Rose Anderson's Blog, page 68

Sneak Peek Sunday & a New Novel!

It’s Sneak Peek Sunday! The idea is to post six paragraphs (no more, no less) from either a work in progress (WIP) or a published work. Well, I just happen to have a new novel coming out this Tuesday! *see below for details on book 1.

The Witchy Wolf and the Wendigo

Book 2 – Eluwilussit

Blurb:

An ancient hatred seethes in pastoral Wisconsin. Denied access to the White spirit world of the ancestors, ancient shaman Eluwilussit finds himself in the Red Realm and receives a terrible gift from the forsaken spirits who dwell there. Blaming Ash for this misfortune, as well as Aiyanna’s death, he vows to be rid of the other shaman once and for all.

Meanwhile, Ash declares his love to Livie and reveals the truth of his existence as a Witchy Wolf. Warned that Eli is coming for him, Ash sends Livie north to the reservation hoping John’s family will keep her safe. In the inevitable confrontation to come, either one shape-shifter will live, or both shall die.

Setting the stage ~

In this scene, Ash visit’s his mentor Nawkaw in the White spirit world, and learns of Eluwilussit’s horrible new ability.

“There is more than what you see here, Ash. Eluwilussit has struck a terrible bargain. He went to the forsaken realm and traded himself for a gift.”

“Traded?” Ash shook his head, not understanding. His mind filled with the gut-wrenching image before him.

“He became a slave to the desires of those in the forsaken realm. He was given a gift for his submission.”

Cold-blooded murderers dwell in the Red Realm of the forsaken. They were cursed to live dismal lives in that broken wasteland for all eternity. Ash’s mind filled with questions. What gift could they have given him? The forsaken had nothing. “Please, tell me all as you know it.”

“You know he was denied the White World after he murdered me?”

“I did not know he took your life until you told me. But I know murder goes against Sky Father’s plan.” Ash recited what he’d learned from Wynono. “Murder is an abomination and outside the life the Manitou has given us. There is no seat beside Sky Father for a murderer.”

The Witchy Wolf and the Wendigo

Book 1 Ashkewheteasu

What does an immortal Native American shaman do when the grave he’s sworn to watch over for all eternity disappears under urban development? His purpose of guarding his wife’s burial mound is gone, Ashkewheteasu seeks to end his immortal existence. In his despair, Ash assumes the form of a wolf and steps in front of a moving car and into the life of Dr. Olivia “Livie” Rosalini. The veterinarian saves the animal’s life, and in the process saves the man within. Livie has no idea the wolfish dog she’s taken into her home and grows to love is a magical being seeking to win her heart as a man. While Ash is learning a new world filled with new love, friendship, and happiness, an old menace makes plans to steal it all away; just as he had 3000 years before.

And here’s the true root of the story at USA Today — The Witchy Wolf and the Wendigo

After Sneak Peek Sunday, stop by my satellite blog for a full excerpt.

I’m taking part in The Romance Reviews 2nd Anniversary Party!

Lots of prizes and one from me too.

Learn the details here:

My Other Blog

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Published on March 10, 2013 06:32

Rose About Town

We’ve been online since the days of Windows3.1 — a long time. I’ve said before, I love information. I’m an information hound. That being the case, the internet was made for me. Just about any thought I have can be tracked down online. What a wonderful resource for a writer. Need a word in another language? –got it. Need names of foreign currency? — yep. Need a term for Victorian imbecile? You bet your oik you’ll find it. You can find bits of just about everything.

Having gone the route of Inter-Library Loan in the years before the wide world web, I’m happy I don’t have to wait to feed my desire to know. My writing doesn’t have to wait either. Don’t get me wrong, there’s nothing like holding a book in your hands. The internet doesn’t rid us of the need for libraries, no, not by any stretch. In my experience as an info hound, librarians are just as important now as ever. Someone has to keep track. Knowledge has expanded exponentially.

