Myth or Monster Monday: The Romanian Creation Myth

Hello, lovelies,

It's time for another installment of Myth or Monster Monday!

One of the most popular myths to come from Romania is, of course ,that of Vlad the Impaler or Dracula, but that tale is one of hundreds to come from the region. Romanian mythology is full of fascinating tales of good overcoming evil, and vice versa. This focus on good and evil begins with the Romanian creation myth, which pits God against the Devil.

Oddly enough though, it isn't God who halts the Devil's machinations in this particular myth.... it's a tiny mole. While this probably isn't the first time the concept of a mortal creature doing an amazing thing appears in mythology, it's fascinating to me in that the myth embraces the view that mistakes happen, sometimes for the good of mankind.

 

According to Romanian creation myth, God created Heaven. Once complete, he measured the vast space beneath with a ball of thread before sending the Devil to bring him a handful of clay from Apa Sâmbetei, the vast ocean where they resided, so he could shape Earth. The Devil, deciding he would undertake this mission his own way, tried in vain to obtain the clay by invoking his own name. But the clay would not come to him. Fed up, the Devil finally invoked God's name, and the piece of clay grew so that God could shape it into the Earth.

As God used the ball of string and clay to weave the pattern of the earth, a mole asked to help. God allowed the mole to hold the thread while he wove, and the Earth grew. As it did, God laid himself down to rest, and the Devil tried to push him over the side of Heaven into the vastness below.

But the mole accidentally let out too much thread, and Earth grew too large. Each time the Devil would try to push God over the edge, the Earth would expand below, preventing the Devil from succeeding in his task. Once the Devil tried four times, and failed, the cross he'd created in the ground scared him away.

The mole did not know of this though, and was embarrassed that he'd ruined Earth. He ran and hid beneath the Earth. When God awoke and realized the mole was gone, he sent a bee to look for the mole, needing the mole to advise him on how to fix their mistake. The mole laughed at the proposterous thought of God needing his advice and refused to return with the bee.

The bee, refusing to return to God without the mole's advice, hid in a flower. He overheard the mole talking to himself about how he would fix the problem by squeezing the Earth, which would create mountains, valleys, and make the Earth smaller. The bee returned to God and told him what the mole advised. God liked this plan, and so the Earth was completed.

Not bad for a little mole, is it?

What's your favorite creation myth?

xoxo,

Ayden

 
FALL– The Ragnarök Prophesies: Book Two is now available at Amazon | Barnes and Noble. FADE - The Ragnarök Prophesies: Book Two is available at: Amazon US | UK | DE | FR | IT | ES | Barnes and Noble | Kobo | Books-a-Million

Falling for FALL Book Signing and Canned Food Drive

After weeks of plotting and planning with the good folks at Curiosity Quills and Starbucks, I'm very excited to let you guys know that my first book signing is almost here!

On November 9th, I will be at Starbucks at 201 N. University Avenue in Little Rock for the Falling for FALL Signing!

Bring your copies of FADE or FALL to be signed, or you can purchase them at the event. We'll be there from 2:00 to 4:00, drinking our fall favorites (Starbucks has the best hot chocolate!), chatting, and registering attendees to win one of two awesome swag bags the lovely Nikki Tetreault has worked so hard on putting together for us!

The swag bags are full of our fall favorites, like pumpkin spice latte mix, candles, recipes, the Prime Time mug, and more! I'll also be adding a few of my favorites to the swag baskets, like a Pretty Little Liars tote bag, my favorite lipgloss from Mark, and a few other goodies to make your fall fabulous. :)

If you live in the Little Rock area, you won't want to miss the event! You can RSVP here, or simply show up the day of the event. Don't forget to bring your pop tabs and canned goods for the Ronald McDonald House of Little Rock so we can stock their pantries. :) And, of course, 10% of any books sold on the day of the event will benefit the Spina Bifida Association. Don't live in the Little Rock area but want to help support the Ronald McDonald House or Spina Bifida Association?

Find your local Ronald McDonald House here and drop off canned goods on November 9th. Or you can make a donation directly to the Spina Bifida Association here.

Hope to see you there!

xoxo,

Ayden

FALL– The Ragnarök Prophesies: Book Two is now available at Amazon | Barnes and Noble | KOBO. FADE - The Ragnarök Prophesies: Book Two is available at: Amazon US | UK | DE | FR | IT | ES | Barnes and Noble | Kobo | Books-a-Million

Release Day! KIYA: Mother of a King by @KatieTeller1

Today is the day that the second book in the Kiya Trilogy releases; Kiya: Mother of a King.

You can find book one, Kiya: Hope of a Pharaoh HERE

To celebrate, Katie has opened up the comments on her blog for you to ask what you want to know about the series. And yes, book 3 is written and contracted so you will be seeing the final installment before you know it.

