Musings in the Dark

6/19/2016

Meet the Nightingales: Monica

Chrystee Pharris as Monica

Monica Tierney is a computer geek with a love for languages and the law.  She’s practical, brilliant, and relentlessly planning her future with Chris Chang, her fiance. She’s about to be in over her head in an unexpected spiritual struggle.  A Christian, Monica is unprepared for what is about to be unleashed.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“Let’s deal with this, then,” Monica said.  She took a huge swig of coffee and walked down the hall to the lady, who was running a hand over her perfectly coiffed hair.  Monica tapped her curtly on the shoulder.  “Excuse me.”
The woman turned and looked at Monica, her eyes hard.  “Do not touch me again.”
Monica glared at her.  “I’m not sure if you realize it, but there are others living on this floor and you are making entirely too much noise.  It’s seven in the morning.  Do you mind taking your screaming into your loft so that we can go back to our nice, quiet lives?”
The woman rolled her eyes at Monica before turning back to continue directing the moving men, who were currently bringing in a beautiful green, ivory and red Italian sofa.  Monica bristled as Lee-Lee, Jo and Neveyah joined her, and she tilted her head in annoyance.  “Lady, if you don’t want me to knock your stank ass out, you will answer my question.”
The lady turned again to look at Monica, now flanked by the other girls.  “What is this?  Are you a gang or something?  Do you plan to assault me?  Whatever you think you are going to do, rest assured you will go to jail for it.”  She wasn’t the least bit intimidated.
“My father’s the Chief of Detectives, honey.” Jo said.  “We won’t even make it to lock-up.  Besides, what makes you think that you’ll survive anything we choose to do?”
The woman smiled coldly and rolled her eyes again, shifting her bag to the other arm.  There was a large ring on the middle finger of her right hand; the aquamarine was roughly the size of a sparrow’s egg.  “You will not lay a hand on me.  I will see your Chief of Detectives and raise you the Mayor.  Do you know Kasim?” She paused for emphasis.  “I thought not.  Run along, little girl.”  She turned away and began to follow the men who were carrying two large gold floor lamps into her loft.

Monica was aghast.  She looked at the other girls.  “That rude…!”  Then she sighed dramatically and muttered, “I’m not going to let the devil use me; I’m just not.”  She took another swig of coffee and closed her eyes.

6/18/2016

Meet the Nightingales: Lee-Lee

Sujata Day as Elysie "Lee-Lee" Blake

A lover of nature and the occult, Lee-Lee is a doctoral student indirectly studying her origins.  She’s friendly, inquisitive, and blessed with unique abilities.  Her gifts allow her to be a conduit for supernatural forces.  Supported by her skinflint father, yet sustained by her understanding mother, Lee-Lee is determined to know who and what she is.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

            Lee-Lee came back inside and sat down at the table.  Monica looked at her.  “Your mail’s on the counter.  What kind of plant was that you just brought in?”
            “A bamboo.  Are you all right?”
            Monica checked her email.  “I’m fine.  Mama wants to know if you’d be interested in judging the next Cookie Throwdown.”  She put the textbook on her desk.
            A grin split Lee-Lee’s face, as she remembered Monica and Chris returning to Six-B five months ago with covered containers full of cookies.  Monica nodded her head.  “I’ll take that as a yes.”
            “I would love to be a judge!  That means I can get all the cookies I want, right?”
            “Yep.”
            “Count me in!”
            “Lee-Lee, you don’t even know when it is. You may have a deadline or something.”
            “And I don’t care!  Those cookies you brought home last time were fantastic!  Whatever’s going on at that time, I’ll schedule around it!”
            “Fine.  By the way, I’m expected to contribute this time.”
            “Awesome!”
            “Lee-Lee, it is not awesome.  I don’t know how to bake, not at that level.  I’ve got some straight-up hardcore pastry chefs in my family.  Uncle Bunny’s cookies are no freaking joke and Jump’s ain’t nothing to sneeze at either.  Mama can put her foot in some cookie dough too.  I’m out of my league.”
            Her roommate was very excited.  “That’s okay!  We can come up with something, I’m sure!  I’ll ask Mati!  I’ll help you!”  Mati was Lee-Lee’s mother.


            Monica shook her head as she looked at Lee-Lee, who was opening her mail with all the enthusiasm of a teenage girl.  “I know Mati has a bunch of cookie recipes.  Who are you going up against?”

