Interview With One Of My Characters VII

May 16, 2022May 3, 2022 ~ aurorajeanalexander ~ 6 Comments

Hello Alfred, it’s a pleasure to meet you. I really appreciate you took the time to visit me here.

Thank you very much for the invitation, A.J. I enjoy being here.

It’s a little impertinent to ask, but how was your trip?

*booming laughter* Thank you, it was as fast and pleasant as ever.

Does that mean, that your kind teleports, just as Archangels, and many other supernatural creatures?

Of course, we do. Cherubim are Angels, after all.

I’m trying to hide a giggle, to be honest. I’m so sorry… but I always imagined, Cherubim to be short, little overweight boys in diapers, just sprouting their first wings?

*amused laughter again* Yeah, I don’t hear that the first time. Koyu told me the very same thing, once she found out who I am. But I have to disappoint you, just as I had to disillusion her. In Middle Eastern art, we were represented as lions or bulls with eagle wings and a human face. According to Christian beliefs, we belonged to the angels who guarded the entrance of the Garden of Eden… later, in Renaissance art, we were represented as little chubby kids with tiny wings. But the truth is, we are angels of the second highest order of the ninefold celestial hierarchy. We serve and praise our Highest, and very often, we serve as observers, just like I do. And just like every other angel, we look as we look. We blend in.

Thank you for your detailed information. I really appreciate it. Now, you mentioned being an observer. That’s what you do in your bookstore?

You’re welcome – and that’s exactly right. I met Koyu there. Sometimes we drank a cup of coffee together. She’s an unusual personality, but I wasn’t sure what she was up to. At one point I had to report her. She understood I had my duties, and we remained friends.

So, she wasn’t mad about you reporting her? She was taken in front of the Council Of Twelve, wasn’t she?

Yes, she was. And no, she never held a grudge. She still visits me in my bookstore, and occasionally we have a cup of coffee. Of course, now she’s got her own duties and tasks, and our meetings became rare. But I appreciate each one of her visits and consider her a friend.

Can you tell us more about her? I mean, how did the story start, and how did you know she isn’t human?

I cannot tell you more about her. Don’t forget, her story isn’t generally known yet. I told you, we occasionally met on the backstairs of my bookstore in the alley and drank a cup of coffee. Everything else you will read when her story will be published. As for me realizing she’s not human… I’m an Angel, that’s what I do. I have that talent, just as each one of my brothers and sisters has it.

You said Cherubim are the second highest order in the divine hierarchy. Does that mean you’re a good friend with the Council Of Twelve members?

*laughs* Yes, and No. Don’t forget, an Archangel is as different from an Angel, as an Angel is from a Human. The power an Archangel radiates intimidates many of us. We do have commanders, supervisors, and higher officers. I’m on a more friendly term with Andreas, the Council of Twelve assistant. He’s an amazing angel, and we get help from him, no matter when we call. I know the Council Members, yes, and I spoke to the one or the other before. But these Archangels are a powerful lot. On the other hand, they carry the burden of the World on their shoulders, taking over the responsibility as custodians for our Father and Lord. That’s not an easy task and they have my highest respect for that.

I understand a bit better now. Thank you for telling us. Now…

I’m sorry for interrupting here. But I’m called. I will have to leave you for now. But it was a pleasure meeting you in person. And one day, we might meet again.

Goodbye, Alfred.

Koyu’s Story Is Ready To Be Told

COMING SOON!!!

The fifth book of “The Council Of Twelve” series

DREAM WALKER

Soul Taker Secrets – A Rich Family Dinner

May 5, 2022April 27, 2022 ~ aurorajeanalexander ~ 8 Comments

It was one of these days when Katie invited the family to an informal dinner. As usual, she had her head full of work and came home late. And here she was, panicking. We all know she’s not the best cook between Heaven and Earth, and being late and not having an enormous choice in the pantry, made her hyperventilate.

