Character Reading Archives < Arwen, Professional Joy Seeker

CHARACTER READING: Clare Cermak, Ghost Seer

Today’s reading is for Clare Cermak. She’s the heroine of a brand-new series by Robin D. Owens.

The following bit was swiped and diced right from Robin’s site!

RITA® Award Winning novelist Robin D. Owens credits the telepathic cat with attitude in selling her first futuristic/fantasy romance, HeartMate, published in December 2001. Since then she has written thirteen books in the series, Heart Fortune the latest in August, 2011.

Her newest stories, about an uptight accountant who sees Old West ghosts and helps them move on, will start with Ghost Seer in April of 2014. She is profoundly thankful to be recipient of the 2004 Rocky Mountain Fiction Writers’ Writer of the Year award as well as the 2011 Writer of the Year Award, the Colorado Romance Writers Lifetime Achievement Award and the 2010 Best Paranormal and Best of the Best Daphne Du Maurier Award…actually, after winning an award she tends to dance around bored cats.

Now meet Clare. She’s the heroine of Ghost Seer, book one in the Ghostlayer series by Robin. D. Owens. This book is out today, April 1, 2014. No Foolin’!

Arwen: How do you see the people around you?

The 10 of Earth in this deck is about responsibilities changing. It’s about the end of one journey even as another begins. There are those near you that haven’t gotten the message that their journey is complete.

You see these individuals as tasks or jobs. Your sense of responsibility to them is very strong. Almost as though you were the only one that could really understand their stories.

So you see them as things you must do. Be careful you don’t make their needs the priorities on your to-do list, Clare. You must make room for your own journey, yes?

Clare’s Response: My life HAS changed with my inheritance from my…eccentric…Great-Aunt Sandra. But I do have the responsibility of handling her estate. Being responsible is very important to me, unlike my parents, so maybe I do go overboard. Still, you may be right, since I’m having, uh, visions of apparitions…you know, ghosts. Ghosts of the Old West. And that goofy ghost Labrador…Enzo. But I’m sure that will pass.

Arwen: How are you seen by the people around you?

They see you as a bit sad. You give off the impression that you are happy being alone and don’t really need others in your world. Still, I have to wonder if they really get you.

Clare, this card tells me that you have created some walls, some boundaries where relationships are concerned. You have some old emotional baggage that you may be letting weigh you down.

I would ask you if you are ready to let go of the navel-gazing and get out into the world again. Question who you are still answering too when you don’t need to be. Who is still in control of your emotional responses?

Clare’s Response: Everyone has issues and baggage. I’ve been happy with my choices. And I DON’T have a new “gift.” Enzo is WRONG. The doctors will clear me.

Arwen: What is your most important goal?

The Ace of Earth is the card that says you have a new project going on. Maybe a business endeavor that you want to grow. Your goal is to plant your success in the here and now.

Still I wonder if you are simply wanting to start again. This is a card of “re” beginning. There is a message that starting over is important to you.

What are you in the process of replanting for yourself? Perhaps these are goals that you didn’t even know were important until just recently?

Clare’s Response: Well, I have a lot of money now, and someone else can use my good job. But the ghost of a gunfighter is appearing at the end of my bed at night, demanding I find things for him so he can redeem himself for his cruelest act.

Then he can move on to wherever they move on to. Enzo says he’s my first project, and if I continue to ignore ghosts I will die. I’m not sure about that.

The best thing is that I have met a very hot and interesting guy, Zach Slade, who finds me interesting, too. My most important goal is to stay alive and sane.

Arwen: Where do you get your strength from?

Five of Air is an unusual source of strength. This is a card that can point to a love of debate and verbal sparring. Are you one of those who love to converse and learn?

This tells me that your mental powers are your greatest strength. While they may not be conventional and they may cause others grief, you can truly soar when you allow your mind the freedom it needs.

You get strength from unconventional places but this may not sit well with you.

