Coming out in April: Carol McKibben's Reign and The Rise of the Lich - Book 2 in the Silver Blood Knight series. Here's an excerpt:

Destiny plots a course we must follow. It has been said that two kinds of destiny exist. One we can change, and one that cannot be altered.

All my life I have been told I am a miracle, born for a purpose with a destiny to fulfill.

As I sprawled in front of a roaring fire, one that I am unable to feel, I stared into the violet eyes of another who has a destiny that cannot be changed.

Adam reached out and stroked my long salt and pepper fur as he squatted next to me in our new home outside of Rome. He was born to former vampires, Brogio, the original bloodsucker, and Selene, his former Moon goddess mate that he made kindred. Both are now human. That they were no longer kindred but had been restored to their former state was no small miracle. It had been prophesized that their son would be the greatest wizard of all ages.

The teenager next to me was a fraud of sorts. He was the product of a spell, his conjuring, that replicated the five-year-old boy into his eighteen-year-old duplicate. He appeared as Adam in every way, only older. To placate his parents, this duplicate will remain with us until the real boy turns eighteen and is allowed to leave home and join us.

Teenaged Adam sat in disbelief at my recent vision, an ability inherited from Enzo, my sire. I’d just shared it with him, James, and the ten Moretti brothers, all scattered around our great room.

James and the Morettis are hybrid vampire Lycans, and their destinies have all been changed to match ours. I am a hybrid as well and the single male offspring of Moon, a blended she-wolf vampire, and her spirit wolf, Enzo. Their coupling was supposed to be an impossibility. I am living proof that it is not. Except for Adam, all of us are immortal.

Thoughts of my vision ramble through our collective brains telepathically. We are connected mentally. And, we have all been anointed by God the Father’s angels as his warriors, created to fight against and rid the Earth of evil.

Thoughts of the newly formed Lich in my vision consumed us all.

James, to whom I have sworn my loyalty, knelt next to me. “Run us through your vision one more time, Reign. Take us through it slowly.”
​
I closed my eyes and replayed it for them.

​Images from the Story:

Stay on the look out in April for the launch of this second book in the Silver Blood Knight Series!

Til Next Time,
​Carol

Seriously! I'm just popping in to share this! Check it out:
​ https://promos.reignofreads.com/giveaway/cruel-prince.

It includes the book below! Chance to win ends on July 25, 2022!

Thought you would enjoy this book list with several other associated ones. 
​https://shepherd.com/best-books/vampire-novels-that-swept-me-away.

Back at you soon!

​Carol

The Reincarnation of Charlie ​is the collaboration of mother Carol McKibben and daughter S. N. McKibben. Both authors have a substantial list of solo books. Check out www.pennscripter.com.

Til Next Time,
Carol

Over half of people who own pets reported owning multiple pets, and adults in the age range of 50 to 64 were more likely to own a pet according to the University of Michigan National Poll on Healthy Aging. As a pet owner looking to move into a retirement community, you will have many options. Up to 75 percent of assisted living communities accept pets, so you can find a suitable community. However, it can appear difficult to find the best retirement community, especially if you’re in the low-income bracket with a limited budget.

Because pets are a great companion and can improve your health, author Mary Shannon of SeniorsMeet shares some tips to consider if you want to find the best assisted living communities.

The Secret to Finding a Pet-Friendly Housing Complex
To find a pet-friendly assisted living community, you need to consider a housing complex that welcomes pets. Also, as New Perspective points out, it’s important to understand the questions to ask before moving in. Most pets in senior living communities include cats and dogs, but you can also find pets like ferrets, birds, and guinea pigs. Check the local laws as some places may not allow certain kinds of animals.

Often, there’s a weight limit for dogs, but you can negotiate this in some places. When negotiating, remember to personalize the situation, know what you want, and stay focused on the issue at hand. With enough preparation, you’ll be better able to increase the chance of finding a home for you and your pup.

To prepare for the move, you need to raise the required budget. This is possible if you can sell your home. Before selling your home, it’s important to inspect everything to understand what upgrades you must make to help it sell faster. Check home trends to find ideas, and research the type of projects that will most likely boost your home value.

