Ranae Rose's Blog, page 25
March 30, 2012
Bringing the Past to Life
I was traveling this past week (just got back last night), and I skipped my Wednesday blog post because I had no wifi connection, only 3G. So I'm popping in here on a Friday to make up for it. :)
I think about the past a lot. It's really interesting to me, and as I mentioned in another post last week, I enjoy writing historicals more than anything else. So it's probably no surprise that I really like learning about history. Especially my family history -- I like to try to imagine what life was like for my family members and ancestors. Luckily for me, my family has a lot of historical info and objects, so I'm able to indulge this curiosity to a greater extent than most people.
When I read a history book, or hold an old war relic in my hand, I usually can't help but think that the past wasn't all that different -- not really. I mean, the times were different, and many aspects of life were different, but people were much the same. I guess human nature changes much, much more slowly than technology. So basically, it's easy for me to think of people who lived a long time ago like I think about modern people -- individuals with personalities, hopes for the future, responsibilties and goals. Of course, when writing about them, I like to give them a happily ever after, since falling in love with someone is something that could conceivably happen to anyone, whether the year is 1612 or 2012.
As an example, WWII isn't that far in the past, but it won't be long before everyone who experienced it first-hand is gone, and all we have are lots of records and relics to remind us of what it was like. Here's a letter (one of many I've had the pleasure of reading through) that my great-great grandmother sent overseas to my great grandfather when he was in Europe with the US Army during WWII. She sent it along with a watch and some photos. If you read the text and didn't know it was from WWII, you might possibly have thought that it was written last week. In reality, it's nearly 70 years old.
I think that to effectively bring the past to life in writing, the most important thing I can do is remember that people in the past were just that -- people, not so unlike you or me, just living with different sets of challenges. Conveying that may be a challenge in and of itself, but it's one I really enjoy. :)
P.S. My most recent historical release, Spirited Away, recently got it's first review, courtesy of The Romance Writer's Reads review blog. You can read it here if you'd like.
I think about the past a lot. It's really interesting to me, and as I mentioned in another post last week, I enjoy writing historicals more than anything else. So it's probably no surprise that I really like learning about history. Especially my family history -- I like to try to imagine what life was like for my family members and ancestors. Luckily for me, my family has a lot of historical info and objects, so I'm able to indulge this curiosity to a greater extent than most people.
When I read a history book, or hold an old war relic in my hand, I usually can't help but think that the past wasn't all that different -- not really. I mean, the times were different, and many aspects of life were different, but people were much the same. I guess human nature changes much, much more slowly than technology. So basically, it's easy for me to think of people who lived a long time ago like I think about modern people -- individuals with personalities, hopes for the future, responsibilties and goals. Of course, when writing about them, I like to give them a happily ever after, since falling in love with someone is something that could conceivably happen to anyone, whether the year is 1612 or 2012.
As an example, WWII isn't that far in the past, but it won't be long before everyone who experienced it first-hand is gone, and all we have are lots of records and relics to remind us of what it was like. Here's a letter (one of many I've had the pleasure of reading through) that my great-great grandmother sent overseas to my great grandfather when he was in Europe with the US Army during WWII. She sent it along with a watch and some photos. If you read the text and didn't know it was from WWII, you might possibly have thought that it was written last week. In reality, it's nearly 70 years old.
I think that to effectively bring the past to life in writing, the most important thing I can do is remember that people in the past were just that -- people, not so unlike you or me, just living with different sets of challenges. Conveying that may be a challenge in and of itself, but it's one I really enjoy. :)
P.S. My most recent historical release, Spirited Away, recently got it's first review, courtesy of The Romance Writer's Reads review blog. You can read it here if you'd like.
March 24, 2012
Six Sentence Sunday - Spirited Away
His cheeks burnt as a paralysing jolt of sensation shot up his leg and into his crotch, where his cock tingled beneath his rain-soaked breeches, swelling as he remembered her touch. He'd stopped her, then.
He knew now that he'd lost that ability when he'd lost her—to see her would be to hold her, and to hold her would be to make love to her, passionately and at once. Still, he wasn't sure he regretted his decision not to take her that day in the field, when she'd asked him to. To have done so—to have felt every inch of her soft skin, to have lost himself in her body, then to have lost her the very same day—he strongly suspected that might have killed him. Not that it stopped him from feeling as if he'd let her slip right through his fingers, gone now—wherever she was—to a place where he couldn't touch her, a place he just couldn't find, despite the fact that he was trying his damnedest!
