Cyndi Tefft's Blog, page 2

Special Love Scene for Aiden's Angels!

As my Valentine's Day gift to the Angels, I asked you all to come up with the setting/location for a love scene between Aiden and Lindsey. I loved your creativity on the comments of my Facebook post!

And now, as my special gift to you, the love scene is now posted on Goodreads along with the other deleted scenes from Between and special scenes I've written just for Aiden's Angels! :)

In case you're wondering, this scene would chronologically take place toward the beginning of Hell Transporter , the second book in the series, and it is some naughty sexy times for them both. Enjoy!

https://www.goodreads.com/story/show/359057?chapter=1

Lots of love from me to you!!

Teaser from Book Four!

Broch of Gurness, Orkney, Scotland
I asked Aiden's Angels on Twitter and Facebook whether they would prefer a sexy, sweet, or mysterious teaser from Book Four, and they chose mysterious! I was surprised, actually (I thought sexy would win), but I guess the Angels are anxious to see where the fourth book is headed. So here you go!
Book Four Teaser
I dropped into the rocking chair and began to nurse. Amidst the baby's soft suckling noises, I found myself drifting in a space between sleep and wakefulness, someplace not quite here, but not quite there, either. It reminded me of our visit to the Broch of Gurness in Orkney.
The weather had been blustery, windy with clouds rolling past, but no actual rain. Mom, Dad, and Aiden were wandering through the ancient village, listening intently as our guide pointed out the small stone frames where thousands of years ago, the inhabitants had slept. They’d slept piled on top of one another to keep warm, most likely under animal skin blankets. A circle in the center of the room showed us where they’d kept their fire. As the rest of my family wandered the ruins to see where they’d kept the animals in this stone settlement dated back to before Christ, I stayed behind, running my fingers over the rough walls in awe. The air shimmered around me like a mist and I felt as though I were no longer alone. I turned, expecting to see Aiden or my mom, but instead, I saw a translucent flicker of flames in the cooking spot. I stared open-mouthed at the fire, not comprehending what was happening, when a movement to my right caught my attention.
“Cadhìa! Come to bed, love.” The deep voice from underneath the mass of furs in the corner echoed in the small room. The language was foreign to my ears and yet I understood it perfectly. All of a sudden, I became aware of the scents around me: the clinging smoke from the fire, the cool earth beneath my feet, the dampness of the air, and the sweat from the man huddled under the blanket. Where before, the room had been open to the sky, now I stood in a small, darkened room with a low ceiling. My feet moved of their own accord across the length of the room to the man curled into a ball under a pile of sheepskin. Love for him gathered inside me, building with purpose like a bird taking flight, though I couldn’t see anything but the back of his head. Above the bed, a symbol carved into the rock seemed to glow with the light of the fire. I ran my fingertips over it in reverence, this picture of the sun sinking into the sea. My sleeve fell away from my wrist as I touched the stone, and I saw the same symbol tattooed on the inside of my forearm. This simple drawing meant everything to me, but I didn’t know why.
At the sound of my mother’s laughter, I'd blinked and the vision had disappeared. Completely disoriented, I found myself standing in front of the bed’s outline, stroking the rock wall where I’d seen the symbol. It wasn’t there anymore. The rock was worn smooth. A sense of loss enveloped me before slipping away on the breeze, leaving me confused and mystified.
“There you are,” Aiden had said, appearing at my side.”I thought we’d lost ye.” When I didn’t immediately respond, he'd studied me with concern. “Are ye well?”
With one more glance at the stone walls that had turned cold under my fingertips, I'd nodded and followed him through the rest of the broch, my heart strangely full and empty all at the same time.
*****
Be sure to follow me on Twitter and Facebook to catch any future teasers I post! :)

When I Was a Wee Lass!

