Teresa J. Reasor's Blog, page 8
July 26, 2017
The Power of the Paragraph
I've been working diligently on my next book. Deep Within The Stone. I'm almost done. I'm 54,000 words in and heading for home. YEA! But I'm not quite there yet.
When you write, it's a never ending learning experience. I learn something with every book. I usually do research for every book before I start and all during the writing process. For this one, I've done research on sculptural techniques for different mediums, magic, being an empath, and gargoyles: their history, purpose, structure. I have a wonderful coffee table book I've left out for people to look at and enjoy. If you're as interested (obsessed) with gargoyles as I am, you might want to check it out. The text is written by Stephen King and the photos by F-stop Fitzgerald. It's very entertaining. And it's about the gargoyles in New York City. Titled Nightmares in the Sky. What else would King be writing about? LOL
But to get back to the subject I really want to talk about: writing. Something else I'm obsessed with. Writing in itself is learning. It's like taking notes to study for a test, but more entertaining. And there's more to it because you're applying what you learn each time you do it.
Lately I've been concentrating on Sentence Variety Patterns. When you write a paragraph you attempt to use a variety of patterns so you don't use the same sentence structure for every sentence. Like, for instance, starting every sentence with he or she.
So I did some research about the ways to start a sentence to switch it up and though it's automatic for me to do that, I'm making a conscious effort to pay closer attention to doing it. I'm finding I don't have to do as much editing because I'm making an added effort.
Here are some ways to start a sentence that will help you mix it up: (I'm going to use sentences from my current WIP Deep Within The Stone as examples.
Sentence Variety Patterns
Start with a prepositional phrase —(tells where or when) From his perch on one of the spires, he studied the surrounding area. (No comma unless you use two prepositional phrases in a row) After six hundred and sixty-two years as a monster, he no longer believed he would ever return to his human form. (I think prepositions are like potato chips, I can't seem to use just one.)
Start with an adverb clause — (starts with if, when, although, because, whenever, and since)When the people’s movements became sluggish and sparse, he tired of watching them.
Start with an infinitive phrase — (word to followed by a verb) To produce something everyone can view, discuss, and enjoy, will make the work I sell more valuable.
Use an adjective clause —(starts with who, which, that, whom, whose, but sometimes those are understood in the sentence) The tactile surface of the dry clay felt silky smooth as she ran her fingers over the figure's arm.
Use an appositive —(added information about a noun or pronoun, inclosed by commas) He tried to guide her to safer subjects, more mainstream art forms, and that wasn’t where she wanted to go.
Begin with a participial phrase — (a participial is a form of a verb used as an adjective and they usually end in ING) Simon, busy driving the car, was unaware of her anger.
Begin with a gerund— a gerund is a verb with an ING ending that is used as a noun. Driving home, they discussed the Richards purchase of her drawings. ( I have a pet peave about these. I only use them if there is a possibility of two actions occurring at the same time.)
I've paraphrased this information from The Best Little Grammar Book Ever (101 Ways to Impress With Your Writing and Speaking by Arlene Miller.
I don't claim to be a grammar guru, so if I have any of these wrong, sing out.
I do try to use complex sentence structures in my writing and make it as active as possible. Every paragraph in a story should tell a story within itself. Like this example paragraph:
Simon Martin climbed from behind the wheel with the grace of a dancer. His black suit fit his tall, trim frame to perfection, emphasizing his dark hair and chocolate brown eyes. His rich gray shirt, paired with a black and red silk tie, looked too dressy to be anywhere near her studio. Hyperaware of her appearance, she looked down at her dust coated coveralls and grimaced. The jeans and t-shirt beneath them weren’t much better.
Stringing those complex sentences together into paragraph after paragraph is like telling a thousand short stories.
My goal is to make every paragraph so much a part of the story, every one of them is interesting. Maybe an impossibility, but I'll keep trying.
Read on,Teresa Reasor
When you write, it's a never ending learning experience. I learn something with every book. I usually do research for every book before I start and all during the writing process. For this one, I've done research on sculptural techniques for different mediums, magic, being an empath, and gargoyles: their history, purpose, structure. I have a wonderful coffee table book I've left out for people to look at and enjoy. If you're as interested (obsessed) with gargoyles as I am, you might want to check it out. The text is written by Stephen King and the photos by F-stop Fitzgerald. It's very entertaining. And it's about the gargoyles in New York City. Titled Nightmares in the Sky. What else would King be writing about? LOL
But to get back to the subject I really want to talk about: writing. Something else I'm obsessed with. Writing in itself is learning. It's like taking notes to study for a test, but more entertaining. And there's more to it because you're applying what you learn each time you do it.
Lately I've been concentrating on Sentence Variety Patterns. When you write a paragraph you attempt to use a variety of patterns so you don't use the same sentence structure for every sentence. Like, for instance, starting every sentence with he or she.
So I did some research about the ways to start a sentence to switch it up and though it's automatic for me to do that, I'm making a conscious effort to pay closer attention to doing it. I'm finding I don't have to do as much editing because I'm making an added effort.
Here are some ways to start a sentence that will help you mix it up: (I'm going to use sentences from my current WIP Deep Within The Stone as examples.
Sentence Variety Patterns
Start with a prepositional phrase —(tells where or when) From his perch on one of the spires, he studied the surrounding area. (No comma unless you use two prepositional phrases in a row) After six hundred and sixty-two years as a monster, he no longer believed he would ever return to his human form. (I think prepositions are like potato chips, I can't seem to use just one.)
Start with an adverb clause — (starts with if, when, although, because, whenever, and since)When the people’s movements became sluggish and sparse, he tired of watching them.
Start with an infinitive phrase — (word to followed by a verb) To produce something everyone can view, discuss, and enjoy, will make the work I sell more valuable.
Use an adjective clause —(starts with who, which, that, whom, whose, but sometimes those are understood in the sentence) The tactile surface of the dry clay felt silky smooth as she ran her fingers over the figure's arm.
Use an appositive —(added information about a noun or pronoun, inclosed by commas) He tried to guide her to safer subjects, more mainstream art forms, and that wasn’t where she wanted to go.
Begin with a participial phrase — (a participial is a form of a verb used as an adjective and they usually end in ING) Simon, busy driving the car, was unaware of her anger.
Begin with a gerund— a gerund is a verb with an ING ending that is used as a noun. Driving home, they discussed the Richards purchase of her drawings. ( I have a pet peave about these. I only use them if there is a possibility of two actions occurring at the same time.)
I've paraphrased this information from The Best Little Grammar Book Ever (101 Ways to Impress With Your Writing and Speaking by Arlene Miller.
I don't claim to be a grammar guru, so if I have any of these wrong, sing out.
I do try to use complex sentence structures in my writing and make it as active as possible. Every paragraph in a story should tell a story within itself. Like this example paragraph:
Simon Martin climbed from behind the wheel with the grace of a dancer. His black suit fit his tall, trim frame to perfection, emphasizing his dark hair and chocolate brown eyes. His rich gray shirt, paired with a black and red silk tie, looked too dressy to be anywhere near her studio. Hyperaware of her appearance, she looked down at her dust coated coveralls and grimaced. The jeans and t-shirt beneath them weren’t much better.
Stringing those complex sentences together into paragraph after paragraph is like telling a thousand short stories.
My goal is to make every paragraph so much a part of the story, every one of them is interesting. Maybe an impossibility, but I'll keep trying.
Read on,Teresa Reasor
July 12, 2017
Paranormals: Fun, Adventurous, Romantic, Creative & SEXY as Hell
I love writing Paranormal Romance. I love reading them as well. My SEAL Team Heartbreaker Series is based in reality, and I love writing about my guys. But my Superstition Series is based totally inside my imagination. Even the town Superstition, Kentucky is right there in my head. It has a small community college, a library that is utilized by the public and the college students, like many college libraries, and it has streets named for things based in magic.
I'm not saying that reality isn't as interesting a writing experience, but sometimes it's fun to step away and let the impossible happen.
And writing Paranormal Romance does give me a break from the deep immersion into the military life and the intense emotions I usually experience when I live in my SEALs' world for a long time.
My paranormal characters experience heart-wrenching things and have hot sexual encounters just like my SEAL characters. But sometimes the love making my paranormal characters share has a little Magic sprinkled in that makes their physical engagements pretty interesting. Sometimes their abilities can be a hindrance and sometimes they can accentuate their feelings and responses.
Whisper in My Ear
Excerpt:
Would spending time with him cause her to wish for something she couldn’t have? Of course it would. “Then maybe this is a mistake.”Drew stepped close, cupped the back of her head and kissed her.The gentle pressure of his mouth was intent but not forceful. Her first seconds of resistance washed away upon the tide of longing and need rushing through her. The heat from his body wrapped her in warmth, drawing her in. Her bag fell from her shoulder and hit the floor.She slid her arms around his waist and leaned into him. She inhaled in his unique Merman scent.When his tongue slipped between her lips she groaned. He tasted like expensive bourbon and him. Her tongue tangled with his while Drew’s arms tightened around her, holding her closer. She felt his response and fought the urge to rise on tiptoe to better fit her body to his.Drew gently broke the kiss, and she opened her eyes to look up at him. A gasp escaped. The normal human planes of his face had transitioned to something more angular and rugged, his cheekbones flatter and more prominent, his eyes holding a preternatural glow. He looked…foreign, majestic and…desirable.“What is it?’ he asked.Movement down the hall caught her attention. A man and woman approached, neighbors who lived in three-nineteen. They couldn’t see him like this. She grasped Drew’s arm and tugged him into her apartment and shut the door.His expression, both bemused and surprised, had her shaking her head. How had he not felt the change? She pointed at a mirror over the couch. “Look at yourself.”The light over the door signaled her doorbell had rung. She motioned Drew to step out of sight, and then opened the door.Mrs. Stein, the woman she’d seen coming down the hall, held out Katrina’s purse, her gray brows raised. “I don’t think you want to leave this out here in the hall.”Katrina’s cheeks burned and she forced a laugh. “No, that wouldn’t be a good idea. Thank you.”“Good night,” Mrs. Stein said with a nod and strolled down the hall.
Katrina closed the door and leaned back against it, her attention returning to Drew where he stood in front of the couch and stared into the mirror.
THE BLURB:
Injured as a child, mermaid Katrina Lawson has adapted to living on land among humans. Denied the comfort of her water world, she’s stripped of her ability to transform and to hear. But the promise of a cochlear implant offers her a ray of hope.
Drew Saunders is a creature no woman can resist: mystical, magical and musical. With a hum he can seduce women and make them slaves. When he meets Katrina he’s enthralled. But being unable to hear, she’s impervious to his charms. So he must work to build a relationship with her the human way.
Katrina’s doctor suspects there is more to her than scans and x-rays can detect. His obsessive fascination with her places her and all aquatic species at risk, forcing her to make a horrible choice. Can she sacrifice the only true love she’ll ever know for the good of her species?
B & N: http://bit.ly/1C9fAy4Amazon http://amzn.to/1C8KW89 Apple: http://bit.ly/1Eq2KMQSmashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/514247Kobo: http://store.kobobooks.com/en-US/ebook/whisper-in-my-earGoogle Play: http://bit.ly/1DYityVhttps://itunes.apple.com/ie/book/whisper-in-my-ear/id962188691?mt=11
Vampire relationships are always complicated. Especially if you're not just vampire but had a few extra tallents. And my Vampires can share their power with one another. Think about it, bitting can add a special little something to the mating ritual. Being immortal where you can be with the same person for hundreds of years can be a turn on or a drag, depending on the relationship. But being strong enough to bench press a car can come in handy during love-making from a stamina point of view. LOL Magic and Mayhem: Once Bitten, Twice Shy
AN EXCERPT: “I think we’re clean enough, don’t you?” he asked, cupping her breasts while he nibbled her earlobe and his breath fanned her neck. Delightful shivers trailed down her spine, and her breasts felt full and tight beneath his touch.“Yes.” She cupped his face and guided his mouth to hers. Her power wrapped around them and lifted them out of the water and onto their feet.His impressive erection pressed against her belly. She cupped it and explored its length and thickness. Hunter’s gray gaze glowed blue as his power flared and enveloped her in warmth. He lifted her easily, and she wrapped her legs around his waist.The trip between tub and bed took but a second, and she held onto him while he crawled up on the bed. She lay back to gaze up into his face. “There are real perks to having vampire skills sometimes.”He chuckled. “And strength.”He removed the comb from her hair and ran his fingers through the shoulder-length locks, his power intensifying and spreading like static electricity over her skin. She caught her breath at the sensation and ran her hands up his chest. Then she forked her fingers through the dark hair at the back of his head and tugged his mouth back to hers.Their lips clung, and their tongues meshed in a kiss that had her rolling her hips against him, inviting a deeper intimacy. He nipped at her shoulder without breaking the skin, then slid lower to take one nipple into his mouth to suck, then the other.She caressed his neck and shoulders and let her power flow over him in a caress. He looked up at her, his eyes aglow, his fangs lengthening. “I want to bite you every time you do that…among other things.” His hand trailed over her belly and lower. He tempted her with his fingers and she bowed her back. His name emerged somewhere between a plea and a prayer.
THE BLURB:Somewhere off the beaten path in the World of Magic and Mayhem, there’s a little-visited trail that leads to a realm of vampire politics, danger and maybe even death.
Phoebe Stewart only agreed to marry Trevor Ricci to secure peace between their warring vampire clans. When her groom poisons her during the wedding ceremony, and her life expectancy falls from forever to a week, “till death do you part” takes on a whole new meaning. When she catches up with her new husband, she intends to stake and roast the traitorous, narcissistic weenie.
Especially now she’s met Hunter Knox, the bad boy alpha vampire she’s been waiting for her whole death.
Agent Hunter Knox works for the National Vampire Security Council. When a poison that can actually kill their species surfaces, he’s dead set on finding and destroying it. But once he meets Phoebe, and realizes she only has days to live, the need for an antidote takes priority.
And the more he gets to know her, the more he suspects she may be as important to vampire kind as she’s becoming to him.
http://amzn.to/2rVshK9
In Paranormal Romance love can last longer than one lifetime. Sometimes it can last several. Not only for vampires but normal folk who may have experienced love in another time. Exploring the possibilities of time travel, reincarnation, and multi-dimensions all in the same book might be a little over the top, but the story just seemed to come together like that in Timeless.
AN EXCERPT: As their mouths touched, desire thrummed through Quinn. Sensation rippled downward to settle in his groin, and he grew hard. The taste and feel of her was new, yet familiar. As he breathed in the clean scent of her skin, her hair, the fragrance changed to one of flowers and spice. A kaleidoscope of memories flashed through his mind making him dizzy. Regan lying naked on a dark pelt of fur, Regan welcoming him inside her body, her moans of pleasure driving his own desire higher. But not Regan. He had never been with her.A sweet rush of love and tenderness crashed over him like nothing he had ever experienced. His mouth slanted across hers, and his tongue delved into her mouth reaching for hers. It had been so long since he’d had this, an eternity.Regan’s hands beneath his sweater against his back helped him shake free of the memories. He needed to stop, to get away from her, but his feet seemed planted into the wood of the floor. A compulsive need urged him to mold her closer, to hold on tight. He broke the kiss. ”Regan—”Her eyes looked large and drowsy with desire, her lips berry red. He slipped his hands beneath her sweater to stroke and caress the bare width of her back. She was warm and real. Memory and reality clashed and fought in his head. “We shouldn’t do this, lass.”Her hands cupped his face. “Just one more, and we won’t.” She drew his lips back and her tongue tangled with his. He groaned as she rose on tiptoe again to fit herself against him more fully.The intrusive feelings and thoughts receded and it was Regan, all Regan. Relief had him tightening his arms, molding her closer. The kiss went on and on.His breathing ragged, he turned his face against her throat to nibble the tender skin and trace, with his lips, the edge of her jaw to her ear. She shuddered as he nipped the tender lobe and drew it into his mouth.“Quinn—” Her soft, husky tone did things to him he couldn’t control or resist.“Just one more, eh?” he murmured and drew back to look down at her, his lips twitching with sudden humor.Her flushed cheeks darkened to a deeper pink. “I didn’t want to regret missing out on something I’ve been curious about.”He raised one brow as he studied her face. “And did I satisfy your curiosity?”“Yes.” She shifted to rest her head against his chest.He tightened his arms around her. “And what would you have been curious about?” He cupped the back of her head, holding her close.“If you kiss as well in person, as you do in my dreams.”“I kissed you on the dock once before.”“Yes, but not like this.”“You’ve been dreaming about me?”“You, or an identical facsimile.”Her answer had his muscles tensing for it brought the experience he’d just had back to the forefront. God, he had no business getting involved with her. If there wasn’t a conflict of interest professionally, there was conflict of a different kind brewing. This was just asking for trouble—for them both.
THE BLURB:
Archaeology student, Regan Stanhope, lands the chance of a lifetime when she’s chosen to work on a summer dig in Loch Maree, Scotland. The ancient monoliths hidden beneath the loch are the most important discovery since Stonehenge. And for seven hundred years, they have been waiting—for her.
Saturation diver Quinn Douglas is contracted to recover some of the megaliths from the loch’s bottom. The job will breathe life into the struggling salvage business he and his brothers are building. But from the moment he arrives, Quinn is plagued by dreams and feelings from a past he did not live. Or did he?
Regan and Quinn are drawn to each other as they research the monoliths and the reason behind their shared visions. But both sense something mystical at work, delving into their minds, manipulating their emotions. And when they finally discover the monoliths’ extraordinary secret, they know they must seal them away from those who are desperate to unlock their power. Even if it means remaining caught in a timeless struggle between the past and present forever.
