Being negative is like sitting in a bathtub full of dirt. It certainly doesn’t make you clean and probably just pisses you off. Right?

I have a friend who is so negative that she never tries anything new, complains about everything, and isn’t willing to listen to anyone else’s opinions. The problem with this is that she lives in her own little world and is miserable. Nothing makes her happy. And, I mean nothing.

To me, finding fault with everything translates into living in fear. It means holding back from those very things that might and probably will make you happy.

Let’s look at it from a practical standpoint.

Negative: If I get on a horse, I might get hurt.
Positive: Riding a horse might be the most fun I’ve ever had.

Negative: I already have a job. Why should I follow up on this other job offer?
Positive: I’m not really looking for a new job, but it never hurts to talk to new people and pursue potential opportunities.

Negative: Nothing I can do will ever change my situation.
Positive: One voice, one opinion can change the world for the better. Because of those first fearless women, all women now have the right to vote. A few voices changed everything.

Negative: I don’t want my kids to go out and play, they might get dirty and track all in on my clean floor.
Positive: I love for my kids to play outside in the sunshine and fresh air. It’s so healthy for them. Who cares if I must mop the floor again? Their health is more important than any floor.

I could go on with more examples, but I think you get the point. Being negative just requires an adjustment in attitude and looking at things from a different perspective… For instance, in all my books, my characters are riddled with bad fortune, beleaguered by those who would harm them, and can’t live their lives the way they desire. Instead of moaning about it, they tackle their problems headfirst, find solutions, and win the day.

Moaning and groaning about life won’t change it, but positive action will. Be like the Lab in the photo and maintain an indisputably good attitude.

So, erase negativity by putting a positive outlook on it. If you don’t like something, change it. You’ll find that attacking issues head on instead of sitting around in fear and complaining about them will rock your world.
​
Til Next Time,
Carol

Last January, the muscles in my left leg and groin tore while I was riding my horse, Okido. I ended up face planting in the dirt. I had to have help to get up and limp out of the arena as my poor horse stood there staring at me in total surprise. What happened? he seemed to be saying.

Needless to say, my leg and groin hurt like hell for about the next month. Riding was out of the question. Walking around was a huge chore. Finally, after a few months I was back riding again but I wasn't myself. I thought I'd never be me again.

My trainer recommended physical therapy after a second fall, due to lack of balance, landed me in the dirt again. (Even though I actually felt more normal after. The fall must have been the chiropractic adjustment I needed!)

Anyway, off to PT I went. I stayed with it for two months, and the therapist gave me a bunch of yoga-like exercises, as well as work with weights in the gym to do on my own when he determined I had graduated.

Throughout all this, I felt like my riding was sliding backward until I realized that we had gone back to the basics, and I started seeing the benefits. As a result, I'm more centered in the saddle, balance from my seat and legs instead of my hands (well, most of the time), and am more relaxed. I continue, to this day, and probably for the rest of my life, to do the exercises my therapist gave me. I'm also content to focus on the basics which is making me a much better rider and from which I will begin to advance at a faster pace in the future (one can only hope).

My point in sharing my little fiasco with you is that it never hurts to take a step back... no matter what it involves... riding, making a relationship work, perfecting your career, or just about anything.

"Pausing to refresh" comes to mind. So, take stock of the things you're hell-bent on accomplishing. Reflect a bit and make sure you aren't rushing it or going about it in the incorrect way. 

You'll be glad that you did.

Til Next Time,
​Carol

 Most of us hate to wait. It's frustrating. But, if you look at it from the perspective of what you get at the end of waiting, it's really terrific.

So, what do I mean? Let's look at the things we wait for most in our lives.

