Emma Southee's Blog
June 29, 2020
Back to the Drawing Board…well…writing table ;)
Hello Hello Hello everyone. I just discovered my old blog is still active and I am able to still use. SO I intend to. A LOT has happened to me in the past decade. I brought out book one, Vampire Reborn A Tamson Huntress Story. I realized i was scammed into a vanity press, that […]
May 2, 2011
Sneak Peek from Blog
This month I am Sneak Peeking the first chapter of a short story I’m working on.
NO I am not giving up completely on the Tamson sequel. I am still working hard on that as well, just taking a small break to clear my head so I can get her finished proper.
This short is a Young Adult Urban Fiction. Takes place in a world where all the things going bump in the night are out of the closet so to speak.
I started by just letting my fingers dance over the keys and seeing what I came up with. Three chapters in and I love it. I already know the plot, characters and world. I can see where it could go in about 4 vague directions and can’t wait to see where the characters take me.
Here is the First chapter, unedited. Ran spell check but not grammar. Enjoy!!
Chapter 1
LEAH RAN AS FAST AS SHE COULD TO GET OUT OF the graveyard. With only minutes till the sun set she HAD to be close to an exit. There was no way she was getting caught in the midst of a dead mob again.
Ignoring politeness she hurled tombstones, skipped over flowers and around statues. A sleak shadow moving with grace around each obstacle. A mane of black hair flowing out behind her.
‘I would find the biggest cemetary in the area tonight’ She thought to herself as she pushed the hair falling out of her long ponytail behind her ears. She dodged around the crematory building fence. Her breathe rushing out when the entrance to this field of death come into view.
She set herself on a straight path for the gates when she hears it. Feels it. She could never figure out exactly what it was, but the sun had set.
Suddenly the ground was not so solid. She could feel the pores down into the soil. Pulling her life energy down. It would never kill her, but the draining was such a strange feeling that she hated it.
She keeps running though. No matter how awkward the sensation of life being pulled out to feed the almost dead was, she was NOT going to stay around to see them get up. The last time she just got stuck trying to answer questions, but there have been times that the things coming out of the grave were not so nice.
A shiver runs down her spine as memories of rotten things grasping her neck. The smell of death filled her nose.
‘Almost there.’
Holding her breath she jumped over the gates. Instantly the pull on her life force receded. She braced herself, gritting her teeth for the next part.
A wave of power flew out of the graveyard filling her pores. Death itself filled her essence till she could hold no more. She felt her hair blow in a wind only those with death magic would ever feel. Power filled each cell of her body.
When the moment broke she slumped to the ground. Every fiber of her body was alive. A current of energy flowed through her waiting to be used. As far as anyone knew she was the only one of her specific type of power. Her mother was a necromancer, who just happened to be bitten by the vampire she was hunting…… unaware that she was three weeks pregnant.
The specialty doctors all thought the baby would die, but Leah came out as new breed. Similar to a necromancer because she could control death magic. Only she had to feed off death like a vampire before she could use it. The only way to do that?
Be in a graveyard and let the dead feed off her living energy. When she steps off the field of death, marked by graves not blessings or holy water or other mumbo jumbo the humans believed, anything she gave to them returned to her threefold.
She also had to make sure she got out of there before they go too much energy. If they did they crawled out of the ground to would wander around the gravesite till the sun came up. Unless she spent all the energy she just got from them putting them to rest. At least when she was using the magic she had all the strengths of a vamp, without blood lust.
Even though she had the best of all three worlds, Leah was almost never in cemeteries once the sun set. If she wasn’t so good at her work she’s probably never use her abilities. Walking in graveyards almost every night was killer on her social life.
Kind of ironic since her job was killing as well. She was the only minor working with the Branch of Paranormal Balance And Justice. Or the BPB&J. Yes PB and J. There are a ton of nicknames that fly around the departments based on the Branch’s last initials.
The Branch was set up decades ago to determine what is in fact real and how to define it for normal humans. The Justice was added later when the humans realized that exposing the things going bump in the night meant the things no longer had to hide what they were.