She was lucky to have Zepheira peeking in and finding her, almost in tears. Zye, helpful as ever, jumped in and found whatever was around. Together with Katie, she created a wonderful, rich dinner for The Council Of Twelve and their consorts:

Ingredients

3 cups cooked, shredded chicken (a rotisserie chicken works great for this recipe)
2 cans (10 ounces, each) cream of chicken soup
1/2 cup light mayonnaise
1/2 cup light sour cream
1 cup shredded mild cheddar cheese
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1 bag (12 ounces) frozen broccoli florets OR 2 cups fresh steamed chopped broccoli
salt and pepper, to taste

Instructions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Lightly grease a 9×13-inch baking dish with non-stick spray. Set aside.
In a large bowl, add the cooked shredded chicken. Season with salt and pepper. Then add in all the remaining ingredients. Gently stir to combine mixture. Pour the mixture into the prepared baking dish. Spread out evenly. Bake, uncovered, for 30 minutes or until hot and bubbly. Let stand 5 minutes before serving.
Serve with cooked rice or egg noodles! (we prefer the rice)

Source: https://life-in-the-lofthouse.com/creamy-chicken-and-broccoli-casserole/

Preparing For More ‘Council Of Twelve’ Adventures

March 15, 2022 ~ aurorajeanalexander ~ 6 Comments

Last week, as of Tuesday, I surprisingly found myself in a situation when I suddenly had a lot of time at my hands, but unfortunately, my books were as far away from me, you could have counted the distance in lightyears…

What do you do, when you’re a writer, you cannot stare into your phone all the time, you have certain limitations in movement, pen, and paper – and feel the need to continue your work? Right, you ask for pen and paper and start drafting.

Make a list of the published, written, and WIP titles of ‘The Council of Twelve’ series
Plan the two last books in the series
plan the second and third of the collected ‘The Council of Twelve’ novelette books
Start drafting character sheets for the two last books in the series’ new consort characters
Find names for the very same two consort characters
Draft a character description of one of the most unusual novelettes that will be part of the collections.

I did all that by hand, considering to type it into my OneNotes at a later time – and then decided I wouldn’t. Why should I do that? I wrote it once, and I got the notes. I would have to work out the characters eventually, but at this time these are new ideas, which means, they go into the OneNotes ‘New Ideas’ folder and will stay there, until I’m ready to take on the challenge to start writing these books.

So I took pictures of my notes and moved them into the app.

And once more I’m grateful for today’s helpful and supportive technology. Remember typewriters? Oh yes, we could type there, with ‘blue sheets’ in between, and if you permitted yourself one typo, everybody could see it. And we could use copy machines. But then we still had to keep the paper. Now I can take a picture and move it to wherever it’s needed. I’m lucky. I’m happy, I’m relieved…

The Council of Twelve series is still progressing… but I also permit myself the thought to develop ideas outside of the series. There’s still a lot of work to be done, but I don’t want to ‘end up’ only to be defined by one style, by one genre, or by one series. I know I can do more than that, and that’s what I’m working on.

Soultaker – https://books2read.com/u/m2roOj

Sundance – https://books2read.com/u/mgGGeX

Demon Tracker – https://books2read.com/u/3yEx6l

Bounty Hunter – https://books2read.com/u/mgzd5X

When you’re writing in your genre and feel like peeking into another one, which one would that be – and why? Let us know in the comments, we’re curious.

Soul Taker Secrets – Valentine’s Dinner A La Katie

February 17, 2022February 15, 2022 ~ aurorajeanalexander ~ Leave a comment

Lately, we celebrated Valentine’s Day, the day for loved ones, and the ones that mean the most to us. Katie decided to have the Council Members over with their respective consorts. We know, our consorts love to cook together, but unfortunately, this year, the only one who had time to help Katie, was Simin. Sundance had to answer a call and Zepheira needed to take over a tracker class. That left our two consorts Simin and Katie with the dinner preparations.

They decided to take it easy and keep it light and served Easy Lemon Butter Fish with rice for dinner. Of course, the mandatory tiramisu followed the main course, but that goes without saying.

The ladies were complimented on their cooking, and the fish was excellent (because Simin made it). Since Katie took responsibility for the rice, it was a bit dry, but our Council members didn’t expect anything else and ate it like warriors do: without complaints or groaning.

