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I graduated from the University of Illinois at Springfield with a Bachelors Degree in Communication.
Q: Do you write mostly for your own satisfaction or with the hope that others will read and better understand you and what your thoughts are?
A: I have always enjoyed writing. It seems that the mind is a gateway to another realm, and if I can capture that essence and transfix the reader, then my goal has been met.
Q:When and how did you first become so enamored with the realm of legend, magic, and spirits?
A: I was born into it. From my grandfather to my father, the love of sci- fi has always has been there. It is a cherished part of who I, and my family are.
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MY ACCOMPLISHMENTS:
- -Graduated from the University of Illinois at Springfield with Honors.
-In 2004 I received both the James Andrews Memorial and Louise HartmanSchewe Scholarships. - -A few of my poems will be published on Roses-and-Rainbows.com Autumn issue through
www.poetexpress.com
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MY FAVORITE LINKS:
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BOOKS PUBLISHED:
Secrets in the Study: Unpublished and Written in College-
So you have heard of all the tales and legends, the threads of half vampires killing one another, trying to mix their blood with the lycan, of evil clans living in old England. Through my childhood I learned that some of it was true, and other parts were embellished as it was passed on from generation to the next to keep the younger ones in line. It was the only thing to do really. What more could you tell a new rogue vampire with unbelievable abilities to keep them in line. There was protection in that learned innocence.
Once I was one of them, I awoke having been one of the few vampires actually begotten by a human mother. My father was a mysterious ghost. He only came around at night. His name- Aeris, but he was not dark in spirit as would befit the typical vampire tales I was read at bedtime. I could see it in his face. Dad had dark brown hair cut short above the ear. Those jade eyes could pierce the purple darkness of the night and command anyone’s attention. I think he sensed me then, as one of his own. He'd never admit it to me though. My evenings spent in the upstairs study seem an endless dream. It’s what I remember most from my childhood, because that’s where it felt most like we were a real family. Sage, my mother, and Aeris would stay up for hours just watching the dancing red flames in the fireplace tickle the air. I'd fall asleep outside room on the floor in the hall. Near dawn, my father would pick me up and place me in my bed with a kiss to the temple of my head.
If it were early yet in the night, sometimes he would read to me. But he never read stories like “Winnie the Pooh,” or “Cinderella.”. –No, he read me stories such as “The Chronicles of Narnia,” “The Hobbit,” or “Camelot.” He was aware that I was beyond the simple happy- ever- after plots. My father was teaching me, in his own way, values and lessons from those epic adventures. There is magic in all things though not apparent at first. I learned to have faith in man, that through it all we can persevere, to be humble, and to forgive. If I look carefully, it’s all there. And inevitably, my human side is vulnerable. Lancelot fell in love and committed treason. One of the boys in Narnia fell under the spell of the white witch. Am I as frail?+++
So now as I contemplate who I am, I wonder. Do I even posses a soul? Or was I born cursed? My mother says my human half is predominate in me. Does that mean I'm good? I've aged twice as fast and grown at twice the rate of a normal human child. Childhood was but a brief memory. I am writing down as much as I can recall. Perhaps, I will find some buried answers if I place it all down. There are pieces here that linger.
Now where was I? Oh yes, the study. It’s so hard to remember those nights. But from the studied look upon my mother's face, it looked like she was listening somehow to Dad. I remember that my eyes felt very heavy, but I fought my sleep. Sleep, that dubious villain; I never knew when it would strike. Perhaps my father had something to do with this? Could he have very well been speaking somehow to Mom, and make me tired? If so, then that would explain why I always felt so tired by that room. It always happened there. I remember that’s why I took my pillow. Eventually I would succumb to the spell. Or is it just the human part of me that defers to the preference to sleep at night? So am I part vampire after all? I never fell asleep right away really. I just felt drowsy.
But one night, yes - it was New Years Eve. I was ten in human years and my mind was sharp as a whip. I voluntarily went to my room that night. Mom was in the study watching the fire and drinking her wine. I had wished her good night and crept down the hardwood floors towards my room with a smile. I thought it odd that Dad had not appeared at the door as he did once a week around ten o'clock. Then again, maybe he came to see Mom in the later part of the night? It's possible.
