Sandra Cox's Blog, page 286

Something's Lost.....

Title: Something’s Lost and Must Be Found: Seven Short Tails of Inspiration on a Long Leash
Author: Lisa Begin-Kruysman
Publisher: Self
Length: 99 pages/23,500 words
Genres: Non-Fiction, Animal Care & Pets, Dogs

Available at:Amazon (Paperback) | Amazon (Kindle Edition)
Currently boasting 37 Five Star Reviews on Amazon! Recently nominated as a "give-away" for World Book Night by an avid dog-book reader.
Blurb The seven short tales in this collection were written by a dog-lover to be enjoyed by those who cherish or are guardians of man’s best friends. Each story stands alone, connected only by a theme of things “lost and found.” In each instance characters find resolution through the help of some search and rescue dogs of the soul; a mother coping with a tragic loss, a father trying to reconnect with his son, a teen-age girl dealing with some weighty issues, a jobless young man attempting to regain his humanity, a single woman searching for self-worth, and a loyal dog-owner watching over his beloved dog that is searching for his “true and happy home.”
These stories evoke that feeling a human gets when after letting a dog off-leash to run freely, their best furry friend returns for a mini-reunion, requesting to be led back home. At that moment all is right in the world. Even those who aren’t among the legion of dog-loving Americans can make a personal connection with these stories, one that resonates in some area of their life.
Excerpt From Title Story I walked down the road calling “Tony, Tony,” like a robotic recording, wandering down to the shoreline where happy beachgoers and their dogs scurried and skidded in the sand, darting in and out of the foamy residue of receding waves. Scanning the horizon I hoped for a glimpse of Antonio, trying not to think of his fate if he’d been pulled out to sea by the tide.
Not ready to return home, I left the beach, traveling on a path that led away from the condo. Above me, twisted branches of Live Oak dripping with feathery grey Spanish moss arched and met forming a canopy. In the dark tunnel of trees I cursed this place, a place I had trusted to help me heal, no longer a last resort for hope; but a tourist trap of lost souls.
What had happened to my heart? I wondered bitterly. It had become so hardened that I’d been unable to offer love to a poor little dog when he’d needed it mos. Now I would probably never get another chance.
About the Author: Lisa Begin-Kruysman lives in Ocean County, New Jersey, with her husband, Rich and Portuguese water dog, Hooper. Her short fiction has garnered national recognition in writing competitions sponsored by Calliope Writers and Writer’s Digest Magazine. In 2010, the author launched a blog dedicated to the venerable National Dog Week Movement established in 1928. With over one-hundred posts to-date, she has learned that now, more than ever, there is a need for an intelligent exchange about the state of the dog in the states of the nation. To learn more about National Dog Week and to be part of the next chapter, please go to http://nationaldogweekbook.wordpress.com. In an informed and enlightened world, every dog can have its day and hopefully its week, too.a Rafflecopter giveaway  


http://cblspromotions.blogspot.com/2012/06/vbt-schedule-somethings-lost-and-must.html