Clare’s Response: My strength is from my gypsy heritage, from what I made myself, from the new friends who are helping me and Zach…and from my new gift. I DO make a difference to spirits who need me to help them transition. I can accept that.

Arwen: Why do you want to be remembered?

For me, this is one of the most important things we can learn about ourselves. It is what drives us to do what we do. Your card is the Guardian of Fire or the Queen of Wands.

Here is our passionate Clare who is driven to help because it saves her. You don’t reach out because you can. You reach out because you must. You are driven by an inner passion.

This card also shows that you would like to be remembered for all that you do and not just part. You want to be acknowledged as a whole person rather than the tasks you accomplish.

Clare’s Response: I sure want to be remembered as Clare, Zach’s lover, who helped him. As the person who accepted and fulfilled her destiny, than just as someone who fought evil and moved apparitions on.

Go here to read an excerpt of this first book in Robin’s newest series.

Robin has generously offered three copies of Ghost Seer. To win, share this post on any social network. Then leave a comment with the link to your share. Your email will be entered for every link you share (one per each social network please.)

Can’t wait to see if you won the contest? You can buy it right now.

Seek joy, y’all! Pass it on.

Shattered Boys + Giveaways

Today I’m sharing a reading I did for Zachary. He’s the hero of Shattered by Jeri Smith-Ready. This is a tie-in novella for her SHADE series.

Today I’m sharing a reading I did for Zachary. He’s the hero of Shattered by Jeri Smith-Ready. This is a tie-in novella for her SHADE series. I used the Dreaming Way tarot for this one. This novella is free, y’all!

Jeri says, “”Shattered”‘s price of $0 does not in any way reflect its quality or its importance to me. I spent a total of about four full-time months writing, rewriting, and editing this novella (which, due to its length, is technically a short novel). Instead of asking for payment, I’d like to suggest a small donation to Amnesty International or the National Alliance on Mental Illness.”

I’ve known Jeri via online for a few years now and am utterly hooked on her WVMP series which is billed as “late night radio you can sink your teeth into.”

The first book in her young adult paranormal series is Shade followed by Shift then Shine. Shattered is a free novella that reveals more about a fan favorite, Zachary. You can’t go wrong with one of Jeri’s books so go get you one. Now let’s hear from Zachary.

Arwen: How do you see the people around you? The Seven of Cups is the card of the daydreamer. This says that you view the people around you as things you can’t really have. They are the dreams you wish for even if you don’t let anyone know. This is the Seven of Cups.

You also don’t know if you can trust them because people haven’t always shown you their real selves at first. Sometimes they’ve lied to you to let you get close, then revealed their true nature. A lot of pain for someone your age, Zachary.

Zachary: First, I want to say cheers, Arwen, for taking the time to do my tarot reading. It’s a pleasure to be visiting your blog!

As for this first card, the first part, about seeing others around me almost as dream people, definitely fits. I suppose that’s one of the many sad after-effects of being kept in isolation—when I returned to real life, much of it felt like a dream. I kept expecting to wake up back in my tiny cell.

The second part doesn’t fit as well. If anything, I’ve been the one to hide my real nature from people, thinking I was protecting them (and myself), not the other way around. Those I’ve been closest to have been unfailingly loyal and true, probably more so than I’ve deserved.

Arwen: How are you seen by the people around you? The Hermit is the card of the one who leads the way but is solitary. He’s there to show others where to go, but he is not there to be surrounded by people.

People respond to your “go away’ vibe. Sometimes they want to get closer but you have a really strong “get lost” energy. Still, the life of the hermit is one of study. You are seen as smart at what you do. People admire that even if they find your need for solitude a bit—weird.

Zachary: Hah! This was definitely true when I was younger. I used to crave solitude. But after eight weeks of enforced isolation, being alone is the last thing I want. Even the word makes me hyperventilate a wee bit. (Sorry, I just need to breathe into this paper sack for a moment.)

