Sarah Cass's Blog: Sarah's StoryLines, page 40

Cassandra from Queen of Savon by Tricia Anderson

  Tell us a little about yourself. How did you come to your author’s attention? Occupation?

My name is Cassandra.  I am a sorceress.  I am also now Queen of the kingdom of Savon.  I was the personal advisor to King Matthew, a man I loved since we were children.  We were raised together in the palace.  And since I am a sorceress, I came to my author in a dream.  *wink*

What or who is the greatest love of your life? Why? What drew you to them?

My greatest love is Matthew.  I fell in love with him the first moment I laid eyes on him when we were children.  I nearly didn’t marry him since I have no royal blood.  I was nearly married to his Commander of the Army, Victor.  I’ve always felt safe with Matthew.  That is what drew me to him.

What’s your greatest fear?

Losing Matthew like I lost my father and mother.  They were murdered by men following Gorgon, an enemy trying to take over the kingdom.

  How do the other characters in your book view you?

Many, like Victor (my former betrothed) only see my great magic and power.  The citizens of my kingdom see the girl who saved them from starvation.  Some in the palace see only a woman who slept her way to the crown.  Matthew only sees the real me.

 What do you prefer? To spread & hear gossip, or be the creator of gossip fodder?

Neither.  I’ve been the subject of gossip one too many times.  I avoid gossip when I can.

  What was your happiest moment?

Oh, it was definitely marrying Matthew.  It was my wildest dream come true.  I never thought it could happen.

 What trait in others do you find most deplorable?

Deceipt.  Thanks to Victor I learned that painfully first hand when he delivered me to Gorgon himself.  To think I almost wed him…

 The random question: If you were a color, what color would you be and why?

Scarlet, the color of Savon.  I am proud to be a citizen of Savon, my homeland.  And of course, its Queen.

*~*~*~*

| Amazon | ARe | Secret Cravings Publishing |

Blurb:

Cassandra is brought to the palace by her grandfather, the sorcerer Malicar, after her parents are brutally murdered.  After being presented to King Thomas she is raised alongside two boys – Thomas’s son, Matthew and Victor, the young man chosen to be Matthew’s commander of the army.

However her life in the royal palace comes at a price. She is vowed into a life of servitude Matthew’s advisor, forfeiting the dream of having a husband and children of her own.

As they mature into adults, childhood curiosities turn to jealousy and burning desire. Cassandra finds herself caught between the two men and forced to make a decision – to throw away her vows for the life she dreamt about with a man she does not love or to stay shackled to the promises she made as a child to be with the man she wants with her heart, body and soul but cannot have.

 

Excerpt:

In no time, she stood in the courtyard, the soldiers around her completely oblivious to her presence. She glanced up as Victor rode next to her. “Lock yourself in the tower. I will see you when I get back,” he instructed as he kissed her on the cheek.

“Stay safe,” she murmured.

Cassandra looked to the ground as Victor’s horse trotted away. Then, she raised her head as she heard hoof steps approach. Matthew wandered across the courtyard, leading his stallion behind him. His eyes, yearning and desperate, locked on her.

She shuddered as he approached, his stride determined as he wove his way around the soldiers scattered around the courtyard. He stopped, dropping the reins of his horse, when he reached her.

Without warning or care for decency, Matthew cupped Cassandra’s face in his hands drawing her lips to his and parting them in a soul-wrenching kiss. She clung to his arms as he tasted her, clearly searching for confession, answers—her love for him. As he pulled away, he whispered, “Lock yourself in. I could not live another day if anything happened to you.”

Matthew’s fingers caressed Cassandra’s skin once more before they slipped away to grasp his horse’s reins. He glanced at her over his shoulder before he disappeared behind the wall. Cassandra hugged herself tightly, her limbs shaking in uncertainty.

