S.C. Mitchell's Blog, page 23
May 26, 2015
Hawk Vision
Today I’m turning over my blog to my friends C. D. (Catherine and Donald) Hersh. Take it away guys:
Steve,
Thanks for letting us share some background on one of our character’s special skills.
When most readers hear the word “paranormal” along with the term “shape-shifter” they immediately think werewolves. While the shape-shifters in our books could be a wolf, more often than not they have other animal forms. The Keeper of the Stone, Eli, tells another character, “Our animal egos can be anything, even a titmouse, although ’tis nae an animal most would want.”
Readers might wonder why we chose to step outside the bounds of “normal shape-shifting” characters. It’s because we thought that other creatures in the animal kingdom had interesting abilities that could contribute something special to our stories.
In Son of the Moonless Night a hawk shifter plays a special part in the story. Why a hawk you ask? Here are a few things about the hawk that caught our attention and worked very well with the skill sets of our shifters.
In our shifter world, shape shifters can sense each other from thirty feet away. To make our hawk shifter special, we gave him a larger sensing range than the normal shape shifter. It follows then, that his animal ego would have enhanced visual/ sensing range.
Normal human beings have 20/20 vision. When standing 20 feet away from something you see it as if you are 20 feet away. Hawks, however, have 20/2 vision. When 20 feet away, they see an object as if it was 2 feet away. They could read a book from twenty feet. A hawk for example can see a hare or mouse from a mile away.
This makes it very easy for our hawk shifter to soar in the air and see the bigger picture when he is hunting for rogue shifters. Also, normal bystanders would think nothing of seeing a hawk in the air, but a wolf in the city would cause alarm. Additionally, there is something majestic about a hawk compared to a wolf. We do have some of the canis lupus family creatures in our books, as well as felines. To date, however, we have not created a titmouse. But we still have three stories to go, so who knows.
Do you have a favorite animal with special abilities that you’d like to see in a book as a shifter? Let us know, and maybe we can work your animal into one of the remaining books.
Title – Son of the Moonless Night, The Turning Stone Chronicles, book three
Author – C.D. Hersh
Genre – Urban Fantasy, Paranormal Suspense Romance
Heat Level – Sensual
Release Date: May 27th, 2015
HOOK
Thrust back into the world of paranormal huntress, Deputy Coroner Katrina Romanovski must unravel a string of murders she believes are vampire attacks. When she discovers the shape shifter she’s in love with is the murderer, she must reconcile her feelings for him, examine her life of violence against paranormals, and justify deceiving him in order to bring him to justice.
BLURB
Owen Todd Jordan Riley has a secret. He’s a shape shifter who has been hunting and killing his own kind. To him the only good shifter is a dead shifter. Revenge for the death of a friend motivates him, and nothing stands in his way . . . except Katrina Romanovski, the woman he is falling in love with.
Deputy coroner Katrina Romanovski has a secret, too. She hunts and kills paranormal beings like Owen. At least she did. When she rescues Owen from an attack by a werebear she is thrust back into the world she thought she’d left. Determined to find out what Owen knows about the bear, she begins a relationship meant to collect information. What she gets is something quite different-love with a man she suspects of murder. Can she reconcile his deception and murderous revenge spree and find a way to redeem him? Or will she condemn him for the same things she has done and walk away from love?
Excerpt:
A crash in the alley stopped Katrina Romanovski mid-stride. Like the October mist swirling in off the lake, her gypsy blood stirred sending her intuition into high gear. Something unnatural was happening.
Go see what’s wrong. She heard her father’s voice as clearly as if he stood next to her.
On the heels of his words came her mother’s pragmatic warning in clipped British tones. You know what curiosity killed. Katrina pushed the ever-present warning aside. Mom never approved of Dad’s supernatural hunts and even less of his drawing her into them.
Pulling the oversized cross she always wore out from under her shirt, Kat looked around for a weapon. Please, not a vampire. I hate vampires! A piece of wood sticking out of the trashcan at the front of the alley caught her eye.
