Contest Winner Reminder! :-)

Hi Everyone!! :-)

This is just a reminder to oracle_goddess to contact me at mistralkdawn@gmail.com so that Lyn can send you your free copy of Rescuing Lara!! Thank you so much!! And I hope all of your enjoyed today's interview!!! Happy Monday! :-)

Beth Hale Interviewed By Mistral Dawn

Hi Everyone! :-)

Today we have Beth Hale with us, a 33-year-old book junkie who lives in a very small town in Mississippi with her husband and two children. She has two books to her name so far!

Me: So Beth, what is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?

Beth:  My latest book is Magnolia Secrets. It was inspired by a conversation I had with a friend about the need for more domestic violence awareness.

Me:  Awesome! A very important issue in our society. So, what are you working on now?

Beth:  I am currently working on Taming James. It is the second book in the Unexpected Emotion Series. The first book is Trusting Jack, available now.

Me:  How cool! What authors, or books have influenced you?

Beth:  I love Mary Higgins Clark and Nora Roberts. I also grew up reading what my mother called “smut-filled romance novels” and Harlequin romance books.

Me:  Great! Always gotta love the classics. ;-) And what are you reading now?

Beth:  I am currently reading The Collector by Nora Roberts and Killing Patton by Bill O’Reilly.

Me:  Sounds like fun! And for those who might consider reading your book, what would you tell them to expect?

Beth:  Character-driven plots and steamy love scenes along with strong, Southern women and the men who love them.

Me:  They sound great! :-) Do you have a favorite part of being an author?

Beth:  My favorite part of being an author is slipping into the worlds I create.

Me:  That is fun! Escapism at it's best! ;-) Do you have a day job as well?

Beth:  I have a night job. I work 6 pm to 6 am as an E-911 dispatcher. I have been dispatching for ten years and I love it.

Me:  That sounds like a lot of responsibility! No wonder you need an escape now and again. ;-) But even the best escape outlets have their challenges, what would you say are the hardest and easiest part about being a writer?

Beth:  The hardest part is the writer’s block. When it hits, my house stays exceptionally clean and my husband gets lots of baked goodies. The easiest part is just letting the characters come alive and watching the scenes play out in my mind.

Me:  Ha! Your husband is a lucky man: a wife with a steamy imagination who likes to bake! ;-)  What genre do you place your book in?

Beth:  I would place my books in the romance genre. 

Me:  Well they sound like they would be a lot of fun and a credit to the genre. :-) Anything else you'd like to tell your readers?

Beth:  I would love for my readers to contact me with any questions or comments, either via my website or at beth@authorbethhale.com  I respond to each message personally. Also, they should feel free to follow me on twitter, facebook, and instagram. The links are on my website. And if you haven’t checked out my books yet, please do! If you like sweet and sexy romances, you should enjoy my books.

Me:  Awesome! And to help everyone find your books, are there any links you'd like me to post?

Beth:

You can visit my website at: http://bit.ly/authorbethhale

You can get a copy of Magnolia Secrets here:  http://bit.ly/magsecamzus

Trusting Jack is available here: http://bit.ly/trustjackamzus

And you can check out my Amazon author page here:  http://bit.ly/amzauthorpg 

Something To Pique Your Interest! :-)

Hey Everyone!! :-)

Here's another excerpt to help with those contest entries!! Remember, if a title that is suggested by someone in the comments of this blog is selected as the title of my second book there will be a prize!!! :-)

   Mr. Spats stood up on Uaine's lap and began to stretch but the material in the male's trousers shifted and caused the kitten to lose his balance and tumble to the floor.  Looking disgusted, Mr. Spats stood, shaking his head, and pranced across the room to the bed.  He hopped up and began studiously washing his face.  Everything had happened exactly as he had planned, naturally, nothing to be alarmed about.

   Roni watched the kitten's antics and smiled, but her smile turned to a frown when she turned her attention back to the man sitting in the chair.  She walked over to the bed to deposit the books she carried and scratch the cat's head.  As his rumbling purr filled the room she said: "Is there something you need?"

   Only long years at Court allowed Uaine to keep the grimace off of his face.  This was not a conversation he was looking forward to. "I need to discuss with you the banquet that will be held in your honor tonight.  It is a formal Court function and I wasn't sure if Jillian would have had time to explain to you what that means."

    Roni just looked at him, reminding herself that she had to seem cooperative but not too cooperative.  It was clear the man expected a fight, she thought it might be a good idea to give him one. "And?"