But there’s a problem with that, namely, the internet is HUGE. How can you possibly find all the treasures out there waiting to explore? There’s a terrific tool to surf the web with, and it’ll help you dig deeper. I’ll warn you if you have a penchant for surfing now, you’ll need to go into it with your eyes wide open. It’s called StumbleUpon, and it hooked me within three stumbles.

The StumbleUpon tool is a free download easily programmable to your interests. One of my mine is Ancient History. StumbleUpon will scour the internet for sites dealing with that topic. I like crafts, even more craft sites will pop up when I click the stumble button. I’m interested in words, meteorology, science, and religions of the world. I don’t have to wade through a bunch of nothing to find the gems of research. I can like what I like and give the ol’ thumbs down to the pages I don’t. Likes get stored in your account to revisit again and become recommended likes for the StumbleUpon community to share. Unlikes disappear into obscurity and won’t return to your personally programed searches. It’s a very nice tool. StumbleUpon

Hey folks at StumbleUpon, this is a celebrity endorsement. I’m a small fish in a big pond, but hey how about it? lol

So, I’m testing a theory. My blog stats show that since I “liked” my blog on StumbleUpon, I get a lot of people stumbling upon me here. In my ongoing attempt to be that shiny needle at the top of the haystack, I spent a few days making blogs and bloggetts..and Liking them on StumbleUpon. I have this one, my main blog with my domain name. I have another on Blogspot.com that I use just slightly less than this one. The others are static pages for others to stumble upon, and I have nearly a dozen author pages and placeholders around the web. Stop and check them out. Some where tricky, some were simple. I’m giving them a two month test. The following links are just some of the places I haunt — some old and some new. If you know of others, please tell me about them in comments. Thanks!

I’m just about everywhere!

Main Blog: http://calliopeswritingtablet.com/

Satellite Blogs:

http://calliopeswritingtablet.blogspot.com/

http://roseanderson4858.blog.com/

http://roseandersonromance.weebly.com/

http://roseanderson4858.wix.com/roseanderson–author

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Rose-Anderson

Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/FollowTheMuse/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/roseanderson_

Tumblr: http://author-roseanderson.tumblr.com/

Youtube: http://www.youtube.com//MusesWritingTablet

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rose.anderson

Google+: https://plus.google.com/rose.anderson

About.me: http://about.me/rose_anderson_author

Figment: http://figment.com/users/298235-Rose-Anderson

RomanceWiki: http://www.romancewiki.com/User:Rose_Anderson_-_Novelist

Author Pages

http://www.authorsden.com/visit/author.asp?id=155021

http://www.shewrites.com/profile/RoseAnderson

http://www.manicreaders.com/RoseAnderson/

http://www.arecafe.com/members/roseanderson/profile/

Under Construction

http://www.myspace.com

http://www.anobii.com

Like I said, these aren’t all my stops and haunts. I have book covers and pages all over. Whew.

Coming Sunday — another Sneak Peek!

Rose Anderson – Love Waits in Unexpected Places

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Published on March 05, 2013 18:15

Sneak Peek Sunday ~

I’ve recently discovered a new Sunday hop to fill the void left by the closing of Six Sentence Sunday.

It’s called Sneak Peek Sunday!

The idea is to post six paragraphs (no more, no less) from either a work in progress (WIP) or a published work. I have lots to choose from.

Here’s a sneak peek from my Loving Leonardo — A Victorian polyamorous love story, with a touch of reader-interactive art history. This portion from the beginning of the tale involves Ellie knocking on Nicolas’ door and proposing marriage to a man completely comfortable with his life to this point. Needless to say he’s shocked that this stranger, this bold-as-brass American, would suggest such a thing.

I rubbed the point between my eyes.

She asked, “As a friend, may I leave your title aside and call you Nicolas?” At my nod she continued. “Nicolas, I’m no fool. For all that I’m a progressive woman: I live in a man’s world. And while society may change in the future, I’m hindered in the here and now. It would be difficult to travel on my own, and certainly tracking down homoerotic artworks would be next to impossible for a woman. I wouldn’t even know how to ask about them; trained proficient I’m not. Were we to marry, I see advantage for the both of us outside this venture.”

“Advantage?”