Grabbing it, she broke the end off into a sharp point. The mist-filled air filtered the light from the single bulb over one of the alley doorways. The wind swirled the loose trash around making a quiet approach difficult. Sidestepping the paper, with the stake in one hand and holding the gun she took from her purse in the other hand, she crept into the alley.
A roar echoed against the buildings, the sound nearly sending her running. That roar wasn’t a vampire. It sounded more like an animal. Kat inched closer. In the yellow pool of light from the back door of the building, a black bear, over seven feet tall, reared on its back legs and swung its paw at the man standing at the edge of the light. He crashed to the ground, shirt torn open from the slashing claws. Blood covered the fabric, and he clasped his left hand over his shoulder to stem the flow. The bear bent toward him, teeth bared in a smile. A wicked smile.
Kat aimed her gun, but before she could pull the trigger, a shot rang out. The flash of gunpowder lit the face of the injured man. The blast reverberated against the buildings. With an enraged bellow, the bear staggered backward against the wall. Shaking his head, the animal dropped to all four paws. Weaving like a drunk, he lumbered toward his attacker. The man took aim again, shooting the animal between the eyes. Animal and human collapsed on the dirty, littered pavement.
As she started to move forward, Kat’s gypsy senses crawled over her skin like angry red ants. As she slipped back into the shadows, the bear shed fur. Changing size. Then, finally, turning into a man.
Shape shifters. Her stake wasn’t any good against them, and her bullets weren’t silver. This one appeared dead anyway. Had the wounded man seen the shift? Tossing the stake aside, she paused by the shifter and quickly moved to the wounded man. Out cold. Still human.
When she touched him, his eyelids fluttered open. “Did I get it?”
“What?”
“The bear.”
Amazon buy links:
The Promised One (The Turning Stone Chronicles Book 1):
eBook: http://amzn.com/B00DUMODKI
paperback: http://amzn.com/1619353504
Blood Brothers (The Turning Stone Chronicles Book 2):
eBook: http://amzn.com/B00OVNFC8W
paperback: http://amzn.com/1619358271
Son of the Moonless Night (The Turning Stone Chronicles Book 3):
eBook: http://amzn.com/B00XK3E172
Bio:
Putting words and stories on paper is second nature to co-authors C.D. Hersh. They’ve written separately since they were teenagers and discovered their unique, collaborative abilities in the mid-90s. As high school sweethearts and husband and wife, Catherine and Donald believe in true love and happily ever after.
Together they have co-authored a number of dramas, six which have been produced in Ohio, where they live. Their interactive Christmas production had five seasonal runs in their hometown and has been sold in Virginia, California, and Ohio. Their most recent collaborative writing efforts have been focused on romance. The first two books of their paranormal romance series entitled The Turning Stone Chronicles are available on Amazon. The third book in the series Son of the Moonless Night will be released May 27th by Soul Mate Publishing.
Where you can find CD:
Website: http://cdhersh.wordpress.com/
Blog: http://cdhersh.wordpress.com/blog-2/
Soul Mate Publishing: http://smpauthors.wordpress.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/cdhershauthor
Amazon Author Page: http://www.amazon.com/C.-D.-Hersh/e/B00DV5L7ZI
Twitter: https://twitter.com/AuthorCDHersh
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/CDHersh
May 23, 2015
Son of Thunder – Now on sale!
Son of Thunder – Now on sale, just 99¢: http://www.amazon.com/Son-Thunder-Heavenly-Series-ebook/dp/B00BJ64GPY
May 21, 2015
Thursday Threads – The Tithe
Thursday Threads returns with a new season kicked off by Elle Hill’s Science Fiction Romance The Tithe:
The Tithe
By Elle Hill
Genre: Science fiction romance
Heat level: Sensuous
Back blurb:
“Every seven years, seven persons from each of the ten towns must go into the desert, where they will enter into the realm of Elovah, their God.”
No one knows exactly what happens to these seventy Tithes, but everyone knows who: the “unworkables,” those with differing physical and mental capacities. Joshua Barstow, raised for twenty years among her town’s holy women, is one of these seventy Tithes. She is joined by the effervescent Lynna, the scholarly Avery, and the amoral Blue, a man who has spent most of his life in total solitude.