Collecting herself as much as possible, she wound her way to her tower blindly. Her thoughts were incoherent. Matthew? Victor? She rubbed her fingertips against her swollen lips. Both had made their feelings for her abundantly clear. And both were riding out to battle. Above all, the vows she had taken as a child dictated she could have neither of them.

Tears filled her eyes as she collapsed onto her cushion. The only thing she knew with clarity was that she needed to get her thoughts together. It wouldn’t be long before she would be joining them on the battlefield.

*~*

Bio:

Tricia Andersen lives in Iowa with her husband, Brian and her three children – her sons, Jake and Jon, and her daughter, Alex.  She graduated from the University of Iowa with a Bachelor of Arts in English and from Kirkwood Community College with an Associate of Arts degree in Communications Media/Public Relations.  Along with writing (which she loves to do), Tricia coaches and participates in track and field, does kickboxing, reads, sews and is involved in many of her children’s activities.

Tricia is a member of the Romance Writers of America and RWA Chapter 177 From the Heart Romance Writers.

Author’s links:

1.  Blog – http://insidethiswritersmind.com/

2.  Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/t.l.andersen...

3.  Website – www.triciaandersen.com

4.  Twitter – https://twitter.com/triciaandersen or @triciaandersen

5.  Goodreads - http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5122241.Tricia_Andersen

 

Hump Day Hook 33 – Dark Territory

Another Hump Day Hook!

Tricksy, though I would reveal my cover this early?  Not a chance.  It will come soon, though.  I’m in the midst of revisions of Dark Territory and Derailed doesn’t come out until next week…so you get a little bit of 3.  Just a little bit.

Cole is missing Jane a lot (can’t tell you why, or I’ll ruin books 2 & 3 lol):

Being apart from Jane got worse each minute.

Not just because he ached for her.

Not just because every thought was of her.

No.

Because she was a part of him. Deep inside to his very soul. He was consumed by her, he always had been. In a way no other woman had managed to consume him before.

If he still believed in it himself he’d call it love.

 

*~*

Hump Day Hook asks authors to post one paragraph of one of their stories, whether a WIP, one contracted, or already published.  Please visit and comment on the participants – you might just stumble on the next great read for your library!  To see more participants, click on the HDH banner below:

Preparing for the Birdies to Fly Away – by author Tina Gayle

I’m very happy to have author Tina Gayle here today.  Once again, I’ve had an author deliver a great post that can span both sides of my blog, so it’s posting across the board.  Come see what she has to say about empty nests, how to prepare for them, and learn about her books in The Executive Wives Club series

*~*

Every mother faces the day, her children leave the nest. Some are better prepared than other.

If you are a stay at home mom like me, you might not be looking forward to the day when you don’t have daily contact with your children. After all, you have devoted a large portion of your day for a number of years to caring for them.

Years before my child even thought about leaving, I started preparing. Did it make it easier? I can’t say because it was still difficult. Though, I must say I had a number of things to distract me.

So what did I do?

First, I looked around and pick something that interested me. I enjoyed reading romance for years and decided since I had some time in my day to give writing a shot.

While they were away at school, I learned the craft and worked on developing my skill.

As they entered high school, I published and worked on writing more during my free time.

Once they left for college, I found I needed to work on promoting my books which required I learn more about social media sites.

Now, I spend most of my day in front of my computer. Writing, promoting on line, keeping my different sites updated. I sometimes complain that I don’t have enough hours in the day.

Do I have time for my kids?

Always, but I’m working to build my career. Just like they are working to build theirs.

What can you do to prepare for an empty nest?

Ask yourself a few questions

What are your interest?
Do you want to make money?
Social sites do they satisfy your need to stay connected?


Spend time while you’re children are still at home developing what you want to do later.

take classes
meet new people in your chosen field. – gardening club, golf group, etc.


Let your kids know you have a life too and that it’s not only about them.

Your devotion to your goal can help teach them to follow their own dreams.

