Introducing Sarah's Saga.. It begins with Eyes of a Pagan Queen by Jeffrey Underwood & Kate Taylor

In the hoary myths of time out of mind, there is the legend of a vengeful warrior queen, an Ethiopian queen, who conquered a kingdom and radically changed the course of world history.  Ethiopia, as the land of the first human beings, has been critical to this species development.  As such, what Queen Isat accomplished was huge.  But did she achieve anything?  Did she actually exist?  Was she Hebrew?  Was she Pagan?  Was she the cruel savage she was purported to be by Christians of the tenth century in northeastern Africa?  Did she lay waste to Christians and their churches, slaughter Aksumite princes, and establish her own unique dynasty, the Zagwe.  The Zagwe were real.  Was she as their founder or was she already a member of their royal court?  Or possibly neither? 
 The kingdom that she conquered was Christian and powerful.  It spanned even to the old empire of Egypt.  Within it, the history of Sheba, the Ark of the Covenant, the earliest written system in Africa, of Ge’ ez, flourished; coins as circular metal pieces for exchange of goods were initiated by powerful King Ezana; pagan religion was banished and left to drift on the boundaries of civilization.
 A young woman, Sarah, of present day Seattle, stumbles into the clutches of exactly this period of Ethiopian history.  Her father is white and American while her mother is black and Ethiopian.  Sarah has graduated college and is prepping for law school boards when a maelstrom of events moves her into treacherous spaces and alien places.
 The goddess Astarte craves resurrection in the pantheon of gods and goddesses worshipped.  She has that in times past but will she in Sarah’s present?
An idiosyncratic and totally unexpected world is created in Eyes of a Pagan Queen.  The tapestry blends the fraught and suspenseful with accurate and vivid history as well as heated erotic encounters and characters that are deeply three dimensional. 
 It is a very engrossing, twisting, and suspenseful read that is spirited and horrific.  So as soon as you, the reader, has settled in and are relaxing with the flow of the pages, it is then that, yes, the Queen’s eyes will fasten on yours and within the reflection of her pupils, you will wonder if Sarah’s fate and your fate are intertwined.

Click on the link below to take a journey into what you find in Eyes of a Pagan Queen

A peek inside Eyes of a Pagan Queen

Tranquility in a Silent Retreat

I have planned a writer's retreat for myself April 7th through the 10th. I used to go on a silent retreat once a year, and my senses were acute in the surrounding silence. I wrote a short story about sensually eating a pear during the silence of mealtime. Since that time I have never eaten a pear that tasted so delicious.

Work and family became my focus and it turned to years before I took time to quiet inside and find some peace. The retreat house became unavailable so I had to think of an alternative. That's when I came up with my own few days of near silence. The retreat includes activities that admittedly I don't take time to do. Now that I am single, the time is all mine.

The daily itinerary will include simple but fine food: cheese, fruit, homemade soup, bread, and wine. During my day I will listen to some quiet pleasurable music, create some kind of art project, and take a mindful walk. Following the walk, I will journal what I experienced while outside in sunshine or rain. Later I will settle into the quiet and write.

I smile as I scribble these words, that my three days will not include using the computer. What, no email or Facebook?  Oh, that could be difficult!

If your world becomes too hectic to enjoy writing, you might consider giving yourself the gift of a retreat even if only for one quiet day.

Under the Flannel Sheets by Kate Taylor

The fire was so nice
the wine, the quilt
and you
Oh, my sweet hearted love,
just look at you.
My, my, my...
Are you still done in by our play?
Mmm, I am as well
and need to lie quietly
next to you
Come with me now
as I turn down the covers
and join you
under the flannel sheets
The warmth of you
saturates my soul
and I am so content.
How I love you.
Here...
My goodnight kiss to you
My lips touch your closed eyes,
your cheek,
and the corner of
your softest mouth.
My hand over your heart
feels gently, the rhythm of you
and your breathing
lulls me
into a slumber
where dreams find life.
                                 kate taylor

Long distance writing? But how?

People read our author notes and must wonder how Jeff and I accomplish the task of writing books together. In the notes, we tell our readers, that since 2011 we have written books together via text, email, and phone calls. Sounds unimaginable doesn't it? Here's a peek into a typical writing day for Jeff and me.

I awaken around 6:00AM. I slip a k-cup into the brewer, slide my favorite mug underneath and while the coffee drips, I wake up the computer and get the cream from the refrigerator. The coffee's aroma is earthy and the cream naturally swirls and sinks slowly to the bottom, stirring itself. 

Once I am seated at the computer, I open my emails and check to see if a chapter has arrived from Jeff. As always, the chapter comes with an annotation attached.After a sip or two of coffee, I am prepared for the read.  I read each chapter three times. The first time is to become familiar with the characters and the action that takes place within. The second time, I read with my senses. I am exquisitely sensitive and always affected in some way by Jeff's words. When they have the effect on me that he is hoping for, we both feel successful. The third time that I read the chapter is when I respond to Jeff regarding what I have just read. I may have a question or a suggestion. I always share how I felt while reading him. My responses are sent for him to read later.

Mind you, Jeff and I are 3000 miles apart, so 6:00AM for me is 3:00AM for him! I look at my watch near 11:15AM and know that Jeff is waking and will text a morning hello before he begins his day. We chat via texts for about a half hour and go over what the day will be like and what we will be up to in our writing. We call it a drive-by when we send quick texts through the day. I catch up with him when I arrive home. There may be another chapter waiting for me, or I may have sent him a chapter, and he will respond to my words.