“Yes, you’ll be free to love who you will without society casting rude speculations your way. And aside from my being free to be who I am, I’ll benefit by a social standing that will allow me to affect change from within society.”

I considered her a moment. Miss Elenora Schwaab was an extremely pleasant-looking young woman with her wise blue eyes and cinnamon hair. She was fit and fashionable, and without a doubt a highly-educated and intelligent person. Her ready humor and matter-of-factness were also quite appealing. Yes, I could see myself enjoying this woman’s companionship if nothing else.

Running down a list of potential advantages of marrying someone not shocked or repulsed by my nature, I surprised myself by finding her proposal no less than brilliant. Many marriages started with far less. Still, there was one bit that must be addressed. It had always been my understanding that one day I’d be pressed to marry and sire children. When one inherits the title of Earl, especially a Halstead Earl, there are responsibilities one must naturally live up to. But until that hourglass ran out, I considered myself free to love and enjoy whom I would. To be fair she’d have to be told. “I must tell you that I have obligations to my title and estate. These obligations would necessitate my producing an heir in the future.”

Read their entire discussion on Amazon.com.

Look Inside Loving Leonardo using Amazon’s Look Inside feature.

Here’s the trailer ~

Nicolas’ adventure continues. Coming April 2013 ~

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Published on March 03, 2013 04:57

Organizing & the Annual Purge

Thinking about Pinterest today. Spring is knocking on my door, winter is coming to a close, my house is full of visual clues that say stop writing it’s time for spring cleaning!! Friends and family know the Annual Purge is essential to me and they’ll laughingly get out of my way. Even my husband’s colleagues ask if I’m spring cleaning yet. It’s the stuff of legends. For two or three weeks my world stops and every nook and cranny, every drawer, every cabinet, and corner are cleaned. This is my renewal. This is how I find myself each year.

It all started with bad news about twenty-two years ago. I won’t go into that, but it was just plain sad. So sad I wanted to pull a blanket up over my head and sleep, sleep it all away. My soul mate/best friend/husband saw something I hadn’t. I define myself, in part, by my home. My home has always been an eclectic, eccentric canvas and my style, interests, and collections are the blobs of color upon my palette. Up until the sadness hit, we’d only been in this house a few years. We lived with white blah walls waiting on One Of These Days when time and money agreed to change things. He sat beside me, and said, “I want you to redecorate the entire house from top to bottom. I want you to find yourself again.”

There was no grand swapping out of furniture and appliances, no tearing up carpet or laying down new tile. But I painted murals and filled the house with color. I organized and rid myself of the weight of things no longer pertinent to our lives. Then I decorated with all the little things that make a home interesting. And within days, the anchor of sadness pressing me into my mattress had lifted. He was right. I found myself again.

I have been doing this annual event every year since. It’s gone from several truck loads of donations to Goodwill to a few bags in the car and it will last until the holidays come rolling around. Then ever so slowly, one item at a time will creep into my life. I don’t know why I’ll have a dozen wine corks in the requisite junk drawer (every kitchen seems to have such a drawer), but they’ll have to go. Six dead batteries? Yeah they go to. Single socks? You’re outta here. Where did all these paperclips come from? Ratty potholders? Out the door. Cob webs and spiders? You’re out too.

Ok, now what does all that have to do with Pinterest?

Pinterest is a place to organize. I’ve been online for so many years that I’ve naturally collected favorite sites. I’ve come across many interesting places worth visiting again (like this blog). Pinterest is a virtual bulletin board — a pin board if you will. On it I’ve created smaller boards to pin my interests on. Nearly all come with a link that will take me back to those sites I wanted to keep track of. And Pinterest is booming. I’d read recently that Pinterest is the new popular social media and grows more so by the day.

Before I looked at Pinterest as being useful to me, I’d often stumble upon it in random internet searches. It was all about wedding cakes and shoes and stuff I wasn’t remotely interested in. What’s more, it never made sense to me at the time. What was this place with all the mishmash of unrelated items on one page??

