Glossary of Monsters

I have been lucky in this endeavor of writing my first young-adult book to have the input, encouragement and sometimes berating of my three oldest children. They have offered numerous ideas as well as the creation of some of the "monsters" the chosen circle will be facing. Since the "monsters" they created are not from traditional lore and also since I've tweaked the lore of some of my "traditional" monsters in this series, I thought it might be helpful to put together a glossary for everyone who may be curious. Please note that this glossary is complete for right now, but at any point during the series other monsters that are not in this glossary may be created or show up in future books, I shall try to update accordingly but cant make any promises. Should I add this glossary to the end of each book in the series, yay or nay? Please comment and let me know.

Dramora- 

WHO/WHAT: mother of all monsters, she feeds off the blood and negative emotions of humans

STRENGTHS: has mind control powers, can turn any human into a monster of her choosing (existing or new) through touch and her will. Exceptionally strong and quick, fast healing powers. 

WEAKNESSES: Daylight, pure hearts, pure clean white magic

HOW TO KILL: can only be killed by a special sword forged by sorcerers on Thaeron 

Grendel-

WHO /WHAT: slug-like monster that eats humans

STRENGTHS: excessively strong and quick 

WEAKNESSES: positive feelings

HOW TO KILL: beheading which can only be done when in a weakened state

Shreikers

WHO/WHAT: tall (7+ feet), gray skin, black eyes, thin. These creatures possess a shiny, tough nearly impenetrable exoskeleton, long sharp claws and large mouths. 

STRENGTHS: Exoskeleton & a piercing scream that temporarily paralyzes victims (and anyone in the vicinity) before they kill them
WEAKNESSES: Light blinds them. 

HOW TO KILL: Must use their own or anothers shreiker claw (can be cut off at second knuckle, its their only weak point)to wound them (any wound that would be considered life-threatening to humans would be life-threatening to these creatures) it is the only thing sharp/strong enough to pierce their exoskeleton.

Viroren

WHO/WHAT: Viroren look like humans except they are exceedingly tall (7-8 ft) and they have a different gait with feet sideways and a secondary mouth with a long tongue that comes out of their human mouth right as they are about to eat their prey (young children) They also turn a red color when they have caught the scent of the prey they are "hunting"

STRENGTHS: Can teleport short distances to easily catch their prey

WEAKNESSES: slow, when walking. salt repels and in large amounts can kill- it burns them like holy water on a vamp.
HOW TO KILL: Large amounts of salt, salt-water, silver bullet through the head or beheading with a silver knife

Vampires

WHO/WHAT: unnaturally beautiful, undead humans. You must be bitten, mostly drained and then drink from a vampire to be turned.  Bites from a vampire can cause a link to form which allows vampire mind control over the bitten. Bites must be cleansed with holy water to sever the link (which burns and causes victim immense pain.)  

STRENGTHS: super speed, super strength, sharp fangs, thrall powers, advanced healing. 

WEAKNESSES: Holy water and the sun burn them.  Must have an invite to enter a building or sanctum (can force one using thrall). Invites can never be rescinded. Cannot step foot on sanctified ground.
HOW TO KILL: burning (with fire) or beheading. 

Shifters

WHO/WHAT: Shifters can change into any living thing. They don’t have to kill to change, they only have to touch who/what they want to become.

STRENGTHS: Shifters are undetectable until they begin to shed their skin to shift or are touched by silver (it burns). They get the memories of creature they change into to more easily fool their intended targets. 

WEAKNESSES: Pure Silver burns. 

HOW TO KILL: silver bullet through head or heart, silver knife/sword through heart, beheading by silver knife/sword

Lycan/werecreatures 

WHO/WHAT: can be wolves, leopards, tigers, lions or coyotes (cannot switch out amongst them- bitten will become same animal as that they were bitten by). Their powers weaken or strengthen according to the cycle of the moon. Older creatures can control their change and their hunger, younger cannot.

STRENGTHS: Super strong, super fast in both forms. Have the power and speed and jaws of their animal counterpart when changed. A bite from them infects the person bitten and turns them into a werecreature. A scratch from one  allows the wercreature a control over the scratched. Scratches must be doused in colloidal silver to cleanse to prevent a control link. Nothing can prevent a bitten from turning. 
WEAKNESSES: silver
HOW TO KILL: Pure silver bullet to head or heart. Pure silver weapon through heart, or beheading by pure silver weapon.

Ghosts/poltergeists/vengeful spirits
WHO/WHAT: souls or energy left behind by the dead- most often from those who died unexpectedly or violently.
STRENGTHS: can become invisible, super fast, non-corporeal so cannot be physically harmed.
WEAKNESSES: they are repelled by salt and iron. A salt circle can temporarily protect you.
HOW TO KILL: can only be killed if bones of their original body are salted and burned. Can sometimes attach to an object, if so that object must be salted and burned.

Banshees
WHO/WHAT: Beautiful females that feed on the demise of males, her wailing signals demise to males and suffering to females that hear it.
STRENGTHS: unnatural beauty that entraps and casts a spell over every man that sees or hears her. Ability to teleport when threatened.
WEAKNESSES: Banshees can be repelled by iron. 
HOW TO KILL: can only be killed by beheading, body and head must be buried separately or Banshee will regenerate.
Black witches
WHO/WHAT: Humans with powers. Some are natural-born magic wielders who have turned dark. Others are humans who have sold their souls for the powers and get their powers from evil sources. 
STRENGTHS: Depend on the element they wield and the power level of their magics.
WEAKNESSES: Can be repelled by magic from a stronger white witch. Should not battle black witches unless you have white witch magic to use as protection. 
HOW TO KILL: Witches can die by any means humans can but you must take care not to allow them to heal themselves before death claims them.

