Guest Blogger: Gabriella Hewitt

Please welcome today's guest blogger: Gabriella Hewitt as she shares with us a bit on lore near and dear to her heart- and books ;).


I love Aztec lore. Why? Simple. Aztec stories are fascinating tales that are riddled with vengeance, blood thirsty deities, beautiful alluring gods and goddesses who scheme against each other in deadly family squabbles. The Aztec gods were some of the first daytime soap operas!

It was only natural I built stories of heroes and heroines pitted against larger than life immortals, thrust into the throws of peril and passion, fighting for humanity and love.

While I could talk about gods and goddesses all day, I have to admit I am most intrigued by the small roles played by a cast of strange and cunning characters that stay in the background but play a major role in the tales –the tzitzimime. Also known as TZITZIMIMI, TZITZIMIMEH, TZITZIMITL

The what? The who?
The word tzitzimime is not a typical word—and don’t’ ask me how to pronounce it—but the term is universal. Never heard of them? Well, maybe you have but they go by many names: demons, diablos, devils, evil creatures, hags, skin walkers, dark angels, etc. You get the point.

According to Wikipedia.com, the tzitzimime were female deities, and as such related to fertility, they were associated with the Goddess Itzpapalotl, better known as the Obsidian Butterfly, a goddess with a wicked temper, considered lustful and beyond beautiful. She was the ruler of Tamoanchan - the paradise where the Tzitzimime resided. The tzitzimime were worshipped by midwives and parturient women.

The best description and one that puts smile on my face comes from GodsLaidBare.com;
Tzitzimime were the protectors of females, especially during pregnancy and childbirth, but became unpredictable and dangerous around solar eclipses and other cosmic instabilities. Women, on the other hand, become unstable, dangerous and unpredictable around pregnancy. Yup, I know I was a tzitzimime during childbirth, no one was spared from my vile tongue and thrashing. I scared them all from the nurse to the doctor to the dude with the big needle. Seriously, no one was safe from my wrath but I digress…

In the Shadow Warrior series, I took liberties and made them men as well as women. Why? Well, for starters it’s not as common for women to die in childbirth today, and honestly, I am not sure how well it would go down in today’s society if I made a woman who suffered an unfortunate death a harbinger of evil. So, I took a more liberal approach and made tzitzimime, both male and female. The modern version is of people who were evil in life and are now evil in death, their blackened souls devoured by the tzitzimime and made into ghouls who walk the earth doling out pain and torture for their goddess and the gods in her camp who seek to destroy humanity.
Tzitzimime can be anywhere and they are always on the outlook for new victims to feed the darkness inside them. Now that the battle lines have been drawn, the world will never be the same, and it’s humanity who will pay the ultimate price.

For a tale filled with intrigue, passion, and rich Aztec lore, including those tzitzimime, check out the first book in my shadow warrior series OUT OF THE SHADOWS, coming August 16th from Samhain Publishing.



Aztec word: huitzilin (hummingbird)
In celebration of the 1st book in the SHADOW WARRIOR series, I am putting together a contest. Become a Shadow Warrior and hunt down tzitzimime, celestial demons and nemesis to Shadow Warriors. Follow me on the blog tour and keep track of where a dreaded tzitzimime has popped up. Contact me (www.gabriellahewitt.com/contact/)with the location you have spotted a tzitzimime and the secret Aztec word. One entry per day, please. The more tzitzimime you spot the better your chances of winning. One winner will be chosen at random, the prize a $25 Samhain Publishing gift certificate. All entries must be in by August 18th. The winner will be declared on the blog August 19th. Contest starts June 5th and ends midnight August 18th (EST).

Gabriella Hewitt is the pen name of creative writing talents Sasha Tomaszycki and Patrizia M.J. Hayashi. Together they weave tales of romantic suspense and dangerously sensual paranormals. Check out their website www.GabriellaHewitt.com to find out about upcoming releases and events on their blog.

The Week Off Tech

The week off...is over

Ok, since I still work with technology (pretty much on a computer all day for my day job) and I was allowing myself 15 minutes a day of email access, I wasn’t completely tech free this week.

But I was dang close for someone in our society not living under a rock or in a small abandoned cabin in the woods.

For those of you who missed it, the last seven days have been without tv, facebook, twitter, internet, or blog (except the aforementioned 15 minutes for personal emails). Today I’m back!

Now first some clarification on why I did this. I realized that I needed more time in my life, and more life in my time ;). I was letting technology work me instead of the other way around (“Oh, maybe just check once more in case something really cool is on tv, facebook, twitter, my email account or a blog”.) I was becoming obsessed! Now maybe if I didn’t lose 40 hours a week to my day job I could be more generous with my brain dead channel/internet surfing. Alas, the fact of the matter is that I’ve got a day job and I need said day job. Thusly, me trying to see how I could modify my time and my diversions, and deciding to step away for a bit.

I survived! LOL- now, yes a longer period of time would have made a bigger impact in my behavior, but the week got me to thinking. And it got my relaxing more. Weird, but the “gotta see if there is something cool/vital/earthshattering” mindset was stressing me out! I actually relaxed in the evenings! I got way more editing done, did way more reading…and found, contrary to my long held belief, I could actually function if I didn’t sit in front of the tv to “decompress” the moment I got home from work!

I know many folks will disagree, but I do think our society is becoming too tech dependent for social and emotional stimulation. I think we’re forgetting real world contacts. I know I’m viewing how I deal with tv and the internet very differently now. Oh, I’ll be back using both- but a lot less and with a different, hopefully more thoughtful, view.