The covers were pulled over my head. I inhaled the deep lavender scent of the sheets. (It was my mother's favorite). Patience was key then. I let the scent carry me away. My mind slipped into the lonely shadows of the room; I felt as if I were floating. I was conscious of my surroundings. It was then I knew my father had underestimated me. In that moment as I moved towards the door, I saw myself in the silver glass on the wall, but I was no more than a shimmering mist rolling under the door. It was the first time I had shone any vampiric abilities, and I was not quite sure what to do next. I floated down the hall along the floor and rolled into the study.
My form was a looming mist that descended under the Victorian love seat. It was then I felt his presence. I remember that I tried to keep my mind free of thought. Or else, I think he would have known I was there. Somehow, the instinct to keep still prevailed. The window to the study blew open, and his dark shapeless form took a captivating presence in the room. I think it was then, when I was watching him that my human shape returned. For in the next instant, I remember batting my long eyelashes as my father’s shoes strode about the room.
Mother’s bare feet moved from the area by the windowsill to her favorite winged- back chair by the fire. She folded the delicate blue satin robe about her legs as she sat. Father, however, remained still for a moment. Fighting the urge to let my human heart pound in anxiety was one of the hardest things I’d ever done. I cursed my patient father under my breath (It was not the last time). I heard their voices clearly then, thinking back to that night.
“Where is Myria?” he asked in an ominous voice.
“She is sleeping.” There was a long pause. Silence.
“We shared a sip of wine and toasted some marshmallows in the fire.” Sage replied in a soft reply.
“How is she? Any changes?” I heard an air of concern in his voice.
“Her mind and body continue to grow at a fast rate. The doctor’s think she has some human disease, which she may end up eight or nine feet tall. … I can’t remember what he called it.”
It was then I heard the pop of a knee and saw dad’s legs cross one over the other.
“But you didn’t let them take her blood? As we have discussed, they must not, or I shall have to take her from you my love”
There was another pause.
“Not again. I simply could not bear it Aeris. You already have Persis…”
At that point, my fingernails had been digging into the hardwood surface of the floor. I remember- Father take me? Take me where? And who is Persis? It was at that moment I betrayed my presence by hitting my head on the underside of the very couch he was sitting on. In the next instant, he removed himself from the loveseat and simply pushed it back to reveal my presence.
“You have a way of showing up at the least expected times, Myria”
I stood up then as I spoke, “I suppose so.”
“How did you get into the room?” He arched up a brow.
“I floated in. Who is Persis?” My eyes scanned each of their faces as I stood like the revealed investigator before them both.
I remember my father looking to my mother with a knowing look. I’d heard too much as it was. My knowledge of Persis, as they both knew, would only serve to perpetuate my eaves dropping all the more.
“Persis is your twin brother Myria.”
“And you kept this from me?” I surged towards my father. “What have you done with him? Why?”
My fingers were removed from my father’s lapel as he answered.
“Persis is in London. He was born showing the full marks of vampirism. His tiers were already in place at birth. We could not risk having the two of you together. It’s a miracle he didn’t kill you Myria.”
I sat down upon the couch feeling calmed as my father’s soothing voice took hold of me. He still has that effect on me. I’ve never really been able to overcome that. Damned human weaknesses.
“Kill me?” I gulped.
“Yes Myria, he had been feeding upon you and your mother’s blood during the pregnancy. But for some reason- unknown- you endured.”
My eyes looked over to Sage. Her delicate hands were folded in her lap, and she was looking to Aeris as he spoke.
Thinking back now, I’ve always been able to overcome insurmountable odds. The virility of the vampire coupled with my determination to survive make good bedfellows. Now where was I? Oh yes.
My head moved from one parent to the other. “So what happens now? Do I get to see Persis?”
It was then my mother spoke up. “You are no match for Persis my love. He would grow very jealous if he knew of your existence. His nature is dark Myria. Very dark.” Her face drew to a whisper near the end, but she continued as my father nodded his head.
