Jerrie Alexander's Blog, page 11

Writer’s Wednesday with Antonia van Zandt

Today, I’m thrilled to welcome Antonia van Zandt. We share the love of researching for our books. I think you’ll find her article interesting and intriguing!

Freya and the Legend of Brisingamen

My latest work in progress is a paranormal romance featuring the greatest Norse goddess of them all, Freya.

[image error]Freya was the Daughter of Time and Protector of the Human Race. She was a shapeshifter – capable of turning herself into a bird, variously described as a falcon or a hawk. She rode in a mighty chariot pulled by two enormous grey cats.

There are many legends of Freya so, for today, I’m going to concentrate on just one of them: the legend of the exquisite necklace, known as Brisingamen.

 

[image error]The story features in the ancient Icelandic Saga of Hodni and Hedinn, written by Snorri Sturlusson. Freya is described here as wandering into a smithy where four dwarves are working on a beautiful piece of jewellery. As soon as she sees it, Freya knows she must possess it. She tells the dwarves she will pay them whatever they ask. She can heap riches of gold and silver on them, but they have all the precious metals and jewels they require.

 They tell her there is but one price they will accept. She must spend one night with each of them in turn. For the amoral Freya this presents no problems and she satisfies their conditions. They duly reward her with the necklace which renders her irresistible to any man when she is wearing it (actually, she was pretty irresistible anyway!)

[image error]Unbeknown to Freya, the mischievous trickster god, Loki, has witnessed all this and informs the great god, Odin, that she has prostituted herself for a piece of jewellery. Odin is furious and orders him to steal the necklace. Transforming himself into a fly and a flea, Loki unclasps the necklace while Freya sleeps. He then shapeshifts back into himself and takes Brisingamen back to Odin.

Finding her necklace gone, Freya is distraught and pleads with Odin for its return. Odin, however, is not easily placated and demands that she start a war between two great kings – Hodni and Hedinn – and she agrees. The war is to continue until both kings are defeated. As soon as each falls, they must stand up and fight again. And so it continue for 143 years until the Christian lord Olaf Tryggvason defeats them both.

 Meanwhile, Odin returns the necklace to Freya.

The origin of the name ‘Brisingamen’ is much debated. The name literally means ‘Smith’s jewel’ and the four dwarves who forged it were known as Álfrigg, Dvalinn, Berlingr and Grérr. As to the extent and scope of its power, it seems only to have accentuated Freya’s already powerful beauty. Beyond that, its real power appears to lie in its sheer presence in the universe.

Its appearance is also much debated. Some sources say it was fashioned to represent the constellations of stars in the heavens; others that it was a broad necklace of silver and precious jewels. All agree that it was the most beautiful necklace ever made. Fitting then that it should belong to the most beautiful of the goddesses.

[image error]Vienna Valentine – Antonia’s latest paranormal erotic romance novella – is available from:

Amazon.com 

Amazon.co.uk 

Amazon.ca 

All Romance eBooks 

Barnes and Noble  

Kobo

 

 

You can connect with Antonia here:

http://antoniavanzandt.blogspot.co.uk/

http://www.facebook.com/antonia.vanzandt

https://twitter.com/AntoniavanZandt

Monday-Monday A Day of Remembrance

Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.

Are you headed to the lake, lawn chairs, grill, and ice chest ready for the holiday? Perhaps your having friends over to cook out in the back yard. These are wonderful times with family and friends. Please be careful if you are, be sure to stay safe and use sunscreen!

But also take a moment to remember why we celebrate today.

This holiday was established to honor those who’d died in the Civil War. In fact, it was originally called Decoration Day.

General John A. Logan, called for a nationwide day of remembrance. May 30th, 1868 was selected because it was not the anniversary of any particular battle. To honor the fallen, soldiers decorated graves with flowers, flags and wreaths. Hence Decoration Day.

The title wouldn’t change to Memorial Day until 1967.

Each year, on the Thursday before the holiday, 1,200 soldiers from the 3rd U.S. Infantry place small American flags at each of the more than 260,000 gravestones at Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington, Virginia. They then patrol 24 hours a day during the weekend to ensure that each flag remains standing.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The “National Moment of Remembrance” resolution was passed on Dec 2000, which asks that at 3 p.m. local time, for all Americans “To voluntarily and informally observe in their own way a Moment of remembrance and respect, pausing from whatever they are doing for a moment of silence or listening to ‘Taps.”

So for all of soldiers, past, present, and future, let’s take time to say…Thank You!

Read more: http://newsfeed.time.com/2012/05/28/7-things-you-didnt-know-about-memorial-day/#ixzz2U9OjN7Jl

Read more: http://History.com

Read more: http://newsfeed.time.com

Read more: http://usmemorialday.org

 

Wednesday Coffee with Angi Morgan

Angi! Welcome to Wednesday Coffee.

I met Angi when I joined the North Texas chapter of RWA. She’s a friend and I’m thrilled she’s here to tell us about her new release!