So, here are the details for Kiya book 2:

Amazon Kobo B&N Goodreads

Nefertiti has forced Naomi to flee Amarna with Malachi and the three children. But even under the protection of Naomi’s family in Thebes, Nefertiti still hunts her and Tut. Nefertiti sends assassins to kill them, and while Naomi fights to protect the children, Malachi fights to keep her safe.

With three children in tow, one of which isn’t her own, she is labeled the harlot outcast wife of the pharaoh and is shunned. She isn’t safe among her own people, and flees from being stoned to death. Although her family protects her, she must find a way to survive.

While Naomi struggles to keep herself and Tut alive, old adversaries return as Smenkhkare takes advantage of Akhenaten’s ailing health. Naomi must rely on Horemheb’s promise to protect Tut’s birthright, but her feelings for Malachi could cause more problems with Horemheb than she expects.



CQ is also hosting a giveaway for Kiya: Mother of a King on Goodreads! So jump in!

Goodreads Book Giveaway

KIYA

by Katie Hamstead

Giveaway ends November 20, 2013.
See the giveaway details at Goodreads.

Enter to win

CONGRATULATIONS, KATIE!!

xoxo,

Ayden

FALL– The Ragnarök Prophesies: Book Two is now available at Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and KOBO. FADE - The Ragnarök Prophesies: Book Two is available at: Amazon US | UK | DE | FR | IT | ES | Barnes and Noble | Kobo | Books-a-Million

A Long Overdue Update on Hubby

Many of you have asked for an update on my husband, and I apologize for not having provided anything more extensive than brief updates to Facebook. The world doesn't stop when someone gets sick, and we've been overwhelmed trying to keep up with the day-to-day things while caring for him and trying to find a new normal in our lives.

It's been an especially tough year for our family. Last winter, my grandmother was diagnosed with cancer. The chemo hit her so hard, she almost died. Her doctor didn't think she'd survive the night, but she hung on, and bounced back when no one expected it. This spring, we learned she not only bounced back, but her cancer was in remission. Before we really got to celebrate that, SS's brother ended up in ICU after an infection got into his blood stream. He began to go into multiple organ family and we weren't sure if he would make it or not. He spent months in the hospital, and ended up losing one leg and part of his other foot before all was said and done. And then SS fell ill.

We've not really had a chance to deal with the emotional and mental fall out or truly celebrate the fact that we've been blessed time and again in each instance. So it's been an interesting and emotional few weeks here as we continue to work toward getting SS well and stop to process the last year and the changes and blessings it's brought to our family.

We've still got a long road ahead of us, but we're going to be just fine. :)

For those that have not yet heard, SS does not have lymphoma. Learning he didn't have cancer after being told he did was such a bright spot in a frightening journey for us. We were and still are relieved, grateful, and scared at the same time. We're also absolutely thrilled his doctors were wrong.

In late September, we finally got a final diagnosis. SS has something called chronic pulmonary blastomycosis with mediastinal lymphadenopathy. In English, that means he has a rare, severe fungal infection of his lungs and lymphatic system. The fungi lives in moist soil in certain areas of the United States, and is breathed in when spores are released into the air. In endemic areas, 1-2 people in every 100,000 are infected annually. Arkansas is not an endemic area, with less than 1 infection per 100,000 people a year. His team has no clue where he was exposed to this or how, and they will likely never know.

We've been instructed to wear respirators while doing yard work. It's just scary to think something this devastating may be lurking in our yard or little neighborhood. We've opted to forego yard work for the remainder of the year, both because SS isn't well enough to try and because we don't want anyone else coming into contact with this fungi if it is in our yard. The neighbors have decided to do the same just to be safe. We think that's for the best.

But back to SS...

Blastomycosis is a pretty terrible disease. It mimics cancer and other respiratory illnesses, and is incredibly hard to diagnos, as we learned intimately. As rare as the infection is, it's even more rare for it to spread to the lympathic system as it did for him. If not treated in time, the disease causes acute respiratory distress. Once that happens, the major of those infected cannot be treated simply because the damage to the lungs is too extensive.

By the time his team was able to figure out what was wrong with SS, the infection was very severe. We came close to losing him. Had it taken even another week or two, his doctors told us they probably would not have been able to save his life. The infection was simply spreading that fast and doing that much damage. I've never been so scared in my life as I was while he lay in the hospital bed, trying not to move because every time he did, his oxygen levels dropped dangerously low.

I cannot say enough have thankful we are that it didnt come to that point. His team began treatment as soon as they got the results in. The medications themselves have been hard for him. They're highly toxic, and he had a life threatening reaction to the first. His lungs shut down, and they thought he was having a heart attack because his heart rate jumped so high so fast.

Luckily, after consulting with other doctors more familiar with this sort of infection, his team opted to pump him full of medications to counteract another reaction, and restarted treatment the next day. He remained in the hospital for close to week afterward so they could keep an eye on him.

