Life is good in summer Portland. The sun blazed us to the high nineties and golden heat radiated down on everyone and everything. For Portland citizens, the day called for immediate cessation of any work that didn’t involve going outside.

As I  laze in the backyard with the rare warm August breeze across my skin and the lengthening evening shadows darkening my quiet street, I feel the spirits of the paranormal at rest….My vampire disappeared at the first hint of 80 degree weather, and the werewolf has fled to a cool ravine in the Gorge. All of us, the humans and the ‘others’ take a well deserved break for the short, deliriously wonderful summer season of Portland.

Perhaps our ‘other’ citizens  are run from the parks by the plays and the music and the movies. They have left us, for now.  And yet I feel them even so. They too, are enjoying. Laying back somewhere secret and breathing the scented summer air.  Summer air smells completely different than any other time. Dry grasses and leafy trees and hot cement and gardens and newly growing things…

And what about dragons, you may ask? Forgive the segue, but you must know of my passion for mythical creatures and dragons most of all.  Last Monday night I was the guest blogger on a wonderful website about all things paranormal. Authors are invited to post something informative and interesting, about anything and everything to do with the paranormal/romance/magical world. It was my honor to write about dragons, of course.

I had some great responses and it was a total blast to do. I really thank Lynda Hilburn for the invite to post. Check it out at:http://paranormalityuniverse.blogspot.com/  I’m listed on the left as a guest blogger. Click on it and you’ll see my very dragon-esque post!

Do you suppose that was a dragon I saw crouched underneath the Hawthorne bridge? The Hawthorne turned 100 years old this year. Had it’s very own party. I sure hope all the craziness didn’t scare our dragon away. Dragons…more rare than a Portland summer day.

Here’s to Summer!

XO

Louisa

For those of you following the story of Annette and the Vampire- I’ve decided to turn it into a full-blown short story. The finished story will be offered to those who sign up for my newsletter. Look for me to continue Annette and the Vampire in enticing new directions…Newsletter will be sent out as soon as I hear word from my editor regarding my second book in the ‘Daughters of Draca’ series.

In the meantime, as always, the turning of the season is inspiring my muse. It’s trying to be spring in Portland, yet I brace for the inevitable disappointment. Surely, our days of gray rain are not over yet…But for now, I lift my face to the tiny pink blossoms that are starting their yearly fairy rain, and think of, unaccountably…werewolves…

I’ve heard whispers of a small group, drawn to the parks of inner south east Portland (the ‘People’s Republic of Portland’). Word has gone out in the hidden paranormal community…rumors of crafty writers, uncovering secrets. Secrets that lurk in the thick trees of Mt Tabor, and around the pond at Laurelhurst park. Secrets that hide in plain sight…

I wander the meandering paths of Laurelhurst park, and try to imagine I can see them. And they can see me…

A bushy, auburn tail vanishes in the underbrush; a slender canine form with a long, wolf-like muzzle. Just a flash, then sudden crunchy noises, like a heavy form landing hard in the remainders of the fall leaves…From behind the rough bark of a cluster of fir trees steps out a stranger.
This writer’s eyes widen at the sight of his incredibly buff and totally naked form. I open my mouth to call out an astonished remark when the naked image burned into my retinas vanishes. Just like that.

Knees weak, I sink to the damp grass. Dim spring sunlight barely warms the earth, but I give no heed to the wet soaking through my jeans. Every sense trembles in astonished understanding.
I have seen one. I have seen, with my own eyes, the evidence of what I long suspected. A wolf who is a man, a man who is a wolf. Piercing golden eyes had met my own, a brief moment of recognition and warning. As clear as if he had spoken the words, the message zinged in my veins.

Tell no one!

Ah, yet I am one of the writers they must complain about. The one finding their hidden places and exposing their needs. Their need of connection to the human world. To the world of lust and love and longing. It cannot be a coincidence that I find them, that their stories make their way to me. To my brain and heart and fingers flying across my keyboard.