 

As you can see it can take years to plan or a few short months. At any point you can prepare for the future and map out a new course of action. Don’t let the empty nest get you down. Look around and find something that can become the hallmark of defining who you are.

*~*

Blurb for CFO’s Affair

Sylvia Sullivan is emotionally wounded from the unexpected death of her husband and still haunted by their last conversation: his request for a divorce and his confession of love for another woman.  Her husband gone, her only daughter off to college, Sylvia faces the challenges of learning to live alone and move on with her life.

Vince Wilshire, enchanted with Sylvia, is more than willing to do what it takes to capture the heart of the hurting and untrusting Sylvia.

Can he help her forget the past and make her believe in love again?

Excerpt

      A knock sounded on the window beside her and she jumped. Her head swiveled around and she stared at the man looking at her through the window.

Vince Wilshire’s handsome face could make any woman melt with desire. With it so close to hers—the glass being the only thing separating them—a rush of adrenaline swept into her system. She leaned sideways in her seat and knocked her hand against the steering wheel. The horn beeped and she muttered, “Damn it, Knox, why did you…”

The sound of his laughter sent anger flooding through her, the muscles in her arms tightening with the need to strike out. She lowered the phone and clicked the disconnect button in retaliation to his attempt to manipulate her.

Vince opened the driver’s side door and cold air rushed into the car. “Hey, beautiful, are you heading inside?”

“What is this? Are you guys ganging up on me?” Sylvia ignored the man beside her and glanced in the rear view mirror, checking to make sure her tears hadn’t caused any lasting effect.

A warm hand landed on her shoulder and Vince toyed with her hair. “Not at all, I like the idea of entering the building with a gorgeous woman on my arm.”

“Right,” she protested and stuffed her phone into her purse before turning to stare into his bedroom-brown eyes. The spark in their depths had her reevaluating her impression of the man. Yes, he had the face and body to rival every other Casanova in the world, but he also had a sense of humor. That alone sent a shiver of awareness through her.

She fought the desire gathering in her stomach and waved her hand at him so he’d move out of the way, letting her exit the car. “Did Knox make you wait out here in the parking lot to make sure I would come inside?”

Vince grinned and held her door open while she stepped onto the asphalt. His gaze fell to her legs.

She stared at her new, high-heel, red pumps and silently prayed she wouldn’t land face first in the dirt when she tried to walk across the pitted parking lot in them.

A low whistled sounded beside her. “Man, are you ever hot.”

She ignored the comment and didn’t turn until she heard the car door slamming closed. “And there’s not a woman you’ve ever met you haven’t wanted.”

*~*

A CFO’s Affair is not available for sale until July 1st, but you can pick up the other two books in the series here:

Marketing Exec’s Widow  (Use Promo Code EP25Q)

IT Exec’s Baby  (Use Promo Code QK33H)

Home – www.tinagayle.net

Blog – www.tinagayle.blogspot.com

Twitter – https://twitter.com/#!/AuthorTinaGayle

Goodread – http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/1641826.Tina_Gayle

Facebook – http://www.facebook.com/tina.gayle

Google + – https://plus.google.com

Linkin – http://www.linkedin.com/pub/tina-gayle/11/689/759

Tuesday Tales – Hand

The prompt this week is Hand.

This week you get the start of a new story for me.  It’s definitely going to be a sexy little short, it might be a prequel of a series…This is really rough, but we’ll see where it goes. First drafts are always interesting.

 

As always this is un-edited mostly, so forgive any errors. :

Jayde drew the bow across the strings in a long, slow motion. The note resonated low and shivered through her body. It still didn’t match the shift she’d felt in her future hours ago. She set aside the violin and rose, dragging the bow behind her.

Eyes closed, she focused on the magic. Around her the strings of life fell into place, each vibrating with its own ever-changing future. To the untrained Player the chords overwhelmed and clashed into chaotic dissonance, at least that’s what she’d been told.