Amazon http://amzn.to/1QpwbnYApple http://bit.ly/1fCxJ6zB &N http://bit.ly/MIUgIaSmashwords https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/122882Kobo: http://store.kobobooks.com/en-US/ebook/timeless-11 Google play: http://bit.ly/1DfB2AE
Another element of writing Paranormal Romance is MAGIC. Yes, Magic can be important. There's the Magic of the romance itself without which the story wouldn't be nearly as interesting. The Magic of the characters and how they interact in the story. The Magic of building their relationships. And the Magic they perform in bed and out. Sometimes making love has a Magic of its own when love is present.
Deep Within The Stone
AN EXCERPT:
She reached for the bottom of his T-shirt and ran a questing hand beneath to touch his skin. Caleb yanked it up and off, and threw it aside. The muscular slope of his shoulders and chest looked so wide and powerful. She had to be closer to him, and feel his skin against hers. She swung a leg over his lap and straddled him.Caleb cupped her bottom with one hand as he slid back onto the bed, taking her with him. He reached for her sweater and tugged it up. So focused on the driving need to feel him inside her, Miranda shed the sweater without a second thought. He reached for her bra, and she allowed it to slide forward so he could toss it aside. She shivered at the delicious brush of her nipples against the hair blanketing his upper chest. She wanted to nestle into him like a second layer of skin and wrap herself around him.He cupped one breast and kneaded it gently. She had dreamed of having his hands all over her, craved them. She pressed into his palm in response, and relished the sensation that trailed from her breast downward when he squeezed her nipple.She cupped his jaw and tilted his head so she could kiss him. Her tongue tangled with his in a slow dance that had her blood racing, and she groaned at the onslaught of a sweet rush. He ran a hand up her back to cradle her against him and turned so she could stretch out beside him.His gaze swept down her naked torso, and his eyes had never burned so hot a blue. He trailed his fingertips down between her breasts and over the dip between her ribcage to her waist and the top of her slacks. “You’re trembling.”“I want this so much.” Her voice shook. “Want you.”“You’re the only thing I thought about for months overseas, and all I’ve wanted since I got home.” He unhooked her waistband and slid down the zipper, his movements unhurried, apparently savoring every moment as much as she. When he slipped a hand inside the fabric and around her hip she lifted up so he could tug them down and away.She didn’t feel embarrassed or uneasy being naked, vulnerable with him, only cherished, wanted. When he ran a hand along her bare hip, she turned against him, seeking the warmth of his skin against hers. She traced his collarbone with her lips, then the heavy pulse beating at his throat.Caleb drew a ragged breath. His hands moved slowly, insistently, caressing her. He pushed her back and slid down to caress her breast with his lips and tongue. When he took her nipple into his mouth and sucked, she gasped at the titillating pleasure coursing deep inside.She raked her fingers through his hair, discovering the texture of the faintly coarse waves and curls that twined around her fingers. The brush of his stubble against her breasts heightened her desire, but not as much as the realization that she was experiencing this with Caleb, sharing it with him.Fear had held her back for so long, she was amazed by the tiniest sensation. She couldn’t touch him enough, share a deep enough kiss. Every heartbeat felt like the first. She loved freely for the first time. When he shook free of his jeans and rose above her, she welcomed him. The brief feeling of pressure and discomfort lasted only a moment, then he was inside her, filling the hungry, sensual void, and her heart. The sweet intimacy of being a part of him was almost overwhelming, and she fought back the tears.He froze for a moment, a question in his gaze as he looked down at her.“Don’t stop,” she pleaded.
She caught the rhythm of Caleb’s slow, steady movements, and the desire building to give to him as he was giving to her rose up and carried her forward. She reached for the surprising, encompassing pleasure he gave her with joy. It built to a tantalizing crest, until she was almost afraid she might fly apart. She curved her arms up his back and held on as it took her.
THE BLURB:
Welcome to Superstition, Kentucky
Twins Miranda and Juliet Templeton have been haunted by childhood trauma their entire lives. One has the reputation for being bold and rash, the other compulsively responsible. When both are viciously attacked within minutes of each other, they are forced to leave their differences behind in order to survive.
Caleb Faulkner has always loved Miranda Templeton. Her letters to him, during his deployment gave him a slice of home to hold on to. Even though they’re finally together, something is keeping her from acting on her feelings. When she and her sister are injured Caleb’s driven to protect them both. But all his military training can’t help him combat this danger.
Detective Chase Robinson is lead investigator for the murder of Tanner Newton. When the two hired thugs responsible for Tanner’s death are killed and Juliet, his only witness, nearly strangled to death, Chase is certain the crimes are connected. He decides to stay close to the twins so he can catch the real killer. But his police training is useless against his growing feelings for Juliet and what’s hiding Deep Within The Shadows.
Amazon: http://amzn.to/1JR4LEzB&N: http://bit.ly/1PL7aEJ Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/540897Kobo: http://bit.ly/1Kml5tDApple: http://apple.co/1F9L3Tx
Google Play: http://bit.ly/1H21xKN
I hope you enjoyed the excerpts from some of my paranormal romances. Writing is a kind of magic for me. It is my first love and my passion. Thank you for letting me share it with you.
I'd love some comments if you're moved to leave them.
Read on,
Teresa Reasor
I'm not saying that reality isn't as interesting a writing experience, but sometimes it's fun to step away and let the impossible happen.
And writing Paranormal Romance does give me a break from the deep immersion into the military life and the intense emotions I usually experience when I live in my SEALs' world for a long time.
My paranormal characters experience heart-wrenching things and have hot sexual encounters just like my SEAL characters. But sometimes the love making my paranormal characters share has a little Magic sprinkled in that makes their physical engagements pretty interesting. Sometimes their abilities can be a hindrance and sometimes they can accentuate their feelings and responses.
Whisper in My Ear
Excerpt:
Would spending time with him cause her to wish for something she couldn’t have? Of course it would. “Then maybe this is a mistake.”Drew stepped close, cupped the back of her head and kissed her.The gentle pressure of his mouth was intent but not forceful. Her first seconds of resistance washed away upon the tide of longing and need rushing through her. The heat from his body wrapped her in warmth, drawing her in. Her bag fell from her shoulder and hit the floor.She slid her arms around his waist and leaned into him. She inhaled in his unique Merman scent.When his tongue slipped between her lips she groaned. He tasted like expensive bourbon and him. Her tongue tangled with his while Drew’s arms tightened around her, holding her closer. She felt his response and fought the urge to rise on tiptoe to better fit her body to his.Drew gently broke the kiss, and she opened her eyes to look up at him. A gasp escaped. The normal human planes of his face had transitioned to something more angular and rugged, his cheekbones flatter and more prominent, his eyes holding a preternatural glow. He looked…foreign, majestic and…desirable.“What is it?’ he asked.Movement down the hall caught her attention. A man and woman approached, neighbors who lived in three-nineteen. They couldn’t see him like this. She grasped Drew’s arm and tugged him into her apartment and shut the door.His expression, both bemused and surprised, had her shaking her head. How had he not felt the change? She pointed at a mirror over the couch. “Look at yourself.”The light over the door signaled her doorbell had rung. She motioned Drew to step out of sight, and then opened the door.Mrs. Stein, the woman she’d seen coming down the hall, held out Katrina’s purse, her gray brows raised. “I don’t think you want to leave this out here in the hall.”Katrina’s cheeks burned and she forced a laugh. “No, that wouldn’t be a good idea. Thank you.”“Good night,” Mrs. Stein said with a nod and strolled down the hall.
Katrina closed the door and leaned back against it, her attention returning to Drew where he stood in front of the couch and stared into the mirror.
THE BLURB:
Injured as a child, mermaid Katrina Lawson has adapted to living on land among humans. Denied the comfort of her water world, she’s stripped of her ability to transform and to hear. But the promise of a cochlear implant offers her a ray of hope.
Drew Saunders is a creature no woman can resist: mystical, magical and musical. With a hum he can seduce women and make them slaves. When he meets Katrina he’s enthralled. But being unable to hear, she’s impervious to his charms. So he must work to build a relationship with her the human way.
Katrina’s doctor suspects there is more to her than scans and x-rays can detect. His obsessive fascination with her places her and all aquatic species at risk, forcing her to make a horrible choice. Can she sacrifice the only true love she’ll ever know for the good of her species?
B & N: http://bit.ly/1C9fAy4Amazon http://amzn.to/1C8KW89 Apple: http://bit.ly/1Eq2KMQSmashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/514247Kobo: http://store.kobobooks.com/en-US/ebook/whisper-in-my-earGoogle Play: http://bit.ly/1DYityVhttps://itunes.apple.com/ie/book/whisper-in-my-ear/id962188691?mt=11
Vampire relationships are always complicated. Especially if you're not just vampire but had a few extra tallents. And my Vampires can share their power with one another. Think about it, bitting can add a special little something to the mating ritual. Being immortal where you can be with the same person for hundreds of years can be a turn on or a drag, depending on the relationship. But being strong enough to bench press a car can come in handy during love-making from a stamina point of view. LOL Magic and Mayhem: Once Bitten, Twice Shy
AN EXCERPT: “I think we’re clean enough, don’t you?” he asked, cupping her breasts while he nibbled her earlobe and his breath fanned her neck. Delightful shivers trailed down her spine, and her breasts felt full and tight beneath his touch.“Yes.” She cupped his face and guided his mouth to hers. Her power wrapped around them and lifted them out of the water and onto their feet.His impressive erection pressed against her belly. She cupped it and explored its length and thickness. Hunter’s gray gaze glowed blue as his power flared and enveloped her in warmth. He lifted her easily, and she wrapped her legs around his waist.The trip between tub and bed took but a second, and she held onto him while he crawled up on the bed. She lay back to gaze up into his face. “There are real perks to having vampire skills sometimes.”He chuckled. “And strength.”He removed the comb from her hair and ran his fingers through the shoulder-length locks, his power intensifying and spreading like static electricity over her skin. She caught her breath at the sensation and ran her hands up his chest. Then she forked her fingers through the dark hair at the back of his head and tugged his mouth back to hers.Their lips clung, and their tongues meshed in a kiss that had her rolling her hips against him, inviting a deeper intimacy. He nipped at her shoulder without breaking the skin, then slid lower to take one nipple into his mouth to suck, then the other.She caressed his neck and shoulders and let her power flow over him in a caress. He looked up at her, his eyes aglow, his fangs lengthening. “I want to bite you every time you do that…among other things.” His hand trailed over her belly and lower. He tempted her with his fingers and she bowed her back. His name emerged somewhere between a plea and a prayer.
THE BLURB:Somewhere off the beaten path in the World of Magic and Mayhem, there’s a little-visited trail that leads to a realm of vampire politics, danger and maybe even death.
Phoebe Stewart only agreed to marry Trevor Ricci to secure peace between their warring vampire clans. When her groom poisons her during the wedding ceremony, and her life expectancy falls from forever to a week, “till death do you part” takes on a whole new meaning. When she catches up with her new husband, she intends to stake and roast the traitorous, narcissistic weenie.
Especially now she’s met Hunter Knox, the bad boy alpha vampire she’s been waiting for her whole death.
Agent Hunter Knox works for the National Vampire Security Council. When a poison that can actually kill their species surfaces, he’s dead set on finding and destroying it. But once he meets Phoebe, and realizes she only has days to live, the need for an antidote takes priority.
And the more he gets to know her, the more he suspects she may be as important to vampire kind as she’s becoming to him.
http://amzn.to/2rVshK9
In Paranormal Romance love can last longer than one lifetime. Sometimes it can last several. Not only for vampires but normal folk who may have experienced love in another time. Exploring the possibilities of time travel, reincarnation, and multi-dimensions all in the same book might be a little over the top, but the story just seemed to come together like that in Timeless.
AN EXCERPT: As their mouths touched, desire thrummed through Quinn. Sensation rippled downward to settle in his groin, and he grew hard. The taste and feel of her was new, yet familiar. As he breathed in the clean scent of her skin, her hair, the fragrance changed to one of flowers and spice. A kaleidoscope of memories flashed through his mind making him dizzy. Regan lying naked on a dark pelt of fur, Regan welcoming him inside her body, her moans of pleasure driving his own desire higher. But not Regan. He had never been with her.A sweet rush of love and tenderness crashed over him like nothing he had ever experienced. His mouth slanted across hers, and his tongue delved into her mouth reaching for hers. It had been so long since he’d had this, an eternity.Regan’s hands beneath his sweater against his back helped him shake free of the memories. He needed to stop, to get away from her, but his feet seemed planted into the wood of the floor. A compulsive need urged him to mold her closer, to hold on tight. He broke the kiss. ”Regan—”Her eyes looked large and drowsy with desire, her lips berry red. He slipped his hands beneath her sweater to stroke and caress the bare width of her back. She was warm and real. Memory and reality clashed and fought in his head. “We shouldn’t do this, lass.”Her hands cupped his face. “Just one more, and we won’t.” She drew his lips back and her tongue tangled with his. He groaned as she rose on tiptoe again to fit herself against him more fully.The intrusive feelings and thoughts receded and it was Regan, all Regan. Relief had him tightening his arms, molding her closer. The kiss went on and on.His breathing ragged, he turned his face against her throat to nibble the tender skin and trace, with his lips, the edge of her jaw to her ear. She shuddered as he nipped the tender lobe and drew it into his mouth.“Quinn—” Her soft, husky tone did things to him he couldn’t control or resist.“Just one more, eh?” he murmured and drew back to look down at her, his lips twitching with sudden humor.Her flushed cheeks darkened to a deeper pink. “I didn’t want to regret missing out on something I’ve been curious about.”He raised one brow as he studied her face. “And did I satisfy your curiosity?”“Yes.” She shifted to rest her head against his chest.He tightened his arms around her. “And what would you have been curious about?” He cupped the back of her head, holding her close.“If you kiss as well in person, as you do in my dreams.”“I kissed you on the dock once before.”“Yes, but not like this.”“You’ve been dreaming about me?”“You, or an identical facsimile.”Her answer had his muscles tensing for it brought the experience he’d just had back to the forefront. God, he had no business getting involved with her. If there wasn’t a conflict of interest professionally, there was conflict of a different kind brewing. This was just asking for trouble—for them both.
THE BLURB:
Archaeology student, Regan Stanhope, lands the chance of a lifetime when she’s chosen to work on a summer dig in Loch Maree, Scotland. The ancient monoliths hidden beneath the loch are the most important discovery since Stonehenge. And for seven hundred years, they have been waiting—for her.
Saturation diver Quinn Douglas is contracted to recover some of the megaliths from the loch’s bottom. The job will breathe life into the struggling salvage business he and his brothers are building. But from the moment he arrives, Quinn is plagued by dreams and feelings from a past he did not live. Or did he?
Regan and Quinn are drawn to each other as they research the monoliths and the reason behind their shared visions. But both sense something mystical at work, delving into their minds, manipulating their emotions. And when they finally discover the monoliths’ extraordinary secret, they know they must seal them away from those who are desperate to unlock their power. Even if it means remaining caught in a timeless struggle between the past and present forever.
Amazon http://amzn.to/1QpwbnYApple http://bit.ly/1fCxJ6zB &N http://bit.ly/MIUgIaSmashwords https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/122882Kobo: http://store.kobobooks.com/en-US/ebook/timeless-11 Google play: http://bit.ly/1DfB2AE
Another element of writing Paranormal Romance is MAGIC. Yes, Magic can be important. There's the Magic of the romance itself without which the story wouldn't be nearly as interesting. The Magic of the characters and how they interact in the story. The Magic of building their relationships. And the Magic they perform in bed and out. Sometimes making love has a Magic of its own when love is present.
Deep Within The Stone
AN EXCERPT:
She reached for the bottom of his T-shirt and ran a questing hand beneath to touch his skin. Caleb yanked it up and off, and threw it aside. The muscular slope of his shoulders and chest looked so wide and powerful. She had to be closer to him, and feel his skin against hers. She swung a leg over his lap and straddled him.Caleb cupped her bottom with one hand as he slid back onto the bed, taking her with him. He reached for her sweater and tugged it up. So focused on the driving need to feel him inside her, Miranda shed the sweater without a second thought. He reached for her bra, and she allowed it to slide forward so he could toss it aside. She shivered at the delicious brush of her nipples against the hair blanketing his upper chest. She wanted to nestle into him like a second layer of skin and wrap herself around him.He cupped one breast and kneaded it gently. She had dreamed of having his hands all over her, craved them. She pressed into his palm in response, and relished the sensation that trailed from her breast downward when he squeezed her nipple.She cupped his jaw and tilted his head so she could kiss him. Her tongue tangled with his in a slow dance that had her blood racing, and she groaned at the onslaught of a sweet rush. He ran a hand up her back to cradle her against him and turned so she could stretch out beside him.His gaze swept down her naked torso, and his eyes had never burned so hot a blue. He trailed his fingertips down between her breasts and over the dip between her ribcage to her waist and the top of her slacks. “You’re trembling.”“I want this so much.” Her voice shook. “Want you.”“You’re the only thing I thought about for months overseas, and all I’ve wanted since I got home.” He unhooked her waistband and slid down the zipper, his movements unhurried, apparently savoring every moment as much as she. When he slipped a hand inside the fabric and around her hip she lifted up so he could tug them down and away.She didn’t feel embarrassed or uneasy being naked, vulnerable with him, only cherished, wanted. When he ran a hand along her bare hip, she turned against him, seeking the warmth of his skin against hers. She traced his collarbone with her lips, then the heavy pulse beating at his throat.Caleb drew a ragged breath. His hands moved slowly, insistently, caressing her. He pushed her back and slid down to caress her breast with his lips and tongue. When he took her nipple into his mouth and sucked, she gasped at the titillating pleasure coursing deep inside.She raked her fingers through his hair, discovering the texture of the faintly coarse waves and curls that twined around her fingers. The brush of his stubble against her breasts heightened her desire, but not as much as the realization that she was experiencing this with Caleb, sharing it with him.Fear had held her back for so long, she was amazed by the tiniest sensation. She couldn’t touch him enough, share a deep enough kiss. Every heartbeat felt like the first. She loved freely for the first time. When he shook free of his jeans and rose above her, she welcomed him. The brief feeling of pressure and discomfort lasted only a moment, then he was inside her, filling the hungry, sensual void, and her heart. The sweet intimacy of being a part of him was almost overwhelming, and she fought back the tears.He froze for a moment, a question in his gaze as he looked down at her.“Don’t stop,” she pleaded.