“Your father has managed to keep your existence a secret all these years from your brother. He’s not adapted to the idea of being half human. His lust for blood and temper reek havoc on those in the vampire community. Seems he thinks he has to make up for and take on the darker traits to be a true vampire. He knows nothing of humility, Myria.”
So that’s where I am today, about ready to enter the vampire community, and having to hide to my true identity. After that day in the study, my father spent as much time as he could with me teaching the old and new ways. I treasure those endless nights in the study. But I’m still searching for answers. Pity Persis does not know of me, but perhaps soon he will. Someone has to end his fun, don’t they?
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Forest City- This is raw, partialy unedited, but here for you to enjoy.
Life on the planet Nalerian was different now. The skies above and the nature of the natural plants on the world were a strange twist of technology and natural life. A flower, which once clung to the soil for its nutrition, was now a conglomerate of machinery and engineered biology. Food was produced in technology warehouses because parts of the planet were still polluted. Science’s answer had been to alter the plants. It had been a quick answer to a desperate situation.
For hundreds of years Rebis Novar had watched the Elites poison the planet, but he didn’t know how to stop them. The concern and worry had given him crow’s feet under his eyes, and several fine lines upon his temple. The Elites knew what was happening, but so did he. It was almost like the Elites knew about the state of the planet and remained indifferent. As the lands natural beauty decayed, he wandered Nalerian. Rebis was looking for a safe place. Land untouched by the pollution. The desserts grew in size, and the lakes and ponds disappeared. Nothing was pure. But that’s what the Elites thought. He’d made sure to hide himself and in the northern lands of Galaire.
The Elite Scouts often overlooked the northern lands. Their devices never seemed to work properly or take accurate readings. None dare cross the vast desert around the forest. It was an eerie place devoid of any life. Red sands often blew like tornadoes. Ruby red crystals protruded out of the sand, standing as the only objects. With a single touch, one could easily feel the smooth surface, but a piece of the red crystal in the skin caused nausea. Those crystals contained surface contaminates, that weathered away with time. The yellow sun baked the red sands during the passing days. From the earth, a steamy orange vapor would rise to paint the afternoon skies. At night, the blue stars sprinkled the night’s black veil with sapphire dust. The air was a dry unpalatable mix of sand, dust, and microscopic crystals. If the endless red sands were crossed, the ice capped Red Crystal Mountains were the next barrier to Galaire. It was here that the “old forest” nestled itself in the mist of the Red Crystal Mountains.
Because Galaire was segregated from the rest of Nalerian, it created an illusion of being in another place entirely. The air grew pure near the bottom of the mountains. Once down to the forest floor, it would seem that the mountains had a more grand appearance. It was a deeper drop to the forest floor. Rebis speculated that the area had once been a shallow lake. Vegetation had sprung up and was now thriving on the remnants of nitrates in the soil. Underground springs provided the vital element of water.
Rebis spent his time in the forest looking over the plants, classifying any new hybrids, flowers, vines or bushes. He knew every tree in the woods, could tell if the animals had brushed by them. If it were not for the red crystal mountains guarding the lower lands from wind and contaminates, his world would not exist. Additionally, it seemed that some element in the red crystal managed to reflect the attempts of scanning from the outside.
In time Feyria Shadows, an Elitist scientist and traveler, managed to cross the red desert by utilizing her experience in the field and technical know how. It was here, atop a red ice capped cliff, that the pearl haired beauty stood speechless at the natural green visage before her. During her travels, she had only come across a few plants that had been able to evolve and survive. She wore a red leather body suit that fit like a second skin to protect her from unpredictable conditions, and a pair of black goggles to protect her eyes. Her leather gloves were specially fabricated to allow her cling surfaces in times of heavy winds or to traverse down the mountains. With a click on her red boots, the cleats extended and she began to descend down the side of the mountain.
Novar was a recluse in the woods, a man whom clung to the old ways. Instead of carrying any advanced field equipment, he carried a knife, compass, and material like pouches made from leaves. He wore none of the special field leathers here. Novar chose to wear clothing made from materials like cotton. He ate only what naturally grew in the forest, or whatever he could catch with simple spring traps. There was a delicate balance of life in the woods. Novar respected that.
