Interviews with Three Authors from Corvidae

Corvidae

Edited by Rhonda Parrish

Publication Date for Corvidae: July 7, 2015  

Fantasy / Horror

$12.95 trade paperback, 234 pages   

$5.99 ebook

ISBN: 978-0692430217

Associated with life and death, disease and luck, corvids have long captured mankind’s attention, showing up in mythology as the companions or manifestations of deities, and starring in stories from Aesop to Poe and beyond. In Corvidae birds are born of blood and pain, trickster ravens live up to their names, magpies take human form, blue jays battle evil forces, and choughs become prisoners of war. These stories will take you to the Great War, research facilities, frozen mountaintops, steam-powered worlds, remote forest homes, and deep into fairy tales. One thing is for certain, after reading this anthology, you’ll never look the same way at the corvid outside your window.

Corvidae features works by Jane Yolen, Mike Allen, C.S.E. Cooney, M.L.D. Curelas, Tim Deal, Megan Engelhardt, Megan Fennell, Adria Laycraft, Kat Otis, Michael S. Pack, Sara Puls, Michael M. Rader, Mark Rapacz, Angela Slatter, Laura VanArendonk Baugh, and Leslie Van Zwol.

Amazon.com, Barnesandnoble.com, Kobo.com, WorldWeaverPress.com

Rhonda Parrish is a master procrastinator and nap connoisseur but despite that she somehow manages a full professional life. She has been the publisher and editor-in-chief of Niteblade Magazine for over five years now (which is like 25 years in internet time) and is the editor of the benefit anthology Metastasis, as well as the World Weaver Press anthologies Fae, Scarecrow, and Corvidae. In addition, Rhonda is a writer whose work has been included or is forthcoming in dozens of publications including Tesseracts 17: Speculating Canada from Coast to Coast and Imaginarium: The Best Canadian Speculative Writing. Her website, updated weekly, is at rhondaparrish.com.

Quick Author Interviews

Today we have Fang-tastic interviews with three of the authors from Corvidae. 

Enjoy!

Author Name: Leslie Van Zwol

Social Media Links:

Twitter: @bobbistylz

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/leslie.zwol

What is it about corvids that inspired you to write about them?    

     

Corvids are too smart for their own good, and their high intelligence often comes out in mischievous ways – this is what I love about them. You often see a group of corvids picking on a lone dog, a bird of prey, a human, or even a wolf. They just don’t care about anything. They lack the natural fear you see in most species. They are the embodiment of the ‘idle hands’ warning – too smart, too cunning, too bored!

Was there one corvid characteristic you wanted to highlight more than others?

I wanted to highlight their faults and their talents. Corvids are notoriously resourceful and fearless, but they are not very physically strong. I really wanted to show how they use their skillset to get around their weaknesses – not much slows a corvid down.

Do you think you were successful?

I think I did a good job… well I hope so.

If you were a covid, what would you build your nest out of?

Anything I could find, but I would lean towards the side of ‘things that did not stink’. No garbage. I would use mint gum as an adhesive, and find the prettiest accessories and add some bling around the edges.

What’s your favourite ‘shiny’ thing?

I am a fan of sequins and glitter, but I don’t like them in high concentration, more like a tasteful sprinkle. I am most assuredly not a corvid.

Author Name: Adria Laycraft

Website Address: www.adrialaycraft.com

Social Media Links:

Twitter: aklaycraft

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/adria.laycraft

What is it about corvids that inspired you to write about them?

I love birds in general, but corvids hold a special place in my heart for their intelligence and tenacity. I think they appear in so many mythologies and legends because they are worthy of it!

Was there one corvid characteristic you wanted to highlight more than others?

I wanted a modern riff off old myths, highlighting Raven’s trickster ways, his laziness, and the fact he is seen as Creator in so many West Coast stories.

If you were a corvid, what would you build your nest out of?

The feathers of my foe. Mwhahahaha...