Last May I came across an article talking about Pinterest as a media marketing tool. I took a serious look at the site after reading that. Authors spend a good deal of time marketing their books and themselves. The publishing world is a giant haystack and authors are small needles that need to be found so anything pushing those sparkly needles into the light is a good thing.

I made an account and filled it with categories, aka boards, and started pinning things of interest. Only then did I get it — pin things of interest — pin interest = Pinterest! I devoted an entire month, hours of time, to build a pin board that was both interesting and large enough that people would want to follow me. I had things I wanted to share — amazing pictures, history, science, recipes, crafts, and my books. Through Pinterest I have access to well over 100,000 people each day. If 80% are there looking to shop, and a % are book lovers, and another % of them read romance, that means that’s a bunch of people who’ll find me who might not have found me any other way.

I came upon this recently and it’s a part of a much larger infographic that can be seen here. I recommend seeing the whole thing. As I deal with books, my own specifically, I found number 7 very interesting.

http://www.socialized.me/pinterest-marketing/

Today I’ve added a bunch of pins to my Rose Anderson Romance Author board. They’re all the places I’ve been over the last few months – interviews and guest blogs, newspaper articles, youtube videos, assorted links, etc. I invite you to follow me. I have over 20,000 pins. From crafts to social conscience, I’m one interesting cookie if I do say so myself.

http://pinterest.com/FollowTheMuse/

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Published on February 25, 2013 14:49

Sneak Peek Sunday!

I really enjoyed being a part of the Six Sentence Sunday where many authors got together and did a mini hop to feature a six-sentence teaser from their novels. You’d be surprised how much you can say in six sentences. Personally, I loved the challenge of finding six lines that encapsulated scenes from my books. The SundaySix ceased to be and for many left a void.

I’ve recently discovered this fabulous new Sunday hop called Sneak Peek Sunday!

The idea is to post six paragraphs (no more, no less) from either a work in progress (WIP) or a published work. I can do that!

Here’s an evocative six from my soon-to-be-released book 2 in The Witchy Wolf and the Wendigo story. Setting the Stage: Ash explains to Livie that they must head north to the reservation because Eluwilssit the Spider lives and they’re all in danger.

Eluwilussit. Out of nowhere an image formed in her mind then quickly evaporated. A queasy sensation settled in the pit of her stomach.

“In John’s story, he was called the Spider. In this time, he’s taken the name Eli White. When John showed my bird stone to his family, Eluwilussit saw it as well. He told them he wished to see the dog who wore it. He knows what I am now, and John’s family believes he’s left the reservation and comes to find me. Of this I have no doubt. He comes looking for my death and for this.” He pulled the bird stone from his pocket.

She looked at the stylized granite bird, taken off his bloody body the night they’d thought they were saving the life of a wolf-crossed dog. “Why does he want it?”

“Because I am a holy man, a Midewi. I’m able to go to Sky Father’s camp in the White World where the ancestors dwell. This bird flies my mind there.” He turned the stone over in his hand. “In the White World I’m able to speak to the ancestors. If I ask for their guidance to help my people, they’ll help me. I no longer have people as I once did. But I have you and John and Cora, and the ancestors have told me to protect you.”

“From Eluwilussit? He doesn’t even know us!” Olivia had never considered herself a fearful person. That’s not how she was raised. But a growing unease was settling over her.

Not wanting to frighten her, Ash calmly tucked the stone back into his pocket and took her hands in his. “No, he doesn’t know you, but that doesn’t matter. He wants to steal everything I hold dear — my bird stone, my friends, and my life. This is why we must follow John and Cora. I must keep you somewhere safe until he and I have finished what he began long ago.”

Here’s the trailer ~

And here’s the true root of the story at USA Today — The Witchy Wolf and the Wendigo

I’m waiting on the new cover. Here’s the cover for book 1

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Published on February 24, 2013 05:19

My books, My links, My Next Hop, & a Smile

The Swept Away Hop is over and over 100 new visitors stopped by my blog. Tomorrow I’ll sort through the comments and pick a winner for my kindle copy of The Witchy Wolf and the Wendigo. You’ll hear from me if you’ve won. Thanks for participating everyone!