When I was in the eighth grade, I had a poem published in a literary book. My mom recently visited and brought me a copy of the book. Inside was another entry I'd submitted (a short story) which I actually like much more than the poem that was selected, so I thought I'd share it with you! To be fair, I have retyped it word for word, including typos (these were the days before spell check, after all!).
ATTACK!
The black and white kitten entered the room and found a bright orange ball of yarn across the floor waiting for him. The kitten approached it slowly and cautiously and became less sure of himself with every step. He laid on his stomach, crouched down very low, waiting for the right moment. The ball, about one foot away from the kitten, stood still, waiting for the exact time the kitten would strike. The small feline edged closer to the ball of orange yarn and stared continuosly at it. Suddenly the ball moved away from the kitten and he leaped to the side. He was breathing very hard now and his heart beat rapidly. The kitten, once again, dared to move toward the orange ball with constant awareness of all about him. His ears were perked and his hair stood straight on end as a quiver ran down his spine.
The ball looked innocent, as if unaware of him, but he would not be fooled by an orange ball. He know that this yarn knew exactly when he would strike and so he decided he must trick it. He walked slowly around the ball as if to surround it. The orange ball of yarn looked at the kitten with beady eyes as if to say, "You'll never get me! I'm too good for you!" He knew this look, for he had seen it many times before, but he knew he must conquer this yarn, for he was the king.
He continued on around the object and hissed fiercely. Finally, he knew the right moment had come. He leaped high into the air with all his strength and landed with a crash on the small orange ball. Alas! A small string of yarn came bleeding out of the orange ball and he stood tall on the wounded yarn, for he knew he had won!
Then suddenly, the ball was lifted onto the forbidden shelf and he was alone again. So on the carpet he laid, and rested his eyes while he basked in his victory.

New Fan Art of Aiden MacRae!

I love Aiden's Angels and how they use their gifts and talents to express their affection for Aiden MacRae. If you check the Aiden's Angels page of my site, you'll see the variety of art I've received from readers who love the crazy hot Scotsman like I do!

Today's fan art comes from Pau Castillo of the Philippines, who recently read Between and wrote an awesome review, saying how she flipped the last page and needed a good reason to move on with her life. LOL Gotta love that! :)

Pau creates fan art for characters she becomes attached to, though she says she's better at writing than drawing. Maybe she'll have to try her hand at writing a fanfic scene like these on the Aiden's Angels blog!

When I asked what it was about Aiden that inspired her, she said, "Aiden is, well, the kind of guy any girl would love to have and is rare to find nowadays. I love how he's such a gentleman to Lindsey and even honoring the sacredness of marriage before making love to her. It's the kind of chivalry that I personally rarely see nowadays."

I could not agree more. Aiden tries hard to do the right thing, to honor Lindsey, and to be virtuous, and that is one of the many things we all love about him!

Thanks, Pau, for your awesome fan art of Aiden MacRae, and to all of Aiden's Angels who work to spread the love of our courageous and smokin' hot Scot!

Win a Paperback Copy of Persephone's Orchard!

The Greek gods never actually existed. Did they? Sophie Darrow finds she was wrong about that assumption when she's pulled into the spirit realm, complete with an Underworld, on her first day at college. Adrian, the mysterious young man who brought her there, simply wants her to taste a pomegranate. 

Soon, though she returns to her regular life, her mind begins exploding with dreams and memories of ancient times; of a love between two Greeks named Persephone and Hades. But lethal danger has always surrounded the immortals, and now that she's tainted with the Underworld's magic, that danger is drawing closer to Sophie.

****

My lovely writer friend, Molly Ringle, has crafted a delicious and entrancing tale in Persephone's Orchard and I am lucky enough to have a signed paperback copy to give away to one lucky winner! You want this, people!

Enter below, and best of luck!

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How Do I Love to Tease Thee? Let Me Count The Ways!

I want to give a heartfelt thanks to Koomkey.com and to everyone who donated to the #VTtoRT campaign. We collected over $700 (including the generous match) toward's Vicki Trask's trip to the RT Convention in May! *sets off fireworks*

As a reward for your awesomeness, I posted on my FB page a couple teasers from the fourth and final book of the Between series. Just in case you missed them, here they are again!

*****

The windows rattled with the force of the wind and rain outside. Moonlight streamed into the room, interrupted only by the flickering candles around his altar. He stepped forward, chanting an incantation in a tongue that had not survived the ages, the one he was born to speak.