She caught the rhythm of Caleb’s slow, steady movements, and the desire building to give to him as he was giving to her rose up and carried her forward. She reached for the surprising, encompassing pleasure he gave her with joy. It built to a tantalizing crest, until she was almost afraid she might fly apart. She curved her arms up his back and held on as it took her.
THE BLURB:
Welcome to Superstition, Kentucky
Twins Miranda and Juliet Templeton have been haunted by childhood trauma their entire lives. One has the reputation for being bold and rash, the other compulsively responsible. When both are viciously attacked within minutes of each other, they are forced to leave their differences behind in order to survive.
Caleb Faulkner has always loved Miranda Templeton. Her letters to him, during his deployment gave him a slice of home to hold on to. Even though they’re finally together, something is keeping her from acting on her feelings. When she and her sister are injured Caleb’s driven to protect them both. But all his military training can’t help him combat this danger.
Detective Chase Robinson is lead investigator for the murder of Tanner Newton. When the two hired thugs responsible for Tanner’s death are killed and Juliet, his only witness, nearly strangled to death, Chase is certain the crimes are connected. He decides to stay close to the twins so he can catch the real killer. But his police training is useless against his growing feelings for Juliet and what’s hiding Deep Within The Shadows.
Amazon: http://amzn.to/1JR4LEzB&N: http://bit.ly/1PL7aEJ Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/540897Kobo: http://bit.ly/1Kml5tDApple: http://apple.co/1F9L3Tx
Google Play: http://bit.ly/1H21xKN
I hope you enjoyed the excerpts from some of my paranormal romances. Writing is a kind of magic for me. It is my first love and my passion. Thank you for letting me share it with you.
I'd love some comments if you're moved to leave them.
Read on,
Teresa Reasor
July 11, 2017
New Release from New Adult Author Amy Durham!!!
I just had to send out a blog about my good friend, Amy Durham's latest release. We've been friends for about 10 years and she really has the perfect voice for New Adult (senior in highschool and college age). She also writes YA (young adult). Which she knows very well since she teaches middle school music. (Brave woman) LOL. She deals with real life situations in the Resolution Series. Her characters are strong people who have dealt with tough situations.
Some things you want to forget…
Trapped in a nightmare after a college party her freshman year, only sheer determination got Sydney Baldwin through her sophomore year. But the effort of pretending she can lead a normal life in the place the nightmare began has finally proved too much. After her final exams, she packs her belongings, resolved to leave campus life behind forever. She’s hoping for a fresh start, and being maid of honor at her best friend’s wedding seems like the first step to moving beyond the darkness of her past.
Some things you’ll never be proud of…
Growing up with a drug-addicted single mother taught Shane Dawson that it’s the people you love most who hurt you the worst. He made some bad choices as a teenager, but now he’s put his self-destructive behavior behind him. He’s earning good money working as a tattoo artist at Resolution Ink, alongside his best friend. Still, he’s careful to hide his loneliness by pretending to be the happy-go-lucky one of the bunch. People can’t hurt you if you keep them at arm’s length.
Some burdens are easier if they’re shared…
After meeting the handsome, tattooed best man at her friend’s wedding, feelings stir in Sydney she thought were dead forever. She sees through his carefree facade to recognize a kindred sadness, one that stares back at her when she looks in the mirror. The aftermath of betrayal.
Shane can’t stop thinking about Sydney. Even more than her beauty, it’s the haunted look behind her eyes that touches something inside him. The walls he’s spent years building around himself threaten to crumble, as Sydney leaves him vulnerable in ways he never expected.
Will their tortured pasts pull them into the shadows and ruin their chance at happiness? Or will Shane and Sydney find the courage to reach for the hope of a brighter future together?
EXCERPT:
My first clue that I’m not in my bed is the fact that my feet are resting on something very warm and very solid. Cracking one eye open, I realize I’m lying on the couch. Shane is on the other end, which reclines. His legs are extended on the footrest, and my feet are resting in his lap.It doesn’t escape me that I’m asleep on the couch with a guy. A really hot guy. A really hot guy who had an awful night. I can’t imagine how he feels, facing the imminent death of his mother, with whom he has a complicated, strained relationship. He looks so peaceful just now, his head resting against the back cushion, face turned slightly toward me. The light peeking through the blinds tells me it’s close to seven o’clock, so I know he won’t sleep much longer. Like me, he’s an early riser even after a late night.Slowly, I lift my feet from his lap, being as gentle as I can so that he can sleep as long as possible. When he doesn’t stir, I swing my legs to the floor and push up off the sofa. I back away, tip-toeing to keep silent and watching to make sure he doesn’t wake. I slept the whole night, well, at least the part of it that didn’t involve talking to Shane, without waking up. Without bad dreams. Without the feeling of fear that often accompanies me at night. In the bathroom, I brush my teeth and throw my hair up in a ponytail. Creeping back up the hall, I find Shane still asleep, so I silently make my way to the kitchen. Taking the coffee carafe over to the sink, I run the water slowly, making as little noise as possible. I load the filter and the coffee grounds, and I’m just about to press start when I hear Shane stirring. Without a word or a glance, he heads down the hallway to his room.I know he’s torn up inside, waking up to realize it wasn’t a dream and the terrible things he felt during the dark of the night are indeed real. I know all too well what a cruel prank a bright, new morning can be. There’s an instant, when you first open your eyes, when things are fresh and rife with wonderful possibilities. But then reality comes crashing in, and all the awful things that hurt you are still there.The coffee begins to drip, the pleasant aroma filling the air, and I hear Shane’s bedroom door open, followed by the opening of the bathroom door. The shower kicks on a moment later. Good, I think to myself. Sometimes a shower can give you a boost… a different perspective… the energy to at least make it through the day.With the coffee close to finished, I retrieve two mugs from the dishwasher full of clean dishes and sit them on the counter. Shane walks in a moment later wearing clean clothes, his hair still damp from the shower. I pour a cup of coffee and hand it to him, turning back to pour my own, stirring in a splash of milk. Wordlessly, we drink our coffee, stealing glances at one another over the rims of our mugs.I’m not sure how we arrived at this no talking conclusion, but it isn’t uncomfortable. In fact, after the events of last night and the heaviness of all we talked about, it’s kind of peaceful.When my cup is empty, I sit it on the counter and reach to open a cabinet, intending to get bowls for cereal. I’m stopped when Shane’s hands land on the counter on either side of me, his arms brushing mine as his chin comes to rest lightly on my left shoulder. I’m complete boxed in, almost trapped, but it’s not the least bit threatening. The fact that it isn’t says a lot about how I feel about Shane as a person… and as a man.For several seconds we just stand there, in this sort-of-but-not-quite embrace. I force myself to keep my breathing even. Nerves jump beneath my skin, not because I’m afraid, but because he’s so close. I feel the heat from his body searing into the back of me, and his breath brushes softly along my neck.“Thank you,” he whispers.I swallow hard, willing my voice not to tremble when I respond. “No problem.”He turns his head toward me slightly, so that his next words are spoken directly in my ear. “I was pretty buzzed last night, but I remember what we talked about. I unloaded way more than I should’ve on you.”“I didn’t mind,” I say, resisting the urge to turn my face toward his. “You obviously needed to vent.”“I did.” I feel him nod. “And I didn’t want to talk to anyone but you.”My stomach flips. “I’m glad I could help.” He lifts his hands from the counter and steps back enough that I can turn to face him.“You’re looking at me the same way you did before you knew the truth about my mom. You didn’t even blink when I told you she was a junkie who now has AIDS.”I smile up at him, amazed that he would worry so much about my opinion. “I’d never kick you while you were down. Believe me. I know what it’s like for someone to hurt you when you’re at your lowest. I’d never do that to anyone. Especially you.”He tilts his head and just looks at me. I can’t begin to describe the look in his eyes. There’s a brokenness that only comes from the kind of hurt that cuts you in half, but there’s also hope… and longing so strong it reaches right into my chest and squeezes my heart. I shouldn’t want Shane Dawson. Shouldn’t feel the things I do for him. I’m not ready. I don’t know if I’ll ever be ready. And even if I was at a place in my life where I could imagine a new relationship, I know he’s not the one for that. He’s young and free and unspoiled by the ugliness that can happen between two people. He isn’t ready to settle down, certainly not with someone with as much baggage as I carry.But knowing all that doesn’t stop me from cherishing how beautiful I feel when he looks at me like he is right now.He leans down, in that universal gesture that means I’m getting ready to kiss you. My heart hammers against my chest, and a little voice inside me screams No! I tell that voice to shut the hell up, because there’s nothing in the entire world that I want more right now than for Shane to put his lips on mine. It may be all kinds of wrong and a bad idea all around, but I don’t care. I want him to kiss me.He doesn’t.Instead, he presses his forehead to mine, keeping his gaze locked on my eyes. Desire rolls off him like heat waves, stunning me with its intensity. That I inspired this reaction in him astonishes me.His hands lift to my shoulders, then slide up my neck to my cheeks, leaving goosebumps in their wake. I press my hands flat against his chest, the thin fabric of his tee shirt doing nothing to diminish the firm muscles beneath it.I’ve been with boys before, done my fair share of partying before my life fell apart a year ago. I know what it’s like to be turned on, to feel that rush of passionate anticipation. But I have felt nothing like this. Nothing.Not kissing Shane is more romantic and intimate than any amount of other physical intimacy I thought I’d experienced.He leans closer still, his breath mingling with mine as his mouth descends. Though I don’t know how it happened, I’m ready for the firestorm I know his kiss will bring.Caleb’s footsteps pounding down the stairs tear us from one another, Shane jumping back and stepping to the other side of the kitchen. He hops onto a barstool, and with shaky hands I quickly pour a fresh cup of coffee and set it in front of him. By the time Caleb steps in the kitchen, I’m working on pouring my second cup while still trying to get my breathing back under control.
SHANE'S HARMONY is officially available for download at Amazon, B&N, iBooks, and Kobo! PLUS... the pre-order price is still good, so you can still take advantage of the bargain!
AMAZON -> http://amzn.to/2rjhZ6m
B&N -> http://bit.ly/2rtBwRn
iBOOKS -> http://apple.co/1TygCwz
KOBO -> http://bit.ly/2s8RfY4\
Amy's Other books in the Series:
Amy Durham Books Available:SHANE'S HARMONY - "Can two dark pasts turn into one bright future?"GABE'S SECRET - "Gabe Jenkins has a secret... Rachelle Taya has his heart."ASHER'S MARK - "Can love that begins so young stand the test of time?"DUSK - "The road to forgiveness is filled with heartache... and love."ONCE AGAIN (Sky Cove #1)ONCE AND FOR ALL (Sky Cove #2)FOR ONCE: A SKY COVE SHORT STORY (Sky Cove #1.5)
All of her books are available on Amazon: Amazon
For more information about Amy and her books: www.amydurham.comtwitter.com/amy-durhamfacebook.com/AuthorAmyDurham
Thanks for stopping by my blog. I appreciate it.
Teresa Reasor
Some things you want to forget…
Trapped in a nightmare after a college party her freshman year, only sheer determination got Sydney Baldwin through her sophomore year. But the effort of pretending she can lead a normal life in the place the nightmare began has finally proved too much. After her final exams, she packs her belongings, resolved to leave campus life behind forever. She’s hoping for a fresh start, and being maid of honor at her best friend’s wedding seems like the first step to moving beyond the darkness of her past.
Some things you’ll never be proud of…
Growing up with a drug-addicted single mother taught Shane Dawson that it’s the people you love most who hurt you the worst. He made some bad choices as a teenager, but now he’s put his self-destructive behavior behind him. He’s earning good money working as a tattoo artist at Resolution Ink, alongside his best friend. Still, he’s careful to hide his loneliness by pretending to be the happy-go-lucky one of the bunch. People can’t hurt you if you keep them at arm’s length.
Some burdens are easier if they’re shared…
After meeting the handsome, tattooed best man at her friend’s wedding, feelings stir in Sydney she thought were dead forever. She sees through his carefree facade to recognize a kindred sadness, one that stares back at her when she looks in the mirror. The aftermath of betrayal.
Shane can’t stop thinking about Sydney. Even more than her beauty, it’s the haunted look behind her eyes that touches something inside him. The walls he’s spent years building around himself threaten to crumble, as Sydney leaves him vulnerable in ways he never expected.
Will their tortured pasts pull them into the shadows and ruin their chance at happiness? Or will Shane and Sydney find the courage to reach for the hope of a brighter future together?
EXCERPT:
My first clue that I’m not in my bed is the fact that my feet are resting on something very warm and very solid. Cracking one eye open, I realize I’m lying on the couch. Shane is on the other end, which reclines. His legs are extended on the footrest, and my feet are resting in his lap.It doesn’t escape me that I’m asleep on the couch with a guy. A really hot guy. A really hot guy who had an awful night. I can’t imagine how he feels, facing the imminent death of his mother, with whom he has a complicated, strained relationship. He looks so peaceful just now, his head resting against the back cushion, face turned slightly toward me. The light peeking through the blinds tells me it’s close to seven o’clock, so I know he won’t sleep much longer. Like me, he’s an early riser even after a late night.Slowly, I lift my feet from his lap, being as gentle as I can so that he can sleep as long as possible. When he doesn’t stir, I swing my legs to the floor and push up off the sofa. I back away, tip-toeing to keep silent and watching to make sure he doesn’t wake. I slept the whole night, well, at least the part of it that didn’t involve talking to Shane, without waking up. Without bad dreams. Without the feeling of fear that often accompanies me at night. In the bathroom, I brush my teeth and throw my hair up in a ponytail. Creeping back up the hall, I find Shane still asleep, so I silently make my way to the kitchen. Taking the coffee carafe over to the sink, I run the water slowly, making as little noise as possible. I load the filter and the coffee grounds, and I’m just about to press start when I hear Shane stirring. Without a word or a glance, he heads down the hallway to his room.I know he’s torn up inside, waking up to realize it wasn’t a dream and the terrible things he felt during the dark of the night are indeed real. I know all too well what a cruel prank a bright, new morning can be. There’s an instant, when you first open your eyes, when things are fresh and rife with wonderful possibilities. But then reality comes crashing in, and all the awful things that hurt you are still there.The coffee begins to drip, the pleasant aroma filling the air, and I hear Shane’s bedroom door open, followed by the opening of the bathroom door. The shower kicks on a moment later. Good, I think to myself. Sometimes a shower can give you a boost… a different perspective… the energy to at least make it through the day.With the coffee close to finished, I retrieve two mugs from the dishwasher full of clean dishes and sit them on the counter. Shane walks in a moment later wearing clean clothes, his hair still damp from the shower. I pour a cup of coffee and hand it to him, turning back to pour my own, stirring in a splash of milk. Wordlessly, we drink our coffee, stealing glances at one another over the rims of our mugs.I’m not sure how we arrived at this no talking conclusion, but it isn’t uncomfortable. In fact, after the events of last night and the heaviness of all we talked about, it’s kind of peaceful.When my cup is empty, I sit it on the counter and reach to open a cabinet, intending to get bowls for cereal. I’m stopped when Shane’s hands land on the counter on either side of me, his arms brushing mine as his chin comes to rest lightly on my left shoulder. I’m complete boxed in, almost trapped, but it’s not the least bit threatening. The fact that it isn’t says a lot about how I feel about Shane as a person… and as a man.For several seconds we just stand there, in this sort-of-but-not-quite embrace. I force myself to keep my breathing even. Nerves jump beneath my skin, not because I’m afraid, but because he’s so close. I feel the heat from his body searing into the back of me, and his breath brushes softly along my neck.“Thank you,” he whispers.I swallow hard, willing my voice not to tremble when I respond. “No problem.”He turns his head toward me slightly, so that his next words are spoken directly in my ear. “I was pretty buzzed last night, but I remember what we talked about. I unloaded way more than I should’ve on you.”“I didn’t mind,” I say, resisting the urge to turn my face toward his. “You obviously needed to vent.”“I did.” I feel him nod. “And I didn’t want to talk to anyone but you.”My stomach flips. “I’m glad I could help.” He lifts his hands from the counter and steps back enough that I can turn to face him.“You’re looking at me the same way you did before you knew the truth about my mom. You didn’t even blink when I told you she was a junkie who now has AIDS.”I smile up at him, amazed that he would worry so much about my opinion. “I’d never kick you while you were down. Believe me. I know what it’s like for someone to hurt you when you’re at your lowest. I’d never do that to anyone. Especially you.”He tilts his head and just looks at me. I can’t begin to describe the look in his eyes. There’s a brokenness that only comes from the kind of hurt that cuts you in half, but there’s also hope… and longing so strong it reaches right into my chest and squeezes my heart. I shouldn’t want Shane Dawson. Shouldn’t feel the things I do for him. I’m not ready. I don’t know if I’ll ever be ready. And even if I was at a place in my life where I could imagine a new relationship, I know he’s not the one for that. He’s young and free and unspoiled by the ugliness that can happen between two people. He isn’t ready to settle down, certainly not with someone with as much baggage as I carry.But knowing all that doesn’t stop me from cherishing how beautiful I feel when he looks at me like he is right now.He leans down, in that universal gesture that means I’m getting ready to kiss you. My heart hammers against my chest, and a little voice inside me screams No! I tell that voice to shut the hell up, because there’s nothing in the entire world that I want more right now than for Shane to put his lips on mine. It may be all kinds of wrong and a bad idea all around, but I don’t care. I want him to kiss me.He doesn’t.Instead, he presses his forehead to mine, keeping his gaze locked on my eyes. Desire rolls off him like heat waves, stunning me with its intensity. That I inspired this reaction in him astonishes me.His hands lift to my shoulders, then slide up my neck to my cheeks, leaving goosebumps in their wake. I press my hands flat against his chest, the thin fabric of his tee shirt doing nothing to diminish the firm muscles beneath it.I’ve been with boys before, done my fair share of partying before my life fell apart a year ago. I know what it’s like to be turned on, to feel that rush of passionate anticipation. But I have felt nothing like this. Nothing.Not kissing Shane is more romantic and intimate than any amount of other physical intimacy I thought I’d experienced.He leans closer still, his breath mingling with mine as his mouth descends. Though I don’t know how it happened, I’m ready for the firestorm I know his kiss will bring.Caleb’s footsteps pounding down the stairs tear us from one another, Shane jumping back and stepping to the other side of the kitchen. He hops onto a barstool, and with shaky hands I quickly pour a fresh cup of coffee and set it in front of him. By the time Caleb steps in the kitchen, I’m working on pouring my second cup while still trying to get my breathing back under control.