Angi Morgan writes “Intrigues where honor and danger collide with love.” She combines actual Texas settings with characters who are in realistic and dangerous situations. Angi is a finalist in the Bookseller’s Best Award, Romantic Times Best First Series, Gayle Wilson Award of Excellence and the Daphne du Maurier.

Thanks for having me with you, Jerrie. I’ve got my pretend coffee…cause everyone who knows me will laugh if I say it’s real. I thought I’d let everyone see the opening of my May release, PROTECTING THEIR CHILD. I love the first line. It’s the entire reason I wrote the story. Sometimes you hear about copy editors changing things…can you believe they changed it? Needless to say, I changed it back.

 

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“Your wife is a dead woman.” Jorje Serna, as he left the courtroom a free man, pointed directly at Cord McCrea.

The evil words closed Cord’s throat in a moment of fear. Just a moment that pierced him as fast as the bullet that had broken his back. The ache around the scar was real enough. He recognized it. Fought it. Shoved it aside.

Free on a technicality after three years in prison. Short years for the crimes Serna had committed. Incredibly long years as Cord’s life as a husband and Texas Ranger unraveled.

“He’s serious, you know.” The lead prosecutor, Paul Maddox, tapped Cord’s shoulder with one hand, and dialed his cell in the other. “You and Kate should take extra precautions.

“Get her protection. The local sheriff can get to the ranch faster.” Cord pulled his phone from his uniform pocket. “We may already be too late.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Let’s learn a little more about Angi!

Q. Do you do any special research for your novels?

Since my Harlequin Intrigues are all set in Texas, Tim and I make a special trip to each location. We love to take thousands of pictures (thank goodness for digital cameras) for my research and blog. PROTECTING THEIR CHILD became a book that could only be located in the Davis Mountains…but only after I visited the location.

Q. What made you pick your particular genre?

Everything I wrote had some kind of a suspense plot. When Harlequin introduced the Intrigue line I loved it. My favorite cartoon is Scooby Doo. LOL 

Q. What are you working on right now? Can you tell us about it?

DOUBLE BLIND is the second in an identical twin hero story for Intrigue. Both books are scheduled for May & June 2014. My hero is a very loyal son who refuses to leave a town who hates him because his father needed him on the ranch.

Q. Do you ever hit the wall or find you’ve written yourself into a corner? How do you turn that around?

Well, my latest thing was being stuck on the roof of an icy semi-trailer. LOL I spent almost a week on that trailer with my hero and probably asked everyone around me what they’d do to get off. I’m a very linear pantser. And when I can’t move forward, it’s normally because something wrong with what I just wrote. So I go back and work it and work it and work it…until it fits and I can move on. Actually, it doesn’t take too long. But that icy semi-trailer…well, l never want to be there again.

Okay…enough with the business questions! How about some fun stuff. You know, just between the two of us.

Q. The opportunity to go on a surprise vacation arises. You have 90 minutes to pack and get to the airport. Where will you go and what will you pack?

Warm sweaters, jeans and hiking boots. I’ll take the small Netbook, cause I’m only using it for notes and MUST writing on the plane. Because I am heading for New Zealand. I’m also spending 15 minutes emailing everyone I know downunder and telling them I’m on my way… LOL

Q. Are you more likely to be spotlighted on the TV show Hoarders or Fashion Police?

Fashion Police. My daughter won’t let me buy anything by myself. And, seriously, for *MY* day job all I need is a pair of PJs.

Q. If they make a movie about your life, who do you want to play your part?

Oh goodness! Please don’t let them make a movie about me! LOL  Never. Ever. Ever. (But when I was younger, I looked just like Angela Cartwright on Lost In Space.)

Q. Tell us one thing about you that might surprise us…it can be a secret…we won’t tell.

I love amaretto ice cream from the Marble Slab. I try to order something different…but never do. And I always end up adding white chocolate chips and marshmallows. I’ve lost many a bet with my husband that I can order something different…never happens. SADLY, I only get ice cream whenever I finish a book. It’s my special indulgence.

Thanks again for having me today.

I’D LOVE TO KNOW IF THE OPENING LINE OF PROTECTING THEIR CHILD APPEALS TO READERS. WHO WAS RIGHT? ME OR THE COPY EDITOR?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

FIND ANGI

Website   Facebook   FB Fan Page   Twitter @AngiMorganAuthr

A Picture A Day   Goodreads  Book Trailers on YouTube

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LEAVE A BLOG COMMENT. Angi will draw from blog commenters for a book from TBR pile–including the funny CHRISTIE CRAIG (she’ll need your email addy–which you can always send to her directly).  AND ENTER ANGI’S May contest: register at Rafflecopter through May 31st.

 

 

 

 

Monday-Monday What do you expect from a contest?

I’ve read a few posts lately questioning whether writers should enter their work in contests. So I decided to weigh in and share my opinion. Come on, you knew I had one. Didn’t you?

Before you enter, and spend your hard earned bucks make sure the contest is right for you. How many score sheets do you get? Are the preliminary judges published authors? Check out the judges. What do they represent or publish. In my opinion, you need to know what you want to accomplish. A win? An agent or editor begging to guide your career? Feedback?

