My New Master is available inside The Mirador Fantasmagoria on Amazon Kindle.
The Mirador Fantasmagoria Short Story Anthology featuring LGBT Fantasy Book Writer Catherine Green
LGBT Fantasy Short Story “My New Master” inside The Mirador Fantasmagoria
Mirador Publishing invited submissions of short stories celebrating the Weird and the Wonderful. We were overwhelmed by the number and the quality of entries. Choosing the winners proved to be a monumental task. Our criteria centred on the gifts of storytelling and imagination. We believe these should be the overriding considerations, for the exploration of the human condition through the story telling process. We take great pleasure in presenting this selection by some of the world’s most promising new writers and we look forward to working with these immensely talented story tellers on future projects. Have fun and lose yourself in the wonderful Mirador Fantasmagoria.
“It’s Complicated” (A Redcliffe Short Story) by paranormal author Catherine Green
Did you enjoy this article? Download your FREE copy of LGBT fantasy short story It’s Complicated (The Redcliffe Novels) and meet the werewolves of Cornwall, England. Click here.
I joined the social network for A Chronic Voice because I needed to find people who understand what life is like with chronic pain. Today I have written a post using the June link-up prompts, to show my experience of living with a chronic pain disorder.
Click here to find other blog posts from fellow chronic pain sufferers, or #spoonies as we call ourselves online.
#WitchyWednesday Searching for Hope During Lockdown
Searching for Hope during Lockdown
Searching
Life in lockdown has settled into a strange and slow routine. I have gone through lots of emotions, mood swings, ups and downs during the past couple of months. I finally asked myself, “What am I searching for here?” My response was, “I don’t know.” I was in a state of flux before the pandemic hit. There was a niggling voice telling me that I need something more for myself. After ten years of marriage I have fallen into the rut of caring for the children and the home, and I feel like we have slipped back into the 1950s as a family model. That is not what I want for myself or my children. I am searching for a way to change my routine and my life.
Hoping
At this point in time, my hope has all but faded. My marriage is in serious trouble and I am not going to smile and nod and pretend everything is fine. I have tried every possible route to saving our marriage. We have had counselling, we have tried talking to each other, we have argued, we have ignored. Now my husband has completely buried himself in work, and I believe that he is hoping I will forget about my complaints and that eventually we will fall back into a happy state where I am compliant and giving, always doing everything for him in the home. I give all of myself to my family. Now I hope that I can find some time for me.
Traumatising
The Covid-19 pandemic has caused a lot of trauma all around the world. While my family have so far emerged unscathed, I have friends who were not so lucky. I am surrounded by grief and turmoil, and because I am an empath, I feel it very deeply. I have not seen my mum since March, and that hurts. She is still trying to stay home as much as possible, which she did before the pandemic because she is disabled and has chronic illness. Her immune system is weak, so my siblings and I have been careful not to see her, because we don’t want to risk spreading the virus if we happen to be carrying it. I miss our Saturday afternoons at Mum’s house, enjoying a takeaway tea together. I only recently recognised that this lack of family interaction has had a traumatising effect on me.
Honouring
Here in the UK we are slowly starting to ease lockdown restrictions, although many people think is too soon and we are still very much a high-risk nation. I have mixed feelings about it all. I have now resigned myself to the fact that my children will not return to school until at least September, a fact which makes us all feel sad. This week our non-essential shops and theme parks are allowed to reopen, but I feel no desire to rush out and visit them. There is a small local shopping village that I will visit, but otherwise I will continue to honour the reasons behind lockdown and stay home as much as possible. My children and I have no need to leave home anyway, except to walk the dog.
Responding
Where do we go from here? How do I respond to the myriad niggles and worries that continue to trouble me? My eyes are still a problem. During lockdown I have been able to source my eyedrops and ointments so that was a relief, but I have also been left to care for two young children and a dog by myself, even on days when I have blurred vision and am left feeling grumpy and tired because the eye pain is so intense. All I can do is practice my reiki meditation even just for five minutes here and there, try to keep my children motivated and happy, and wait to see if my husband responds to his family. I won’t hold my breath.
