Angel Lore: part 3 by Toi Thomas #OurAuthorGang

From Pinterest via Etsy (link no longer active).

Today, in part 3 of my Angel Lore series, I’ll be sharing more angel knowledge with you from K – O, as I work my way through the alphabet (see part ONE and part TWO here). But first…

One of the most fascinating aspects of angel lore, for me, has been discovering the many different types and individual angels of mention in the various religious texts and folklores. This discovery of angels prompted me to create, and even mash-up, a few of my own, when writing my Eternal Curse Series. Still, even though I had fun creating new and blended versions of angels, I also enjoyed incorporating some of the more commonly known ones. On to the list…

Kakabek, a holy angel or a fallen angel? The lore isn’t clear; however, this angel is said to be in charge of the stars and is the reason people have astrology.

There’s no way I could briefly mention the things I’ve learned about the most famous angel, Lucifer, so I’ll mention another lesser known one. Especially known as a kind of trouble maker in the Jewish faith, Lahash is said to have tried to stop Moses from sending a prayer to God. Still researching this story to find out why.

While Michael is probably the second most famous angel, I’m not going to talk about him either. I’m going to tell why I think, Malik, of the Muslim faith is one of the coolest angels I’ve come across. He’s described as a wicked angel, but not necessarily fallen. Tasked with guarding the gates of hell, he taunts and tortures the souls that beg to be released. Not that torture is cool, but hey, the guy is literally just doing his job- punishing and detaining the damned.

 Anyone here like giants? Wondering what giants have to do with angels? Ever heard of the Nephilim? The idea of the Nephilim and their descendants (Anakim and Raphaim) are a major influence in my Eternal Curse Series. These are the offspring of pure, yet rogue, angels who took human wives. They grew to be giants and taught humans many new evils, such as the art of war.

Orisha are complicated entities to briefly explain, but here I go. These beings stem from Yoruba, an African religion, and others like it. This is both a monotheistic and polytheistic faith similar to the structure of Hinduism, where orshia are the souls of humans who lived noble lives who are then exalted in death (risen to a godlike status) and function much like guardian angels…

Well, that's all I have for today. Stick around this blog so you don't miss part 4 down the road.

Be sure to check out my Eternal Curse Series.

Book 1:
Giovanni is a creature out of time. Mira is a doctor trying to classify him. Beauty and the Beast meet Jekyll and Hyde in this paranormal tale with romantic and biblical influences.

Book 2:

A tale for fathers, sons, and daughters, this epic saga touches the past and future. The story of Giovanni will bring you to tears as loss and duty blur the lines of hope for what is to come.

The Eternal Curse series was my first book and series I ever wrote and to know that someone liked it meant the world to me. It's currently unavailable pending a rewrite in order to align it with new developments in the 3rd installment. If you'd like to read the first two books and offer me your feedback, please consider joining my email list to receive a free digital copy. 

Find out more about me, my work, and my inspiration at the following links:

Amazon | Goodreads | The ToiBox of Words | YouTube | See a list of my other posts here.

#cursescanbebroken, #angels, #wings, #Pinterest

COMMENTS

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Spacer Guy

1 year ago  -  Shared publicly

 

Fascinating. I wonder can Angels heal us from our own broken thoughts?

 

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Nikki McDonagh via Google+

1 year ago  -  Shared publicly

 

 

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Nikki McDonagh

1 year ago  -  Shared publicly

 

Great insight into the hierarchy of angels and their influence on us lesser mortals. I look forward to the next post.

 

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Linda Lee Williams via Google+

1 year ago  -  Shared publicly

Grace Au originally shared this

 

Toi, loving your angel posts. Thanks for making them inclusive to all. Angels are everywhere all the time...my belief anyway.

 

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Ruth de Jauregui via Google+

1 year ago  -  Shared publicly

 

Toi Thomas shares the third in her series of posts about angels. Fascinating!!

