A huge welcome to fellow author, the multi-talented Julie Lynn Hayes. Apart from writing an enviable number of books, she's also an inspiring and forgiving editor. We first met doing Dark Interlude and have been in touch ever since. Here, she introduces her latest book, the alluring When Will I See You Again, with some fascinating insights - and a tantalising excerpt ...
“O, swear not by the moon, the fickle moon, the inconstant moon,
that monthly changes in her circle orb ...”
William Shakespeare, Romeo and Juliet
“Cold-hearted orb that rules the night
Removes the colours from our sight
Red is grey and yellow white
But we decide which is right
And which is an illusion?”
Moody Blues, Nights in White Satin/Lament
An Australian study among emergency patients with violent, acute disturbances comparable to werewolves found that a quarter of those admitted to a small hospital north of Sydney occurred on the night of the full moon, double the number for other lunar phases. Some people were reported to rub themselves with a special ointment, to induce the transformation to becoming a werewolf, an ointment often containing belladonna (“deadly nightshade”) – well known for its hallucinogenic qualities. In modern times, such ointments have been replaced by alcohol and drugs.
For a werewolf, the moon is a cruel mistress
indeed, one he or she cannot evade. She must be obeyed on that night, for
nothing short of death can stop the change. But what if there were a drug that
could control the change, control the beast within? Would that make being a
werewolf more palatable? More acceptable to society at large?
Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/julie.l.hayes.7?ref=tn_tnmn
Email - tothewolf.max@gmail.com
Buy links
You can also find the book on Amazon and All Romance Books.
“O, swear not by the moon, the fickle moon, the inconstant moon,
that monthly changes in her circle orb ...”
William Shakespeare, Romeo and Juliet
“Cold-hearted orb that rules the night
Removes the colours from our sight
Red is grey and yellow white
But we decide which is right
And which is an illusion?”
Moody Blues, Nights in White Satin/Lament
The moon is one of the most highly
anthropomorphised heavenly bodies, in poetry, music, and film. The moon is both
villain and hero, blamed for the madness of men on the one hand and praised for
her encouragement of lovers on the other. The word lunatic derives the old
French lunatique, lunage, or directly
from Late Latin lunaticus “moon-struck”, from
the Latin luna “moon”. And of course
we all know there is a man in the moon, who lives off of the cheese the moon is
made from!
In Greek mythology, Selene is the goddess of
the moon. Her siblings are the sun-god Helios and Eos, goddess of the dawn. Her
name most likely derives from “selas”, the Greek work for light. Her brother
Helios is often identified with Apollo, and is referred to as Phoebus, while
Selene, identified with Artemis, is also known as Phoebe.
The ancient Greeks used gods and goddesses to
help explain the natural world around them, such as the rising and setting of
the sun and moon. The moon must have been particularly mystifying with her
seemingly constant changing – waxing and waning as each month progressed, completely
disappearing during the time of the new moon, and then reappearing in all her
glory during the full moon.
Even today, there are people who believe that
the moon is an influence on their lives, besides the pull she exerts on the
tides. One example is the monthly cycle of women, menses sharing a common root with the Greek words for moon and
month. Some people believe that the moon affects their moods.
And then there are other creatures that are
more directly affected: werewolves.
What is it about the full moon that causes
this phenomenon?
An Australian study among emergency patients with violent, acute disturbances comparable to werewolves found that a quarter of those admitted to a small hospital north of Sydney occurred on the night of the full moon, double the number for other lunar phases. Some people were reported to rub themselves with a special ointment, to induce the transformation to becoming a werewolf, an ointment often containing belladonna (“deadly nightshade”) – well known for its hallucinogenic qualities. In modern times, such ointments have been replaced by alcohol and drugs.
Werewolves are not necessarily just the stuff
of legends. There have been reported werewolf sightings in Wisconsin that go
back to 1936. Cases of people who believe themselves to be werewolves have been
reported in various scientific journals, including The Canadian Psychiatric Association Journal. In 16th-century
Germany, a farmer claiming to be a werewolf was dealt a very unpleasant death
by frightened townspeople. As for literature, werewolf stories go back many
years, including the epic Gilgamesh, written 4,000 years ago.
For a werewolf, the moon is a cruel mistress
indeed, one he or she cannot evade. She must be obeyed on that night, for
nothing short of death can stop the change. But what if there were a drug that
could control the change, control the beast within? Would that make being a
werewolf more palatable? More acceptable to society at large?