SHANE'S HARMONY is officially available for download at Amazon, B&N, iBooks, and Kobo! PLUS... the pre-order price is still good, so you can still take advantage of the bargain!
AMAZON -> http://amzn.to/2rjhZ6m
B&N -> http://bit.ly/2rtBwRn
iBOOKS -> http://apple.co/1TygCwz
KOBO -> http://bit.ly/2s8RfY4\
Amy's Other books in the Series:
Amy Durham Books Available:SHANE'S HARMONY - "Can two dark pasts turn into one bright future?"GABE'S SECRET - "Gabe Jenkins has a secret... Rachelle Taya has his heart."ASHER'S MARK - "Can love that begins so young stand the test of time?"DUSK - "The road to forgiveness is filled with heartache... and love."ONCE AGAIN (Sky Cove #1)ONCE AND FOR ALL (Sky Cove #2)FOR ONCE: A SKY COVE SHORT STORY (Sky Cove #1.5)
All of her books are available on Amazon: Amazon
For more information about Amy and her books: www.amydurham.comtwitter.com/amy-durhamfacebook.com/AuthorAmyDurham
Thanks for stopping by my blog. I appreciate it.
Teresa Reasor
June 26, 2017
15 Authors &19 Freaking Funny Sneak Peeks from the Magic And Mayhem Kindle World
Wanna laugh till you SQUEEEEEE?? Check out these19 HILARIOUS Sneak Peeks!! at instafreebie http://isabelmicheals.com/magic-and-mayhem-instafreebie/
This includes Robyn Peterman's 5 books in the Magic and Mayhem series.
Or if you decide to take a chance and buy the books outright here are the links to all of the books.
Amazing Magic & Mayhem Authors
Just click this link and CHECK OUT ALL THE BOOKS IN THE MAGIC AND MAYHEM WORLD!!
Robyn Peterman
Barbara Annino
Michele Bardsley
Deanna Chase
Saranna DeWylde
Renee George
Heather Long
Cherie Marks
Isabel Micheals
Monette Michaels
Julia Mills
Virginia Nelson
Teresa Reasor
Jordan K. Rose
DC Thome
And of course I have to give my own books a small plug. Robyn allows us to have a series within her series. (Thank you, Robyn!!) So Book 2 Have Wand, Will Travel: Once Bitten, Twice Shy is my new release:
Somewhere off the beaten path in the World of Magic and Mayhem, there’s a little-visited trail that leads to a realm of vampire politics, danger and maybe even death.Phoebe Stewart only agreed to marry Trevor Ricci to secure peace between their warring vampire clans. When her groom poisons her during the wedding ceremony, and her life expectancy falls from forever to a week, “till death do you part” takes on a whole new meaning. When she catches up with her new husband, she intends to stake and roast the traitorous, narcissistic weenie. Especially now she’s met Hunter Knox, the bad boy alpha vampire she’s been waiting for her whole death.
Agent Hunter Knox works for the National Vampire Security Council. When a poison that can actually kill their species surfaces, he’s dead set on finding and destroying it. But once he meets Phoebe, and realizes she only has days to live, the need for an antidote takes priority. And the more he gets to know her, the more he suspects she may be as important to vampire kind as she’s becoming to him.
http://amzn.to/2rVshK9
Book 1 of the Have Wand, Will Travel Series is titled Have Wand, Will Travel. Here's the cover, blurb and link.
http://amzn.to/2fJzAzY
Thanks to all my readers who support me!!! You can't imagine how much I appreciate you. Without you I would not be able to continue doing what I do.
Read On!Teresa Reasor
June 20, 2017
New Magic and Mayhem Kindle World Releases! (14 authors 14 new stories)
First of all, our fearless leader Robyn Peterman, the mastermind behind the Magic and Mayhem Kindle World has a new release.
A Tale of Two Witches was available June 19th.
Three waxed cats, one Cookie Witch, a brazilian gone bad and the last name, Bermangoggleshitz... not the best ingredients for a successful spell. Or is it?
This is the Fifth book in the Magic and Mayhem Series and it promises to be just as wildly hilarious as the others...if not more.
Go to Robyn's website and read an excerpt and buy the book. http://robynpeterman.com/a-tale-of-two-witches/
Fourteen of my writer pals and I have new releases coming out June 21st !! (See the list of authors below)
Once Bitten, Twice Shy is part of my Have Wand, Will Travel Series , inside of Robyn Peterman's Magic and Mayhem Kindle World. I'm very excited about the release. This is the second book in this series. It's a 42,000 word novel.
The Blurb:
Somewhere off the beaten path in the World of Magic and Mayhem, there’s a little-visited trail that leads to a realm of vampire politics, danger and maybe even death.
Phoebe Stewart only agreed to marry Trevor Ricci to secure peace between their warring vampire clans. When her groom poisons her during the wedding ceremony, and her life expectancy falls from forever to a week, “till death do you part” takes on a whole new meaning. When she catches up with her new husband, she intends to stake and roast the traitorous, narcissistic weenie.
Especially now she’s met Hunter Knox, the bad boy alpha vampire she’s been waiting for her whole death.
Agent Hunter Knox works for the National Vampire Security Council. When a poison that can actual kill their species surfaces, he’s dead set on finding and destroying it. But once he meets Phoebe, and realizes she only has days to live, the need for an antidote takes priority.
And the more he gets to know her, the more he suspects she may be as important to vampire kind as she’s becoming to him.
Here's a short excerpt:
Phoebe often read the phrase, “Silence is louder than words,” but she had never truly believed it until she started down the aisle to join the two tall males on the platform framed by an arbor woven with black roses.To cover her nerves, she used a little more hip action while she walked, and tapped the riding crop in a measured beat against her thigh.A chill had hit the mountains just after dusk, and though she rarely reacted to changes in temperature, she was glad for the leather sheathing her body.When they arrived at the dais, Arthur held her hand while she climbed the steps. With a bow, he stepped back and took a seat in the front row.Phoebe offered Trevor a smile that was all fang. He eyed her warily as she took her place next to him. Was her rage apparent? She hoped so.“Just so you know,” she murmured into his ear. “I always like to be on top, and I enjoy inflicting pain.” She tapped his behind with the crop hard enough to give him a little sting. He jerked.“I hope you like being spanked, Trevor.”His eyes widened in surprise, then narrowed in distaste.She fought down a gleeful grin. “I wouldn’t want to be accused of misrepresentation later.”Harry Adcock, their master of ceremonies—he wasn’t a minister—looked down his blade-thin nose and narrowed his beady eyes. Tall, skinny, and wearing Vampire Council robes, he looked like a crow. Sparse hair swept over his balding head in a failed comb-over. He released a warning flow of power, glared at her, and then cleared his throat. “Shall we begin?”Phoebe smiled back. “I’m ready when you are, Councilman Ad-cock.” She allowed a hint of her power to escape and wash over the two men. Both males stiffened as though she’d farted. Trevor eased away from her about a foot.She’d been told her power caused a pain/pleasure sensation not everyone enjoyed. Hopefully, by the time the evening was over, Trevor would want to be farther away than just a foot. Perhaps more like the width of the state. She was going to make it her lifelong ambition to encourage maximum distance between them.Phoebe listened to what Adcock was saying with only half an ear while she scanned the crowd for trouble. Armanno Ricci was scowling, and his dark eyes homed in on her. She met his eyes for a moment. His eyebrows rose when his power had no effect on her.Adcock reached the dreaded vows stage of the ceremony, and Phoebe dragged her attention back to him and Trevor.“Do you, Phoebe, take Trevor as your mate, to honor, protect, and obey?”“Obey? O-bey?” She raised her eyebrows and tilted her head. “Not going to happen, Adcock. Wishful thinking.”He paused with his mouth open.“A. Deal. Breaker.” She emphasized each word.“I agree to having that part of the vows taken out of the ceremony,” Trevor said. Was that an actual blush tinging his skin?“Thank you, Trevor. Dear.” Though she knew it wasn’t in the ceremony, she added, “When it comes to your vows of obedience, I’ll do the same.”
Amazing Magic & Mayhem Authors
Just click the link and
CHECK OUT ALL THE BOOKS IN THE MAGIC AND MAYHEM WORLD!!
Magic and Mayhem: Thor and Peace
by Barbra Annino
Link: http://a.co/gJyzXbX
Magic and Mayhem: Sh*t My Vampire Says
by Michelle Bardsley
Link: http://a.co/itk0005
Magic and Mayhem: Stop Your Witchin'
by Deanna Chase
Link: http://a.co/aZl3trR
Magic and Mayhem: If the Wand Fits
by Saranna DeWylde
Link: http://a.co/17APcnN
Magic and Mayhem: Mr. & Mrs. Shift
by Renee George
Link: http://a.co/gL50C21
Magic and Mayhem: The Witched Away Bride
by Heather Long
Link: http://a.co/5kg6ff3
Magic and Mayhem: There's No Place Like Wicked
by Cherie Marks
Link: http://a.co/gv2OvPz
Magic and Mayhem: What A Witch Wants
by Monette Draper Michaels
Link: http://a.co/13rckh9
Magic and Mayhem: Witch With An Axe To Grind
by Isabelle Matthews
Link: http://a.co/72jXiDo
Magic and Mayhem: Sammie Jo
by Julia Mills
Link: http://a.co/8U3uy0T
Magic and Mayhem: Witchy and the Beast
by Virginia Nelson
Link: http://a.co/eApZSH9
Magic and Mayhem: Once Bitten, Twice Shy
by Teresa Reasor
Link: http://a.co/3tDpEym
Magic and Mayhem: Secrets, Lies, and Meatballs
by Jordan K. Rose
Link: http://a.co/5WGYa1A
Magic and Mayhem: The Incompetent Witch and The Missing Men
by DC Thome
Link: http://a.co/91GnH5s
How it all began....
FREE!!!
Switching Hour: Magic and Mayhem Book One
by Robyn Peterman
Link: http://a.co/f2iAILE
Come join us at the Birthday Extraveganza on Facebook for some Magic and Mayhem and Prizes. June 24th from 6:00-11:00. We’ll have some games, prizes, laughs and then more games, laughs and prizes. You’ll have a shot at the Grand Prize. A Kindle Fire loaded with all 14 of the new Magic and Mayhem World novellas…And Robyn Peterman’s 5 book series as well. Just clink the link and join us.
Magic and Mayhem Facebook Extravaganza
June 26th we'll be doing an Instafreebie give away. You can download the first chapters of the books to see which ones you'd like to read.(You'll want all of them) But this will give you a taste and help you decide you just can't resist reading them all. I'll be posting the links here in another blog on the 26th.
The first book of my Have Wand, Will Travel Series, titled Have Wand, Will Travel is a stand alone story in case you'd like to read it.
Have Wand, Will Travel
I want to thank you all for following my blog. I really appreciate it. READ ON!Teresa Reasor
Three waxed cats, one Cookie Witch, a brazilian gone bad and the last name, Bermangoggleshitz... not the best ingredients for a successful spell. Or is it?
This is the Fifth book in the Magic and Mayhem Series and it promises to be just as wildly hilarious as the others...if not more.
Go to Robyn's website and read an excerpt and buy the book. http://robynpeterman.com/a-tale-of-two-witches/
Fourteen of my writer pals and I have new releases coming out June 21st !! (See the list of authors below)
Once Bitten, Twice Shy is part of my Have Wand, Will Travel Series , inside of Robyn Peterman's Magic and Mayhem Kindle World. I'm very excited about the release. This is the second book in this series. It's a 42,000 word novel.
The Blurb:
Somewhere off the beaten path in the World of Magic and Mayhem, there’s a little-visited trail that leads to a realm of vampire politics, danger and maybe even death.
Phoebe Stewart only agreed to marry Trevor Ricci to secure peace between their warring vampire clans. When her groom poisons her during the wedding ceremony, and her life expectancy falls from forever to a week, “till death do you part” takes on a whole new meaning. When she catches up with her new husband, she intends to stake and roast the traitorous, narcissistic weenie.
Especially now she’s met Hunter Knox, the bad boy alpha vampire she’s been waiting for her whole death.
Agent Hunter Knox works for the National Vampire Security Council. When a poison that can actual kill their species surfaces, he’s dead set on finding and destroying it. But once he meets Phoebe, and realizes she only has days to live, the need for an antidote takes priority.
And the more he gets to know her, the more he suspects she may be as important to vampire kind as she’s becoming to him.
Here's a short excerpt:
Phoebe often read the phrase, “Silence is louder than words,” but she had never truly believed it until she started down the aisle to join the two tall males on the platform framed by an arbor woven with black roses.To cover her nerves, she used a little more hip action while she walked, and tapped the riding crop in a measured beat against her thigh.A chill had hit the mountains just after dusk, and though she rarely reacted to changes in temperature, she was glad for the leather sheathing her body.When they arrived at the dais, Arthur held her hand while she climbed the steps. With a bow, he stepped back and took a seat in the front row.Phoebe offered Trevor a smile that was all fang. He eyed her warily as she took her place next to him. Was her rage apparent? She hoped so.“Just so you know,” she murmured into his ear. “I always like to be on top, and I enjoy inflicting pain.” She tapped his behind with the crop hard enough to give him a little sting. He jerked.“I hope you like being spanked, Trevor.”His eyes widened in surprise, then narrowed in distaste.She fought down a gleeful grin. “I wouldn’t want to be accused of misrepresentation later.”Harry Adcock, their master of ceremonies—he wasn’t a minister—looked down his blade-thin nose and narrowed his beady eyes. Tall, skinny, and wearing Vampire Council robes, he looked like a crow. Sparse hair swept over his balding head in a failed comb-over. He released a warning flow of power, glared at her, and then cleared his throat. “Shall we begin?”Phoebe smiled back. “I’m ready when you are, Councilman Ad-cock.” She allowed a hint of her power to escape and wash over the two men. Both males stiffened as though she’d farted. Trevor eased away from her about a foot.She’d been told her power caused a pain/pleasure sensation not everyone enjoyed. Hopefully, by the time the evening was over, Trevor would want to be farther away than just a foot. Perhaps more like the width of the state. She was going to make it her lifelong ambition to encourage maximum distance between them.Phoebe listened to what Adcock was saying with only half an ear while she scanned the crowd for trouble. Armanno Ricci was scowling, and his dark eyes homed in on her. She met his eyes for a moment. His eyebrows rose when his power had no effect on her.Adcock reached the dreaded vows stage of the ceremony, and Phoebe dragged her attention back to him and Trevor.“Do you, Phoebe, take Trevor as your mate, to honor, protect, and obey?”“Obey? O-bey?” She raised her eyebrows and tilted her head. “Not going to happen, Adcock. Wishful thinking.”He paused with his mouth open.“A. Deal. Breaker.” She emphasized each word.“I agree to having that part of the vows taken out of the ceremony,” Trevor said. Was that an actual blush tinging his skin?“Thank you, Trevor. Dear.” Though she knew it wasn’t in the ceremony, she added, “When it comes to your vows of obedience, I’ll do the same.”
Amazing Magic & Mayhem Authors
Just click the link and
CHECK OUT ALL THE BOOKS IN THE MAGIC AND MAYHEM WORLD!!