 

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Ruth de Jauregui

1 year ago  -  Shared publicly

 

Fantastic selection of angels and their descriptions! I'm fascinated by the angels associated with various spiritual belief systems -- so interesting!

 

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Toi Thomas via Google+

1 year ago  -  Shared publicly

 

 

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Toi Thomas

1 year ago  -  Shared publicly

 

I'm late to my own party today, but I hope you've all enjoyed part 3 of my series on angel lore. I love sharing this stuff.

 

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Joe Bonadonna

1 year ago  -  Shared publicly

 

This is excellent, Toi! I'm loving it. More, more, more!

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Toi Thomas

1 year ago

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Thank you. I'm glad you're enjoying it.

Joe Bonadonna

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Having been raised Catholic, and having gone to Our Lady of Angels grade school . . . well, you can see why I dig it.

Joe Bonadonna via Google+

1 year ago  -  Shared publicly

 

Today on A Small Gang of Authors, Toinette Thomas​ tells us more about the fascinating Lore of Angels, and talks a bit about her Eternal Curse series, too.

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Grace Au

1 year ago  -  Shared publicly

 

Toi, loving your angel posts. Thanks for making them inclusive to all. Angels are everywhere all the time...my belief anyway.

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Toi Thomas

1 year ago

 

 

Glad you like it. I love learning about the different takes on angels from different religions. Whatever my belief are, this research shows me that people are more alike than they are different, even when it comes religion.

Erika M Szabo via Google+

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Erika M Szabo

1 year ago  -  Shared publicly

 

Great series of posts Toi, I really enjoyed reading all :)

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Toi Thomas

1 year ago

 

 

Thank you.

Mary Anne Yarde

1 year ago  -  Shared publicly

 

I do love your post, Toi!

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Toi Thomas

1 year ago

 

 

Thank you. Can't wait to see what I do after this. ;)

Rich Feitelberg

1 year ago  -  Shared publicly

 

Good stuff here. Glad to see you include multiple faiths. There's crossover of course and borrowing from one faith to another. But that's what happens when all you have is an oral tradition.

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Toi Thomas

1 year ago

 

 

I know, it's so fascinating to see the similarities and being able to chart where the differences occur.

Rich Feitelberg via Google+

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When Life Imitates Art #OurAuthorGang

My Dystopian series, The Song of Forgetfulness, set in a post-apocalyptic world where rising oceans and disease has wiped out most animal life, is a work of fiction, right? Wrong.

When I was researching the consequences of the melting polar ice caps, the destruction of the rain forests, the surge of new and deadly diseases, I realised my books were based not on science fiction, but scarily, science fact.

The shocking truth is, that global warming and the harmful effects of pesticides on pollinating insects and animals, is far worse than we thought. A case in point is the humble bee. In the UK their numbers have decreased at an alarming rate due mostly to the use of pesticides and pollutants commonly used in agriculture.

These creatures are vital to the fertilisation of many crops and plants that in turn provide food for other animals and ultimately human beings. If their numbers continue to decline, then the fragile ecology system of our planet will be compromised so severely that extinction of many species is inevitable. That has consequences for people to, for without these species we will not survive as the fauna that feeds on these plants, cows, sheep, pigs etc. will also die out. Meaning humans who eat such animals and plants will starve.

"The impacts are potentially high for otherwise healthy people, animals and plants," the reporter states. 'Higher temperatures will lead to an increased risk of the Asian tiger mosquito, the vector of Chikungunya virus, dengue fever and Zika virus. The current risk remains low, but may increase in the future."

Most of mankind is, of course, in denial. We don't want to hear the truth. So when things start to go bad, and they have, droughts, followed by flooding and mighty tornados, which have devastated some parts of the world, are soon forgotten. Things gradually get back to a kind of normal and like pain, the memory of it is diluted. The result is that if we continue to look the other way, forget the tragedies, we will become increasingly unprepared for the consequences of an even bigger environmental disaster.