When Will I See You Again takes place in a time when the presence of werewolves and
vampires among the general populace is known and accepted, largely because of
drugs that control any baser animal instincts. SL57 is the werewolf wonder
drug, short for SomnioLupus, otherwise known as Wolf Trank. In the small
seaside town of Crescent Bay, people come to the famous nightclub Charisma,
mostly because of the charismatic man who is one of the best-known supes in the
area: Raoul Marchand. Raoul is a regular party animal, one who lives but to
have a good time, and who cares for no one and nothing. But he hasn’t always
been this way ...
Blurb
Raoul Marchand is the crown prince of Charisma, the infamous night club in
Crescent Bay, renowned for its supernatural clientele. He has the pick of any
and all men, but he cares for none. He uses them and throws them away again,
and has done so for some twenty years, in the aftermath of a tragedy that
robbed him of what he loved most in the world.
Alexx
Jameson is an idealistic young would-be reporter with the Crescent Bay
Chronicle. Presented with an opportunity to write a story on the Marchands, he
eagerly grasps the chance to be a real reporter. His friend, Chronicle
receptionist Miller Fenwick, suggests they go to Charisma to do a little
research. Alexx isn’t sure that’s such a great idea. After all, he’s still
under age, being only twenty. No problem, Miller can fix that! Added bonus,
there’s a full moon tonight.
When
Alexx first encounters Raoul, it isn’t exactly in the way he dreamed of, and
he’s sure he made a terrible first impression. But Fate throws them together
under unforeseen circumstances, and the attraction between them can’t be
denied. Can Raoul let go of the past long enough to find his future with Alexx,
or is he doomed to repeat past mistakes?
Excerpt
Alexx drew in his breath in dismay. This wasn’t going well.
Even so, he could not stop staring at Raoul. His eyes met the other man’s.
Raoul’s were very golden; he wasn’t aware such colors even existed in the
spectrum of the human eye. But then again, he didn’t have any friends that were
werewolves either. He wondered if this was a sign that perhaps this man was
about to change, right here and now?
The thought was both exhilarating and frightening.
Alexx’s vision telescoped until he wasn’t aware of anything
but this gorgeous man in front of him. Blood pounded in his ears and his mouth
felt suddenly dry. Having lost all sense of the others in the room, he was
surprised when he felt his chair yanked out from under him. Before he could
fall, a hand grabbed the scruff of his neck, propelling him to his feet. He
glanced at his companion; Miller was being subjected to the same surly
treatment.
“You waste my time for this?” Raoul’s upper lip curled back
in a snarl. Alexx found himself wildly attracted to him. “I have somewhere I
need to be. Paolo, please show these gentlemen
out.” Sarcastic much? He turned
and reached for the door, but it opened before he touched it.
A shaggy blond with hazel eyes and a cheerful countenance
stuck his head inside. “Hey Paolo—” He interrupted himself at the sight of the
occupants of the room.
Alexx heard Miller’s sigh of relief, even as he too
recognized the newcomer. He’d seen him around the Chronicle often enough,
although he’d never really spoken to him. Foster Levine, son of the Chronicle’s
owner—heir apparent and future newspaper magnate.
Alexx’s relief quickly changed to anxiety. What if Foster
knew how old he really was? He couldn’t be sure one way or the other, but for
the sake of argument, he had to assume he did. Would he out him to Raoul
Marchand and his burly minion? Had they simply jumped from the frying pan to be
scorched by the fire?
Author bio
Julie Lynn Hayes was reading at the age of two and
writing by the age of nine and always wanted to be a writer when she grew up.
Two marriages, five children, and more than forty years later, that is still
her dream. She blames her younger daughters for introducing her to yaoi and the
world of M/M love, a world which has captured her imagination and her heart and
fuelled her writing in ways she'd never dreamed of before. She especially loves
stories of two men finding true love and happiness in one another's arms and is
a great believer in the happily ever after. She lives in St Louis with her
daughter Sarah and two cats, loves books and movies, and hopes to be a world
traveller some day. She enjoys crafts, such as crocheting and cross stitch,
knitting and needlepoint and loves to cook. While working a temporary day job,
she continues to write her books and stories and reviews, which she posts in
various places on the internet. Her family thinks she is a bit off, but she
doesn't mind. Marching to the beat of one's own drummer is a good thing, after
all. Her published works can be found at
Amber Quill Press, Dreamspinner Press, MuseitUp Publishing, Torquere Press, and
eXtasy Books. She is also an editor at MuseitUp.
Author links
Blog - http://julielynnhayes.blogspot.com
Blog - http://julielynnhayes.blogspot.com
Twitter
- @Shelley_runyon
Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/julie.l.hayes.7?ref=tn_tnmn
Email - tothewolf.max@gmail.com
Buy links
You can also find the book on Amazon and All Romance Books.
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