Book Review: Bleach, Vol 9 by Tite Kubo

Bleach, Vol 9    

Author: Tite Kubo

Publisher: Viz Media

American release date: October 10, 2005

Format/Genre/Length: Paperback/Manga/Supernatural/200 pages

Overall Personal Rating: ★★★★★

Ichigo, Ishida, Orihime, and Chad, along with Mr. Yoruichi the cat, race through the Precipice in order to get to the Soul Society to save Rukia. If they don’t do it quickly enough, they risk being killed! To make matters worse, the Cleaner is right behind them! Luckily they make it and find themselves in the Slum District, known as the Rukongai, where souls live when they first come to Soul Society, just outside the Seireitei, where the Soul Reapers live. An exuberant Ichigo decides to sprint right into the Seireitei, but quickly learns why that isn’t a good idea when a huge gate slams down in front of him, along with its ginormous guardian, Jindanbô. Yoruichi and Ishida want to regroup and formulate a plan, but Chad and Orihime rush headlong after Ichigo, in order to help him. However, Jindanbô informs them there is only two to a duel, so they have to wait to fight him.

After being defeated by Ichigo, Jindanbô agrees to let them pass, but when he raises the gate, trouble is waiting on the other side in the form of a Soul Reaper by the name of Gin Ichimaru. As big as he is, Jindanbô quails at the sight of Gin, who punishes the gate keeper. When Ichigo protests his treatment of the gentle giant, they briefly skirmish before Gin pushes the giant out of the way, lowering the gate. Guess they’ll need to find another way to get inside!

Ichigo and his group find themselves the object of interest by some of the locals, who usually prefer to keep to themselves. But they are kindly disposed toward Ichigo for standing up for Jindanbô against Gin even as Orihime works to heal him. Chad unexpectedly sees a familiar face among them. But now they have to formulate a new plan and actually listen to Yoruichi. The cat suggests finding Kûkaku Shiba. However it seems this person moves around a lot. Suddenly a wild boar appears, followed by a strange man attempting to catch up to it. Right away he notices a Soul Reaper is present, ie Ichigo, and becomes belligerent. The man’s name is Ganju, and it doesn’t take long for him and Ichigo to get into it!

Before things go too far, one of Ganju’s associates, who are all mounted on boars, reminds him that it’s nine o’clock, and away they all ride. Ichigo is determined to wait for him to come back to finish what was started but Yoruichi puts the kibosh on that idea. They head out to search for the person Yoruichi is sure can help them get into the Seireitei.

In this volume, we get our first introduction to the world of Soul Society. I still have questions about that place. And about Soul Reapers. This isn’t a spoiler, since I still don’t know the answer, even after watching more than 300 episodes of the anime. The people they meet are souls, so they must be dead, and yet it seems like they’re living regular lives here. Also, are the Soul Reapers dead?

The encounter between Ichigo and boar-rider Ganju is hilarious, and you just know they’ll meet again somehow and continue the fight. Assuming nobody interferes or tries to stop them. Ichigo also apparently rubs Ishida the same way. The Quincy doesn’t like to be told what to do and resents that Ichigo assumes leadership of the group, something that Chad and Orihime apparently have no problem with. Mr. Yoruichi seems to be there in an advisory capacity but isn’t always listened to, obviously.

In this volume we see a little more of the enigma that is Gin. Don’t worry, you’ll be seeing more of him. Judging by the way the Seireitei is walled off from everyone else, there seems to be some class division here. Do they think themselves too good to mingle with the others, or is there another reason? I couldn’t tell you. The ending is pretty good and since I know what’s coming, I look forward to it. As usual, Bleach is filled with both action and humor, but don’t discount the author’s ability to delve into his characters. The more we travel with them, the more we’ll learn, layer by layer. Many surprises lie ahead.

Many.

Looking forward to volume 10.

Review Tour: Sinners' Opera by Linda Nightingale

Good morning! Please welcome author Linda Nightingale to Full Moon Dreaming! She is here to tell us about her new release, Sinners' Opera, which features one of the sexiest vampires you'll ever want to meet, Morgan D'Arcy. Linda will be awarding a $25 Amazon/BN GC to one randomly drawn commenter via Rafflecopter during the tour. The more you comment, the better your chances of winning. To find the other stops on her tour, go here. Don't forget to look for the Rafflecopter at the end of this post, as well as my review of Sinners' Opera!

