I won BEST PLOT in the Fiction Press Supernatural Stories Awards 2008 for my story The Slave of Heaven. Yaay! Very happy right now! It means a lot to me especially as I hope to have the story one day published. The story itself will soon be going through a major overhaul in editing and changes but I'm so happy to see that the raw bones of the story has an interesting and complex plot.

I hope everyone will take part in the awards in the seasons to come.

Check out the Fiction Press Supernatural Stores Awards Website: http:///index.htm

Name: RyAnn Leigh

Age: 31

Interests: Soooo many. I love to travel, learn languages, read, write (obviously), horseback riding, kendo, etc. etc. Essentially, I'll try anything once and just about everything twice. I'm a former soldier and a lot of military underlining issues seep into my stories. As a huge ancient history buff (and history major), small historical points also come across in my work even if I write Urban Fantasy (Supernatural). I've always been held in sway by mythology and, well, Vampires. What can I say, tall, dark and deadly coming to sweep me off my feet? Anytime, baby.

Writing Style: My writing is more character based--which means I often don't start off with action. My stories usually build. I'd love to do it another way, but for me, getting to know the characters before the action starts is just how I write. My major work right now is The Slave of Heaven, a piece I would like to publish one day. Posted now is the rough draft which will, eventually, go under a great deal of editing. That's why I would LOVE any feedback from readers. Any suggestions and comments are greatly needed and appreciated.

I'm a history major with particular interest in the ancient world and ancient religions. My book (one day book), has a lot of small mythology points that I felt I should list just for those interested in the terms and titles mentioned. More will be added as they come up in the story.

My homepage link above brings you to my myspace if you want to know more.

Historical Notes

Nephilim:

The idea of the Nephilim originates from Jewish mythology. The original tale (mostly taken from the Book of Enoch) is that God set a group of 200 Angels to watch and care over the new race of man. These “watchers” were called the Grigori. The Grigori, though, took more interest in the mortal women than anything else and took up mortal wives. From them came the children of half-Angels and half-man: the Nephilim. Not only did these Angels take mortal wives, but they dared to teach them the secrets of Heaven—things only Angels and God should know.

For my purposes, I used the “secrets of Heaven” to say that my version of the Nephilim have magical abilities.

(References for those interested: Book VI-XI: The Fall of the Angels

http:///writings/thebookofenoch.htm

Also, you can find references to the Nephilim (though not called by name) in Genesis 6:1-4).

Inanna/Ishtar:

Inanna is the Sumerian goddess of sex, fertility, and war (talk about a kick butt woman!). Though she has many names (mostly known as Ishtar), Inanna is the oldest version of this goddess (who was later split into Aphrodite and Athena for the Greeks). She is a powerful goddess in mythology and known to threaten the other gods or even go into taverns and drag mortal men out by their hair to have sex with them. The “Queen of Heaven,” some people have linked a version of her name to Asherah, (Astarte), the original wife of Yahweh (From Judeo-Christian mythology):

For my story, I had the Nephilim worship Inanna as a sex and fertility goddess, but took away the war aspect from their modern culture. I also threw in the reference of her as Asherah, the consort of Yahweh (and Yahweh is the “One God” in this story).

Samyaza:

Samyaza was the leader of the Grigori and the main instigator in taking mortal wives. For some reason, from the story of the Grigori, he was always my favorite. The myth I used of Samyaza trying to seduce Inanna (Ishtar), though, is an actual myth.

"Thus, when Shamhazai noticed a certain maiden whose name was Istahar, he gazed lustfully upon her and pleaded, "Do my bidding." She replied, "I will not do your bidding until you give me your wings and teach me the Explicit Name, which you go up to heaven upon uttering." So he gave her his wings and taught her the Name, whereupon she uttered it, went up to heaven, and was spared from corruption. The Holy One said: Since she shunned transgression, go and set her among the seven stars yonder. Thus, it came about that Istahar was set in the constellation of Draco."

My version deviates only in that Inanna (Ishtar) goes back for Samyaza (Shamhazai).

Lilith:

Lilith is a story amongst herself. She seems to go from goddess to demon. From a Judeo version, Lilith is a demon—the first wife of Adam who refused to lie beneath him during sex. When she left him (after he either raped or attempted to rape her), the angles failed to bring her back to Adam and, as a result, promised to kill all the children she birthed. Her children, for that matter, were incubus/succubus demons. Named Lilu, these demon-like creatures are considered by some as one of the first vampire mythologies.

For my version, I use the mythology of Lilith and her Lilu children as the justification my Nephilim use for hunting down and going to war with the Vampires—they consider it their “divine mission”. Of course, in my story, the Lilith mythology has more avenues, but that’s my artistic license speaking.

Ljósálfar(Light Elves): In Norse mythology, the light elves (Old Norse: Ljósálfar) live in the Old Norse version of the heavens, in the place called Álfheim underneath the place of the Gods. The idea of the light elf is one of the most ancient records of elves (Old Norse: álfr singular, álfar plural) preserved in writing, (as Nordic mythology preserved an ancient German paganism).

Dökkálfar (Dark Elves): Also products of Norse mythology, the dark elves live in Svartálfheim, the underworld and are said to have skin the color or pitch.

For my purposes, they aren’t evil, but still are considered Night Creautres—meaning they are thought to be lower than the Day Creatures (Nephilim, Seelie, Light Elves, and some Fairy).

Aes Sidhe:

In Irish mythology the aos sí (older form, aes sídhe), pronounced "ess shee", are a powerful, supernatural race comparable to the fairies or elves of other traditions. They are variously believed to live underground in the fairy mounds, across the western sea, or in an invisible world that coexists with the world of humans.

Seelie/Unseelie Fairy:

In Scottish folklore, the Seelie (Blessed or Holy) Court was seen as Fey (fairies) more beneficent toward humans. They were known to seek help from humans, to warn those who had accidentally offended them, and to return human kindness with favors of their own. Still, a fairy belonging to this court would avenge insults and could be prone to mischief. The most common time of day to see them was twilight.

The Unseelie (Unholy) Court consisted of the malicious and evilly-inclined fairies. Unlike the Seelie Court, no offense is necessary to bring down their assaults. As a group (or "host"), they would appear at night and assault travelers, often carrying them through the air, beating them, and forcing them to commit acts.

In The Slave of Heaven, Seelie and Unseelie have a little more power and a lot more influential. They rule the realm of Fairy and are, at the moment, at odds with the Nephilim.

Masau’u:

Masau’u is a Hopi Native American god-like spirit—the ruler of the underworld and keeper of the dead, he is an earth god, the giver and caretaker or life and primarily associated with the dead. He is said to be a beautiful man who hides his beauty behind a grotesque mask.