In The Chronicles of Mayer, a prequel to The Song of Forgetfulness series, the female protagonist has such a discussion with her father:

Floods and terrible diseases were wiping out many local farms. I remember when a neighbour lost his business. It was the first time I'd seen my dad upset. 'You know Brian?'
'Sheila's uncle?'
'Yep. Well you know they have a small holding?'
'Yep.'
'Lost all their cattle and sheep to some ancient bug thingy. Had them all shot dead. They'll be bankrupt.' I stared at my father. He shrugged and said, 'Well, there you go. That's life I suppose.' he turned on the television, sat and watched the news. He shivered. 'Turn the central heating up, love.'
'Don't you care?'
'Don't start, I'm trying to wind down.'
I stood in front of the screen, he leaned to one side and waved his hand at me. 'Move.'
'Can't you see what is happening? Nature is trying to fix things. She's resurrecting some ancient bugs. Anthrax is back. That's what the reporter is saying, or aren't you listening?'
'Of course I am.'
'Anthrax, Dad. What next?'
He turned the volume up and shoved me out of the way. 'Who cares? Whatever, we'll survive. We've still got a bit of ozone layer. We're fine, for now.'
I stiffened. 'Really? Are we?'

Such potential catastrophes are happening in the UK. In recent years the weather has taken its toll on agriculture. In the region where I live, farming has suffered from poor crops due to rain erosion and poorly managed drainage systems.

Here is an extract from a similar story in the Guardian newspaper. Link to the full report:

https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2016/jul/12/uk-poorly-prepared-for-climate-change-

impacts-government-advisers-warn

The UK is poorly prepared for the inevitable impacts of global warming in coming decades, including deadly annual heatwaves, water shortages and difficulties in producing food, according to the government's official advisers.

'Already 85% of the rich peat topsoils of East Anglia has disappeared,' said Krebs.

However, not all is doom and gloom. Very recently the UK government announced a total ban on pesticides that harm bees, being used in farming.

https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2017/nov/09/uk-will-back-total-ban-on-bee-harming-pesticides-michael-gove-reveals

On a smaller level we can do our part to encourage the survival of bees by creating a bee garden. If you have the space, you can let a part of your yard/garden go wild again. Plant some bee-friendly flowers such as, borage, marjoram, chives, lavender, honeysuckle, crocus and sage. If you don't have an outside space, you can plant flowers in tubs/containers and leave them on your windowsill, porch or pathway.

Well, it's a start. Perhaps my stories will be just that, stories, and our future will not be so bleak. Besides, in my Dystopian world mankind does survive and some even try to make the world a better place. Oh no, I've given too much away.

If you want to know more about The Song of Forgetfulness series, please visit my website:

http://www.thesongofforgetfulness.com/

Or go to my Amazon Author page:

Author.to/BooksonAmazon

All photographs copyright of the author Nicola McDonagh

Color your world – How authors introduce diverse characters

by Ruth de Jauregui

Any writer can add diversity to their world. Each author handles it in a different way.

My friend and fellow author Joe Bonadonna writes about Dorgo the Dowser, who lives in a diverse fantasy world that includes centaurs, fauns, unicorns and humans of various colors. In the first story of "Mad Shadows" Dorgo meets Lady Kreel, known as Yaggie to her friends. He described her bodyguard as "a statuesque faun build like a gladiator with short-cropped red hair and a pair of sharp horns that could puncture your lungs without really trying." As for Yaggie, she was "a doll made of chocolate" with milk-white curly hair. It's not hard to envision Joe's characters, his descriptions are precise and on point.

Original cover to Midnight Riot

One of my favorite authors, Ben Aaronovitch, waits until page five in "Midnight Riot" to give us a clue about the main character, Peter Grant. Up to this point, we know he's a probationer constable in London and is guarding a murder scene with Leslie May, who was "short, blonde and impossibly perky." It's not until Leslie goes for coffee and Peter finds himself talking to a ghost that we get an idea that he might not be white.

Peter asks how he can be talking to a ghost. Nicholas Wallpenny, the ghost, tells Peter that he must have a touch of the sight. "Touch of that from your father maybe? Dockman was he, sailor, some such thing, he gave you that good curly hair and them lips?"