SINNERS' OPERA

by Linda Nightingale

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

GENRE: Paranormal Romance

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

BLURB:

Morgan D'Arcy is an English lord, a classical pianist, and a vampire. He has everything except what he desires most—Isabeau. As the Angel Gabriel he's steered her life and career choice, preparing her to become Lady D'Arcy.

Many forces oppose Morgan's daring plan—not the least of which is Vampyre law.

Isabeau Gervase is a brilliant geneticist. Though she no longer believes in angels, she sees a ticket to a Nobel Prize in Gabriel's secrets—secrets that have led her to a startling conclusion. Gabriel isn't human, and she fully intends to identify the species she named the Angel Genome. Morgan is ready to come back into Isabeau's life, but this time as a man not an angel. Will he outsmart his enemies, protect his beloved and escape death himself? For the first time in eternity, the clock is ticking

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

EXCERPT:

“Isabeau!” Morgan’s voice would forever strike a chord deep inside.

He leaned over the mahogany railing, his eyes alight, his smile breathtaking.

“Morgan,” she breathed, her heart thudding.

Tonight, she’d caught him in his robe.  Riding mid-thigh, the green brocade smoking jacket showed fine, long legs.  Hair mussed, eyes sleep-misted, Morgan looked like a boy who’d just woken up.  The slender, muscled physique was all man. The handsome devil must have had one hell of a late night and slept all day.  The brunette’s face popped into Isabeau’s head.  Jealousy even tasted green.  What if the woman was still here!

Avery caught her hand, claiming her attention.  “Madam, do you like Beef Wellington?”

A languorous stretch elongated Morgan’s perfect body.  “Yes, she does.”

Isabeau frowned, opened her mouth to ask how he knew.  A flash in the corner of her eye, and Morgan stood at her elbow, his smile and his eyes sheer mischief.

“Sorry.  I shouldn’t have spoken for you.”  He took her hands, his touch sizzling over her.  “I can’t believe you’re actually here.  I’m delighted to see you.”

“Even unannounced?”  She squeezed his hands.  “I’m sorry about the other night.”

He shook his head, his gaze hot and intense.  “Think no more of it,” and her embarrassment evaporated.  “Please join me for dinner.  Avery has been eager to flaunt his culinary skills.  If you refuse, he’ll never forgive you, will you, Avery?”

“No, madam, I shan’t ever forgive you.”  The old gent gave her a mock stern look.

“How can I tempt you?”  Morgan bit the lower lip of a smile.

She laughed.  “Oh, I don’t know.  Do you have a piano by chance?”

He snapped his fingers.  “Avery, isn’t there a piano in the music room?”

The old man frowned, shaking his head.  “Sir, I believe there’s a piano in the music room but then we’d require someone to play it.”

“I can play chopsticks.”  Morgan touched her shoulder, zapping her knees weak.

“I can prepare a delectable Beef Wellington.”  Avery nodded emphatically.

Morgan’s Gabriel eyes caressed her.  “Sorry you caught me looking like this.”

You look good enough to eat.  She hadn’t spoken aloud, but Morgan arched a brow

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

AUTHOR Bio and Links:

.

She enjoys dressing up and hosting formal dinner parties!

After 14 years in Texas, Linda just returned home to her roots. She has seven published novels, four of which are available from Audible.com in audio. For many years, she bred, trained and showed Andalusian horses on their farm in Five Forks. So, she’s seen a lot of this country from the windshield of a truck pulling a horse trailer. Our local author has won several writing awards, including the Georgia Romance Writers’ Magnolia Award and the SARA Merritt.  She retired from a career as a legal assistant at MD Anderson Cancer Center to write full time.

She has 2 wonderful sons—one in Texas; one in England—and 4 equally marvelous grandchildren.

She loves horses, sports cars, music, and piano.

Twitter:  https://twitter.com/LNightingale

Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/LindaNightingaleAuthor

Web Site:  http://www.lindanightingale.com

Blog:  https://lindanightingale.wordpress.com/

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4839311.Linda_Nightingale

Pinterest:  https://www.pinterest.com/lbnightingale1/

Amazon:  https://www.amazon.com/Linda-Nightingale/e/B005OSOJ0U

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

Sinners’ Opera (Obsession)

Author: Linda Nightingale

Publisher: The Wild Rose Press

American release date: October 7, 2019

Format/Genre/Length: Kindle/Paranormal Vampire Romance/460 pages

Overall Personal Rating: ★★★★★

When you have all the time in the world, you can learn to do many things. And if you make the right investments over the course of many years, you can live like royalty. Although Morgan D’Arcy really is royalty, being a peer of the realm, a British lord. But he’s also a world-renowned accomplished pianist. At least in this “lifetime”, he is. Morgan is also a vampire, which means that because of his longevity—read immortality—he has to reinvent himself every so often. People get suspicious of someone who never ages, even the good-looking ones. And Morgan is undeniably good-looking. Just ask his good friend and mentor, Lucien.