A note for those who enjoyed last week's six : this six occurs very shortly afterward, during the same scene.
He knew now that he'd lost that ability when he'd lost her—to see her would be to hold her, and to hold her would be to make love to her, passionately and at once. Still, he wasn't sure he regretted his decision not to take her that day in the field, when she'd asked him to. To have done so—to have felt every inch of her soft skin, to have lost himself in her body, then to have lost her the very same day—he strongly suspected that might have killed him. Not that it stopped him from feeling as if he'd let her slip right through his fingers, gone now—wherever she was—to a place where he couldn't touch her, a place he just couldn't find, despite the fact that he was trying his damnedest!
A note for those who enjoyed last week's six : this six occurs very shortly afterward, during the same scene.
March 20, 2012
Revisiting & Redesigning a Legend
When I sat down at my laptop to write Haunted Passions, I wasn't building a new world -- not really. I was slipping into a world that I'd visited a hundred times before, a place I already knew the sights, sounds and smells of. I was even already aquainted with a handful of characters. That place was Sleepy Hollow, New York, just a few years after the American Revolution.
Washington Irving's classic The Legend of Sleepy Hollow has been one of my favorite stories since my early childhood, and it's no secret that it inspired my novel Haunted Passions, which tells the story of Brom Bones, Katrina Van Tassel and John Crane. (Yes, I'm calling him John instead of Ichabod -- I just couldn't imagine, let alone really write, someone sighing that name during a sex scene.) The story is set in that same legendary place that I've been imagining for years, but there are many differences between the original tale and my novel. Perhaps the most obvious is that in my story, Brom and John are in love instead of being at odds with each other. They're also both in love with Katrina Van Tassel, who returns their affections. This provides a lot of conflict since only one of them can marry her, of course. I thought the original quasi love-triangle aspect of the original story lent itself wonderfully to a ménage à trois romance. I also adjusted some of the characters' personality attributes to make them more, well, loveable, though readers will also see aspects of their original personalities.
But despite the glaring differences, writing Haunted Passions felt like going to a familiar place to me, because I'd visited it so often in my imagination. I think that's a mark of what a wonderful story the original Sleepy Hollow tale is.
It won't be long now before my version is released into the world, and I'm really looking forward to it. I'm extra-fond of this book not just because it was inspired by a classic story I love, but because I feel like historicals, particularly paranormal historicals, are where I can really unleash my voice and enjoy writing the most. Not that I hold back in other sub-genres, but there's just something about historicals that really suits my natural writing style. And the paranormal theme of the story gives it a dark edge, which is another quality that I think brings out the better aspects of my writing. Basically, this story is my perfect cup of tea as a writer. Anyway, enough of me rambling about how excited I am to share it with readers.
What about you? Do you enjoy reading stories inspired by your favorite classic tale(s)? Does it feel like visiting a world you already know and love?
I've read some romances inspired by classic tales and really enjoyed them. If I feel it's done well, it's fun for me to see old stories I like brought to life in new ways (especially romantic ways). ;)
That's Brom on the left with the dark hair, and John on the right with the longer hair. And of course, that's Katrina in the forefront. 
Washington Irving's classic The Legend of Sleepy Hollow has been one of my favorite stories since my early childhood, and it's no secret that it inspired my novel Haunted Passions, which tells the story of Brom Bones, Katrina Van Tassel and John Crane. (Yes, I'm calling him John instead of Ichabod -- I just couldn't imagine, let alone really write, someone sighing that name during a sex scene.) The story is set in that same legendary place that I've been imagining for years, but there are many differences between the original tale and my novel. Perhaps the most obvious is that in my story, Brom and John are in love instead of being at odds with each other. They're also both in love with Katrina Van Tassel, who returns their affections. This provides a lot of conflict since only one of them can marry her, of course. I thought the original quasi love-triangle aspect of the original story lent itself wonderfully to a ménage à trois romance. I also adjusted some of the characters' personality attributes to make them more, well, loveable, though readers will also see aspects of their original personalities.
But despite the glaring differences, writing Haunted Passions felt like going to a familiar place to me, because I'd visited it so often in my imagination. I think that's a mark of what a wonderful story the original Sleepy Hollow tale is.