It's not until page nine that we find that Peter is mixed race. He wonders if he's being considered for Trident, which tackles gun crime in the Black community, and realizes that being mixed race qualifies him for the dangerous undercover job.

Patricia Briggs, author of the Mercy Thompson and Alpha and Omega series, handled the introduction of Mercy in the first book "Moon Called" similarly. We know Mercy is a mechanic and a woman within the first few paragraphs. We also know there are werewolves in her world. On page four, Mercy reveals, "The coyotes are my brothers. Oh, I'm not a werecoyote – even if there was such a thing. I am a walker."

A walker is a native shapechanger, IE, Mercy is Native American. (She's actually half Native, her mother is a pretty little blonde that's tough as nails, as we find out later in the series.)

While some authors are specific, others prefer to describe their characters and allow readers to draw their own conclusions. JK Rowling, for example, described Hermione as a muggle with bushy hair. I immediately pictured her as mixed race, with beautiful hair like my daughter's.

Judging by the uproar after a Black woman was cast as Hermione in the stage play "Harry Potter and the Cursed Child" and despite Rowling's declaration that Hermione could be a Black woman, not everyone pictured her in the same way. In defense of the casting, Rowling tweeted, "Canon: brown eyes, frizzy hair and very clever. White skin was never specified. Rowling loves black Hermione."

JRR Tolkien described hobbits as brown with brown curly hair at the beginning of "The Hobbit." This description makes perfect sense when the story says that hobbits could fade into the landscape. (I know that I sure couldn't hide in any landscape. I'm so pale that I practically glow in the dark.)

Robert Heinlein liked to sneak diverse characters into his juveniles, but gave hints, like in "Starship Troopers." It's not until nearly the end of the book when Johnny Rico is chatting with a fellow soldier and mentions that his family spoke Tagalog at home that we realize that Johnny was Filipino. Similarly, in "Tunnel in the Sky," it never really says that Rod is Black. Yet when we read the story in the context of the era, and the assumption that Rod would marry the only Black woman that was in the survival course, his race becomes obvious.

There really isn't a "right" or "wrong" way to bring a diverse character into a story – well, unless it's a derogatory stereotype of course. Whether the author chooses to be specific, or give a more general description, it all adds flavor to the story. Adding diversity allows you to build a deeper world, and use food, music, color, scent, clothing and both modern and traditional cultures to develop well-rounded characters, whether Black or Native or Celtic or Salariki (a feline species of aliens introduced in Andre Norton's "Plague Ship") or any other flavor of human or alien.

#DiversityMatters  #ASmallGangOfAuthors  #RuthDJ

www.ruthdj.weebly.com
www.alienstarbooks.com

Book Spotlight from Nicola McDonagh #OurAuthorGang

myBook.to/WhisperGatherers

Whisper Gatherers Book 1 in The Song of Forgetfulness sci-fi/dystopian series

Fear stalks Cityplace – they’re coming!

“If you like action, and science fiction then you’ll appreciate one of the first books EVER that gives you high powered adrenalin with chilling revelations of utter suspense!”

The future is a dangerous place. Rising oceans and disease have wiped out most animal and human life. Those who are left are scattered, scared and hungry.

Now, starving Renegades are gathering, ready to storm the last haven in NotSoGreatBritAlbion. Whispers of a saviour have brought them to the perimeter fences. They want Adara Catcher of Birds.

17-year-old orphan, Adara, isn’t like the other girlygigs in Cityplace. She has six fingers on each hand and a power she is forbidden to use. When her brother, Deogol, is lured away from his home by a dark stranger, Agros send in troops to lay waste to the capital. Adara must choose between saving her brother or joining her Santy Breanna to defend the once peaceful metropolis from a vicious and deadly force.