Ceriida telus kvarial
Hubride shalaa miejr

His hand disappeared into the folds of his cloak briefly as he extracted a sgian dubh with a razor sharp edge. On the altar rested a small cauldron, already brimming with the blood of an innocent girl he’d slain that morning in preparation for the evening’s rites. She was a street urchin; she would not be missed. Light as a feather in his steely grip, she’d made a soft, gurgling sound as he’d sliced the blade across her neck, extracting the necessary ingredient for his birthing ceremony. He’d dropped her in the shadows beside a dumpster to be collected with the day’s trash. She’d served her purpose. He felt no remorse.

Reveloria onghamii plius
Desari sodam glarava

The storm kicked up outside as he drew nearer the cauldron. A quick flash of silver and his own essence was mingling with that of the urchin’s. Drip. Hiss. Drip. Hiss. His nostrils flared at the familiar scent of the now writhing pool of blood.

Decevus uighel hy yawe
Torag avear iuyovir da

A shimmering haze formed in the air above the cauldron. Voice rising with each phrase, he lifted both arms and called to the souls on the other side of the portal. He felt their response to his summons like a vise grip on his lungs. His body shook with the effort to keep the wavering portal alive. Hell itself pressed against the thin film, waiting to be set free, waiting for the portal to be thrown open at last, the goal he had so utterly failed at before, but now lay within his reach.

*****


SPOILER ALERT: If you have not yet read Even In Darkness, you don't want to read this teaser, as it reveals a critical plot point from that book! 

*********

“When I finished my ride, Ian met me out at the barn and said he and Sarah have a surprise for us. We’re to come to the house as soon as you’re ready. Shall we be off to see what it is?” The dimple in his smile chased away my dark thoughts and I took a deep breath. Well, as deep a breath as I could manage with limited lung space.

“A surprise, huh? Don’t you think they’ve done enough for us already?” I gestured to the nursery with one hand.

“That they have. But love knows no bounds. Not theirs for us. And not mine for you.”

His lips came down over mine, soft and seeking. I opened for him and tasted him, got lost in him for a moment. When we pulled apart, his blue eyes had darkened and gone fuzzy around the edges. “Perhaps they can wait just a moment longer…” He reached down and picked me up, making me squawk in surprise. He grinned at me, obviously proud of his ability to still carry me in his arms. A chuckle bubbled up from deep within me. Damn, I was so lost to this man.

“You know, they say that sex can bring on labor,” I said with a teasing tone.

“What?” he said, his jaw dropping open so dramatically that I couldn’t help but laugh harder. “Truly?” he said with a waggle of his eyebrows.

“Stop it. You’re going to make me pee.”

With a flourish, he set me back on my feet and gave me a raucous wink. “Fine, pee. And then we’re going to see if what they say is true. I reckon we’ve waited long enough to meet this bairn.” With a smack on my bottom, he chased me down the hall to our tiny bathroom and waited for me, then led me into the bedroom where he proved just how creative he could be in getting his way.

Make an Angel's dream come true!

If you haven't heard, I am going to the RT Booklovers Convention in New Orleans in May 2014, and I am CRAZEEEE excited! I've never been to a major conference before and while part of me is completely terrified, the bigger part feels like a kid waiting for Christmas.

But, possibly the coolest thing about the trip is that I have made arrangements to room with Vicki Trask, president of the Aiden's Angels fan club! Even though Vicki and I email and tweet regularly with each other, we've never met in person.

Here's the deal, though. Vicki is a full-time student in Canada and she's going to have to scrounge up a pretty hefty chunk of change to make it to the conference. Even eating Top Ramen noodles and ketchup packets every day can only get you so far.

So I asked my incredible friends at koomkey.com to help us out, and they generously offered to match up to $300 in Koomkey donations to Vicki during the month of September. 

How cool is that??? I love those guys!!

So let's show what an amazing, loving community we have here in Aiden's Angels and help Vicki get to the RT Conference!!

To contribute, all you have to do is go to koomkey.com and send @vatrask a koomkey (aka a kashkey). Use the hashtag #VTtoRT so we can keep track.