Darklings:
WHAT/WHO: Spawns of banshee-demon mating that look like children except for their eyes which glow in the dark. They feed off of your life force and then lead you to the nearest quickest death once they no longer need you.
STRENGTHS: They can use mind manipulation on you and can read your own mind. They possess great speed and flexibility.
WEAKNESSES: If you learn their true name you have control over them. They are small and weak like children.
HOW TO KILL: Can only be killed by a holy knife forged from blessed stone or a pure silver knife blessed in holy water by a high priest of Thaeron.
Cruisers:

WHO/WHAT:  very old Spirits (200 years or more) that died violently in the house/building They inhabit. Over the years they become so attached to the building that they eventually became part of it. They live in the walls/floor/ceiling and can only partially reach out (top half of body) to grab people and pull them into the walls leaving a nasty bloodstain.  The spirit of the person killed by being pulled into the walls by a cruiser/waller will be trapped inside the walls and become a cruiser/waller.

STRENGTHS:  you cant see them until they grab you, they can be in multiple walls at once, no warning.

WEAKNESSES: trapped in the home that they are a part of – cannot leave it. If shot with rock salt in time they will let go of the victim they grabbed.

HOW TO KILL: Burn down the house. They cannot be killed or wounded any other way.

Common Demons:
WHO/WHAT: Humans who have been possessed by souls sent to hell. They are often found in association with black witches.
STRENGTHS: Wicked strong, fast reflexes, teleportation ability, older demons also sometimes have telekinetic and telepathy abilities. They are immortal for all normal means of death though their human vessel can and will die from mortal wounds inflicted once the possession ends.
WEAKNESSES: Devils traps symbols can be used to trap a demon. Salt at the windows and doors can keep them from entering a room or home. Devils bane above the door combined with salt can keep their hell hound minions out. They cannot come to holy places or sanctified ground.  Demons can be repelled by holy water, salt and certain symbols. 
HOW TO KILL/VANQUISH: Can only be vanquished through exorcism which releases the human from possession but does not kill the demon spirit- sends it back to hell where it is free to later possess someone else. They can be killed through the use of the de’lichtae (special dagger infused with preternatural powers by the first sorcerer-hunter of Thaeron). De’lichtae kills the demon but it also kills the human possessed by the demon. Demons can be repelled by holy water, salt and certain symbols. 
Ancient Demons:
WHO/WHAT: The original inhabitors of hell- not human spirits turned demon. They come in many shapes and sizes, most have horns and hooves in their natural form but all can appear to humans as human for short amounts of time in dreams, when summoned through rituals or by entering through an inter-dimensional portal. 
STRENGTHS: Extremely powerful not only in physical strength but in magical and extra-sensory abilities as well.
WEAKNESSES: being on holy or sanctified ground burns painfully but not enough to kill them or stop them from entering. No other weaknesses.
HOW TO KILL/VANQUISH: An Ancient Demon cannot be vanquished except through use of certain spells to open an interdimensional portal and banish them through it back to their hell dimension. The only way to kill a Demon is by stabbing it's true form through the heart or beheading it's true form with the De'lichtae, both of which are extremely difficult to do.

A little taste...

Today is friday, I have grand family plans for the weekend with my munchkins so I am in a tremendously happy and playful mood. To go with that mood I decided to post a little teaser on my blog. The following teaser is from chapter one of Prophecy the first book in my in-progress young adult series (destiny's circle). Any infringement, unauthorized sharing, or stealing of the below work will be legally pursued.

I'm a Published Author

Hearing those words aloud is so strange to me. For years I've been able to say I'm an "aspiring author", I "want to be" an author, I "write in my spare time", etc... And now, finally when people say "what do you do?" I can reply with "I'm an author of childrens books."

One day I'd like to be able to reply with "I'm an author of children and Young Adult books" but first I have to finish and publish "Prophecy" book one in the Destiny's circle series. I'm hoping to have it done by summer 2015 at the latest but we'll see how it goes. And then, later yet, one day I'd like to be able to say "I'm an author of childrens, young adult and romance books." But it all will come in time and i need to just keep writing and continue to be patient.

I published my first book this week and even though it's only self-publishing and it's currently only available through kindle it is still such a heady and wondrous feeling to have a book out there for other people to buy, read, enjoy. It's been my lifes dream and now, finally, here I am realizing it. I keep pinching myself to make sure I'm not dreaming.

The Princess Avril series is on it's way. Book one "The Pink Princess & The Friendship Picnic" is available now HERE and book two in the series "The Pink Princess Gets Lost" will be available Friday June 13th. Look for the third book to come out some time in mid-late July or possibly early August. I also have a Prince series currently in progress that will be out by the end of 2014 or beginning of 2015 so check back here frequently for more updates.

I want to say THANK YOU SO MUCH to anyone and everyone who has supported me in this journey, believed in me, proof-read any of my books currently published or not, purchased or have plans to purchase any of the pink princess, emerald prince, or young adult books, and also to anyone who reads or shares this blog, or who has liked and/or shared my author page. I couldn't be doing what I love without all of you, thank you for helping me make my dreams come true.