The Quintedssential Gemini

With us today is Linn Halton. Tell us Linn, are you a plotter or a pantster?Both (laugh)!  I always tend to ‘over-prepare’ but because I never say one word when I can say twenty, then I prepare too much material.  Recently I’ve come to realise that ad-libbing is not a problem for me, I can easily over-run no matter how long a spot I’m given.  So I’ve started writing cue cards with trigger points to keep me on track.The problem I find is that I’m very passionate about things I believe in and my enthusiasm simply runs away with me.  Everyone should have several passions in their life and I firmly believe that life is what you make it.  Seek out the happiness and spread the sunshine.Do you have critique partners or work alone?I work alone but then have a small network of people who read whatever I’ve written.  My husband is always the first to read whatever I write and he has an inquiring mind, so will pick up on anything loose ends if I’ve missed them!  One of my advance readers only usually reads biographies or psychic/spiritual self-help books, so that’s really useful.  When someone reads something in a genre that doesn’t interest them the feedback tends to be very honest!What is your zodiac sign and what characteristic of your sign aids you as a writer?I’m a Gemini, but what compounds that is that I could easily become obsessive compulsive about virtually everything in life.  I’m a ‘clean and tidy freak’, love order in everything and use spreadsheets and lists to organise myself.  However, over the years I have learnt to relax and think about what is important, rather than let a compulsive nature completely take over my life.I love being a Gemini and feel I’m pretty typical but I also think that some of the family traits I have inherited mean that some of those qualities are magnified.  However, it is clear from following my star charts that I’m doing what I’m supposed to be doing at this stage in my life.  Whilst I always knew from a young child that I would sit down and write at some point in my life, it wasn’t until 2009 that the ‘me’ time presented itself.  My stars at that time indicated, and often mentioned, I would be spending my time creatively and even suggested writing a novel.  So I take each day as it comes and see where it takes me.What are Gemini characteristics?Geminis tend to be adaptable, versatile and very lively.  Youthful throughout our lives in the way we look at things, eloquent and our communication tends to be edged with a sense of humor.  On the dark side we can be nervous and tense, overly-inquisitive at times – always mentally active, even when we are trying to relax!  It’s a real mixed bag of traits and one of the worrying factors is that sometimes we get so caught up with the task in hand that it is easy to forget to enjoy the moment.  Remembering to have some ‘down’ time, rather than working constantly is a big issue for me, but my husband helps keeps an eye on that! Tell us something that would surprise us about you.When I was a teenager I trained to be a dancer.  From the age of seven through to sixteen I trained at least three nights a week and most weekends.  I had a dancing partner and entered many competitions winning a box full of medals.  I was also an assistant teacher at one of the class groups from the age of fourteen.  I lived to dance and Latin American was my all-time favourite. The paso doble in particular I found fiery and enthralling – it was a good way to spend my youth!Title: The Quintessential GeminiAuthor: Linn B. HaltonPublisher: Sapphire Star PublishingLength: 305 pagesGenres: Contemporary Romance
Available at:Sapphire Star Publishing
Blurb:For twenty-one years, the focus of Katherine Dale’s life has been her work. Love interests and hobbies came and went, but what has always been there for her—her only constant other than her cat delightfully named No. 4—was her nine to five habit. Until she’s replaced.
With her confidence dented, Katherine is angry at life and at herself.
She’s ignored hints of “changes to come” in her horoscope forecasts, written by the wonderful and renowned astrologer, Mark Ainsley-Thomas. 
Mark is now an “A” list celebrity in the UK and his new Agent is determined to raise his profile in America, so he has to take on the new, but talented, astrologer James Kingman to help him run his web-site.
Katherine lives her life according to her daily horoscope. When Katherine finds James has been writing her daily horoscopes rather than Mark, Katherine’s life explodes in confusion and, unexpectedly, love as the three lives become inextricably tangled.  Insecurity, self-doubt, guilt, stress, and frustration, coupled with village gossips and merciless reporters wanting eye-catching headlines leave Katherine feeling vulnerable and in need of guidance. 