Jeff's full time work now is his writing. He writes throughout the day and into his evening, while I work where I am employed, and then write until about 11:30PM. Throughout the evening we text, email, and often have a chat on the phone. I say my "Good night" and then I crawl between the sheets for some slumber. We spoke just recently about how we often go to sleep with the book, the chapter, or an idea on our minds and we wake up the same way.

Though we are so distanced, we are also unbelievably close. It's the passion, the love affair with the writing that keeps us fresh and alive. When we write, we sit at the virtual desk, side by side, sharing our words and our time together. We will meet face to face when the time is right for us. For now, 3000 miles is not so far apart. As we say to one another in our drive-by conversations,

"I am right here."

JU Admiration and Inspiration

John Updike (1932 – 2009) was an American novelist, poet, short story writer, art critic, and literary critic.


His style of writing and his tales affected me for some time, so in 2004, I wrote to him to express my appreciation and enjoyment of his writing. He wrote back to me and well, I was truly enamored then.
Jeff Underwood's encouragement set me to putting words to paper. I feel John Updike's spirit as it stays near just in case I have a shaky hand when searching for the appropriate words to convey my thoughts.

He would have been 82 this year. I can read him over and over and over, his words remain alive, but it's the man that I miss.

Is is a coincidence that both
John Updike and Jeff Underwood
have the same initials? Hmm...

Writing is a Love Affair...

"Many authors write only a few books in a lifetime. Kate and I have written nearly a dozen in a year. You might ask, does quantity sacrifice quality here? It doesn't happen to. That's why this occurrence is so exceptional.  Kate and I love our characters. There is a reason for that. It’s because it is truly a captivating world.  Writing is a love affair. Until you have found it, you will never know the potential depth of it. Kate and I have found it." - Jeff Underwood

Author Notes...Jeff Underwood & Kate Taylor

Kate Taylor collaborated with Jeffrey Underwood on fifteen novels.  The earliest of their collaboration were entitled Treason’s Truth; Mac Alpin’s Scotland, Eagle’s Eclipse; America Before Columbus, Tasman’s Travail; The Journey Down Under, and Highland Gals.
  
Their most recent tales have been Sonnet In Red Ink and Tracks of Lost Tears.  The entire compilation of Sarah’s Saga includes: Eyes of  A Pagan Queen, White Scream, Scythian Sorrows, Indecent Diane, Glitter’s Graveyard, Crist Miss Blues, and the newest, Skin Monster.   

Kate and Jeff are presently immersed in developing their own publishing and consulting business.

On a playful level, Kate and Jeff have also combined in writing The Rule of Thumb & Fingers, a texter’s bible with lots of laughs, and Sock Monkey Life, which is full of sheer creativity.

Jeff and Kate met online and found that their collaborative interests meshed splendidly.  This new novel is an example of that blending of gusto for writing that they both certainly have.

By the by, despite a distance of three thousand miles, Kate and Jeff have accomplished the writing and self-publishing of their books via texts, email, or phone alone. 

They have yet to meet.  But they will.

Meet Kate Taylor

My name is Kathleen Anne Taylor, affectionately known as Kate.

I was born in 1955. I have been married once and I am now single. There are many children in my life. I have two daughters, six grandchildren, and one great grandchild!

Through the years I have had a variety of occupations. I worked with very young children in my own kindergarten classroom. While I loved the teaching experience, I was called to move on. I was employed at a hardware store for too many years before deciding that I was not using my talents. One summer, an ad appeared in the local paper and asked the questions of me that I had been asking myself. My career in healthcare began shortly thereafter. As a Licensed Nursing Assistant, I cared for the fragile elderly. My talents were brought to the surface even further when I became certified as an Activities Director. Meeting the five basic needs of the residents became award winning work for me. I continue that my work with the elders, while continuing to develop the talents that I have.

I enjoy playing soft arpeggios and chords in new age and classical piano music.

I don't spend nearly enough time painting in watercolor, something I love.

I am a poet. The poems that I pen are very sensual in nature and reflect my deep spirit.

I have even entertained the music inside my mind as I wrote two songs.

My talent for writing surfaced officially in 2011, and the gift of pen to paper I have, is continually being lovingly developed daily.

My first published work is The Pink Eraser.

A note of warning:  My words are descriptively juicy and all the senses will be affected while reading any of my tales.

Joyous reading!
Kate

Meet Jeffrey Underwood..

My name is Jeffrey Underwood and I was born smack dab in the middle of the last century, 1950.
I  have been married twice and am now single. In my second marriage, I became a stepdad to six children.

I enjoy photography, where my interest centers around portraiture.  I am athletic and still have fun on the tennis courts. I graduated from the University of Washington and then Shoreline College to obtain my Registered Nurse degree.

My father was an attorney and my mother was an accomplished author. My brother is a professor of communication at the University of Washington and my sister is a political consultant. Both have published their own works.
I cared for the developmentally disabled throughout most of my adult career and then did a u turn a few years ago and began writing exclusively.

My first and second books, Forbidden Tome; the True Tale of Hansel and Gretel, and Lethal Assumed;Lost Tome Found, are fantasy.  With my deep interest in history and psychology, the books that have followed are historical fiction. All the books I am involved in are spicy, to say the least. Adult erotica abounds. Unless you are particularly squeamish, you will enjoy that aspect of the writing as well. All the reads are entwined and emerge as humanistic and optimistic. That is who I am with the addition of a wildly creative mind.

Enjoy!

Jeff