On 5/1/15 Crazy Duck press is releasing the new edition of My Fearful Symmetry. Friday is launch day. The first 50 people to RSVP will receive a FREE EBOOK. We will also be giving away five paperback copies.
Showing posts with label Indian Vampires. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Indian Vampires. Show all posts
Wednesday, April 29, 2015
Sunday, June 22, 2014
What's Up with Denise?
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| Insane Author Person |
Okay, I promised not to drop off the face of the Earth, but right after that I received edits for the Crazy Duck Press edition of My Fearful Symmetry. After I finished those, I had to do some re-writes on Cara Mia, which I should be done with tonight.
Happy Dance!
All that being said, I'm looking forward to a July release of My Fearful Symmetry from Crazy Duck Press. I hope to have copies of this new edition at Confluence in Pittsburgh.
In addition to all these new editions of the Immortyl Revolution books, I've been doing research for a fantasy novel set in an 18th century-esque, South Seas culture. A lot of this has been on exotic diseases and archaic medical practices. A serious yuck factor, but it's interesting stuff. Yes, I'm one of those crazy people who read the CDC and NIH sites for fun.
For the urban fantasy novel I finished last summer, it was bugs that had me obsessed. Giant centipedes to be exact. Have you ever seen a centipede fight? If you haven't, look at this video on YouTube.
Seriously, you'll never sleep tight again.
Tuesday, February 5, 2013
Vampire Lore
In my reading, I
found that almost every culture has some sort of vampire myth. Most of the legends with which we are
familiar come from the Slavic tradition of Eastern Europe. These along with the legend of the real life
Vlad Dracul inspired Bram Stoker to write the most famous vampire tale of all
time, Dracula.
I find the
real-life Dracula far more scary than any literary vampire. Vlad Dracul (son of the dragon) or Vlad the
Impaler was a 15th century Wallachian prince. As a boy of eleven, the Ottoman Turks took
him hostage along with his brother, Radu the Handsome. It is probable that during this time that
Vlad suffered sexual abuse at the Ottoman court. His brother, however, converted to Islam and
went on to serve the Sultan. These
factors may well have contributed to Vlad’s intense hatred of the Turks and
inspired him to invent a particularly ghoulish way of dealing with his
enemies. Vlad’s victims were impaled
with a large wooden stake that went through the anal cavity and up through the
internal organs, ending out of the mouth.
The impaled prisoners were then set up around Vlad’s castle to terrorize
their comrades. Legend has it that these
unfortunates often suffered for two days before dying. Recently scientists have explored the story
with computer models, concluding that it is indeed possible to impale a body
this way to prolong suffering.
The folkloric
traditions of Eastern Europe have inspired much of the popular vampire
lore. In Slavic culture, belief in spirits
both good and evil abounded. Demons in
either human or animal form were said to feed on the blood of livestock and
human beings. Vampires were the
resurrected dead, pale of complexion with long fingernails and elongated
teeth. Sometimes they had only one
nostril. They were bloated, mindless
creatures that preyed on their own families and haunted their villages
Differing stories surrounded the creation of vampires. Some said that if one was illegitimate or the seventh son of a seventh son one was destined for vampirism. Death in childbirth or a cat or dog jumping over a corpse could result in a vampire.
Differing stories surrounded the creation of vampires. Some said that if one was illegitimate or the seventh son of a seventh son one was destined for vampirism. Death in childbirth or a cat or dog jumping over a corpse could result in a vampire.
Slavic vampires
didn’t exactly sparkle in the sunlight, but in some Malaysian stories they
do. Chinese vampires hopped. In Russia they were said to be witches who
rebelled against the church. Yet many of
the popular conceptions of vampires came from books and films not
folklore. For example, the idea of
vampires catching fire when hit with sunlight is most likely from the German
film, Nosferatu. Vampires did
hunt at night in legend, but this is most likely because it’s the best time to
catch people in a vulnerable state like sleep and not get caught. A stake through the heart is traditional but
not as the killing weapon. The stake
only held the vampire pinned to one spot for beheading, the only way to truly
kill one.
Although most of
the pop culture vampire myths were spawned in Eastern Europe, a lot of evidence
points to the legends arising out of India.
The Immortyl culture of my series arose from ancient India.
Indian mythology gives us many examples of vampire-like spirits and deities. In the various regions are found a plethora of demons that inhabit cremation and burial grounds that bear a striking resemblance to the vamps of Eastern Europe. Many of these are said to be the spirits of those who died an unnatural death, or a woman who died in childbirth. Others are succubus-like creatures that drain men of energy yet leave him with a feeling of euphoria. It is likely that traders along the Great Silk Road and gypsies carried these stories west.
In Greece, the tales gave inspiration to the Lamiae, or female vampire-like spirits.
One deity often associated with vampirism is Kali, a fierce form of the mother goddess and consort of Shiva. Like her husband she both creates and destroys. She’s often shown standing on the body of Shiva, symbolizing that in the scheme of the cosmos the male principle is subordinate to that of the female.