Each night, an angel swoops down to take one of their numbers. Each night, that is, except the first, when the angel touches Josh… and leaves her. What is so special about Josh? She doesn’t feel special; she feels like a woman trying to survive while finally learning the meanings of friendship, community, and love.
How funny that she had to be sacrificed to find reasons to live.
Excerpt:
The lights in the Great Room went out.
No flickers, no dimming, no sizzling sounds—nothing. Just darkness where light used to be.
A man cried out and several people gasped.
“It’s all right, everyone,” Marcus called. Really, he was beginning to annoy Josh, too. He didn’t know that. No one did. “I’m sure this has—”
A whooshing sound, like air displaced, sliced through the room. For a tiny, tense moment, no one spoke.
“Is it an angel?” a child’s voice asked.
Several voices broke out then, some in shouts, some in startled cries, one or two in terror.
Just like the night before, the fold and crack of feathered wings in motion breathed through the room. Weak light from the multiple hallways leaked through the perimeters. Now that her eyes had adjusted to the sudden darkness, Josh found she could identify vague outlines.
Someone a few seats down leapt to her feet and hurled herself toward Josh, perhaps seeking the sterile safety of the kitchen. She stumbled over Josh’s outstretched legs and hurtled to the ground. Josh gasped in pain.
And still, the snap and sigh of wings overhead.
Josh wanted to stand up, to defend herself. She wanted to shrink into the upholstery, to make herself as small as possible. In the end, she sat still, trembling in indecision.
“The angels!” someone cried in something like terror, or perhaps ecstasy.
“Keep them away from me!” Someone—she thought it might be Len—shrieked.
Several people jumped to their feet and pushed their way through the room, seeking some kind of safety. The woman who’d tripped over Josh lay whimpering on the ground.
Whump, whump . . .
A warm arm encircled Josh’s shoulder. She shrieked before realizing it belonged to Blue. The baggy sleeves of his black tunic partially covered her head. She turned to him, and he pressed her closer.
I don’t think I want to court you, she remembered him saying, and almost sprayed laughter. Who knew they’d practically snuggle later that day?
The thump of wings grew closer. An outline of a human-sized object hurtled through the air and the darkness toward her. What had to be its wings spread around it, moving and tilting. Some stray ray of light gleamed whitely off the area where eyes should be. They seemed fixed directly on her.
Links:
Email: elle@ellehill.com
Website: www.ellehill.com
Blog: ellehillauthor.blogspot.com/
Book buy link: http://www.amazon.com/Tithe-Elle-Hill-ebook/dp/B00MVCPJFG
April 30, 2015
Thursday Threads
Today on Thursday Threads we feature Char Chaffin and her wonderful romantic suspense novel Unsafe Haven:
UNSAFE HAVEN
By Char Chaffin
Genre: Romantic Suspense
Heat Level: Sensual
Blurb:
For Kendall Martin, a small, remote village in Southwest Alaska seems like a good place to start over. On the run from an abusive relationship, she leaves everything familiar behind and begins a new life as owner of a small souvenir and sportsman trading post in picturesque Staamat.
Denn Nulo knows everyone in town: he���s the Chief of Police in Staamat. He���s lived there all his life, except for his college years, spent in Anchorage. Originally planning on practicing criminal law and living in Anchorage permanently, Denn is forced to change his plans when he receives word that his widowed mother has passed away, leaving his young sister, Luna, alone. Denn comes back to Staamat to care for Luna.
When Kendall meets Denn, she begins to believe there are truly good men in the world. Denn is everything she wants: strong, loving, dedicated to family, protective . . . and patient. There is instant attraction between them, but Kendall is leery of men, and Denn craves a serious relationship that includes marriage and children. Their courtship is a conflicting mix of hesitancy and passion, with Luna, desperately needing a mother figure in her life, cheering them on.
As Kendall learns how to trust again and her romance with Denn grows more intense, a local woman who���s had her eye on Denn for years releases a torrent of damaging jealousy . . . and the nightmare from Kendall���s past discovers where she���s hidden herself.
