L to R: Rodney Ladino, Chris Beier, Melissa Silver, Greg Lucas; Peter Gosik)

HRH The King of the Clandestine World (Savion Keziah) resides in a large home in Washington D.C. so as to work closely with the President of the U.S. His sons, Prince Javin and Carmon Keziah, live there with him. The eldest, HRH Prince Javin, is tasked with foriegn relations and business and travels about the world on his father's orders. He stays in the best hotels/homes, rubs elbows with other royals and parties with celebrities. HRH Prince Carmone, the younger of the two, is his father's go-to man. He stays at the house and helps keep all of the King's appointments organized and in order. He, in short, runs the household. Here they are:

HRH Prince Javin Keziah (Model: Chris Beier)









HRH Prince Carmone Keziah (Model: Rodney Ladino)









King Savion is only king because his older brother, Harrison, has passed away and before doing so had given the crown to his brother and his brother's family for personal reasons(which you will learn when you read the 2nd book in the series). Harrison had two boys as well, Phoenix and Harmon. HRH Prince Phoenix has been appointed the Prince of the NE section of the U.S. His brother, HRH Prince Harmon, was not given a section of the U.S. because that would put way too much of one country under the rule of brothers. Instead, Harmon is heir to Pheonix's throne and assists Phoenix with running the NE section of the U.S. Here they are:

HRH Prince Phoenix Keziah (Model: Peter Gosik)


HRH Prince Harmon Keziah (Model: Peter Gosik)













It is Phoenix and Harmon's job to keep the NE states in line, following the laws of The Great Order. They only answer to Javin and Carmone who then reports back to their father. If things had gone differently, Phoenix and Harmon would've been in the Clandestine White House of D.C., but at this point, without the deaths of Savion, Javin and Carmon that will not happen.

As you can tell by looking at them, they are fraternal twins. Phoenix is older than Harmon by two minutes and twenty two seconds. They both have many of the same facial features: full lips, gray eyes, and high cheekbones except for one, their hair. Where Phoenix has a rich, wavy, dark tumble of hair, Harmon has a shining cascade of smooth/straight white blonde...as if the color had been bleached out of it. Not gray or white...but a true platinum blonde. Both are serious in nature, their gray eyes divulging nothing unless they choose to.

Phoenix is possibly are more stressed of the two brothers. While Javin and Carmone run affairs of the country Phoenix has had more time to concentrate on secretly moving the pawns into place the prophesied war. He carries the weight of the world on his shoulders so much more than either Javin or Carmone. Many speculate that's because he rightfully would've been King at this time if his father hadn't handed down the throne to his brother.

So what about those other four who dance around these royal men?

As previously explained, Roman Pierce is the son of a royal mother. So, though its not really mentioned, he'd be considered a Duke. Elizabeth, his older sister (they share the same father but not mother) is not of royal blood. But, so that she would be, through marriage, be considered such, Joelle adopted her. Though it is not of normal practice Elizabeth holds the title of Duchess.

Speaking of...

Duchess Elizabeth Pierce (Model: Melissa Silver)
Elizabeth is an Amazon, so to speak. At six feet tall she's built to take a punch and give one in return. Unfortunately, when we start the LDG series she's already dead, and the catalyst for much of the sorrow in the Keziah/Pierce family household. At the time of her death she was Head of the Vampires on the New England Council. She will become extremely important, as will what she was working on when she died, throughout the series. *Note: She is alive and well and a primary character in The Cameron Chronicles (the prequel series).

Now, Devon Worthy and Stephan Throneburg are our last two of the royal house. Due to marriage and family alliances these two would be considered Counts. Which is funny when you throw in that they're both vampires. :)

Count Devon N. Worthy (Model: Jon Corry)

I plan to do a full entry on Devon but for now I'll tell you this: He's not what he appears to be. Not to you the reader or to those around him. He's a made vampire who's been around for a couple hundred years. A bastard son of a royal family member. Phoenix trusts him...question is, is that wise?

So that's your basic group of the royal household. A fuller breakdown on Count Devon Worthy will be next...stay tuned!

Tamsin :)


L to R: Roman Pierce, Pheonix Keziah, Stephan Throneburg, Javin Keziah, Devon Worthy, Carmone Keziah, and Elizabeth HPierce.(Models: Greg Lucas, Peter Gosik, Thomas Daniels, Chris Beier, Jon Corry, Rodney Ladino, and Melissa Silver)

Count Devin N. Worthy

Devin N. Worthy (Model: Jon Corry) is the bastard son of someone in the Clandestine Royal family, though not discussed openly in this series (you learn more about him in the prequel series, The Cameron Chronicles, as he's actively in that series with Sean and Elizabeth)...and he's the catalyst for how the primary WINDFIRE plot begins...well, he and Jensine are (go back and read about her HERE).