(Of course, the Council of Twelve with consorts, is a group of 16 people… but this recipe I decided to show you for a group of four instead)

Ingredients

4 good-sized firm white fish fillets, about 6 inches long, 1-inch thickness (cod, halibut, or mahi would work well.)
3 TB melted butter (I use salted, but unsalted is fine)
Juice and zest from 1 medium lemon
1/2 tsp kosher salt, plus extra to taste
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp onion powder
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
3 TB olive oil
freshly chopped basil or parsley leaves, for garnish and flavor
extra lemon slices for serving

Instructions

Use paper towels to thoroughly pat-dry excess moisture from fish fillets – this step is crucial for fish to brown nicely in pan. Set aside.
In a bowl, combine melted butter, lemon juice and zest, and 1/2 tsp kosher salt. Stir to combine well. Taste and add a bit more kosher salt, if desired.
In a separate bowl, combine the remaining 1/2 tsp kosher salt, paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, and black pepper. Evenly press spice mixture onto all sides of fish fillets.
In a large, heavy pan over medium high heat, heat up the olive oil until hot. Once your oil is sizzling, Cook 2 fish fillets at a time to avoid overcrowding (allows for even browning.) Cook each side just until fish becomes opaque, feels somewhat firm in the center, and is browned – lightly drizzle some of the lemon butter sauce as you cook, reserving the rest for serving. Take care not to over-cook, as that will result in a tougher texture. Season with extra kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste.
Serve fish with with remaining lemon butter sauce, basil or parsley, and lemon wedges.

Notes

** Be sure to use coarse kosher salt, not fine table salt. Kosher salt is much milder and less salty. ** The actual cook time varies, depending on type, cut, and starting temp of fish. Katie typically cooks about 3-4 minutes per side. She checks for doneness by lightly pressing fillet centers for firmness. Once it feels somewhat firm, it’s usually done. ** She served it with white lemon rice with parsley.

*Picture courtesy of ‘Chew Out Loud’. Full link below*

(Recipe Source: https://www.chewoutloud.com/easy-lemon-butter-fish-15-minutes/)

A Special Day To Celebrate Me

January 7, 2022January 4, 2022 ~ aurorajeanalexander ~ 22 Comments

It’s January 7, once again. And, as usual, I’m 29 years old today. It’s 2022, and I planned to start this year with a trip down a new road, and I’m pretty busy packing up and starting a new adventure. This wasn’t prepared for long, but I’m intensely working on getting everything done because I’ll be on the road next week.

I will take my time and enjoy the drive into the future, looking at it as a symbol for a new start. I’m convinced this is a time full of wonders, miracles, and, finally, happiness.

I’ll start my trip, together with my kitties, and I will enjoy every mile of it. I will look into that adventure with a smile, and I won’t care about the 29th birthday because this year will be my year, and I’ll experience interesting, thrilling, and exciting things! You will find out. But first, I’ll be on the road for a while.

But for the moment, maybe you can help me celebrate my birthday by sharing my books? I’d really appreciate it if you could share them, whenever and wherever you can. As a birthday wish, this is huge for me!

SOUL TAKER

After long years in the line of duty as a ‘Soul Taker,’ Kate is worn out.

When she gets a new job offer from the ‘Powers Above,’ she accepts her new job as a Guardian gratefully without knowing that her teacher is one of the most powerful beings in existence, the Archangel Raphael.

Along with Raphael, she takes on her new task and the connection between them grows.

Raphael helps, protects and supports Kate, but suddenly, she becomes a target for the Demons of Hell.

Raphael realizes that Kate means more to him than he expected, which causes him to fight furiously against danger. If he fails, Kate’s future will contain eternal darkness, Evil, and torture.

SUNDANCE

Sundance is a promising young Warrior Angel, the first in centuries to join the Divine Army. With the help of one of the most powerful Archangels, her skill and talent develop, allowing her to master some of the most difficult tasks that face her kind.

Sundance, under the supervision of the ‘Council of Twelve’, seeks to prove that she deserves her unusual gifts in the eternal fight between good and Evil. Follow her adventures as she discovers love, fights the good fight, and finds herself in the heat of battle trying to keep her wings from being singed.