Magic and Mayhem: Thor and Peace
by Barbra Annino
Link: http://a.co/gJyzXbX
Magic and Mayhem: Sh*t My Vampire Says
by Michelle Bardsley
Link: http://a.co/itk0005
Magic and Mayhem: Stop Your Witchin'
by Deanna Chase
Link: http://a.co/aZl3trR
Magic and Mayhem: If the Wand Fits
by Saranna DeWylde
Link: http://a.co/17APcnN
Magic and Mayhem: Mr. & Mrs. Shift
by Renee George
Link: http://a.co/gL50C21
Magic and Mayhem: The Witched Away Bride
by Heather Long
Link: http://a.co/5kg6ff3
Magic and Mayhem: There's No Place Like Wicked
by Cherie Marks
Link: http://a.co/gv2OvPz
Magic and Mayhem: What A Witch Wants
by Monette Draper Michaels
Link: http://a.co/13rckh9
Magic and Mayhem: Witch With An Axe To Grind
by Isabelle Matthews
Link: http://a.co/72jXiDo
Magic and Mayhem: Sammie Jo
by Julia Mills
Link: http://a.co/8U3uy0T
Magic and Mayhem: Witchy and the Beast
by Virginia Nelson
Link: http://a.co/eApZSH9
Magic and Mayhem: Once Bitten, Twice Shy
by Teresa Reasor
Link: http://a.co/3tDpEym
Magic and Mayhem: Secrets, Lies, and Meatballs
by Jordan K. Rose
Link: http://a.co/5WGYa1A
Magic and Mayhem: The Incompetent Witch and The Missing Men
by DC Thome
Link: http://a.co/91GnH5s
How it all began....
FREE!!!
Switching Hour: Magic and Mayhem Book One
by Robyn Peterman
Link: http://a.co/f2iAILE
Come join us at the Birthday Extraveganza on Facebook for some Magic and Mayhem and Prizes. June 24th from 6:00-11:00. We’ll have some games, prizes, laughs and then more games, laughs and prizes. You’ll have a shot at the Grand Prize. A Kindle Fire loaded with all 14 of the new Magic and Mayhem World novellas…And Robyn Peterman’s 5 book series as well. Just clink the link and join us.
Magic and Mayhem Facebook Extravaganza
June 26th we'll be doing an Instafreebie give away. You can download the first chapters of the books to see which ones you'd like to read.(You'll want all of them) But this will give you a taste and help you decide you just can't resist reading them all. I'll be posting the links here in another blog on the 26th.
The first book of my Have Wand, Will Travel Series, titled Have Wand, Will Travel is a stand alone story in case you'd like to read it.
Have Wand, Will Travel
I want to thank you all for following my blog. I really appreciate it. READ ON!Teresa Reasor
May 25, 2017
Military Appreciation Month Wrap Up Facebook Event
Here's a list of all the authors participating in the May 31st Facebook event. Hope you can all come join us sometime during the day.Wed. May 31st.
Contests........ Prizes.......
Over 35 of your favorite Military Romance Authors in 1 place! ..... Aliyah Burke, Caitlyn O'Leary, Debra Parmley, Delilah Devlin, Desiree Holt, Donna Michaels, Gennita Low, Heather C. Leigh, J.m. Madden, Jean Joachim, Joni Hahn, KaLyn Cooper, Author KD Michaels, Kim Lowe, Kris Michaels, Lea Griffith, LeTeisha Newton, Lexi Post, Lindsay Cross, Lynne St James, Lynn Raye Harris, Mandy Harbin, Margaret Madigan, Marissa Dobson, Maryann Jordan, MJ Nightingale. Natasza Waters, Parker Kincade, Patti Fiala, Sharon Hamilton, Teresa Reasor, Tiffani Lynn, Trish Loye, Trish McCallan, Wren Michaels, Zoe Dawson.
"DROP IN" party - Open 25 hours so our International readers and those who work graveyard shifts can participate.
https://www.facebook.com/events/429927010711945/
COME JOIN US IF YOU CAN. IT'S GOING TO BE GREAT!!TERESA REASOR
May 7, 2017
A SEAL Team Heartbreakers Duet: Breaking Ties & Breaking Point
As an author, it's always my responsibility to make things as convenient for my readers as possible to purchase my books. With that in mind, I've released my two SEAL Team Heartbreakers novellas, Breaking Ties and Breaking Point in a box set I'm calling a duet.
The Duet is available in both Ebook and Print.
Ebook https://www.amazon.com/dp/B071DYH3K2 His dark eyes searched her face, then he slipped an arm around her and rested his lips against her forehead. She wrapped her arms around him and held on. Her anxiety eased.
Breaking Point Tad ran around the side of the house, soaking wet, his pale blond hair sticking up on top of his head like spikes. Trish laughed and tugged him between her legs. She stripped him, bundled his sopping clothing onto the table next to her, and grabbed a beach towel from the railing of the deck to dry him off.“Go into your room and put on dry underwear and your Spiderman sweatpants. Daddy’s in there, so he can help you if you need it. You can take a bath in a little while.”He used his favorite phrase, “I can do it myself,” before he took off running toward the back door. His narrow, bare behind, a hand’s-width across, glowed white compared to the light tan darkening his back and lower legs. He was going to be lean and tall like his father. She could already see the similarities in his bone structure.She hung his discarded clothes across the deck railing to dry.Langley slipped out the door ten minutes later. “He’s sitting in front of the television watching a Spiderman cartoon in his Spidey pants, and I suspect he’ll probably crash soon. I took them to a taco place. You know the one that has the bite-sized tacos? Anna loved them.“In fact, I brought you some. No sauce, so it won’t bother the baby.” He went back out to the car, brought in a bag, and set it on the table next to her.He paused a moment. “We got you something at the beach today.”“What is it?”He drew a small bouquet of cornhusk roses from behind his back, each flower tipped along its edges very lightly with color. “A girl was making these on the beach. Tad said the blue one was from him and Anna picked the peach one. I chose a yellow one for Jessica, and a red one from me.”Tears pricked Trish’s eyes as she took them. “They’re beautiful. Thank you, Langley.”“You’re welcome, sweetheart.” He leaned down and brushed her lips with his own.She looped an arm around his neck and rested her head on his shoulder. He knelt to nestle between her legs and hold her.“What is it?”“I can’t seem to get my feet under me this time, Langley.”“You had a bad time of it, honey. The doc said you’d have to take things slow for a while.”She nodded against his shoulder and breathed in the briny scent of the sea, laundry soap, and Langley, while she fought against the pain. She knew her husband. Knew his tells. He was taking the kids, spending one-on-one time with them. Going out of his way to be useful. Not that he didn’t do that a lot when he was here, but he’d been particularly attentive the last few days.“I think we all need a nap,” he suggested.She nodded again. He stood and backed away, holding his hand out to help her push up from the chair.“I’ll get the baby. You go ahead and lie down for a while.”She gathered the roses and held them against her chest. “When do you leave?”His features blanked in surprise, but his green gaze remained focused on the baby. “Tomorrow.”The shock of it struck her silent. She wished him already gone. Dealing with his leaving was harder than his absence.And she couldn’t say a damn thing. It was against the military wife code to say anything, in case something happened to him while he was gone. She didn’t want to live with that guilt. Didn’t want him carrying it into battle.She already knew what he was when she married him. She watched him fly away during their engagement, after their wedding, during all three pregnancies.She needed him now. She wasn’t steady. She needed to be steadier before he left again.But she turned and walked into the house, because there wasn’t anything else to say.She placed the roses on the dresser. In the mirror, she looked pale, washed-out, and exhausted. Almost too tired to block off the self-pitying feelings of abandonment that rose up to slash at her.She lay down on the bed and curled on her side, her back to the door.Langley came in a few minutes later and lay behind her to spoon, his long legs curled beneath hers. “Everyone’s asleep. We’d better grab some shut-eye while we can.”“Jessica will be our last baby,” she announced.“If that’s what you want, Trish. I’m happy with three.”“That’s what I want.”“Physically you’ve experienced a trauma. Wait until you’re back from it before you make a firm decision.”No. She needed to face up to it now. Financially, they couldn’t afford any more. And with Langley always gone, she couldn’t handle any more alone. Tears rose up like a fist at the back of her throat. Exhaustion curled around her tighter than Langley’s arms.“I love you, Trish.” She knew he did, but she needed him to just this once put her first. But she couldn’t demand something he was unable give. The choice was out of his hands. But it didn’t ease the hurt. The silence stretched on until she said, “I love you too, Langley.”
I hope you enjoyed the excerpts. I'd love to hear from you if you did. READ ON!TERESA REASOR
The Duet is available in both Ebook and Print.
Ebook https://www.amazon.com/dp/B071DYH3K2 His dark eyes searched her face, then he slipped an arm around her and rested his lips against her forehead. She wrapped her arms around him and held on. Her anxiety eased.
Breaking Point Tad ran around the side of the house, soaking wet, his pale blond hair sticking up on top of his head like spikes. Trish laughed and tugged him between her legs. She stripped him, bundled his sopping clothing onto the table next to her, and grabbed a beach towel from the railing of the deck to dry him off.“Go into your room and put on dry underwear and your Spiderman sweatpants. Daddy’s in there, so he can help you if you need it. You can take a bath in a little while.”He used his favorite phrase, “I can do it myself,” before he took off running toward the back door. His narrow, bare behind, a hand’s-width across, glowed white compared to the light tan darkening his back and lower legs. He was going to be lean and tall like his father. She could already see the similarities in his bone structure.She hung his discarded clothes across the deck railing to dry.Langley slipped out the door ten minutes later. “He’s sitting in front of the television watching a Spiderman cartoon in his Spidey pants, and I suspect he’ll probably crash soon. I took them to a taco place. You know the one that has the bite-sized tacos? Anna loved them.“In fact, I brought you some. No sauce, so it won’t bother the baby.” He went back out to the car, brought in a bag, and set it on the table next to her.He paused a moment. “We got you something at the beach today.”“What is it?”He drew a small bouquet of cornhusk roses from behind his back, each flower tipped along its edges very lightly with color. “A girl was making these on the beach. Tad said the blue one was from him and Anna picked the peach one. I chose a yellow one for Jessica, and a red one from me.”Tears pricked Trish’s eyes as she took them. “They’re beautiful. Thank you, Langley.”“You’re welcome, sweetheart.” He leaned down and brushed her lips with his own.She looped an arm around his neck and rested her head on his shoulder. He knelt to nestle between her legs and hold her.“What is it?”“I can’t seem to get my feet under me this time, Langley.”“You had a bad time of it, honey. The doc said you’d have to take things slow for a while.”She nodded against his shoulder and breathed in the briny scent of the sea, laundry soap, and Langley, while she fought against the pain. She knew her husband. Knew his tells. He was taking the kids, spending one-on-one time with them. Going out of his way to be useful. Not that he didn’t do that a lot when he was here, but he’d been particularly attentive the last few days.“I think we all need a nap,” he suggested.She nodded again. He stood and backed away, holding his hand out to help her push up from the chair.“I’ll get the baby. You go ahead and lie down for a while.”She gathered the roses and held them against her chest. “When do you leave?”His features blanked in surprise, but his green gaze remained focused on the baby. “Tomorrow.”The shock of it struck her silent. She wished him already gone. Dealing with his leaving was harder than his absence.And she couldn’t say a damn thing. It was against the military wife code to say anything, in case something happened to him while he was gone. She didn’t want to live with that guilt. Didn’t want him carrying it into battle.She already knew what he was when she married him. She watched him fly away during their engagement, after their wedding, during all three pregnancies.She needed him now. She wasn’t steady. She needed to be steadier before he left again.But she turned and walked into the house, because there wasn’t anything else to say.She placed the roses on the dresser. In the mirror, she looked pale, washed-out, and exhausted. Almost too tired to block off the self-pitying feelings of abandonment that rose up to slash at her.She lay down on the bed and curled on her side, her back to the door.Langley came in a few minutes later and lay behind her to spoon, his long legs curled beneath hers. “Everyone’s asleep. We’d better grab some shut-eye while we can.”“Jessica will be our last baby,” she announced.“If that’s what you want, Trish. I’m happy with three.”“That’s what I want.”“Physically you’ve experienced a trauma. Wait until you’re back from it before you make a firm decision.”No. She needed to face up to it now. Financially, they couldn’t afford any more. And with Langley always gone, she couldn’t handle any more alone. Tears rose up like a fist at the back of her throat. Exhaustion curled around her tighter than Langley’s arms.“I love you, Trish.” She knew he did, but she needed him to just this once put her first. But she couldn’t demand something he was unable give. The choice was out of his hands. But it didn’t ease the hurt. The silence stretched on until she said, “I love you too, Langley.”
I hope you enjoyed the excerpts. I'd love to hear from you if you did. READ ON!TERESA REASOR
May 2, 2017
What do you do when the book is done?
I recently finished my book Have Wand, Will Travel: Once Bitten, Twice Shy. It's for Robyn Peterman's Magic and Mayhem Kindle World. It was supposed to be a novella and ended up being a 41,435 word novel.
Now that I'm at loose ends having finished the project, what comes next? Well, while I wait for the edits from my editor, I move on to the next project. And while I'm in Paranormal mode I'm going to write the 2nd book of my Superstition Series. Deep Within The Stone. I have a rough mock up of a cover but I'll post the finished one as soon as it's available. And I'm nearly at the 10,000 word mark already. Since I'm so far along I thought I'd post the beginning to give you just a little taste.