There hadn’t been a day she could remember that she’d heard anything but the sweet orchestral sounds of life. Playing the chords were trickier. According to the other Player she’d met, each Player saw the future in different ways. Whatever they carried in their soul influenced what they saw.

For her it was strings, infinite beautifully colored strings all around her, each persons set up like the neck and bridge of her favorite instrument. She walked on them, even. It was hard for her to imagine how anyone could get through life not seeing and hearing the beauty of the future.

She frowned, brushing aside the stray thoughts to focus. In her right hand she still held the bow, so she raised it up. Rarely did she use the bow, her hands sufficed, but this was a special case. The next hour would be filled with much confusion and chaos and she would need to be able to find the note of her destiny easily amid the symphony.

With the fingers of her left hand, she strummed the threads of fate until she got to her own. She plucked them several times as she would her violin, the pizzicato overpowering the sounds of all other fates. One last pick of the strings left the music shimmering in the air like a thousand aqua dust motes.

She lifted the bow and in one sinuous movement, began to play her own fate. The familiar notes played easily and she kept the tune lively. Within two bars a new, deep tone joined in with hers. Not willing to let go just yet, she moved quickly into a spiccato run, bouncing the bow rapidly over the strings until she found the one the new tone was tied to.

At that she stopped and grabbed the string, rolling her finger over it until she touched the string tied to hers. In one quick motion, she flipped her own fates fingerboard over to find the one hidden just beneath it.

Unlike her own aqua, this was a dark midnight blue, with flecks of silver mixed in. For reasons she didn’t understand, it made her insides shiver in anticipation. This person would change her life.

Soon.

Her keen ears picked up a note of discord entering her personal song. She didn’t have much time, she had to get to the roof. Without further delay she set her bow down and ran to the door.

A battle would happen soon and she wouldn’t battle in her tiny little apartment. She loved the city for the sheer volume of people and their songs all around her, but it sucked for actual living space.

She tore down the hall and shoved open the door for the stairs. Below her life carried on as normal, the familiar music of her fellow tenants carried on. She chuckled. They’d never be aware of what was about to go down.

With a deep breath, she made one last check to make sure her weapons were in place. Two sonic guns, one sword and three knives.  Yup, she was set.

Up two flights of stairs, the door to the roof already sat open. Her next door neighbor had spent the afternoon sunbathing and failed to close it on her way back down. Jayde could still smell the sunscreen in the air.

The cool dusk air enveloped her with its false promises of peace and quiet. Her feet were silent on the rubber surfacing just installed last month. Horns honked all over the city. People shouted, radios blared, and she could distinctly hear someone in the next building having a wonderfully good time in the bedroom. Some people didn’t bother to close their windows.

None of that was out of the norm, and easy to tune out.

She stopped in the middle of the rooftop, turning a full circle to gauge the oncoming attackers positions. Her fate had yet to show up, but she’d do well enough on her own until then.

At the moment there were seven attackers close enough she had reason for concern. She ran her fingers along the hilt of the dagger at her hip, and took hold of it when the colors around her shifted and dispersed.

One of her attackers was attempting a blocking spell. Jayde laughed and spun toward the root of the spell, releasing the dagger into the dark. Before she could hear the satisfying thunk of its impact, she folded her knees and dropped down straight to the ground.

The hum of the oncoming spell passed right over her belly. She straightened her legs and rolled to the right, then immediately to the left. An enormous man landed on the rooftop where she’d just been so hard the entire roof trembled.

*~*

Hope you enjoyed it!  Click on the Tuesday Tales badge to see more excellent entries!!

*~*

 

 

Ice Queen by Lindsay Downs

| Amazon | ARe | Secret Cravings Publishing |

BLURB-

Military grade weaponry is disappearing from bases all over the world, only to end up in the hands of terrorists and dictators.

Governments are helpless as the threats of being overthrown mount. As a last resort the world leaders turn to The Consortium to bring the biggest arms dealer to justice. They set Special Operative Jessica Sale on the trail of Justin Grey.