DEMON TRACKER

Zepheira is the best Demon Tracker working for the Good side. With her unusual looks, her phenomenal sense of smell, and her bravery, she quickly draws ‘The Big 7’s attention to her talent. They hire her to find one of them. Leaving her familiar surroundings and regular work environment unsettles Zepheira at first. But the challenge to prove herself and to increase the reputation of her infallibility tempts her. She is convinced she will be a great asset to ‘The Big 7’. Little does she know she will be a much greater asset in Heaven’s fight against Evil. Zepheira suddenly becomes more than a hired tracker. She finds herself an important pawn in the game of love, heat, and fire. Will her courage and sacrifice be sufficient to dance with the flames?

Bounty Hunter

When Centriel roams the Earth in a dark mood and atypical despair, in a mountain clearing, far from humankind, he unexpectedly discovers a runner, followed by a petite hunter. The way the woman treats the giant fugitive amuses the Archangel, but he quickly learns that neither of them are what they seem to be.

Simin Arnatt is an extraordinary woman. Her occupation as a Bounty Hunter takes her all over the world, as she follows her prey to the most unusual places. She would have never expected to meet the famous Centriel while on a hunt. When he offers to help her, she feels the enormous attraction, but she knows, with the secret she holds, she could never dare to hope for love.

Neither of them could guess that with her next assignment, Hell is breaking loose…

That’s one of my wishes… to bring my books to the reader’s heart.

I would love to hear how you like the stories around ‘The Council Of Twelve.’

Thank you for making this day special for me.

Books As Christmas Presents – The Council Of Twelve Series – By A. J. Alexander

December 16, 2021December 16, 2021 ~ aurorajeanalexander ~ 1 Comment

It’s Christmas Time!

Books make the best presents!

A. J. Alexander’s Books

SOUL TAKER

After long years in the line of duty as a ‘Soul Taker’, Kate is worn out.

When she gets a new job offer from the ‘Powers Above’, she accepts her new job as a Guardian gratefully without knowing that her teacher is one of the most powerful beings in existence, the Archangel Raphael.

Along with Raphael, she takes on her new task and the connection between them grows.

Raphael helps, protects and supports Kate, but suddenly, she becomes a target for the Demons of Hell.

Raphael realizes that Kate means more to him than he expected, which causes him to fight furiously against danger. If he fails, Kate’s future will contain eternal darkness, evil, and torture.

SUNDANCE

Sundance, under the supervision of the ‘Council of Twelve’ seeks to prove that she deserves her unusual gifts in the eternal fight between good and evil. Follow her adventures as she discovers love, fights the good fight, and finds herself in the heat of battle trying to keep her wings from being singed.

DEMON TRACKER

Bounty Hunter

Neither of them could guess that with her next assignment, Hell is breaking loose…

Prequel – Sequel – Interquel?

November 4, 2021October 23, 2021 ~ aurorajeanalexander ~ Leave a comment

A book within a series, a story out of many stories. Who hasn’t heard of sequels when it comes to TV shows?

I wrote several stories of ‘The Council of Twelve’ series, with four books published:

Soul Taker Sundance Demon Hunter Bounty Hunter

After book seven was finalized, which is now with my editor, I felt the need to satisfy the curiosity of a few of my readers.

I was asked several questions that caught me unexpectedly, I admit.

“I like that little female angel they call ‘Needle.’ She’s so loveable. What’s her story?”
“Sundance and Anaan were such a cute couple. Why did it have to end like that? Is it the end?”
How was the ‘Council of Twelve’ was formed? Aren’t there only four Archangels?

I had more questions, but to me, these were the most important ones.

“Needle,” with her name being Aylah, does have her own story, of course. I decided to write it down, titled “Love With Delay.”

The second question was not as easy to answer… Sundance and Anaan were a cute couple, I agree. But unfortunately, that relationship had to end. It wasn’t Sundance’s road to travel. There’s something else waiting for her. But that doesn’t necessarily mean it’s the end. What happens to Anaan and his friends? I decided to write down what happened to them and what decisions they made for their future. Their story is called “Pursue New Avenues.”