Challenges for Low-Income Pet Owners
There are many variations in pet policies that restrict their breed or size. This can be hard for low-income earners to handle as it’s not easy to afford to shop around for the perfect housing complex. Often, most people put the dog into the pound as they cannot find a place that can take the dog.

When searching for a suitable assisted living community, you want a place that will welcome your pet without any restrictions. You could also consider adopting a smaller dog if you don’t have one already.

Common Restrictions and Policies
Not all assisted living communities will make it easy for residents to keep pets. Often, there are restrictions in place, but the good news is that if you have a small pet, you will easily find assisted living communities. Some of the rules to remember include:

• Extra Deposit – Seniors with pets may be required to pay a non-refundable deposit. Often, communities limit the number of pets you can adopt or bring. The common limit is one to two pets.
• Non-Exotic Pets – Exotic pets are considered animals that are not normally domesticated. An example would be keeping a python. Remember this when considering adopting a pet, as you must get an animal within the rules.
• Temperament and Breed – Some communities don’t accept dog breeds like pit bulls. They will offer regulations that state you can only adopt “no attack-type dogs”. Also, the animal must have a temperament that makes it easy for staff to explore the residence.
• Designated Pet Caretaker – In some communities, you’re required to designate someone in the area to take care of the pet in case you’re not available, such as when recovering from an illness.

Conclusion
When looking for a pet-friendly assisted living community, it’s important to keep in mind the different rules and regulations you must follow. This makes it possible to find a good place you can stay with your pet. Check that your pet meets all the requirements and also search for communities that don’t have strict rules on your pet breed.

Author Mary Shannon created SeniorsMeet.org, along with her husband, Bob, to have a website that allows seniors to meet up and talk about topics that are relevant to their daily lives. They hope to build SeniorsMeet into a supportive community of like-minded seniors.

Carol McKibben writes from a dog’s worldview! Reach out to Carol today and ask about her editing and other creative services! 

I am so excited that Snow Blood has become a graphic novel! Check it out here and let me know what you think! 

​

I look forward to your comments! 

Until Next Time,
​Carol

Penn Scripter is the nom de plume for the writing team of S.N. and Carol McKibben. We are a mother-daughter combo  who writes unexpected paranormal romance. Separately, we each have a healthy list of novels.

We've combined our talents and interests to produce unexpected paranormal romance that will include fantasy, mythology, paranormal, dogs and horses, relationships, and unusual circumstances wrapped around love stories.

Our first venture together is The Demon of Reginhart. Here's a bit about this fantasy romance set in the 13th Century:

Marcus, a single man, stands in the middle of a world riddled with demons, magic and Kings. Only Marcus is not an ordinary man. He is the only being preventing the demon, Tiecus, and the mage, Asmara, from killing each other and destroying the kingdom. They live within him, against his wishes, but to eliminate one will result in annihilating the three of them.

​Tasked to protect a small port village by King Valder, Marcus finds himself in a war he was not expecting. Defending Reginhart will require the combined cooperation of Marcus, Asmara, and Tiecus.  

One woman’s love could unite them and change the tide of war. Is it possible for a demon to fall in love?

Platt, an unusual local farmgirl, volunteers to help quench the demon’s thirst to save her fellow villagers. As strangers living together within his tower, the pending war brings them all closer. Perhaps Platt is what Marcus needs to become whole and no longer in a constant struggle for control. 

​The fate of them all rests on the outcome of this war, one Marcus is not certain any of them will survive.

The following is a book trailer that we made for The Demon of Reginhart.
 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5yohdx_XJCk&t=13s

Want to discover more about Penn Scripter and this book? Go to:
 https://www.pennscripter.com/

Hope you enjoy!

Til Next Time,
​Carol

Do You Believe That You Have Lived More Than One Life?
​Rebrith, sometimes called reincarnation or transmigration, is the belief that after death, we take on another physical body. Eastern religions have adopted this philosophy as opposed to the skepticism found in Western religions.

Find out what we know about the subject...

The Mystery of Rebirth
Some Eastern religions believe that we do not necessarily take a human form but can exist in one of six realms which include animals, heaven – gods and demi-gods, ghost, hell, and of course human.

Much fiction has been written about hypnotic past lives regression where a psychiatrist puts a patient under and discovers multiple past lives of that person. Plentiful research has been done to try and prove or disprove reincarnation.