Kali is usually depicted with dark blue or black skin and three eyes. She wears body parts as jewelry and has a tongue that sticks out in defiance. Her favorite places are battlefields where she becomes intoxicated on the blood of victims.
Yet she is often misunderstood in the West. Kali is the goddess of time, not death. She only slays evil demons. Symbolically, she annihilates the selfish impulses and ego that bind us to our material bodies. Her aspect is fearsome, but she is called Kali Maa (Mother Kali) and is revered in many parts of India. Kolkata (Calcutta) is sacred to her and named for the goddess.
Indian mythology gives us many examples of vampire-like spirits and deities. In the various regions are found a plethora of demons that inhabit cremation and burial grounds that bear a striking resemblance to the vamps of Eastern Europe. Many of these are said to be the spirits of those who died an unnatural death, or a woman who died in childbirth. Others are succubus-like creatures that drain men of energy yet leave him with a feeling of euphoria. It is likely that traders along the Great Silk Road and gypsies carried these stories west.
In Greece, the tales gave inspiration to the Lamiae, or female vampire-like spirits.
One deity often associated with vampirism is Kali, a fierce form of the mother goddess and consort of Shiva. Like her husband she both creates and destroys. She’s often shown standing on the body of Shiva, symbolizing that in the scheme of the cosmos the male principle is subordinate to that of the female.
Kali is usually depicted with dark blue or black skin and three eyes. She wears body parts as jewelry and has a tongue that sticks out in defiance. Her favorite places are battlefields where she becomes intoxicated on the blood of victims.
Yet she is often misunderstood in the West. Kali is the goddess of time, not death. She only slays evil demons. Symbolically, she annihilates the selfish impulses and ego that bind us to our material bodies. Her aspect is fearsome, but she is called Kali Maa (Mother Kali) and is revered in many parts of India. Kolkata (Calcutta) is sacred to her and named for the goddess.
Tantric cults
often focus on Kali. Tantrism is an
older religious tradition than Hinduism, dating back before the Aryan tribes
migrated into India. These groups center
on Shakti worship and sometimes use sex and even blood in their rituals. The idea behind this is to gain control over
the body to capture divine energy and gain blessings. The adepts of the ancient arts in my
novels practice a form of tantrism.
Only one group
associated with Kali was violent and that was the Thugees. These devotees would waylay travelers and use
them as blood sacrifices to the goddess.
The Thugees were the inspiration behind the Kali worshipers in Indiana
Jones and the Temple of Doom.
No discussion of
vampire myth would be complete without Lillith.
In Hebrew tradition, Lillith is the first wife of Adam. She refuses to accept male dominance and
leaves for her home by the Red sea. She
couples with demons, giving birth to one hundred offspring a day. God sends three angels, Sanvi, Sansavani and
Semagelaf to bring her back to Adam and slay her demon children. Lillith takes revenge by preying upon the
children of Adam and Eve.
The three angels force Lillith to swear she will leave anyone alone who wears an amulet bearing their image or names. Up until the nineteenth century such amulets were given to newborn children and child-bearing women to ward off Lillith. There may even be a connection between Lillith and the mythology of India. Some say that the name Lillith means “Lily” or “Lotus”. This flower symbolizes female genitalia, or yoni and the gateway to the underworld.
The three angels force Lillith to swear she will leave anyone alone who wears an amulet bearing their image or names. Up until the nineteenth century such amulets were given to newborn children and child-bearing women to ward off Lillith. There may even be a connection between Lillith and the mythology of India. Some say that the name Lillith means “Lily” or “Lotus”. This flower symbolizes female genitalia, or yoni and the gateway to the underworld.
In my research, I
found it curious that while so many vampire myths of the east seem to be
centered on a fear of female power, the vampire stories of the west often focus
on the male vampire. The zombie-like
revenants of Slavic culture somehow arose into the suave and sophisticated
“gentleman vampire” of Gothic literature.
The evolution is
attributed to the novel, The Vampyre, written by John Polidori. It’s commonly believed that the 19th
century English poet, George Gordon, Lord Byron, inspired the depiction of the
vampire in this book. Polidori, a recent
medical school graduate, accepted a position as Byron’s personal physician and
traveled with him to the continent.
Byron was a kind of rock star in his day, known for his scandalous love
affairs with both sexes. He created what
is known as the “Byronic hero”, a deeply flawed man given to bouts of
melancholy. Lord Byron, his mistress
Claire, the poet Percy Shelley, Mary Shelley and Polidori participated in a
contest to write a ghost story.
The most famous of these, Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, spawned the genre of science fiction. Polodori’s tale was most likely begun by Byron and abandoned. In any case, Polidori finished and published it. While not as well known as Frankenstein’s monster, the compelling vampire, Lord Ruthven set the stage for Count Dracula, Anne Rice’s Louis and even Twilight’s Edward Cullen.