Portraying herself as the go to person when a buyer is looking for quantity and quality Jessica easily instills herself into his organization.

Buried deep within the mountains of Wyoming she finds her target and something she didn’t expect-a traitor in the guise of her boyfriend.

With personal feelings aside she charges ahead with the mission. Flying to New York Jessica arranges for monies to be transferred and weapons shipped. Pleased with her work he invites Jessica back to Wyoming except he never makes it home.

*~*

Excerpt for Ice Queen-

With a mental brain shake, she lifted her head. As their gazes met she leaned back only to settle her elbows on the bar top. The effect was damn near instantaneous as it helped stretch the flimsy material over her breasts.

His heated smile of approval, she saw, confirmed the distraction was working. While part of her kept him occupied she positioned her booted right foot against the front of the bar. “You got it?” Her voice was soft with a touch of sensual huskiness.

“And more, if you want,” he replied, as he leaned forward to close the distance.

From the bottom of her vision she caught movement as he lifted a hand. She fought back a cringe when he brushed the tips of his fingers along the side of her breast.

“Nope, just what I ordered.” She paused to look him down and up. “Don’t see anything else that I could use,” her voice hardening ever so slightly.

“You sure?” he asked before his thumb drifted toward her peaked nipple.

“Yep, and if you don’t want to sing with the Vienna Boys Choir, I’d suggest you remove your hand. Oh,” she paused to let the words sink into his lecherous brain, “and look down if you don’t believe me.”

Never one to doubt or underestimate a dangerously beautiful woman he dropped his eyes. He could feel them open even wider when he saw a knife point glisten in the weak light of the room, a centimeter from his groin.

“You really are the Ice Queen everyone says you are.” He stepped back, taking his hand with him. “You have the money?”

“Sure am. That’s why I’m so good at what I do.” She saw he was about to say something but silenced him with a glare. “And don’t ask what I do—you might not like the answer.”

When he wouldn’t step back any farther she knew he was someone who liked to be control, not just people but situations. The problem was that wasn’t on her agenda. She had to make him know who was the boss. Without her connections he’d be just one of hundreds of weapons dealers. The only thing he had going for him was his inventory and ease of delivery.

With a menacing gleam in her eyes Jessica brushed the flat side of the tanto blade against the bulge in his pants. She watched as his eyes took on a panic-stricken glaze. Then, with a slow deliberate motion of her hand, more for her pleasure than his, she withdrew the instrument of torture.

She knew round one was hers when she heard a soft sigh of thankfulness that he was still intact slip from between his lips.

With victory hers, confirmed by the unconscious relaxing of his shoulders, in one fluid motion she sheathed the weapon. From the way his eyes still took her in she suspected Justin knew what would happen, especially if he made any sudden movement toward her, the blade would once again appear and cut off more than his manhood.

 

Bulled Over by Catalina Ferrer #FREE

I have read this short story, and I’m all to happy to promote it for Catalina during her FREE weekender!!  Pick up a copy and enjoy this sexy little paranormal!!

AMAZON

Blurb:

What happens when in a weird twist of fate–or karma–the bullfighter becomes the bull?

Conchita Peron, a bullfighter still trying to earn respect in a male-dominated profession, vows to kill Asesino, the bull that took her father’s life. But what she doesn’t know–and may not realize in time–is within the bull’s body resides the soul of the man she once and still desires…that of the very handsome and very dead matador Antonio de le Vega.

Will she set aside her thirst for revenge in time to see the heart under the hide?

 

Excerpt:

“Senorita, you really should be resting, not drinking. You need a clear head for tomorrow.” Mateo—once mozo de espada to Antonio, now Conchita’s—gave her what had to be the twentieth warning glance in the last hour.

It was becoming harder and harder to ignore him.

“A few shots of tequila never hurt anyone,” Conchita shot back and punctuated her statement by throwing her head back and downing another small glass of the scorching amber liquid.

