Well, it isn't brand new. It's a re-release, actually, but it's the first time I'm releasing it all on my own. Here's the deal:
In 2012, my erotic short story The Life She Didn't Take was published through a small
publishing company under my pen name Marie Krepps. Then the rights reverted back to me. Now it's back and better than ever with a new cover
and an extended story. Another exciting new feature: for the first
time, it's available in paperback!
Here's the blurb:
Serahfine has walked these streets time and time again. Endless
centuries alone have her longing for death's release. But on this night
when she means to end it all, she meets someone who intrigues her.
Is this a chance encounter or destiny?
Can an ageless vampire truly find happiness with a mere human?
The release date for The Life She Didn't Take is set for July, 31st, 2015. I'm super excited to get this one back out there and to actually be able to purchase my own physical copy!
This story is a part of a series of vampire shorts and novels called Some By Day, Some By Night. At this time, I have one novel and a few more shorts planned for the series but who knows how long it could end up being?
This is a very complex vampire world that will end up spanning a few different genres, especially it's sister series Lord Gerard's Coven. I can promise you, you've never seen vampires exactly like these. That's right, prepare yourselves for much more to come from Marie Krepps!
So this Friday, visit my Facebook author page or my website for more info on how to get your copy of The Life She Didn't Take.
Oh yes, we're also having a Facebook release party on Friday and everyone is invited! Some wonderful authors are hosting and it's going to be an evening of fun games, naughty discussions, and prizes! Stop on by and you might even get a sneak peek of the story straight from the pages of The Life She Didn't Take!
Tuesday, July 28, 2015
Thursday, July 23, 2015
Life Lessons From Anime
Since I started including my kids in my anime watching experience and rewatching old series I enjoyed before most of them were even born, I've come to realize a few things I never thought about before. The series I watch with them now have so many important life lessons. Some are a bit subtle and some are right there in your face. Here's what I mean.
INUYASHA
One of the best life lessons in this series is acceptance. Accepting who you are and loving yourself. Accepting others for who they are and not what they look like, who their parents were, whatever.
You've got the main character who is half demon, half human. He hates his human side and wants to become completely demon. Why? He doesn't fit into either world as he is now. Or so he thinks.
He meets a human girl who loves him for who he is. Their little group consists of full demons, humans, and the half demon. They're all friends, they hardly think about their differences.
This is a valuable life lesson, especially now with the race wars going on in America. It doesn't matter what color your skin is. Who cares if you're mixed? Love yourself for who you are and love others for the same reasons. If only we could all see the world through these characters' eyes.
NARUTO
Who doesn't root for the underdog? This is one of those magical series that has so many positive life lessons all throughout. My favorite is that no matter how much you think you suck at something, no matter how many times others call you a failure, you can still succeed. Naruto was the absolute worst ninja of his class. Soon, he was surpassing them all. He proved that hard work and belief in yourself can take you just as far as natural talent, if not further. Never stop believing that you can achieve your dreams. Never let others tear you down.
FAIRY TAIL
Friendship. That's what this series is all about. The members of the Fairy Tail guild support each other in every endeavor. The bonds of friendship are so strong that they go out of their way to help their friends, risking their lives if they must.
A couple times, Lucy, one of the newer members of the guild, disappears to take care of her own personal business. And every time, her friends come after her just to make sure she's okay, to stand by if she should need them even if it's just for moral support. You'll never find stronger bonds than the bonds of loyalty and love in this guild. If only every friendship in real life could be this amazing.
I hope to enjoy more series with my kids that have these wonderful life lessons. You can really learn a lot from some good family anime.
One of the best life lessons in this series is acceptance. Accepting who you are and loving yourself. Accepting others for who they are and not what they look like, who their parents were, whatever.
You've got the main character who is half demon, half human. He hates his human side and wants to become completely demon. Why? He doesn't fit into either world as he is now. Or so he thinks.
He meets a human girl who loves him for who he is. Their little group consists of full demons, humans, and the half demon. They're all friends, they hardly think about their differences.
This is a valuable life lesson, especially now with the race wars going on in America. It doesn't matter what color your skin is. Who cares if you're mixed? Love yourself for who you are and love others for the same reasons. If only we could all see the world through these characters' eyes.