The most famous of these, Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, spawned the genre of science fiction. Polodori’s tale was most likely begun by Byron and abandoned. In any case, Polidori finished and published it. While not as well known as Frankenstein’s monster, the compelling vampire, Lord Ruthven set the stage for Count Dracula, Anne Rice’s Louis and even Twilight’s Edward Cullen.
Vampires have been
a staple of popular culture since the nineteenth century. The popular “penny dreadful” Varney the
Vampire was a serialized tale that was eventually published in book
form. Comic books gave us Vampirella,
an alien vampire of the planet Draculon.
Everyone is familiar with the friendly Count of Sesame Street. I sometimes wonder if it was intentional that
he shares the vampire’s legendary, obsessive compulsive need to count things
like spilled grains of rice.
The twentieth
century took a more sympathetic view of the vampire. In the nineteen fifties, we saw the rise of
the science fiction vampire, with the publication of Richard Matheson’s
classic, I Am legend. In this
story, vampirism is caused by a virus, to which the hero, Robert Neville is
immune. Night after night he kills off
the vampires, eventually coming to the conclusion that he is the monster. The novel has inspired three films.
The sixties gothic
soap opera Dark Shadows starred Jonathan Frid as the reluctant vampire,
Barnabas Collins. The show became a pop
culture phenomenon, long before Stephanie Meyer’s Twilight. Later, Chelsea Quinn Yarborough’s Saint
Germain novels, Anne Rice’s Vampire Chronicles and the long running TV
series, Buffy the Vampire Slayer also presented vampires in a more
positive light. Stephen King’s novel Salem’s
Lot and films like From Dusk Till Dawn featured the horrific
vampire, proving that the genre has many viable facets.
In the
twenty-first century the vampire became a romantic hero, the love interest to the
human heroine of paranormal romance, as in Twilight. Authors like Charlaine Harris combined
mystery with paranormal elements, creating a new type of urban fantasy
novel. Justin Cronin’s bestseller, The
Passage and others like my Immortyl Revolution series hearken back
to the sci fi vampire of the fifties.
Horror novels may not be as popular as in years past, but the horror
vampire is alive and well in films like Thirty Days of Night.
There’s a lot of
talk out there as to whether vampires are a fad that will die out
eventually. I say no. Vampires have established themselves in
literature and entertainment as a genre with many sub-genres, catering to all
tastes. Of all the monsters, they are
the most human in aspect, the dark reflection of humanity and a powerful
archetype that will continue to evolve as we do.
Thursday, January 10, 2013
The Next Big Thing Blog Hop
Greetings and Happy New Year from Cedric and me!
I took a rather long hiatus from blogging to enjoy the Holidays with the family. We laughed a lot and ate too much, but it was a blast! Yes, I'm writing this from my Christmas present from my husband and son, a brand-spanking-new notebook computer. (Cedric says he's supplying the spanking part.) No more banging on my ancient desktop. (Cedric will miss the banging.) The danger for me now is fooling around too much on social media instead of writing. (Cedric favors more writing about fooling around.)
The focus of this blog will change somewhat in the coming year. I won't be hosting blog tours anymore, although I'll occasionally have another author as a guest blogger. Cedric will still be conducting sexy interviews, but will soon be getting his own blog. My posts will concentrate on mythology and folklore topics or personal observations and humor.
That being said, when my good friend, A. J. Scudiere, asked me to take part in The Next Big Thing Blog Hop, I thought it would be a good time to present the new format and introduce myself (and my naughty Scottish vampire lad Cedric) to some new readers.
THE NEXT BIG THING BLOG HOP
A big thanks to A.J. for inviting me to the hop!
For those of you visiting for the first time, welcome! I'm the author of the Immortyl Revolution, a series of four Urban Fantasy novels and one collection of three short tales. The novels are published by L&L Dreamspell. My latest release is Servant of the Goddess.
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| Cedric MacKinnon |
That being said, when my good friend, A. J. Scudiere, asked me to take part in The Next Big Thing Blog Hop, I thought it would be a good time to present the new format and introduce myself (and my naughty Scottish vampire lad Cedric) to some new readers.
THE NEXT BIG THING BLOG HOP
There are the books everyone has heard about: Twilight,
Hunger Games, Fifty Shades of Gray. But what about all those books written
by people you've never heard of? Some of them are treasures, just waiting to be
found, and that’s what this blog hop is all about: the books you might not
have heard about, but that you might end up loving.
This blog hop is like a game of tag. One author posts and
tags other authors who link back to their website the next week and tags new authors. If you follow the blog hop long enough, you’re bound to find
some books you’ll love! Maybe you’ll even discover a book that ends up being the
next big thing.
The immensely talented A.J. Scudiere tagged me. Her recent novel Phoenix (AND novel #3 God’s Eye) Just got top honors at the
USA Book Review Awards for 2012. (2 out of 6 awards given in Suspense.) You can
find out more about A.J. and the Intelligent Suspense novels she writes at www.AJScudiere.com and follow the snarky Smart Chickens blog at www.SmartChickens.com or search ‘Smart
Chickens’ on iTunes for the podcast.
