It Must Be Spring… I’m Hatching Something Big – #BloodWar

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Salutations to all my readers. My lawn looks like a rabbit has been murdered on it. Clumps of white fluff are everywhere, leading everyone to a false conclusion. We don’t have white rabbits around here. The small brown ones are just fine, reproducing over the last few years like… well, rabbits.

What in fact has occurred is that Mishka got his spring de-shedding. Consider the size of a grocery store paper bag then imagine it filled to the brim with white, fine hair. Then consider the volume of everything left on the lawn from the process that blew away before I could catch. And then every wad left over on my pants so that I now look like I had a field of dandelions explode on me. Needless to say, Mishka looks about thirty pounds lighter.

Why am I telling you this? The good news is that he only produces that much hair twice a year when he blows out of his winter and summer coats. Meaning SPRING MUST BE HERE. Screw it Punxsutawney Phil. Mishka’s furry buns have better predicted the seasons over the last eight years with more accuracy. If he’s getting rid of his winter coat, it means we’re close to the end of the frigid cold.

Meanwhile, (now that the fuzzy PSA is over), I can update you on a few things. Since Outfoxed has been released and so has Black Hart (to rave reviews from you my dear readers), I have a few people demanding to know what is next.

Cue the dramatic music. Before I officially unveil my current project (which will have quite few of you cheering!) I will say that early this summer, Forgotten Hart from my Väktare of All Realms series will be out. It’s almost through edits and all that author jazz that I specialize in. More details to follow soon and Shira Hart’s adventure will continue with a HUGE BANG, but I cut to the chase…

BLOOD WAR: Defiance, the now titled book three in the Destiny in the Shadows series is coming to a book shelf near you very soon. In fact, I’m already over one hundred thousand words into it, so Rain and a few new friends will be coming your way likely by the end of summer 2020. Other than that, I can’t say too much without revealing spoilers, so I’ll put it in caps.

***SPOILER ALERT. SKIP THESE PARAGRAPHS IF YOU HAVEN’T READ SLAVE TO WAR. OR IF YOU HAVE AND DON’T WANT ANY CLUES TO WHAT’S NEXT, SKIP THE NEXT FEW PARAGRAPHS, TOO!***

That being said, I can answer a few questions.

1) Will Cain McRattin be back? Now that truly is a clue to remember on the last page of Slave to War. Duh. As per reading, we all know he’s still alive. The question is where he’ll have been and in what condition considering Blood War takes place ten years after the events of Slave to War. Yes, I am a very mean author. I love romance and angst and frequently dabble in both at the same time. And Blood War won’t lack either, trust me.

2) The request by one (and only one I might add) of my readers to kill Michael Xorratti has been dually noted. Will I take the firmly screamed at me suggestion? Author’s prerogative dictates I listen to you like a cat takes commands from its master. I’ll pretend like I haven’t heard you and knock a few things off a counter at the same time in response. You’ll have to read to find out.

3) What happened to Rogee? Again, why ruin the surprise? I’m a very, very mean author making you wait.

4) Things to look forward to? In this book, we’ll finally get to see MoiRai as well as meet the extended members of Rain’s family, including Rain’s mother. Needless to say, things will get hot very quickly. Master Rascorr will be met as well, so new worlds will be discovered.

5) Will John McRattin play a bigger part in this book? Woo, whoever sent me this query, you are very keenly astute. I’ve left subtle clues along the way through the first two books, so you shall see what I have been leading up to. The Green Dragon will be flying soon, so keep your seatbelts on. There’s going to be a lot of friction along the way…

6) What about the baby?!!! Baby? What baby? Was there a baby mentioned in Slave to War? Perhaps there were two? I’ve even included a complementary baby Yoda GIF to brace you for the fact I won’t be divulging what happens to Trystan… Oops. Is that a clue?

Indeed, I am a very #MeanAuthor. See? It’s even becoming a hashtag of me! Feel free to tweet about it:

@maggielynnhh is a very mean (THOUGH AWESOME) author. #MeanAuthor ❤ Tweet this to show your support! #BloodWar #DestinyintheShadows

That pretty much sums it up. I’d love it if any of you readers have expectations for book three. I try to listen to my readers, so if there’s something you want to see, I may take it into account. Feel free to DM me on Facebook or comment below the article. Even better, subscribe to my newsletter. You get a free book out of it (STILL DEATH, a best seller on Amazon!) and you can also email me directly then whenever you want by replying to me there. Again, I try to reply!