It won't be long now before my version is released into the world, and I'm really looking forward to it. I'm extra-fond of this book not just because it was inspired by a classic story I love, but because I feel like historicals, particularly paranormal historicals, are where I can really unleash my voice and enjoy writing the most. Not that I hold back in other sub-genres, but there's just something about historicals that really suits my natural writing style. And the paranormal theme of the story gives it a dark edge, which is another quality that I think brings out the better aspects of my writing. Basically, this story is my perfect cup of tea as a writer. Anyway, enough of me rambling about how excited I am to share it with readers.
What about you? Do you enjoy reading stories inspired by your favorite classic tale(s)? Does it feel like visiting a world you already know and love?
I've read some romances inspired by classic tales and really enjoyed them. If I feel it's done well, it's fun for me to see old stories I like brought to life in new ways (especially romantic ways). ;)
That's Brom on the left with the dark hair, and John on the right with the longer hair. And of course, that's Katrina in the forefront.
March 17, 2012
Six Sentence Sunday - Spirited Away
He sighed softly as he entered the third floor hallway, feeling suddenly even colder than he had outside in the rain. The extra bedroom Caitlin had spent the night in was the first he passed, and even the sight of its closed door filled him with a fresh rush of the desperate heartache that had been his constant companion over the past week. The one night Caitlin had spent in his house out of necessity had been enough to transform it, imprinting each facet of its structure with her memory. Every staircase spanned a journey to the depths of his misery, and an agonising recollection waited behind each door; a sudden flash of the exact shade of pink her cheeks went when he kissed her, seen by his mind's eye, or a memory of her hair brushing his cheek, so vivid he almost thought it was real. Shutting his eyes against the sight of the hall where they had walked together, he pushed open his bedroom door. Here, at least, was a place she hadn't been.
March 15, 2012
Kiss me, I'm...
...offering a chance to win a Kindle Fire. LOL That's probably not the way you expected that sentence to end (especially not on the day before St. Patrick's Day), but it's the best I can do -- I'm a lot of things, but Irish isn't one of them. At least, I know more about my family heritage than most Americans, and to the best of my knowledge there are no Irishmen in the mix. However, I love a good excuse to have fun, so St. Patrick's Day is a welcome holiday. Plus, poor old St. Patrick's life was so rough, what with being abducted and being forced to herd sheep in a foreign country and all, that it only seems right to have a beer (or two, or three...) in his honor.
So, here's how it goes: everyone who leaves a comment on this post will be entered into a random drawing for:
1st Prize: winner's choice of a Kindle Fire or Nook Tablet
2nd Prize: winner's choice of a $90 Amazon or Barnes & Noble gift card
What will I be doing for St. Patrick's Day? Oh, nothing huge -- maybe having that beer or two I mentioned. And writing away at my desk, which is decorated with a potted sharmrock plant that looks so cute with its little white flowers. It's more about what I've been doing in preparation for St. Patrick's Day -- writing an entire romance based on Irish legend! I call it Spirited Away, and it just released from Total E Bound publishing.
Nothing can kill Caitlin's love for Aaron O'Brien - not being whisked away to the spirit world by the legendary bean sidhe of her homeland - not even death. When Irish settlers gather from miles around to celebrate Beltane at the O'Brien family's North Carolina estate, Caitlin McCarthy finds herself unexpectedly in the arms of the family's striking heir, Aaron O'Brien. But will they ever share more than a single kiss? When a flood traps Caitlin on O'Brien property and leaves her at Aaron's mercy, it seems so. Their sensual whirlwind courtship quickly escalates, but just as Aaron approaches Caitlin's father to request her hand in marriage, Caitlin finds herself whisked away into the spirit realm. Can she reunite with Aaron again, or does being Bean Sidhe mean leading a loveless existence?
Want to read an excerpt? Check out the two separate free excerpts HERE at my site and HERE at the publisher's site. Hope you enjoy them. :)
To participate in the contest for the ereader / giftcard, leave a comment on this post telling me if you're celebrating St. Patrick's Day, and what you'll be doing if you are. Be sure to include your e-mail address so that you can be contacted if you win.
And of course, don't forget to visit and comment on the other participating authors' blogs as well - each comment earns you and entry in the contest of the ereader and giftcard.