The third question was the hardest to answer. Originally there were five Archangels, yes. One of them fell, after a failed rebellion, as we all know. With the growth of humankind, there were more angels needed. It wasn’t enough anymore just to let them watch the Earth, sing in the angel choir and play the lyres. Guardians, Protectors, Soul Takers, Cleaners, Warriors, Messengers, Healers, Negotiators, Assistants, and many more were needed. With the extension of needed angels, a tighter organization in Heaven had to be provided. Finally, the four original Archangels, Raphael, Uriel, Gabriel, and Michael, couldn’t get the work done on their own anymore. They discussed the challenge with their Creator and came up with a plan to extend their circle. The start of that story is described in “When Four Became Six.”

I wrote the three stories and collected them in one book, which is currently with my editor. While I was writing, I tried to find out where to ‘position’ those stories.

Now, a sequel is a story being ‘born’ out of an existing story. To me, ‘Love With Delay’ is clearly a sequel.

As of the second ‘side story,’ ‘Pursue New Avenues,’ I wasn’t sure if that was a sequel as well, but then I decided instead to name it an interquel. I found online what an ‘Interquel’ is supposed to be: “Also called a Midquel, this can be one of two things: when a new entry in a series is a sequel to one existing entry, and a prequel to another, or when it takes place during a Time Skip in an earlier entry rather than continuing the story.” (Source: Interquel – TV Tropes)

‘When Four Became Six’ is clearly and without a doubt a ‘Prequel’ since it’s a story that happens before the series starts.

You might ask me, will these three stories be the only side stories I’m going to write? And the answer is no. There are more interesting side characters who have a fascinating history. Also, the ‘six’ have to become ‘twelve’ at one point. There are more stories hidden.

I will keep you updated.

Now, let us know in your comments. Do you see a character you’d like to learn more about? Did you ever write sequels, interquels, or prequels to your stories?

‘Cheating’ On Your Own Series

May 13, 2021May 13, 2021 ~ aurorajeanalexander ~ 7 Comments

As many Readers, Friends, fellow Authors and Blog Visitors know, I am the author of ‘The Council of Twelve’ series, with the published books Soul Taker, Sundance, Demon Tracker, and Bounty Hunter.

Books five and six in the series are about to be sent to my copyright lawyer; book seven is almost ready to be sent to my editor. Currently, I’m tying book eight into the computer, and book nine is waiting to be typed in; and I drafted the plot of book 10.

‘The Council Of Twelve series is a pleasure to write, and I love my characters. They have become part of me, part of my thinking, and part of my family. I’m convinced I’m not the only author whose characters grew on him/her. I have been working on this series for more than five years. And I look forward to starting a new book in the series every single time. The series is supposed to consist of fourteen books, at least that’s what I planned, and I haven’t changed my mind.

Of course, I wrote a few short stories; I’ll mention two of them here: Bernie Showers In France and ‘The Famous House Special,’ both of them published on my friend the Vampire Maman Juliette Kings’ blog. Also, I published poetry, which can be read here on ‘Writer’s Treasure Chest,’ in my poem category.

But for a while now, there was this story in my head. First, it was an idea. I wrote down a few sentences to not forget about it. And we’re talking about just three sentences and a few notes in my scrapbook. I took the notes over to OneNote, my writer’s tool that I constantly carry around with me in my devices, laptops, phones, and tablets. I transport my character sheets, ideas, notes, places, and many other things. Whenever I have time, I have a look at them – and slowly, very slowly, that idea started to stabilize, and I began to develop the plot, form the characters, and finally grabbed a scrapbook to begin writing the draft.

I have been sick for weeks… I’m not going into details here. During that time, I tried to do the most necessary but couldn’t really write or read. I felt horrible most of the time. While the work on this new book ceased, my brain still tried to work, and I’m trying my best to catch up on the writing.

And at this moment, I start touching a subject which I try to understand, and still, I’m not exactly sure what to make of my feelings. I started writing this story. It’s fun, building the characters, drafting the plot, planning the twists. Compared to the ‘The Council of Twelve’ series, that book is neither Young Adult nor Fantasy. It’s fiction, and I write for adults. There’s some romance, intimacy, crime… It’s something I never thought I would plan to write, but it’s fun; I like it. And I feel guilty!