6/17/2016

Meet the Nightingales: Jo

Bianca Lawson as Jocasta Dallas

Jo is a genius, an author, a Daddy's Girl, and a popular bartender at a downtown strip club.  She’s at a crossroads in her life, a woman with decisions to make and baggage to claim or release, and finds herself caught up in a situation that tests her heart, her strength, and her abilities.
 ~~~~~~~

The patron who ordered the Mojito leered at Jo, a look on his face she was all too familiar with.  “Give a guy a free show, Red.  Flash them titties.”
“Hey—” Mitch began, but Jo put her hand up, walked to the counter and looked the man in the face.  Assholes were a dime a dozen in her line of work and she knew how to handle them.  If Rianne allowed it, she would have Mary Jane on her person at all times.  The customer looked her up and down and licked his thick lips.  He was obviously new to Magic City and so had to get indoctrinated.
“Go ‘head, Red…flash ‘em.  Let me get a peek.”
She looked at Mitch and the look in her eyes was clear. Did he pay for his drink?
Mitch nodded as he handed Jo the Mojito and threw up a high sign to Moose, one of the bouncers.  “Yes.”


The patron smiled when Jo leaned in close and he opened his mouth to speak just as she dumped the drink on his head.  “And would you like a punch in the face with your Mojito, asshole?” she said in her sweetest bartending voice.

6/15/2016

MCP GIVEAWAY!!!

MCP GIVEAWAY!

The pilot episode of Amaya Radjani’s new supernatural serial novel Nightingales, CRASH!!!
is now available for free for a limited time.

Introduce yourselves to the Nightingales: Jo, Neveyah, Cressida, Monica and Lee-Lee. 


You can download CRASH!!! right now 
from MCP's new store on Shopify: 



This promotion will run for ten days. After June 25, fans can purchase both CRASH!!! and episode 1: cool air for $2.99 each.

6/07/2016

Prince's Legacy: #7

#7:  Diamonds & Pearls

In the late 80s/early 90s, Prince was dropping an album yearly, or so it seemed.  Diamonds & Pearls dropped in 1991, with an awesome holographic cover of Prince and his backup dancers “Diamond” and “Pearl.”  It is an album with an eclectic mix of musical styles from funk to pop to rock.  Diamonds & Pearls features the album debut of Prince’s backup band The New Power Generation.

Having been nursed on Prince and the Revolution since the early 80s, I was sad to learn that Prince and the band broke up in 1986 (though it seemed like they’d been together longer than that.  I’m clearly misremembering that the Revolution was the band behind Sign O’ the Times.  I didn’t know it until Prince got a new band.

*sniff*

6/05/2016

Fic Update Alert: Lovesick

The final chapter of my latest fanfic, "Lovesick," has been posted over on pinkelegance.  

Hope you enjoyed reading it as much as I loved writing it.

~~~~~~~~~

“Roxy and I assumed a lot of things in our relationship were fine when they weren’t.  We cleared the air completely this morning.  I know all her secrets and she knows mine.  Thank you for putting us in the position where we could be nothing but honest with each other and reveal our scars.  Goes to show you what you can take for granted without realizing it.”  He paused, looking at the picture of her on the wall, smiling in the red sweater.  “I will never do that again.”

5/30/2016

Prince's Legacy: #8

#8: Love Symbol

In the early 90s, Prince went to war with Warner Brothers and changed his name to an unpronounceable symbol, which consisted of conjoined female and male glyphs.  My friends and I called him “Shem” or “TAFKAP,” which stands for “The Artist Formerly Known As Prince.”  Anyway, he dropped an album in 1992 that was titled with said glyph.  It has since come to be known as the Love Symbol Album.  Prince conceived the album as a rock fantasy opera and it is a mix of different musical styles and the songs tell a story.  There is a short movie that goes with the album called 3 Chains o’ Gold. 

5/29/2016

Fic Update Alert: "Lovesick"

Chapter 11 of "Lovesick" is now available for reading on pinkelegance.  We're almost done with this baby.
~~~~~~

"Nedra didn’t know how to respond.  Victor leaned forward and grazed her cheek with his beard.  Then he whispered in her ear.  “He wants to know if you love me.”

Her voice was equally low, with an undercurrent of fear.  “Wh-what did you say?”

Victor kissed the skin by her ear.  “I told him he had to ask you that.”

“You put all this on me, didn’t you?”

Victor continued to whisper.  “Jon’s your business, remember?  And you are the only one who can give him the answers he seeks. ”

“I will tell him anything he needs to hear if he contacts me, Victor.”

“But will you lie?”  He kissed the skin just underneath her ear.  “Will you lie about your feelings for me?”"

5/23/2016

Fic Update Alert: Lovesick

Chapter 10 of "Lovesick" is now ready for reading on pinkelegance.

________________________________

"“I know you like it when I treat you like a whore within these walls, but I don’t like it when you treat me like one when we’re not here.  I know what I agreed to, but frankly I’ve changed my mind.”

“Victor! You can’t do that!”

“Why the fuck not?”

“Because I explained everything and you agreed to it!  You can’t renege now.”

“Actually, I can.”

Nedra whined.  “No!  Come on, quit playing!  I have to be at work in two hours and I really need you to bend me over.”  She went for his belt again and he actually slapped her hand.

“No,” he said. 

Nedra sat up and looked down at him.  “You’re serious?”

“Yes.”

“You’d deny me? And yourself?”

“Yes.”

She whined again.  She couldn’t help it.  She was horny.  WHY?”

“Because you need to own up to this.  You want me to go away so you can love him in peace, but there are things he can’t give you that you need.  You would not let me do all the things that I do if you didn’t.  He probably finds your dirty inclinations distasteful and therefore can’t acknowledge them no matter what you say and no matter how you feel about each other.  I, on the other hand, will go as far and as low and as deep as you want.  You can’t treat me like a light switch.  I won’t allow it.”"

5/19/2016

Prince's Legacy: #9

#9: Batman

Tim Burton’s Batman came out in 1989 and its soundtrack created almost entirely by Prince.  He played all the instruments (except horns), wrote all the songs (with an assist by Sheena Easton and John Nelson), did all the production and created a fun, funky album that sold over 4 million copies upon first release.  It wasn’t as successful as his previous albums, but I love it.  Nowadays, over 20 years later, many consider it to be an underrated classic.