Now Katherine has to learn that the stars might be telling her that love is going to feature in her life, but when Katherine finds herself implicated in the headlines ‘Mystic Love Triangle Surprise’ she’s just as surprised as everyone else! None of the men in her life are love interests – so what exactly does fate have in store?
Excerpt: My life is falling apart. I knew it, Mark isn’t writing the forecasts and a guy named James has now admitted this to me. I don’t have a problem with that at all, but what I need at this particular moment in time is Mark’s insightful guidance. He seems to be able to tap into the very essence of my life and give simple, yet incredibly relevant, clues. James, on the other hand, is probably catering for the masses; hence, I’m finding I can’t relate to anything he says. It took me all day yesterday emailing James, whom I assumed was Mark, to get to the bottom of the problem. Today is Wednesday and the talk is on Friday evening. Everyone in town is buzzing about it and this could be major humiliation. What should I do?
I finally emailed James, asking very politely for Mark’s personal contact details. He came back with a standard, “Mark unfortunately isn’t available to…” I didn’t panic, just took a deep breath and turned to the internet. I found an interesting article about Mark and learned that he gives personal readings. Yes. Thankfully, the email address is different to the one on the Website. I dashed off a few words, asking whether he was available, and what I needed to do. That was four-thirty yesterday and I haven’t had a response yet.
I was up at six this morning and have been frantically checking my emails virtually every ten minutes. It’s now eleven thirty and the strain is beginning to tell. I can’t write, can’t eat, and can’t think straight. If Friday night is going to be a flop, then I need advance warning so that I can cancel. I’m having problems thinking of an excuse that doesn’t sound lame. If I say I’m unwell, it probably means leaving it to the last minute and then I’ll be scrutinized and will have to hide for a week. If I say something like “I’m too busy” or even tell the truth, that I’m really just a novice myself, the locals will probably think I’m not taking them seriously. In my defense, I never said to Tom I was a writer, I just said I was writing a novel. The problem is that Tom seems to be basking in some sort of local glory for being in the know and, I hear, regularly having coffee with our famous local writer. This I found out when I was in the library the other day and overheard two women talking. Everything is getting out of hand and I don’t know what to do next.
No. 4 flounces into the room with a loud meow, walks around the kitchen table twice, and then just as quickly disappears. Even he can sense the tense atmosphere that hovers like a rain cloud in the room. Suddenly I spot a flashing icon on my screen and I dash over to the table and sit down. It’s from Mark, well his representative, the person who books his personal appointments.
From: Kate on behalf of Mark Ainsley-Thomas
To: Ms K Dale
Dear Katherine
Unfortunately, Mark is touring this week, attending a number of book signings around the country. He is sorry that he is unlikely to be able to commit to a personal sitting for at least three months due to his unusually busy schedule.
I am able to offer you an individual, full chart reading service, which Mark oversees personally, and I can arrange this upon receipt of the detailed information listed on the attachment. This service is available at a cost of £19.95.
Thank you for contacting Mark and please do not hesitate to let me know if you would like the full chart reading service.
Yours sincerely Kate Personal Assistant to Mark Ainsley-Thomas
I suddenly feel like I have a lifeline.
About the Author: Linn B Halton lives in the UK, in the small Gloucestershire village of Arlingham, on the banks of the River Severn with her adorable husband and cat with attitude – Mr Tiggs! She writes romantic fiction with a psychic or astrological theme and many of the paranormal events that feature in her books are real life experiences.
Linn is also a featured new Author on http://loveahappyending.com/ and Editor of the feature ‘Author & Associate Catch-Ups’ including ‘Reader/Author Team Reports’ on the website’s magazine-style blog.
SSP Author Page: http://www.sapphirestarpublishing.com/linnbhaltonLinn’s Author Page: http://loveahappyending.com/linn-b-halton/Twitter Account @LinnBHalton: http://bit.ly/ksXMDSFacebook Author Linn B Halton: http://on.fb.me/mnvJJs