NARUTO
Who doesn't root for the underdog? This is one of those magical series that has so many positive life lessons all throughout. My favorite is that no matter how much you think you suck at something, no matter how many times others call you a failure, you can still succeed. Naruto was the absolute worst ninja of his class. Soon, he was surpassing them all. He proved that hard work and belief in yourself can take you just as far as natural talent, if not further. Never stop believing that you can achieve your dreams. Never let others tear you down.
Friendship. That's what this series is all about. The members of the Fairy Tail guild support each other in every endeavor. The bonds of friendship are so strong that they go out of their way to help their friends, risking their lives if they must.
A couple times, Lucy, one of the newer members of the guild, disappears to take care of her own personal business. And every time, her friends come after her just to make sure she's okay, to stand by if she should need them even if it's just for moral support. You'll never find stronger bonds than the bonds of loyalty and love in this guild. If only every friendship in real life could be this amazing.
I hope to enjoy more series with my kids that have these wonderful life lessons. You can really learn a lot from some good family anime.
Thursday, July 9, 2015
Hermitdom
We're looking for a place to move to in another county in NC, closer to my husband's new job. Meanwhile, he's staying two and a half hours away during the week and coming home on weekends. He hates it. He claims that we have to move as soon as possible because he doesn't like being away from us all week.
Meanwhile, I'm here with four kids by myself. It actually isn't so bad, well, it would be better if school was still in but it is what it is. I discovered a lot about myself since this entire thing with hubs being away every night started.
For one thing, I can run this house alone if need be. There might be a lot of screaming and cursing going on but, shit gets done.
It's also been pretty nice being alone at night. Once the kids are all in bed. I have the TV to myself if I want. I can go get a shower without being interrupted every two minutes. I can actually go sit down at my computer and write entire chapters at a time with no interruptions. It's really kind of awesome.
In the past few months, my social anxiety has kicked it into high gear. I rarely go out anymore and never socially. If anyone wants to see me, Skype me. If anyone wants to talk to me, text me or hit me up on Facebook. It's a wonder I still have real life friends at all. Online, I have many.
This isn't some poor pitiful me post. Surprisingly, I'm kind of happy with the way things are. I see my husband on the weekends. I play with the kids during the day. At night I get more work done than ever whether it be writing, editing, beta reading for others, whatever.
I do believe that I have set a new goal in life. When my kids are grown and out of the house, I want to go live in a cabin in the mountains. Alone.
Well, not completely alone, I'll have a crapload of pets. I'll be the crazy cat/ferret/dog/rat/sugar glider lady. Kids will probably dare each other to run into my yard. I'll come running out in a loose kimono, waving a shotgun, yelling "Get the hell off my property!"
Ah, mom would be so proud.
The fact that I would love to be a hermit just shows you what kind of transformation I've gone through since my high school days. I was once a loud party girl who had lots of friends and wanted to go out every weekend. But since I've been married, I've gotten to the point where I just can't stand people in general. There are people that I like, that I don't mind seeing from time to time. In small doses. And I do like to go out and dance or see a concert. But again, small doses. Afterwards, I just want to go home, shut myself up in my room and be alone for a while. Not that I'm the best company but my books sure are.
I like to be out in nature. I like hiking, swimming, camping, fishing, all that kind of stuff. But again, I'd rather be away from other humans. It's hard to appreciate Mother Nature surrounded by people who seek to stomp her out of existence. I can't find peace in the woods with screaming, fighting kids or the sound of chainsaws in my ears.
Is this a writer thing? I know writers tend to be perceived as a little off by society. We have strange habits. We're non-conformists. We walk our own paths regardless of others' opinions.
But looking forward to being a hermit? I think I might be in my own realm of weird on that one.
Meanwhile, I'm here with four kids by myself. It actually isn't so bad, well, it would be better if school was still in but it is what it is. I discovered a lot about myself since this entire thing with hubs being away every night started.
For one thing, I can run this house alone if need be. There might be a lot of screaming and cursing going on but, shit gets done.
It's also been pretty nice being alone at night. Once the kids are all in bed. I have the TV to myself if I want. I can go get a shower without being interrupted every two minutes. I can actually go sit down at my computer and write entire chapters at a time with no interruptions. It's really kind of awesome.
In the past few months, my social anxiety has kicked it into high gear. I rarely go out anymore and never socially. If anyone wants to see me, Skype me. If anyone wants to talk to me, text me or hit me up on Facebook. It's a wonder I still have real life friends at all. Online, I have many.