It was this day that he noticed the movement in the Red Crystal Mountains. Nothing short of the winds moved up there. His fear and curiosity rolled in utter turmoil; fingers smoothed the brown whiskers upon his chin. Black leather booted feet began to move towards the descending lithe figure. Novar felt his shirt grow wet from the hour of watching her. If there was one Elite here, more could have followed. This one though seemed more interested in the natural plants. Feyria slowly walked through the woods. She removed her glove and touched the bark of a tree. A leaf was plucked and a delicate brow arched up. “She did not have any instruments with her to harm the woods,” he thought. At the moment, she was not a threat. There was a gentle touch to her exploration of the surrounding fauna.
Dark blue eyes watched her every movement. It was when he was transfixed upon her pearl white hair and long blue lashes that his mind slipped away. The mystery of her presence had made his imagination go wild with thoughts, but those eyes of hers had a depth he had never seen. Feyria noticed the pair of blue orbs in a hypnotic like state.
It was when she reached forward that he suddenly stood up and flew back a few paces. A large black flutter of cloak swirled up as he fell back and hit his head on a tree stump. He was speechless before everything went dark. Novar awoke in a bright room and he could not move. He was lying down; he could figure that much out. When he tried to lift an arm, it did not move. Rebis could shift his head freely to the left and right. The room’s walls were green smooth steel, and looked as if constructed by large plant cells. However, each cell was a segmented puzzle pattern joined with computer chips. His mind raced as his eyes looked through dark grey glass to the outdoors. Brown rain was falling from the sky and the wind was pelting the glass. The trees outside, if they were trees, did not blow in the wind. There was something unnatural about this place. He could sense the plant life, but it was not right somehow. These plants were different than those in the old woods. Suddenly, he felt the rush of air as a piece of the segmented door disappeared.
Feyria’s boots clacked against the floor as she neared him. “I see you are finally awake.”
Unable to speak, he simply stared keeping his guard.
Feyria continued and arched up a delicate brow,” I suppose you are not going to tell me who you are, or what you were doing in Galaire?”
“Or more so to the point, how do you manage to live in those woods?” She continued on, “We took samples of your clothing. How odd that it is purely made from a strange plant material. One that we thought was extinct”
Sapphire eyes squinted and focused on her, “Why can’t I move? Where am I?”
Feyria looked to him with a callous smile, “You answer my question, and perhaps I will answer one of yours.”
Fists tightened in frustration as his brow furrowed, “You were the one to enter my woods, my home! Then you kidnap me and bring me to this unholy place. A pretend world, one made of technology, because you – the Elites- polluted and poisoned the land. This place does nothing but mock what we once had. You dare take me from Galaire and demand answers?”
Blue lashes gave a long blink to his words. She had seen him as an outcast, one that rejected what the Elites had accomplished. Or possibly had he been a pilot and become stranded there? Here this man was blaming her for society’s downfall.
She wet her lips before she spoke; her head tilted to the side. “I am Feyria.”
A sharp breath was taken. “ I brought you to Forest City because I thought you were stranded in Galaire.” “You blacked out back in the woods.”
A finger touched a control panel; the alarm indicated rising levels of blood pressure and heart rate. Her piercing gaze cooled. “If you calm down I might let out of the medical bay.”
With that promise, maybe she could ply some answers from him. As far as anyone else was concerned, he was John Doe. Novar didn’t exist. Feyria knew where the cameras were and how to avoid them. It had been easy to cover up is limp form and use a gravitational cot to bring him him.
There she had said it, escape. Rebis gave her coy smile. “I am Novar, and I choose to live in Galaire.”
She moved over toward a wall, and removed a plant from inside a segment. Her tone was now inquisitive. “The plant samples I brought back. I’ve not seen any of these alive. We have a record of them on file of course, but many of these plants were thought to be gone long ago.” She looked to him then searching for answers.
His face had softened in appearance; the scowl disappeared. “You must not let them know Feyria. You can’t. They will convert and clone the remaining plants. You know that don’t you?” His tone was serious now as he looked at her helplessly from the table. Those words were a logical plea that struck a nerve.
She felt as if she were speaking to a small child now; her voice become more simplified and curt. “Yes Novar, I know.”