a Rafflecopter giveaway


http://cblspromotions.blogspot.com/2012/06/scheduled-vbt-quintessential-gemini-by.html

Happy 4th of July and 50% off Muse Books

Enjoy Your 4th

All my books at Smashwords are 50% off this month and Shardai is free. Just use the coupon code SSW50
smashwords.com 

No Winged Visitors Today

Instead of winged, our latest visitor was of the hooved  variety. Isn't she something? I was in the house and she was a bit of a distance away but she looked straight at me through the window. She knew I was there. She stayed around till I stepped out on the screened-in porch. At that point, she must have caught my scent because she left immediately.

More Than Just Another Pretty Piece of Tail

Got your attention? Our guest, Nadia Scrieva, is going to talk about exactly that.
What makes a mermaid a mermaid? If you ask anyone, their first answer will probably be that mermaids have tails. Now, there would be advantages to having a tail when it came to mobility in the water, but what about breathing? Can mermaids even breathe underwater? Most folklore says they do. If this is so, then how exactly do mermaids accomplish this feat? Certainly not with their tails. Fish do not breathe with their tails—they use gills near their mouths to draw the oxygen from water. It seems there must be more to the legendary creatures than meets the eye. Are mermaids then marine mammals, similar to dolphins and whales? Do they travel to the surface frequently and hold their breaths for long periods of time? Most folklore does not have mention of mermaids running out of air and needing to travel to the surface. These are some of the questions I considered when researching the biology of the mermaids in the Sacred Breath series. As an Anthropology student, I wanted the creature to be believable and realistic, with a side helping of mythical and cryptic. It seemed necessary to me that mermaids should be able to breathe underwater, but the tails seemed ridiculous and unnecessary. It could be possible for humans to have amphibious lungs in order to process both air and water. While researching this, I discovered many biological human oddities, such as women who had two uteruses, and it inspired me to craft a second pair of lungs. It could have begun as a genetic mutation which was honored and preserved—a person with the ability to breathe underwater could have been considered divine or holy, and encouraged to bear many children. Humans do exist who are able to hold their breath for longer periods of time, because their bodies require less oxygen. There are so many special cases that I believed that the mermaid could exist as a secretive human being who had branched off from society and thousands of years ago, possessing only a few important differences: ·         A second pair of lungs. These lungs are the “balloon” type with a larger surface area which allows the mermaids to breathe underwater. 
·         Reduced bone density in their legs and increased muscle tone and flexibility to allow for better swimming.  This provides a disadvantage as their legs grow tired easily on land.
·         Albinism. Reduced melanin when in deep water to allow for vitamin D absorption. This is a rare trait only found in the royal families, which turns their hair white and skin fair underwater. Conversely, they tan heavily above the surface. 
·         Night vision. If mermaids spent their time deep in the sea and far from sunlight, it would be useful for them to see in the dark. Many mammals have a reflective layer in their eyes called a tapetum lucidum which promotes enhanced night vision. It was not too much of a stretch to give my mermaids this ability.
·         Extended lifespan, or decreased senescence. Some of the oldest living organisms are marine creatures, and there are even many which are considered “biologically immortal” such as lobsters and jellyfish. This was my reasoning for making it so that the maximum lifespan of mermaids was approximately 10x that of humans. They can live to about a thousand years instead of just a hundred. 
·         Stronger vocal chords for underwater vocalizations, although they mostly communicate with a universal sign language. This attribute makes them excellent singers when above land. 
As you can see, the mermaids of the Sacred Breath are rich and complex beings with bodies primed for life under the sea. In addition to these handy biological traits, they also possess intricately developed traditions, belief systems, and politics which have also been developed under the influence of their aquatic environment. Unlike inaccurate portrayals in most media, the bodies of mermaids should be closer to humans than fish; they are definitely more than another pretty piece of tail! 
Drowning Mermaids Blurb:
Deep under Arctic waters lies an ice kingdom carved into a glacier. Those who dwell within it possess magnificent biological secrets. Due to the dangers of impending war, the Princess of Adlivun is forced to flee her undersea utopia and regroup with her sisters in Alaska.