Arwen: What is your most important goal? Generosity is a great goal, Zachary. The Six of Pentacles tells me that you want to give to the world. There is a philanthropist waiting to get out. 😀
Be careful that you don’t give without receiving something in return. Even a smile back for your efforts is getting something back. It’s important.

This goal is you wanting to repay some debt, I think. Someone or something you think you owe. Be sure that is the right reason for this goal, okay?

Zachary: Hmm, this is interesting. I wouldn’t call myself a philanthropist, but I do feel a calling to give back to the world in some way, to make a difference. Do things that will benefit those beyond me.

Maybe there’s a bit of debt-paying there, but that’s towards specific people. In general, I think it has more to do with wanting to feel strong again. If I can help others, it means I’m back to being human. I exist again.

Arwen: Where do you get your strength from? Ouch! This Eight of Swords says that you have had to struggle. Your strength comes from that. It’s almost as if you’ve had to fight for everything you’ve had.

This card is sometimes called the victim’s card but for you, I think you are a survivor rather than a victim. That survivor mentality is what sees you through.

Zachary:
Aye, this is a good one. Everything you said, plus I’d add that being a survivor has taught me what it means to be strong. It doesn’t mean being “tough” or “stoic” as I once thought. It doesn’t mean suffering in silence and solitude. Strength means knowing when to ask for help.

Arwen: Why do you want to be remembered? The Queen of Swords is the person of the sharp mind and quick tongue. This tells me that you want to be remembered as someone whose intelligence carried them through.

While she represents a woman, this doesn’t mean you want to be remembered as a girl, Zachary. 😀 It’s more about the forthright nature and honesty that this card represents.

You need to be remembered as someone who was honest and who got the job done with mental skills.

Zachary: Well, I definitely want to be remembered as intelligent. But frankly, I think honesty is overrated. As the son of a secret agent (and as someone considering going into that field myself), I know that the truth can not only hurt, but it can kill. So there’s a place for secrets, as long as they’re kept for the right reasons—to protect lives, not someone’s pride.

Thanks very much again for reading my cards! It gave me lots to think about. My best mate, Martin, will have a laugh over my final card being that of a lass. 😉

Jeri has generously offered to give away a set of signed bookmarks AND Shade series bookplates. So leave a comment if you want to be entered in the contest. Remember that this is a free download. Grab yours today.

Geeks, Sex + Contests

Oh yeah, I got a great big kick in the ass that nudged me right over the edge and got in my face without any kind of apology for it. Still hurts, but I wouldn’t have it any other way now.

Today I’m sharing a reading I did for Alex Cross. Alex is a geek you see and he needs love. He’s been having a bit of a hard time finding it. Sara Brookes asked me to help him out. Now I should be clear about one thing. Alex is a figment of Sara’s imagination.

Welcome to my Character Readings! I pull five cards for a fictional character and their author answers as the character. This is a lot of fun for me. I will always let you know if I have read the book first. Normally I have not. Since today is release day for Sara Brookes latest–Break Me In, you can be assured I haven’t read this one–yet!

So I’d like to welcome Alex Cross to the blog today. Let’s see what his reading says.

Arwen: How do you see the people around you?
Well you see them as happy and in love and having the life you don’t. Family is very important to you but you don’t think you deserve that, do you? This is the 10 of Cups.

This is the card of Happily Ever After, Alex. What most of us want to achieve. Yet this is you looking from the outside in. What holds you back?

And look at all the cups here. Do you depend too much on other things to see you through? Do you allow other things to ease your pain of not having this happiness you see in others around you?

Perhaps this is someone you lost and you still see your happiness reflected in “could have beens”?

Alex’s Response:
That is…eerily accurate. I watched my brother fall head over heels with the love of his life while my marriage was falling apart. And when I finally accepted my wife was never going to accept me for who I was, what I wanted, I drown my sorrows searching for the bottle of every bottle I could find.