This isn't some poor pitiful me post. Surprisingly, I'm kind of happy with the way things are. I see my husband on the weekends. I play with the kids during the day. At night I get more work done than ever whether it be writing, editing, beta reading for others, whatever.
I do believe that I have set a new goal in life. When my kids are grown and out of the house, I want to go live in a cabin in the mountains. Alone.
Well, not completely alone, I'll have a crapload of pets. I'll be the crazy cat/ferret/dog/rat/sugar glider lady. Kids will probably dare each other to run into my yard. I'll come running out in a loose kimono, waving a shotgun, yelling "Get the hell off my property!"
Ah, mom would be so proud.
The fact that I would love to be a hermit just shows you what kind of transformation I've gone through since my high school days. I was once a loud party girl who had lots of friends and wanted to go out every weekend. But since I've been married, I've gotten to the point where I just can't stand people in general. There are people that I like, that I don't mind seeing from time to time. In small doses. And I do like to go out and dance or see a concert. But again, small doses. Afterwards, I just want to go home, shut myself up in my room and be alone for a while. Not that I'm the best company but my books sure are.
I like to be out in nature. I like hiking, swimming, camping, fishing, all that kind of stuff. But again, I'd rather be away from other humans. It's hard to appreciate Mother Nature surrounded by people who seek to stomp her out of existence. I can't find peace in the woods with screaming, fighting kids or the sound of chainsaws in my ears.
Is this a writer thing? I know writers tend to be perceived as a little off by society. We have strange habits. We're non-conformists. We walk our own paths regardless of others' opinions.
But looking forward to being a hermit? I think I might be in my own realm of weird on that one.
Sunday, May 24, 2015
Animazement 2015: What A Con Is Really About
Oh yes, we went.
I haven't been since 2007 and man, it has changed. It's become a much bigger event now drawing more crowds than ever. Which is cool in some ways but sucky in other. For example, it's cool that there are so many more people to meet and costumes to see. Bigger celebrities are coming and doing awesome panels. It sucks not being able to get into certain panels because you didn't get there an hour early and wait in an incredibly long line.
Monday is one of my kid's birthday. Arianna will be seven. So we said, hey, let's take her to this event for her birthday. We'll dress up and it'll be great. I've been working on my kids' costumes for months. Oh, I could have bought costumes but that's not how I roll. They wanted to go as Inuyasha characters and I made that happen. They were so cute.
We get there and get in line to register at a bit after 9:00 am. My kids' faces at 10:00 am:
They've got that "Are we there yet?" look down pat. Luckily the weather and temperature were perfect and we saw lots of cool costumed cosplayers while we waited. Then, we were finally registered and we could go where we pleased. We watched a bit of a karate seminar but they couldn't sit through that one. We visited the Artist's Alley for a short time.
The kids got a kick out of random people asking for their picture. This happened, I shit you not, over fifty times all throughout the day. We even got caught in the bathroom for a couple. Everyone couldn't get over how adorable they were.
Before we knew it, it was lunch time and we made the mistake of buying food there. No one really liked it and my husband bitched and pouted about how much he spent on it for a while. Then my girls played games, colored and painted in the Kid's Room while I charged my already dying phone and did repairs on props. We spent some time oohing and ahing at people's costumes and trying to find fellow Inuyasha cosplayers. We did actually find some!
Then it was the Dealer's Room, the bane of my existence. Oh, I love the place, to be sure, but I spend way too much money there and the crowds are such a huge pain. My cell wouldn't work very well in there either: one minute I had full bars, the next nothing. My husband was separated from us and starting to flip out when I couldn't return his messages or call him. The kids couldn't make up their minds about what they wanted so we had to back track a few times through those crowded aisles again and again. Two hours later I'm dragging them out, tired and getting cranky. I didn't buy anything for myself this time but each kid got something cool to remember the con experience.
I was rushing out to try and make it to an autograph session. They went back to the Kid's Room while I stood in line. I was dying to get Shinichiro Watanabe's signature. And I totally did!
Soon it was dinner time and when I asked where the closest McDonald's was (Because I had seen peeps walking around with their cups.) I was given the wrong directions. Once we were two blocks away from the Raleigh Convention Center, my cell suddenly started working just fine and the map I found said that no, we were in the opposite direction of McDonalds. More walking. Tired and hungry kids. You get the picture.