Captain Trevain Murphy is a successful king crab fisherman who has spent his life building his empire above the sea, and knows nothing of the empire beneath it. When he meets a mysterious dancer whose father has recently died, he extends kindness towards her, unaware of her unique genetics and royal lineage.
Trevain's attraction to the enigmatic Aazuria Vellamo will involve him in dangerous designs that will forever change his life, and his perspective on himself and his world. He embarks on perilous journeys in which he will need to release all of his insecurities and inhibitionsin order to survive.
Excerpt:
It was his angel. He knew her, although she looked nothing like before. She was his Aazuria, his mythical heroine. In the dancing glow of the oil blaze, she was simply too dazzling to be real and he knew that he must be dying. As she hovered in suspension before him, her skin and hair were almost luminous in the dark water, almost phosphorescent. Perhaps she never had been real. It did not matter—she was firmly grasping his hands, and it sent a feeling of comfort and tranquility through him. He knew that she loved him.
He could see forgiveness and acceptance in her expression. None of the turmoil between them mattered any longer in this pacific moment. In her benevolent gaze, he could finally forgive himself. He smiled at her, although his vision was fading, and the world was disappearing. He tightly gripped her hands to thank her for coming back for him. He could not bear the thought of letting go; he did not want to be robbed of her touch. He tried to keep his eyes open for as long as possible, to keep looking into her unfamiliar ultramarine orbs. So this was what she really looked like, in her element. He wished he could have known her true form. It was mystical.
Trevain could imagine no better way to die. No better sight to see the last time he closed his eyes. A peaceful smile descended on his face, and the captain’s tired eyes closed for what he knew to be the last time ever. 
AUTHOR Bio and Links:
[image error] Nadia Scrieva was born in 1988 in Toronto, Canada. She studied English and Anthropology, graduating with an Honors B.A. from the University of Toronto in 2011. She likes knives. Writing has been the most meaningful part of her life since she was a child. Nadia loves receiving feedback from readers, so do not hesitate to contact her with any of your comments, questions, ideas, or just to say hello. 
Website: www.NadiaScrieva.com  Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/NadiaFansTwitter: https://twitter.com/#!/NadiaScrievaBlog: http://nadiascrieva.blogspot.ca/


Nadia will giving away an eBook copy of Drowning Mermaids to one randomly drawn commenter at every stop. Don't forget to leave your email addie.
Here's the tour dates. The more comments the better your chances of winning.  http://goddessfishpromotions.blogspot.com/2012/05/virtual-book-tour-sacred-breath-series.html

And The Winner of The Minder Contest Is......

Sapphyria! Congratulations.

Yay, It's Friday

Enjoy the weekend.....................

Wishmaker

With us today is DD Roy. She's going to tell us what three wishes she'd wish for if given the opportunity. They're good ones:)Wish #1. Everyone would know their talent. See, everybody has something they are good at. But sometimes it’s really hard to figure out what it is. Many people give up and assume they aren’t good at anything. Not true. We all have something special. You just have to keep searching to figure it out.Wish #2. People would never be mean to others who are different from them. Man, it’s everywhere. Athletes. Nerds. Races. Religions. Maybe we should all decide who we want to be around based on the time of day we were born. “I can’t stand the 10:02 people.” “You shouldn’t talk to anyone who is a 7:34.” It’s just about as arbitrary.Wish #3. Everyone was born healthy. My daughter goes through challenges every day that I don’t know I could face. And yet, she’s happy. But I wish no babies were born with epilepsy, or heart defects, or blind or deaf or brain damaged or sick. But if it happened, I definitely wish they weren’t treated any differently. (See Wish #2.)That was all serious, wasn’t it? Okay, okay, here are the real wishes: 1: A midnight blue 1966 Ford Mustang convertible. Just too cool.2: To be able to draw. I can’t even make a stick figure anyone would recognize.3: Chocolate every day. No wait, every meal. Yes. Every one. Wait. Non-fattening chocolate. That’s better. Non-fattening but utterly delicious chocolate at every meal. BLURB:
Eleven-year-old Jinnie has a dilemma--she can grant wishes, but she can't control the results.

The school counselor tells Jinnie to join the Troubled Tweens, a group of kids with similar power problems. Maddy’s touch makes anyone explode in anger. Grace can make people like her--as long as they don’t let go of her arm.

But their loose use of magic attracts the attention of the Loki, a group of magic thieves and pranksters. They want to steal an open-ended wish from Jinnie, and it will take all the limited and messed-up magic she and her friends possess to make sure their powers don’t fall into the Loki’s greedy hands.