Arwen: How are you seen by the people around you? Uh oh! They see you as someone who steals from themselves. Not a thief to be afraid of, but someone who denies themselves the joys of life. This is the Seven of Swords.

Alex, they would love to help you change your way of thinking. The swords here represent your own battles with yourself and there are those near you who would like to help you stop hurting yourself.

Alex’s Response:
You’re right, I’ve denied something about myself for a very long time. I was lying to myself, too, something I’m now on the path to rectifying.

Arwen: What is your most important goal? Judgment is a HUGE card here. This says that you have set your mind to rising up. You have realized that you have issues that need to be addressed. You are ready to move on them and change yourself. This is the card of Judgment.

You also have something to prove to someone other than yourself, I think. This goal is to show them that you are more than they said you were. Those words hurt but you have used them to get strong.

This goal is transcending your own blocks. Good job!

Alex’s Response:
Oh yeah, I got a great big kick in the ass that nudged me right over the edge and got in my face without any kind of apology for it. Still hurts, but I wouldn’t have it any other way now.

Arwen: Where do you get your strength from? The Nine of Cups is the make a wish card. An intriguing response to this question about strength. You make wishes come true—for yourself and for others. It’s a gift. Here is the Nine of Cups.

Your strength, Alex, is that you know how important belief and faith are. You understand on a molecular level that trust is the key to all good things. Your strength comes from your ability to trust that someone really does want what’s best for you.

Alex’s Response:
I didn’t fully understand trust until recently. Something happened that made me realize somebody I thought I loved and was destined to spend the rest of my life with was just using my trust against me. It really opened my eyes to a lot of things, mostly to a woman who was standing right in front of me all along.

Arwen: Why do you want to be remembered?
Ye Gods, man! Death? Don’t panic. This card is about transformation so complete that there is no going back to the old Alex.

You want to be remembered as a man who remade himself. As someone who used painful changes to become a better human being.

Death is a hard card if you don’t hold on to the fact that it is about change. Painful, unyielding change that you can’t go back from.

But I think maybe you don’t want to go back to your former self, do you? This Death of old self is a very good thing to be remembered for. Perhaps you will serve as a good example for someone else.

Alex’s Response:
I don’t want to go back to the old me. I have very few good things to say about him. Other than he helped me get to where I am today—spending my life with the woman I love, and who loves me right back. So maybe I should thank him.

Need to read a bit more? Check out an excerpt from Alex’s tale here.

And there’s a contest!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Ready to just get the darn book? Me too! Click here.

Itching to finish a book or get one started? Got a story that must be told (and sold)? I invite you to take my e-course. You will have , journal prompts and handouts to help you on your journey to FINISH THE DAMNED BOOK.

CHARACTER READING: Starling Moddel

You want to leave a mark. You want them to know Starling was here.

Starling’s Response:
Starling: I’ll own every bit of that one. I wasn’t about to take being kidnapped and turned into someone’s pet lying down.
Bekion: You’re not always lying down.
Starling: HUSH!

Today I am reading for Starling Moddel who is the heroine of Zenobia Renquist’s Pet’s Pleasure. This is a mainstream SciFi romance.

Renee is a military brat turned military wife who is currently stationed in Hawaii with her husband and two cats.
Whether writing as D. Renee Bagby or Zenobia Renquist, she is a world-builder. She loves inventing new cultures and shaping their histories and laws because it beats researching the existing ones.
Her stories span the fantasy gamut but she dabbles in sci-fi and contemporary from time to time. While her main characters tend to be of different races, she doesn’t let skin color rule or limit her stories. For her, it’s all about how much she can torture her characters so they earn their happily-ever-after ending.
The rules are all new and pre-conceived notions will only slow you down, so when reading Renee’s stories, she asks only one thing — Leave Your Reality Behind.