• We wait to fall in love. In the end, if it's the right person, it brings joy.
• We wait to finally pay off debt. When we do, we're free.
• We wait to get well. And when we recover, we are grateful for our lives.
• We wait to finish school. When we do, we have an entire new life to which to look forward.
• We wait for that all important interview. If it goes well, we're set to make money and live as we hope to.
• We wait for our friends to call, text, or meet us. When they do, we're happy.
• We wait for transportation. But we enjoy the destination.
• We wait for our computers to reboot. Once they do, we can get on with it!
• We wait for doctors, dentists, and therapists. Once seen, we hopefully feel better.
• We wait for a table at a restaurant. In the end, we are sustained with a great meal.
• We wait for vacations. What wonderful memories they bring in the end.
• We wait for special moments - birthdays, anniversaries, and special events. They leave us with great memories and time with those we love.

As for me, I wait for my first great-granddaughter to be born. You can only imagine the joy that will bring me. 

I hope my readers look forward in anticipation to the last book in my Moon Blood Series coming out in February 2020. I hope it gives them entertainment and satisfaction. In the meantime, if you haven't read all the books in the series,  you can catch up here: http://mybook.to/MoonBlood1 (I know. Shameless plug. Sorry.)

No matter what any of us await, focus on the end result, not the waiting. It will bring you satisfaction.

Til Next Time,
​Carol

Bad news seems to surround us these days. It's in the news and on social media, I get emails telling me I'm missing an opportunity or that this is my last chance or... you get the picture. 

That's why I'm focused on looking for the good news. It's amazing how it's as prevalent as the bad news if you are open to it. For instance, just yesterday I discovered:

• a man who has saved hundreds of dogs from hurricane and flood waters
• a girl with autism who explains what it's like to be inside her head and how she's learned to cope with it
• a premature baby's ultimate victory and survival
• a 13-year-old boy who created a school closet so his classmates will have nice clothes to wear
• a man who moved in with a shelter dog to help her get adopted
• the first female high school football coach who is blazing trails for women
• a woman who created custom dolls to match children's disabilities
• a Florida company that uses scrap wood to create guitars for sick children

The list goes on every day. One of my greatest sources is from Extraordinary Events and my friend Andrea Michaels. She got fed up with bad news years ago and began a weekly ePublication called the Good News-Letter. If you want to get on her list and receive it, just email  gnl@extraordinaryevents.com and let them know.

Good news is a great way to fight the dark clouds of bad news depression that can ruin your day! I thought I'd share this nice resource with you so that you'll realize that love is really everywhere, and it's love that made all the good news above possible. Do be grateful for it. Gratitude really is the best attitude.

Til Next Time,
Carol

I took a break from blogging this summer. It's extended a little longer than I had meant. I've been enjoying life with my beloved Okido and our great dogs. I did finish up Moon Blood, Book 5, the last in that series and have started working on the outline for a new series entitled: James, the Silver Blood Knight. 

The last in the Moon Blood series will be published next February. Lord knows when I will be able to finish James! I've been working with some incredibly talented authors who have written inspiring books over the summer. One is The Heartlanders by Patrick Godsey. Look for it this fall/winter on Amazon. It's a great story.

Unfortunately, as far as my blog goes, I just need to wait for some inspiration, but, I'll be back in full force soon.

Til Next Time,
​Carol

​Zandra sipped her wine. She closed her eyes momentarily and took a deep breath. “Have you read Ovid’s Metamorphoses? It was written in 8 A.D.”

“Of course.”

“Then, you are familiar with the tale of King Lycaon?”

“Yes. It’s the origin of the word ‘lycanthrope.’ As I recall, Lycaon offended the gods by serving human flesh to them at dinner. Jupiter or Zeus, depending upon who’s telling the story, punished Lycaon by transforming him into a werewolf.” Kane stood and walked to the bar for another glass of wine.

“Yes,” Zandra continued. “In his werewolf form, he could continue his abomination of eating human flesh with less offense.”

“And this has to do with your knowing my situation and following me, how?”

“Like your sire, Brogio, I was cursed by the gods. I am a direct descendant of Lycaon and part of the original werewolf line. I am not controlled by the moon and can change shape at whim, as can all current-day shifters. The difference is that, like Brogio, I have no wish to harm others for selfish gain or otherwise.” She stopped, drew in a deep breath, and let it out. “My affliction is not of my doing. I was born to it.”