He's a good looking man with a slickness to him that comes off as being self centered and full of supreme arrogance. He's tall but not intimidating, with fine features and dark auburn hair that falls at shoulder length. The latter of which is primarily due to the time period of when he lived and was changed (He is a made vampire) AND that he was an artist and poet at the time he still had a heart beat. His eyes are that lavender blue that reminds you of the perfect sky at dusk and are what hold the truth to who he really is, if he lets you see it.

In reality, Devon is a master of secrets. He is Phoenix's confidant and though a pawn in the grand scheme of things, he's a pawn that moves around a lot and is useful for many things. And while he could explain things to those who despise him to make his life easier, he lets them think what they will. For the only person who really mattered to him is dead and all that is left is the job. He'll do the job or die trying. One of the people who hates Devon, more than anyone else, is Harmon...

L to R: HRH Prince Harmon Keziah and Count Devon N. Worthy (Models: Peter Gosik & Jon Corry)

But, even though he is the secret keeper for Phoenix, that doesn't mean he's not going to try and still live his "life". He has a thing for Jensine that is honest and real. And you can guarantee that if anyone harms her, he'll make them pay...just like he plans to make the person who really IS at fault for Elizabeth's death, pay...and pay dearly. Pic to the left is Devon with Jensine. (Models: Jon Corry; Kara Addington)

For a character who originally was meant to be the big bad...he ended up becoming so much more interesting than that.

Tamsin :)

Elizabeth P. Keziah

Elizabeth Pierce Keziah (Model: Melissa Silver)


Prior to the WINDFIRE series Elizabeth has married Harmon Keziah. Before you say "ew" let us remember they're not blood related. Elizabeth is Nathanial Pierce's daughter from a previous marriage. So, even though he marries Joelle Keziah later on and has Roman, she is only related to Harmon because her father married his mother. So, though a little "wierd" it's not illegal plus hey, they're royal...those bastards used to marry within the lines all the bloody time back in the old days so...I'm just keeping with tradition, right? Ha!


Moving on...

Elizabeth is the key to the WINDFIRE storyline. How? Her death, how it happened, why it happened...and the prophecy that surrounds it. Oh I know, me and my prophecies...wha wha wha. Do you know how hard it is to write those blasted things? I'm not a poet (which I feel is quite obvious when you read the prophecies but whatever, we'll say Diana wasn't either) so they are what they are...but they get the job done. And the whole story that revolves around Elizabeth, that happens actually in the prequel (The Cameron Chronicles) revolves around her discovery of this prophecy and how she is who it speaks of. How her death is important and how her spirit will continue to help after she's gone.

As previously mentioned, we see a lot of Elizabeth, live and well, in the prequel series, "The Cameron Chronicles" (Pictured here to to the left with Sean Cameron - Model for Sean: Brian Cluney). Without her sacrifice at the end of that book, Atlanta would never survive The WINDFIRE Series. Everything is connected. It's important to remember when reading anything I write that things that happen in one series very likely will have a connection to something that happens in another. I love that stuff. Here's to hoping that someday, when all the books of The Cameron Chronicles are done, you read them and remember things from The WINDFIRE Series and understand things more fully...and have a good laugh.
Elizabeth is easily the best of the Royal Family. She's not afraid to think for herself, tell the bureaucracy of it all to go screw itself, and hold her ground when she knows she's right. She sees nothing wrong with "coloring outside the lines" if it gets the job done. Which is exactly how she and Sean end up working together in "The Cameron Chronicles." It's very likely that Sean never would've made it past the age of 22 if he'd not met Elizabeth...or more accurately, if she'd not found him.

And though there is a large age difference between she and her half brother (pictured below - Model for Roman is Greg Lucas) they were very close and her death hits him the hardest.



But death is a part of life and she walks into it without fear...her spirit then walks on, to help save the world she died for. In death, Atlanta and Roman are the only ones who can see her spirit; Roman because she comes to him and Atlanta because they're connected by prophecy. Whenever they see her, she's in a white dress. I'll end this post with a few pics we did of her as a spirit.

I look forward to you all watching her story unfold as well as someday getting to go back in time and getting to watch her be alive and kick som vampire ass.
xo

Tamsin :)



(Model for Atlanta: Angeliese Adams)

Pepper, Kat and the twins, Alicia and Amanda

PEPPER








KAT









AMANDA












ALICIA












I like to think of these four as my movers and shakers of plot. You always need someone to cause a problem or throw a wrench into a story...or die, maybe? To move a plot along. These four gals do that (No...I don't kill them all off).

Pepper Cotswald (Model: T. Silver) is a living vampire with an enormous secret, in both books one and two. I can't really talk about it here as it'd give away things I'd rather it didn't, but we'll say that she's not all she seems to be, on more than one level.

Kat [no last name] (Model: Mysteena Saunders) is a Shape Shifter (Feline family: black panther). She was a paid mercenary until she took a job working for The Great Order. Phoenix hired her to be body guard to his new council member, and head of the Vampires for his division, Roman Pierce. After Elizabeth died and Roman was appointed in her place, Phoenix felt it wise to keep him safe. We meet Kat through Elizabeth in The Cameron Chronicles as well.