Isle of Skye, Scotland 1354
CHAPTER 1
Coldness permeated Finlay MacLeod’s body, bone-deep and damp. A small finger of reflective light crept across the floor from above. The sun was going down and the chill would grow worse. He had been held in the oubliette for two days with only a heel of bread dropped down into the narrow cell from above. It wasn’t the hunger gnawing at his belly that preyed on his mind, but the thirst and the cold. He could no longer control his chattering teeth. He winced at the pain as he clenched his teeth in an instinctive desire to quell them. The side of his face hurt where Clach had struck him. The fool had almost broken his jaw. His chin, cheekbone, and temple ached and his eye was swollen to a slit. His head pounded relentlessly making him queasy. Had he had anything in his stomach he would have bocked. He twisted against the ropes binding his arms to his sides, but only managed to further chaff the skin. The inside of his elbows was raw and painful, his ribs bruised. Surely his cousin Ian Ciar MacLeod wouldn’t leave him here to freeze to death and die a slow lingering death of starvation and thirst. A shudder of cold and pain shook him. His cousin was not known for his warmth and generosity. Ian Ciar could be brutal, his moods mercurial. He understood he was upset with him. But all this over a woman? Granted she was the Druid’s daughter, but no more valuable than any other lass. Perhaps if he truly believed that, he would not feel an icy finger of fear blowing up his spine. The old draoidh seemed to know things others in the clan should, but did not. Ian Ciar depended on the Druid to alert him to troubles long before they struck. Morning prayers were reserved for the castle priest. He was not sure what the Druid, Cinead MacLeod worshiped, but everyone had a healthy fear and respect for the draoidh. Finlay shook his head and nearly groaned aloud when his jaw and temple throbbed like a punched bruise. He shut his eyes and rested his head back against the hard stone wall. Why had he gotten it into his mind to seduce Isabel? She had been too innocent to be interesting. But so ripe for the picking. And once picked, so desperate to please. He had lost interest about the time she had come to him with the news she was with child. And now, ‘twas he who was paying for the deed, when she had been just as eager as he. His resentment died as quickly as it had risen. He did not wish Isabel to be beaten. Surely her father would not go so far as that. He would not see her punished and possibly have the bairn harmed.She was a sweet lass and deserved better than he was capable of giving her, or any other woman. It was not in his nature to remain faithful and even if it were, that alone would not make him a good guidesman. The fact he had no property of his own, no way to provide for a family and lived largely off what he could earn with his fists and his sword created an obvious impediment to his making the lass happy.They were both in a sorry state.At the sound of the bolt above being thrown, Finn cracked his one good eye. The iron grate screeched as Clach swung it aside. Fin’s movements were ginger as he tilted his head back and gazed up at the two men standing at the mouth of the small cell. Isabelle’s father glared down at him with disgust. Though the man dressed in brays and a rough shirt, just as the rest of them, there was nothing common about him. He looked down his long nose with the arrogance of a king. The cold hard glow in his dark eyes promised retribution, the sharp chiseled bones of his face carved from stone. His gray beard hung against his chest, iron gray and coarse. “You have disgraced my daughter and broken trust with your own people. ‘Tis not only m’child you have preyed upon. There are others who have come forward. You will face them now.” He motioned toward Clach and the huge man bent to pick up a short ladder and lowered it into the pit. Finn eyed the two men warily. They’d probably beat him again once he was out of the oubliette, but at least he would be free of this hellish, small dungeon. He braced a hand on the wall and dragged himself to his feet. The ground seemed to sway beneath him as he approached the ladder and clumsily gripped the rungs. He paused there for a moment waiting for the motion to cease. He had to lean into the ladder and search for each rung with his feet to ascend. Weakness dragged at his legs and he had to rest between each step. Clach gripped his shirt as soon as he was within reach and dragged him onto stable ground then dropped him like a sack of oats. Finn grunted in pain and his vision went gray as the pain in his head and jaw soared. It hurt to breathe. He lay still a moment willing the pain to subside a wee bit. Perhaps his ribs were more than just bruised. He rolled to his knees and attempted to climb to his feet. With his hands tied at his waist and the room spinning with every move it was difficult, but he managed to get his feet beneath him. He swayed unsteadily and staggered back against one of the close, cold walls. The vision in his right eye blurred then dimmed and his stomach rolled. He’d been beaten before and the pain had been bad, but there was something wrong here. “If you mean to kill me, you may only need to wait a wee time. Clach has done his job well.” His words sounded slurred and the only thing keeping him on his feet was the wall at his back. He closed his eyes as the room pitched. Was he facing his death? No fear rushed out to embrace him. Death seemed so foreign, so distant, and he was focusing too fiercely on staying on his feet for the emotion to take hold.Clach gripped his arm, slung it over his shoulder and half carried, half dragged him to the stairs and up. Every step jarred his ribs and jaw. His eyes watered from the pain and he swallowed back more than a few groans while he put pressure on his ribs hoping to hold them in place. Once they reached the landing, he gulped in a breath of relief that was more like a sob.The castle’s great room smelled of burning wood and roasting meat overwhelming Finn and he gagged. As soon as Clach released him he fell to his knees and he curled into a knot. The painful throbbing inside his head grew worse with each heave. He collapsed on the floor and lay on his side.“He is dying.” Clach’s deep murmur reached him. “Nay. Not yet. Not until he has paid.”“If he dies, is that not payment enough?“Nay, ‘twill never be payment enough. He shamed my daughter. She was meant for better than he.”“And better than me as well?” Clach asked. Finn lay still, grateful the two had forgotten him. Clach wanted Isabelle? Had he known, he would have never touched her. He had stood shoulder-to-shoulder with Clach, defending the clan. But he had never noticed his interest in Isabella. Why had he not seen it? And what difference did it make now? It was too late. He could not change his actions any more than he could change the consequences of them.“You shall have her after the bairn is born, if that be yer wish. She will be grateful to have ye after the likes of him.” Cinead motion toward Finn. Through the slit of his one good eye Finn recognized the man’s thirst for revenge. It was not his daughter’s honor he was defending, but his own. What punishment had Cinead heaped upon the girl? He wanted to turn and search the large tables for Isabelle and reassure himself she had not been harmed, but to move would stir the pain once more into a maelstrom and draw the devil bastard’s attention. And at the moment he did not feel strong enough to survive even the man’s harsh words. Despite the huge fires that burnt at each end of the room, he felt cold. The vision in his one eye was growing fuzzy and he could not discern the faces of those few sitting even a short distance away. The room was strangely still and quiet, the only sound the popping of the fire as it consumed the huge logs. Would Clach stand between the old Druid and his daughter to protect Isabelle? He would appeal to him to do so because Finn knew he would not live much longer. The pain in his head was growing worse. It throbbed relentlessly behind his eyes, against his ears as though it were a thing alive trying to push its way free of his skull. “Raise him so his accusers may look him in the face,” Cinead demanded. Clach stepped over his body and bent to grip him under the arms. He raised him into a sitting position. Finn couldn’t bite back the groan of pain, as an ax seemed to split his forehead above his eye. Had Clach not been holding him up Finn could not have been able to remain sitting. He snagged Clach’s sleeve between his fingers. “Dinna let him hurt Isabelle or the bairn.”“Nay he winna do so.” Clach said just above a whisper. Clach would protect them. Finn leaned his head back against the man’s knee and his lids dropped. “Open yer eyes, Finn MacLeod.”It took all his effort to do so. He could see nothing. Everything was black.“Ye have shamed many women of this clan and deserve a harsh punishment.”One blow and the pain would be gone. Clach would strike it and it would be over. “What say you, Finn MacLeod?” “I didna take m’ pleasure without givin’ as well as I received, Cinead MacLeod. Can ye say as much?”He could not see the man, but the punch came striking his jaw. A sword of pain lanced into his brain. Blackness closed in around him and awareness fell away.Seconds later it seemed he was awakened by something cold being poured over his face all at once. He choked as he breathed in some of the water and rolled face down as he hacked and coughed. His body was one huge ache as he gasped for air and finally drew air into his starving lungs. His face felt strangely numb.“Open your eyes, Finn.” Cinead’s commanding voice did not impress him. “Leave me be, Druid.”“You will face the women you have spoiled.”A booted toe hit his ribs and he could not breathe again. He coughed and he tasted blood.Clach once again tried to intercede. “Look about you, Cinead. What do the people’s faces tell you? What does your daughter’s face tell you?”“That they are weak willed and foolish to have sympathy for the very man who has shamed them.”His head was beginning to thunder again but the vision in his one eye had cleared enough for him to see the hatred in Cinead MacLeod’s expression. If he could provoke him, would it end this? He gulped enough air to speak. “‘Tis you who have shamed them, Druid. I have never spoken of any lass I have been with. Who has born witness against any of the lasses here? Or have you frightened them all into saying they have been with me?” Finn coughed again and spat blood. “No matter what you do to me, ‘tis you they will hate for this. Their kin will hate you as well.”“Then I will give them something more than hatred to think about.” He thrust out his hands toward Finn “Your heart has hardened to stone, And for that you shall remain alone, Trapped in your own hardened shell, Until you learn to tell, Respect and affection, from lust,Or until you crumble into dust.No sunlight will you feel,Only at night will the monster in you stealSustenance for you to remainThe monster you became. The wind looped around him and like a large hand picked him up and set him on his feet. He hunched forward against the pain.A violent rush of panicked movement came from the large tables and benches in the great room as the clansmen and women scrambled to get away from the hot air that whipped around the chamber knocking over tankards and whipping their clothing close to their bodies. Finn’s head felt too heavy to hold aloft and it fell back. He cried out in agony as a piercing cold raced from his fingertips and toes upward consuming his arms and legs, burrowing into his torso. The leaden weight of his limbs dragged at him, threatening to tear them from their sockets. He screamed as a thousand knives seemed to pierce his body. His shoulder blades ripped from his back and bowed outward growing into more. The weight of the projections dragged against his skin, against his bones, until he thought his back might snap in two. He fell to one knee, the sound that thrust from his throat more an animal growl than a scream. Power raged through his body, stiffening his limbs until they solidified into a crouched position. He caught one last breath and howled a curse upon the Druid his voice like crushed stone. “Revenge is a double-edged sword, draoidh. You will pay as steep a price as I. You will know every loss I do and more.”
Finn’s lungs seized, everything turned gray and he knew nothing more.
My first novella in the Magic and Mayhem Kindle World is Have Wand, Will Travel.
Have Wand, Will Travel
A soul-sucking wand, a witch, a vampire and a hellhound. ‘Nuff said.
Private detective and gifted witch Zaira O’Shea has built her reputation on her ability to always find her relic, magical device, or man. When the Witches’ Council hires her to find and return a stolen wand, she can’t refuse, and she’s eager to recover the device. Until the clues lead her to a vampire with fallen-angel good looks, and talents that don’t require a bite to lead her into temptation.
History professor and vampire Christophe Bakas has brushed off his cat burglar skills to steal a powerful wand for the Vampire Council, but only because they are holding his uncle hostage. When he meets Zaira, he hopes he’s found someone who’ll help with the rescue. But from their first teleportation he’s hooked on more than her flying skills.
The more they learn about the wand, the more Chris and Zaira believe neither council can be trusted with the dangerous device. With both councils closing in, they’re forced to go on the run. Only the vacationing Baba Yaga can make sure the wand isn’t used to destroy the careful balance between witch and vampire kind. If they can find her.
Assjacket, West Virginia here they come.
Other Paranormal books by Teresa Reasor
Deep Within The Shadows $.99 Amazon: http://amzn.to/1JR4LEzB&N: http://bit.ly/1PL7aEJ Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/540897Kobo: http://bit.ly/1Kml5tDApple: http://apple.co/1F9L3TxARE: http://bit.ly/1FjLIhZGoogle Play: http://bit.ly/1H21xKN
Whisper In My Ear B & N: http://bit.ly/1C9fAy4Amazon http://amzn.to/1C8KW89 Apple: http://bit.ly/1Eq2KMQSmashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/514247Kobo: http://store.kobobooks.com/en-US/ebook/whisper-in-my-earARE: https://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-whisperinmyear-1733694-143.htmlGoogle Play: http://bit.ly/1DYityV
Timeless Amazon http://amzn.to/1QpwbnYApple http://bit.ly/1fCxJ6zB &N http://bit.ly/MIUgIaSmashwords https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/122882Kobo: http://store.kobobooks.com/en-US/ebook/timeless-11Google play: http://bit.ly/1DfB2AE
An Automated Death $.99 Amazon: http://amzn.to/1dHblMdSmashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/296564B& N: http://bit.ly/1okCCqiKobo: https://store.kobobooks.com/en-US/ebook/an-automated-death-steampunkApple:
https://itunes.apple.com/ie/book/an-automated-death-steampunk/id627335765?mt=11
Happy Reading,
Teresa Reasor
Now that I'm at loose ends having finished the project, what comes next? Well, while I wait for the edits from my editor, I move on to the next project. And while I'm in Paranormal mode I'm going to write the 2nd book of my Superstition Series. Deep Within The Stone. I have a rough mock up of a cover but I'll post the finished one as soon as it's available. And I'm nearly at the 10,000 word mark already. Since I'm so far along I thought I'd post the beginning to give you just a little taste.
Isle of Skye, Scotland 1354
CHAPTER 1
Coldness permeated Finlay MacLeod’s body, bone-deep and damp. A small finger of reflective light crept across the floor from above. The sun was going down and the chill would grow worse. He had been held in the oubliette for two days with only a heel of bread dropped down into the narrow cell from above. It wasn’t the hunger gnawing at his belly that preyed on his mind, but the thirst and the cold. He could no longer control his chattering teeth. He winced at the pain as he clenched his teeth in an instinctive desire to quell them. The side of his face hurt where Clach had struck him. The fool had almost broken his jaw. His chin, cheekbone, and temple ached and his eye was swollen to a slit. His head pounded relentlessly making him queasy. Had he had anything in his stomach he would have bocked. He twisted against the ropes binding his arms to his sides, but only managed to further chaff the skin. The inside of his elbows was raw and painful, his ribs bruised. Surely his cousin Ian Ciar MacLeod wouldn’t leave him here to freeze to death and die a slow lingering death of starvation and thirst. A shudder of cold and pain shook him. His cousin was not known for his warmth and generosity. Ian Ciar could be brutal, his moods mercurial. He understood he was upset with him. But all this over a woman? Granted she was the Druid’s daughter, but no more valuable than any other lass. Perhaps if he truly believed that, he would not feel an icy finger of fear blowing up his spine. The old draoidh seemed to know things others in the clan should, but did not. Ian Ciar depended on the Druid to alert him to troubles long before they struck. Morning prayers were reserved for the castle priest. He was not sure what the Druid, Cinead MacLeod worshiped, but everyone had a healthy fear and respect for the draoidh. Finlay shook his head and nearly groaned aloud when his jaw and temple throbbed like a punched bruise. He shut his eyes and rested his head back against the hard stone wall. Why had he gotten it into his mind to seduce Isabel? She had been too innocent to be interesting. But so ripe for the picking. And once picked, so desperate to please. He had lost interest about the time she had come to him with the news she was with child. And now, ‘twas he who was paying for the deed, when she had been just as eager as he. His resentment died as quickly as it had risen. He did not wish Isabel to be beaten. Surely her father would not go so far as that. He would not see her punished and possibly have the bairn harmed.She was a sweet lass and deserved better than he was capable of giving her, or any other woman. It was not in his nature to remain faithful and even if it were, that alone would not make him a good guidesman. The fact he had no property of his own, no way to provide for a family and lived largely off what he could earn with his fists and his sword created an obvious impediment to his making the lass happy.They were both in a sorry state.At the sound of the bolt above being thrown, Finn cracked his one good eye. The iron grate screeched as Clach swung it aside. Fin’s movements were ginger as he tilted his head back and gazed up at the two men standing at the mouth of the small cell. Isabelle’s father glared down at him with disgust. Though the man dressed in brays and a rough shirt, just as the rest of them, there was nothing common about him. He looked down his long nose with the arrogance of a king. The cold hard glow in his dark eyes promised retribution, the sharp chiseled bones of his face carved from stone. His gray beard hung against his chest, iron gray and coarse. “You have disgraced my daughter and broken trust with your own people. ‘Tis not only m’child you have preyed upon. There are others who have come forward. You will face them now.” He motioned toward Clach and the huge man bent to pick up a short ladder and lowered it into the pit. Finn eyed the two men warily. They’d probably beat him again once he was out of the oubliette, but at least he would be free of this hellish, small dungeon. He braced a hand on the wall and dragged himself to his feet. The ground seemed to sway beneath him as he approached the ladder and clumsily gripped the rungs. He paused there for a moment waiting for the motion to cease. He had to lean into the ladder and search for each rung with his feet to ascend. Weakness dragged at his legs and he had to rest between each step. Clach gripped his shirt as soon as he was within reach and dragged him onto stable ground then dropped him like a sack of oats. Finn grunted in pain and his vision went gray as the pain in his head and jaw soared. It hurt to breathe. He lay still a moment willing the pain to subside a wee bit. Perhaps his ribs were more than just bruised. He rolled to his knees and attempted to climb to his feet. With his hands tied at his waist and the room spinning with every move it was difficult, but he managed to get his feet beneath him. He swayed unsteadily and staggered back against one of the close, cold walls. The vision in his right eye blurred then dimmed and his stomach rolled. He’d been beaten before and the pain had been bad, but there was something wrong here. “If you mean to kill me, you may only need to wait a wee time. Clach has done his job well.” His words sounded slurred and the only thing keeping him on his feet was the wall at his back. He closed his eyes as the room pitched. Was he facing his death? No fear rushed out to embrace him. Death seemed so foreign, so distant, and he was focusing too fiercely on staying on his feet for the emotion to take hold.Clach gripped his arm, slung it over his shoulder and half carried, half dragged him to the stairs and up. Every step jarred his ribs and jaw. His eyes watered from the pain and he swallowed back more than a few groans while he put pressure on his ribs hoping to hold them in place. Once they reached the landing, he gulped in a breath of relief that was more like a sob.The castle’s great room smelled of burning wood and roasting meat overwhelming Finn and he gagged. As soon as Clach released him he fell to his knees and he curled into a knot. The painful throbbing inside his head grew worse with each heave. He collapsed on the floor and lay on his side.“He is dying.” Clach’s deep murmur reached him. “Nay. Not yet. Not until he has paid.”“If he dies, is that not payment enough?“Nay, ‘twill never be payment enough. He shamed my daughter. She was meant for better than he.”“And better than me as well?” Clach asked. Finn lay still, grateful the two had forgotten him. Clach wanted Isabelle? Had he known, he would have never touched her. He had stood shoulder-to-shoulder with Clach, defending the clan. But he had never noticed his interest in Isabella. Why had he not seen it? And what difference did it make now? It was too late. He could not change his actions any more than he could change the consequences of them.“You shall have her after the bairn is born, if that be yer wish. She will be grateful to have ye after the likes of him.” Cinead motion toward Finn. Through the slit of his one good eye Finn recognized the man’s thirst for revenge. It was not his daughter’s honor he was defending, but his own. What punishment had Cinead heaped upon the girl? He wanted to turn and search the large tables for Isabelle and reassure himself she had not been harmed, but to move would stir the pain once more into a maelstrom and draw the devil bastard’s attention. And at the moment he did not feel strong enough to survive even the man’s harsh words. Despite the huge fires that burnt at each end of the room, he felt cold. The vision in his one eye was growing fuzzy and he could not discern the faces of those few sitting even a short distance away. The room was strangely still and quiet, the only sound the popping of the fire as it consumed the huge logs. Would Clach stand between the old Druid and his daughter to protect Isabelle? He would appeal to him to do so because Finn knew he would not live much longer. The pain in his head was growing worse. It throbbed relentlessly behind his eyes, against his ears as though it were a thing alive trying to push its way free of his skull. “Raise him so his accusers may look him in the face,” Cinead demanded. Clach stepped over his body and bent to grip him under the arms. He raised him into a sitting position. Finn couldn’t bite back the groan of pain, as an ax seemed to split his forehead above his eye. Had Clach not been holding him up Finn could not have been able to remain sitting. He snagged Clach’s sleeve between his fingers. “Dinna let him hurt Isabelle or the bairn.”“Nay he winna do so.” Clach said just above a whisper. Clach would protect them. Finn leaned his head back against the man’s knee and his lids dropped. “Open yer eyes, Finn MacLeod.”It took all his effort to do so. He could see nothing. Everything was black.“Ye have shamed many women of this clan and deserve a harsh punishment.”One blow and the pain would be gone. Clach would strike it and it would be over. “What say you, Finn MacLeod?” “I didna take m’ pleasure without givin’ as well as I received, Cinead MacLeod. Can ye say as much?”He could not see the man, but the punch came striking his jaw. A sword of pain lanced into his brain. Blackness closed in around him and awareness fell away.Seconds later it seemed he was awakened by something cold being poured over his face all at once. He choked as he breathed in some of the water and rolled face down as he hacked and coughed. His body was one huge ache as he gasped for air and finally drew air into his starving lungs. His face felt strangely numb.“Open your eyes, Finn.” Cinead’s commanding voice did not impress him. “Leave me be, Druid.”“You will face the women you have spoiled.”A booted toe hit his ribs and he could not breathe again. He coughed and he tasted blood.Clach once again tried to intercede. “Look about you, Cinead. What do the people’s faces tell you? What does your daughter’s face tell you?”“That they are weak willed and foolish to have sympathy for the very man who has shamed them.”His head was beginning to thunder again but the vision in his one eye had cleared enough for him to see the hatred in Cinead MacLeod’s expression. If he could provoke him, would it end this? He gulped enough air to speak. “‘Tis you who have shamed them, Druid. I have never spoken of any lass I have been with. Who has born witness against any of the lasses here? Or have you frightened them all into saying they have been with me?” Finn coughed again and spat blood. “No matter what you do to me, ‘tis you they will hate for this. Their kin will hate you as well.”“Then I will give them something more than hatred to think about.” He thrust out his hands toward Finn “Your heart has hardened to stone, And for that you shall remain alone, Trapped in your own hardened shell, Until you learn to tell, Respect and affection, from lust,Or until you crumble into dust.No sunlight will you feel,Only at night will the monster in you stealSustenance for you to remainThe monster you became. The wind looped around him and like a large hand picked him up and set him on his feet. He hunched forward against the pain.A violent rush of panicked movement came from the large tables and benches in the great room as the clansmen and women scrambled to get away from the hot air that whipped around the chamber knocking over tankards and whipping their clothing close to their bodies. Finn’s head felt too heavy to hold aloft and it fell back. He cried out in agony as a piercing cold raced from his fingertips and toes upward consuming his arms and legs, burrowing into his torso. The leaden weight of his limbs dragged at him, threatening to tear them from their sockets. He screamed as a thousand knives seemed to pierce his body. His shoulder blades ripped from his back and bowed outward growing into more. The weight of the projections dragged against his skin, against his bones, until he thought his back might snap in two. He fell to one knee, the sound that thrust from his throat more an animal growl than a scream. Power raged through his body, stiffening his limbs until they solidified into a crouched position. He caught one last breath and howled a curse upon the Druid his voice like crushed stone. “Revenge is a double-edged sword, draoidh. You will pay as steep a price as I. You will know every loss I do and more.”