But there is something Morgan wants more than anything else, something he has been unable to attain. Or should I say who, for Morgan’s obsession is with a woman named Isabeau. A woman he’s been watching and guiding since before she was born. She knows him, but not as Morgan. To her, he is Gabriel, the man who visits her in dreams. Who watches out for her and cares for her. With his help, Isabeau has become one of the foremost leading geneticists in the country, if not the world. With her help, Morgan hopes she can cure the genetic defect which keeps him from siring an actual child, and together they can have a baby. But how to explain all that to her, as well as the truth about what he is?

Isabeau has been quietly in lust with her Gabriel for a while now, but it’s hard to have a relationship with someone who comes and goes at his own whim, and who leaves no real evidence that he’s ever been there. She has her job, of course, and her friends. And a boyfriend she plans to marry. But Gabriel… he’s so much more. If only she knew if he were real or just a figment of her lusty imagination.

Morgan has very strict rules under which he lives, enforced by a council of vampires which includes Lucien. He’s spent his various lives doing pretty much as he pleases, within the parameter of those rules—it’s easy to live dangerously when you know you can’t die. From fast horses to fast cars, as technology progresses over the years. Women of all sorts, his for the taking. But something has changed. Now he has so much more to live for… and he’s willing to break the rules in order to have that.

This can either be a love affair made in the heavens or one with origins a little bit south of that….

I have to say that I fell in love with this book from the beginning, particularly with Morgan D’Arcy. He is sexy as hell, so charming it should be illegal, and yet possessed of a certain vulnerability that makes you want to hug him close (before turning to other activities, of course). I love the world this author has created with its own vampires and their own unique qualities. There are many vampire stories out there, but this one stands out to me. Linda Nightingale knows how to make us see and feel what she’s writing about, very vividly, on a very visceral level. I felt as though this book ended far too quickly, I just wanted it to go on forever. At the same time, it’s dramatic, romantic, intense, and heartbreaking.

If you enjoy romances, if you love vampires, if you love drama and excitement and characters who both attract and repel, I highly recommend this book. Morgan D’Arcy is like a drug, one I cannot get enough of. I hope there’ll be many more books featuring this enchanting man!

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Wednesday Briefs: In Pieces #77 (18.4)

Good morning and Happy Hump Day! If it's Wednesday, then it must be time for more flash fiction from the Wednesday Briefers! We're a group of authors who bring you our finest flash fiction every week, 500 to 1000 words, inspired by one of our prompts.

Ryan finds himself in a race to get to Ben before he can do something drastic, broken by his mother's cruel and horrible revelation. Will Ryan and Deacon find him before it's too late? See what's going on in this week's chapter of In Pieces. Don't forget to visit the other Briefers and see what's up with them! Their links follow my tale! Enjoy!

In Pieces #77 (18.4)

Ryan thought his heart might just explode when Deacon told him that Ben’s signal was indeed coming from the direction of the river. Dear God, please let him be all right. Please let us get there in time. How cruel could life be, that he would find Ben just to lose him?

Deacon squeezed Ryan’s arm, drawing his attention from his terrifying thoughts. “Hang in there,” he said. “Everything will work out, okay? We know where he is, that’s half the battle right there.”

Ryan nodded, grateful for Deacon’s strength and his calm demeanor. He swiped at his eyes and took deep breaths. He had to be strong for Ben, and he would be.

Deacon released his arm, and turned the van back on to the street, following the GPS signal. They wound their way through a residential area lined with dark, silent houses, residents long asleep and unaware of this late night drama. Ryan wished he and Ben were back at the motel, asleep, together and happy and not living through this waking nightmare.

“We’re almost there now,” Deacon said. They’d just reached the entrance of park which ran alongside the river.  They turned in, heading down empty streets. The park was obviously closed. Maybe that was why Ben had chosen this location. Ryan hoped that was all it was.

“Look, I see the car!” he cried out suddenly, pointing to a parking area close to the water. Cameron’s sedan sat there, but he couldn’t see anyone in the driver’s seat. He dug his fingernails into his palms to keep from panicking.

As soon as Deacon parked the van, Ryan leapt out and raced in the direction of the river. Benches were scattered along an asphalt walkway. During the day, this was probably a great place to sit and contemplate the water. Now all he could think of was finding Ben before it was too late.