Crimes started happening all over the country that the human police force couldn’t handle. The few police with abilities bound together to talk to the then BPB. It only took a month to get a justice division added. Now anyone who was part of the paranormal persuasion could step up and get a job for the government using their abilities.
Leah was only 17 so she was technically just an intern, but she was paid as much as any Collector. Granted she didn’t really collect much, but the job title doesn’t scare of friends like Executioner. Wasn’t as odd to explain as her first job as a Spirit Dispenser. It also wasn’t as absurd sounding as Paranormal Reclamation and Relocation Agent, which was the title her job started with decades ago.
Leaning against the cement wall she pulled the envelope out of her shoulder bag. Each job was given to a few different Collectors. She didn’t know what spell Warlock put on them, but as soon as the mark was brought in, or killed, the other envelopes disappeared.
It was a neat way of making sure your employees weren’t still chasing someone that’s been killed already. They used to vanish when the mark was captured, but escapes made more paperwork so now they called in captures.
She still had her envelope, no zombies were in the graveyard, the night was starting out okay. She bit the envelope between her teeth to brush her hands off and readjust her ponytail. Pulling the black strands high on her head as she started to walk away.
She used to put her pony at the nape of her neck. It only took one time of having her hair pulled near that softer skin for her to change her mind. It not only hurt, but gave the ghoul she was trying to put in the ground control of her head. It’s easier to twist around if the hair they’re holding is on top.
Leah opened the envelope as she turned down a dark alley. She may not have control of living things, but with the magic coursing through her she’s stronger and tougher then she looks. Besides sometimes a quick fight with a human warmed her up for the real fight later. No one attacked her as her feet crunched past all the trash cans. She read the information about her mark.
Tonight it was a vampire. Just turned last year, his master let him out to see how he would handle. He handled it by turning rogue, killing three girls and two boys just last night.
The master called PB&J that night as soon as he felt the servant connection snap. The Were patrol was dispatched. They followed his scent trail but it stopped in mid stride. The higher up’s decided he was a flyer. His master had given us the addresses of all the safe houses the Rogue knew about. Phone numbers of those who knew him and a description.
He went by the name Fox. He was five foot eleven with curly chin length brown hair. Green eyes, a slightly hooked nose and straight lips. Around 180 pounds with long legs. Was turned when he was 19 year old. Last seen wearing a pair of black slacks and a long brown trench coat over a deep reddish-brown silk shirt.
She reached the end of the alley as she finished reading the address where they lost his scent. Grabbed a leather jacket off a bike hidden beside a dumpster, pulling it over her white tank top and shoulder bag. She stretched her legs and unbunched her jeans before jumping on.
No need for a helmet as long as she’s full of death magic. She pulled the metallic green Ducati Sport Classic out into the road and put it in first.
Humans tended to stay inside now at least after dark. Police ignored the almost nonexistent safety laws at night. Most of them were Nightlifers anyway. Working the graveyard shifts because they could survive where the Humans couldn’t.
Leah grinned as she revved up the rpm’s before letting her fingers off the clutch. The bike’s front wheel popped off the ground. She leaned into it and dropped down racing towards the end of the street.
The patrol had lost him just two blocks east of where she was. Tonight was going to be easy.
NO I am not giving up completely on the Tamson sequel. I am still working hard on that as well, just taking a small break to clear my head so I can get her finished proper.
This short is a Young Adult Urban Fiction. Takes place in a world where all the things going bump in the night are out of the closet so to speak.
I started by just letting my fingers dance over the keys and seeing what I came up with. Three chapters in and I love it. I already know the plot, characters and world. I can see where it could go in about 4 vague directions and can’t wait to see where the characters take me.
Here is the First chapter, unedited. Ran spell check but not grammar. Enjoy!!
Chapter 1
LEAH RAN AS FAST AS SHE COULD TO GET OUT OF the graveyard. With only minutes till the sun set she HAD to be close to an exit. There was no way she was getting caught in the midst of a dead mob again.
Ignoring politeness she hurled tombstones, skipped over flowers and around statues. A sleak shadow moving with grace around each obstacle. A mane of black hair flowing out behind her.