Amanda Caine (Model: Taylor Adams) is a Living Vampire and an animal rights activist (oh the irony) which makes things difficult for her seeing as that most vampires drink animal blood when they want to hunt. Human blood comes in bags, donated freely, but it has to be heated up. If a vampire wants the thrill of the kill and naturally hot blood, they hunt. Amanda refuses so she tends to carry special blood packs in a tiny cooler that she's had made to look like a purse. Amanda is softer spoken than her sister (except at activist rallies), much more conservative in her attire/make-up, and she secretly has a crush on one of our main boys.

Alicia Caine (Model: Taylor Adams) is a Living Vampire and in the tradition of "good twin/bad twin"...she's our "bad twin". She likes things rough, she likes to cause pain, and she likes to break the law. Though you meet her in Book One, you'll really get to know her in Book's four and five. She was Valencia's right hand before Jonathan...and she may end up that way again.

And yes, those are fuzzy cuffs attached to her waist cincher. [Clomplete outfit compliments of "Vampire Freaks" here in NYC]

Unfortunately I must now bury myself in editing...I'll resurface soon! Until then...I'll share a moment from my weekend that was cool.

I was at they gym, stretching after my class, and a friend who knows I'm a writer asked me how I stay focused for follow-thru. She said that she would write but never could get to finishing. She asked what compelled me to write/finish/etc. And I simply told her, "Cause I love to tell stories. I don't need anything to compel me to finish...I love to write. To me, its fun. I don't need prodding.

I then shared with her one of the quotes at the end of my emails: "Better to write for yourself and have no public, than to write for the public and have no self." -Cyril Connolly

She laughed and said, "Then you really are a writer."

I like that. Made my week.

So...if you love to write...just write. It doesn't need to be for anyone but you. If you enjoy it, just do it! And don't beat yourself up for not writing more than you do. That defeats the purpose. Though, if you do want to become a better writer, or finish that story/book you've got going on in your head before you're a senior citizen or sell a book...try and write for an hour every day. I write btwn 4-6 days a week for anywhere from 2 hours to 5 hours, actually. Unless I'm editing, then its 7 days a week.

Which reminds me...I best get back to that.

Take care! Catch ya'll on the flip side of the editing monster!

xoxo

Tamsin :)

Desi, Bianca and Celeste (The three witches)

(L to R) Desi Ma (Model: Lily Henry), Bianca Blaze (Model: Unique Mills) & Celeste Rowan (Model: Shannon Harasen)

All hero's and heroin's need their "posse," right? Well, these three girls are Atlanta's. Proven to be the most talented of their age group the Desi, Bianca and Celeste are refered to as "The Three" by those in the Clandestine World in Boston. Even before the circle could be complete by adding Atlanta to it they held considerable power. They were the ones that led Circle meetings and rituals and though literally just out of high school when we meet them, they are the best of their group and type.

Desiree "Desi" Ma
Water Witch
Desi (pronounced "Deh-zee")is the heart of the group. A short and petite Chinese girl who is emotional, open hearted, and possibly the most "think outside the box" of the three. We really see how her powers grow throughout the series and into the sequel series, Moon Over Manhattan. We meet her in LDG at 17 years old and by the time she joins us in MOM she's 30 years old. A big difference. Desi is one to sneak around the rules if she has to, in order to help those she cares about. And for those who love her, you'll even get a glimpse of her at the age of 9 in The Cameron Chronicles. (Model: Lily Henry)

Bianca Blaze Robinson
Fire Witch
Bianca is our tom boy of the three and she's the realist of the group. A tall, slender, African-American young lady who would prefer to play paintball than go have her feet done. She's proud to see herself as "scrappy" in a fight and she tends to wrap her head because she sees no use for hair or doing her hair, for that matter. The most she does is cut it wicked short and dye it colors from hot pink to fire engine red. I would say she's the most sensible of the three. Oh, and though Robinson is her last name, she tends to introduce herself as Bianca Blaze. (Comes from a love for Johnny Blaze, aka the anit-hero character in the Marvel Universe known as Ghost Rider)(Model: Unique Mills)

Celeste Rowan
Earth Witch
Celeste is our innocent of the group. Our romantic. Someone who sees the best in everyone. She's tall with blonde hair and blue eyes. She wears glasses when she's feeling lazy and tends to wear girlier items than the other two. Dresses with cowboy boots or wide pants and sandals. She's a hippie...a tree hugger...an incense burning, herb growing, girl who is a people pleaser and is quite the master of brews of tea for any occasion. She's had a secret crush on a man in the royal family for many years...and though she knows better...she doesn't, not really. (Model: Shannon Harasen)


Once Atlanta joins them they become a full circle, their powers growing stronger when together.

These three will be around until the final battle...I can promise you that...but it won't be without scars, mental and physical. They may have been chosen by the goddess Diana to be key in the war, but being special isn't always a plus in their world.













So That's my "posse" for Atlanta. :)

More to come so stay tuned!

xo

Tamsin :)