Jinnie Wishmaker is the first book of the Troubled Tweens series for 9-12 year olds
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Excerpt
The Magic Mood Ring
The lid opened with a sharp pop, revealing a large black oval ring with a scalloped silver trim.
“Let’s see what everyone’s mood is like today.” Mr. Kent slipped the ring on his fourth finger. The oversized oval gem turned vivid blue. “I’m looking very calm.” He passed the ring to Maddy.
Jinnie’s face blazed. She knew the ring was going to go off the chart with anxiety when she put it on. She tried to relax, to breathe normally. She already hated Troubled Tweens.
“Oh, look, it’s gone black again. Negative and brooding. Big surprise.” Maddy yanked it off and tossed it at Jinnie. The ring bounced off her chest.
“Catch,” Maddy said, sneering.
Jinnie fumbled her hands against her shirt, finally trapping the ring and cupping it in her palm. She took one more long breath, willing the ring to be green, and slipped it on her middle finger.
The ring shifted from black to gray, then slid into yellow before turning perfectly clear.
Everyone leaned forward, even Maddy.
“Whoa,” Marcus said. “It has no color at all.”
“It’s creepy. Maybe you don’t really exist,” Maddy said.
Mr. Kent smiled. “I think it means you are special.”
AUTHOR Bio and Links:
D.D. Roy wrote her first story "Blackie and the Garbage Dump Dogs" when she was in elementary school. As a teen, she tried to destroy her little hand-made books, but if you get a chance to meet D.D.'s mom, she will whip out the one surviving copy, still to D.D.'s total embarrassment.Her first middle grade novel, JINNIE WISHMAKER, became a Hot New Release on the Nook, and was re-released as a hardcover School Library Edition through Casey Shay Press in spring 2012. Her story book app for the iPad, DUST BUNNIES: SECRET AGENTS, just came out in May through Polycot Labs.http://ddroy.blogspot.com
http://www.twitter.com/deannaroy

 

The author is offering the following prizes to randomly drawn commenters during the tour (this is an international contest):

As a tie in to Jinnie Wishmaker, each blog will have two Magical Mood Rings to give away. Mood rings are a central item in the book as it is how the Troubled Tweens determine if a new member has a magical power or not. Very fun!

For the grand prize, Casey Shay Press is offering their bestselling balloon animal kit. It includes the paperback book Kids Show Kids How to Make Balloon Animals (for the same age group as Jinnie Wishmaker) as well as a professional pump and balloons.

What Goes On In A Garden

Summoned

Joining us is Susan  Leigh Noble with her new release Summoned . I asked her to to talk with us today about dragons. Here's her post: Sometimes it seems a fantasy novel isn’t complete without a dragon. The thing about fantasy novels is you really have the creativity to do whatever you want, and this holds true with dragons. They can be small, large, friendly, menacing, have magical powers - the possibilities are endless. You can portray them as a snake-like creature like a Chinese dragon or a lizard-like beast with huge bat-like wings. I prefer the latter.  When visualizing my dragons, I mainly think of the Windstone Edition dragon statues designed by M. Pena, but I also get inspiration from the artwork of Peter Pracownik. I just love his artwork.Though dragons often are portrayed as evil, in my novel, Summoned, I opted to create dragons as cooperative. I made them large enough to allow the other characters to ride on their backs.  And while many books or movies have dragons that don’t communicate, there are instances where they speak like we do (think BBC’s Merlin TV series or the movie Dragonheart) or even telepathically (such as Anne McCaffrey’s Dragonriders of Pern series). I happened to want my dragons to communicate and figured it would be more realistic to have them be telepathic.   In many stories, dragons breathe fire but here again I decided to go a different route. Here is an excerpt of when my main character, Lina, first meets the black dragon Zoot. The dragons have been exiled for almost a thousand years so Lina knows very little about them.  Lina turned back to the dragon. His huge yellow eyes stared at her. She broke the gaze and turned back to the trap. “Couldn't you break these or breathe fire and burn them?” she asked and hesitantly touched one of the ropes and then glanced at the dragon.Still telling that old story, huh? Nope. We never could breathe fire. I believe that story started when one of us knocked over an oil lamp. Some poor servant saw it and started exaggerating. You know how it goes.Lina smiled. She had never heard of that story. She had just always believed they could breathe fire, especially since the phrase “dragon’s fire” was so commonly used.Zoot is introduced near the end of Summoned and plays a more active role for the remainder of the trilogy. Of course as the trilogy has progressed, I have added more dragon characters but Zoot with this gruff, sarcastic attitude will always be my favorite.      