So, here's how it goes: everyone who leaves a comment on this post will be entered into a random drawing for:
1st Prize: winner's choice of a Kindle Fire or Nook Tablet
2nd Prize: winner's choice of a $90 Amazon or Barnes & Noble gift card
What will I be doing for St. Patrick's Day? Oh, nothing huge -- maybe having that beer or two I mentioned. And writing away at my desk, which is decorated with a potted sharmrock plant that looks so cute with its little white flowers. It's more about what I've been doing in preparation for St. Patrick's Day -- writing an entire romance based on Irish legend! I call it Spirited Away, and it just released from Total E Bound publishing.
Nothing can kill Caitlin's love for Aaron O'Brien - not being whisked away to the spirit world by the legendary bean sidhe of her homeland - not even death. When Irish settlers gather from miles around to celebrate Beltane at the O'Brien family's North Carolina estate, Caitlin McCarthy finds herself unexpectedly in the arms of the family's striking heir, Aaron O'Brien. But will they ever share more than a single kiss? When a flood traps Caitlin on O'Brien property and leaves her at Aaron's mercy, it seems so. Their sensual whirlwind courtship quickly escalates, but just as Aaron approaches Caitlin's father to request her hand in marriage, Caitlin finds herself whisked away into the spirit realm. Can she reunite with Aaron again, or does being Bean Sidhe mean leading a loveless existence?
Want to read an excerpt? Check out the two separate free excerpts HERE at my site and HERE at the publisher's site. Hope you enjoy them. :)
To participate in the contest for the ereader / giftcard, leave a comment on this post telling me if you're celebrating St. Patrick's Day, and what you'll be doing if you are. Be sure to include your e-mail address so that you can be contacted if you win.
And of course, don't forget to visit and comment on the other participating authors' blogs as well - each comment earns you and entry in the contest of the ereader and giftcard.
March 13, 2012
My Books: Not Just M/F Anymore. Here's Why.
Recently I announced my latest soon-to-be published novel, Haunted Passions. Perhaps the most obvious thing about Haunted Passions is that it's a ménage. Not only is it a ménage, but an m/m/f ménage, where an existing m/m relationship transitions into a ménage a trois. In this respect, Haunted Passions is unlike all the books I've published so far, which have all been m/f romances.
I don't just get exciting story ideas for m/f romances, but for less conventional couples (and groups of three) as well. As it just so happens, Haunted Passions sort of kills two birds with one stone by making it clear that I like to write m/m and ménage romance. In the future, you can expect to see more diversity among the lovers in my stories, in addition to more m/f romance, of course.
On a more personal note, the decision to go ahead and publish a romance with an m/m relationship was something I contemplated for a while before actually commiting to, because not everyone in my life is respectful of real-life gay or non-traditional relationships, let alone me deciding to write fictional ones. While I know the content wouldn't be a big deal to many people, I know I'm setting myself up for harsh judgment by publishing these sorts of books. However, I'm not in the business of trying to please everybody (I wouldn't be writing erotic romance if I was), and it's not in my nature to let that stop me from writing the stories I'm passionate about. And I didn't want to publish my non-m/f work under a pen name because I'm just as proud of it as my other work, and I think that many of the readers who enjoy my m/f work will enjoy my less traditional gender pairings/groupings as well. After all, regardless of the characters' gender(s), readers can still expect the same sexy trifecta that's at the core of every Ranae Rose book: true love, sizzling sex and a happy ending. ;)
So here it is, my debut ménage romance...
John Crane and Brom Bones are passionately in love – with each other, and with local beauty Katrina Van Tassel. When Brom becomes engaged to Katrina, John is sure the wedding will tear them apart. But Brom is determined to keep both of his lovers, and Katrina has some secret desires of her own. Is it possible for three people to be in love? Their passion won't be enough to keep them together if something isn't done about the evil that's haunting Sleepy Hollow: a headless horseman who rides to kill.
I don't just get exciting story ideas for m/f romances, but for less conventional couples (and groups of three) as well. As it just so happens, Haunted Passions sort of kills two birds with one stone by making it clear that I like to write m/m and ménage romance. In the future, you can expect to see more diversity among the lovers in my stories, in addition to more m/f romance, of course.