Kane sat in silence, watching her face, with his eyes peering into hers as if he could read her mind.

“I am reaching out to you to offer my help in fighting those of my kind who would bring harm to yours or any other.”

Kane’s stare could have bored a hole in her. “Why?”

“I didn’t ask for this curse, but I’ll be damned if I’ll sit by and let others use it to destroy others—human or vampire.”

I sat up and looked at my master. Do you believe her?

Not yet, but I want to.

You know what happened with the last female you lusted after.
​
Zandra Moretti intrigued my master. He obviously wanted to possess her flesh, but she had descended from a legend… his eternal quest for knowledge made her the subject of learning for him.

They sat through the night in conversation. Kane asked question after question about the nature of werewolves. He spat out his questions like the bullets in a machine gun, never giving her a moment to respond. “Can all werewolves be killed by a silver bullet? The first sighting of a werewolf was in 1214; is that correct? A Viking legend says two men became werewolves by putting on two spellbound wolf pelts they found. Is that true? In South America, the Luison is the seventh son of a family of all boys who transforms into a wolf on the night of a full moon. Luisons were said to be horrendously deformed. True? Other legends say, for instance in Mexico, that werewolfism or nagualism are guardian spirits that reside in an animal and transform to cause harm. Some think magicians can change their physical form into a nahuali, meaning disguise. Do any of these legends have any bearing?”

I grew weary of his questions as Zandra must have. Once Kane stopped firing questions at her, Zandra simply said “no.”

“None of them?”

She shook her head to the negative. “The legend of Lycaon is the true origin of our species. But, just as your kind has rippers, we have our own line of ill-begottens who spread throughout the world.”
 
Want to learn more about these modern-day shifters?  The Moon Blood Series is full of them.
 Visit: http://www.carolmckibben.com.

Til Next Time,
​Carol
​

The black wolf with golden eyes rushed at full speed toward me as I stood in a moonlit clearing surrounded by cypress trees on Kane’s Tuscany wine estate.
                The creature skidded to a stop and assessed me with knowing eyes. She snorted and slowly began to morph. Her back legs became long, slender human legs as she raised up on them. Her front legs transformed into slender but well-toned arms. Breasts grew from the hairy chest. The snout reduced into a perfectly formed nose; the fangs became perfect teeth surrounded by full, pink lips. The straight black hair dropped away from a beautiful olive-skinned face but went cascading down her back to touch her waist. Her long ears became lovely shaped human ones. Zandra Moretti stood before me in the flesh.
                “Am I late? I apologize. My brothers and I were patrolling the property.” She reached for the blue robe I offered her. I thought she might appear to me in Lycan form and had brought it as an afterthought.
                The hybrid vampire Lycan mate of the first blood son sat next to me on the same fallen tree trunk that I had used when I interviewed Moon Blood, Kane’s hybrid kindred wolf.
                “No apology necessary. You are more beautiful in person than I had envisioned you as I created you.” I felt pride swell within me as I stared into her golden orbs.
                She tossed her head and smoothed an unruly strand of hair away from her flawless skin and smiled at me. “Thank you for making me such an independent character so that I can keep Kane interested and on his toes around me.” She laughed, and I joined in.
                “I know you don’t have much time. None of you ever do, so I’ll get right to it. What are your intentions with Kane?”
                She leaned away from me as if to say “What? Are you kidding me?” Then grinned. “You should know. You’re writing this series.”
                I shook my head. “No, Moon Blood is writing this series. I just follow her around and write what she thinks and does.”
                Zandra sat up straighter. “Well, in that case, I’ll tell you. I want to marry him. We wolves mate for life. I knew the first night I met him at the Taste of Rome café that I wanted him. But it doesn’t matter if he wants the same or not. I am bound to him through blood and loyalty forever. Where he goes, I will follow.”
                “Do your brothers feel the same?”
                “Haven’t they proven it? Of course. And they will follow where Kane and I lead them.”
                I thought I caught a glimpse of a shadow hovering within the trees. My eyes narrowed to try and see who it might be more clearly.
                Reading my mind, Zandra sighed. “It’s Zeb. He never stops worrying about me.”
                I raised my hand to him, but he vanished the instant I acknowledged his presence.
                “He won’t join us. My oldest brother doesn’t like to incite my ire at his constant spying on me”
                I shrugged. “What about Kane? I’m surprised he’s not lurking around or wants to join us.”
                She stood and stretched revealing her long slender body as her robe fell open. I had forgotten how nudity was just an aspect of a shifter’s life. “Oh, I’d bet he is somewhere nearby. As you know, he’s extremely protective of Moon and me, but he would sense no danger from his creator… unless you are here to tell me that you’ll be killing me off in Book 5 of the Moon Blood Series?”
                “Well, that’s up to Moon, isn’t it?” I countered.
                She smiled. “Then, I’m safe. Moon is as protective of me as Kane and my brothers are. Besides, what purpose would it serve to piss off all your fans?”
                I laughed at her assuredness. I had created Zandra to be independent, confident, and strong-willed. I couldn’t imagine her thinking otherwise.
                She turned and cocked her head for a moment.
                “What is it?” I stood as she alerted on something I had no way to hear.
                She looked back at me as she removed the robe and handed it to me. “Why it’s my lord and master, or so he thinks. He wants me to come to bed with him before the sun rises.”   
                Before I could blink, Zandra Moretti transformed into the beautiful black wolf and sprinted to the woods, home, and the love of her life, Kane.