Excerpt:
���Ah, Christ. You���re killing me.��� He fumbled for the nearest wall, propped her against it, and took her mouth hungrily. She fisted her hands in his hair, nipping his full bottom lip. The kiss went deeper, and she could have sobbed from the glory of it.
They broke apart, both panting. Kendall slowly unwound her legs and Denn loosened his hold, letting her slide down his body until her feet touched the floor. She felt every hard muscle along the way.
���Hell.��� He sucked in a shaky breath. ���I don���t want to leave you here.���
���I���ll be all right,��� Kendall lied. She wanted him to stay, wanted him in her bed, all night, and then she wanted to awaken in the morning, safe in his arms. They���d known each other less than two months, and she wanted forever.
I must be crazed with lust. That���s the only explanation.
���You know, you don���t have to stay here alone.��� He caressed her cheek as he gazed at her, still pressed intimately against her. ���You could come home with me.���
���Eventually I have to live here, Denn. By myself. I have to get used to it,��� she pointed out.
���But not tonight, okay? Come home with me, Kendall. Stay with me, tonight.���
���We���ll end up in bed together.��� It was a question and a statement.
He slowly nodded. ���Yeah.���
She whispered into his shirt, ���We���ll end up making love.���
���I can just about guarantee it.���
Fascinated by the strong, steady pulse at the side of his neck, she shuddered to think of what lay ahead, if she said ���yes.��� Most of the shudders were from excitement.
He waited patiently in her dimly lit store while she battled inner demons he might never understand or be able to accept.
���Kendall . . .��� His voice held a rough plea.
She took a deep breath and raised her eyes to his. ���I should pack a few things.��� She hesitated, and took the final plunge. ���I���ll need my contact lens case, too.���
His smile, wide and happy, blinded her. ���I can wait.���
Buy it on Amazon:��http://www.amazon.com/Unsafe-Haven-Char-Chaffin-ebook/dp/B0097A0NY2/
Links:
Book Trailer for Unsafe Haven:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZJieck3U17Y&feature=youtu.be
My website: http://char.chaffin.com
Facebook: http://facebook.com/char.chaffin
Twitter: http://twitter.com/char_chaffin
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5337737.Char_Chaffin
Soul Mate Publishing: http://www.soulmatepublishing.com/char-chaffin/
April 29, 2015
Amazing Acapella
I’m over on The Spice Aisle today with a little Dinner Music. Stop by for some Amazing Acapella:
http://spiceaisleromance.com/2015/04/amazingly-acapella/
April 24, 2015
Get your own Werewolf, FREE!
Now through Wednesday I’ve put There’s no such thing as Werewolves up for FREE:
Get your copy here: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B007KAE45A
April 9, 2015
Thursday Threads – The Highlander’s Outlaw Bride
Today on Thursday Threads we feature Cathy MacRae‘s wonderful historical romance, The Highlander’s Outlaw Bride:
Genre: Scottish historical romance
Heat level: Sensual
Blurb:
Thrust into the role of laird upon his father’s unexpected death, Connor MacLaurey returns home to find his cousin has usurped his lands and title. Furthermore, his betrothed–a lass he barely knows and certainly did not agree to marry–is hunted by the sheriff, accused of stealing cattle. His plan is to petition the king for clemency for the foolish chit, break the betrothal, and take his castle back from his treacherous cousin. Marriage is not in his plans.
Brianna Douglas has no use for men. Widowed young, berated daily for failing to give her husband a child, and sent home in subsequent disgrace, she devotes her life to holding her family’s land for her young brother as their sotted father drowns his sorrow in whisky over her mother’s death. Raiders have hit her clan hard, and to save them, she finds herself betrothed to Laird MacLaurey’s absent son to seal a pact of protection with the MacLaurey clan.
Forced into a marriage neither wants, it will take a king’s edict and sacrifice from both to discover what love means. But can they accept their losses and learn from their mistakes before Brianna marries another?