On a more personal note, the decision to go ahead and publish a romance with an m/m relationship was something I contemplated for a while before actually commiting to, because not everyone in my life is respectful of real-life gay or non-traditional relationships, let alone me deciding to write fictional ones. While I know the content wouldn't be a big deal to many people, I know I'm setting myself up for harsh judgment by publishing these sorts of books. However, I'm not in the business of trying to please everybody (I wouldn't be writing erotic romance if I was), and it's not in my nature to let that stop me from writing the stories I'm passionate about. And I didn't want to publish my non-m/f work under a pen name because I'm just as proud of it as my other work, and I think that many of the readers who enjoy my m/f work will enjoy my less traditional gender pairings/groupings as well. After all, regardless of the characters' gender(s), readers can still expect the same sexy trifecta that's at the core of every Ranae Rose book: true love, sizzling sex and a happy ending. ;)
So here it is, my debut ménage romance...
John Crane and Brom Bones are passionately in love – with each other, and with local beauty Katrina Van Tassel. When Brom becomes engaged to Katrina, John is sure the wedding will tear them apart. But Brom is determined to keep both of his lovers, and Katrina has some secret desires of her own. Is it possible for three people to be in love? Their passion won't be enough to keep them together if something isn't done about the evil that's haunting Sleepy Hollow: a headless horseman who rides to kill.
March 12, 2012
Today is Release Day for Spirited Away
Nothing can kill Caitlyn's love for Aaron O'Brien - not being whisked away to the spirit world by the legendary bean sidhe of her homeland - not even death.
When Irish settlers gather from miles around to celebrate Beltane at the O'Brien family's North Carolina estate, Caitlin McCarthy finds herself unexpectedly in the arms of the family's striking heir, Aaron O'Brien. But will they ever share more than a single kiss?
When a flood traps Caitlin on O'Brien property and leaves her at Aaron's mercy, it seems so. Their sensual whirlwind courtship quickly escalates, but just as Aaron approaches Caitlin's father to request her hand in marriage, Caitlin finds herself whisked away into the spirit realm. Can she reunite with Aaron again, or does being Bean Sidhe mean leading a loveless existence?
Read an excerpt from Spirited Away and/or purchase directly from the publisher here. Available in all e-formats, including direct-send to kindle.
Read a different, exclusive excerpt here at my website.
March 10, 2012
Six Sentence Sunday - Spirited Away
Caitlin managed to hold on well enough until the crazed horse encountered a fallen tree and promptly launched itself over it, overcompensating by at least two feet. Temporarily airborne, Caitlin's life flashed before her eyes—the parts involving Aaron, anyway. Once, she'd felt just as weightless as she did now, but it had been a completely different experience. His strong arms had supported her and his warm kiss had grounded her. Only the rain touched her now, pummelling her face and body with tiny blows, as if to aid gravity in forcing her back to the ground as quickly as possible. Strange that it should end this way, she thought, feeling oddly detached from her own terrifying circumstance—their promising reunion ruined by a flaming coyote.
Thanks for stopping by to read the first six I've shared from Spirited Away, my Irish legend-themed historical romance which features my Irish-American couple Caitlin and Aaron, and releases tomorrow. Hope you enjoyed! :)
Thanks for stopping by to read the first six I've shared from Spirited Away, my Irish legend-themed historical romance which features my Irish-American couple Caitlin and Aaron, and releases tomorrow. Hope you enjoyed! :)
March 5, 2012
Giving Blondes Guns (Ah, Leon)
As you read this (if you're reading it on the day I posted it), I'm probably sitting in a salon having my hair done. So last night when I sat down to write this post and schedule it for today, I decided to go with that theme: hairstyles. More specifically, the hair styles I give my heroines. But a few minutes' consideration of that fairly mundane topic led to a more interesting discovery.
Honestly, when I sat down and contemplated my heroine's hairstyles - perhaps an intrinsically shallow subject - I didn't expect to come up with any earth-shattering revelations. But after I got past the initial stages of noting things like the fact that I've given all of my heroine's long hair, I realized something pretty weird about myself: every time I write a blonde hero or heroine, I give them a gun.
Mandy from Lonely Alpha. A hero and heroine couple from a not-quite-finished WIP. All blonde. All armed. James from Taken Hostage, not quite blonde with his golden-brown hair...still has a gun (a necessity for any serious bank robber). Why do I always arm my blondes? I thought about it, and then the answer hit me all at once, like lightning...