BLURB:
Lina wants an ordinary life in the Grasslands of Zena. But she isn’t ordinary at all. At the age of four, she discovered she could start fires with a mere thought - an ability believed to have died out long ago. Cautioned by her telepathic cat, Tosh, she keeps this Elemental power a secret in fear of how the outside world would react. There is something else different about Lina - she feels a strange force compelling her to go north.  Before she can decide whether to give into this mysterious urge, she is kidnapped by gypsies and wakes in a foreign land. The desire to travel north is as strong as ever. When a strange raging fire prevents her return home, Lina realizes she must find out once and for all what or who is summoning her.
On her journey, she befriends an odd assortment of allies including the son of a High Council member, a thief, a former guardsman and a large sarcastic black dragon. Together they battle mystical creatures and unnatural forces, although such magic had ceased to exist over 800 years ago.  During each battle, Lina must use her innate Elemental power as she becomes more certain that someone is using magic against her. When she discovers the shocking truth, it will change her life in ways she could never imagine.
Excerpt - Battle - 314 words
Then he saw one of the men break away from the battle. His sword held ready, the man set his horse directly toward them. Tosh lashed his tail angrily against the saddle. He had succeeded in getting her out of the danger of the initial attack but that lone rider would soon be upon them, and Lina had no weapon. He considered his options. He only saw one clear choice. He lifted his paw, claws outstretched.
Lina, hold on.
He prepared to slash the mare again, but as he raised his paw, he caught a glimpse of her face. She was staring intently at the man racing toward them. Her face held a determined look as the wind began to blow her hair. The long honey-colored locks whipped around her face as the wind began to blow harder.  The force was so strong Tosh had to dig his claws into the saddle in order to stay on the mare. He whirled around in time to see the full force of Lina’s gust of wind hit the attacker. The man fell backward, his arms outstretched as if to grab the saddle. But his fingers missed and continued backward. Then Tosh heard the sickening sound of the man’s head hitting his horse’s rear hoof. The man hit the ground with a deadening thud and lay motionless. Lina cringed, a look of shock on her face. 
“I didn’t mean...” she whispered in a sick voice. Her eyes had a haunted look, and she shook her head slightly as if in disbelief over what had happened.
You had to stop him, Lina. He leaned against her, tucking his head into the crook of her arm. Lina hung her head down. Her honey-colored hair fell around him like a curtain. “But I only meant to stop him.” She stared at the motionless man before her. “Not to kill him.”  ~~~~~~~~~~~~~AUTHOR Bio and Links:
Susan Leigh Noble has always loved dragons and magic so it is no wonder that she became an author of fantasy novels. As a cat lover, she also threw a telepathic cat into the mix for her The Elemental Series. The first two books, Summoned and Quietus, have already been released in e-book format. She is currently working on the third and final chapter of the trilogy. When she isn’t writing, Susan is an active volunteer in her neighborhood and at her children’s schools. She lives with her husband, two children and three cats in Texas.
She loves to hear from readers: susannoble@satx.rr.com
Check out her Facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/pages/Susan-Leigh-Noble/200225396700412
Follow her on Twitter: @SusanLeighNoble Author website: http://www.independentauthornetwork.com/susan-leigh-noble.html


Susan will award a $15 Amazon GC to one randomly drawn commenter during the tour