To learn more about Zandra, Kane, the Moretti Brothers, and Moon,
visit www.carolmckibben.com.

Til Next Time!
​Carol

                

​I’ve been watching American Gods, the television series adaptation of Neil Gaiman’s 2001 novel. Of course, the main character is Mr. Wednesday, who is Odin, the supreme mythological god. This got me to thinking. So, I looked it up, and sure enough, Wednesday comes from the Old English Wodnesdaeg or ‘day of Odin’ named after the Germanic god Odin or Woden. He is equated to the Roman God Mercury. 

So, what about Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday you ask? Me too. So, I started researching. Now I really did know that Wednesday and Thursday were named after mythological gods, but the rest were news to me.
​
Monday comes from the Old English Monandaeg or ‘day of he moon.’ But the moon is steeped in mythology. Artemis, the Greek Goddess of the hunt, forests, hills, the moon, and archery is deeply attached to the moon, as are Selene and Hecate, all lunar goddesses. Artemis is the daughter of Jupiter/Zeus/Thor and twin sister to Apollo, God of the sun.

​Tuesday comes from the Old English Tiwesdaeg or day of Twi, a Germanic god of war and the sky. The translation from Latin is dies Marti or ‘day of Mars.’ The god Tiw is equated to the Roman God Mars. 

​I’ll bet you know what the origin of Thursday is. It’s from the Old English Thu(n)resdaeg or ‘day of thunder’, named after Thunor or Thor, the Germanic god of thunder. The translation from Latin is Jovis dies or ‘day of Jupiter.’ Thor is equated with the Roman God Jupiter (or the Greek God Zeus).

​Friday is derived from the Old English Frigedaeg or ‘day of Frigga.’ Frigga is the Germanic goddess of married love and wife of Odin. She is equated to the Roman goddess of love, Venus.

​Saturday comes from Old English as well and translated from Latin means Saturni dies or ‘day of Saturn’. Saturn is the Roman god of agriculture. Kind of makes sense, right?

And that leaves Sunday. It, too, is Old English from Sunnandaeg or ‘day of the sun’. While it isn’t directly named for a god, like the moon, the sun was prominently figured in mythology with the gods, especially Apollo. The Egyptians worshipped the sun as a god. Most cultures relate it to the ‘Lord’s Day.'

So, there you have it.

Why is this fascinating to me? Because I write about the mythological gods in both my Snow Blood and Moon Blood series.