Leon.
Oh, Leon. Is your awesomeness really that deeply rooted in my brain, affecting my subconscious thoughts to the point that I literally cannot create a blonde hero or heroine without writing a gun into their hand?
I guess when I think of a strong and likeable blonde hero(ine), I think of Leon Kennedy, who's always armed to the teeth, and a great shot (thanks to the fact that I'm the one manning the Wii controller). If you don't know who that is, he's a character from the Resident Evil video game franchise, and also my video game crush (well, one of them...there's another blonde, with a sword, but anyway...). So everytime you read about a gun-wielding blonde in one of my books, you have this guy to thank.
That might seem a little weird, but it would probably seem even weirder if I explained how much I love Leon Kennedy (I may or may not have, but definitely did, try to name my son after him). I've already admitted to my childhood crushes on Raphael the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle and Peter Pan in another post on this blog though, so I don't really have any reservations about 'fessing up about my favorite fictional heart-throbs. I mean, just look at him - he may be a bit pixelated at times, but he's fearless, and he has adorable hair.
Anyway, now that I've identified this strange habit of mine, maybe I'll start letting some unarmed blondes into my stories. In fact, a novel I recently finished includes a blonde heroine who never lays hands on a firearm. She's a character from a classic American folktale though, so I can't claim her as a pure creation of my Leon-biased imagination.
Or maybe I won't stop. I really like all these blonde, gun-wielding characters. Especially Leon.
Leon as I first fell in love with him, playing Resident Evil 4. He's so much braver about the zombies than I am.
Honestly, when I sat down and contemplated my heroine's hairstyles - perhaps an intrinsically shallow subject - I didn't expect to come up with any earth-shattering revelations. But after I got past the initial stages of noting things like the fact that I've given all of my heroine's long hair, I realized something pretty weird about myself: every time I write a blonde hero or heroine, I give them a gun.
Mandy from Lonely Alpha. A hero and heroine couple from a not-quite-finished WIP. All blonde. All armed. James from Taken Hostage, not quite blonde with his golden-brown hair...still has a gun (a necessity for any serious bank robber). Why do I always arm my blondes? I thought about it, and then the answer hit me all at once, like lightning...
Leon.
Oh, Leon. Is your awesomeness really that deeply rooted in my brain, affecting my subconscious thoughts to the point that I literally cannot create a blonde hero or heroine without writing a gun into their hand?
I guess when I think of a strong and likeable blonde hero(ine), I think of Leon Kennedy, who's always armed to the teeth, and a great shot (thanks to the fact that I'm the one manning the Wii controller). If you don't know who that is, he's a character from the Resident Evil video game franchise, and also my video game crush (well, one of them...there's another blonde, with a sword, but anyway...). So everytime you read about a gun-wielding blonde in one of my books, you have this guy to thank.
That might seem a little weird, but it would probably seem even weirder if I explained how much I love Leon Kennedy (I may or may not have, but definitely did, try to name my son after him). I've already admitted to my childhood crushes on Raphael the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle and Peter Pan in another post on this blog though, so I don't really have any reservations about 'fessing up about my favorite fictional heart-throbs. I mean, just look at him - he may be a bit pixelated at times, but he's fearless, and he has adorable hair.
Anyway, now that I've identified this strange habit of mine, maybe I'll start letting some unarmed blondes into my stories. In fact, a novel I recently finished includes a blonde heroine who never lays hands on a firearm. She's a character from a classic American folktale though, so I can't claim her as a pure creation of my Leon-biased imagination.
Or maybe I won't stop. I really like all these blonde, gun-wielding characters. Especially Leon.
Leon as I first fell in love with him, playing Resident Evil 4. He's so much braver about the zombies than I am.
March 3, 2012
Six Sentence Sunday - Lonely Alpha
Opening her eyelids was like lifting a car, but she finally managed and was rewarded by the sight of the most gloriously handsome man she'd ever seen. His hair was standing on end, there were flecks of blood on his jaw and his eyes were gleaming with something halfway between insanity and tentative joy, but she still thought so. Another man stood – no, towered – some distance behind him. Her heart sped as terrifying memories sent a jolt of awareness through her mind. "Jack." It came out a whisper, though she'd meant to scream his name in warning.