For those of you visiting for the first time, welcome! I'm the author of the Immortyl Revolution, a series of four Urban Fantasy novels and one collection of three short tales. The novels are published by L&L Dreamspell. My latest release is Servant of the Goddess.
This blog hop includes ten questions to help you learn more about an author’s current work in progress, so here’s a little info about my current project:
1: What is the working title of your book?
Denise: Prophetess.
2: Where did the idea come from for the book?
Denise: I originally had an idea for a mystery story set in a rural town where I once lived, but decided to fictionalize the town and add fantasy elements.
3: What genre does your book fall under?
Denise: Urban Fantasy/Thriller.
4: Which actors would you choose to play your characters in a movie rendition?
Denise: Oh maybe Charlize Theron as the prophetess heroine, Marena, and Paul Bettany as Lothian, the half-elf demon hunter. For Gabe, Marena’s much-younger boyfriend, who is possessed by an angelic being, someone pretty and intense, maybe Ezra Miller.
5: What is the one-sentence synopsis of your book?
Denise: A young woman, haunted by visions of an impending apocalypse, finds the corpse of a teen-aged boy and sets out on a quest to find and slay the demon responsible for his murder.
6: Will your book be self-published or represented by an agency?
Denise: I’ll be seeking representation once it’s completed.
7: How long did it take you to write the first draft of your manuscript?
Denise: This was a Nanorimo project from 2010, so one month. I put it aside to finish my commitment to my Immortyl Revolution series.
8: What other books would you compare this story to within your genre?
Denise: I’d say it’s similar to books by Kim Harrison in that there's a central mystery, magic and a variety of supernatural creatures.
9: Who or What inspired you to write this book?
Denise: I looked at images of male angels, sculptures, painting etc..
It struck me that they are kind of bad ass and cool. Think of Michael, he's a warrior who battles his fallen brethren I wondered a lot about how a war between angels and demons would be fought.
10: What else about your book might pique the reader’s interest?
Denise: The demon antagonist is inspired by a creature out of Japanese legend. I wanted a truly horrific monster in this story. One day, a house centipede dropped from the ceiling and landed on my husband. Now, I’m a tomboy at heart, the kind of gal who caught toads and snakes as a child, but centipedes just give me the willies. It’s all those legs. Well, I did some research to find out if there was a folkloric centipede demon and learned of the Japanese Omukade. I also researched real centipedes to give my monster some authenticity, but I do give mine qualities that are definitely supernatural. My Omukade is able to incubate within a human host and act through her until she gathers enough power to manifest, adding to the creep factor
Here are two more authors who will be joining the hop. I hope you’ll visit their blogs next week and learn
more about their books. Maybe one of them will become your new favorite author!
1. Cherie Noel writes fun, steamy love stories, adventure and sci fi with a m/m focus. If men loving men is your cup of tea, check out her sci fi adventure Tian's Hero the First Book of the Akanti series and her other work at http://talesfromthewritingcave.blogspot.com
Read Cedric's interview of the main players Tian's Hero.
Read Cedric's interview of the main players Tian's Hero.
2. Anne Marie Lutz's first fantasy novel, Color Mage, just came out this past summer from Loconeal Press. She's currently at work on the sequel, Sword of Jashan,
Monday, October 29, 2012
I'm Chatting Live Today at Bitten By Books! $20 Amazon Card Giveaway!
Here is the link for Bitten By Books.
a Rafflecopter giveaway
There is a Rafflecopter there to enter the drawing!
a Rafflecopter giveaway
There is a Rafflecopter there to enter the drawing!
Halloween Giveaway Links
Paperback, The Hallowed Ones Laura Bickle
Paperback book from Katrina Michaels and ebook of Annals of the Immortyls: http://www.immortylrevolution.blogspot.com/2012/10/spotlight-on-tainted-blood-by-katrina.html
Paperback book from Lee Taylor: http://www.immortylrevolution.blogspot.com/2012/10/lee-taylor-on-halloweenpaperback.html
Ebooks by Vanessa Morgan:
Ebook from Katie Salidas:
Ebook from Roy Hudson:
Two Paperbacks from A. J. Scudiere:
B. K. Walker Halloween Gift Basket Rafflecopter:
Tuesday, July 24, 2012
Blog Ring of Power Interviews
Starting tomorrow, I'll be featured in a series of interviews on my Servant of the Goddess tour, hosted by the Blog Ring of Power:
Part 1 @ www.terribruce.net - Wednesday, July 25th
Part 2 @ http://twfendley.com/ - Thursday, July 26th
Part 3 @ http://emlabonte.blogspot.com - Friday, July 27th
Part 4 @ http://ulbrichalmazan.blogspot.com - Monday, July 30th
Part 5 @ http://deanswritingtime.blogspot.com - Tuesday, July 31st
Please join us!
Saturday, March 31, 2012
Sexy Cedric: History of Japanese Courtesans/Final Day to Enter Drawing
I hope my darlings are having a Sexy Saturday! If not, contact me and we'll talk.