Before  my first book was published, I entered lots of contests. I loved getting feedback from the judges. Some of their suggestions were spot on, but some either didn’t work with my story or fit my voice.

Yes, I had a few who’d make Simon Cowell blush, but even the harsh ones gave me something to think about. But I didn’t revise my book to fit every judges opinion. I read the comments, digest them, and checked to see if more than one judge picked up on the same thing.

I won a few, placed in a couple, and didn’t make the cut in some. But I’d do it all again in a heartbeat. Can you guess the best thing to come from entering those contests? It wasn’t the wins, although they were awesome.

What I treasure the most are the wonderful friends I made. Yes, from entering contests! The first time a judge signed her name to my entry and promised me she’d buy the book when it hit the market, (thank you, Ellis Vidler) I was beside myself. In fact, I cried.

I thrived, even survived, on a few author/judges who gave me words of encouragement and praise. Had it not been for Ellis Vidler, (http://ellisvidler.com) Lena Diaz, ( http://lenadiaz.com) Donnell Bell, (http://www.donnellannbell.com) and Mimi Barbour (http://mimibarbour.com/) taking the time to comment on my entries and believe in my work, I might have hung up my spurs long ago.

Even though I still haven’t meet them all, I treasure their friendship and support. So for me, entering contests has been fruitful in ways more important than a win. No win or award will ever be more important than the relationships I made along the way.

Do you enter contests? Doesn’t have to be a writing contest, but one where you learned something? Think contests are a good idea?

 

Frankly Friday with Janna Shay

Janna, welcome to a Frankly Friday post! Frankly folks in case you’ve missed her, today will be a real treat.

Thank you!, Jerrie, for having me as a visitor on your blog. I’m a big fan of your books and feel very honored that you asked me to join you.

Q. Do you do any special research for your novels?

I don’t think I’d call it special research. I do a lot of research, as do most authors, on locale, occupations, and whatever else is needed to make my stories real and plausible. But if a novel I’m working on calls for special research, then I’d be more than happy to do it if it lends realism to my story.

Q. What made you pick your particular genre?

I find contemporary romance something I can relate to. I’ve always believed in love at first sight, true love, and happily ever after. My parents were actually the reason for those beliefs. My mother and father had a romance exactly like the romance novels. They were married for 69 years and their love stayed true to the end. My marriage follows the same lines as theirs. So contemporary romance not only makes sense to me, but I know that the true, abiding love with the happily ever after that exists in that genre, does exist in real life.

Q. What are you working on right now? Can you tell us about it?

I’m almost finished with the second book in my Diamond series. The series continues with Jace and Dani’s son, Nicholas. It takes place in Las Vegas, just as Fair Play did, with Nicholas being an executive in the Diamond Hotel and Casino. I hope to have it published in the next couple of months.

Q. Do you ever hit the wall or find you’ve written yourself into a corner? How do you turn that around?

Actually, I’ve never written myself into a corner. I’m a pantser. I know how the beginning of my novels will start and how they will end, but I let my characters steer me in the direction they want me to follow. So far, this works fantastically for me. My characters, in fact, sometimes have me going in so many directions that I have to edit parts of my story and place those parts in another novel. If I should ever hit a wall or find myself in a corner, I’m confident that my characters will show me the way out.

Okay…enough with the business questions! How about some fun stuff. You know, just between the two of us.

Sounds decadent. Okay, I’m game.

Q. The opportunity to go on a surprise vacation arises. You have 90 minutes to pack and get to the airport. Where will you go and what will you pack?

How exciting. I love surprises. To answer your first question, I’d go to a tropical island where I can enjoy the beach and sun. Of course, I’d have to bring along my husband. He’d be the first thing I’d pack. Then, I’d pack my ereader and laptop. After that, I’d also pack a couple of dresses for romantic dinners with my husband, my favorite perfume and lotions, jeans, t-shirts, shorts, underwear (the sexy kind), a couple of bathing suits, some strappy sandals, a couple of pairs of sexy heels , and some killer lingerie for romantic nights with my husband.

Q. Are you more likely to be spotlighted on the TV show Hoarders or Fashion Police?

Unfortunately, I’d probably be more likely to be spotlighted on Hoarders. I don’t hoard a lot of things, but I do hoard my books. I absolutely love to read, and I keep my books to be read over again. Thanks goodness someone invented ereaders or I’d have more than the library I now have, that overflows on my book shelves. In fact I have two ereaders that are full to the max.

Q. If they make a movie about your life, who do you want to play your part?

This is a really good question. Let me see. I guess I’d want Diane Lane to play my part. I love her acting and the movies she’s been in.

Q. Tell us one thing about you that might surprise us…it can be a secret…we won’t tell.

I use to race cars. In my younger days I did some street racing. I love fast cars and love to drive them. The faster the better.

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Book Blurb

Forced to live a clandestine life, Danielle “Dani” Jordon believes she has found a safe haven in Las Vegas until she meets devastatingly handsome casino owner Jace Diamond. With his compelling sexual magnetism and mind-numbing kisses, Dani finds her world turned upside-down. Resisting the most compelling man she has ever met proves to be a task she doesn’t have the strength to fight.