What about you folks? Any of you step away from things for a bit? Did it change the way you view things? (And I don't mean on vacation- I mean day to day step away ;))

OH and for people who saw my blogs while I was away, and my alerts on Twitter and Facebook about said blogs while I was away- it was all automatic. Blogs can be posted waaaaaaaaay in advance, and told the exact minute they should post. Through HootSuite, any updates to my blog are checked once a day and alerts are sent to my social media outlets. Scary huh? Four blog posts, lots of alerts, and I wasn’t here at all. Makes you think ;).

Monday Motivation!

Yup- yet another Photo writing prompt to get the brain a kicking for the week! What does this one say to you?


This is a domain free photo obtained from a free website.

Stuff Ya Didn't Know Friday- Bunyips

Ok, cute name, not so cute critter.

Today's creature entry hails from the land down under and has been eating folks in the swamps of Australia for a very long time.

The bunyips make their home in the various waterways of Australia but there are wide variations on how they look. They are often described as having a crocodile's tail, but the body can be that of an emu, bandicoot, or man. They have manes made of weeds and their feet are turned backwards.

Their terrifying cry can be heard booming across the swamps and they prefer to devour women and children.

"Stuff Ya Didn't Know Friday" is a weekly look at weirdness...creatures, places, people, myths, whatever I happen to come across that makes me say, "Hmmmmm?"

Is technology running away with us?

I was going to title this social media instead of technology, but being as I plan to talk about tv as well, that didn’t fit.

As of the moment this blog hit the Internet, I will be on a tv and Internet lock down for one week. The fact that this is actually a big deal is kind of scary (and gives more credence to why I need to do a week lock down.). I know I’m not the only person who honestly would freak out a bit with NO TV, NO facebook, NO Twitter, NO emails (ok, modified- I’ll explain further down)- no Internet at all (except to back up my writing files).

Our world has changed and is changing faster than at any time in history. We’ve become those kids on the rides that yell for more speed, always wanting more connections, more entertainment, more stimuli.

Some people claim this is making us more able to multi-task. Others, myself included, wonder if it’s destroying something as well. People text instead of talking. While we’re at some really cool place, probably with people we like, we’re tweeting about it. To strangers.

This demand for constant contact can also act as a stressor- we need to check everything multiple times an hour- “just in case”. Friends, families, marriages have been damaged by what someone did or didn’t say on Facebook, Twitter, their blog, etc. Even when this contact is positive, it can lead to social stress.

Now tv is a different case but often feeds in directly or indirectly to the social media issue. Our brains shut off when we watch tv- so it can be very relaxing. But also a huge time suck. I’m not a huge tv watcher, the number of shows I regularly watch is far less than many folks. But even I find myself drawn in. I’ll have things I need to do after work, things I want to do---but then I sit down in front of the tv and pretty soon it’s time for bed. Another evening of productivity wasted.

So, between the mindlessness of tv and the stressors and over-connectedness on social media, I’m taking a break. As of this morning I’m taking a week off. No tv. No Facebook. No Twitter. Extremely modified email (I’m putting all of my groups to no email and will only spend 15 minutes each morning ONLY reading emails sent specifically to me. I can’t go completely cold turkey, and there are some people who do need to reach me- plus, ya never know when an agent or editor might answer a query ;))

Yes, the irony of using a form of social media to announce I’m taking a week off from social media is peculiar to say the least. But I figure I’m probably not the only person who is thinking the same thoughts. And especially for writers- both social media and tv can destroy our productivity at a time when we can least afford it.

So please feel free to comment- I’ll report back next Wednesday on how well my sanity survived, but I won’t be checking this blog. My regularly scheduled writing prompts for this Friday and next Monday are already scheduled- so they’ll post without me.

What do I hope to come from this? I hope to relax, to realize I don't need to be so connected. I hope to read more books, and write and edit more of my own work. I hope to slow things down- just for one week.

What do you think? Am I crazy? Is this a big deal or not? Are we letting technology run us?

See ya in a week!

Monday Motivation!

Happy Monday! Here's this week's writing prompt.


A way to start a week of writing and thinking ;). We have to face monday sometime! Have a great week!





Monday Motivation is a weekly blog- no need to comment, just use the photos to start or re-start some writing!

*Yeah- another disclaimer- this one is mine- if you want to post somewhere else ask me first please. :) Thanks!

Stuff Ya Didn't Know Friday- Jersey Devil

Today’s monster hails from the east coast.

The Jersey Devil- no not someone from Jersey Shores- the Jersey Devil’s been around much longer than that brood.

The Jersey Devil either came about from an unhappy mothers curse in 1735 or was born in 1850 from a gypsy curse on a young girl. Either way the monster was born in Pine Barrens New Jersey, then escaped into the woods and continues to live there.

The Jersey Devil has a head like a horse or possibly a ram with large bat-like wings, and a long serpentine body. Tales of the Jersey Devil have waxed and waned like the moon it fly’s under, but one of the largest “Jersey Devil sightings and tales” period was a week in January 1909. Makes one wonder what happened then- hmm- maybe a story idea? :)

During that week, eyewitness accounts were documented in the papers with most witnesses reporting eerie sounds from near the Delaware river and the appearance of a strange glowing creature in the sky. Hoof prints of a strange animal were found in unlikely locations such a roofs, and the tops of chicken coops. No one has caught one yet though.
Want more info? http://www.elktownship.com/myth.html

"Stuff Ya Didn't Know Friday" is a weekly look at weirdness...creatures, places, people, myths, whatever I happen to come across that makes me say, "Hmmmmm?"