In this past Hop I touched upon Loving Leonardo winning the 2012 CataRomance Sensual Reads Reviewer’s Choice Award for Historical Romance. I’m thrilled. Hermes Online got the same under the Contemporary category last year. It’s wonderful when your intellectual creation gets such a nod of appreciation.

After writing the first three chapters I realized these characters might go beyond this story and solve crimes a la Dashiell Hammett’s Nick and Nora Charles. On a whim, I chose their names to go with that idea – Nicolas Halstead and Elenora Schwaab.

The main observer in this romantic tale is Nicolas Halstead, a man of means forced by society to wear a disguise. He’s the narrator here and it’s through his perspective that we see and feel his world. An art historian by profession, Nicolas can’t help but compare life to art. Because of this, he leaves many references to artists and artworks scattered throughout the pages.

Why did I create an interactive art history scavenger hunt in an erotic romance?

Probably because I grew up in Chicago. The city is famous for its museums and renowned Art Institute. I’ve seen paintings there that so captured my fancy, I was certain I understood the artist’s emotion behind the artwork. I’ve put several art references in this story. If my readers would like to see what Nicolas sees when he mentions artworks, do look them up. This interactive bit of art history isn’t necessary to the story, though to see what he sees will certainly add color to the tale. I chose each carefully to reflect the moment.

Where does Leonardo da Vinci fit into this tale?

I’m a huge informational reader and one person I find particularly fascinating is Leonardo Da Vinci. Leonardo was denied traditional education because of his bastardy. The things that man went through to become the genius he was were impressive. Da Vinci immersed himself in the world to learn. What else could my characters do but the same? Da Vinci was an artist. Nicolas is an art historian. Da Vinci was a philosopher. Progressive Ellie was a student of philosophy. Da Vinci was a grand inventor, much of his knowledge based upon processes that came before him. Luca is a historian. Before I knew it, these three were having the most amazing discussions! Certainly love had to follow such compatibility.

But no one likes a novel without a story in it. The Victorian era had a seedy side few people realize. It wasn’t enough just to have three people fall in love in a very unorthodox manner, I added obstacles and roadblocks to make the journey rough.

And for balance – I added a conscienceless adversary who’d stop at nothing to get what he wanted.

Loving Leonardo – The Quest comes out very soon. From there, these three might have more stories to tell.

I’m knee-deep in another two novels, and hopefully, I’ll get back to the blog to post something by the weekend. Until then, here are my books, my links, my next Hop, and something to make you smile.

As a bird lover, I think this is adorable.

The sanctuary needs donations. More info about Snowball and who looks after him here:

http://birdloversonly.org/

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Published on February 18, 2013 07:59

Get Swept Away — You’ll LOVE Reading Rose!

It’s the last day of the Swept Away Valentine Blog Hop! Follow this link for one more chance to meet over 140 authors and have a chance to win the prizes given away on each of their blogs. As always, be sure to leave your email address when you leave comments.

http://thebloghopspot.com/event-page/

My prize is an authorgraphed copy of my most recent release The Witchy Wolf and the Wendigo – a tale about an ancient Native American shaman who finds love in the modern world. Here’s the true root of the story at USA Today — The Witchy Wolf and the Wendigo

About Rose:

I love words and choose them as carefully as an artist might choose a color. My active imagination compels me to write everything from children’s stories to historical fiction. As a persnickety leisure reader I especially enjoy novels that feel like they were written just for me. It’s hard to explain, but if you’ve ever read one of those, then you know what I mean. I tend to sneak symbolism and metaphor into my writing and always write in layers. You might say it’s a game I play with myself. It’s really a kick to have readers email to say they’ve found something or to ask if I meant what they think I meant when they read a portion and their brain goes, hey wait a minute… I want people to feel the story was written just for them and these hidden insights are my gift to my readers.

You’ll LOVE Reading Rose! Start with the Blurbs…

The Witchy Wolf and the Wendigo

Inspired by the very real legend of the Wisconsin Wolfman.