“The dystopian world is fully imagined and a treat for any fantasy reader seeking proper escapism. The characters are lovely, with a gutsy heroine to get behind, but for me what really stands out is the dialogue and language, which sets this series apart. Think 'Lord of the Flies' meets the wild children in 'Beyond Thunderdome' and you're somewhere close. It's fascinating to come across the phrases and words that are disjointed from our own yet not entirely different; chinese whispers from our language passed on through the years and slowly changing as they are passed from ear to ear.

The story is fast paced and hits the ground running from the moment the sinister Praisebees enter the fray, and the tempo doesn't let up. A pleasure to read, I look forward to more in this series and from this visionary author.”

Extract from Whisper Gatherers:

I became aware of a rumbling sound, not unlike thunder. I turned to Santy Breanna and saw her tear off down the central aisle towards the main door. Greatgrangran folded her arms and let her head drop onto her chest. I strained my neck to see what was going on.

“Our time is nigh. Prepare to meet your maker. Make peace with the BabyCheesus and repent your slovenly ways!”

Huffin’ hell, Praisebees.

Santy Breanna was pushed backwards by two burly guards as a whole load of Christfans burst into the building. They wore long flowing tunics tied loosely around the waist by some raggedy rope. They flipped-flopped their way towards the stage with scanty sandals that exposed chipped and mucky toenails. They showed their teeth. I’d never seen such dirty dental prongs before. All were tarnished brown, with stuff that looked like flesh, stuck between them. Some gouged out the sinuous bits with their jagged fingernails and popped the remnant into their mouths to be swallowed with relish. So, not just Praisebees then? Were these fanatics Carnies too? I shuddered.

A loud gasp and a general putting of hands over mouths ensued when the bedraggled worshippers walked past. Santy attempted to force her way through the Praisebee guards, but they were huge and stood in front of her like the trunks of trees.

The sheriff and Headteach, who were still on the stage, huddled together and looked around for some kind of security backup. Sheriff Fychan, a small thin male without much hair, yanked out a comdevice and screamed down it for assistance. He threw the thing onto the floor when all it did was make a buzzing noise. He peeled the Headteach’s arms from around his waist. Stepping forward, he said, “Stop right where you are. Advance no further. I said, stop!”

But the Praisebees did not. They tramped faster chanting, “Cheesus is life. Cheesus is good. Believe in him and live forever.”

A catchy little ditty to be sure, but it fell upon deaf ears. All in Cityplace believed in the OneGreatProvider that centuries ago saved the few remaining bigwigs from famine and disease. He built our now great home where we live, safe and sound. Except that today, we were not. The leader of the group walked up the steps and onto the stage. Sheriff Fychan held up his hands in front of his chest to warn the tall slim male, to advance no further. The ‘dult smacked his mitts away. He turned to the quaking crowd.

“Calm yourselves. Do not be so a-feared. We come in peace. We come because of rumours.”

Nad.

“Word has filtered through to our nomadic ears that the dead and lost ones have risen.”

Double nad.

“That these troubled spirits have come to warn us of things to come. Things most wretched and horrible. We must listen to them. Mend our ways. If not, then all upon this land-starved planet will perish once and for all. If that is so, then a saviour must rise to save folk. That hagio, or saint, will free us from despair and deprivation. That saviour is here.”

Triple nad.

Our Guest Today is Author Gina Ardito #OurAuthorGang

Please welcome Author Gina Ardito

Gina Ardito is an award-winning author of more than twenty romances, a legendary singer in private, confined spaces (her car, her shower, her office cubicle), and a killer of houseplants. She hosts fun, informative workshops around the country. In 2012, Gina was named a Woman of Outstanding Leadership by the International Women's Leadership Association.

To her everlasting shame, despite all her accomplishments, she'll never be more famous than her dog, who starred in commercials for 2015's Puppy Bowl. A native of Long Island, New York, she lives with her husband, two children, the aforementioned famous dog, and two cat overlords. She's currently at work on the next CALENDAR GIRLS books, for release in the coming year.