    "And it is important that you create a good impression among the nobles tonight.  They will be the people you will need to help run the government, and if they do not respect you it will be impossible for you to lead them."

    "And you don't think I'm respectable enough?"

     Uaine stood and threw his hands in the air. "You are determined to misconstrue my words!  If you were not respectable enough the goddess would not have bound us together!  But you still must conform to the customs of the Court!"

    Roni climbed up on the bed and sat facing him; her legs crossed one over the other, and her back arched to make the most of her low-cut top.  "How do you think I don't conform to the customs of the Court?"

   "Your human clothing will not be appropriate for a formal Court function; you must allow the dressmaker to create suitable clothing for you."

   "Really?" She said dryly. "You didn't think that two women would find time to discuss fashion, so you just had to run in here and tell me what to wear?"

   Uaine took a deep breath and found himself momentarily arrested by the vision of her cleavage framed by the dark purple blouse.  The sound of Roni clearing her throat broke through his mesmerization, and he dragged his gaze up to meet her eyes.  He scrambled to collect his train of thought as she gave him a sarcastic look.  "I do not want to tell you what to wear!  I just want to ask that you allow the dressmaker to create a formal outfit for you."

    Taking mercy on him, Roni said: "You needn't have concerned yourself, the dressmaker will be here shortly."

   Sighing, Uaine closed his eyes and prepared for the next part of the conversation.   He opened his eyes just as Roni leaned back to rest on her arms and recrossed her legs in the other direction.   Again he found he could not unglue his eyes from her body.

    Roni crossed and recrossed her legs again, wishing she had worn a skirt instead of the jeans.  Still, her actions seemed to be having the desired effect. "Was there anything else?"

    Uaine cleared his throat. "Yes! Yes, you will likely find that some members of the Court are not ready to accept you yet.  You must be very careful to guard your words, no matter what they may say to you, because it is almost certain there are those who will try to provoke you."

   "And why is that?"

   "Because they had hoped to occupy the position which now belongs to you." Said Uaine distractedly.  He still found himself unable to remove his gaze from his Anamchara's legs.  If only she would cease moving them against each other so sensually! It was maddening to see, when all he wanted was to slide his hands, and other things, between them.

   Roni waved her hand over her legs and then moved it up to her face, making sure to cover all of the area in between, and snapped her fingers. "Yo! I'm up here, dude!"

   Uaine looked up confused. "Dude?"

   Roni slowly slid from the bed, making sure to undulate her body to its maximum potential, and then slinked across the floor to stand in front of Uaine.  She put her hands on her hips and looked up at him. "I'll make a bet with you?"

   Uaine swallowed against a suddenly dry throat. "A bet?"

    "Yes, I'll bet you that if I make it through the dinner without saying or doing anything embarrassing then you'll take me on a tour around the area outside the castle grounds.  Jillian told me I can't go without guards, and the guards don't know me well enough to listen to me yet, so you'll arrange for a tour, with or without guards.  Agreed?"

    Uaine looked down into the determined expression on his Anamchara's face and gulped. "It would be better if you delayed such an outing until you are more familiar with our ways."

    "Nevertheless, if I win you'll take me out. Agreed?" She purred, leaning closer to him.

    "And what do I get if I get if I 'win'?" He rasped.

    She took one hand off of her hip and reached up to crook a finger at him, motioning him towards her.  When he leaned down she wrapped both arms around his neck and pressed her body against his.  She put a hand behind his head and pulled his ear down next to her lips. "You'll get what you've been fantasizing about during this whole conversation." She whispered, and then breathed gently against his neck.

    Shivers moved down Uaine's spine and he took a step backwards, sighing, it seemed likely this was the best outcome he could hope for. At least she had heard his warning and would make sure to be extra careful to present a dignified image to the Court.  He wet his dry lips and nodded. "Agreed."

    Roni smiled and turned away, swaying her hips as she walked back towards the bed. She curved her arm around the bed post and cocked an eyebrow. "Then I guess you'd better go so I can be ready when the dressmaker gets here, huh?"

     Uaine watched as she licked her lips, almost as if she were savoring the taste of the words she had just spoken, and nodded his head, stumbling from the room.  When he closed the door, he leaned back against it as fantasies about what she had offered as a prize played through his mind.  If she was unable to verbally navigate the Court politics that were sure to abound that evening it would create problems for both of them in the future.  Even still, there was a part of him that almost hoped he would 'win' their bet.