Peek inside The Witchy Wolf and the Wendigo on Amazon

What does an immortal Native American shaman do when the grave he’s sworn to watch over for all eternity disappears under urban development? His purpose of guarding his wife’s burial mound is gone, Ashkewheteasu seeks to end his immortal existence. In his despair, Ash assumes the form of a wolf and steps in front of a moving car and into the life of Dr. Olivia “Livie” Rosalini. The veterinarian saves the animal’s life, and in the process saves the man within. Livie has no idea the wolfish dog she’s taken into her home and grows to love is a magical being seeking to win her heart as a man. While Ash is learning a new world filled with new love, friendship, and happiness, an old menace makes plans to steal it all away; just as he had 3000 years before.

Loving Leonardo the new 2012 CataNetwork Sensual Reads Reviewer’s Choice Winner in Historical Romance!

An unusual bisexual, polyamorous, Victorian love story with a touch of reader-interactive art history

Peek inside Loving Leonardo on Amazon

Bound by limits dictated by society, Art Historian Nicolas Halstead lived a guarded life until a tempest in the form of Elenora Schwaab blew into his world. At first Nicolas can’t decide if the audacious American is simply mad or plotting blackmail for not only does she declare knowledge of his homosexuality, she offers him a marriage proposal.

After Ellie tells him of a previously unknown work of Leonardo da Vinci, a book of erotic love poems and sketches dedicated to the artist’s long-time lover Salai, Nicolas joins her in a race to save the book from destruction. Along the way they encounter Historian Luca Franco and discover a comfortable compatibility that comes to redefine their long-held notions of love. The trio embarks on an adventure of sensual discovery, intrigue, and danger. Little do they know Leonardo da Vinci’s book is far more than meets the eye.

Dreamscape

A haunting, a murder, a mystery, a reader’s puzzle, and a love story that transcends time.

Peek inside Dreamscape on Amazon

Unable to deny his own translucence, Dr. Jason Bowen determines his lack of physical substance could only mean one thing — he’s a ghost. Murdered more than a century before, Jason haunts his house and ponders the treachery that took his life. When Lanie O’Keefe arrives with plans to renovate her newly purchased Victorian mansion, Jason learns, ghost or not, he’s still very much a man. Jason soon discovers he can travel through Lanie’s dreams and finds himself reliving the days before his murder with Lanie by his side. It took one hundred and twenty years for love to find them, but there’s that insurmountable little matter of Jason being dead.

Hermes Online

A CataNetwork Sensual Reads Reviewer’s Choice Winner 2011 – Contemporary Romance!

A woman finds her lost confidence in a very unlikely place

Peek inside Hermes Online on Amazon

Imagine if you will a story begun in the halls of Mount Olympus long before this modern tale was conceived. It was a time when the god Hermes flew on his winged sandals and carried messages from the gods to the mortals below. And between that time and this, couriers became postmen and handwritten letters became bytes. It is said the gods still speak to those who listen…

Left bruised and brokenhearted after a cruel breakup, Vivienne Bennet finds herself mired in a world of self-doubt. To her surprise, she receives an email that challenges her to rediscover the sensual woman she once was. Together Vivienne and the enigmatic man known only as S embark upon the world of anonymous Internet communication where suggestive emails lead to erotic chat, where cybering leads to Skype, and C2C sends both into the arms of a love they’d believed lost forever.

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~ And Coming Soon ~

Loving Leonardo – The Quest

and The Witchy Wolf and the Wendigo Book 2 – Eluwilussit

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See Rose’s Book Trailers at the MusesWritingTablet on Youtube

Thanks for stopping by!
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Published on February 17, 2013 06:19

Swept Away with Love at First Sight

It’s day three of the Swept Away Valentine Blog Hop! Follow this link to over 140 authors and the prizes given away on each of their blogs. As always, be sure to leave your email address when you leave comments.

http://thebloghopspot.com/event-page/

My prize is an authorgraphed copy of my most recent release The Witchy Wolf and the Wendigo – a tale about an ancient Native American shaman who finds love in the modern world.

So what better to sweep you away than love at first sight?