Once we finally got there and sat down and ate, our spirits were revived at the thought of watching the Cosplay Masquerade. It had already started by then but we hoped that we could still get in and catch some of the performances. After walking back to the van and dropping some things off, we made it back with over thirty minutes left in the show. And though they let us in, there were only 3 acts left. Kind of bummed and wondering what they were planning on doing with those thirty minutes while the judges decided the winners, we were surprised when a samurai actor unit called THE JACABAL'S performed a sword dancing show. Two musicians accompanied them and it just blew me away. I loved it and I could tell that the kids were really impressed too.
We had some time to kill before the last event that I wanted to go to started and Arianna wanted to go downstairs and dance outside at the rave. It was getting dark by then but I said, sure. It's her birthday, why not? We get out there and the techno is blasting and cosplayers are dancing and once again the kids were wowed. I don't think they'd even heard of a rave party. The music seeped in and before I knew it, my aching feet were forgotten and I was dancing out there with them. Someone passed out glow sticks and once and a while bubbles would float up from a source I couldn't see over the crowd. It was magical. It was fun. The looks of pure joy on their faces were priceless. It's a memory I'll keep with me for always.
After I took a break, we realized that we would be late for the Studio Ghibli thing I wanted to go to. I was hoping that if we were, they'd let us in anyway. Umm, no. The line wrapped around a few times and the volunteer worker at the end of it said, too bad, so sad, we missed it. I was a little miffed but I perked up and was soon dragging them off to another event that started at the same time: The AMV Contest. That line was even longer but they let us in it. It wasn't long before we were seated and watching fan-made anime music videos of varying categories. By then, it was almost 10:00 pm and Arianna fell asleep in her seat watching the vids. After we watched about eight or so, I picked her up and we left, heading back to the car and back to our house.
But not before two more requests for pics of the kids.
For those of you who think that they could never enjoy such an event because it's "for young people" or "cosplayers are stuck up" or whatever silly reason you might have, I have to tell you, you are missing out. Sure, there were a lot of teenagers and early twenties kids there. I even met a few people who were hating on other people's costumes because they hadn't "done them right". But for those who think that those are good reasons not to go, let me leave you with this story:
I got in line to get Watanabe's autograph at 3:00 pm. The girl waiting behind me in line suddenly struck up a conversation with me. I'm not really a social person but we started talking about the event and some of the cool costumes we saw in the room. Then we started talking about anime and we had a great conversation about what we'd seen, what we loved, how the shows did or didn't match the manga, what made us cry, etc. We talked as the line slowly looped around and around and we inched closer and closer to the autograph table.
Next thing I know, the table is in sight but still a bit away and Paul is bringing the kids down to wait with us. The Kid's Room had closed and they were bored and wanted to see what I was up to. Finally, at around 5:45 pm, I get up to the table and get my autograph but as I step away I stand and wait for the girl behind me, Tiffany, to get hers. I wanted to say goodbye to her. I hadn't had a conversation with someone who had watched as much anime and read the same manga series as me in many years. We said our farewells and promised that if we saw each other again during the day, we'd wave and say hi.
I didn't see her again but the experience reminded me of what these events are really all about. Two strangers from different walks of life, different ethnic backgrounds, and different age groups found a common interest in the Japanese culture. She didn't care that I was at least ten years older than her (Hell, might be closer to fifteen.) and I didn't care that she was black. She didn't care that I weighed over a hundred pounds more than her and I didn't care that she was probably still in high school. Anime, manga and cosplay brought us together as we waited in line with aching feet and people blowing up our cell phones wondering where we were.
A lot of disappointment throughout the day. Missed events. Tired, aching bodies. Cranky children and spouse. Long lines. Money spent left and right.
But the little moments were what I'll remember. Getting pictures taken. Dancing with my kids. Watching sword dancing. The looks of wonder on their faces. "Oh my god, you're kids are so cute!" Talking anime with a stranger. These are what made the entire experience worth it.
That, people, is what it's all about.
I haven't been since 2007 and man, it has changed. It's become a much bigger event now drawing more crowds than ever. Which is cool in some ways but sucky in other. For example, it's cool that there are so many more people to meet and costumes to see. Bigger celebrities are coming and doing awesome panels. It sucks not being able to get into certain panels because you didn't get there an hour early and wait in an incredibly long line.