* * *
Excerpt:
���Explain why ye hate me so.��� Conn���s voice sounded soft and low, both gentling and demanding at the same time.
Brianna glanced past him, her gaze darting from side to side, judging the possibility of escape. There was none, and after a moment she lifted her chin a notch, refusing to answer him. He hid a grin at her courage and pride. And stubbornness.
���Have ye always disliked the idea of marriage, then?���
A disdainful breath escaped her. ���I was married once before. It dinnae interest me much then, either.���
���Yer previous husband was only a lad. Heir to a sizeable bit of land, but still just a lad.���
���And ye can do better,��� she tossed at him, repeating his earlier boast to the king.
���Ye know I can.��� He touched the backs of his fingers to her cheek and she gasped, her skin darkening beneath his touch. ���I cannae get our love-making out of my mind.���
Brianna shrugged. ���Och, there was nothing to recommend it to me. I have already put it from my mind.���
���I apologize for that, dearling. Ye willnae feel so bereft the next time, I promise ye.���
���Dinnae bother. All I want from ye is Morven���s protection for Wyndham.���
He met her steely stare. ���Ye dinnae want me?���
���Nae,��� she ground between clenched teeth, her nostrils flaring.
���Ye werenae married long enough to appreciate a man in yer bed. I bet ye still have yer dowry chest.��� He teased her lightly, wanting to see a smile on her lips.
���I burned the wood to warm my cold bedroom,��� she snarled in reply.
���Yer wedding dress?���
���Rags for the stable!���
He leaned closer, his voice a raw whisper in her ear. ���I would settle for marrying ye the way I found ye.��� Brianna eyed him in puzzlement, and he knew the instant she remembered he had pulled her from the burn as naked as the day she was born.
With a snarl of either rage or despair, she flung herself away from the wall. Before he could stop her, she darted beneath his arm and fled down the darkened hallway, her billowing silver hair the last thing to fade into the darkness.
* * *
Buy Link: http://www.amzn.com/B00UD9JMBQ
Author Bio:
Cathy enjoys weaving tales of romance in the Highland mists. Her stories feature strong heroes and feisty heroines in pursuit of their happy-ever-afters in medieval Scotland.
When not writing, Cathy can be found curled up in a chair with a book or enjoying the outdoors with her corgis and newest member of the family, Freki. A member of RWA and Celtic Hearts Romance Writers, she is currently working on another Highland romance novel and planning her next trip to Scotland.
Check out her website at http://www.cathymacraeauthor.com for book updates, writing and author posts, as well as her thoughts on gardening and dogs. She would love to hear from you!
Amazon author page
Twitter
Facebook
April 7, 2015
Romance Weekly – Lights, Camera, Action
Do you like to read romance novels? Wouldn’t you like to know more about your favorite authors? Well you came to the right place! Join the writers of Romance Weekly as we go behind the scenes of our books and tell all….. About our writing of course! Every week we’ll answer questions and after you’ve enjoyed the blog on this site we’ll direct you to another. So come back often for a thrilling ride!
RWW also has a website with its own blog, a newsletter, and can be found on Facebook, and Twitter (@LoveChatWrite).
Jo Richardson started off today’s blog tour by showing us the cast of her amazing (and hilarious) new novel Cookie Cutter. if you’re starting your blog tour here, jump back and take a look: http://jrrichardsonfics.weebly.com/the-blog
Today Victoria Barbour wants us to show her the cast of your most recent book or WIP.
And check out her Forever Geek series. It’s amazing:
Welcome to Hearts in Orbit, Volume 2: Pirates of the Dark Nebula, the movie. Casting couch ready? Lets go:
Emma Stone
Playing Doctor Luna Callista is the incomparable Emma Stone. The auburn Haired, green eyed actress is a perfect match for my description. And she’s hot.
The brilliant Luna Callista is the sister of Phoebe from the first Hearts in Orbit book, The Blarmling Dilemma, and she’s got a galaxy-changing new technology that the pirates want.