There was a pause and a soft sigh, “ Plans are underway, pending my report, to convert the Red Crystal Mountains and the area, into a livable habitat for the “Elites.”
He maintained his composure, but his face went though several shades of red in the process. Loosing his temper with this logical sack of hormones would not net him any results.
“Dam her and the Elites,” A fist tightened, while eyes averted her gaze.
Teeth grit, as his mind raced, “Didn’t they understand that Galaire was all that was left of the untouched biology on the Nalarian?”
An Ivory finger pressed a button on a wall releasing the gravitational hold on his upper body, thus allowing him to sit upon the table.
Another sigh could be heard as patience wore thin, “I did not expect to find anything inside the mountains, you know?” “The objective is to terraform the mountains, and use nanite technology to build livable structures, such as this tree for the Elites.”
Novar twisted his form around and spoke quickly feeling frustrated, “You don’t understand do you? Galaire is who we once were. Those trees, the flowers, the natural smells are all “we” have left.”
Eyes darted around the room looking at the segmented walls, as he forced himself to calm down. Anger showed weakness. “The Elites would have us forget who we are. The hierarchy wants us to forget its mistakes. They no longer care about preserving anything from the past. They what they do not posses. Sure they have repaired the ecosystem, but at what cost? Why did they not do something sooner?”
Feyria had placed the plant sample under a scanner and was looking through a lens as he stated his case. Her mind raced, “He had made some good points, hadn’t he?” While the Elites had denied knowledge of a way to repair the ecosystem in its early stages, she knew better. Frustration was brewing within her. “I designed the schematics for the nanites during my internship.” Feyria almost blurted it out.
The nanites were developed to help the plants adapt to the polluted environment. They were only supposed to collect and consume pollutants to prevent the plants from being killed. Since then, all her coworkers and superiors had denied any knowledge or interest the Elites had in following through with the development of the nanite technology.
Something went wrong. The plants were changed, taking on a more solid form; they were transformed into living chips. All the plant life on Nalerian became transformed into a technological marvel. The plants had been saved, and still produced oxygen. The nanites ate the pollution, but once they had consumed a majority of the pollutants, the transformation had begun. The Elites denied all knowledge of this side effect, and said that society would greatly benefit. No one ever seem to question the Elites. For generations, the hierarchy of elders had lead unchallenged. Their power was unchecked.
Humans and the plant life now coexisted in a new way. People could literally program the trees to make living space. The segmented walls could be moved. The pigments could be lightened or darkened for windows. There was a beauty to all of this, but how much further, what other plans did the Elites have? Feryia now wondered, “ What would happen if the nanites completely consumed the plants instead of mixing with their biological makeup?” The questions began to build more intensely; she had always assumed that the Elites had the best of intentions.
Feyria’s violet orbs locked with Novar’s sapphire eyes in a questioning manner, “What are you proposing Novar?”
As soon as Novar heard the change in tone, he gained a new respect for her. Feyria was listening; questioning the government and their motives.
There was almost a pleading tone; “I’d appreciate it if you released me? Second, we need a way to make Galaire impervious to those nanites. I’d rather not alter the plants in doing it though. That would defeat the purpose of preserving the woods.”
Red boots clacked against the metal floors as she moved to his side and pressed a series of buttons to release the gravitational hold upon his legs. Rebis hopped down off the table and stood over her small lithe frame. He noticed she was still wearing that red leather suit, “Are all of the Elites wearing these now?”
Her long lashes fluttered as her stomach knotted with his close presence. Novar’s scent was intoxicating. There was a hint of his natural masculine scent intermingling with the floral plant sample in the room, and she could smell it faintly on his clothing.
She hesitated a moment before speaking, “Ah. No this is an experimental bio suit I designed. You are looking at one of the prototypes.”
There was an air of pride in her voice. “Now for your second request. We need a barrier of some type. If we can’t alter the plants of Galaire.. .Then we must look at the borders of Galaire. ..” She trailed off as her mind began to think. One could hear the gears going in her mind.
A single finger moved to her lips as she paced the floor, “Something that would deactivate the nanites, like an electromagnetic field, No technology would be able to permeate the area.. If we could base the field in the mountains..”