Well, that sums up our time together for today, but I hope I haven’t left you overly frustrated. BLOOD WAR IS COMING SUMMER 2020. STAY TUNED PEOPLE. THINGS ARE ABOUT TO GET HOT. LIKE WWIII HOT…

Feel free to tweet your excitement…

I’m #Excited for Blood War: Defiance – #Book 3 in the Destiny in the Shadows series by @maggielynnhh. Added to my TBR list for summer 2020!

I Am Thoroughly Opposed To The Introduction of 5G Into Sherman, CT Via Happy Acres Farm

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For those currently unaware or uninformed about the goings on in Sherman this week, I have sent this letter to the town as of February 27th, 2020:

To: Mr. Don Lowe, First Selectman of the Town of Sherman CT

As well as to whom it may concern in the Sherman town office,

In lieu of appearing at the town meeting this evening since I cannot personally attend, I wish to make my opposition to the introduction of 5G cell towers in the town of Sherman, Connecticut known. I agree with the letter to the editor in the Town Sentinel today by Susan Zeitler, calling for a moratorium on the installation of 5G and support a cease and desist.

The health effects of 5G are still being documented and have been banned in Brussels, the Netherlands, counties in Ireland, the UK, Russia, Switzerland, and many other parts of the world, including districts here in the United States such as Portland, Oregon and others on a growing list. The state of Louisiana in particular has called for a study to be conducted on the specific health effects of the radiation and towers, hopefully a growing trend amongst the states.

I for one do not wish to be a guinea pig for the cell phone companies to test on. As a member of the town with numerous health problems as it is (kidney failure and numerous autoimmune issues), I also worry about those in town with weakened immune systems and those fighting off cancer. Additional radiation at untested levels cannot be good for those with health conditions.

As it is, I am aware of Connecticut’s bill SB 536 which proposed an established statewide plan for building new small cell towers in the public right of way. The bill would supposedly give the public some voice. Verizon opposes this bill. I for one am keeping an eye on the entire state as for how 5G is pressed upon us.

All in all, the safety of 5G has not been assured to the general public. Considering the close placement of the tower to the Sherman School, only a few minutes up the road at Happy Acres Farm, it places our children in the line of the radiation. When given equal radiation doses, the risks for children and adolescents are greater than for adults. Children grow quickly, and their cells are more sensitive to radiation. Since effects of radiation take years to develop, their youth extends the time for any potential effects from radiation to occur.

As a member of the closest residing communities to the existing tower, less than two minutes down my road, I am opposed to the installation of 5G in our town until conclusive health testing has been thoroughly conducted and by an impartial source outside of the cell companies themselves.

Sincerely,

Resident Maggie Lynn Heron-Heidel  

If anyone else wishes to voice their opinions on the matter, I would suggest they likewise speak to the town selectman, Mr. Don Lowe, before the board makes a decision with or without the town’s general opinions being expressed. You can do so here: http://www.townofshermanct.org/government/departments/government/board_of_selectman.php

Photo by Sparsh Karki on Pexels.com

Join Maggie Lynn Heron-Heidel on the Authors Show! – 24 Hours Only

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Make sure to tune in to the Author’s Show to hear a special interview with author Maggie Lynn Heron-Heidel today February 25th, 2020. The interview will run today for twenty four hours, so make sure to catch it before it goes into the station’s vaults. Make sure to tune in here: https://wnbnetworkwest.com/channel/7

A Valentine’s Day Rant – Plus The First Chapter of Black Hart

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Valentine’s day sucks. You heard me right. It does. You’ve got no Valentine, no superficial teddy bear, you feel left out, then you reach for some crappy chocolates that you bought yourself. Then to top it off, tomorrow you weigh yourself and discover that your chocolates left your scale with an added bonus.
I have a better solution for you.
Don’t spend Valentines day without a high octane adventure. Black Hart is available today! Continue Shira Hart’s journey as a treat to yourself 😛 You know you want to. Instead of craving chocolates, you’ll be left craving for more in the best possible way… one that won’t end you stepping on the scale tomorrow
Books2read.com/blackhart

As for the first chapter, click the widget below where it says ‘free preview’. You can read the prologue and first, second and third chapter like it’s your kindle app. Or if you actually have a Kindle, have the preview sent straight to your device.

Happy Valentine’s Day! You can thank me now. It officially won’t suck.