James Marsden
Our Hero, Rik Mazar is played by the dashing James Marsden. An undercover galactic marshal, Rik has been entrenched with the Pirates of the Dark Nebula for three years. He barely remembers what it’s like to be ‘normal.’ When Luna falls into his hands, it’s time to get out.
Benedict Cumberbatch
Benedict Cumberbatch plays Luna’s brilliant colleague, Doctor Ian von Alderamin, the inventor of the Tractor Beam, and Starship Cloaking device. Together he and Luna hold the key to the galaxy’s next biggest technological breakthrough.
Carol Kane
Carol Kane plays the mysterious Magda Konicie, a Ferang fortuneteller and mystic. Magda has ‘the sight.’
Peter Dinklage
Reprising his role from The Blarmling Dilemma is Peter Dinklage as Markus Stout. Markus, the diminutive clown from Rotund’s Traveling Galactic Show, takes on a more serious role in this movie as the protector of a group of back-water refugees and programer of photon torpedoes on The Starboard Mist.
Jaden Smith
Jaden smith has been tapped to play Quatrain Tyson. Quatrain, a thirteen-year-old next-generation computer gamer (with loads of attitude) becomes The Starboard Mist’s top gunner.
Penelope Cruz
Last, but certainly not least, our villain, Kristin Devenport played by Penelope Cruz. We also met Kristin in The Blarmling Dilemma as a side character. Here she takes center stage as the pirate you’ll love to hate.
So, who did Leslie Hachtel cast for her latest work? Find out by continuing the tour: https://lesliehachtelwriter.wordpress.com/
Romance Weekly ��� Lights, Camera, Action
Do you like to read romance novels? Wouldn���t you like to know more about your favorite authors? Well you came to the right place! Join the writers of Romance Weekly as we go behind the scenes of our books and tell all���.. About our writing of course! Every week we���ll answer questions and after you���ve enjoyed the blog on this site we���ll direct you to another. So come back often for a thrilling ride!
RWW also has a website with its own blog, a newsletter, and can be found on Facebook, and Twitter (@LoveChatWrite).
Jo Richardson started off today’s blog tour by showing us the cast of her amazing (and hilarious) new novel Cookie Cutter. if you’re starting your blog tour here, jump back and take a look: http://jrrichardsonfics.weebly.com/the-blog
Today Victoria Barbour wants us to show her the cast of your most recent book or WIP.
And check out her Forever Geek series. It’s amazing:
Welcome to Hearts in Orbit, Volume 2: Pirates of the Dark Nebula, the movie. Casting couch ready? Lets go:
Emma Stone
Playing Doctor Luna Callista is the incomparable Emma Stone. The auburn Haired, green eyed actress is a perfect match for my description. And she’s hot.
The brilliant Luna Callista is the sister of Phoebe from the first Hearts in Orbit book, The Blarmling Dilemma, and she’s got a galaxy-changing new technology that the pirates want.
James Marsden
Our Hero, Rik Mazar is played by the dashing James Marsden. An undercover galactic marshal, Rik has been entrenched with the Pirates of the Dark Nebula for three years. He barely remembers what it’s like to be ‘normal.’ When Luna falls into his hands, it’s time to get out.
Benedict Cumberbatch
Benedict Cumberbatch plays Luna’s brilliant colleague, Doctor Ian von Alderamin, the inventor of the Tractor Beam, and Starship Cloaking device. Together he and Luna hold the key to the galaxy’s next biggest technological breakthrough.
Carol Kane
Carol Kane plays the mysterious Magda Konicie, a Ferang fortuneteller and mystic. Magda has ‘the sight.’
Peter Dinklage
Reprising his role from The Blarmling Dilemma is Peter Dinklage as Markus Stout. Markus, the diminutive clown from Rotund’s Traveling Galactic Show, takes on a more serious role in this movie as the protector of a group of back-water refugees and programer of photon torpedoes on The Starboard Mist.
Jaden Smith
Jaden smith has been tapped to play Quatrain Tyson. Quatrain, a thirteen-year-old next-generation computer gamer (with loads of attitude) becomes The Starboard Mist’s top gunner.