Finn’s lungs seized, everything turned gray and he knew nothing more.
My first novella in the Magic and Mayhem Kindle World is Have Wand, Will Travel.
Have Wand, Will Travel A soul-sucking wand, a witch, a vampire and a hellhound. ‘Nuff said.
Private detective and gifted witch Zaira O’Shea has built her reputation on her ability to always find her relic, magical device, or man. When the Witches’ Council hires her to find and return a stolen wand, she can’t refuse, and she’s eager to recover the device. Until the clues lead her to a vampire with fallen-angel good looks, and talents that don’t require a bite to lead her into temptation.
History professor and vampire Christophe Bakas has brushed off his cat burglar skills to steal a powerful wand for the Vampire Council, but only because they are holding his uncle hostage. When he meets Zaira, he hopes he’s found someone who’ll help with the rescue. But from their first teleportation he’s hooked on more than her flying skills.
The more they learn about the wand, the more Chris and Zaira believe neither council can be trusted with the dangerous device. With both councils closing in, they’re forced to go on the run. Only the vacationing Baba Yaga can make sure the wand isn’t used to destroy the careful balance between witch and vampire kind. If they can find her.
Assjacket, West Virginia here they come.
Other Paranormal books by Teresa Reasor
Deep Within The Shadows $.99 Amazon: http://amzn.to/1JR4LEzB&N: http://bit.ly/1PL7aEJ Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/540897Kobo: http://bit.ly/1Kml5tDApple: http://apple.co/1F9L3TxARE: http://bit.ly/1FjLIhZGoogle Play: http://bit.ly/1H21xKN
Whisper In My Ear B & N: http://bit.ly/1C9fAy4Amazon http://amzn.to/1C8KW89 Apple: http://bit.ly/1Eq2KMQSmashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/514247Kobo: http://store.kobobooks.com/en-US/ebook/whisper-in-my-earARE: https://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-whisperinmyear-1733694-143.htmlGoogle Play: http://bit.ly/1DYityV
Timeless Amazon http://amzn.to/1QpwbnYApple http://bit.ly/1fCxJ6zB &N http://bit.ly/MIUgIaSmashwords https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/122882Kobo: http://store.kobobooks.com/en-US/ebook/timeless-11Google play: http://bit.ly/1DfB2AE
An Automated Death $.99 Amazon: http://amzn.to/1dHblMdSmashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/296564B& N: http://bit.ly/1okCCqiKobo: https://store.kobobooks.com/en-US/ebook/an-automated-death-steampunkApple:
https://itunes.apple.com/ie/book/an-automated-death-steampunk/id627335765?mt=11
Happy Reading,
Teresa Reasor
April 3, 2017
INSTAFREEBIE PROMOTION 12 SUSPENSE NOVELS
Some friends and I got together and decided to do a big instafreebie give away. Twelve Romantic Suspense novels free to download. This promotion will run from April 3 through the 13th.
http://bit.ly/RomSusIF
Here are the blurbs in case you want to check them out and pick out your favorites. But I'd get them all. I already have. LOL
In a Cold Dark Place by Toni Anderson
Justice isn't always black or white. Sometimes it's cold and dark.
Former CIA assassin Alex Parker works for The Gateway Project, a clandestine government organization hell-bent on taking out serial killers and pedophiles before they enter the justice system. Alex doesn't enjoy killing, but he's damn good at it. He's good at dodging the law, too--until a beautiful rookie agent has him wondering what it might be like to get caught.FBI Special Agent Mallory Rooney has spent years hunting the lowlife who abducted her identical twin sister eighteen years ago. Now, during an on-going serial killer investigation, Mallory begins to suspect there's a vigilante operating outside the law. She has no choice but to take him down, because murder isn't justice. Is it?When Mallory starts asking questions, The Gateway Project management starts to sweat, and orders Alex to watch her. As soon as they meet, the two begin to fall in love. But the lies and betrayals that define Alex's life threaten to destroy them both - especially when the man who stole her sister all those years ago makes Mallory his next target, and Alex must reveal his true identity to save the woman he loves.
Sex Lies & Sweet Tea by Kris Calvert
Hotter than hell and half of Alabama, FBI Agent, Mac Callahan is thirsty for everything except love. Coming home to bust a white-collar crime ring, Mac intends to execute his usual practice with work and women¬ – get in, get it on and get out. Instead, he finds himself unexpectedly drawn to the legacy of his family, his plantation, and the charms of a Southern girl. Samantha Peterson possesses everything he needs in a woman, including the evidence to wrap his case. As the investigation heats up, so does their passion and a dangerous game ignites. But, then again, everything’s hotter in the South.
Out of the Dark by Geri Foster
After a Russian mission goes south, Falcon Securities agent John ‘Mac’ McKinsey is stranded with assassins on his trail. His boss arranges for him to hitch a ride with the corporate attorney Emily Richards, who is in Russia as a mediator.
Emily Richards wants only to return home then on to a peaceful vacation with her best friend. When armed men invade her hotel room minutes after Mac arrives, Emily is forced to depend on Mac to stay alive. Anger that Mac has entangled her in a life or death struggle quickly turns to fear when the men pursuing them call her by name.
Together Mac and Emily engage in a tumultuous ride to escape with their lives and capture a crazed bomber and a vindictive drug lord. More difficult is tearing down their own emotional walls. Can they succeed and admit love is the most precious thing in life?
Winter's Heat by Kristen Harber
After putting her life on the line to protect classified intelligence, military psychologist Mia Kensington is on a cross-country road trip from hell with an intrusive save-the-day hero. Uninterested in his white knight act, she’d rather take her chances without the ruggedly handsome, cold-blooded operative who boasts an alpha complex and too many guns.
Colby Winters, former Navy SEAL and an elite member of The Titan Group, has a single objective on his black ops mission: recover a document important to national security. It was supposed to be an easy in-and-out operation. But now, by any means necessary becomes a survival mantra when he faces off with a stunning woman he can’t leave behind.
When Titan’s safe houses are compromised, Colby stashes Mia at his home, exposing his secret—he’s the adoptive father of an orphaned baby girl. Too soon, danger arrives and Mia lands in the hands of a sadistic cartel king with a taste for torture. As hours bleed into fear-drenched days, Colby races across the globe and through a firestorm of bullets to save the woman he can’t live without.
Montana SEAL by Elle James
Former SEAL and shining Hollywood starlet struggle against their burgeoning desire while trying to stay alive in the crosshairs of a murderous stalker.
Hank “Montana” Patterson never thought his call to duty would force him to leave his band of brothers in the Navy SEALs to return to the family ranch in the foothills of Montana’s Crazy Mountains. News that his father was shot sends him rushing home to take over the reins of the Bear Creek Ranch. His forever-belligerent father refuses his help, insisting Hank find the person who shot him. What Hank learns is the bullet was meant for the neighboring ranch owner, a Hollywood celebrity, and a beautiful actress who once stole Hank’s heart.
Hometown girl, now a Hollywood mega-star, Sadie McClain shot to fame and fortune on the big screen, earning her star on the walk of fame and a stalker who won’t back off. Escaping to her ranch in Montana, Sadie hopes to avoid her stalker, only to be hunted there as well. In need of a bodyguard with combat skills, Sadie hires her old flame, Hank to do the job. Together they struggle to overcome their rekindled desire while fighting to stay alive in the crosshairs of a madman.
Hearths of Fire by Kennedy Layne
Moving forward with his life...
Neal Bauer tried returning home once before and he found that some things aren't meant to be. When Red Starr HRT, a paramilitary hostage rescue team, offered him a position that would use his specialized skillset that had served him well in the military--he jumped at the chance.
The past has a way of returning...
Charlotte Whitefall has made some really bad decisions in her life...leaving Neal Bauer standing at the altar tops the list. Growing up in Hearth, Missouri has taught her that when someone leaves their small town, they don't return. She saved Neal from a painful choice by moving on with her life and raising her sister alone.
Coming home...
When a local cult invades the town of Hearth, the citizens do their best to stay clear of the members. Everything changes when Charlotte's little sister is drawn into their way of life. There is only one man who has the connections to eliminate the dangerous threat. Can Charlotte persuade Neal to come home long enough to rescue her sister? More importantly, can she convince him that she made a terrible mistake all those years ago--and possibly rekindle their smoldering passion?
Embattled Minds by J.M. Madden
Zeke Foster has little to no experience with women over the past couple of years, after being injured in Afghanistan. Brutally scarred, he has no expectation that he’ll ever find a woman capable of accepting him the way he is. But he can’t help but be enamored of Ember, the waitress of a local watering hole.
Ember Norton’s life has turned into one devastating catastrophe after another. When the scarred soldier with the kind eyes brings some security to her life, she’s afraid to trust her luck. She’s been self-sufficient for a long time. But his wounded soul calls to her and she finds herself falling for him.
In spite of the secrets he continues to keep.
Morgan's Mistake by Donna McDonald
Morgan Reed doesn't make mistakes. Not in his work. Not in his personal life. But that was before he met Thea Carmichael.
When a gunshot wound puts him on extended medical leave, 44 yr old fraud investigator, Morgan Reed, decides to recuperate in sunny Sedona where he grew up. Within his first few days back home, he learns his 72 yr old father has become a local Lothario. Unfortunately, he also learns his father is being scammed for money by one of the females in his life.
All the evidence is pointing in one direction and Morgan feels compelled to find out the truth. Investigating local restaurant owner, Althea Carmichael, gets very complicated when Morgan discovers how badly he wants his father's friend to be innocent.
Her Sealed Fate by Lori Ryan
He thought he left the battlefield behind.
Logan Stone should be happy. More than happy, in fact. He’s Sutton Capital’s newest executive, working side-by-side with Samantha Page, the sexy, brilliant woman of his dreams. He’s no longer overseas in the line of fire fighting for his country and his brothers-in-arms as a Navy SEAL. But Logan is fighting a different kind of battle; one no one realizes he’s in. While he’s focused on managing his PTSD, something much more sinister enters his world and he must battle to save Samantha’s life and their growing love.
Whisper In My Ear by Teresa Reasor
Injured as a child, mermaid Katrina Lawson has adapted to living on land among humans. Denied the comfort of her water world, she’s stripped of her ability to transform and to hear. But the promise of a cochlear implant offers her a ray of hope.
Drew Saunders is a creature no woman can resist: mystical, magical and musical. With a hum he can seduce women and make them slaves. When he meets Katrina he’s enthralled. But being unable to hear, she’s impervious to his charms. So he must work to build a relationship with her the human way.
Katrina’s doctor suspects there is more to her than scans and x-rays can detect. His obsessive fascination with her places her and all aquatic species at risk, forcing her to make a horrible choice. Can she sacrifice the only true love she’ll ever know for the good of her species?
Justice For MacKenzie by Susan Stoker
A member of the famed Texas Rangers, Daxton Chambers has dealt with more than his share of depravity. But the Lone Star Reaper takes evil to a whole new level, kidnapping and burying women alive. It's Dax's job to help keep San Antonio safe, but even with help from friends in various law enforcement agencies, the killer remains two steps ahead. It's hardly the ideal time for a relationship, but Mackenzie Morgan is too luscious to resist. Dax wants her--which makes her an instant target for his newfound enemy.
When the Reaper gets personal, it will take every ounce of Daxton's considerable skill and training to keep Mack alive.
Exposed in Darkness by Heather Sunseri
Bourbon + Horses + Politics + Murder = The Ultimate Thriller Cocktail. Can Brooke Fairfax hunt down a bioterrorist while falling for the FBI's number one suspect?
Just days before the running of the biggest thoroughbred horse race in the world, an act of bioterrorism kills Kentucky’s lieutenant governor, and former FBI Special Agent Brooke Fairfax receives a video of the murder from her long-time anonymous source. When Brooke discovers domestic terrorists are actually after the governor—her late husband’s brother—and that the radicals are eyeing more targets, she heads to Kentucky to stop the threat.
Shortly after the political assassination, the FBI zeroes in on one person: international mogul Declan O’Roark. Though Brooke has been out of the game since her husband was murdered, her former boss thinks she is the perfect candidate to connect Declan to the crime.
Despite the FBI clearly establishing means and opportunity, Declan remains unfazed; his motives have nothing to do with murder, but with getting closer to Brooke Fairfax. And Brooke finds the case becoming even more unclear as she falls for the FBI’s number one suspect.
Stay up all night with 12 FREE Romantic Suspense novels from bestselling authors via @instafreebie HERE'S THE LANDING PAGE SO YOU CAN GO AND DOWNLOAD ANY THAT YOU WANT!!
http://bit.ly/RomSusIF
So if you love suspense like I do, you have a great variety to choose from.
And Breaking Free the first book of my Navy SEAL Romantic Suspense Series the SEAL Team Heartbreakers is free as well everywhere.
Amazon: http://amzn.to/1PIXrxOB&N: http://bit.ly/1hfIGTahttps://www.smashwords.com/books/view/67404APPLE https://itunes.apple.com/ie/author/teresa-j.-reasor/id824016149?mt=11KOBO: http://bit.ly/1y8VxsfGoogle play: http://bit.ly/1KFpqJF
I also have a NEW RELEASE!! This one isn't free but it's just $1.99.
After fifteen years of marriage, Trish Marks has hit her breaking point. Her social work caseload has doubled, her son is acting out, and her SEAL husband is never home. Something has to give. When she’s shot and nearly killed by an irate husband during a home check, it does.
Navy SEAL Senior Chief Petty Officer Langley Marks is five years away from retirement and his pension. He knows there’s trouble in his marriage when he returns home from a deployment to a wife who’s distant, overworked, stressed, and unhappy. He’s only seen her like this once before, when she nearly died after giving birth to their last child. When she’s shot, he re-lives that terrible experience, and feels just as helpless.
But he’s not about to fly away and leave her to fight her way back alone this time. He’s willing to sacrifice it all to prove to her she’s the most important thing in his life. He just has to find a way to make her believe it.
http://amzn.to/2jt4e0E http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/breaking-point-teresa-j-reasor/1125581507?ean=2940153986333https://itunes.apple.com/ie/book/breaking-point-seal-team-heartbreaker/id1200333397?mt=11https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/breaking-point-a-seal-team-heartbreaker-novellahttps://www.smashwords.com/books/view/700057
READ ON!!TERESA REASOR
March 15, 2017
BREAKING POINT is RELEASED!!!
"I'm so excited! And I just can't hide it!" I've been singing that song all day because BREAKING POINT IS OUT! I'm so proud of the novella and I hope you'll all give it a shot.
To those who have already purchased the novella, THANK YOU SO MUCH! To those who haven't, I hope you'll check it out.
Langley and Trish have been the strong couple who've set an example for the rest of the guys, but they don't live in a rose colored vacuum. This novella shows how they struggle at times to hold things together, just like every other couple on the planet. The story is emotional and you'll cry and you'll laugh. I hope you'll go away feeling satisfied and love them both the way I do.
After fifteen years of marriage, Trish Marks has hit her breaking point. Her social work caseload has doubled, her son is acting out, and her SEAL husband is never home. Something has to give. When she's shot and nearly killed by an irate husband during a home check, it does.
Navy SEAL Senior Chief Petty Officer Langley Marks is five years away from retirement and his pension. He knows there’s trouble in his marriage when he returns home from a deployment to a wife who’s distant, overworked, stressed, and unhappy. He’s only seen her like this once before, when she nearly died after giving birth to their last child. When she’s shot, he re-lives that terrible experience, and feels just as helpless.
But he’s not about to fly away and leave her to fight her way back alone this time. He’s willing to sacrifice it all to prove to her she’s the most important thing in his life. He just has to find a way to make her believe it.
A TEASER:(There are other excerpts in the blogs before this one)
“You know I didn’t want to leave you and the children, Trish. You have to know that it tears me apart every time I have to leave. It nearly killed me to go, knowing you needed me.”She stared at him. “You never said anything. You just got your gear and left.”His eyes burnt. “I’m telling you now. If I’d said it before…it would have made it harder for me to leave. To do what I had to do.”She stared off into the distance, silent.“This is who I am. This is what I do.”He knew he’d said the wrong thing when she turned and walked back into their room.Langley ran a hand over his face. She had a right to be upset.She wouldn’t be on his ass if she didn’t still love him.But she wasn’t on his ass.She was cool, distant, not arguing with him. She’d held on to this for seven months. Seven months of stewing and pain. That scared the hell out of him.