Today, I continue my discussion of courtesans. If you haven't yet entered to win my story, My Fearful Symmetry, in ebook, please leave me a saucy comment at the end of the post.
Drawing ends 3/31/12 at 11:59 PM EST. Winner to be chosen by random drawing from all commenters at this blog throughout March 2012. Please leave an email where you may be contacted. Your choice of format Kindle, Nook or PDF.
Back in February, when I took on this project for the authoress, I realized that my subject is more extensive than I’d anticipated, so I’ve decided to discuss different aspects of the courtesan’s art in their respective countries. Today, I’ll discuss the history of courtesans in Japan.
Oiran, Japanese courtesans, were classified as a type of “woman of pleasure”, but they were distinguished from common prostitutes by the virtue of also being entertainers. The earliest Oiran were actresses who performed in a form of theatre that became the basis of Kabuki. The Oiran’s art arose in the Edo period (1600-1800). They were prized for their beauty, character, education and artistic talent. They were educated in the arts of flower arranging, calligraphy and the tea ceremony, as well as being skilled in conversation. To be pretty wasn’t enough, an Oiran must also be witty and able to write with eloquence. Oiran costumes were elaborate and ornate, with many layers of sumptuous fabrics. They practiced traditional courtly entertainments that were far removed from the tastes of common folk. Formal rituals surrounded the employment of an Oiran. They were never engaged casually, but offered formal invitations from those that wished to enjoy their services. Only then would an Oiran leave her pleasure district with her retinue of servants and process to the waiting client. The illustration below depicts an Oiran.
However, another sort of courtesan eventually eclipsed the Oiran. As the Oiran’s art become more and more elitist, the more accessible geisha began to increase in popularity. The picture below shows a geisha in her lover's room.
The geisha’s art arose from the custom of hiring dancing girls known as odoriko. These were generally teenagers that performed in the home of high-ranking samurai. The first woman recorded to have taken the name of geisha was a prostitute from Fukagawa in 1750. Kikuya was a talented singer and shaminsen player who quickly rose to celebrated status, paving the way for the rise of the geisha.
The pleasure districts of Japan were severely regulated, and it was outlawed for the geisha to sell sex, as not to compete with the Oiran. The geisha became highly prized as entertainers and erudite companions. When the Oiran finally fell from fashion, the geisha took on the more intimate arts of the courtesan. However, she had the option of deciding whether to become sexually intimate with her clients or not. Still, not all geisha chose the life itself. There were certainly girls sold in indentured servitude to geisha houses prior to the 20th century. Accounts tell of high prices bid for a girl’s virginity.
In the WWII era, the name geisha became a somewhat tarnished term because common prostitutes often used it. Some years after the war, the art was revived, and the geisha returned to her traditional role of skilled artist and entertainer. She still enjoys that status today.
What about male courtesans in Japan? Oddly enough, the first geisha were men, who entertained clients waiting to see the celebrated Oiran--entertained in the sense of music and comedy, not sexually. In 17th century Japan homosexuality was not necessarily taboo, particularly among the priestly classes and the samurai. The samurai, like Greek warriors of the ancient world, prized male relationships and an older man would often take on a younger male companion in order to impart the virtues of samurai manhood. These lovers would often bear cuts on their bodies symbolizing their masculinity and the devotion to their bond. But these youthful love objects could not properly be called courtesans.
However, in the Kabuki theatre, young men and adolescent boys, who played the roles of women, functioned as courtesans offstage. Literature of the period shows many examples of love letters and poems written by men to other men, many of these were composed or inspired by said stage performers. Kabuki theater started in Japan in 1603 and featured racy storylines and dances. At first women performed female roles in Kabuki, but because they also practiced prostitution offstage, they were eventually banned and replaced by beautiful adolescent males. As these young men, or Onnagata, became celebrated for their offstage sexual antics, they were also forbidden and adult men took over the female roles. Below you can see a depiction of an Onnagata combing the hair of another actor.
Next week, I'll be back with more sexy tidbits and details about a new drawing for my latest adventure, Servant of the Goddess. Don't forget to leave a comment so you can be entered in this month's drawing for My Fearful Symmetry!
Love and Dark Kisses,
Your naughty boy, Cedric MacKinnon
Here is a little bit about my tale:
Only the most gifted and beautiful Immortyls are chosen to serve Mother Kali as adepts of the ancient arts...
For nineteen-year-old Cedric MacKinnon, the promise of eternal youth and celebrity sounds like a dream come true. It becomes a nightmare when a master vampire plucks the boy from the London streets and spirits him away to India. In the fabled ashram of the adepts of the ancient arts, Cedric undergoes the grueling process of training as a temple dancer and courtesan. With the threat of revolution hanging over court, the chief elder employs the boy he names Shardul in dangerous games of seduction and intrigue.
 |
| Host Cedric Mackinnon's Portrait by Arlie Adams |
I hope my darlings are having a Sexy Saturday! If not, contact me and we'll talk.