“Ben!” he cried out. “Ben, where are you?” There was no reply.

Thoughts of calling 9-1-1 buzzed through Ryan’s head. Visions of divers dragging the river. “Ben!” he yelled again, breaking the stillness of the night. “Where are you?”

Just when he thought his heart would break, Ryan spotted a figure huddled motionless on a bench just ahead of him. He galloped toward it at full speed, heart pounding. Please let it be him, let it be him….

He was breathing heavily when he reached the bench and Ben. Ryan fell to his knees in front of Ben and grabbed his legs, holding on to him for dear life, as if he’d never let go of him ever again. Only after he’d ascertained that Ben was real and Ben was here with him did he look up at him. “Ben, I was so worried about you,” he said. “I didn’t know where you were, we couldn’t find you anywhere.”

“I’m sorry,” Ben said. “I’m so very sorry.” He began to cry, great choking sobs that rendered his words unintelligible. Ryan quickly rose to his feet and plopped onto the bench beside Ben. He gathered the weeping man in his arms and just held him in his lap, not saying a word as Ben cried himself out. He stroked Ben’s hair and kissed his head, waiting for him. Deacon had apparently been right behind him. Ryan saw him approach and then turn and withdraw to a slight distance, within sight but out of earshot. Ryan appreciated his discretion.

Eventually, the sobs grew softer and softer, becoming heavy breaths that shook Ben’s frame until those died down as well. He turned his face up toward Ryan, streaks of mascara mingling with tears along both cheeks. “I knew… I knew it was wrong, but I didn’t know what to do. She said … she said if I loved her…. She said….” His voice trailed away.

“It’s not your fault, it’s not your fault,” Ryan murmured against his head, tightening his grip on Ben.

“She took me away from you because I loved you,” Ben continued. “She said I couldn’t love you, only her. She tried to tell me things about you. You and… you and Dad. She said horrible things, but I knew they weren’t true. Then… then after she … after we…. She said you would never love me again, you’d never understand me and her. Oh god.” He buried his face against Ryan’s chest, clinging to him.

This was worse than Ryan had imagined. He knew Liza was a terrible person, but he had no idea how depraved she really was until now. How could she do that to her own son? What kind of love was that? And then to tell Ben that Ryan could never love him? Now their sudden disappearance made sense, why she felt threatened by Ryan. He was glad his father would never know the awful truth.

He tilted Ben’s head back so he could look into his eyes. “She was jealous of us,” he said. “She didn’t want you to love me because she thought you wouldn’t love her. But her kind of love is not right. And nothing that happened was on you, it’s all on her. I’m sorry you had to go through that. No one should ever have to do that. But know this… none of it was your fault. And nothing that happened changes the way I feel about you. I love you, Ben Coulter. I’ll always love you. You’re just as beautiful to me now as you always were. We’ll get through this. Together. And Ben…”

“Yes, Ryan?” Ben said in a barely audible voice.

“I want to marry you. I want you to be my husband and I want to be yours. Forever and ever. I won’t ask you now, but when you’re ready—”

“You would marry me… even after…?” Ben sounded incredulous.

“Absolutely,” Ryan replied without hesitation.

“I want to marry you too,” Ben said just before their lips met in a heart-felt love-affirming kiss.

to be continued

Now go see what's up with the other Briefers!

Cia Nordwell

J Alan Veerkamp

Carol Pedroso

Book Review: Soul Eater, Vol 5 by Atsushi Ohkubo

Soul Eater, Vol 5   

Author: Atsushi Ohkubo

Publisher: Yen Press

American release date: November 4, 2014

Format/Genre/Length: Paperback/manga/paranormal/192 pages

Overall Personal Rating: ★★★★★

DWMA is having a celebration! It’s their much-anticipated anniversary and should be a blast! Unless a certain someone gets her way, aka Medusa the Witch, who has plans of her own.

Maka is concerned about Soul. He’s hanging out by himself, but denies there’s anything wrong. She tries to get him to dance with her, thinking it will help with their Soul Resonance, but ends up with her father as a partner instead, to her dismay. Meanwhile, Crona and Ragnarok have entered Death City and are waiting for Medusa to give them the signal.

A rather drunken Dr. Stein drags Medusa out onto the dance floor, to her embarrassment, but it seems he has his own agenda, and confronts Medusa with the knowledge that she’s a witch. He connects her presence at the school with the presence of a kishin beneath the Academy, and she admits that he is right. Sid returns, having survived the explosion at Medusa’s lab, and warns everyone to get out. But it’s too late, the trap is sprung, the school sealed. No one can get out! Free warns Eruka the seal will only  hold for about an hour, as she sends in the Mizune.