‘I would find the biggest cemetary in the area tonight’ She thought to herself as she pushed the hair falling out of her long ponytail behind her ears. She dodged around the crematory building fence. Her breathe rushing out when the entrance to this field of death come into view.
She set herself on a straight path for the gates when she hears it. Feels it. She could never figure out exactly what it was, but the sun had set.
Suddenly the ground was not so solid. She could feel the pores down into the soil. Pulling her life energy down. It would never kill her, but the draining was such a strange feeling that she hated it.
She keeps running though. No matter how awkward the sensation of life being pulled out to feed the almost dead was, she was NOT going to stay around to see them get up. The last time she just got stuck trying to answer questions, but there have been times that the things coming out of the grave were not so nice.
A shiver runs down her spine as memories of rotten things grasping her neck. The smell of death filled her nose.
‘Almost there.’
Holding her breath she jumped over the gates. Instantly the pull on her life force receded. She braced herself, gritting her teeth for the next part.
A wave of power flew out of the graveyard filling her pores. Death itself filled her essence till she could hold no more. She felt her hair blow in a wind only those with death magic would ever feel. Power filled each cell of her body.
When the moment broke she slumped to the ground. Every fiber of her body was alive. A current of energy flowed through her waiting to be used. As far as anyone knew she was the only one of her specific type of power. Her mother was a necromancer, who just happened to be bitten by the vampire she was hunting…… unaware that she was three weeks pregnant.
The specialty doctors all thought the baby would die, but Leah came out as new breed. Similar to a necromancer because she could control death magic. Only she had to feed off death like a vampire before she could use it. The only way to do that?
Be in a graveyard and let the dead feed off her living energy. When she steps off the field of death, marked by graves not blessings or holy water or other mumbo jumbo the humans believed, anything she gave to them returned to her threefold.
She also had to make sure she got out of there before they go too much energy. If they did they crawled out of the ground to would wander around the gravesite till the sun came up. Unless she spent all the energy she just got from them putting them to rest. At least when she was using the magic she had all the strengths of a vamp, without blood lust.
Even though she had the best of all three worlds, Leah was almost never in cemeteries once the sun set. If she wasn’t so good at her work she’s probably never use her abilities. Walking in graveyards almost every night was killer on her social life.
Kind of ironic since her job was killing as well. She was the only minor working with the Branch of Paranormal Balance And Justice. Or the BPB&J. Yes PB and J. There are a ton of nicknames that fly around the departments based on the Branch’s last initials.
The Branch was set up decades ago to determine what is in fact real and how to define it for normal humans. The Justice was added later when the humans realized that exposing the things going bump in the night meant the things no longer had to hide what they were.
Crimes started happening all over the country that the human police force couldn’t handle. The few police with abilities bound together to talk to the then BPB. It only took a month to get a justice division added. Now anyone who was part of the paranormal persuasion could step up and get a job for the government using their abilities.
Leah was only 17 so she was technically just an intern, but she was paid as much as any Collector. Granted she didn’t really collect much, but the job title doesn’t scare of friends like Executioner. Wasn’t as odd to explain as her first job as a Spirit Dispenser. It also wasn’t as absurd sounding as Paranormal Reclamation and Relocation Agent, which was the title her job started with decades ago.
Leaning against the cement wall she pulled the envelope out of her shoulder bag. Each job was given to a few different Collectors. She didn’t know what spell Warlock put on them, but as soon as the mark was brought in, or killed, the other envelopes disappeared.
It was a neat way of making sure your employees weren’t still chasing someone that’s been killed already. They used to vanish when the mark was captured, but escapes made more paperwork so now they called in captures.
She still had her envelope, no zombies were in the graveyard, the night was starting out okay. She bit the envelope between her teeth to brush her hands off and readjust her ponytail. Pulling the black strands high on her head as she started to walk away.
She used to put her pony at the nape of her neck. It only took one time of having her hair pulled near that softer skin for her to change her mind. It not only hurt, but gave the ghoul she was trying to put in the ground control of her head. It’s easier to twist around if the hair they’re holding is on top.