I mean you no harm, sweet and dangerous paranormal creatures. I am more like you than you know. My stories seek you, are inspired by you, want you more than anything…All of us are bound by this city, trapped in it’s otherworldy charms. And we can comfort each other, protect each other. I vow to continue my writing quest, and to find you once again.

It is January 1st, 2010 and I feel the winter muse stirring…

Snow and rain have fallen this past week in Metro Portland, and the holiday lights still sparkle over the river…A full moon greets the ending of the old year, and everywhere are whispers of paranormal lust and attraction.

And speaking of…in our last paranormal post, we left Annette walking with the Vampire in Mt. Tabor Park.  Here is the next edition of their otherwordly attraction…

They walked slowly towards the tall stone statue at the curve of the path.  He asked her questions about her life, what did she do and what kinds of things interested her? Somehow his low voice turned beguiling and interested, and pulled answers from her when she never intended to reveal so much.  They shuffled to a stop and he turned to look at her, a slight smile on his compelling face.  “You amuse me,” he said, and lifted a hand, pushing back a stray hair off her forehead.  “It has been a very long time since anything in this world made any difference to me at all.”

“What do you mean by that?” Annette’s cheeks were cold, and a slight drizzle had started again.

Instead of answering, he leaned closer, his face inches from hers, his breath warm and spicy across her chilly face.  Like a dream, she couldn’t move.  She didn’t want to move.  Unbidden, her hands grasped the lapels of his overcoat, pulling him imperceptibly closer.  Her heart pounded and her lips tingled – she lifted her eyes and met molten gold.

“I want to kiss you,” he said.  “Will you be afraid if I do?”

‘No,” she breathed, and let him closer still, until hot and soft, his lips met hers, and licking the seam of her mouth, urged her to open, shocking her with the sudden thrust of his tongue; yet she met him, opening fully, tasting the spice and heat of him like nothing she’d ever known.  How long they stood like this she didn’t know, didn’t care. Suppressed, forgotten erotic longings sizzled up her backbone, between her legs, the tips of her breasts aching for the touch of his mouth…

He pulled her tight against him, his strong arms across her back, his mouth slanted just so, kissing kissing her until she felt almost mad with wanting him…. With a low gasp, he finally pulled away, and rested his forehead against hers, both of them breathing hard.  He gave a soft laugh.  “This is so very unusual for me, I assure you.” His eyes had gone back to dark, the molten gold retreating as they each caught their breath.  “My usual inclinations are not quite…” he hesitated. “I am, most often, a Queer Gentleman.  It is not the female of the species that tend to attract one of my kind.”

What? What did he mean by that? Annette stumbled back, suddenly confused and extremely self conscious.  He was a “Queer Gentleman?”

Annette and the Vampire will have to wait…because I went to see New Moon yesterday and just have to comment. Watching from the perspective of a paranormal romance writer is perhaps different than as a fan of Stephanie Meyer’s books. Many times I wanted to throw something at the screen and shout “Pacing! Pick up the pacing you idiots!” Errggh! The movie consisted mostly of long facial closeups of moody, sullen, broody, anguished, depressed or all of the above main characters. I don’t think Bella or Edward spoke more than 2 sentences at a time EVER. And when Edward spoke, it was in a mumble that I’m sure the director meant to sound all hot and moody but only sounded like he had mush in his mouth. So, I also wanted to shout “Speak up damn it!” And Bella was so obviously a total head case, (cliff diving in a near suicide jump into freezing Washington coastal waters, sitting isolated and depressed in a chair in her room for months on end, having to be rescued from a night on the ground in the forest all curled up in a little depressed ball etc etc etc ) – it was unbelievable that her family didn’t drag her to counseling or put her on meds immediately. She’d wake up screaming night after night and we never heard her father ask once “What are your dreams about? Why are you so afraid?”  And when finally her father tells her he’s ‘concerned’ and wants to send her to Florida to be with her mother, she placates him with a ‘I’m going shopping now.” Oh, right! Going shopping! Everything’s all better! Despite the fact that she still wakes up screaming every night!