Monday is one of my kid's birthday. Arianna will be seven. So we said, hey, let's take her to this event for her birthday. We'll dress up and it'll be great. I've been working on my kids' costumes for months. Oh, I could have bought costumes but that's not how I roll. They wanted to go as Inuyasha characters and I made that happen. They were so cute.
We get there and get in line to register at a bit after 9:00 am. My kids' faces at 10:00 am:
They've got that "Are we there yet?" look down pat. Luckily the weather and temperature were perfect and we saw lots of cool costumed cosplayers while we waited. Then, we were finally registered and we could go where we pleased. We watched a bit of a karate seminar but they couldn't sit through that one. We visited the Artist's Alley for a short time.
The kids got a kick out of random people asking for their picture. This happened, I shit you not, over fifty times all throughout the day. We even got caught in the bathroom for a couple. Everyone couldn't get over how adorable they were.
Before we knew it, it was lunch time and we made the mistake of buying food there. No one really liked it and my husband bitched and pouted about how much he spent on it for a while. Then my girls played games, colored and painted in the Kid's Room while I charged my already dying phone and did repairs on props. We spent some time oohing and ahing at people's costumes and trying to find fellow Inuyasha cosplayers. We did actually find some!
I was rushing out to try and make it to an autograph session. They went back to the Kid's Room while I stood in line. I was dying to get Shinichiro Watanabe's signature. And I totally did!
Soon it was dinner time and when I asked where the closest McDonald's was (Because I had seen peeps walking around with their cups.) I was given the wrong directions. Once we were two blocks away from the Raleigh Convention Center, my cell suddenly started working just fine and the map I found said that no, we were in the opposite direction of McDonalds. More walking. Tired and hungry kids. You get the picture.
Once we finally got there and sat down and ate, our spirits were revived at the thought of watching the Cosplay Masquerade. It had already started by then but we hoped that we could still get in and catch some of the performances. After walking back to the van and dropping some things off, we made it back with over thirty minutes left in the show. And though they let us in, there were only 3 acts left. Kind of bummed and wondering what they were planning on doing with those thirty minutes while the judges decided the winners, we were surprised when a samurai actor unit called THE JACABAL'S performed a sword dancing show. Two musicians accompanied them and it just blew me away. I loved it and I could tell that the kids were really impressed too.
But not before two more requests for pics of the kids.
For those of you who think that they could never enjoy such an event because it's "for young people" or "cosplayers are stuck up" or whatever silly reason you might have, I have to tell you, you are missing out. Sure, there were a lot of teenagers and early twenties kids there. I even met a few people who were hating on other people's costumes because they hadn't "done them right". But for those who think that those are good reasons not to go, let me leave you with this story:
I got in line to get Watanabe's autograph at 3:00 pm. The girl waiting behind me in line suddenly struck up a conversation with me. I'm not really a social person but we started talking about the event and some of the cool costumes we saw in the room. Then we started talking about anime and we had a great conversation about what we'd seen, what we loved, how the shows did or didn't match the manga, what made us cry, etc. We talked as the line slowly looped around and around and we inched closer and closer to the autograph table.
Next thing I know, the table is in sight but still a bit away and Paul is bringing the kids down to wait with us. The Kid's Room had closed and they were bored and wanted to see what I was up to. Finally, at around 5:45 pm, I get up to the table and get my autograph but as I step away I stand and wait for the girl behind me, Tiffany, to get hers. I wanted to say goodbye to her. I hadn't had a conversation with someone who had watched as much anime and read the same manga series as me in many years. We said our farewells and promised that if we saw each other again during the day, we'd wave and say hi.
I didn't see her again but the experience reminded me of what these events are really all about. Two strangers from different walks of life, different ethnic backgrounds, and different age groups found a common interest in the Japanese culture. She didn't care that I was at least ten years older than her (Hell, might be closer to fifteen.) and I didn't care that she was black. She didn't care that I weighed over a hundred pounds more than her and I didn't care that she was probably still in high school. Anime, manga and cosplay brought us together as we waited in line with aching feet and people blowing up our cell phones wondering where we were.
A lot of disappointment throughout the day. Missed events. Tired, aching bodies. Cranky children and spouse. Long lines. Money spent left and right.
But the little moments were what I'll remember. Getting pictures taken. Dancing with my kids. Watching sword dancing. The looks of wonder on their faces. "Oh my god, you're kids are so cute!" Talking anime with a stranger. These are what made the entire experience worth it.
That, people, is what it's all about.
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