Here’s a bit from Loving Leonardo the new 2012 CataNetwork Sensual Reads Reviewer’s Choice Winner in Historical Romance. It’s an unusual bisexual, polyamorous, Victorian love story with a touch of reader-interactive art history.

After hopping with all of us, hop on over to Amazon and take a peek inside:

Loving Leonardo

I sat Ellie and pulled a chair for Mrs. Ormont as she waited for her husband. A moment later, Colonel Ormont brought the historian to our table and made introductions. Luca Franco, late of Florence, was a Professor of Antiquities returning from London. I found the Italian quite the attractive fellow, impeccably dressed as he was. When in the presence of true beauty, my mind often imagines the person unclothed as the artists of the ages might have seen him. Sitting at my table was a statue carved in marble by Gian Lorenzo Bernini; an artist known for his remarkable ability to capture the essence of a narrative moment. And I found Luca Franco to be exactly that — a moment indelibly captured in time — a moment of meeting the mind could revisit in its entirety.

From every angle, he was beautifully made: black-haired, of medium build, and physically fit. He possessed a warm hue to his skin, his lineage no doubt stamped centuries past by the darker Moors or Turks. In startling contrast, and quite handsomely framed by black lashes, he had striking eyes the color one might see in a shadow falling across snow — not quite sky blue nor exactly steel gray, but a blending of the two in gradated rings.

I rose to shake his hand and felt the unmistakable current of compatibility. If this man weren’t forward in his mutual attraction, it was there nonetheless. I watched him bow over the ladies’ hands and found it curious that he lingered over Ellie’s fingers a tad longer. It made me smile. I had the distinct impression I was in the presence of a fellow dual-nature like myself.

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Be sure to stop by tomorrow! Until then check out the other Hoppers http://thebloghopspot.com/event-page/

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Published on February 16, 2013 06:22

Swept Away with a Kiss

It’s day two of the Swept Away Valentine Blog Hop! Follow this link to over 140 authors and the prizes given away on each of their blogs. As always, be sure to leave your email address when you leave comments.

http://thebloghopspot.com/event-page/

My prize is an authorgraphed copy of my most recent release The Witchy Wolf and the Wendigo – a tale about an ancient Native American shaman who finds love in the modern world.

So what better to sweep you away than a kiss?

Here’s my favorite PG kiss from my first novel Hermes Online. Vivienne describes a kiss for her penpal. After hopping with all of us, hop on over to Amazon and take a peek inside: Hermes Online

I closed the Word document and absently twirled my hair, lost in thought. There was so much of me in there, even the decorations in the house said much about me. The fact that Lily looks identical to me was rather Freudian too, come to think. I laughed out loud at the thought. It’s funny how our subconscious mind tells us what’s what sometimes. The subconscious mind intuits what the conscious mind misses at first glance. Yes, the story was a whim, and who would have thought six years later, it would help me find my way back to myself? I wished in that moment my pen pal stood right here so I could say thank you. I’d thank him for lighting the match that eventually relit the candle of my self-confidence. I’d kiss him for real.

I pressed my fingers to my lips, imagining this curious and compelling green-eyed, chestnut-haired, large-handed, well-endowed man kissing me. And unbelievably, my panties got soaking wet. I flexed my fingers and crafted a scene from the sizzling phantom fire playing over my lips.

Having experienced amazing kisses in my life added just enough realism to the blend of movie kisses. I told the screen, “So, you want a kiss, eh? Then what will you think of this?”

S,

There is so much more to kissing for the first time than meets the eye. The would-be lovers laugh and smile and delight in each other’s company. They talk, getting to know each other, trying to find the choicest morsels of their life and personality to share. They might hold hands for hours as they wander here and there. And when they sit side by side, perhaps on a bench at a museum, they’ll look in feigned interest at the passersby, glance again and again at the exhibit, but not really seeing it. First, one will turn inward, the movement slight, barely noticeable. And then with no clear knowledge of doing so, the one will magically mirror the other. Their knees may touch, and one set of clasped hands might rest innocently upon a knee. And then a noise, a temporary distraction, might take their attention for a second, and both heads will turn to the sound, inadvertently closer now than before. When one turns back, their faces will be mere inches apart. Their eyes, green and gray, will hold each other’s gazes, darting from one sparkling pupil to the other. They might unfocus to drink in the entire face for a second, perhaps lingering on the person’s smile before meeting the gaze once more, a gaze noticeably warmer than a moment ago.