I know, it sounds odd. But I honestly feel like I would ‘cheat’ on my series! I’m not really sure how to handle that feeling. Should I feel guilty? Is it normal to feel that way? How do other authors think if they decide to work on a book outside their series? Do they just start writing on their new project, or do they wait until they completed the series? What are they doing? How do they feel? Is it normal that I feel guilty not to continue to write the series, to feel like I’m neglecting the work on ‘The Council of Twelve’ series?

I’m not yet feeling all too comfortable writing this new book, even though it’s so much fun to write. But why should I feel guilty? Why should I not write a new story? What would other authors feel in such a case? Let me know in the comments. I’d be grateful.

Soul Taker Secrets – Who Would I Cast For My Female Characters? (I)

May 6, 2021April 28, 2021 ~ aurorajeanalexander ~ 2 Comments

In August 2019 I published a post about a group of actors who I would pick for my ‘Council Of Twelve’ characters. At that time the only known consort was Katie, who I included in the list.

Today, May 2021, almost two years later, four books are published, and even though I introduced three consorts to the readers, there are couple more characters in these books, who I’d like to turn into a known face.

Let’s see, why not introducing the characters by book?

Soul Taker

Aylah, Katie’s warrior friend – Chloe Grace Moretz

Sundance

Demon Tracker

Bounty Hunter

I know, compared to the other post, where I tried to find actors for ‘The Council of Twelve’, I had a few characters more than here. But with the growth of the series, I promise, I will extend this list. (And you never know, I might exchange the one or other actress or actor. We will see.

If you read the book, do you have any better suggestions? Fire away here in the comments. I’m prepared!

The Council Of Twelve Series – Picking Fashion For My Male Characters I

April 29, 2021April 27, 2021 ~ aurorajeanalexander ~ 4 Comments

Today I decided to dress my Council Of Twelve.

The Council of Twelve series has four books out now. And my male characters are are group of the most powerful and very handsome characters, belonging to the oldest and strongest individuals in existence.

Teddy, our designer, who I published an interview with, a while ago, (you can read it here), of course does not only dress the Consorts of the Council of Twelve, but has dressed the Council members millennia longer. Of course, with the time, the fashion sense, trends and even the fighting methods changed, and Teddy, who is very resilient, has grown with those changes and developed.

I’m therefore showing you mainly examples of some of the work Teddy could have created. We’re talking about a designer, millennia old, who integrates tradition into the modern world – and dresses the Council members in a mixture of timeless – and timely outfits, depending on the necessary occasion.

Of course, our Council Members have to fight. They fight in battles, they fight against the evil side, the fight against their opponents, demons and demon minions, some of which are dangerous and extremely poisonous, by biting, clawing, even oozing poison through their skin. And the Council members have to be protected. I can easily imagine, some of them showing up on the battle field in part armor, or even entire body armors like these:

Or maybe even one of these old-fashioned, but extremely impressive armors they used to wear millennia ago:

Nowadays our Council members have no problems in showing up semi-formal to negotiations,.

In ‘Soul Taker’, I dressed Raphael in ‘Cowboy’ attire, just because he liked it, before he met his consort, Katie:

Of course, if the event demands formal attire, we can find each of the Council Members dressed in modern formal suit and tie, or even blazer, smoking and bow tie.

Teddy is a wise man, and a designer with an excellent taste. He doesn’t have any problem to let ‘formal attire’ be, and as a close friend to the ‘Council Members’, hang out with his friends to a game of cards, all of them in a relaxing sweat pants, shorts and t-shirts. Each of the Council members owns a couple pairs of jeans. With them being ever so modest, they don’t use an extended wardrobe, just like their consorts. And Teddy is not overly busy working for their clothing.

There is just one thing that, even the most classic of all Council Members, Santanael, is considering to mothball: The traditional snow white ‘night gown’, as the consorts call it… or, as it’s named in professional circles: ‘The Robe’.