Today, I continue my discussion of courtesans. If you haven't yet entered to win my story, My Fearful Symmetry, in ebook, please leave me a saucy comment at the end of the post.
Drawing ends 3/31/12 at 11:59 PM EST. Winner to be chosen by random drawing from all commenters at this blog throughout March 2012. Please leave an email where you may be contacted. Your choice of format Kindle, Nook or PDF.
Courtesans: Part Two
Japanese Courtesans
Back in February, when I took on this project for the authoress, I realized that my subject is more extensive than I’d anticipated, so I’ve decided to discuss different aspects of the courtesan’s art in their respective countries. Today, I’ll discuss the history of courtesans in Japan.
Oiran, Japanese courtesans, were classified as a type of “woman of pleasure”, but they were distinguished from common prostitutes by the virtue of also being entertainers. The earliest Oiran were actresses who performed in a form of theatre that became the basis of Kabuki. The Oiran’s art arose in the Edo period (1600-1800). They were prized for their beauty, character, education and artistic talent. They were educated in the arts of flower arranging, calligraphy and the tea ceremony, as well as being skilled in conversation. To be pretty wasn’t enough, an Oiran must also be witty and able to write with eloquence. Oiran costumes were elaborate and ornate, with many layers of sumptuous fabrics. They practiced traditional courtly entertainments that were far removed from the tastes of common folk. Formal rituals surrounded the employment of an Oiran. They were never engaged casually, but offered formal invitations from those that wished to enjoy their services. Only then would an Oiran leave her pleasure district with her retinue of servants and process to the waiting client. The illustration below depicts an Oiran.
 |
| *public domain image due to expired copyright |
 |
| *public domain image of an artwork for which no known copyright exists. |
The geisha’s art arose from the custom of hiring dancing girls known as odoriko. These were generally teenagers that performed in the home of high-ranking samurai. The first woman recorded to have taken the name of geisha was a prostitute from Fukagawa in 1750. Kikuya was a talented singer and shaminsen player who quickly rose to celebrated status, paving the way for the rise of the geisha.
The pleasure districts of Japan were severely regulated, and it was outlawed for the geisha to sell sex, as not to compete with the Oiran. The geisha became highly prized as entertainers and erudite companions. When the Oiran finally fell from fashion, the geisha took on the more intimate arts of the courtesan. However, she had the option of deciding whether to become sexually intimate with her clients or not. Still, not all geisha chose the life itself. There were certainly girls sold in indentured servitude to geisha houses prior to the 20th century. Accounts tell of high prices bid for a girl’s virginity.
In the WWII era, the name geisha became a somewhat tarnished term because common prostitutes often used it. Some years after the war, the art was revived, and the geisha returned to her traditional role of skilled artist and entertainer. She still enjoys that status today.
What about male courtesans in Japan? Oddly enough, the first geisha were men, who entertained clients waiting to see the celebrated Oiran--entertained in the sense of music and comedy, not sexually. In 17th century Japan homosexuality was not necessarily taboo, particularly among the priestly classes and the samurai. The samurai, like Greek warriors of the ancient world, prized male relationships and an older man would often take on a younger male companion in order to impart the virtues of samurai manhood. These lovers would often bear cuts on their bodies symbolizing their masculinity and the devotion to their bond. But these youthful love objects could not properly be called courtesans.
However, in the Kabuki theatre, young men and adolescent boys, who played the roles of women, functioned as courtesans offstage. Literature of the period shows many examples of love letters and poems written by men to other men, many of these were composed or inspired by said stage performers. Kabuki theater started in Japan in 1603 and featured racy storylines and dances. At first women performed female roles in Kabuki, but because they also practiced prostitution offstage, they were eventually banned and replaced by beautiful adolescent males. As these young men, or Onnagata, became celebrated for their offstage sexual antics, they were also forbidden and adult men took over the female roles. Below you can see a depiction of an Onnagata combing the hair of another actor.
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| *image in the public domain due to expired copyright |
Next week, I'll be back with more sexy tidbits and details about a new drawing for my latest adventure, Servant of the Goddess. Don't forget to leave a comment so you can be entered in this month's drawing for My Fearful Symmetry!
Love and Dark Kisses,
Your naughty boy, Cedric MacKinnon
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| You can win this! |
Only the most gifted and beautiful Immortyls are chosen to serve Mother Kali as adepts of the ancient arts...
For nineteen-year-old Cedric MacKinnon, the promise of eternal youth and celebrity sounds like a dream come true. It becomes a nightmare when a master vampire plucks the boy from the London streets and spirits him away to India. In the fabled ashram of the adepts of the ancient arts, Cedric undergoes the grueling process of training as a temple dancer and courtesan. With the threat of revolution hanging over court, the chief elder employs the boy he names Shardul in dangerous games of seduction and intrigue.
Monday, August 22, 2011
B. K. Walker on Her Paranormal World
Today, I welcome B. K. Walker to Immortyl Revolution. She is part of the Romancing the Darkside Tour. I'll be hosting several other authors as part of this series. There will be drawings to go with these posts. I've asked the authors to provide me with a little insight on how they build their paranormal worlds. So without further ado, here is B. K.!
