The moment has finally arrived to share the cover of my new (FREE) short story, Tooth & Claw…
What do you think?
The title comes from the Tennyson poem “In Memoriam A.H.H.”:
Who trusted God was love indeed
And love Creation’s final law
Tho’ Nature, red in tooth and claw,
With ravine, shriek’d against his creed
“Red in tooth and claw” indeed. I think both the cover image and title suit the story–I hope you’ll agree once you’ve read it. Tooth & Claw will be released on 7 September. Here’s a teaser:
Mara, Dominic, and their fellow vampires arrive in Marseille, France in 1909, only to find another predator already on the loose. As the city tries to cope with a killer stalking the streets, Mara struggles to separate memory from delusion. Can she find peace when the past is haunting, the present overwhelming, and the future hopeless? Inspired by real events.
Although I promised you’d be able to pre-order Tooth & Claw, it turns out free books can’t be set up for pre-order (boo). But not to worry, I will be posting again to let you know when Tooth & Claw is available. If you’d like an email reminder, please drop me a line.
In the meantime, don’t forget to download my other FREE short story Blood Magic, and while you’re at it, pick up Love Lies Bleeding too, available in paperback or e-book. Your support is much appreciated.
Tooth & Claw, a new FREE short story inspired by actual events, available 7 September.
They left the other vampires with the humans. Mara wanted to call out, to tell them to get away. But she stared at Omar and Wallace grinning at their prey and her voice fled. There was no help for them. There was no help for any of them.
Mara, Dominic, and their vampire associates arrive in Marseille, France in 1909, only to find another predator already on the loose. My new FREE short story is set in the Love Lies Bleeding universe and was inspired by real events.
Come back Saturday for the title and cover reveals, and to pre-order this new FREE story!
(PS: In the meantime, don’t forget to download my other FREE short story Blood Magic, and while you’re at it, pick up Love Lies Bleeding too, available in paperback or e-book.)
What does the new cover look like? Stay tuned to find out…
I have a new short story! Mara, Dominic, and their vampire associates arrive in Marseille, France in 1909, only to find another predator already on the loose. The story is set in the Love Lies Bleeding universe (although you don’t need to read LLB first) and was inspired by real events. Best of all, it will be available FREE!
Stay tuned for more details, how to pre-order, and the title and cover reveals….
(PS: In the meantime, don’t forget to download my other FREE short story Blood Magic, and while you’re at it, pick up Love Lies Bleeding too!)
Notre Dame Cathedral, Paris. Photo by Aspasía S. Bissas
By now you’ve likely heard about the devastating fire that gutted Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris, collapsing the roof and spire and destroying much of the interior (but thankfully not killing anyone). If you haven’t, you can read about it here, here, or here.
Photograph: François Guillot/AFP/Getty Images
Notre Dame is an icon of Paris, and as some locals described it “the heart of France.” It’s also an international icon, a place many people wished to see in their lifetime, and an unparalleled historic monument. What was lost in that fire is far more than just a building. We can take heart in the fact that the bell towers, the rose window, and even the rooster from the top of the spire were saved; that much of the artwork was removed in time; and that Notre Dame will be rebuilt. But it will never be the same.
The first time I saw Notre Dame, I was in a cab heading from Charles de Gaulle airport to my hotel. We approached the Cathedral from the back, alongside the Seine, and as I caught my first glimpse I realized I was looking at Notre Dame. The Notre Dame. The next thing that went through my mind was “I thought I knew Gothic architecture. I had no idea what it was until now.” This wasn’t the neo-Gothic Victoriana I was used to seeing at home in Canada– this was a 900-year-old Gothic masterpiece. You know what else? Flying buttresses are awesome.
When I’d booked it, I didn’t realize my hotel was so close to Notre Dame–just around the corner. I ended up spending time in and around the Cathedral every day while I was there. When I left, I expected I would see it again one day (hopefully when the cherry trees were blooming this time). I’m not sure what will be waiting for me the next time I go, but in honour of what has been lost, I thought I’d share some of the pictures I took on the trip when I got to know Notre Dame.