One face may turn a little, and in mirrored image, the other follows, only slightly tipped in the opposite direction. And the eyes ask the silent question as two thoughts become superimposed — May I kiss you? Will you kiss me? The answer is subtle, missed by nearly everyone passing by, everyone save the smiling elder couple holding gnarled hands and assisted by their canes. Perhaps they, too, once shared a kiss sitting there, or plan to again later. But locked in their own world, they don’t notice the elder pair walk by.

They are aware now only of each other, aware of little things, the flush on her cheeks, the gleam in his eye, the color of her moist lips, the imperceptible flare of his nostrils as he subconsciously reminds his body to breathe. They touch now. The kiss is at first soft, the lips asking permission for the firmness they crave. Another kiss grants this and another and another as faces turn to fit around chins and cheeks and noses. And then loose and pliable, those lips part now to make way for tentative tongues. These too begin their searching, gently at first then becoming bolder as they instinctively react to the warmth of each other’s mouths and thrust as hands cup cheeks and arms wind around shoulders, drawing each other ever inward into the private space that shuts the waking world out and lets the dream begin.

V

Little did I realize when I began this kissing scene that I would abandon the amalgamated movie kisses. I stopped and read those words, my words, my kiss. That kiss had been real, as had the love behind it. My eyes filled with tears, but I sent it on. Feeling alone, I rose from my chair and walked away.

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Be sure to stop by tomorrow! Until then check out the other Hoppers http://thebloghopspot.com/event-page/

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Published on February 15, 2013 06:01

Being Swept Away!

Ah Cupid, you busy little fellow. Today begins the Swept Away Valentine Blog Hop! Follow this link to over 140 authors and the prizes given away on each of their blogs. As always, be sure to leave your email address when you leave comments.

http://thebloghopspot.com/event-page/

My prize is an authorgraphed copy of my most recent release The Witchy Wolf and the Wendigo – a tale about an ancient Native American shaman who finds love in the modern world. You’ll find the trailer further down in this post.

So let’s talk Cupid.

Depending on which mythology you ascribe to, this pudgy little deity is the immortal son of Venus (Aphrodite) and Mars (Ares) – an allegorical blending of love and war. Because he was the uniting power of love and therefore the bringer of order and harmony to the universe, some mythic tales make him a fundamental contributor in the formation of the world. A little known detail that gets overlooked as the lover’s holiday approaches: Cupid carries two arrows in his quiver – one of love and another of hate.

To the Orphic and Greek philosophers, he was the son of Nyx (Night) and Boreas the North Wind – the first complete manifestation of Divinity. In other depictions, Cupid is considered a primordial god – an old one who came before Zeus and even before Zeus’ grandparents Gaia and Uranus. From the very beginning, even before the fabric of the universe was woven, Cupid personified love.

As his Roman counterpart Eros, he was known far and wide as the god of passionate love, and fertility cults, among other things, rose in his honor. Some tales even have him with multiple heads, four eyes and various animal attributes. In other mythic versions, Cupid is blindfolded, and only the truest hearts will draw his blindly shot arrows. I had no idea Cupid was such a multifaceted little amorino.

When I met the love of my life, it was literally love at first sight for us both. I wasn’t looking, he wasn’t looking. It was fate. The arrow struck us both and it was totally unexpected. I write that love in my romances. I can see Cupid in my mind’s eye… his arrow notched on his bow. He’s tucked behind a tree or rock, poised to let his charmed arrow fly at just the right moment. When it hits, it’s totally unanticipated. It’s fate. Sometimes love is like that. Sometimes love waits in unexpected places.

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Be sure to stop by tomorrow! Until then check out the other Hoppers http://thebloghopspot.com/event-page/

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