    He shook his head and stepped away from the door.  His Anamchara was a dangerous female.  He had no doubt that once she had gained her bearings in this new life she would be formidable, both inside and outside of the bedroom, he just hoped they'd both manage to survive that long.

Contest Winner!!!! :-)

Okay Everyone!

Lyn has chosen oracle_goddess as the winner of the free copy of her new book, Rescuing Lara!!! :-)  Congratulations oracle_goddess!!! And please email me at mistralkdawn@gmail.com so that Lyn can arrange to send you your prize! :-)

Everyone else, don't forget that there is still a contest to choose the title for my second book!! Please submit title suggestions in the comments!  :-)

Cover Art At Its Best! Erin Dameron-Hill Interviewed By Mistral Dawn

Hi Everyone!!! :-)

We have a very special guest here with us today.  Erin Dameron-Hill is an indie author, but what she's most known for are her beautiful amazing book cover designs (like the stunning cover of Taken By The Huntsman ;-) )!!  I know a lot of you write, are writing, or want to write your own novels, and Erin is a truly gifted artist to work with when it comes time for that all important marketing tool:  The Cover! ;-)  So listen to her, she's really amazing at what she does and she helped me (a totally clueless newbie) a lot!  Sprinkled through this post will be some examples of her work.  Feel free to drool, I do. ;-)

Erin, thank you so much for coming today!  Will you tell us how long you've been a cover artist and what made you decide to start creating book covers? :-)

Erin:  I've been a cover artist for several years and have been involved in self-publishing since 2004.  Yeah, that's before self-publishing changed the world of reading as we know it.  I became enthralled with the industry in 2003--I tried to be an author.  I wanted to write a vampire thriller so I did.  I wrote for an underground group.  The story was awful.  I'm a terrible author.  Anyway, someone actually decided to publish my story.  That's where I met several talented authors.  The publishing company we were contracted with treated us all like crap (which is one of the reasons self-publishing became big--authors were upset at how they were being treated and rightly so).  My fellow authors and I decided to go elsewhere--self-publishing.  Our experience with publishers had put a nasty taste in our mouth and we all thought we might try self-publishing.  This was in 2006.  Well, we looked for artists who created covers and at that time, there was no one who created covers who weren't associated with publishers.  This put us all in a pickle.  We racked our brains and by unanimous vote, my fellow authors decided I should create our covers because of my artistic background.  I knew nothing about creating covers.  I had classes in digital art and all things art but creating covers seemed foreign to me.  My first cover was terrible.  I admit it--it was tragically awful.  But I had enjoyed the process immensely so I took classes about cover art, marketing, advertising.  I did research on covers that were always on the bestseller lists.  I found great stock sites.  I learned how to digitally paint.  I loved the process so much that I stopped writing--I'm a terrible author anyway, I know where my strengths lie LOL--and continued to improve my craft and knowledge of cover art.  Now, I am an Award-Winning Cover Artist who absolutely loves her job.

Me:  Wow! You were one of the pioneers!! Congratulations on your awards, I'm know they are well-deserved. :-)  What are the things you like most and least about creating covers?

Erin:  The best thing I like about creating covers is the freedom to create.  I know that sounds weird, but being able to create something unique and eye-catching just makes my day.  I absolutely love it when the author is pleased as a pig in mud because they've let me experiment and create something original.  The worst thing about creating covers is searching for stock images.  I know, I should love it because I get to look at semi-naked models all the time but it gets boring after awhile.  The models all start to look the same. 

Me:  I can definitely relate about needing a creative outlet, though I have no talent when it comes to visual design. :-)  So, from what you've said about stock images, I'm guessing you'd say one of the biggest challenges when it comes to cover design would have to do with selecting a model, can you tell us about that?

Erin:  The biggest challenge is finding a stock image that doesn't scream "posing".  So many models, females especially and the photographers who aren't great, decide that the poses need to be for Playboy.  A cover is not a porno.  When it comes to romance covers or erotica covers, emotion is the key factor.  Not showing body parts.  I don't choose images where the butt or boobs are prominent--I'm looking for passion, desire, and as I mentioned before, emotion.  Regardless of the genre, if a model is on the cover, that model has to portray emotion.  It can't be just a simple pose or sexy pose--it has to grip a potential reader by the short hairs.  The look on the model or how he/she is holding a sword/weapon/gun/flowers is key.  So many models and photographers just don't understand this.  So, I spend HOURS searching stock sites for just the right look.  That's the biggest challenge.  It gets frustrating to see so many unusable images.  But when I do stumble upon the right image, I literally squee and jump for joy :-)

Me:  Ha! Well, I don't know how long it took to find it, but the image you used for my cover is perfect!! You really do have a very good eye. :-)  When designing a cover, what's the first thing you have to do and why?