Bella never cracks a smile, never looks happy, not even when people are giving her presents on her 18th birthday. She’s ungrateful, self-obsessed and clearly, clinically and chronically depressed.

The editing from scene to scene was sloppy, jumpy and many times the shift in the narrative didn’t make any sense at all. If you haven’t seen the first movie yet, you won’t have a CLUE about what is going on…And how about all that lipstick on Edward, huh? What’s up with that? None of the other male vampires plow on the lipstick like he does. I mean, lipstick on Vampires? Give me a break!
If I were a 13 year old girl, I would probably love this movie.  All that depressed angst over tortured love feeds into adolescent daydreams like catnip to kittens. But as a writer of paranormal romance, I can’t recommend it. Bella is just too mentally sick, a lousy heroine for young girls, and the film moves at a glacial, utterly incomprehensible pace.

On the upside, these teenage girls are the future readers of adult (much better and much hotter) paranormal romance. So as lousy as the movie was, I’m glad vampires are still making the news.  Bodes well for the future of paranormal romance writers!

He walked swiftly up the leave strewn path. His long overcoat hung on a tall, slender frame…He looked neither right nor left, seeming oblivious to the fall beauty of the park, and the watching woman in the shadows.
Then he turned his head and looked in her direction. Annette froze. His dark eyes glittered with a message: Danger. She turned to run. This was clearly insanity. She had seen him every evening at sunset during her jog and had been weirdly attracted, wondering at the air of mystery surrounding him. Clearly, the time had come to leave, Fast. Yet he held up a hand and her sneakers skidded to stop.
“You’ve been following me,” he said, his voice low and dark. “Why?”
“I – ah – so sorry,” Annette stammered, feet working again as she made her way awkwardly past him on the path.
His hand shot out. “Wait,” he said. He caught the shoulder of her sweatshirt and tugged her to stillness. His hand burned through the thin cotton and the most alarmingly handsome face she’d ever seen focused intently on her. “We have met before?” he murmured.
“No, don’t think so,” Annette managed, her heart beating fast.
“Walk with me,” he said.
And she had no choice, did she? Like she had felt all along, there was a connection here. An otherworldly vibe she couldn’t find an ounce of resistance to.

…Stay tuned for more.

Autumn inspires the paranormal writer in me like no other season…The otherwordly creatures beg my muse to come out and play…Vampire in Mt Tabor Park anyone?
Stay tuned for a sneak peak at the story of Annette and the Vampire.

I’m so glad you’ve decided to visit!
I hope you enjoy this debut story about the sexy Draca shape-shifters and their modern day Portland heroine.  I’ve always been crazy about dragons and it’s been a blast creating my own dragon shape-shifter mythology, combined with sizzling romance…

If you love dragon art like I do, you’ll want to check out the master of Dragon art, Ciruelo Cabral. The beautiful pictures of his dragons inspired all of my fire-breathing characters. I have a large framed and signed copy of one on the wall at my writing space.

The fall colors here in Portland are a riot of autumn beautiful.  A bit of rain has cleared the air, and everything feels so fresh…The downtown skyline is crystal clear from the view at the end of my street.  I can’t help thinking that this must be the most perfect time to introduce my special characters to the world.

I am almost done with Book 2 of my working series title: Daughters of Draca. You’ll find my new heroine having her own hot, amazing adventures with the gorgeous Draca she meets in, of all places, at her office in Portland!

I’ll be posting on this blog from time to time. Look for new links and information about all things dragon, Draca and sexy writing in the Pacific Northwest.

Feel free to leave me a message here, send me an email, or visit my facebook page. I also am starting a quarterly newsletter that will include bonus short stories and sneak peaks of coming adventures.
All the Best,
Louisa