Jamieson Wolf
Number-one bestselling author
Free eBook and Soundtrack for Valentine’s Day!
I was going to do my usual mushy Valentine’s Day post to celebrate the upcoming Love Day when it occurred to me that I’ve written the book on Valentine’s Day. Literally.
My very first romance novel to be published was based off of the myth of St. Valentine. I ended up writing two more.
The trilogy was based off of the actual legend of St. Valentine.
According to legend, as early as the fourth century B.C., the Romans engaged in an annual young man’s rite to passage to the god Lupercus. The names of the teenage women were placed in a box and drawn at random by adolescent men; thus, a man was assigned a woman companion for the duration of the year, after which another lottery was staged.
After eight hundred years of this, the early church fathers sought to end this practice and promote monogamy. They found an answer in Valentine, a bishop who had been martyred some two hundred years earlier. According to church tradition, St. Valentine was a priest near Rome in about the year 270 A.D. At that time, the Roman Emperor, Claudius II, had issued an edict forbidding marriage. This was around when the heyday of Roman Empire had almost come to an end.
When Claudius became the emperor, he discerned that married men were more emotionally attached to their families, and thus, would not make good soldiers. So to assure quality soldiers, he banned marriage.
Valentine, a bishop who witnessed the trauma of young lovers, met them in a secret place and joined them in the sacrament of matrimony. Claudius learned of this “friend of lovers,” and had him arrested. The emperor, impressed with the young priest’s dignity and conviction, attempted to convert him to the Roman gods, to save him from certain execution. Valentine refused to recognize Roman gods and even attempted to convert the emperor, knowing the consequences fully.
On February 24, 270, Valentine was executed.
While Valentine was in prison awaiting his fate, he came in contact with his jailor, Asterius. The jailor had a blind daughter. Asterius requested him to heal his daughter. Through his faith, he miraculously restored girl’s sight. Just before his execution, he asked for a pen and paper from his jailor, and signed a farewell message to her, “From Your Valentine.” A phrase that lived ever after.
I have taken certain liberties with the characters of Valentine and Asterius. Though there are no historical records, there is nothing to indicate that the two men did not meet before Valentine’s imprisonment; that there was not a spark of something more between the two.
And that is where my story of Valentine begins
Here’s a bit about the Valentine Chronicles trilogy:
Valentine:
Meet Valentine, a sorcerer in the heyday of the Roman Empire. Though Claudius has made a decree forbidding marriage, Valentine weds people in honour of the God Lespercus.
He knows that his magic, his work, comes from a higher power than the Roman Emperor. When he is visited by Asterius, the chief of the Roman Guard, Valentine falls in love with him. But how can he love someone who is supposed to be an enemy?
Valentine will have to free his heart and face death in order to become the man of legend…
http://www.cobblestone-press.com/catalog/books/valentinejw.htm
Valentine’s Heart
After battling evil in the form of Emperor Claudius II of Rome, Valentine is in hiding.
Having fled with his lover Asterius, the former Chief of the Roman Guard, Valentine’s heart should be comforted. But his thoughts keep drifting to Anna, his former priestess.
Asterius will help Valentine forget all about Anna. And dream all about him…
https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/1206
Valentine’s Labyrinth:
t is 270 A.D. Valentine, cleric and sorcerer, is on the run from Emperor Claudius and is in hiding. With his lover Asterius by his side, every day is magic.
But something is wrong. A dark force hunt them. Lady Magnolia is on the hunt for blood. She wants Asterius and Valentines blood and will stop at nothing to achieve her goals.
Lady Magnolia has a plan. She will use, Anna, Valentine’s former Priestess, as bait in a trap. When the trap is sprung, everyone will be in danger.
Valentine will have to face his darkest hour yet if the people he loves are to live…
http://www.cobblestone-press.com/catalog/books/valentineslabyrinth.htm
Since Valentine was my very first romance novel, I went all out promoting it. So here’s the best part of all of this. Valentine’s Heart is available to read/download for FREE! Even cooler, why not check out Valentine’s Symphony where you can download a soundtrack for the book, watch two book trailers and read an excerpt from Valentine.
The soundtrack, called Valentine’s Symphony, has one track for each of the books chapters plus one for each of the three main characters. Download it here:
http://www.valentinessymphony.blogspot.ca/
Whatever you’re doing this upcoming Valentine’s Day, I hope it’s something you love.
Being Thankful from Inside the Labyrinth
Five weeks ago today, I was diagnosed with a temporary condition called Labyrinthitis. It is defined thusly:
Labyrinthitis is an ear disorder that involves irritation and swelling (inflammation) of the inner ear. The symptoms can be as follows:
- Abnormal sensation of movement (vertigo)
- Difficulty focusing the eyes because of involuntary eye movements
- Dizziness
- Hearing Loss in one ear
- Loss of balance, such as falling toward one side
- Nausea and vomiting
- Ringing or other noises in the ears
Some people get only some of the symptoms. I got all of them. You can read a full description of Labyrinthitis here: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmedhealth/PMH0002049/
There is a two to six week recovery time. Today is the start of week five, so I’m almost there. It may go longer than six weeks, as that is just an average time, but here’s hoping that I’m almost through the woods.