When he finally got to come home, he came with all sorts of medical equipment, a nurse, thousands of dollars in medications, and a list of instructions a mile long. We gave him infusions at home every 24 hours for the first two weeks, and then switched him to an oral medication that he'll be on for the next 6 to 12 months to fully treat the infection.

He's been home for a few weeks now, and is improving a little more every day. He's stopped losing weight. He's able to walk short distances without his oxygen levels dropping. His color is beginning to come back, and so is his appetite.

As of last week, the mass in his lung has begun to shrink... Enough so that he's finally pushing air into the lower chamber of his right lung. That is such a huge improvement! When they showed us the X-Rays the day they started treatment, the mass had taken over the entire upper and middle lobes of his right lung.

The big concern for him right now is kidney and liver function. One of the common side effects of the first medication is kidney failure. The big concern for the second medication is liver failure. That's pretty scary, but without the medication, the infection will continue to spread, damaging his lung and other organs before it eventually kills him

So far as we're concerned, that's not an option.

So his team has been monitoring his kidney and liver function on a weekly basis. Things are a little iffy kidney/liver wise, but slowing beginning to improve. 

On Thursday, we go back to the doctor coordinating his care to see how the kidneys and liver are doing this week. SS is really hoping the doc will release him to go back to work, but we'll see. Personally, I'd like to keep him home at least another week... if for no other reason than to make sure he's completely ready to be back at work. He's having problems with concentration and memory. I worry that he'll get into an accident driving. But I do understand his frustration. 3 months ago, he was leading a normal life, doing everything he wanted to do without help. It's hard to go from being independent one day, to needed help to complete even simple tasks like showering. I wouldn't handle that very gracefully either. 

In December, he'll go for a host of tests meant to see where is lung function is at and how badly the right lung was damaged from the infection. From there, his team will decide if they need to remove more of the lung or not. We're hoping they won't have to do so, but whatever is best for him is our motto right now. He's still here with us, and we plan to make sure he's around for a long, long time. We'll do what we have to do to make that happen. :)

Everyone has been really supportive, and it's been such a blessing to have so many of the people we love helping to lift us up through all of this. Our bosses, friends, and family have moved mountains to help take some of the burden off our shoulders while we get him better. We're truly humbled by the outpouring of love and support we've been given. Thank you all for everything.

xoxo,
Ayden

FALL– The Ragnarök Prophesies: Book Two is now available at Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and KOBO. FADE - The Ragnarök Prophesies: Book Two is available at: Amazon US | UK | DE | FR | IT | ES | Barnes and Noble | Kobo | Books-a-Million

Teaser Tuesday 2: Ravish - The Teplo Files

Happy Tuesday, lovelies!

I've come to deliver your weekly teaser. I've spent a lot of time rewriting Ravish (Book 1 of the Teplo Files) over the last couple of weeks, so I hope you don't mind another teaser from this particular story. :)

Enjoy!

Strobe lights flashed across the room, briefly striking the mass of smiling faces crammed onto the dance floor. The dancers swayed and jumped to the loud, electronic beat vibrating the floor beneath Tristan Riley's boots, oblivious to everyone around them. The rapidly moving lights illuminated only bits and pieces of the eighty or so inside the club. Flashes of skin, bright smiles… vacant, bloodshot eyes. Just enough to make Tristan sick to his stomach.

He slipped through the crowd soundlessly, taking pains to avoid the flailing limbs precariously close to invading his personal space. Trying to blend in and go unnoticed amidst the drugged dancers in various stages of intoxication.

A waifish looking young guy spun in front of him, his arms shooting out as if to test whether he'd gained the ability to fly since making his way inside Teplo when the doors opened. Someone moved into the empty space behind Tristan a split second too soon, knocking him forward, into the guy flapping his arms like a bird. His bony elbow hit Tristan squarely in the stomach.

"Dammit," Tristan muttered, quickly stepping around the oblivious fool. Getting knocked on his ass in the middle of the dark club wasn't part of Tristan's plan. He needed to get to the far side of the dance floor. He grimaced and gave up trying to force his way through the crowd crammed onto the dance floor, instead pressing his body close to the wall.

Narrowing his eyes to peer through the mass of dancers, Tristan tried to gauge the distance between his current position and his target. Someone had scrawled the word "storage" across the battered door with a black marker, but Tristan wasn't stupid. He'd bet his left nut the floor of Teplo hadn't see the business end of a mop in weeks.

Besides, judging from the broken glass and buckling pavement out front, the Vetrov brothers weren't all that concerned with keeping up appearances. No way were they shelling out the cash to stock bullshit supplies they didn't use. Whatever they hid in that room was a lot more sinister than outdated and unused bottles of Mr. Clean.

Unfortunately, Tristan wouldn't get a chance to test his theory tonight.

 

xoxo,

Ayden

FALL– The Ragnarök Prophesies: Book Two is now available at Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and KOBO. FADE - The Ragnarök Prophesies: Book Two is available at: Amazon US | UK | DE | FR | IT | ES | Barnes and Noble | Kobo | Books-a-Million