What’s your favourite ‘shiny’ thing?

As many are aware, I collect crystals and minerals. They are my ‘shiny’ treasures, my precious.

Author Name: Michael S. Pack

Website Address:  rivenlucidity.wordpress.com

Social Media Links:

Twitter: @Michael_Pack

Facebook:  www.facebook.com/M.Pack.Author

What is it about corvids that inspired you to write about them?

Ravens have interesting ambiguity when they appear in myths and folklore. They can represent wisdom, but also destruction. They can be messengers of the gods or forerunners of war—or both. They create, but they also play the role of the trickster. The uncanny intelligence of ravens has led people around the world to imbue them with supernal, almost mystical, cunning. And, in many myths the raven literally exists in a state of ambiguity: a part of our “real” world as well as a part of the spirit world. 

Was there one corvid characteristic you wanted to highlight more than others?

The sound of their wings in flight.

If you were a corvid, what would you build your nest out of?

Twigs. I’m all for tradition.

What’s your favourite ‘shiny’ thing?

Firefly. ;)

Aphanasian Stories by Rhonda Parrish

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A Review of Sister Margaret By Rhonda Parrish

Love a short story with a good ending? Then this book is for you! SISTER MARGARET is an intriguing tale of vampires and deception with an unusual twist.

Title: Sister Margaret
Category: Paranormal
Reviewer: Michele R.
Reviewer Email: Deseng@crown.net
Author: Rhonda Parrish
Publisher: Eternal Press
Release Date: April 2009
ISBN Number: eBook ISBN: 978-1-926647-63-0
Print ISBN: 978-1-926647-71-5
Author Homepage: http://www.rhondaparrish.com/
Rating: 4 Fangs
Format: EBOOK


Michael, a person with hidden talents to slay creatures, has been contacted by a long-ago friend whose name was Charmaine. She needs him to accomplish a difficult task. They were close friends when they were young and both had rough childhoods. Charmaine’s life was so bad that she turned to a life of prostitution. Michael feels responsible that he didn’t do more to protect her from her ill-fated life. Now that she is asking for a favor, so to speak, he can right the wrongs he made in the past. What is she asking him to do?

After the difficulties in her youth and her life as a prostitute, Charmaine changes her name to Sister Margaret, to make a new start. She is now the priestess to Rakkir, whose is the God of secrets and lies. When a vampire hunts her “girls” and forces them to give him money or else, she decides, it is time to contact her old friend Michael. When she relates her predicament to him, he accepts the job as a vampire hunter. What unforeseen problems lay ahead for Michael?

SISTER MARGARET is an engaging tale of vampires and hidden secrets. When Michael is contacted by an old friend, once named Charmaine, he is asked to destroy a rogue vampire for her. A bloody battle, raging minions and hidden secrets lay in wait for him on his journey. Rhonda Parrish delivers a wonderfully written concise story that will grip you with anticipation. Her characters are strong along with a hidden depth to their personalities. I was surprised at how short the story was but Ms. Parrish wrote it in such a way that there is magic in every word. I am impressed at her ability to pull you in and deliver a satisfying ending. An entertaining story that is wickedly clever!

Guest Blogger Author Rhonda Parrish

Today we have guest blogger Rhonda Parrish, author of Sister Margaret a short story from Eternal Press and the editor of Nite Blade Magazine.

Welcome Rhonda. -

I love vampires. You must too or else you wouldn't be reading this blog, would you? And like me, you are probably very picky about what kind of vampires you like. Everyone has specific parts of the vampire mythology they love, or love to hate. Recently we've all see the outpouring of love for vampires that sparkle, and the equal amount of criticism for the very same thing. You can't please everyone in regard to anything, but perhaps especially when it comes to vampires.

I didn't even want to try.

I wanted to write a vampire story, but without dwelling too much on the vampires themselves. I wanted the vampire(s) to be just another character, no more or less important than any of the others. That was part of the inspiration for my new story, released today from Eternal Press – Sister Margaret.