For more information on Gina or her books please visit her website at http://ginaardito.com, follow her on Facebook http://www.facebook.com/GinaArditoAuthor or Twitter http://twitter.com/GinaArdito, or sign up for the monthly newsletter she shares with her ScribBLING Diva pals at http://scribblingdivas.com

(preorder at amazon.com)

After living in the carnival world, Polina Kominski is anxious to put down roots and build a life that includes a permanent home, and someday, a family. But first, she has to spend Christmas in Krakow, Poland to satisfy the final request of her late mother. Angry at having her strings pulled one last time, she's resigned to follow the detailed instructions left to her, but refuses to believe in the superstitions and allusions to magic her Mom wants her to experience. And, what's with number eight on her mother's itinerary, Kiss a Stranger.

To avoid facing his family's sins, international banker, Rhys Linsey, will travel the lengths of the globe in his quest to regain the collection of ancient artifacts stolen from him years ago. When he runs into Polina on a Krakow street, he volunteers to help her experience the beauty of the holiday while sharing the history and folklore of this charming city. No matter how much she denies the existence of magic, he's determined to prove her wrong.

Christmas in Krakow weaves a powerful spell, but Polina is running toward her future while Rhys is stubbornly mired in the past. Can the magic of the holiday extend beyond December to bring Rhys and Polina full-circle to love?

Political World Building #OurAuthorGang

By Rich Feitelberg

feitelberg.net

When its time to create a map for your story, be sure to do it. Consider it part of the planning process. I like to develop the natural world first, but eventually, I know I have to deal with the political side of the equation. When that time comes, if I have a solid map of the natural order then many details fall out from the there.

For example, the location and abundance of resources will determine where people settle and what goods and services are available. So will the placement of rivers, the climate, and the vegetation. One might say that all the work I’ve been describing up to this point is in preparation for the political map.

As you go, consider the various races (or groups of people if everyone is human) in the world. What is there history? What is the culture? What do they value? Dwarves like gold and gems and these are found in mines underground so that’s where they live. Or you could say they like to live underground and use the resources in the ground to trade for other things they need like cloth, spices, and other things they don’t make themselves.

Also consider what religions are in play. Religion has shaped the course of history as much as politics has, perhaps more. You don’t have to create your own religions if you don’t want to but you should have an clue what happens when different groups with different ideologies meet.

War is a likely outcome. And speaking of war, you’ll want to know when, where, and why hostilities have broken out. Was it a religious difference or did one group want the resources of another group? Or did they fear the other group? Or do they raid routinely?

If magic or special abilities exist, consider how these powers affect history. Are the wizards organized enough to fight another government? Or are they like leaves in the wind?

Lastly, set the technology level in use. Do they use swords, armor, and bows, or machine guns and kevlar? It doesn’t need to be the same for everyone, but you do have to know what weapons each group is using so you can describe the effects correctly. Also, be careful to mix very different technologies together. It can be done, but only if you really know what you are doing.

To help you understand what I’m talking about here’s a sample from my fantasy world.

The technology level is swords, armor, and bows, consistent with a medieval society. There is magic and they are some what organized but they are too few of them (among humans) to rebel against the government.

The human government is a monarchy and the their religion is a generic Christian one, which people will recognize without going too deeply into it.

But there are other human governments, one that is based on vikings, and one that is middle eastern.

Among other races, I have a freer hand because there aren’t real world example to drawn from. So the elves like nature, magic, and finely carved things, living in the forest. The dwarves lives underground and mine gold, gems, iron, silver, and any other useful metal.

The dwarves kept to themselves mostly, but the elves and humans interacted then the humans got in trouble with magic. They summoned demons accidentally. The elven king went to fight them and ultimately died in the process, which caused a split in the elven community. Now humans need to fight the evil elves which has put a strain on the relationship with all elves.

Notice how one thing leads to another and sets up a background for the stories I want to tell. My fantasy novels are about how the humans finally deal with the evil elves.

So there you have it. Go forth and think about the history, politics, religion, magic, culture, and technology of all the groups in your stories. When you’re done, you’ll have plenty to write about.