Notre Dame Cathedral, Paris. Photo by Aspasía S. BissasCopper statues in front of the base of Notre Dame’s spire. The statues were removed before the fire as part of the restoration that was taking place. Photo by Aspasía S. Bissas.Gargoyle, Notre Dame Cathedral, Paris. Photo by Aspasía S. Bissas.Gargoyles at Notre Dame Cathedral, Paris. Photo by Aspasía S. Bissas.Notre Dame Cathedral, Paris (side facing the Seine). Photo by Aspasía S. Bissas.Interior, Notre Dame Cathedral, Paris. Photo by Aspasía S. Bissas.My photos don’t do the windows justice. Notre Dame Cathedral, Paris. Photo by Aspasía S. Bissas.Stained glass detail, Notre Dame Cathedral, Paris. Photo by Aspasía S. Bissas.
Interior, Notre Dame Cathedral, Paris. Photo by Aspasía S. Bissas.Rose window, Notre Dame Cathedral, Paris. Photo by Aspasía S. Bissas.Interior, Notre Dame Cathedral, Paris. Photo by Aspasía S. Bissas.Interior, Notre Dame Cathedral, Paris. The fire extinguisher at the bottom right of the photo takes on new significance now. Photo by Aspasía S. Bissas.Interior, Notre Dame Cathedral, Paris. Photo by Aspasía S. Bissas.Beautiful painted column inside Notre Dame Cathedral, Paris. Photo by Aspasía S. Bissas.Vivid colours, Notre Dame Cathedral, Paris. Photo by Aspasía S. Bissas.Stained glass, Notre Dame Cathedral, Paris. Photo by Aspasía S. Bissas.Stained glass, Notre Dame Cathedral, Paris. Photo by Aspasía S. Bissas.
Notre Dame Cathedral taken from my hotel roof. Photo by Aspasía S. Bissas.
Did you get a chance to see Notre Dame? Do you have any special memories of it? Please share in the comments.
I recently read a great article about how travelling can enrich your writing. In it, the author outlines how travel is unpredictable, fosters empathy and reflection, and creates authenticity in your writing. All excellent points. The article got me thinking about how travelling has helped my writing, and how it can help you with your creative endeavours. Here are four more ways travelling is good for creativity, even if you go no farther than the other side of town…
1. It breaks up your routine. Even the most imaginative person needs inspiration, and nothing is less inspiring than doing the same things and seeing the same few places over and over again, day after day. Going somewhere new shakes you out of your rut, gives you a fresh perspective, and re-ignites creativity.
2. It helps you learn. If you go somewhere you’ve never been, you’re bound to learn something, whether it’s a few words in another language, facts about local history, or even a new skill (so many places now offer classes and workshops for tourists). What you discover can be the spark you need for your current project, or the impetus for something new.
3. It gives you the chance to be a different kind of creative. There are so many opportunities for creativity while you travel, and if you can do so in a way that’s not your usual, so much the better (I’ve written before about how creativity begets creativity). Take pictures, write a journal entry (or poetry or even short fiction) about your trip, sketch what you see, take part in a workshop, talk to interesting people you meet along the way. Use it all as inspiration when you get home.
4. It can help you in unexpected ways. When I was having trouble finding the right image for the cover of Love Lies Bleeding, I decided to look through my photos to see if anything would be useful. Going through shots I’d taken in Paris, I realized the statue at the base of the Medici fountain at the Jardin du Luxembourg was perfect, so I ended up using it:
(The statue at the top of the fountain is on the back cover.) Not only that, but another photo I’d taken at the Louvre became the cover for Blood Magic:
And I have a third photo in mind for my next book, which I’m currently working on. The point is, I didn’t go to Paris to take photos for my book covers, but my travels led to exactly what I needed. You never know what going somewhere new could end up doing for you.
You don’t have to travel to be creative, but it really does help. Even if you can’t make it to another country or continent, try getting on a bus and exploring a different town, or go for a walk and visit a neighbourhood in your own town that you’ve never been to. The important thing is to break out of routine and try something new. It could lead you to places you never expected.
What do you think? Has travelling helped your creativity? Share in the comments…