He looked at her and smiled, “Then they may think that the Red Crystal Mountains are the source of the field, and the woods would remain intact with the mountains protection.”
His arms folded across his chest with a nod of approval. “Is your report going to reflect that information?” He seemed eager now to get this plan underway.
Feyria hesitantly turned from Rebis and touched a panel revealing a section with newer equipment. There was another red suit, which oddly looked as if it had been worn.
Revis looked from the suit and back to Feyria, “Had she dressed me in this to get me back?”
As if she read his mind, “The suit fits you very well I might add. It’s the only way I could get you out of the mountains.”
He turned to her, “Indeed” He asked no further questions as Feryia gathered supplies. His suntanned hand extended to take the suit. Rebis fumbled a bit with the tight fit over his loose clothes, but by the time he had the snaps in place, Feyria was placing black goggles upon his head. She had a palm pilot in her hand with some type of script on it.
He nodded his head towards her and leaned forward, “Is that the report?”
She answered quickly, “Yes, and we will have to get the EM (electromagnetic) units in place in order for me to send the false readings. We must hurry.”
They both walked side by side down the green-segmented halls lit by the ceiling units. Upon each their backs, they carried two of the EM units. Feyria’s hand extended to touch the panel at the end of the hall. To Revis, it looked no more a door than an area of wall. His mouth moved but no words came out.
He watched and looked behind them as they left. The city landscape resembled Galaire, but more rigid. The metal tress had brown-segmented bark, grayish windows were in scattered places, and the canopies formed overhangs. What might have been brown paths in the woods were roads here - metal grate segmented roads.
Rebis turned to his accomplice in with a puzzled look to his face, “What is this place called?”
She turned to him as she mounted the transport motorcycle that floated freely above the ground. She took the handlebars and motioned him to take a seat in back of her, “Forest City. It was once much like your woods. Tis what will happen to Galaire if you do not get on.” He complied immediately. It was a strange vehicle and he held on tight.
The backpacks made it awkward to sit on the bike. Rebis sat back and held on to the bar behind him. The strange sounds of Forest City soon became a blur as the brown-segmented paths ended and the red sands of the desert crept beneath them in swirling red masses. In the distance, the Red Crystal Mountains stood like a pillar in the distance. Feyria locked her eyes on the goal ahead. She knew the transports would be moving slowly due to the construction equipment. The workers had been dispatched to work on the outlying roads, and then were to be ordered out further, pending the report.
Feyria’s lips smiled as they passed the border of the city; she would look back only once. It was all she needed. Forest City became a translucent hallucination washed away by the red veil of the desert. They did not stop, didn’t look back. The Elites would soon be forgotten. The bike stopped short of the first signs of Red Crystal Mountains that protruded from the red sands. She gave Rebis a nod and proceeded to use a compass to locate south. Inside a nitch in the rock, she anchored the EM unit in place. With a nod, she looked to him, and got back on the bike. They spent the evening traveling round the circumference of the mountains.
Once all units were in place, she stood back a few paces and took the remaining equipment off of her bike. The bike would not work inside the field, and she didn’t want to leave it lying outside the mountains. Feyria set the autopilot and destination for Forest City. Noone would be quite sure what had happened to her. She flipped open her palm communicator and took a reading of the mountains. With a few settings recorded she pressed the send button and then threw the pad into the mountains. It would be useless now, her report sent in and her bike returned. It might seem that she was purposely setting up evidence of an accident.
Novar looked at her and picked up some packs that she had placed on the ground. “What do you think you are doing?”
She looked up with an obnoxious smile, “Disappearing” “You don’t really think I could go back after this do you? And miss the opportunity to learn about my roots? Study Galaire? I could spend a lifetime here.”
He arched up a brow and stepped near her. His arms spanned her waist. She felt the pressure and smiled, feeling goofy yet with the black goggles on. Feyria’s hand touched his shoulder. “I’ll try not wear out my welcome.”
Feyria’s bike returned to Forest city the following day. Her report was sent to the lab. A Scientist at the lab noticed missing equipment. The form clad in a white cloak walked down the hall and disappeared behind a pair of green-segmented doors
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