Inexplicably drawn to her, Jace embarks on a relentless pursuit to make Dani his. It isn’t long before he finds himself irrevocably in love, but can he convince Dani that she belongs with him?

Trapped in her life of deceit, Dani is afraid to admit her love for Jace or believe in a life without fear. Can she take the chance and trust him to provide the sanctuary she so desperately needs, or will that trust lead to exposure of her secrets and destroy her life?

 

 Excerpt

Dani stopped halfway in the room. She felt like she’d just been undressed with his eyes, but instead of making her feel disgusted as she had with Martin Pace, he’d caused her body to warm with pleasure. She hated that he could control her reactions to him, so she said indignantly, “One look wasn’t enough the last time, so you needed a repeat performance?”        

He rose to his feet and smirked. “If I recall, we were supposed to exchange notes. I was just refreshing my memory.”

“Tonight I escaped the mauling of one pervert. Do I need to defend myself from another?”

His eyes flared with anger at her words, but he replied calmly, “Don’t put me in the same category as that excuse for a man.”

“Sorry. That was totally uncalled for.” Her gaze fell to the floor. “It’s been a tough night.”

He circled the front of his desk to face her. 

She raised her head and followed him with her eyes and couldn’t help scrutinizing his body as he moved. He was tall. She figured him to be at least 6’3”, with broad shoulders, a lean body, and long legs. He had a really great body and so much male sexuality pouring from him, she figured women threw themselves at him all the time. No wonder he was so self-assured and arrogant. Her reaction to him was no different than other woman. No matter how much she denied it, she was very attracted to him.

She had to make sure Jace never learned of her attraction. It would be a very dangerous weapon to put in his hands. When her eyes returned to his, she realized he was watching her.

He crossed his arms and grinned. “Refreshing your memory, too, I see? Do you like what you see?”

Dani’s face instantly heated as she realized what she’d been doing. A few minutes ago she’d berated him for leering at her, and she was doing the same thing. Damn! She was treading on dangerous ground. Jace didn’t seem to be a man to be played with.

“Forgive my rudeness. You wanted to talk to me about something?”    

 Book Info

FAIR PLAY

By Janna Shay

Contemporary Romance

Buy Links

Amazon    -  http://www.amazon.com/Fair-Play-ebook/dp/B007ZTKOR8/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1339168320&sr=8-1

B&N   -   http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/fair-play-janna-shay/1110593776?ean=2940014468053

Kobo     -   http://www.kobobooks.com/ebook/Fair-Play/book-BVrnd_P5QkSMSfe9yrULag/page1.html?s=6LmVS-qceUqDXPA66xhkhQ&r=1

Soul Mate Publishing   -   http://www.soulmatepublishing.com/fair-play/

Author Bio

Janna Shay, a writer of contemporary romance and romantic suspense, lives in the San Francisco Bay Area with the love of her life, her husband, and her spoiled miniature schnauzer.  She is a mother of seven grown children and has twenty-seven grandchildren, who all live in nearby Northern California communities.

Not only does Janna write novels, she also edits and reviews books for other authors. Her passion is writing as well as reading. When she isn’t engaged in her literary pursuits, you will find her enjoying activities with her husband and family.

Fair Play, the first novel in her Diamond Series, set in Las Vegas, Nevada, is contemporary romantic fiction with added suspense. It is available in eBook edition at Soul Mate Publishing, Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Kobo Books.  It is also available in print edition at Amazon & Barnes & Noble.

Janna is a member of Romance Writers of America, San Francisco Area Romance Writers of America, and Black Diamond Romance Writers of America. She is a tour host for four touring companies and maintains two blogs.

Author info – social media links  

Website   -     http://www.jannashay.com/

Facebook  -     https://www.facebook.com/JannaShayAuthor

Twitter   -   https://twitter.com/JannaShay 

Goodreads  -    http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5836131.Janna_Shay

Romance Novel Center  -  http://www.romancenovelcenter.com/jannashay

Blog sites

WordPress   -     http://jannashay.wordpress.com/

Blogspot  -     http://jannashay.blogspot.com/

Jana, thanks again for being my special Friday guest.

I love how after seven children and twenty-seven grandchildren, the first thing you thought to take on vacation was you husband. Frankly, if that is a sustaining love, I don’t know what is. How about it, fellow readers? Can you top that?

 

 

Wednesday Coffee with Brynna Curry

I’m thrilled Brynna Curry is with me today. She writes Captivating Magic, Heart-Stopping Suspense, Sweet and Spicy Romance. I’m turning the blog over to Brynna so she can interview the interview the heroine of her book, FIRE’S ICE.

Fire’s Ice was truly a labor of love for me. A fan inspired story, I wanted every tiny detail to be perfect, while staying true to the character Devin McLoch had evolved into over the series. My problem was finding his perfect match. She’d have to be powerful and clever to match wits with my wizard. She would need to understand the many facets of his past and be able to accept them.