As I’ve been healing, I’ve become more thankful for the simpler things that I am able to do again. Some may seem very simple but I am thankful nonetheless. I thought I’d list them here so that I can remind myself not to take any of these things for granted again. Here they are in no particular order:
- Being able to take a shower
- Being able to shave (thank goodness. I was starting to look like a Wookie)
- Being able to dress myself (at the start of this, during the second week when it got so much worse, I couldn’t even put my boots on myself)
- Being able to sit upright
- Being able to walk (now with only the partial aid of a cane)
- Being able to drink coffee again
- Being able to hear (partially right now) out of my left ear again
- Being able to go to work again (I was off work for two weeks which never happens. Before I got ill, I had missed only one day of work since May)
- Being able to eat regular food (for two weeks, I existed on only chocolate pudding, electrolyte water and saltines. For the past few weeks, I’ve only been able to eat rice and bland food)
- Being able to read again (for two weeks, all I could manage was audio books and even then that was difficult)
- Being able to read actual books again (I still can’t read off of my iPad, but hopefully that will come back soon; oddly enough, I haven’t been able to read physical books for a long time but have no difficulty with the print sizes now)
- Being able to write again (I didn’t write a single word for nearly five weeks. That just gutted me)
- Being able to take the bus
- Being able to go down the street to the store for some groceries
Like I said, these are all very simple things, things that you don’t think about during your day to day life because you always do them. I certainly didn’t give them a second thought until I couldn’t do them.
I’ve still got one or two weeks of recovery left, so I’m not completely well yet. There is still a bit of vertigo, the hearing in my left ear hasn’t come back completely. But both have dissipated and I’m getting there. That has to count for something right?
Most of all, though, I am thankful for three very important people that helped me get through this. Without them, I would have been lost inside the labyrinth, as it were. I am thankful for
- My Wonder Mum and Wonder Dad for taking care of me (and to my Wonder Mum for buying me books this past weekend)
- My amazing and wonderful Sexy Boyfriend who wouldn’t let me give up (not that I would have anyways) and helped me through all of this more than he knows
To them, I am thankful beyond words. Saying thank you just doesn’t seem like enough, but they know what I mean (I hope).
I’m also thankful for all of you who have sent me get well emails and Facebook notes. It’s helped knowing that there are people out there who care enough to send me happy vibes. They helped for sure.
So I guess if I have learned anything in the past five weeks, it is to be thankful for the small victories, the simple joys. They are the most meaningful, after all.
In the Dead of Night – AVAILABLE NOW!
Hey Everyone!
I’m super thrilled that my post apocalyptic zombie romance novel, In the Dead of Night, is available now! I’m so thrilled that the novel has finally been released, it’s one of my favourite works and that’s saying something!
Here’s a bit about In the Dead of Night:
Ikarus remembers nothing.
One moment there was darkness and the next, there was light. However, Ikarus Kane remembered nothing.
The world he knew is gone. Waking from a coma, he finds the world as he knew it greatly changed. It is now infested with the living dead. Ikarus has one choice: find shelter and hide or risk becoming one of them.
He finds shelter in an abandoned bed and breakfast. But there is someone there already. Mikhail Jones is a man who has survived more than just the zombie apocalypse. There is something about him that sets Ikarus’ body on fire and, despite knowing him only moments, he wants Mikahil desperately.
Ikarus is more powerful than he knows, however. Ikarus and Mikhail become entangled in a fight for survival where only they can save the world; only they don’t know it yet. They are part of an ancient prophecy that has been set in motion.
When they find a woman named Ruthe in one of the bedrooms upstairs, with no memory of how she got there, things are only beginning to get interesting.
In a desperate race to find answers, Ikarus and Mikhail cling to the only thing that feels right: each other.
They will need the love that blooms between them if they are all to survive the night…
You can get your copy here:
It’s a full length novel and it’ll only cost you $3.19! That’s less than a latte at Starbucks! Why not treat yourself and a friend too?
And while you’re at it, make sure to download the free eBook prequel, Dawning of the Dead! You can read it online here:
http://www.wattpad.com/story/3948567-dawning-of-the-dead
Or download the eBook here:
https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/278916
Coming soon: the book trailer! And even cooler, there will be a sequel titled In the Light of Day! But that’s a ways off yet as I have to write it. LOL
So download your copy of In the Dead of Night here:
and enjoy!
Dawning of the Dead – Free eBook Prequel!
Hey Everyone!
Check it out! My zombie novel In the Dead of Night releases tomorrow from Breathless Press! To celebrate, I thought I’d do something fun. What is that, you ask?