Thank you so much Denise for having back at your blog. It's always a pleasure chatting with your readers. I'm having so much fun touring with these magnificent authors for Romancing Your Dark Side Tour. It's still early and already I've met some great people. Before we get started, I just want to let your readers know that by leaving a comment today and at any blog along this tour they will be entered into our grand prize drawing for a brand new Kindle and a Virtual Gift Basket full of goodies. You gain an entry for each blog you comment at, and you can find the entire schedule with a giveaway at each stop over at http://www.vbtcafe.com/.
Today's giveaway - 2 e-copies of Night Secrets, or readers choice of e-book from my backlist. Please leave a comment for B. K. in order to enter. Names will be chosen by random drawing. Commenters must post by midnight EDT Wed. 8/23/11. Please provide an email address where you may be contacted.
Creating My Paranormal World in an Everyday Setting
I love writing in the paranormal fiction genre. Not only can I create a world all of my own, but I can make things happen that you may not normally see. I can throw my characters in a modern day life, I can take them back in time, I can create magic that may never have even been heard of in our world. That's the greatness of writing in this type of genre. I can just let my imagination run wild.
What's the catch though? It must be believable. Even though I write about vampires, werewolves, witches, faeries, and whatever else I may throw into the mix, my characters, no matter what I'm writing, must be believable. If a reader can't connect, or imagine that character in it's description, then I'm not doing my job. Yes, you may see things in my vampires or werewolves that you see in other novels, but what separates my writing from the rest? It's the mix. Not too often do you see vampires, witches, werewolves, and/or faeries all in one story, and if you do, it's often for a brief scene. With my writing though, my make believe all work together, coincide together, live together. They may not always like each other, but they are all there in the forefront making the action happen. I've been told many times by readers that they've never seen such a diverse group of characters in their reading as what they've read in my books. The plus side, it works. It creates a world for readers that not only is believable, but that they want to read to find out more.
In Dares And Dreams, my main character, Lannie Spenser is a witch coming into her full powers when she turns 21. What she faces is also becoming half vampire, like her mother who is already a Vamp-Witch, in order to save herself and her coven from an evil vampire king that hunts her for those powers.
In Immortyl Kisses, Raine is hunted by a rogue vampire simply because she smells good. She's protected by a vampire and a werewolf, and she harbors feelings for both. Both vampire and werewolf must work together to keep her safe, and then in comes a witch giving them guidance as to what is to become and fights by their side as well.
Night Secrets, Keara Crosby is from a fey lineage, but shapeshifting is the power she develops fully. Meeting Channing, a werewolf, and Corbin a vampire, she is introduced to a world she only thought was make believe. As things start happening to her, she needs to find the answers. Only in her crazy Wiccan aunt will she find what she seeks and learn of a heritage that her late parents tried to protect her from. As you can see, once again I have quite the mix thrown into my storyline.
I like playing with all of the different folk lore. It's fun to research it, figure out how I can change it up, and create my own twist to the existing lore, if you will. My muse just loves creating these characters and the plots to go with them. We create some pretty intense action and most times a surprising twist that the reader just wasn't expecting. I love the element of surprise (*chuckling*).
Keara Crosby had the perfect life. Her family was not hurting for anything. When her parents are suddenly killed, Keara must learn to live without them. After mourning their death for two months, Keara starts to live again. She follows her favorite band, hangs with her best friend Jared, and falls for the new kid on the block.
When her favorite band is playing at Night Secrets, a new club downtown, she takes her first outing since her parents death and finds this mysterious boy watching her. Mesmerized by his lapus blue eyes, she can't help but feel drawn to him. Her body responds to him in ways she never thought possible, and she needs to figure out why. What is it about Channing that has her yearning for his touch?
Not only is Keara drawn to Channing, but the owner of Night Secrets seems to be drawn to her. Giving her special treatment, she can't help but wonder what he's hiding, and the sense she's seen him before. When she's attacked in the parking lot, her world turns inside out, literally. Keara will soon learn that secrets of the night, just may be the death of her.
BK Walker currently lives in Transylvania, (j/k Central Pennsylvania), with her three children, Brittney, Hunter and Danny, her dogs Rancid, Sadie and Haven, a cat named Whiskers and a goldfish named Fat Albert. She has always had a love for reading and writing, even as a child she created stories reading them to her stuffed animals. With a love for vampires and werewolves, you will not be disappointed with her writing as she mixes up the paranormal juice. Aside from writing, BK also supports Indie Authors organizing virtual book tours, helping them to market and promote their work. Her book review site, BWB Reviews, is just another small way she contributes to the reading world. With many stories floating around in her head, she writes when she gets the time between working as a Pediatric Home Care Nurse, being a single mother, and continuing her college education in Graphic Art Design. When she's not arguing with her muse, you will often find her at a baseball game with her boys or drinking iced coffee from Dunkin Donuts enjoying a good book.