Heart of the Vampire A Redcliffe Novel by paranormal author Catherine Green
Did you enjoy this article? Download your FREE copy of LGBT fantasy short story It’s Complicated (The Redcliffe Novels) and meet the werewolves of Cornwall, England. Click here.
The vampire, the witch, and the hunter battle it out in a contemporary Gothic adventure in Northern England.
Meredith Hanson lives in Blackpool, the former Victorian holiday hotspot of Northern England. She masquerades as a reclusive author, feeding on the blood of unsuspecting tourists without remorse. Her life takes on new meaning when she meets a young witch in a local pub one evening.
Despite Meredith’s cold demeanour, she finds herself oddly fascinated with Samantha Morris, and falls into an accidental relationship with the girl. It is at this time that a vampire hunter arrives in Blackpool. He is tough, he is determined, and his next target is an ancient vampire that has been spotted in the tourist town. He intends to bring her down and destroy her to save the lives of innocent humans. Will he succeed? Or will the experienced vampire seductress be the cause of his undoing?
Vampire of Blackpool by paranormal author Catherine Green
Excerpt from “Vampire of Blackpool” by Catherine Green
“What are you doing here, Meredith?” Samantha asked.
I smiled but said nothing. Samantha looked at Ryan James. She frowned.
“Did you do this to him?” she asked, moving forward but keeping the bed as a barrier between me and her.
She leaned forward, appraising her patient with a professional eye. She took in the sling on his arm, the cuts and bruises all over his skin, and the large bandage on his left shoulder. She reached over and carefully lifted a corner of it, and her eyes widened. She knew the truth.
“Why did you do this?” she asked, “And why are you here now?”
Return of the Vampire Hunter by paranormal author Catherine Green
Download your FREE copy of It’s Complicated (The Redcliffe Novels) and meet the werewolves of Cornwall, England. Click here.
We need a holiday! I have shared memories of our UK holidays before, and it looks like we will continue to holiday in the UK for at least the rest of this year and possibly into 2021.
#FreeforallFriday We’re Back! Haven Holidays
Haven Hideaway
Luckily, we have Haven Holidays ready to help. Haven Hideaway provides all the fun of the great outdoors but to comply with Government coronavirus rules it is without access to the usual activities, restaurants, pools or entertainments. You can still pick up your essentials from the well-stocked on-park supermarket, the launderette is open, plus plenty of take away food options if you fancy a treat, you are on holiday after all. You’ll find Haven parks in the prettiest parts of the UK. So you and your family can explore miles of beautiful beaches, coastline and cliffs.
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#FreeforallFriday Haven Holidays
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Today is my tenth wedding anniversary. I married my husband at Chester Zoo ten years ago, and it was a wonderful day. I wore a beautiful dress and felt like a princess.
Our family and friends came to celebrate with us, and we went on honeymoon in North Yorkshire. We took our dog, Baxter, because my husband could not put him into kennels and go abroad for a honeymoon. I found us a beautiful holiday cottage on the coast near to Whitby, and we visited the famous Whitby Abbey so that I could indulge in my Gothic fascination.
Two days before our wedding, we discovered I was pregnant, which came as a surprise but a very welcome one. Our honeymoon was spent mostly staring at my stomach in wonder thinking, “How are we going to be parents?!”
It’s my Wedding Anniversary!
It’s my Wedding Anniversary!
I had hoped that my husband might take half a day to work from home on our anniversary, or at least try to finish work on time instead of returning home around 10pm. He has no such intentions, however. Why should he spend time with his wife on our ten-year wedding anniversary? His reasoning is that we can’t go anywhere because of lockdown, so we should do something later in the year instead. I explained that I just want some time with him at home, with his family. We have barely seen him for the past three months as he is so engrossed in his work. His one day off is usually spent doing personal admin, small DIY projects, and sleeping. We have had no quality time since New Year’s Day.
I have mixed feelings about my husband’s complete disregard for our milestone anniversary. We have now been together as a couple for twenty years, which is more than half of our lives. And yet we do not share our lives. We are married but we do not really live together. His life revolves around work, and it always has done. I didn’t notice before we got married because I worked full time and spent my weekends on overnight ghost hunts. I only began to realise that he had anxiety and depression after we were married. He never made it clear to me, and his parents didn’t try to prepare me. Indeed, it is only this year that I found out he has had mental health problems all his life. I knew it was inherited from his mother, as this became apparent during the past ten years.
