How a Hawaiian God forged an Author

Guest Post by Barb Jones, author of the Blood Prophecy series.

Growing up in Hawaii was probably the most unique experience I could have.  However, being that it was the land of Hawaiian folklore, legends, ghost stories, you name it – my parents liked to use it to their advantage to get me to behave.  And believe me, not much could get me to behave as I was constantly getting into mischief regardless of the “punishment”.  There was a particular legend that they liked to expand on so much that they helped grow my love for the paranormal and such legends.

This would be the legend of Madame Pele, the Volcano Goddess.   Now, there are so many variations of the legend of Pele but the main point behind it is that she is a vengeful Goddess that liked to reward those for kindess and inflict torture on those that aren’t.  She would pose as either an old woman or a young maiden. 

For the longest time by a miracle, this had gotten me to be kind and obedient.  Almost to the point that my parents thought I was sick because I didn’t get in trouble once.  But, then, I wanted to see Madame Pele and see what she would do to me if I was bad.  Well, timing couldn’t have been better because I misbehaved one afternoon.  My sister and I loved having hermit crabs as pets.  I convinced her to kiss one.  She did.  Of course, the crab latched onto her lip and wouldn’t let go.  I was in complete laughter and well, my parents were not pleased.  My father, being Hawaiian and Filipino, decided to bring up Madame Pele.  I listened and even though I was sent to my room, I secretly hoped that she would come and do something. 

It happened.  That was the time Hawaii had Hurricane Iwa.  This was an awful hurricane and well, my parents told me that Madame Pele sent the hurricane to scold me for the crab incident with my sister.  I listened and then the most perfect thing happened to keep me in line – they made shirts for Hurricane Iwa with Madame Pele’s face on it.  I couldn’t believe it.

She really came to me in the hurricane form to scold me.  I can’t say I have been perfectly behaved since then because that only increased my storytelling of more legends and getting into the paranormal, Hawaiian Legends and more.

So, as I continue to write, I will be bringing more of the legends and the paranormal to life.

A new paranormal adventure joins the Blood Prophecy series by Barb Jones. Are you ready for the ascension?

Queen’s Ascension
Blood Prophecy
Book Three
Barb Jones

Genre: Paranormal
Publisher: World Castle
Date of Publication: August 17, 2020
ISBN:  9781953271013

ISBN:  9781953271020

ASIN: B08DKK66PM

Number of pages: 236 pages

Word Count: 86107 words

Cover Artist: Steven J. Catizone

Tagline: Bloodshed. Heartbreak. Revelation.

Book Description:

When the darkness was compelling and the heart knew no bounds, was there really a right choice? With Michael’s life hanging in the balance, Amber had a choice: save her star-fated love or keep on the crusade to unite the magical community.

For Amber, her fate was sealed even before her birth and it was her destiny to fight the great battle ahead of her. But, when it came to her heart — her friends, her great love — Amber’s torn. Not only was she the Queen, but she was a human in every sense of the word. She was vulnerable. And so the very people — Chloe and Michael — that gave her strength, quickly became her weakness. It wasn’t her fault she loved too much, was it?

Nevertheless, the Tall Dark Man had set a plan in motion that could threaten the very existence of the Blood Prophecy. Would he gather his dark forces and succeed in destroying Amber once and for all? Or, would she assemble her powerful friends and save the world?

Amazon     BN

Excerpt:

Malakai, Seattle, Present Day

With the betterment of both Michael and Rae, Malakai was glad that they were well and fine; nevertheless, he needed some time to decompress. All the magical commotions that had occurred were too overwhelming for him. He needed some sort of release.

He enjoyed the brisk jog in the park, as he cut through the sharp wind of the cold night. But this did nothing to lift his spirits. He was happy that Amber’s smile finally met her eyes. That was all he’d ever wanted for her: happiness, that’s it. There was nothing more he could ask for—she was his priority. Yet, in the back of his mind, as in his heart, he couldn’t help but believe the ancient legend that he’d heard so long ago was the certifiable truth, as it was written in Eschmun’s scroll.

…her fate is tied to the true alpha of the wolves. A blood drinker will stand formidable, but it is the nature of the child to call upon the true alpha and bring him to the queen’s inner heart.

Could this be the truth? he often wondered as he traveled the world collecting artifacts and evidence supporting this notion. Yes, he’d crafted a reliquary, quite accidentally, and people assumed it was to keep the magic insulated, away from the humans. But that wasn’t the case, at least not for him.  He so wanted to believe, just from the sheer fact that it was said in the scroll. But Malakai was a man of logic, driven by cold hard data. Although wanting to romanticize that his destiny was tied with Amber’s, he needed confirmation. He wanted validation for the strong emotions he was feeling. 

***

Zaraquel, Seattle, Present Day

Walking the cemetery grounds as she so often did without the knowledge of her parents, Zaraquel wandered at a leisurely pace. She whipped out her phone and checked the time, which read midnight. Her brow quirked in confusion, as she had expected Loquiel some time ago. With her long hair styled in two braids and her bright red coat to keep her warm, she sat down on a bench.

She was elated that her best friend, other than the one that was currently running late, was alive and breathing. Rae had given Zaraquel a terrible fright, for she had never known the death of someone close to her heart. She shook, not from the cold, but from remembering the tragic vision she had of Rae’s demise.

A throaty growl awoke her from her thoughts. She heard the fast footfalls of someone, something, running toward her, and she put her fight training to use. Zaraquel spun around, so much so that her wings unfurled. But that did not deter the undead man from attacking her. His decaying flesh was a sight she instantly wished she could unsee, but she had to fulfill her duty and protect the people, which meant ridding the world of this monster.

She punched him in the stomach as her father had taught her, but that did nothing to stop him from throwing his fists at her. She dodged his poor attempts at aiming for her and grabbed his arm, twisting him around so he fell to his knees. Her weight on his back caused the corpse to fall to the ground. It growled in anger, shaking its head savagely, as if it couldn’t wait to get back to its feet. Zaraquel, however, had plans of her own. She stood briefly to step on his neck to keep him from moving, and whispered a spell she’d learned from a book.

“Capite obtruncato intestinisque extractis.”

She heard the cracking of his bones, the stretching of his skin; with a pop! his head flew off, gore spattering in every direction. His body went limp, as it was before he had risen from the ground.

Zaraquel sighed in frustration as she walked off, disappointed from another unnecessary and unjustified kill. She continued to walk the grounds and felt a rush of warm wind, the kind she felt every time Loquiel was near. She turned and there he was, right behind her.

About the Author:

Barb Jones is a paranormal thriller author, IT professional, and the mother of two fantastic children. She is known for her ability to create relatable characters and detailed settings without compromising her unique plots. When people have asked her who she is, she’s been quoted saying, “It can be hard to write at times, but never give up on what you’re passionate about.” She’s a mother, first and foremost, and an author and supernatural enthusiast after. She currently resides in Sarasota, FL, but is a Seattle native at heart. When she’s not writing, she’s traveling and looking for new inspiration for her books.

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