Don’t miss the contest at the end of this post. This reading was a bit unusual in that Ms. Moddel Continue reading “CHARACTER READING: Starling Moddel”

CHARACTER READING: Edumund

You need to learn to trust your gut again, I think.

Edmund’s Response: Yeah, when AJ told me that Utah and I had to together find the aquamarine to save Mavis, I was kinda skeptical. But we decided to give it a go. It’s heart-breaking to see Mavis as she is now, so devastated. If it’s up to me…well, yeah…gotta do my best, eh.

Today I am reading for Edmund who is the hero of Berengaria Brown’s latest offering from Torque, Aquamarine: Courage & Comfort

Berengaria is a multi-published author of erotic romance ~ contemporary, paranormal (ghosts, vampires, werewolves) and Regency set historicals. She loves to read all different kinds of romance so that is what she writes: one man/one woman; two women; two men; two men one/woman: three men…Whatever the characters need for their very hot happily ever after, Berengaria makes sure they get it.

Now here is Edmund’s reading along with his responses. Continue reading “CHARACTER READING: Edumund”

CHARACTER READING: Lord Arik

Today, I’m delighted to read for Lord Arik. He’s the hero of Ruth Casie’s time-travel romance, Knight of Runes from Carina Press. It releases 11/14/11. I’m a sucker for time-travel! Are you? Lord Arik shared some of his more private thoughts. I think I fell a little in love with him.

Continue reading “CHARACTER READING: Lord Arik”

Character Reading: Rayhan Stavrakis

Today I am delighted to share a reading with you. Rayhan Stavrakis is the hero of Stephanie Draven‘s latest release, Dark Sins and Desert Sands. He’s a bit prickly but I think you can see past some of his bluster into the hero that he truly is.

A longtime lover of ancient lore, Stephanie enjoys re-imagining myths for the modern age. She doesn’t believe that true love is ever simple or without struggle so her work tends to explore the sacred within the profane, the light under the loss and the virtue hidden in vice. She counts it amongst her greatest pleasures when, from her books, her readers learn something new about the world or about themselves.

Stephanie also writes historical fiction as Stephanie Dray and has a series of forthcoming novels from Berkley Books featuring Cleopatra’s daughter.

Remember to leave a comment!

Arwen: How do you see the people around you? Continue reading “Character Reading: Rayhan Stavrakis”

Character Reading: Brystion the Incubus

Today’s character reading is for a most unusual individual. He’s not your average hero. Bystion, a Leo, is an incubus. I think you will enjoy his reading. I know you will enjoy Allison Pang’s A Brush of Darkness. I got an ARC (advanced reader copy) because I whined–a lot. It’s a great start to what I expect will be one of those series you just have to read. Learn more about Allison Pang. She’s definitely an author to watch out for.

Now for our rather reticent incubus, Brystion. Perhaps Continue reading “Character Reading: Brystion the Incubus”

Character Reading: Mozelle “Mouse” Vincent

Today’s reading is for Libran, Mozelle “Mouse” Vincent. She’s the heroine of Francesca Hawley’s hot new BDSM romance from Ellora’s Cave. Part of the 1-800-DOMhelp series,Controlling Interest takes Mouse on a very sexy journey. I had the opportunity to do a reading for Mouse. Enjoy!

And visit Francesca’s website to see some of her other stories. Continue reading “Character Reading: Mozelle “Mouse” Vincent”

Character Reading: William of Ravenglas

This reading today is for Keena Kincaid’s hero, William of Ravenglas. William is a medieval hero. His story, ENTHRALLED, has some light paranormal elements. Keena writes for The Wild Rose Press.

From Keena’s bio:

When not working or writing romance, Keena regales her niece and nephews with stories of quick-thinking ladies, mathematically challenged knights, and ill-mannered dragons that chew with their mouths open.

Now come see what William has to say about his reading. I think he gave good, strong answers as well. Continue reading “Character Reading: William of Ravenglas”