I am basically a single parent
I have been left to parent our two children completely alone for the past two months while in lockdown, and train our rescue dog, who we adopted in December last year. My marriage has been a lonely one so far, but I still believe it has been mostly happy. I can see the bigger picture, and I am more than capable of looking after myself and my children. We take our holidays with friends when we can, we have outings and parties without my husband, and that’s just the way it is. Maybe he will decide to join us eventually. Today I will celebrate my wedding anniversary with my daughters. They suggested we have a little tea party at home, and that is what we will do. Happy Anniversary, Daniel. Hopefully, we will see you soon…
Eye of the Tiger A Redcliffe Novel by paranormal author Catherine Green
Did you enjoy this article? Download your FREE copy of LGBT fantasy short story It’s Complicated (The Redcliffe Novels) and meet the werewolves of Cornwall, England. Click here.
A Victorian vampire lord seeks an heir for his estate in this English Gothic novel with passion and flair.
The Darkness of Love by paranormal author Catherine Green
“The Darkness of Love” by Catherine Green
Lord Gregory Stockton is a powerful and respected businessman embracing the modern era of the Victorian industrial revolution. His young wife is infatuated with the stable boy, much to Gregory’s amusement. He hatches a plan to bring the would-be lovers together, and then cruelly tear them apart as he continues to build his empire and secure his power base in the south of England. The humans are pawns in the vampire’s game of lust, love and control.
Amelia picked up her glass and took a long sip of the rich red wine. When she spoke again her eyes were glowing and her fangs had extended delicately. Gregory felt her energy filling the room, and he smiled, responding with a lash of his own cold power. He possessed the energy and strength of diamonds, hard and impenetrable. Amelia shivered, her lips curling in a hiss, and wrapped her violet sparks around him in a cold, sharp embrace. To a human there was nothing unusual in this room, but to a vampire, it was electric and very exciting. They played a fine line between safety and danger, and Amelia thrived on danger.
“You wish for me to seduce this young man at your party next week?” Amelia asked, still caressing Gregory with her power, while she stood like a marble statue in front of the fireplace.
Gregory nodded, keeping his cool silver gaze fixed on her black eyes. He tried so hard to ignore his Mistress’ advances, but he could never refuse her. He belonged to her, and he was not strong enough to break free.
“Yes,” he said, “I am sure he will be compliant, for he is a man with vigorous appetites, or so I hear from the villagers. He has a reputation among the workers’ daughters.”
Amelia smiled and nodded, her eyes glowing with excitement. She licked her lips, and her eyes showed a glimmer of fire, deep in the pupils. She was a contradiction of everything the vampires knew about themselves. She burned with both fire and ice, and no-one could escape her trap when she set it.
“I will not disappoint my oldest friend.” she said simply.
Christmas with the Vampires by paranormal author Catherine Green
Download your FREE copy of LGBT fantasy short story It’s Complicated (The Redcliffe Novels) and meet the werewolves of Cornwall, England. Click here.
We Are the World BlogFest (#WATWB) celebrates special people and small stories of inspiration and hope in the world. Let’s face it, we need some inspiration and hope during this time of pandemic and social distancing.
#WATWB The Joy of Meeting our Neighbours
The Joy of Meeting our Neighbours
This month I have been working through a personal crisis relating to my husband’s refusal to acknowledge that his mental illness is damaging our marriage. He currently works six days per week, leaving home at around 5:30am and returning from work somewhere between 9 and 10pm every night. These hours are way beyond what his employers expect of him, but he is a site manager and he feels the need to complete his to-do list every single day. This impossible task is something that we all battle with, but he cannot see my point of view. He rarely answers his phone and never attempts to check in with me during the long days of lockdown. I feel I have been abandoned with our children for the past two months. This isn’t very cheerful, you might be thinking, how is this a good news story? Let me tell you…
I have redecorated most of our downstairs space at home during lockdown. Then I moved my attention back to our garden, which had grown wild and unkempt because I could not keep up with the maintenance while working inside. I have engaged the children to help with weeding and digging borders, they have shopped for new plants and helped me make the garden look much nicer and more cheerful.