Leah opened the envelope as she turned down a dark alley. She may not have control of living things, but with the magic coursing through her she’s stronger and tougher then she looks. Besides sometimes a quick fight with a human warmed her up for the real fight later. No one attacked her as her feet crunched past all the trash cans. She read the information about her mark.
Tonight it was a vampire. Just turned last year, his master let him out to see how he would handle. He handled it by turning rogue, killing three girls and two boys just last night.
The master called PB&J that night as soon as he felt the servant connection snap. The Were patrol was dispatched. They followed his scent trail but it stopped in mid stride. The higher up’s decided he was a flyer. His master had given us the addresses of all the safe houses the Rogue knew about. Phone numbers of those who knew him and a description.
He went by the name Fox. He was five foot eleven with curly chin length brown hair. Green eyes, a slightly hooked nose and straight lips. Around 180 pounds with long legs. Was turned when he was 19 year old. Last seen wearing a pair of black slacks and a long brown trench coat over a deep reddish-brown silk shirt.
She reached the end of the alley as she finished reading the address where they lost his scent. Grabbed a leather jacket off a bike hidden beside a dumpster, pulling it over her white tank top and shoulder bag. She stretched her legs and unbunched her jeans before jumping on.
No need for a helmet as long as she’s full of death magic. She pulled the metallic green Ducati Sport Classic out into the road and put it in first.
Humans tended to stay inside now at least after dark. Police ignored the almost nonexistent safety laws at night. Most of them were Nightlifers anyway. Working the graveyard shifts because they could survive where the Humans couldn’t.
Leah grinned as she revved up the rpm’s before letting her fingers off the clutch. The bike’s front wheel popped off the ground. She leaned into it and dropped down racing towards the end of the street.
The patrol had lost him just two blocks east of where she was. Tonight was going to be easy.
April 7, 2011
Giveaway Link
HERE'S THE LINK TO ENTER TO WIN A FREE COPY!! You will have to sign up with GoodReads.com but they are a safe nonspam site. And a great place to keep up with author blogs, freebies and read reviews from other bookworms. There is a bookswap as well as discussion boards Goodreads Book Giveaway Vampire [...]
March 31, 2011
Gotta Love Early Delivery :)
I had put in a bulk order of my book. They weren't supposed to be here until next week. I got them today Will be doing a give-a-way on Goodreads.com but not all my copies. If you don't get a copy from the giveaway, I will be selling them online. I will Autograph [...]
March 25, 2011
Just a Short.
Working on short story as well as the sequel. Needed a break from Tamson to clear my hear from editing 'Reborn'. So far been writing 3 chapters a day so I'll probably be done tomorrow LOL A new YA Urban Fantasy short following Leah through her journey of growing up in a world [...]
March 24, 2011
Lets get out there!!
One of the joys of self publishing is you are your own editor, publisher, promoter, agent, etc. etc. etc….. Wait that's a joy?! One of the hardest things as a new author is knowing that if you could just get that chance, you know the world would love your characters. But in this world [...]
March 22, 2011
Getting my Blog on
While I'm writing the sequel to 'Vampire Reborn' I was realizing that I have less and less time to publicize. I need an agent, I need an editor… or I need more time in the day LOL *BUT* What I do have is this wonderful old blog I started up years ago and forgot about. [...]
June 15, 2007
A writer on Writing
This was originally a blog on myspace. However, I think its worthwhile to repost. Warning, It's long hahahah Today I sent out a small bulletin. Nothing SUPER special, Just a small reminder to my fellow writers. Just a thought to help you through the day.Its HOW you write, not How MUCH you write. Dont think [...]
May 22, 2007
While I’m waiting
I've heard back from two agencies, both within the first week. 'No new writers', 'No unknown Authors'
That I can deal with.
Rejection I can handle.
At least they were quick about it.
That I can deal with.
Rejection I can handle.
At least they were quick about it.
While I'm waiting
I've heard back from two agencies, both within the first week. 'No new writers', 'No unknown Authors'
That I can deal with.
Rejection I can handle.
At least they were quick about it.
That I can deal with.
Rejection I can handle.
At least they were quick about it.