Check out this article: People with Really Believable Evidence for Their Claim They're Reincarnated. It contains some pretty convincing evidence!

One of our favorites was the Reincarnated Boy who Solved his Own Murder.

All the stories are unique, but we observed some patterns.

1. All recounted their life while they were young. Many of the stories recount these children confessed their past lives at the age of 4.
2. All were immediately reincarnated. There were not many days or months apart from their death to their reincarnation.
3. Many died in horrible ways such as burned, murdered, and unusual accident. As if they weren’t done with their previous life they seemed to pass directly into their next life immediately.

So, why are we fascinated about transmigration or rebirth?

Because Penn Scripter, a pseudonym I write under with my daughter, has authored a novelette entitled The Reincarnation of Charlie. It is an unexpected paranormal romance about overcoming death to save a loved one. It’s filled with the animals we love, including dogs, horses, and competitive dressage, our sport.

Watch for it in Spring 2022! 

Til Next Time,
​Carol

The journey to my United States Dressage Federation Bronze Medal began 23 years ago. At the age of fifty-five, I was determined to get back into riding. I started jumping until some good friends, all focused on Dressage, grabbed me by the arms and said, “You’re too old to be jumping! Broken bones and all of that. Come do Dressage with us!” So, I did.

Believe me. Doing a sport like Dressage is a whole ‘nother level! One must look like she is doing nothing while working her butt off.

Fast forward five horses later with only one score left at Third Level to capture the Bronze. But my Friesian Okido was not ready for me to show him Third Level, and, let’s face it, I am not getting any younger. Then, miraculously, through my trainer, Deirdre Rose Sabo-Frary, a wonderful, highly trained horse named Gettysburg SLR became available to me. His wonderful owner, Raelynn Stephens said, “You ride him until you get your medal!”

So, we started training together on April 1, 2021. After about a month, we went to our first show but did not get the score. Over the next few months, we kept trying. Then, Deirdre suggested we sign up for the open show during the Regional Championships. I was dubious because those are some tough judges. But, of course, I went for it.

For my first test, Deirdre warmed him up for me to make sure he was tuned up and listening. Then, I got on and felt ready after a little bit of practice. The test was a fair ride, but I knew when I came out of the ring I had bombed it… I turned the wrong direction in my first walk pirouette! Duh! Nervous? Nawh. Just went blank. Maybe that is nervous?

The next day, Deirdre and I were riding tests at the same time, so Jillian Monk, another trainer at our barn (and a good friend) volunteered to coach me during the warmup. Now, Jillian is an exceptionally fine military veteran, and she has a service dog name Kate, a black lab. (I love labs.) Anyway, Jillian and my daughter Stephanie (a former assistant trainer) were there to help me during the warmup. But it was Kate who deserves the credit. Her eyes were locked on me the entire time, and I swear, it was like mental telepathy. That dog willed me to be the best I could be.

I went into that ring, and Getty and I had never been so together, so one, so Zen. There is something about that service dog… she has mad skills, and she pushed me over the edge.
When the score came in, Deirdre and her husband Jacob came running down the barn aisle screaming, “You did it!” Hugs all around. And then my friend and riding buddy Gretchen Summers came screaming down the aisle, and we hugged and jumped up and down like little girls. Stephanie, my daughter, was laughing hysterically.

Soon the champagne came out, and the entire gang from Salado Creek Tack Shop and all of us from Salado Creek Riding Club in attendance shared in a toast after Jacob popped the cork. Later that night, it was a pizza party on the hotel patio. 

No words can express the warmth, love, and excitement shared among my horse friends. No thanks will ever be enough for my trainer, Deirdre, her husband Jacob, or Getty’s owner Raelynn.

As for Getty himself, he is outstanding. How very honored and fortunate I was to be able to train with and show him. So many people came up to me at the show to tell me how beautiful he is. Beautiful and talented, patient and kind, fun and inspirational. (A number of people asked if they could buy him during the show! They asked a price. Deirdre’s dad, Wayne, who was there, just smiled and said, “A million dollars. If you read between the lines, that means he’s not for sale!” Amen to that.)

​ But Kate, well, she is something else. 

​I will always be grateful for her wise, quiet mindlock with me during that ride. Here is to you Katy, girl!