When it comes to heroes, the bad guy who tries to be good is a particular favorite of mine. It’s so fun to redeem them. Still, rarely do we run across a heroine who has done truly awful things but craves redemption. Arianne Farrell (like Devin) has been with me from the first book in this series. Her past was cloaked in mystery, but her future was certain. She’s agreed to visit with us today and answer a few questions.

Brynna: Hi, Ari. Thanks for joining me. I know you’re super busy.

Ari: Hello! I’ll stay as long as I can to answer questions, or at least until the boys wake up from their nap. I was born in a small village on the coast of Ireland in 985 AD. My twin Briella and I were raised by the village elders when our mother died in childbirth. Brie was destined to take her place as the wise-woman, but her power was corrupted by her love for a demon. After a lot of magic gone wrong and many years of imprisonment, Devin freed me. Now we live in a castle in Scotland with our triplets and one very human cat.

Brynna: Sounds like you’ve been through alot to find happiness. Why is your magic feared? What kind of power do you have?

Ari: My power is detractive magic. Like a magnet, I can draw another witch or demon’s power into myself and use it as my own. I can also conjure and heal. Sounds like something great, but pulling on the wrong power and not being able to control it can have disastrous results. The elders saw my dark power as evil and forbade me to do more than gentle healing with herbs and tonics. Fortunately, I have learned to channel my powers in reverse, meaning I can give portions of my abilities, temporarily to another person.

Brynna: That is so completely cool. Could I borrow your conjuring powers for the afternoon. I could finally get that siding put on the house. 

Ari: Sorry, Brynna. You’ll have to do it the old fashioned way. Personal gain and all of that. 

Brynna: Oh, well it was worth a try. What is the hardest thing about living a thousand years?

Ari: Loneliness. Without my looking glass, I would have gone crazy. At least with it, I had some connection to the outside world. Occasionally, I could even see Devin, but only when ihe sought me with the gems. 

Brynna: When did you realize Devin was on your side?

Ari: The day of Sorca’s burial. I thought I had known pain, despair, loss, but any heartache I had experienced paled against Sorca’s death. In every way that counted, she was my child. I loved her so much. I watched her fall in love, raise her children, grow old. I knew I would outlive her because of the spell, but the reality of that day crushed me. (turns away) I’m sorry. I just need a moment.

Brynna: It’s okay. I didn’t mean to upset you. (pats hand)

Ari: No. I’m fine. It is difficult to reflect, but necessary. I listened to the pipes and mournful sounds of her children until I thought my heart would burst. I needed comfort, just to have someone with me. And then Devin was there. I don’t know how long he stayed, but he tried so hard to get through the barrier. Outside the circle, he remained hidden, but finally I felt his power whisper around me, hold me. A ghost of air and light and warmth. I knew then he would do everything in his power to free me and I would do all I could to help him. 

Brynna: Devin’s honor is his best quality. What do you like best about life today?

Ari: Technology. 

Brynna: Do you always have control over your powers?

Ari: Mostly. Sometimes I take on too much and the power overwhelms me, but I can’t stand to see someone hurting and not give everything to help them. 

Brynna: Thanks for taking the time to visit with us, Ari. I know it can’t be easy to talk about your past.

Ari: Our past makes us who we are. Denying what was won’t change the present. The boys are still sleeping, so we have time for a few more questions. How about some from the readers? 

Brynna: Wonderful! Alright y’all. The floor is all yours. Ask away.

To read Devin’s interview for Bitten by Books visit here.

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Blurb: Tag:  Ultimate power, or endless love? 

Blurb: Born the son of a Scottish laird a thousand years ago, but now trapped by his cousin’s spell, Devin McLoch has seen countless battles and death. The erstwhile thief has turned away from darker pursuits to lead a life of peace, protecting those he loves and considers part of his clan. However, there is one woman he can never forget, who must be given a chance to change, to accept her heart and his.

Arianne Farrell is just as dangerous and intoxicating as her power. Imprisoned in an ancient stone dance more than a thousand years ago, her only chance at freedom from the spell is through love–a love she denied. When Devin asks for her aid to save another from imminent death, she realizes there is more at stake than just her freedom or her heart.

WARNING: Two stubborn sexy wizards using magic with no bounds, scorching love

scenes, and happy ever after. Ever play with fire?

© 2012 Brynna Curry – All Rights Reserved

Excerpt (Steamy) from Fire’s Ice: Elemental Magic Book Five

Dark, rich chocolate colored bedding echoed the tile framing the fireplace. Dainty furniture, curved legs and soft cushions, yet the poster bed was large and sturdy. She’d seen it before while she visited his dreams. Definitely Devin’s room. And remembering didn’t help the ache snaking through her body.

Walking into the en suite, the first thing to catch her eyes was the floor-to-ceiling mirror covering one wall. Arianne studied her reflection. Her long, dark curls were mussed and tangled around a pale face. Her lips were pink and just a bit swollen from Devin’s kiss. The only thing she wore was a long white shirt. Sniffing the collar, she smelled the crisp, clean fragrance clinging to the material. His shirt, not conjured. Devin didn’t wear cologne, but the scent of his soap always stayed with her. He must have changed her clothes. What else had she missed?