Stein tells them the only way to stop the intruders is by going underground and asks if anyone wishes to go with him. Maka, Soul, Black Star, Tsubaki, Kid and the sisters all volunteer. Meanwhile, Shinigami-same tells those who remain the story of the Kishin beneath DWMA.

Blair the Witch, in cat form, is strolling through Death City, wishing she could be at the DWMA celebration, which apparently is only for students, when she runs across the guy from the fish store who gives her free fish and he isn’t looking very good. Just then the mizune attack!

Stein instructs all the weapons to remain in weapon form and not take human form. He realizes the enemy has split up, lying in wait for them. Taking charge, he tells them he will take on Medusa as Make, Black Star, and Kid break through Medusa’s wall. Kid, being fastest, is to go after the ones who are after the Kishin. Maka is to pass Medusa and the Demon Sword and catch up to Kid. Black Star will hold back the Demon Sword so Maka and Kid get past, driving his soul wavelength into the enemy.

However, Maka has her own ideas of how things will go down. She is determined to get back at the Demon Sword for what he did to Soul!

This is one of the more action-packed volumes of this series, as Stein and his students work together to prevent Medusa and her minions from getting to and reviving the Kishin beneath the Academy. As always, the story is interspersed with the author’s humor. I love the scene with Stein and Medusa as they dance, and the one with Maka and Soul is very sweet. We learn about Crona and his background (his mother is a real witch!) and one has to feel sorry for him. (I keep forgetting that Crona is male, since he looks female to me). I guess we’ll find out if this treatment has destroyed his humanity or if there is a good person lurking underneath.

I liked the scenes with Stein and Death Scythe. Even though Death Scythe tends to be on the sleazy side, I can tell he really loves his daughter. Be aware that there are scenes involving Blair Witch that some might describe as ecchi. But I’ve seen worse in Food Wars lol

There is also another consideration here, that of Soul having the Black Blood in him. How will that work out, and will it become a problem? More to come, can’t wait to read it!

Virtual Book Tour: Article 15 by M.T. Bass

Good morning! Please welcome author M.T. Bass to Full Moon Dreaming. He is here to tell us about his new release, Article 15. M.T. will be awarding a $50 Amazon/BN GC to one randomly drawn commenter via Rafflecopter during the tour. The more you comment, the better your chances of winning. To find the other stops on his tour, go here. Don't forget to look for the Rafflecopter at the end of this post!

Article 15

by M.T. Bass

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

GENRE:   Mystery

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

BLURB:

“She was one in a million…and the day I met her I should have bought a lottery ticket instead.”

***~~~***

Griffith Crowe, the "fixer" for a Chicago law firm, falls for his current assignment, Helena Nicholson, the beautiful heir of a Tech Sector venture capitalist who perished in a helicopter crash leaving her half a billion dollars, a Learjet 31, and unsavory suspicions about her father's death. As he investigates, the ex-Navy SEAL crosses swords with Helena’s step-brother, the Pentagon’s Highlands Forum, and an All-Star bad guy somebody has hired to stop him. When Griff finds himself on the wrong side of an arrest warrant he wonders: Is he a player or being played?


Lawyers and Lovers and Guns…Oh, my!

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

EXCERPT:

The low, almost husky yet honey smooth female voice poured seductively over Griff and blanked his mind as he turned into the pilot’s lounge. Though dimly lit, as they all were to facilitate napping, her red dress glowed like a hearth, yet she still wore her sunglasses as she studied her iPhone’s screen, slouching and sitting askew in one of the La-Z-Boy recliners with her legs crossed. Griff’s eye was drawn to the slow but rhythmic bounce of her stiletto heel. Predator had become prey. She took off her Jackie Ohhs, looked Griff up and down, then took a deep breath.

“Mmmm…tall, dark and dangerous…just the way I like them.”

Griff locked onto her blue-gray eyes and surrendered. He leaned against the door jam. His inside voice taunted, No plan survives contact with the enemy.

“I couldn’t help but notice Lance’s Escalade on the ramp. He is a conniving bastard, isn’t he? Of course, he is a lawyer, but he does excel at it. Not to mention the unseemly delight he takes in it.”

“Always has,” Griff said. “As long as I’ve known him.”

“Then, you really shouldn’t be surprised.”

