Hi, it’s me Sloan McBride <waving>. For those who don’t know me I’m a paranormal romance author who likes to hop around in time. No, not personally. I’m still working on the blueprints for my time machine. However, all my stories (so far) deal with some kind of “time” issue. Today, I’ll be talking about my Time Walker Series. These hotties are basically gods. What grown woman would not want that?
I am doing a 4-part Blog Hop discussing the mythology research I’ve done and how it’s helped me build the Time Walker World. Today’s post is Part 3. If you missed Parts 1 and 2, hop over to my website for the links in the Exciting News box or on my News page. www.sloanmcbride.com
Research: The average Sumerian home was a small one-story mud-brick structure with several rooms grouped around an open court. The well-to-do Sumerians lived in two-story houses with a dozen rooms, built of brick, plastered, and white-washed inside and out. The family mausoleum was often below the house.
Sumerians believed that the souls of the dead traveled to the Underworld, and life continued there in some way as on Earth. They buried the dead with their pots, tools, weapons and jewels. The earlier kings had their courtiers, servants and attendants buried with them. (That would totally suck for the courtiers and servants.) It is from tombs that archeologists learned about the material culture of ancient Sumerians.
There are several stories about the Goddess Inanna and her trip to the Underworld to visit her sister, Ereshkigal, the Queen of the Underworld. While there she was condemned to death by the Anuna and she died. Enki sent two servants/messengers with the water of life and brought her back. To escape her fate she had to find someone to take her place.
My Stories: When the Anuna, 7 generals of the military faction, attempted to overthrow the King because they didn’t feel they were being represented fairly, they and all demonkind were banished to the Underworld to live forever. Most of demonkind live in the Underworld just as we do here on Earth—they go to jobs every day, shop, live life. I give you a small glimpse of that in Book 2 – “The Treasure” (up for pre-order now for a special price at various retailers). Other members of demonkind have decided to follow Kur, the creature (See Part 2) in his fight against the gods. Because of this, the Goddess Inanna called for the Time Walker Army to do battle against Kur and his followers.
Posting comments to this blog will get you entered for a drawing to win Book 1 – “The Fury.” If you already have Book 1, I will let you pick another one of my books or a different format for “The Fury” than the one you have. I would also appreciate you signing up for my quarterly newsletter.
I will assign each person a number and will draw the winner with Random.org number generator.
BLURB FOR THE FURY:
~~From the Heavens comes a hero who will take your breath away.~~
Reese Whittaker dreams of falling for a man who shares her love of archeology and ancient civilizations. But being attacked by a horde of demons and rescued by a Sumerian God—a well-armed, gorgeous Sumerian God—opens up a world she never knew existed, attracting all kinds of supernatural attention.
Dagan, son of the Air God and a Time Walker, is sworn to protect the human race in general, and one young woman in particular—Reese. He’s not the only one mysteriously attracted to her powerful life force. Underworld leader Kur craves it for the untold power it will give him to strike a blow at the deities of Dilmun.
Dagan is forbidden by law to interact with Reese, but from the moment he sees her, the fury—an intense sexual need for bonding—blinds him to all the rules. Should the pantheon discover he has fallen for a human, the punishment could mean death for him and Reese.
EXCERPT FROM THE FURY:
Dagan materialized in the dank stone hallway of Mount Cradacus, the oldest and most active volcano of all time. Buried inside the hidden world of the Pantheon, it could not be seen by the human eye. The sulfuric, acrid air of the volcano violated his keen sense of smell. He strolled into the huge antechamber where Pyre and three others worked endlessly to create weapons to help the time walkers fight the minions of the Underworld and their leader.
“Hey, P, how’s it hanging?” Dagan clasped hands with his brother-at-arms.
“Longer and stronger than you’ll ever know, you purebred cur.”
“Is that any way to talk to one of your oldest and dearest friends? Not to mention one of your best customers?” Dagan winked.
“I say it like it is.”
Pyre’s voice had grown raspy from working in this lethal environment for so long. Although he, too, was a purebred, when the call had come, Pyre begged the Goddess Inanna to allow him to serve by forging the weapons the army would need. He had always enjoyed working with his hands. The minerals that lay deep inside Mount Cradacus were perfect for molding. With the precise balance and tensile strength, the weapons were unbreakable and could penetrate any surface. Blades sharpened to perfection sliced through a galla’s form like butter, and bullets left huge holes in the enemy. Pyre was fully capable of fighting the battle, but chose to arm the soldiers with the right tools to win.
“So tell me what has you in such an uproar as to bring me to this vile place?”
“I’ve been working on a sword for you.”
“A sword?”
Pyre walked away from the fiery pit where he forged the weapons and headed down a long, narrow, strangely cool tempered hallway. The walls twinkled with an abundance of minerals and stones.
Dagan followed his friend farther away from the fierce heat to a cooler clime.
“I wanted something you could swing with one hand, but would be light enough to carry under your coat.” He stopped in a smaller antechamber where a wide variety of weapons hung from the wall and lay upon tables made of rock. Reaching up, he gently lifted a shiny blade from its hanger. Pyre held the object like a precious child and its silver coloring reflected bright in his eyes.
“It has a leaf-shaped blade and is double-edged. It’s light.” He swung it in demonstration. “The hilt is large enough to accommodate the size of your hand.” He placed it back in the baldric and handed it to Dagan. “You hang it over your right shoulder across your back and it will go unseen under your coat.”
Dagan unsheathed the sword and swung it through the air crisscross in front of his body. “It swings evenly.”
Pyre nodded. “Just remember that it’s double-edged so you don’t slice off a finger.”
“I’ll remember.” Dagan slid the baldric over his shoulder, brought his other arm through and adjusted his new weapon to sit between his shoulder blades. He then practiced bringing his hand behind his head, grabbing the hilt and pulling the sword free.
“If you can manage to do that every time without cutting off an ear, it will be a miracle,” Pyre mumbled.
“It’s a fine sword, P. Thanks.”
“And the human? You did what you were supposed to do, right?”
“Yes. It’s done.”
Pyre clapped his hands together. “Damn good then. She won’t remember you, and you will do your job and be gone.”
Gone. That thought didn’t sit well with him.
“Go on and get out of here so I can continue my work.”
Dagan faced Pyre. They both placed their fisted right hands over the left side of their chests and then took the same fisted hands and banged knuckles.
“To duty until peace,” Dagan said.
“To disposal of the creature,” Pyre replied.
Both men grinned.
Contact: sloanmcbride@gmail.com
Website: Sloan McBride
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