Because I love you. Men were ever a puzzle. Still, hadn’t she known? The dreams they shared had changed over time, slow and sweet instead of hot and fierce. A softness came over his face each night she visited his sleep, the same one she had seen this morning. Just that look was enough to have her quaking inside.

She found a bottle of bubble bath on the side of the tub. Thanks to Devin’s dreams and Allie’s influence, she had knowledge of modern conveniences such as indoor plumbing. Turning the faucet on hot, Arianne poured two capfuls under the stream and let the water run until the big round tub filled. Reluctantly, she unfastened the shirt buttons and let the material fall away to the floor. Slipping into the frothy bubbles, she sighed and let the reality of her situation sink in.

I am finally out of that wretched circle. True enough, but she was still in a prison of sorts. One with running water, walls, food that didn’t taste like air, and a sexy male witch bent on driving her to frustration. Not so bad, all things considered.

Being trapped in the stone dance didn’t mean she hadn’t noticed changes in the world around her for a thousand years. She tipped her feet out of the water, waved toward them, and turned her toenails a bright fiery red. Allie brought her little things from the modern world. Mostly books filled with sweet love stories; more than a few of them brought a blush to her cheeks. What would Ryan think of his daughter’s taste in novels? Better not to head down that road. Allie had dreams of being a writer like her aunt and uncle. If what she liked to read was any indication, she’d write hot. Very hot. Speaking of hot, a soft tapping sounded at the door. Her maddening laird had returned.

“Okay in there?” His voice sounded hesitant. “Breakfast is ready.”

Time to ruffle the phoenix’s feathers a bit. “There is no need to be shy, Devin. You can come in.”

*****

The sound of splashing water rippled past his ears. Temptress.

Knowing Ari was just on the other side of the door, naked and wet, willing to succumb to every fantasy he could imagine, was a torment in itself. All he had to do was accept her sultry invitation and toss aside his plan. But she deserved a sweet slide into love, not the wild, mad rush of pleasure he craved. One palm rested on the door of its own volition, ready to comply. Not yet. Now, if only his traitorous body would listen to his heart. “That depends, sweetheart.”

“Oh?” she called out from the other side. “On what?”

Devin chuckled at the line, but he just couldn’t resist teasing her. “What are you wearing?”

She laughed. “Bubbles. Lots of bubbles. Share them with me.”

He saw it so clearly. Ari’s creamy skin peeking through the frothy bubbles. Open, welcoming. Need clawed under the skin, screamed at him. Why the hell not? Feeling a quiver of desire vibrate through his body, he called her bluff. “And what would you have me do with those bubbles? Hmm, Ari?”

“Oh, I am sure you could think of something. Something deliciously wicked. I have shared your dreams. I know your fantasies, Devin.”

Oh, you have no idea. His mind made up, Devin opened the door.

She lay in his huge garden tub, feet propped up on the rim, eyes closed, waterfall of black hair piled on top of her head. A soft smile graced her face. So she was enjoying their teasing banter. “Have you changed your mind and decided to join me?”

“Maybe.” No reason he couldn’t push them both to the edge. Pulling the t-shirt over his head, Devin tossed it into the corner. He laid his cellphone on the sink–out of danger–kneeled by the edge of the tub and dipped one hand into cooling water, using his magic to heat it.

“Mmm. Nice.”

He let his voice drop to a whisper as he leaned close to her ear. “I want to slick my hands over every inch of your skin until you shiver from the heat.” His fingers found the back of her knee in the water and trailed higher along the inside of her thigh. “And then…”

A soft “Devin” slipped from her lips as Arianne’s eyes flew open. “And then…”

“I’d take more.”

Buy Links (print & ebook): 

KOBO   BARNES & NOBLE   AMAZON   ITUNES  OMNI LIT/ALL ROMANCE

Available wherever eBooks are sold.

 


 

[image error]About Brynna: Paranormal romance and romantic suspense author Brynna Curry is a lifelong believer in the importance of reading. She enjoys the writing process, helping others hone their craft by lending her time to review books, critique manuscripts and serving as a writing contest judge. She loves hearing from her readers.

When she isn’t writing, she’s often found haunting the library for new books to read, at the park with her children, or just spending an quiet evening at home with her husband Jackie watching old westerns on TV. She lives in North Alabama where the history is rich with music and culture, forests and lakes are abundant and beautiful, and every day is another adventure.

 Social Links:

Reader contact: brynna@brynnacurry.com

Website Follow on Facebook  Linked In  Authorgraph Twitter @BrynnaCurry Goodreads

 

 

Monday-Monday Can You Say Resiliency?

My fourteen-year-old granddaughter just left with her mother. They stopped by on the way to school to let us see her brand new smile. Today was a big day for her. The braces came off. Her smile was blinding and beautiful.

She’s due a good day. It’s been quite a year for her. While at volleyball practice, her hamstring snapped off a one inch chunk of bone from her hip. Ten weeks later, after hobbling around on crutches and weeks of physical therapy, she’d managed to keep her grades up and herself on the head master’s list.

Here’s the picture I received the day the doctor released her. She was ready to rejoin the team.