Til Next Time!
Carol

She walked proudly toward me. Her confidence startled me, and I stepped back. Her piercing blue eyes peered directly into mine, and she displayed no shyness or fear.
            Like my other characters that I’ve interviewed, Moon Blood appeared to be as curious about me as I was of her.
            We were meeting in a small clearing in the midst of a forest on the west side of her master and sire Kane’s Tuscany wine estate. I was thankful for the spring-like weather.
            I squatted down as she approached, and she immediately rubbed her head under my arm forcing me to scratch her head and ears. Her long, shaggy white hair felt like silk under my fingers, and she leaned into my long nails giving her head a thorough massage.
          Sitting back on her haunches, her thoughts filled my mind. You made me independent but loyal, curious and brave but protective of my loved ones. I’m not afraid to challenge my master when I think it’s right. Did you model my character after yourself?
            Her question took me by surprise. I sat down on the mossy forest floor, crossed my legs, and looked at her. “It seems you know me as well as I do you. Often when I am writing you, you just take over and surprise me.”
            Perhaps that is because we are one. We are inside each other’s heads.
            I laughed. “Well, you’re definitely in my head. That’s for sure. But, let me ask you a few questions.”
            She dropped down and relaxed, much like she appears in the image above. Go ahead.
            “How do you differentiate your love between Kane and Enzo?”
            Kane is my maker, my savior. He is and will always be utmost in my mind to protect. Because he has gathered an extended family now, that love and loyalty extends to them. Kane is my father, my family. They are family. She scratched an ear, looked into the distance, her eyes and hearing ever-alert, and then snorted and relaxed. Enzo is my protector. His goal is to always keep me safe. I am in love with him and would make him my mate if I could. He too is family. I would die to protect any one of my family.
            “So, you love them unconditionally? No matter what?”
            Is there any other way to love?
            I sat in awe of her. She and Snow Blood are both the embodiment of the message in all my books. Unconditional love.
            “How do you see yourself as being different from Snow Blood?”
            She cocked her head from side to side and then panted. You ask questions for which you already have the answer.
            I remained silent.
            She pulled herself closer and placed her large head on one of my knees. I am the female version of him, am I not? Except, he is curious where I am always questioning. He asks for explanations from his master and family. I always “ask” why. It’s a minor difference. His is always from curiosity. Mine is more of a challenge. I tend to be disobedient at times, only because I am independent and prideful, but neither ever outweigh my loyalty to my family.
            “Enzo has warned you of things to come. He foretells of evil worse than you have faced before. What do you expect to happen?”
            Perhaps we will all suffer the true death fighting to protect each other. That has always been the threat. I will stand unafraid with those I love. What more can I do?
            I reached down and wrapped my arms around her and held her head close to me. When I released her, she alerted, leaped up, whirled around, and sprinted to the trees where Enzo waited for her.
          He rarely allowed himself to be very far from her, and today was no exception.
        I thought to myself that of all the beloved characters in Kane’s coven, these were the two most noble.

Read Moon Blood, the First Blood Son Series (1-4), starting with Book 1, found on Amazon. Book 5 is formulating in my mind as I write this.

Til Next Time,
​Carol

Last week I talked about building a new character for my Snow Blood Series. His name is Mathias, a character from my heart. For those of you who know me, no explanation is needed. For those who don't, this book is dedicated to Aramis, my winged Friesian angel, who will forever live in my heart.

I wanted to share a few excerpts from Snow Blood Season 4 for your comments! 

I hope you enjoy these excerpts and that they piques your interest if you haven't read this installment. But, consider this, why has Mathias appeared? Why is he protecting Seth? What new evil could want to harm Seth, Snow Blood, and his family?

Snow Blood Season 4 Excerpts:
She was finally mine, in body and soulless soul, bound together through eternity. Nova pressed against me. Snowflakes fell across her salt and pepper coat and glistened like small diamonds on her fur. Shadows of prey lurked in the surrounding darkness as we padded home through the forest. I would have wanted the true death if she had failed to return my love.
 