Erin:  The first thing I do when designing a cover is to choose the fonts and their placement.  I am a font snob.  A cover can look truly amazing but if an amateur adds a Microsoft Word font or some other common font, the cover can then turn blah.  Fonts are important for establishing genre, feel, and balance.  Of course, I change the fonts throughout the process but I first start with fonts so I know which direction I'm going.

Me:  See that! You learn something new everyday! I never would have guessed you start with the font, but your reasoning does make sense. :-) What's the most important thing a person who wants to hire you can do?

Erin:  The most important thing a person can do is to keep an open mind.  Don't have a preset cover in mind.  Authors are very close to their work--as they should be--but this can hurt a cover.  The author wants everything in the book on a cover and a cover just can't hold all that awesomeness.  It needs to have focus--just a few important objects, nothing more.  Otherwise the cover can become chaotic and potentially repel potential readers.  Let the cover artist do his or her thing.  Before hiring a cover artist, don't look at pricing.  Look at their portfolio.  Choose a few artists whose work you absolutely love.  Then look at pricing.  Choosing an artist because he or she is cheap will hurt you in the long run if you hate their work.

Me:  Hey! I resemble that remark! The one about wanting to include everything. ;-)  I have to say, the less-is-more concept is not always an easy one to embrace, but you are definitely correct. :-)  And you're also right about needing to appreciate an artist's work.  Not every work of art will appeal to everyone, just like not everyone will like our books; that doesn't mean the work is bad, it just doesn't appeal to your taste.  Find one that does. :-)  Otherwise no one will be happy.  If there was one thing you wish that the people who hire you understood, what would that thing be?

Erin:  That I have loads of experience in this field.  If I offer advice, please listen to it.  Don't disregard it.  I only have the author's best interest in mind.  I create covers that sell books--that's my goal, that's my job.  So if I feel something requested would potentially harm sales, don't ignore me.  I want only the best for your book.

Me:  And I can say from personal experience that your advice is spot-on! :-)  How long does it normally take for you to complete a cover, start to finish?

Erin:  That depends.  Some covers require less work than others.  The process generally takes anywhere from 2 days to 2 weeks.

Me:  Well it's obvious you put a lot of heart and soul into your work as well as elbow grease. :-)  I know we've posted a few samples of your work here today, but just so these lovely people can find more of it to admire, or hire, are there any links you'd like to post?

Erin:

My website:  http://edhgraphics.blogspot.com/

FB:  https://www.facebook.com/EDHGraphics

My ello page:  https://ello.co/edhgraphics

Deviant Art:  http://edameronhill.deviantart.com/

I don't have any favorite covers--they're all my favorites!  But attached are the most recent covers so you can get an idea of where my style is at the moment.  Thank you so much for inviting me to be on your blog!

Me:  You're welcome, Erin, I was thrilled to have you!  Thank you for telling us all a bit about your process and how to make sure we get the best cover for our books! :-)  Everyone else, thank you for joining us today, and please check back often for the latest news, updates, and interviews! :-)

Lyn Horner Interviewed By Mistral Dawn: Book Giveaway To One Lucky Winner!!

Hi Everyone!

Today Lyn Horner has been kind enough to join us to talk about her new book, Rescuing Lara, and to thank all of you lovely people for visiting with us she's offering a free Nook or Kindle copy to one reader who leaves a comment.  To enter just comment below and tell her what your favorite thing about reading romantic stories is.  She'll choose a winner on Wednesday, 1/7/2015, and the winning name will be announced on this blog!  Thank you for making this so much fun, Lyn! Can you tell us about yourself and your books? :-)

Lyn:  Hi Mistral. I’m delighted to be here on your gorgeous site! Thank you for this opportunity to visit you and get acquainted with your followers. 

To begin with, I’m a transplanted Minnesota Yankee living in Fort Worth, Texas – “Where the West Begins” – with my husband and a brood of very spoiled cats. A visual artist first, I worked as a fashion illustrator and art instructor after college. However, I always enjoyed writing and this hobby grew into a love of research and the crafting of passionate love stories based on that research.