 

 

 

A week later, she bent two fingers sideways and missed another week.

All that was bad enough, but a few days after she started practicing with the team, she was hit in the temple by a ball. Yep. Slight concussion. She couldn’t play until she‘d passed a series of tests at the doctor’s office.

A lot of time had passed. The team had formed, gotten used to each others strengths and weaknesses. Which meant she had to start from zero with one game left to play. An important game at that. This was the team’s last chance to qualify for the national finals.

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Would she get to play? Would she contribute? Would this group of fourteen-year-old girls welcome her back?

I’m happy to answer yes to those questions. Not that she played all the time, but she played and played her heart out. Her hits were spectacular. (I wouldn’t want that ball hitting me) And most if not all of the girls embraced her as one of them. The team won first place in the tournament and will play in the national finals!

So why am I telling you this? Other than the fact I’m incredibly proud of her? Because of her resiliency. Her ability to face and deal with setbacks. To keep her head up when it seemed nothing would go right. I am awe struck by her determination and spirit.

Our young people have this incredible ability to bounce back from crisis. They have this innate ability to handle the up and downs of life, the disappointments, and even heartbreaks that we grownups would deem catastrophic.

Anybody know where that resiliency is stored? Is there a repository where I, now that I’m an adult, can go get a refill? I can’t speak for you, but I could use a double dose.

 

 

Monday-Monday The Resiliency of a Teenager

My fourteen-year-old granddaughter just left with her mother. They stopped by on the way to school to let us see her brand new smile. Today was a big day for her. The braces came off. Her smile was blinding and beautiful.

She’s due a good day. It’s been quite a year for her. While at volleyball practice, her hamstring snapped off a one inch chunk of bone from her hip. Ten weeks later, after hobbling around on crutches and weeks of physical therapy, she’d managed to keep her grades up and herself on the head master’s list.

Here’s the picture I received the day the doctor released her. She was ready to rejoin the team.

 

 

 

A week later, she bent two fingers sideways and missed another week.

All that was bad enough, but a few days after she started practicing with the team, she was hit in the temple by a ball. Yep. Slight concussion. She couldn’t play until she‘d passed a series of tests at the doctor’s office.

A lot of time had passed. The team had formed, gotten used to each others strengths and weaknesses. Which meant she had to start from zero with one game left to play. An important game at that. This was the team’s last chance to qualify for the national finals.

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Would she get to play? Would she contribute? Would this group of fourteen-year-old girls welcome her back?

I’m happy to answer yes to those questions. Not that she played all the time, but she played and played her heart out. Her hits were spectacular. (I wouldn’t want that ball hitting me) And most if not all of the girls embraced her as one of them. The team won first place in the tournament and will play in the national finals!

So why am I telling you this? Other than the fact I’m incredibly proud of her? Because of her resiliency. Her ability to face and deal with setbacks. To keep her head up when it seemed nothing would go right. I am awe struck by her determination and spirit.

Our young people have this incredible ability to bounce back from crisis. They have this innate ability to handle things that we grownups would deem catastrophic.

Anybody know where that resiliency is stored? Is there a repository where we as adult can go get a refill? I can’t speak for you, but I could use a double dose.

 

 

Wednesday Coffee with Mia Fisher

[image error]Mia Fisher joins me today on Wednesday Coffee. Mia is not only a fellow member of RWA and the KISS of DEATH chapter; she’s taken on the enormous job of guiding us through 2013 as KOD President. 

 

Bio: Born and raised in New England, Mia Fisher spent twenty years freezing in the Midwest before returning to the east coast after the death of her husband. A prolific author who spends quality time in several genres and the mother of four children, Mia moved to the sunny state of Florida in 2012. She lives there with her youngest child and a cat with evil intentions. When she’s not writing, she’s a graduate student in social work.  

Q. Tell us, do you do any special research for your novels?

I do research for every book I write. I try to be as accurate as possible when it comes to the sciences so I’m not beyond emailing a total stranger at the CDC and asking a question. I have many friends and associates who work in numerous fields so that helps as well. Back in January I dropped a line to Homeland Security regarding bombs which resulted in a rather firm phone call from an HSD agent wanting to know what my intentions were regarding the information I requested. Once I explained it was for a book they were actually very helpful in presenting an accurate yet slightly off-the exact mark presentation, that way nobody could recreate the technique being used in the book. I tend to avoid the internet for straight research just because one never knows if what they’re reading is correct. More than once I’ve found stuff that wasn’t accurate based on personal knowledge of the topic so I try to limit my research to one-on-one interviews if possible.

Q. What made you pick your particular genre?

I kind of float from genre to genre but I like to stay within the contemporary avenue if possible. I like paranormal genre because I fully believe there’s another world going on around us while we’re totally oblivious to it. I love mystery/suspense because I love to delve into why people do what they do. I like erotica because there’s nothing like a little steam to spice up one’s life! Then there’s the straight contemporary which can provide a plethora of storylines.