Keara Crosby had the perfect life. Her family was not hurting for anything. When her parents are suddenly killed, Keara must learn to live without them. After mourning their death for two months, Keara starts to live again. She follows her favorite band, hangs with her best friend Jared, and falls for the new kid on the block.
When her favorite band is playing at Night Secrets, a new club downtown, she takes her first outing since her parents death and finds this mysterious boy watching her. Mesmerized by his lapus blue eyes, she can't help but feel drawn to him. Her body responds to him in ways she never thought possible, and she needs to figure out why. What is it about Channing that has her yearning for his touch?
Night Secrets Excerpt
I almost made it to the kitchen when Aunt Aingeal
came running out of my room. She had an incense in her
hand and stopped in front of me fanning the smoke
around my body, chanting in Gaelic. I watched her in
amazement for a few moments, then I’d had enough.
“Aunt Aingeal please? I really would like to get a bite
to eat, and can’t even understand a word you are saying.
What is it with you?”
She paused her actions and looked at me. “Yer father
'as nev'r told ya. I should’ve figured as mooch. Child, I
be placin' prootection upon ya. Go git yer grub and we be
talkin'.” She sniffed the air around me. “I know of yer
accident, an' of tha' thing tha' brung ya 'ome. Ya put
yerself in too mooch danger all tha time. Now go. Go
eat, ya be lookn' like crap, an' th'n be comin' ta see me.”
I looked at her in disbelief. She turned and went to her
room. What the heck was that all about? She was such
a weird woman. What didn’t my father tell me? We’ve
always had a pretty open relationship. I did with both my
parents. I shook my head and headed for the kitchen. I
couldn’t wait to hear this one.
After I filled my stomach Jamison was already
questioning me. “Miss Keara, do you feel better now?”
“Yes Jamison. I am full and feel like a million bucks.
Thanks.”
“You look much better than when you first arrived
home.
Thank goodness you’re okay. I‘m glad you ate it all. It
will help you regain your strength.” He smiled.
“Let me ask you something Jamison.”
“Of course Miss Keara.” He stood at attention.
“Is there anything about my dad that I should know
about? Something I don’t know?”
Confusion was evident in his expression, yet I waited.
He pondered the question for a minute before he
answered. “I don’t believe so Miss Keara. Why are you
asking?”
I sipped my tea. “It’s something Aingeal said. She
said ‘Your father has not told you. I should have figured
as much. I just don’t know what she could mean.” I
absently took another sip of tea.
“I’m not sure Miss Keara. You know your father never
spoke of Aingeal much. She is a bit…..eccentric shall I
say?”
“That she is Jamison. That she is. Well, I must go talk
to her and find out. Thanks for the tea and soup Jamison.
You’re the best.” I kissed his cheek and headed to
Aingeal’s room.
From the hall I could smell her incense. The aroma
was strong, a mix of coconut and sage. What was with
her and her witchery? I just didn’t get it. I could hear her
chanting again as I tapped on her door. “Aunt Aingeal,
can I come in?”
The door opened, a fog of smoke rolling out into the
hallway. She peered around the door so just her head
was visible. Her long red hair was wrapped in a black,
silk scarf. Her ears had large silver hoops dangling from
them. A silver chain with some weird looking stone hung
from her neck. “Come in me child. Come in.”
This was the first time I’d ever been in her room since
she moved here. Looking around I couldn’t believe all the
things she had. Shelves upon shelves lined the walls,
and bottles of every shape and size, all different colors
sat upon them. There were old books on a shelf that sat
on the floor, they looked ancient.
“Sit down me child. We must talk.”
“What is the incense for?”
“Fer yer prootection child.” She pulled two chairs up to
a round glass table and motioned for me to sit. She
busied herself gathering a brass ball on a chain, some
crystals, and a book off the shelf. She walked over to the
other end of the room and grabbed a purple bottle that
looked fit for a genie.
“What are you doing Aunt Aingeal?”
“Shush, me child. I be tellin' ya once I’ve all I be
needin'.”
So I waited. Once she was done she came to sit in the
chair opposite me at the glass table. She spread all the
items out in front of us and opened her book. “Now.
Thar’s a lot fer ya ta be learnin‘. Yer father, bless 'is soul,
nev'r wanted ta believe nor carry on our heritage. He
thought it rubbish, but he was a fool.”
“What heritage? What are you talking about?”
“Listen me child, and I will be tell’n ya.”
“Okay.” I raised my hands in surrender.
“Our family comes from a long line of Celtics from
Ireland. Ya wer' n't born a Crosby, but yer true name is
Flannery.”
“What? Where did Crosby come from?” I knew we
were Irish with the flaming red hair we all had, but never
b. k. walker
Tuesday, August 16, 2011
I Talk vampire Tantra today with the Tart.
Whew! Exhausting alliteration. Stop by to read my interview by Hart the Tart at her blog Confessions of a Watery Tart. I talk a lot about the research and world building I did for this book.
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