A FREE EBOOK PREQUEL! It’s titled Dawning of the Dead and runs just over three thousand words. For those of you who don’t have eReaders, don’t worry. You can read the novella online at Wattpad here:
http://www.wattpad.com/story/3948567-dawning-of-the-dead
And for those of you who do have an eReader, why not download the eBook at Smashwords here:
https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/278916
Here’s a little bit about Dawning of the Dead:
Ikarus Kane’s life has turned into something out of a nightmare. After a horrific car crash, he wakes in the hospital to find the world he knows greatly changed. There are no people roaming the streets, only the hungry dead that feast on flesh. Human civilization as he knows it is gone. All that exists is the need to survive. What Ikarus doesn’t know is that he spent nine years in a coma. All that exists now is survival. It’s either fight or be eaten and only the strong will prevail. And Ikarus is about to learn of his destiny in this new dark world, in the dead of night… Dawning of the Dead is a prequel novella that is free to read. However, it’s only the beginning of Ikarus’ adventure. Find out what happens before Ikarus’ adventure begins with In the Dead of Night, available from Breathless Press.
Even cooler? The eBook includes the first chapter of In the Dead of Night! Woohooo!
And if you wan to continue the zombie action, why not pre-order In the Dead of Night here:
More news coming tomorrow! In the meantime, enjoy Dawning of the Dead!
Flash Fiction – The Blood Gift
I wrote a flash fiction piece for the Breathless Press authors group on Facebook. I had such a fun time writing it that I thought I’d post it here.
We’re giving a picture or photo for inspiration and we write the piece based off of it. Here’s the pic that inspired my flash fiction piece.
And now, here’s the piece to go with the picture! Enjoy!
THE BLOOD GIFT
When he woke, the first thing he smelled was blood. It took him a moment to realize that it was his own.
He looked at the crimson liquid with detachment. He could see the bite marks, the wounds closing over before his eyes and wondered what he had become. The last thing he remembered was walking through the forest, the sound of shouting, the hard glare of fire in the darkness.
He had been going to visit his lover who lived in amidst the trees in a small log cabin. He wondered if his lover was worried about him or presumed him to be dead.
*You did die.* said a voice. *I’m sorry. It was the only way*
Theo looked around him, looking for the source of the voice, before realizing that the voice had echoed inside his head. “Who’s there?” He asked. His voice was different. It had taken on a deep, guttural quality.
The leaves of the bush in front of him began to move and rustle and Theo tried to quell his fear. A wolf, bigger than he had ever seen, stepped out of the shadows. *I’m sory.* the voice said. *You don’t remember what happened do you?*
“Who’s there?” Theo asked. “Who’s speaking?”
The wolf in front of him huffed out a breath in impatience. *I am.* The wolf barked loudly and Theo knew it was the wolf speaking inside of his head, as impossible as that fact seemed.
“What did you do to me?” He asked, trying to keep the fear from his voice.
*You are like me now.* The wolf whined in apology. *It was the only way to save you. They’ve taken everyone in your village, you are the only one left* It whined again. *I’m sorry*
“Like you?” Theo asked. “What do you mean like you?”
*I will show you*
The wolf stood still for a moment and Theo watched as light began to emanate from its fur. It began to grow in intensity, showering the darkness like stars. Theo was blinded by the brightness of it and had to turn his eyes away.
When he looked back, the wolf was gone. In its place was the most beautiful man that Theo had ever seen. He was naked but the cold didn’t seem to bother him. Theo’s heart thudded in his chest as he realized the wolf and the man had the same piercing green eyes. Something clicked inside of his head and Theo corrected himself. The wolf and the man were one of the same.
“I won’t hurt you, Theo.”
“Then why am I covered in blood?”
“It was the only way to save you. The group that took your village was led by the man you’ve been seeing in the forest. Everything and everyone was razed to the ground. I found you here in the snow bleeding. I had to bite you to transfer the gift.”
“What gift is that?”
“Immortality and the ability to change shape, among other things.”
“Am I a wolf now, too?”
The wolf man nodded. “I’m sorry.” He held out a hand to help Thro up. Despite the fear that thrummed through him, Theo took his hand. “I am called Xavier.” His hand was calloused but warm, despite the cold. “I promise that no harm will come to you. I will be your protector.”
Theo’s cheeks flushed and he looked away from Xavier’s piercing green eyes. Instead, he looked to the ground where he had lain. The snow was covered in blood. There was so much of it that had flowed around him that it looked as if he had been wearing a red riding hood and cape or as if he had red wings that had fallen away from his skin.
There were more shouts in the darkness and Theo could see the bright flare of fire. Xavier pulled him further into the darkness. “Come, we must go.”
Xavier offered him another reassuring look and took a stronger hold of Theo’s hand. Theo nodded and let Xavier lead him through the trees. “Where are we going?”
“Somewhere safe.”
Theo nodded, knowing that he was in danger and that Xavier spoke the truth. As he moved with Xavier into the darkness of the forest, leaving behind the red riding hood made of blood where he had lain in the snow, Theo thought it was as if he had left one life behind only to start another.
With his heart thick in his throat, Theo shivered.
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Jamieson Wolf has written a compelling story about navigating multiple sclerosis and cerebral palsy. His story will touch your heart, make you cry, then laugh, and inspire you. A touching memoir with a bit of magic…and tarot! ~ Theresa Reed, author of The Tarot Coloring Book
Jamieson Wolf 