Griff smiled, realizing it wasn’t Mayor Daley’s fault that he was still on the ground in Chicago. “Name’s Griff.”

“Yes. I know.”

He waited, his face an implacable facade, one molded and hammered into place on the Coronado Beach while enduring BUD/S training. “You got a name? Or will you answer to minx or vixen?”

 “Hmmm…you like the ‘X’ words. I prefer Helena.”

“So…how long will we be playing Three Card Monte with modern art…Helena?

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

AUTHOR Bio and Links:

M.T. Bass is a scribbler of fiction who holds fast to the notion that while victors may get to write history, novelists get to write/right reality. He lives, writes, flies and makes music in Mudcat Falls, USA.

Born in Athens, Ohio, M.T. Bass grew up in St. Louis, Missouri. He graduated from Ohio Wesleyan University, majoring in English and Philosophy, then worked in the private sector (where they expect “results”) mainly in the Aerospace & Defense manufacturing market. During those years, Bass continued to write fiction. He is the author of eight novels: My Brother’s Keeper, Crossroads, In the Black, Somethin’ for Nothin’, Murder by Munchausen, The Darknet (Murder by Munchausen Mystery #2), The Invisible Mind (Murder by Munchausen Mystery #3) and Article 15. His writing spans various genres, including Mystery, Adventure, Romance, Black Comedy and TechnoThrillers. A Commercial Pilot and Certified Flight Instructor, airplanes and pilots are featured in many of his stories. Bass currently lives on the shores of Lake Erie near Lorain, Ohio.

M.T. Bass Author Links

Website:  https://www.mtbass.net

Blog:  https://www.owl-works.com

Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/owlworks/

Twitter:  https://twitter.com/Owlworks

Amazon Author Page:  http://www.amazon.com/author/mtbass

Goodreads:  https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5270962.M_T_Bass

Article 15 Purchase Links

Author Web Site Info Page: https://mtbassauthor.wordpress.com/scribblings/article-15-griffith-crowe-1/

Amazon:  TBA July 24, 2019

https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/article-15-a-griffith-crowe-adventure/id1444570485?mt=11

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/article-15-mt-bass/1129939582?ean=2940155886839

Kobo:  TBA

https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/908763

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

You’re marooned on a small island with one person and one item of your choice—who is that person and what item do you have?

This is an easy one:  My stunning, mystery companion, Lola, and my trusty Guild D-35 acoustic guitar. With love and music, what more could I need? Besides, idle fingers are the devil’s playground.

What is your idea of how to spend romantic time with your significant other?

We have the best seats in the house right out back, looking out to sea. Pair that with wine, a roaring fire, and Delmonicos or bourbon brown sugar glazed salmon off the fire…the moon and stars above. It works every time.

When you start a new story, do you begin with a character, or a plot?

Both, I think.  After months, sometimes years of loading up my brain with seemingly irrelevant data, there’s usually a snippet of a scene synthesizing an odd combination of items that percolates up to the top of my consciousness. For example, Waxy and Albert awakening in the wreckage of the plane crash in Somethin’ for Nothin’ came after inputing Animal House, Treasure of the Sierra Madre and a series of books about bush flying in Alaska. In My Brother’s Keeper, it was Hawk reloading for the movie starlet in the motel bed and getting the call about his brother’s death. The insanely absurd memo at the beginning of In the Black calling for right-handed people to be left-handed and visa-versa was one I feared would show up in my in-box one day from some power mad middle manager. But his one, Article 15,  started with no character, no plot, just a single spoken line: “She was one in a million and the day I met her I should have bought a lottery ticket instead.”  It took a while to finally put those words into Griff’s mouth, but I knew all along it was going to be trouble for him.

If they were to make the story of your life into a movie, who should play you?

Top Gun…Days of Thunder…Mission Impossible…Jack Reacher. Yup, obviously, Tom Cruise would be the most logical choice. But I’m sure that once I inevitably get booted off the screenplay, it would probably be either Leonard or Sheldon from Big Bang Theory. 

Who’s your favorite horror villain and why?

Hmmm, I’d say it would have to be a toss up between Norman Bates and Hannibal Lector.  There’s that dark side lurking out there in everyone. It’s there in the eyes. You know, like Norman says, “We all go a little crazy sometimes.”

Do you have an historical crush and if so, who is it?