Too caught up in the afterglow of our mating, I missed the tell-tale signs Nova instantly sensed.
           
Something watches us… follows us. Her telepathic message jarred me into alertness. We both circled each other, she-wolf to husky, eyes outward, looking for the intruder. I felt the presence of something… not dangerous. Searching the trees with my keen vampire vision, I glimpsed the shadowy outline of a… horse? I sprang in its direction with Nova on my heels only to discover nothing…

...AND LATER

I turned and ran faster to catch Kane with Scrawny behind me.

The three of us pulled up short about a quarter of a mile west of the estate. I recognized the field where Brogio confronted Artemis and Zeus. Zeus’ presence there had burned the field. No grass would ever grow there again. The field had become a landmark of sorts to mark our war with the gods. That all seemed long ago, when in reality it had only been a little more than six months.

I gawked at the winged horse standing in the middle of the field. He was a magnificent black horse with long, flowing mane and tail. His hoofs were covered in black feathers, and his black wings spanned what appeared to be ten or more feet each when he spread them out to his side when he saw us.

Kane strode up to the creature. “You are a relative of Pegasus, no doubt?”

Scrawny and I sniffed the ground and approached cautiously.

You may speak to me telepathically so that all can participate. The horse tossed his head in Scrawny’s and my direction.

Who or what are you?

I am Mathias, friend to Seth. 

Kane’s insatiable curiosity got the better of him. Your breed carried knights into battle, didn't it? What is your origin?

Mathias stomped his right foot. I am Friesian. I am guardian for Seth. I told you, I am his friend. He is in trouble. He needs you now.

Kane pressed for more information. What has happened?

Mathias flung his head irritated by Kane’s questions. In helping you with the aspecting ritual to connect with Hades to locate where Hecate had taken the vampire dog, Seth is in trouble with the other white witches in his coven. They strictly forbid the use of dark magic, and Seth has broken that rule. They threaten to take Seth’s abilities from him. They are passing judgment on Seth at his home now. Follow me.

Mathias spread his magnificent wings and took flight. Because vampires have the ability to move from one point to the next with lightning speed, we covered the eighteen miles from the estate to Seth’s cottage outside the north end of Wolfville in a matter of minutes. Scrawny and I scampered after Kane, dodging trees, shrubs and even prey that we startled as we whisked by them. Mathias landed just as we arrived next to a cluster of trees in front of the cottage with the vibrant blue door. Smoke curled from the brick chimney, and angry voices tried to shout each other down from inside. “I tell you, if I hadn’t shown Kane the aspecting spell, his friend would have been destroyed! What choice did I have to save an innocent! I…”

“Not acceptable!” A strident voice interrupted Seth’s plea. “You deserve to be stripped of your abilities.”

“Yes!” Several voices added their agreement.

“Wait,” a soft-spoken voice melted through the din of dissatisfaction. “Seth was trying to help save a life. Isn’t that what we do? Granted, he showed another how to aspect Hades, but he didn’t do the ritual himself.”

Another husky, unpleasant voice attacked. “Shush, Glenna! You’re being too soft. We have ethical behavior that guides the use of our magic.”

Kane waited no longer. He pushed open the door and made his presence known in the sitting room of the cottage. Scrawny followed, but I could not cross the threshold since I had never been invited in before. I stood outside and waited. Kane and Scrawny found themselves in the midst of a large circle of some twenty witches of all ages – young, old and in-between.   In the circle with them stood a tall blonde man with the most angelic face I had ever seen. The word good sprang to mind when I looked into his pure pale blue eyes. Dressed in a white shirt, slacks and shoes, his fair hair spread out around his wide shoulders.

“Ah, Kane, this isn’t a good time,” Seth said. But before the beautiful man could finish, the tallest of the witches took one look at Kane and shrieked. “Demon! Vampire!” With a wave of her hand, she threw Kane and Scrawny against the wall next to the fireplace.

*****************
What do you think will happen next? Can you weave the plot from Season 3 into this?

Til Next Time,
​Carol