While I was working in our front garden earlier this week, I glanced up to see my elderly neighbour next door-but-one. My neighbours on either side have continued to work full-time throughout lockdown so I rarely see them to speak to. The elderly lady called out to me, and after a few words shouted across the driveways, I moved to the bottom of her driveway for a more personal conversation. It was the longest I had spoken to her in the two years we have lived in this house, and I came away feeling like a weight had been lifted.
I need the companionship of my neighbours. Our previous home was a terraced house with small gardens, and we used to congregate with our neighbours regularly on the street or in the communal alleyway. I miss those gatherings, and I want to be able to chat over the garden wall like I used to. Hopefully, I can now develop a friendship with my neighbour, observing social distancing guidelines of course. She is a widow and said that she needs company as well. This could be the start of a beautiful new friendship.
We are the World BlogFest (#WATWB) focuses on positive stories no matter where they’re found. It is all about spreading peace and humanity on social media. All participants post on the last Friday of the month, sharing a positive news story that contributes to making our world a happier, safer, and better place to live.
It all seems a bit pointless these days, getting out of bed. I mean, what have I got to do with my days? Well, I have two children to care for, and a dog to train. I have my blog work and my freelance writing. I have my novels to write. And I have a house to work on. Our garden requires a lot of maintenance!
So yes, lockdown is keeping me busy, and I barely had time to do today’s Tarot reading, but here it is. See if it makes sense to you.
Daily Tarot Reading for Lockdown Life by Catherine Green
Daily Tarot Reading for Lockdown Life
1, Work – Five of Wands (reversed)
Everything seems upside-down where work is concerned. You struggle to fit it around lockdown life, and yet you feel that you should find the task easier. In my case I have worked from home for almost ten years, so this is my natural environment. My struggle is prioritising work above the children and their needs. I am fortunate to have my husband providing the family income, but I still need to work for myself at some point. Hopefully, it will become easier as time goes on.
2, Home – Eight of Swords (reversed)
This is supposed to be a good time, safe at home, if you don’t catch the dreaded coronavirus. That is what everybody says on social media, isn’t it? We can do home exercise, home working, home leisure, baking, crafts and all the fun stuff. And yet perhaps home hasn’t been the haven that you dreamed about. Real life is not social media. Real life is having children to care for, pets to tend to, bosses to answer to, and so many boring responsibilities. It is all about perspective. There is something about all of this that you have wilfully ignored, but you have plenty of time to formulate a plan.
3, Unexpected – Knight of Pentacles
It was all supposed to happen so smoothly, but then the pandemic hit and now nothing is certain. Your dreams remain on the horizon. All you can do is take one day at a time, with no expectations. It may seem a hard slog, but such is life. Just enjoy the fun when you can.
4, Your Role – Ten of Wands
You carry a heavy burden and you have no idea when you will be able to share it with someone. For now, you are the silent labourer, working quietly. It will all come good eventually.
5, Outcome – Wheel of Fortune
There is a good result awaiting you at the end of this ordeal. Your hard work and perseverance will pay off. Whatever your spiritual beliefs, you will achieve your goal. In fact, you can achieve all your goals. This is just a temporary glitch in the big plan.
Love Redeems A Redcliffe Novel by paranormal author Catherine Green
Did you enjoy this article? Download your FREE copy of LGBT fantasy short story It’s Complicated (The Redcliffe Novels) and meet the werewolves of Cornwall, England. Click here.
Just your average Cheshire housewife – who used to hunt vampires!
Check out my LGBT fantasy book set in Manchester, England, and join the hunt with our retired vampire hunter when she returns to finish one last job.
Return of the Vampire Hunter by paranormal author Catherine Green
“Return of the Vampire Hunter” by Catherine Green
Hannah Oakley used to be a vampire hunter. She retired from active service when she fell in love with the female vampire she was hunting, but old wounds refuse to heal. She and the vampire fought almost to the death, and now it seems that the vampire has tracked her down. Hannah must return to work, grudgingly accepting help from a new hunting partner, and she is determined that this time she will finish the job. But can she ignore the old lust for her vampire lover? Is the mother able to be a vampire hunter one more time? And will her marriage survive the ordeal?