Happy Valentine’s Day – I Survived Being Suffocated

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Happy day, I’m alive! How ’bout that for a catchy article title? Nevertheless, it’s true.

It’s been a rough week all around. I spent the first three days with a virus and laryngitis, then today, I was blessed with yet another gift. Mishka has apparently developed a phobia for the sound of wind on a very blustery day. His solution? Squashing his mummy by sitting on her chest. And I literally mean my chest, while I still haven’t gotten over the cold and can barely breathe. Lucky me.

I managed to snap the photo about fifteen minutes into the squashing session and after having cajoled him into accepting my lap instead of continuing to suffocate me. He contented himself then by giving my Dell computer a tongue bath. The wolfster seems to think he’s still Pomeranian-sized and can safely use me as a human moon bounce machine. NOT.

Either way, I’m all excited because Black Hart is finally out today! Two releases in a matter of a week? Whew! No wonder I gave into a cold. This kind of work tuckers a gal out.

If you’d like to check it out, this the link. Meanwhile, I will marvel over free oxygen with a new appreciation since the elephant, er hem, Mishka is off my chest. Meanwhile, the GIF to the left is somewhat akin to what the experience was like.

Happy Valentine’s Day everyone! Outfoxed and Black Hart are now available for your readership on whatever digital device you prefer. Also make sure to check and see if your library has them via Hoopla Digital.

Truly yours,

Author Maggie Lynn

HAPPY VALENTINES DAY!

Outfoxed is finally here! – Australian Bushfire Efforts

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Can you feel my excitement? Outfoxed has finally been released!

COVER OUTFOXED

This story was specially written by me to benefit the animals affected in the Australian Bushfires and is now available on all online major retailers. Proceeds will go to the Australian Zoo Hospital’s efforts to treat and rehabilitate the animals affected by this tragedy. The hospital itself was founded by the Irwin family and continues to this day to help the animals in need.

About the novel:

A beauty, two beasts, an asexual prince, plus an enemy wolf shifter clan intent on abduction. What can possibly go wrong?
Adara Bileby has a secret. Between being hunted mercilessly for her heritage as a red wolf shifter and sneaking through windows at night as a thief, she also has two men who both insist she’s their mate. But when her father trades her off to the magical land of Mynt in exchange for his life after killing one of their sacred peppermint roses, she inherits an enormous problem. Two teensy problems to be precise.

When her ‘mates’ are transformed into two beasts by the sentient roses, she must make an everlasting choice. To save the man she loves, she’ll have to give herself to a monster. If she doesn’t, her love will remain trapped as a beast forever. All the while an unknown enemy lurks in the shadows, intent upon getting her all to himself. Will Adara sacrifice herself for the man she loves? Or will she have been totally outfoxed?

Outfoxed is a new science fantasy retelling of the classic Beauty and the Beast story with a comedic species-swapping twist that will warm your heart. Spun into the tale, you’ll encounter wolf shifters, fennec foxes, flying foxes, koalas, a few errant bandicoots and feisty sextet of sentient rosebushes. All in all, it’s one wild ride!

As you can see, the animals of Australia play an important role in the story. In the back of each purchased edition, I’ve included a glossary of all the species mentioned so that the reader can learn more about them. Even if you should choose not to purchase the story as a donation, please share this with all of your reading friends. With each sale, an animal in need gets the help it so wholly deserves.

READ Outfoxed

Last Chance to Vote For Cursed Hart! (ENDS TONIGHT)

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LAST CHANCE!

Voting ends tonight for Aconite Cafe’s 2019 Book Awards. It’s your last chance to vote for Cursed Hart as best Urban Fantasy of 2019. Make sure to go to the form here and vote before midnight tonight or your vote won’t count! https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSekvVrpO-5ZkhMoyovXL-QvD2rj6fmoFGzxkAF2O62dYdn-YA/viewform

As a thanks for voting, make sure to enter my current contest to win a digital edition of BLACK HART before it’s released on February 14th. Everyone is eligible to enter!

The Importance of Cyber Manners – Ten Rules of Internet Polite Society In 2020

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Note to humanity: cyberspace isn’t your own personal diary. Nor is it supposed to be like Regina George’s Burn Book. Forgive the Mean Girls Reference. It’s apt, though, isn’t it?

Ten rules…

After the last number of weeks and being hit with a number of attacks, as well as seeing a number of my friends suffering with them as well, I need to break my silence. The unsettling part is the vast majority of the attacks and insults didn’t come from idiots and trolls floating around on the internet. They came from career driven people in esteemed industries, hence prompting this article. Even the most quaffed and distinguished of people seem to be forgetting their P’s and Q’s on the internet.