LINKS: http://amzn.to/2jt4e0E http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/breaking-point-teresa-j-reasor/1125581507?ean=2940153986333https://itunes.apple.com/ie/book/breaking-point-seal-team-heartbreaker/id1200333397?mt=11https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/breaking-point-a-seal-team-heartbreaker-novellahttps://www.smashwords.com/books/view/700057
Two more new releases I thought you might want to check out!
One of my BFFs, Devon Matthews has released her second book. I just have to give it another plug here during my release. It's a Western Historical Romance. I'm so eclectic I read everything. You won't be disappointed if you give it a shot and it is in KU.
THE BLURB:
When Rose Benton left Texas five years ago, she carried a secret that tore her family apart. Now she's back to confront her brother, whose disastrous debts have endangered the family ranch. Faced with losing everything, Rose turns to the one man who can help—handsome, headstrong Trey Delaney, her late father's former right-hand man.
With their adjoining ranches legally tied, Trey has only two choices: agree to Rose's plan, or lose his own birthright. Caught between hard luck and a desperate woman, Trey has a few tricks of his own in store for the neighbors who stole his land.
The 1880's cattle country heats up when Trey and Rose unite to thwart her brother's scheme and save their land. In tough, protective Trey, Rose at last finds a man deserving of her trust. In Rose, Trey discovers a spirited woman with a heart as big as Texas. Can they heal old wounds and give in to the love both need... or will desire turn to dust when past betrayals are destined to repeat with a vengeance?
THE AMAZON LINK: MY WILD TEXAS ROSE
And another friend Maggie Secara has just released her dark horror fantasy. It's really as creepy and scary as it looks. It's written in the same time period and vein as a Sherlock Holmes.
Black Dog, Grey Lady BlurbFrom his manor above the least haunted village in England, a mysteriously magical country gentleman Mr Random Corwyn leads a team of paranormal investigators – a genteel lady novelist, her clever maid, and an ex-army captain – to vanquish supernatural horrors haunting England’s green and pleasant lands. Still reeling from a disastrous undertaking in Persia, the team has returned to face something Random knows is impossible: nightmarish deaths in the Village, ghosts in the Hall, and a vengeful goblin hound terrorizing them all.
AN EXCERPT:
After the dreadful business in Persia, I am sure no one will be surprised to learn that I have abandoned my studies of the mystic East in favor of our native magical lore. I have also concluded that even English magic is best explored not at the so-called witching hour but in the pleasant light of day with the library windows flung open to the air. This was proved a few weeks ago, when I looked up shivering from my work, and was relieved to find only a heavy mist from the river lurking at the windows—an honest English fog, and nothing more. Nothing with teeth. Still, damp air is threat enough to old books, so I hurried to close and latch the casements myself rather than ring for a maid. Thus it was that as I returned to opening many a quaint and curious volume of forgotten lore, as the poet says, I discovered a note folded around a long sable feather. “Come to the choir at once,” it read, “where late the sweet birds sang.” There was no signature, but the familiar, hasty hand was dear to me, and so at once I had Polly pack a bag or two, including my pistol; and we set out together for the manor of Corbisend, and its the pleasantly unhaunted village.One might well ask why I should suppose that a note found by chance in a book seldom opened was meant for me and was not, like the book, simply a relic of antique scholarship. I may be no more than an amateur paraphysical observer, but I had no doubts. And when we arrived a few hours later, my instinct was quickly proved.Random Corwyn flung back the door in rolled shirtsleeves and half-buttoned waistcoat, vibrating with excitement. His clear sapphire eyes fairly danced with delight when he saw me. “Violet! Oh my dear girl, this is excellent! Come in, come in!”Tall and slender, sharp-featured, stylish: Mr. Corwyn of London, San Francisco, and Corbisend is a worldly young gentleman, somewhat older than I—or so I believe. Whatever his age, he is a jumble of friendliness and reserve, astonishing hauteur and puckish mischief. In truth, I’ve never known quite how to describe him since we first met in my brother’s rooms at Cambridge, before Peter’s accident, and that was some years ago. After hurriedly bestowing my coat, bonnet, and Polly on his grumbling but faithful butler, Random ushered me up the stairs and into the library. No, not the library you’ve seen but the one beyond the arched, apparently brass bound door that looks to have been made for children, or elves. Surely you’ve seen it and supposed, if you gave it any thought at all, that it was a sort of folly, a bit of whimsy, and in fact it is. However, this whimsical trompe l’oeil masks the true entrance to Mr. Corwyn’s fabulous cabinet of curiosities, a room—nay, a suite—filled with wonders gathered from the ends of the earth.I expected to be delighted; in fact I was somewhat bemused, for the main room had taken on the nature of a workshop. Gas lamps ringed the walls above work benches crowded in among the orderly collections of toadstones, mermaid skeletons, and unicorn horns. Every surface was buried in books, scrolls, or half-opened packing boxes. A bronze Assyrian fish goddess leered at me across a new microscope; the marble copy of a Roman emperor’s sandaled foot did duty as a paperweight. At least the wall of fan-topped French doors, usually curtained, had not changed: all stood open to admit across the balcony a golden moorland afternoon that would be hours in fading. Even so, a damp, slightly mildewed odor hung in the air. Someone, I thought, should look to his drains. “Stand there,” he ordered. Unaided but willing, I stepped carefully up onto the low box indicated and waited, giving some thought as is my habit to my immediate surroundings while he bustled about. Clearly experiments had been occupying his time of late. A number of curious instruments—or as Random sometimes calls them, toys—sat, stood, or squatted on a long table within easy reach of my left hand. While I surveyed the mysteries, Random shoved papers aside, lifted the marble foot to let a parchment scroll snap shut, penciled a few lines into a notebook, and ignored me. It is no good trying to correct his rather bohemian manners, but the urge to do so is powerful.“I’m very well, thank you, Mr. Corwyn,” I said reprovingly. “The journey was without incident and yes, tea would be lovely.” “What? No. Yes. Tea? Daniel!” All at once, his frenetic energy found direction. “Now put your left hand on that— No, the other one. That’s it.”It was a broad metal disk set into a wooden base that might once have been a collar box. Into my other hand he placed a tapered glass rod the size of a buttonhook. “Hold this, tightly please. Thank you. Now stand quite still, and do not move.”“May I breathe?”Finger to lips. “Pray do not speak.” Then all was still.From somewhere in the clutter a violin, his beautiful Stradivarius, came into his hands, and he began to play. Music has always been Random’s principal talent, and though he pursues many arts, his great gift is for the violin. But today, he had played no more than a few lilting measures when the room went suddenly dark, and the air was rent with the most pitiable moan. I thought at first it was simply the music but it was a terrible sound, fraught with despair out of the depths of nightmare. Fortunately I am not easily startled, and rather than drop the glass rod, or remove my hand from the tingling metal disk, I froze, chilled by the horrible sound. I may have swayed on my feet a bit. Gradually some light returned, but not the light of a summer afternoon. Rather, it was as if all the color had drained out of the world, leaving only shadows and vague forms. The damp bitter smell I had noted earlier wrinkled my nose and, if I am honest, my stomach as well. “Now, Violet.” Random’s firm voice came to me as across a distance, as if he were speaking in another room. In another country. “Tell me what you see.”“Nothing,” I replied after a moment. My own voice fell flat and dull at my feet.“No, no, no, Miss Delacourt. Your report, if you please. What do you see?”
THE LINKS:
Amazon: myBook.to/black-dogSmashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/707745Here's some info about Maggie:
Maggie Secara started out wanting to be an archaeologist. Then a reporter, then an international spy, a poet, an opera singer, a novelist, a historian. She ended up being a bit of each, earning a Masters in English and becoming inThanks for stopping by and celebrating these great new releases with me. READ ON!Teresa Reasor
To those who have already purchased the novella, THANK YOU SO MUCH! To those who haven't, I hope you'll check it out.
Langley and Trish have been the strong couple who've set an example for the rest of the guys, but they don't live in a rose colored vacuum. This novella shows how they struggle at times to hold things together, just like every other couple on the planet. The story is emotional and you'll cry and you'll laugh. I hope you'll go away feeling satisfied and love them both the way I do.
After fifteen years of marriage, Trish Marks has hit her breaking point. Her social work caseload has doubled, her son is acting out, and her SEAL husband is never home. Something has to give. When she's shot and nearly killed by an irate husband during a home check, it does.
Navy SEAL Senior Chief Petty Officer Langley Marks is five years away from retirement and his pension. He knows there’s trouble in his marriage when he returns home from a deployment to a wife who’s distant, overworked, stressed, and unhappy. He’s only seen her like this once before, when she nearly died after giving birth to their last child. When she’s shot, he re-lives that terrible experience, and feels just as helpless.
But he’s not about to fly away and leave her to fight her way back alone this time. He’s willing to sacrifice it all to prove to her she’s the most important thing in his life. He just has to find a way to make her believe it.
A TEASER:(There are other excerpts in the blogs before this one)
“You know I didn’t want to leave you and the children, Trish. You have to know that it tears me apart every time I have to leave. It nearly killed me to go, knowing you needed me.”She stared at him. “You never said anything. You just got your gear and left.”His eyes burnt. “I’m telling you now. If I’d said it before…it would have made it harder for me to leave. To do what I had to do.”She stared off into the distance, silent.“This is who I am. This is what I do.”He knew he’d said the wrong thing when she turned and walked back into their room.Langley ran a hand over his face. She had a right to be upset.She wouldn’t be on his ass if she didn’t still love him.But she wasn’t on his ass.She was cool, distant, not arguing with him. She’d held on to this for seven months. Seven months of stewing and pain. That scared the hell out of him.
LINKS: http://amzn.to/2jt4e0E http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/breaking-point-teresa-j-reasor/1125581507?ean=2940153986333https://itunes.apple.com/ie/book/breaking-point-seal-team-heartbreaker/id1200333397?mt=11https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/breaking-point-a-seal-team-heartbreaker-novellahttps://www.smashwords.com/books/view/700057
Two more new releases I thought you might want to check out!
One of my BFFs, Devon Matthews has released her second book. I just have to give it another plug here during my release. It's a Western Historical Romance. I'm so eclectic I read everything. You won't be disappointed if you give it a shot and it is in KU.
THE BLURB:
When Rose Benton left Texas five years ago, she carried a secret that tore her family apart. Now she's back to confront her brother, whose disastrous debts have endangered the family ranch. Faced with losing everything, Rose turns to the one man who can help—handsome, headstrong Trey Delaney, her late father's former right-hand man.
With their adjoining ranches legally tied, Trey has only two choices: agree to Rose's plan, or lose his own birthright. Caught between hard luck and a desperate woman, Trey has a few tricks of his own in store for the neighbors who stole his land.
The 1880's cattle country heats up when Trey and Rose unite to thwart her brother's scheme and save their land. In tough, protective Trey, Rose at last finds a man deserving of her trust. In Rose, Trey discovers a spirited woman with a heart as big as Texas. Can they heal old wounds and give in to the love both need... or will desire turn to dust when past betrayals are destined to repeat with a vengeance?
THE AMAZON LINK: MY WILD TEXAS ROSE
And another friend Maggie Secara has just released her dark horror fantasy. It's really as creepy and scary as it looks. It's written in the same time period and vein as a Sherlock Holmes.
Black Dog, Grey Lady BlurbFrom his manor above the least haunted village in England, a mysteriously magical country gentleman Mr Random Corwyn leads a team of paranormal investigators – a genteel lady novelist, her clever maid, and an ex-army captain – to vanquish supernatural horrors haunting England’s green and pleasant lands. Still reeling from a disastrous undertaking in Persia, the team has returned to face something Random knows is impossible: nightmarish deaths in the Village, ghosts in the Hall, and a vengeful goblin hound terrorizing them all.
AN EXCERPT:
After the dreadful business in Persia, I am sure no one will be surprised to learn that I have abandoned my studies of the mystic East in favor of our native magical lore. I have also concluded that even English magic is best explored not at the so-called witching hour but in the pleasant light of day with the library windows flung open to the air. This was proved a few weeks ago, when I looked up shivering from my work, and was relieved to find only a heavy mist from the river lurking at the windows—an honest English fog, and nothing more. Nothing with teeth. Still, damp air is threat enough to old books, so I hurried to close and latch the casements myself rather than ring for a maid. Thus it was that as I returned to opening many a quaint and curious volume of forgotten lore, as the poet says, I discovered a note folded around a long sable feather. “Come to the choir at once,” it read, “where late the sweet birds sang.” There was no signature, but the familiar, hasty hand was dear to me, and so at once I had Polly pack a bag or two, including my pistol; and we set out together for the manor of Corbisend, and its the pleasantly unhaunted village.One might well ask why I should suppose that a note found by chance in a book seldom opened was meant for me and was not, like the book, simply a relic of antique scholarship. I may be no more than an amateur paraphysical observer, but I had no doubts. And when we arrived a few hours later, my instinct was quickly proved.Random Corwyn flung back the door in rolled shirtsleeves and half-buttoned waistcoat, vibrating with excitement. His clear sapphire eyes fairly danced with delight when he saw me. “Violet! Oh my dear girl, this is excellent! Come in, come in!”Tall and slender, sharp-featured, stylish: Mr. Corwyn of London, San Francisco, and Corbisend is a worldly young gentleman, somewhat older than I—or so I believe. Whatever his age, he is a jumble of friendliness and reserve, astonishing hauteur and puckish mischief. In truth, I’ve never known quite how to describe him since we first met in my brother’s rooms at Cambridge, before Peter’s accident, and that was some years ago. After hurriedly bestowing my coat, bonnet, and Polly on his grumbling but faithful butler, Random ushered me up the stairs and into the library. No, not the library you’ve seen but the one beyond the arched, apparently brass bound door that looks to have been made for children, or elves. Surely you’ve seen it and supposed, if you gave it any thought at all, that it was a sort of folly, a bit of whimsy, and in fact it is. However, this whimsical trompe l’oeil masks the true entrance to Mr. Corwyn’s fabulous cabinet of curiosities, a room—nay, a suite—filled with wonders gathered from the ends of the earth.I expected to be delighted; in fact I was somewhat bemused, for the main room had taken on the nature of a workshop. Gas lamps ringed the walls above work benches crowded in among the orderly collections of toadstones, mermaid skeletons, and unicorn horns. Every surface was buried in books, scrolls, or half-opened packing boxes. A bronze Assyrian fish goddess leered at me across a new microscope; the marble copy of a Roman emperor’s sandaled foot did duty as a paperweight. At least the wall of fan-topped French doors, usually curtained, had not changed: all stood open to admit across the balcony a golden moorland afternoon that would be hours in fading. Even so, a damp, slightly mildewed odor hung in the air. Someone, I thought, should look to his drains. “Stand there,” he ordered. Unaided but willing, I stepped carefully up onto the low box indicated and waited, giving some thought as is my habit to my immediate surroundings while he bustled about. Clearly experiments had been occupying his time of late. A number of curious instruments—or as Random sometimes calls them, toys—sat, stood, or squatted on a long table within easy reach of my left hand. While I surveyed the mysteries, Random shoved papers aside, lifted the marble foot to let a parchment scroll snap shut, penciled a few lines into a notebook, and ignored me. It is no good trying to correct his rather bohemian manners, but the urge to do so is powerful.“I’m very well, thank you, Mr. Corwyn,” I said reprovingly. “The journey was without incident and yes, tea would be lovely.” “What? No. Yes. Tea? Daniel!” All at once, his frenetic energy found direction. “Now put your left hand on that— No, the other one. That’s it.”It was a broad metal disk set into a wooden base that might once have been a collar box. Into my other hand he placed a tapered glass rod the size of a buttonhook. “Hold this, tightly please. Thank you. Now stand quite still, and do not move.”“May I breathe?”Finger to lips. “Pray do not speak.” Then all was still.From somewhere in the clutter a violin, his beautiful Stradivarius, came into his hands, and he began to play. Music has always been Random’s principal talent, and though he pursues many arts, his great gift is for the violin. But today, he had played no more than a few lilting measures when the room went suddenly dark, and the air was rent with the most pitiable moan. I thought at first it was simply the music but it was a terrible sound, fraught with despair out of the depths of nightmare. Fortunately I am not easily startled, and rather than drop the glass rod, or remove my hand from the tingling metal disk, I froze, chilled by the horrible sound. I may have swayed on my feet a bit. Gradually some light returned, but not the light of a summer afternoon. Rather, it was as if all the color had drained out of the world, leaving only shadows and vague forms. The damp bitter smell I had noted earlier wrinkled my nose and, if I am honest, my stomach as well. “Now, Violet.” Random’s firm voice came to me as across a distance, as if he were speaking in another room. In another country. “Tell me what you see.”“Nothing,” I replied after a moment. My own voice fell flat and dull at my feet.“No, no, no, Miss Delacourt. Your report, if you please. What do you see?”
THE LINKS:
Amazon: myBook.to/black-dogSmashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/707745Here's some info about Maggie:
Maggie Secara started out wanting to be an archaeologist. Then a reporter, then an international spy, a poet, an opera singer, a novelist, a historian. She ended up being a bit of each, earning a Masters in English and becoming inThanks for stopping by and celebrating these great new releases with me. READ ON!Teresa Reasor 