This one goes back a little ways—like almost thirty centuries ago: the face which launched a thousand ships, Helen of Troy. She appears in In the Black (Helen Troyer) and again in Article 15 (Helena). There’s always a woman…and where there is, trouble is sure to follow. Sweet, delicious trouble…

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Wednesday Briefs: In Pieces #76 (18.3)

Good morning and Happy Hump Day! If it's Wednesday, then it must be time for more flash fiction from the Wednesday Briefers! We're a group of authors who bring you our finest flash fiction every week, 500 to 1000 words, inspired by one of our prompts.

A worried Ryan is determined to find Ben, who raced off into the night in Cameron's car. Luckily, he finds an ally in Aiden, and soon the whole band is determined to help.Can they find Ben before it's too late? See what's happening in this week's chapter of In Pieces. Don't forget to visit the other Briefers and see what's up with them! Their links follow my tale! Enjoy!

In Pieces #76 (18.3)

Within minutes of Aiden sending a text, Deacon and Keanu were knocking at the door.

“Sorry to wake you,” Ryan apologized, out of habit, once they entered the room.

“Not a problem,” Deacon assured him. “This is way more important than sleep.”

“Not that we were asleep,” Keanu added with a knowing wink.

“Thanks for coming so quickly, guys,” Aiden said. He filled in the two men on what was happening, both the situation with Ben and the one with Abby and Cameron. “That’s why we need the van,” he finished. “We need to find Ben as soon as possible.”

Ryan had always considered Deacon to be the more calm and rational member of the pair, and he was proving Ryan to be correct in this instance. Deacon glanced between him and Aiden, then to Abby. “Why don’t I go with Ryan to find Ben?” he suggested. “Keanu can wait here with you and keep an eye out for Cameron, in case he decides to come back. Not that I think he will, but the man doesn’t always use his common sense.”

Ryan thought Aiden looked torn between his desire to find Ben and his need to keep Abby safe. He glanced at his twin, as if deciding where he was needed most, then nodded.

“Maybe we should go wait in your room?” Aiden said to Ryan. “In case Ben comes back first. Cameron won’t think to bother Abby there.”

That made sense. Ryan pulled the key card from his pocket and handed it to Aiden. “Thanks,” he said. “I appreciate this. If Ben should come back, please call me right away. You have my number, right?”

“I have everyone’s numbers,” Aiden said. “Go on now. We’ll be fine.”

Everyone exited the hotel room at the same time. Abby gave Ryan a hug as Keanu and Deacon exchanged a quick kiss. “Don’t worry, it’ll be okay,” she murmured. Then the three headed off toward Ryan and Ben’s room as Ryan followed Deacon to the van. Deacon unlocked the passenger door then rounded the front of the van and got in himself. The night was eerily still. Ryan’s heart was racing, fearful for Ben, worried for him. He must feel so lost and alone. What was he thinking?

Deacon started the van. “Any idea where he might have gone?”

“No, not a clue. I just know he was upset when he left. But he doesn’t know this town any better than we do, does he?”

“I wouldn’t think so,” Deacon replied, tapping his fingers against the steering wheel. “I’ll just choose a direction and start driving. While I do, you want to keep calling him, see if you can get him to pick up?” He made a right onto the road as he spoke, quickly leaving the motel lights behind them.

Good idea. Ryan pulled out his phone and tried again to reach Ben. His call went straight to voice mail this time. After trying three more times, he sighed and gave up.

“How upset would you say Ben is?” Deacon glanced at Ryan.

“On a scale of one to ten? Probably a hundred,” Ryan replied.

“He’s that upset with his mother? I’m not trying to be nosy, I just want to understand his mindset, you know? I didn’t know Liza very long or very well. Ben disbanded Primary Wisdom shortly after Keanu and I got there. And then he formed Salvation, and she wasn’t in the picture any more. But he never really gave any explanation for what happened and we never discussed it.  I got the impression, though, from the little that I saw of her and some of what went down back then, that she was pure poison. Very controlling and very demanding.”

“That’s putting it mildly,” Ryan said.

“Then maybe… now, don’t take this the wrong way, but maybe we should head down to the river,” Deacon suggested.

Ryan gave him an alarmed look. “Why? You don’t think… he wouldn’t….”

“Better safe than sorry,” Deacon said. Ryan couldn’t argue with that.

That was as good a place as any to look. Not like there were a lot of places open at this time of night. He didn’t think Ben would be interesting in shopping.

Ryan stared morosely at the darkened buildings they passed, paying no real attention to where they were. Was Ben really so desperate… had she abused him so badly that he couldn’t stand to live anymore, knowing what had happened to him? Or was it the shame of having his secret revealed?