Return of the Vampire Hunter is pure urban fantasy with a hint of seduction thrown in for good measure. Set in Manchester, Northern England, it is a contemporary story with all the darkness of classic Gothic monsters.
Return of the Vampire Hunter is available from Amazon UK and in your favourite eBook store – Click here.
Excerptfrom “Return of the Vampire Hunter” by Catherine Green
We were on the motorway and I was in the passenger seat. I had been passing food to the children in the back seat, and as I twisted back round to face forward, I glanced at James. My heart skipped a beat and then pounded heavily as the world spun around me.
“What is that on your neck?” I asked sharply.
James glanced at me and then checked his mirrors as he moved into the middle lane.
“What?” he asked absently.
“That,” I said, “On your neck.”
I reached across and gently touched the mark on his skin. It looked like two small, neat puncture wounds. A vampire bite. Shit.
James touched the bruise, winced, and then shook his head.
“I don’t know,” he said, “I must have cut myself shaving.”
“That is not a shaving wound,” I said.
He glanced at me again and frowned.
“Why are you so upset about it?” he asked curiously, “It’s nothing.”
I stared at the tiny wound as my whole world flipped upside down. Was it Elaine? Had she finally found me? Or was it another stray vampire? One thing was certain; I had to return to work. This one had to be destroyed before it came for my whole family. Gathering my senses, I shook my head and smiled.
“Oh, forget it,” I said lightly, “It looked more serious at first, that’s all. But if it doesn’t hurt then it doesn’t matter. Can you see the sea yet, girls?”
Vampire of Blackpool by paranormal author Catherine Green
Did you enjoy this article? Download your FREE copy of LGBT fantasy short story It’s Complicated (The Redcliffe Novels) and meet the werewolves of Cornwall, England. Click here.
There are a lot of people that we as a nation are thankful for during this Covid-19 crisis. We are thankful for our NHS workers, community responders, local nurses and GPs. We are thankful for our carers, our supermarket workers, delivery drivers, warehouse staff, waste management teams and so many more.
We should be thankful that we responded so well to the announcement of lockdown. If you are reading this blog post, I am sure you fall into the category of “carer.” I don’t mean someone who does it as a paid profession. I mean as a family member or friend. Perhaps you are at home caring for your children 24/7, like me. Perhaps you have vulnerable older people to consider, or someone with mental illness (like me).
How do we unwind when the stress becomes a burden? What can we do to relax, and how can we honestly say thank you to the people that are helping our lives to continue, even under stressful circumstances?
How to say Thank You to our Key Workers
How to say Thank You to our Key Workers
Are you a crafter with access to a digital cutting machine, like a Silhouette or Cricut? Then you might like to try these svg cuts for your projects. Scalable Vector Graphics can be altered to suit your requirements without spoiling the effect of the image. You can transfer these images onto paper, card, vinyl leather or other fabrics, depending on the capability of your machine. They are ideal for making card toppers, scrap book detail, and to decorate photo frames, tote bags, mugs and t-shirts. There is a lot of scope for the imagination with these bundles! You can use them simply as printed toppers, or you can take a little more time, use some technology, and make a beautiful handmade gift for the carer in your life.
I like the look of the HUGE Dog Quotes SVG bundle, and there are lots of dog people in my life that I could craft for. My husband is a key worker in the waste industry, so perhaps I could make him a special dog themed Father’s Day card from the children (and dog) to cheer him up. We could even use our die cutting machine and get creative, perhaps making him a drinks coaster for his bedside table or make something he could take to work as a reminder of his family. Not only my husband would benefit from this bundle. I have friends with dogs whose birthdays are imminent, and a wider network of family members with rescue dogs that would love some of these quotes to hang in the window or put up on the wall.
There are lots of other SVG bundles available from the Design Bundles website, covering everything from food fun, to joke themes, “handle with care” bundles, and much more. All you need is a funny quote to cheer up an exhausted care worker after a long day at work. Find your bargain bundle and see who smiles when they receive your handmade craft gift.
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