So hence forth here are my ten rules for internet behavior:

1) Gossip is never the way to make anyone’s heart grow fonder of you… that is, unless they like to gossip, too. Then it’s entirely possible they will gossip about you to everyone else they know as well and behind your back.

2) If you don’t want people remembering it at your funeral, then it’s best not to say or post whatever you’re thinking of. We as humans have a tendency to focus on the negative. If you say something that sticks, it will rattle around in people’s brains forever.

3) If word of your choice verbiage or behavior gets back to your peers, will it damage your career? If so, then why do it? Learn to hold your tongue. Unless you intend to commit career suicide, just don’t.

4) If a nasty comment or post is aimed at someone you work with or you consider a colleague, perhaps remember that your words could backfire completely. For example, if that person has been helping to promote you as a freelancer, if you offend them their promotion of your business will immeditately stop.

5) If you express sexual interest in a person and it is not returned (or if, gasp, they’re already married and you knew that fact to begin with), move on. Go hit a punching bag in the quiet of your home or in the gym corner over your rejection. Don’t post it on social media or lash out. All it does is make you look bad. Sad. Pathetic even.

6) If you don’t have anything nice to say, don’t say it at all. That’s just common sense.

7) When it comes to politics or religious beliefs, it’s a free country. Unless someone’s beliefs are harmful on some level to someone else or are attacking people in general, think twice before commenting. Think it over a third time if you decide to respond, remembering Mark Twain’s phrase, “Never argue with an idiot. They will drag you down to their level and beat you with experience.”

8) If someone makes an achievement that makes you jealous, refusing to congratulate them only makes you look bad. No one else. Likewise, if they’re asking for support and you won’t give it because of said jealousy, perhaps think of the next time you need a favor. They’ll be far less likely to assist you in return. For example, the LIKE button on Facebook or elsewhere is not your own personal passive-aggressive tool to express your feelings. At minimum, what harm does liking something do? The answer is simple. Nothing, unless you’re letting your own ego get in the way.

Example: If they’re in need of a vote for a contest or are trying to get a petition to go viral and ask you to share it, who the hell does it hurt by sharing? If you don’t just because of your own begrudging envy, again, in future, you may need that friend’s help. You may not get it.

9) If it includes profuse four letter words, labeling, or name calling of any kind, the onus is on you for outing your own stupidity. The people who support you for it have just outed their own personal desire to revel in strife and/or their own idiocy. It never ends well for anyone’s reputation.

10) And finally, getting behind a computer, phone, or tablet does not give you the right to do anything. As a wise woman once told me, “Getting behind the wheel of a car does not give you permission to commence in road rage behavior.” While you can do something, it doesn’t mean you should.

Basically summed up, if something quacks like a duck, usually it is. If someone puts something stupid on social media, it only reflects on their own mindset. Don’t stoop to their level. Think of the quote by Mark Twain above and rise above it. Rise above them. If half the politicians in the world actually lived by these rules online or in the real world, they’d spend far more time doing the jobs they swore to do.

We aren’t in Kindergarten anymore. Behave like you aren’t. You’ll rise above sixty percent of the internet’s drivel.

Another of my favorite quotes about people to remember: “Always separate the trash from the recycling .”

Peg Heron Heidel

– Maggie Lynn Heron-Heidel 2020

If you enjoyed this article, I’ll bet you’ll enjoy a free copy of my best selling E-book STILL DEATH. You can get yours here for a limited time!

Missing History: Seneca Village – The Lost Neighborhood Under New York City’s Central Park

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Did you know about Seneca Village?

Having spent a great deal of time in New York’s Central Park, I felt it important to share this piece of history with all of my readers. It is especially interesting to me considering one of my series, Destiny in the Shadows, sits on the ruins of New York. Few people seem to know that much of New York itself sits on former communities forcibly turned to ruin… and that’s not including the Native American history of the island. Few people realize that the name Manhattan itself is thought to be of native origin.

Remembering stories of my grandparents travels and careers in New York in the 1900’s, their families being immigrants to New York before them, I doubt very much that they knew of Seneca village either. Before viewing this, had you ever heard of Seneca Village? Comment and let me know.

Before you go, make sure to pick up a free copy of STILL DEATH, my best selling E–book!

Video courtesy of Vox