Q. What are you working on right now? Can you tell us about it?

I’m currently finishing up the sequel to Blood Roles. It’s book two of what was going to be the NABSU mystery series. I began the series before my husband passed away and we had originally prepped six books. Unfortunately he passed away in 2010 and after some soul searching I decided to release Bad Medicine and then shelf the rest of the series for a while. It was just too hard to work on the storylines without my husband there to bounce the ideas off of. Bad Medicine is going to a compilation of several storylines at once – it will address Andie’s relationship with her co-worker, Marty Bear and address the continuing relationship she has with Taylor Rains. They’ll be going undercover to expose a black market eagle feather before finding themselves inadvertently involved with Homeland Security more than they want to be before having to return to White River where the vicious serial killer that terrorized the reservation in Blood Roles has resurfaced.

Q. Do you ever hit the wall or find you’ve written yourself into a corner? How do you turn that around?

If I really love the storyline I’m working on it’s rare I hit a wall. If there’s an issue with a story where I’m struggling with its presentation that’s usually when I’ll hit a wall. When that happens I’ll just get up and walk away for a while. For me that’s what works best. Just dismissing it for a bit and then going back to it with a clear head helps me work it all out.

Okay…enough with the business questions! How about some fun stuff. You know, just between the two of us.

Q. The opportunity to go on a surprise vacation arises. You have 90 minutes to pack and get to the airport. Where will you go and what will you pack?

Hmmm, I think I’d go to England and see the castles of King Henry VIII’s wives. I’ve always wanted to do that and, of course, I’d be packing semi-formal because it’s not exactly appropriate to tour great castles of Europe in sweatpants! ;o)

Q. Are you more likely to be spotlighted on the TV show Hoarders or Fashion Police?

Definitely hoarders. Lol My office is organized chaos – I have piles for each project.

Q. If they make a movie about your life, who do you want to play your part?

Melissa McArthy – my kids constantly tell me that I have no sense of humor so it would be nice to see a funny person play me! lol

Q. Tell us one thing about you that might surprise us…it can be a secret…we won’t tell.

I am an incredibly shy person – to the point of social anxiety. I stopped doing book signings because they were just too nerve wracking. I’m slowly working through it and moving forward. I’d actually gotten geared up to go to RWA National this year, as the president for Kiss of Death, and then my internship for my masters assigned me to uber-shifts that week so I’m not going to get to go now. Oh well, maybe next year!!

PARAMOUR

IS LOVE EVER REALLY ENOUGH?

FEBRUARY 1, 2013

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Paramour Blurb:

Hot Men & Women, Hot Sun, Hot Sex – There’s Nothing Hotter Than Florida In

The Summer!

Paramour: Book One In The Bayside Erotica Series

 By day Aurora McClellan is a hard driving literary agent – she’s focused, driven and completely jaded regarding life and love. She’s married to her work and likes it that way. Enter Sergio Vega – a hot blooded Spanish Lothario with a player reputation and an eye for a challenge. Assigned to work with the seemingly uptight Ms. McClellan, it doesn’t take Sergio long to realize that underneath the business façade is a ball of passionate fire just waiting to explode and Mr. Vega takes great pleasure in lighting that fuse.

Link for Paramour :

http://www.amazon.com/Paramour-Bayside-Romance-Volume-1/dp/1481190970/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&qid=1367624082&sr=8-5&keywords=Mia+Fisher 

ILLUSIONS

Because Everything Is Not Always As It Seems…

AVAILABLE NOW!!

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Social Media Links:

http://www.miafisher.net

http://www.authormiafisher.blogspot.com

http://www.facebook.com/mia.fisher.9

https://twitter.com/AuthorMiaFisher

http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5410789.Mia_Fisher

 

Monday-Monday Words to Kill

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Recently, I was asked if my writing style had changed since working with two different editors. I didn’t have to think hard. My answer was a quick yes.

What’s different?

I may have mentioned I can’t write a book in a week or two or even thirty days. I can’t do it. It doesn’t work with my brain. First thing in the morning, (after I’ve checked in with the world on social media) I grab a cup of coffee, open my work in progress, and read yesterday’s pages. I tighten, edit, and revise as needed. I look for uses of throwaway words, repeated words, and run on sentences. I used to think it would leave less rewriting in the final stages.

No more. My bubble has burst. I’ve had my Ah-ha moment. (Pardon the clichés.) I met my editors. These folks are very important people in my life.

 

To say I’ve learned a great deal is an understatement. A good editor will spot those nasty overused and weak words from five paragraphs away. And aren’t we thankful they can?

So what’s changed about my writing? I still reread yesterday’s work today, but with a better trained eye. I work my list of throwaway words more diligently. I have a tendency to over describe, but now I watch my words closer. Hopefully, I deliver a cleaner manuscript and a better book to my readers. Because these folks are even more important![image error]

 

 

 

My handy dandy list of words to kill are next to my keyboard. Here are just a few:

About, already, just, that, even, so, somehow, there, then, was, now, nearly, seems, knew, really, actually, usually, suddenly, wondered, very, see…and the one word my friend Marsha works hardest not to use…it.  

So when you read do you notice throwaway words? If you write, do you have words to add to my list?