Sister Margaret is about a vampire hunter and a half-incubus swordsman who are hired by a priestess to take care of a vampiric pimp. In this story, Xaphan, the vampire pimp, doesn't get a whole lot of page time, but I believe the dark presence of the vampire can be felt throughout the story just the same. Sometimes you don't need to see the vampire to know they are around. That's the case with Sister Margaret.

Allow me to share a short excerpt.

~*~

Not one to waste time with niceties, Bayne kicked down the door and went to work. I’d seen him wield his sword before, plenty of times; each one better than the last, but nothing had prepared me for this.

Xaphan had a lot of minions—a lot. They swarmed on Bayne like flies on shit, a living wave of fists and feet, all determined to bring him down. None of them reached him. His face, contorted by battle fury, looked every bit like a demon, all trace of humanity erased. He moved the sword as though it were an extension of himself, each movement calculated to destroy as many of his foes as possible. Within minutes, the roar of battle subsided to the whimpering of wounded, and Bayne’s once white hair was stained pink with blood. An occasional cut ripped through his shirt; one or two even managed to draw blood. But in less than ten minutes, he’d reduced the vampire’s army to a pile of mangled corpses and unidentified gore.

I entered as he replaced his sword in the scabbard strapped across his back, careful to watch my step lest I slip on the blood and goo and find myself covered in things I’d rather not contemplate. From a far corner, buried in shadows that mortal eyes couldn’t hope to penetrate, the distinct sound of feminine sobs could be heard. The leech had hostages after all. Good thing I’d decided against the fireball.

“You get the girls,” I said. “I’ll take care of the vampire and meet you back outside.”

Bayne nodded and delivered a sharp kick to the nose of one of his opponents who lay moaning in the sea of gore. The man’s face imploded, shattering beneath the force of Bayne’s boot, and then Bayne headed wordlessly toward the sound of the hostages.

I winced inwardly at the brutality of his action and then shrugged it off. In war, shit happens; he couldn’t be the best sword for hire in the land if he were squeamish about killing. Nor could he afford to turn his back on an enemy who still drew breath, injured or not.

I watched his back disappear into the darkness and thought about calling out to warn him to watch for traps, but then I thought better of it. Bayne was no fool; he knew what he was doing. I could trust him to get the girls out of the house safely. Now it was up to me to find the vampire and kill him.

~*~

I am giving away a copy of the ebook to a random commenter to this post – it could be you. If you're not sure what to say I'd love to hear what you think about my excerpt or you could tell me this – do you love or hate sparkly vampires?

Rhonda Parrish
Writer à http://www.rhondaparrish.com/
Editor à http://www.niteblade.com/

Thanks for joining us, Rhonda.

Any commentors who would like to win a copy of Sister Margaret please make sure you leave contact info.

Vampire Poetry Monday- Vampiric Fluff by Rhonda Parrish

Today I have a vampire poem by Rhonda Parrish, who will also be our guest blogger tomorrow. She'll be here talking about her short story "Sister Margaret" available through Eternal Press.

Vampiric Fluff

By Rhonda Parrish

It was a dark and stormy night
when Dracula came for a bite.
In clothes of black, all lined with red
he stalked his prey, and left them dead.

His teeth grew long before my eyes,
and shock, it left me paralyzed.
"I vant to suck your blood," said he.
"You'll be mine for eternity."

"Oh no you don't," I shook my head.
"No way you're getting me in bed --
I may be kinky, but you see,
we share the same dark fam'ly tree."

Then I smiled, and showed a fang
he frowned and started to harangue.
He ranted -- mad at being tricked,
as though it's my fault he's so thick.

I thought my coffin was a clue,
or that my eyes are black, not blue.
I guess it shows that blind desire
can often have results quite dire.

'Twas lucky that I was awake
to stop him 'fore he did partake.
For who could guess at the effect
if vampire drink from vampire neck?