Penelope Cruz
Last, but certainly not least, our villain, Kristin Devenport played by Penelope Cruz. We also met Kristin in The Blarmling Dilemma as a side character. Here she takes center stage as the pirate you’ll love to hate.
So, who did Leslie Hachtel cast for her latest work? Find out by continuing the tour: https://lesliehachtelwriter.wordpress.com/
April 2, 2015
Thursday Threads
Today on Thursday Threads we feature Unknown Protector by Maggie Mundy:
Blurb:
Two things have helped Nicole cope since the murder of her husband. One is running her detective agency, and the other is her guardian angel Mira. When Mira is killed by a demon, Nicole accepts the help of a Ridge, a long haired, cigar smoking diamond in the rough with wings. Things go from bad to worse when a replacement guardian cannot be found. She has to trust Ridge, which is tricky when she realizes there are no demons or angels, just parasitic aliens that humans have built the myths of these celestial beings around. Ridge isn���t an angel or a devil, but an alien half breed known as a Midworlder. He is also way too sexy for his own good, or is it her own good.
Excerpt:
���Please don���t drop me, please don���t drop me,��� Nicole repeated as she closed her eyes. She didn���t like flying in planes, let alone being dragged through the night sky by an oversexed scruffy angel who was too hot for his own good. Or was it her own good.
���I won���t let you fall. Look around before we go over. I reckon you���ve guessed the events of tonight aren���t the way we normally do things. Humans aren���t meant to be aware of our flying through the night sky which means I can���t let you remember any of this.���
She took a deep breath and opened her eyes. His face was close to hers as he gripped her tight around her waist. It was too dark to read what he might be thinking from his expression. His lips were so close and her own were parting at the thought he might kiss her. She trembled, but not from fear anymore and hoped he couldn���t read her mind. They were being hunted and she wanted a kiss, no she longed for it. He had to be putting the thoughts in her head.
She needed to get her mind off him so she gazed down at San Francisco. Her adopted city stretched out below with steep streets reaching down to the harbor, while the lights on the Golden Gate Bridge shone in the distance, reflecting on the water below. She smiled as a tear flowed down her cheek. She had never seen it this way before. For a moment she forgot others were after them or after her in particular. She peeked over Ridge���s shoulder and glanced back over his wings as they glided through the sky. Three dark, winged shapes were following and could be seen against the light of the full moon. Maybe the full moon could explain why strange things were happening, because this was like staring at a scene from a horror movie, except it was real.
The shapes of their pursuer���s bodies blurred. She turned back to the city but the lights of San Francisco were disappearing. In the moonlight she focused on the face next to her. Ridge smiled and touched her cheek with his.
���It���s okay. I���m gonna get you a new guardian and all of this will go away. I won���t let anyone hurt you.���
She didn���t want a new guardian, she wanted Mira back. It went dark and reminded her of when she went adventure-caving in Australia. The absolute darkness of underground where not even a trickle of light breaks through, no matter how hard you look. She couldn���t see Ridge anymore, but the closeness of him and the darkness amplified the sound of his wings. For a moment they were all that existed in the universe. His lips touched hers and her mouth opened to him only to have him pull away. Did he mean to do that?
���I suggest you close your eyes and give your mind over to me,��� he whispered.
Nicole shook her head and tried to get herself back to reality, whatever that was. ���I���m not going anywhere with my eyes shut after tonight, and from what I���m picking up at times your mind seems a bit murky to let you in again.���
���Suit yourself darling, but don���t blame me if you pass out.���
Pain sliced through her temple. She squeezed her eyes shut and instinctively hugged Ridge tighter. His thoughts were in her head again telling her to relax, but this time it wasn���t working. She tried to hold down the rising alarm of what would happen next. Somehow she had an inkling it wasn���t going to be good.
Amazon link for Unknown Protector: http://tinyurl.com/kvph4dc
Find Maggie Mundy @
http://www.pinterest.com/maggiemundy/
https://twitter.com/MundyMaggie
www.maggiemundy.com
https://www.facebook.com/MaggieMundyAuthor
http://maggiemundy.blogspot.com.au