I have written and published seven books, including four novels, one novella, a photo-illustrated memoir, and a four book bundle of my Texas Devlins series. I have also written several short stories, one a Christmas tale, two flash fiction pieces and one as part of a multi-author anthology titled Rawhide ‘n Roses available on Amazon.

Me:  Sounds like you've enjoyed trying different things! :-)  Can you tell us what inspired your latest book?

Lyn:  My latest book is Rescuing Lara (Romancing the Guardians, Book One), released about two weeks ago, it’s a departure from my western historical romances. This one is contemporary romantic suspense embellished with Irish folklore, a thread of apocalyptic prophesy that will run through the whole series, and my trademark flashes of psychic phenomena.

I was inspired to write this story by my love of Celtic myth and folklore, especially Irish, and by my belief in ESP – extra sensory perception. And, of course, by my ongoing love affair with romantic fiction.

Me:  Sounds interesting! I've already bought my copy, I'll have to get to reading it! :-) What are you working on now?

Lyn:  I’m working on book two in the Romancing the Guardians series. It’s titled Decoding Michaela. I hope to publish it in June 2015.

Me:  Ambitious! What authors, or books, have influenced you?

Lyn:  Gosh, there are so many! Several historical romance authors come to mind, including Lavyrle Spencer, Rosemary Rogers, Kathleen Woodiwiss and Linda Lael Miller, just to name a few. More recently, Diana Gabaldon’s phenomenal Outlander series has inspired me to stretch my imagination and further hone my writing skills. Gabaldon is my idol!

Me:  Sounds like you enjoy reading. ;-)  What are you reading now?

Lyn:  I’ve just started reading The Branches Of Time by Luca Rossi. It’s a sci-fi/time travel story. Next on my long queue of Kindle books is Daring Passage by Maggie Plummer.

Me:  Those are both on my TBR list too! They both sound awesome!  For those who might consider reading your book, what would you tell them to expect?

Lyn:  As always with my stories, readers should expect plenty of action, high emotion and spicy love scenes. Plus, they will encounter elements of suspense and mystery, flashes of psychic power and prophetic visions of tomorrow.

Me:  Oh! Spicy love scenes! LOVE those! ;-)  What is your favorite part of being an author?

Lyn:  I love plotting a new book, especially when I can brainstorm with author friends. It’s the most imaginative part of the writing process. Building emotional scenes is a close second.

Me:  They can be fun to write! :-)  Do you have a day job as well?

Lyn:  Not anymore. My day job, after quitting work as an art instructor, was to raise my kids, cook and keep house while my husband “brought home the bacon.” Now our kids are grown, hubby is retired and I am blessed with his help around the house.

Me:  Lucky you! It's great that you and your husband have been able to work out a system. :-)   What is the hardest and easiest part about being a writer?

Lyn:  The hardest part is marketing. I suspect most authors would say the same thing. It’s true for traditionally published authors and even more so for indie authors like me.  Without a large publishing house behind me, I have to do all my own promotion. It’s very time consuming and downright exhausting.

The easiest part is writing the darn book! I can’t tell you how much I enjoy escaping into my imaginary world, letting my characters take over and lead me down their winding path to love.

Me:  Yeah, I think your right about the general consensus on marketing.  What genre do you place your book in?

Lyn:  Rescuing Lara is primarily romantic suspense, but as mentioned above, it’s a blend of romance, mystery, action/adventure and a pervasive sense of the supernatural.

Me:  Cool! :-)  Anything else you'd like to tell your readers?

Lyn:  I’d like readers to know Romancing the Guardians is an ongoing series, sort of a serial but with full-length novels and NOT with cliff hangar endings. As the story builds, they will meet seven Guardians and their romantic partners. The final book will pit their combined powers against forces of evil that threaten to steal the ancient relics they guard.

Me:  And so these fine folks can find your awesome books, are there any links you'd like me to post?

Lyn:  Absolutely! Rescuing Lara can be purchased for Kindle or Nook, and will soon be available in print as well as from other digital retailers.