If they found him… no, scratch that. When they found him, Ryan would make Ben see that none of that mattered, he didn’t care. None of that was his fault, and he loved him, unconditionally, no matter what.

When Ryan looked up, he realized Deacon had found his way to a street that paralleled the river. No boats were moving at this time of night, and traffic on the road was sparse. The river was a lot longer than he’d imagined. Ben could be anywhere. Would they be able to find him, especially if he didn’t want to be found?

After maybe an hour of fruitless searching, Deacon pulled into an empty parking lot, underneath a light standard, and pulled out his phone.

“What’s the matter?” Ryan asked, alarmed. He hadn’t heard the phone ring, but maybe Deacon had it set on vibrate. Maybe Ben had come back… or something worse.

“Nothing,” Deacon assured him. “I don’t know why I didn’t think of this before.” He began to fiddle with his phone. Ryan had no idea what he was doing, but he mentally crossed his fingers that whatever it was had to do with finding Ben.

“There’s a device manager on all our phones. I’ve never needed to use it before, but you can get the location of any of the others using this.”

“What if the phone’s not on?” Ryan fretted.

“Doesn’t matter. And bingo, there he is.”

to be continued

Now go see what's up with the other Briefers!

Cia Nordwell

J Alan Veerkamp

Carol Pedroso

Book Review: Bleach, Vol 8 by Tite Kubo

Bleach, Vol 8              

Author: Tite Kubo

Publisher: Viz Media

American release date: August 3, 2005

Format/Genre/Length: Paperback/Manga/Supernatural/200 pages

Overall Personal Rating: ★★★★★

Kiskue Uruhara is training Ichigo so that he can go to the Soul Society and rescue Rukia before she is executed. But Kiskue’s tests are… well, something else. In fact, some might call them extreme. This one is called encroachment, where the chain Ichigo is attached to at the bottom of a deep hole begins to devour itself. If they get too close to Ichigo, they’ll devour him. If he doesn’t get out of that hole within seven days, he’ll become a Hollow and they’ll have to put him down!

Meanwhile, Mr. Yoruichi, the talking cat, is training Orihime and Chad to prepare them to accompany Ichigo to the Soul Society. But so far results haven’t been the best. The feline tells them to remember what was going on when their powers first manifested, who did they want to protect.

Jinta and Ururu think Ichigo is transforming and want to dispatch him, but Kiskue bids them to wait. Ichigo finds himself in a strange place with a strange man in black, who tries to get Ichigo to realize who he is. A figure is seen emerging from the shaft, but is it Ichigo or a Hollow?

For the third test, Kiskue tells Ichigo to knock his hat off. Sounds simple, but nothing is every truly easy where Mr. Hat-and-clogs is concerned!

Back in the Soul Society, Byakuya pronounces sentence on Rukia, who seems resigned to her fate. 

Afterward, he is approached by two of the other captains—Gin Ichimaru of 3^rd Squad and Kenpachi Zaraki of the 11th Squad. (An odd couple, indeed)

Ichigo is finding that it’s not as easy to knock off Kiskue’s hat as he imagined. Will Uruhara really kill him if he gets the chance? Or is that just a part of his training technique?

And where is Ishida? Why isn’t he training? Or does he really intend to stay out of this?

And what the heck is the Wall of Koryu, and just how dangerous is it?

This volume of Bleach is all about Ichigo and his companions preparing themselves to enter the Soul Society and rescue Rukia, a daunting task at best. There are so many questions that need to be answered! One advantage of reading the manga, even while watching the anime, is that the manga sometimes explains things I wondered about. Like how all these people stand around in the middle of the air as though they were on solid ground. Zangetsu explains to Ichigo that it is the reishi floating in the air that coalesces and allows the Soul Reapers to apparently stand on nothing. Good to know!

Kiskue Uruhara is a very strange and unusual character. The mysterious shop owner must have more to him than we can see, considering the powers he displays when training Ichigo. Who or what is he? Sorry, gotta wait for his backstory. Same with the talking cat.

With Bleach, never assume that what you see is what you get. Or that people are what they seem. I’ve been fooled by that before. More than once. This volume has a lot going on, but there are still questions.

How can Byakuya be so calm as to accept the execution of his sister? Why is she so resigned to such a fate? There has to be more to it than this. I believe, even when this situation is resolved, that the truth goes far deeper, and that even as far as I am in the anime, I don’t know everything. But I have my suspicions, which it’s too early to share. Let me just say that I believe everything happens for a reason and nothing is coincidence.

Another great volume of Bleach, looking forward to the next one!