Even donations as small as 25 cents will be matched, so don't be shy. Every little bit counts toward making this Angel's dream come true!

The campaign will run through September 30th. Please help spread the word and let's see if we can't raise enough to blast through that match and get Vicki to New Orleans.

Many thanks to all of you for being such awesome readers and friends. I adore you.

Now, go, Angels, go!! Like fierce, kilted warriors, we declare IT IS ON!!

We all love giveaways!

Fellow author Jacinda Buchmann is celebrating the paperback release of her book, Indigo Incite, and to show her love, I'm throwing in a free ebook of Between to her giveaway!

There are no secrets

Sixteen-year-old Tyler believed that his extra-sensory powers were a secret, but when his twin brother, Toby, is kidnapped by a covert government agency, he realizes that he has no secrets, and he has nowhere to hide.

He’s not alone

Now, in order to save himself and rescue his brother, Tyler must call upon the help of four strangers. Unknown to each other, Eddie, Liliana, Grace, and Sarah share a common bond. They are Indigo Children. With extra-sensory powers of their own, they must unite with Tyler in order to maintain their freedom.

Unexpected romance

They’re on the run. They’re on a mission. Romance is a distraction that Tyler can’t afford. But sometimes, the heart has a mind of its own.

Time is running out

Will they find Toby before the agency finds them first? Find out in Indigo Incite, Book One of the Indigo Trilogy.

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They're Here! New Covers for the Between Series

BIG NEWS!!

No one does the excited flail quite like Kermit the Frog. LOL

Kermit is showing just how excited I am to share the new covers for the Between series with all of you! Gabrielle Prendergast, Aiden's Angel extraordinaire, put her incredible skills to the test and after hours of scouring the web for pics of smoking hot guys (a tough job, but somebody's got to do it!), she put together these pieces of heaven to showcase our beloved Aiden MacRae!




Aren't they gorgeous? *swoons*
I can't thank Gabrielle from Cover Your Dreams enough for all the work and passion she put into these new covers. If you're an author, you MUST check out her work. Amazing creativity, professionalism, and lightning fast with all the nitpicky details that obnoxious authors like me throw at her.
The new ebook covers will start popping up online over the next week as the various retail sites upload the files. Print copies will still be in the old covers, and I have several on hand, so if you're hankering for a paperback, head over to the store to get a personalized copy with the old covers made out just for you.
Wait, you thought we were done?
Hells, no!
The lovely and talented Lindsay Cox from Violet Hour Book Reviews has come up with a new Aiden's Angels logo to go along with the new covers. Vicki Trask, prez of the fan club, is working hard to get them loaded onto the Cafe Press site so you can get Aiden's Angels gear with the new logo!


Thanks to all of Aiden's Angels for spreading the word about the new covers, and for sharing the love of this series with your friends and family. I wouldn't still be writing Aiden and Lindsey's journey if it weren't for all of you. Mwah!

New Between series covers coming Wednesday!

I've got exciting news to share with you! (As if you couldn't tell from my gif above- LOL)

While I adore the covers that Woulds 'N Shoulds Editing and Design made for the Between series, I've been thinking for a while now that I'd like to test the waters with covers that have more of a New Adult feel.

I got chatting on the subject with Aiden's Angel Gabrielle Prendergast who, lo and behold, makes awesome covers!

*gasp* I know, right?

Could I love the Angels more? No, I don't think so.

So Gabrielle took on the exceedingly difficult task of scrolling through thousands of pics of hot guys (yes, let's take a moment to appreciate her sacrifice) and came up with three new covers for the Between series that blew me away.

I know you're going to love them as much as I do!

This coming Wednesday, August 21st, we'll have a reveal of the beautiful new covers. If you didn't get the email that I sent out to all of Aiden's Angels and would like to participate in the cover reveal, just shoot me an email at cynditefft [at] gmail [.] com. << I have no idea if these sorts of things keep the webcrawlers from picking up my email, but it's worth a shot, right? 

Hopefully these new covers will bring more Angels into the fold so we can spread the love of Aiden MacRae far and wide!