Kindle: http://amzn.to/1sSwh8y

Nook: http://bit.ly/13QMQey

Amazon Author Page:

http://amzn.to/Y3aotC

Barnes & Noble Author Page:

http://bit.ly/1BmIDt6

Readers can connect with me on these sites:

http://lynhorner.com

https://twitter.com/LynHornerAuthor

https://www.facebook.com/lyn.horner.1

Me:  Thank you so much for joining us here today Lyn, and best of luck with your new book! Everyone else, thank you for joining us too and please stay tuned for more interviews, reviews, news and random musings! :-)

Equality And Tolerance Among The Fae

Hi Everyone! 

Here's another excerpt to help with those title suggestions! :-)

     

    "One thing that has made it more difficult to keep the balance in recent years is that the Winter Court has long been without a queen.  Brona, the late queen, was a lover of females.  She took a husband, as custom demands, who fulfilled (and still fulfills) the role of Winter king, but her Anamchara was a female and one of her handmaidens.  The female was killed by highwaymen and Brona chose to follow the mate of her soul.  This left Ankou as a king without a queen and he has never taken another mate, which alters the balance of power severely.  Many believe that the only reason catastrophe hasn't struck is because Ankou is not an Elf, he is a fallen god, and so is not as tied to Winter as an Elf of the Winter Court would be."

     "So the people who rule the Season Courts are Elves?"

     "Generally, yes, though, as I've said, there are exceptions.  You will be a ruler of the Summer Court and you are human."

     Roni raised her eyebrows in surprise. "So I'll be expected to rule?  Not just be a wife for the king and have his babies?"

    "The king and queen both have their distinct roles to play and both are vital.  Neither the king nor the queen is more important than the other; though there have been those who tried to make it so.  To the detriment of all."

    "Offspring are always welcome, we Fae revere our children, but the choice of if, when, and how many will always be yours."

    "So you have birth control here?"

    "There are magical means to prevent conception.  Uaine would never cause you to become with child unless you wished it."

     Roni thought about that.  At first she had thought she was in some horrible parody of a medieval society, with women little more than chattel, but the more she learned the more egalitarian these people seemed to be.  According to what Jillian was telling her, women were considered as important as men and held equal authority with them; she wouldn't be expected to become some kind of a baby making machine.  That was something which had concerned her about using sex to gain an advantage with Uaine; where did one go, exactly, to find condoms in Fairie?  If what Jillian was telling her was true, that wouldn't be an issue.

     Also, there was the matter of the former Winter queen.  If Roni had understood what Jillian was saying correctly..."And the Fae don't have a problem with gay people?"

     Jillian looked at her quizzically. " 'Gay people?' Do you mean people who are happy?"

     "No! People who are attracted to other people of the same gender.  Homosexual people."

Jillian again regarded her with confusion. "Why would there be a problem with individuals who find others of their gender attractive?  Love is love, is it not?  Do humans make such distinctions?"

    "Some of them do. It causes a lot of pain."

    "It would! What an absurd notion!  To persecute people because of who their nature draws them to?  Ridiculous!  No, the Fae would never do such a thing.  Relationships of a loving nature maintained between those who have reached maturity and which are agreeable to all participating parties are considered a blessing, regardless of who or how many those participants may be."

   "It would be nice if humans could figure that out." Said Roni wistfully, then a thought occurred to her. "If Brona loved her handmaiden and the Fae recognize relationships between people of the same gender, why did she marry Ankou?"

    "The leadership of the Season Courts isn't so much about marriage as it is about balance.  There must be balance between the Summer and the Winter, the light and the dark, and between male and female.  There are duties designated for a queen and other duties designated for a king.  Again, it is not a matter of better or worse, or more or less important, only of a balance between opposites.  If Brona had identified herself as a male, if she had felt a masculine spirit resided within her female body, she could have assumed the mantle of kingship and taken her handmaiden as queen.  But Brona did not identify as a male, she identified as a female who was a lover of females.  She fulfilled the need for a queen, but a masculine spirit was still needed as king.  Her handmaiden also identified as a female and so did not fulfill that need."

     "Ankou fulfilled the need for a masculine spirit to provide male leadership for the Court as a compliment to the female leadership Brona provided.  Also, Brona and Ankou were fond of each other, though they were never lovers they were good friends.  I used the term 'husband' because I do not know of a true equivalent for the Fae word in your language.  Brona was bound by the Siorghra to her handmaiden, they were truly married in the sense that humans mean the word.  But there was a close bond and commitment between Brona and Ankou as well.  It was not of a romantic nature, but it was supportive, nurturing and loving."

     Roni thought about that and decided humans could learn a lot in that regard from the Fae.