“Ah. But a few shots of tequila and a pitcher of beer…” Her assistant wrinkled his nose and shook his head. “Liquid courage may help you now, but it will not help you tomorrow when you are in that arena facing the most feared bull in Mexico.”

Conchita hated that her friend and mozo could see right through her, and she hated even more that he was right. But she’d be damned if she let him know that.

“Just go. I’ll be leaving in a few minutes. The hotel is not far. I don’t need a chaperone.”

The man hesitated, his hands perched on the edge of the bar, his butt half off the seat. “Are you sure? You promise you are leaving soon? It is already ten p.m. You should get a full night’s rest—”

“God!” Conchita interrupted, slamming her empty shot glass on the bar. “Don’t mother me, Mateo. I’ll be fine. I’ve fought more bulls than I can even remember right now. What’s another one?”

“The streets this late at night—”

“Are fine,” Conchita stated with a warning note in her voice. “If I can fight bulls, I can fight men. They are nearly one and the same. Horny fuckers.”

Mateo blinked in surprise and his lips twitched at one corner, but he rose from his seat. “Till tomorrow morning then. Ten a.m.”

Conchita felt bad for being so harsh with him. In an industry that showed her very little respect, he had been good to her, had stood by her patiently for three years. She’d never regretted hiring him after Antonio’s death and he didn’t deserve her attitude. She needed to get her head on straight and focus her bad attitude where it belonged: on the bull.

“Yep. Ten. I’m leaving soon. I promise,” she said, then added, “Goodnight, Mateo.”

“Buenas noches, Conchita.”

He doffed his baseball cap, nodded one last time, and was gone.

Conchita watched him go, vowed to finish the half mug of beer still in front of her, and then she would leave. She knew better than to overindulge the night before a fight, but she could hold her liquor as well as any man and her nerves were strung tight. No, liquid courage wouldn’t get her far tomorrow, but it would help her sleep tonight.

In the absence of her friend, she became more aware of her surroundings: the tinkle of glasses as the bartenders shuffled, grabbed, and washed them, giggles from women in the corner as they eyed the men playing pool, the sound of balls hitting balls, voices from the men at the other end of the bar.

“I bet you a hundred pesos she loses,” one man said.

“I don’t know. Revenge is a strong motive. He killed her papa and her lover.”

Conchita spewed beer all over the counter in front of her. Her lover? What tabloid had they been reading? Dios!

“Matadoras don’t have lovers. They are all lesbians. They want to be men!” a third man declared drunkenly.

It was a battle not to turn and look at the men having this discussion, but Conchita forced herself to be still. She caught the bartender’s eye as he approached her, a white rag in hand.

The conversation continued, but she feigned disinterest.

“I heard Asesino had to be pulled off a cow, tasered and roped and drugged. His amorousness knows no bounds,” man number two’s voice came again.

His amigos chuckled as though that was the funniest thing they’d ever heard.

Conchita gestured for another pitcher of beer, wanting an excuse to stay and listen to the men’s conversation.

“An amorous bull is a fierce bull!”

“His cock was this long!”

More laughter.

Conchita cast a sidelong glance at the men and her eyes widened at how far the speaker held his palms apart. Did he really think it was that long?

“But you see,” man number one said, leaning forward as though he had a secret, “he is full of testosterone and missing his cow bitches. Now that he’s had a taste of cow cooch, he’ll be dying to get back there, bursting with sexual frustration, and this will make him vicious. He will kill her right away!”

The bartender placed the pitcher in front of her and Conchita quickly poured herself a mug, downing it as quickly as she could as the man’s words roiled with the yeast in her belly.

“Jorge, you saw him today, didn’t you? Didn’t you see the bull?”

“Si! Si! I saw him arrive yesterday. He’s in the barn! Massive, fierce, angry! The poor matadora. Let’s hope she’s been practicing.”

Conchita gulped, swallowing more beer as she did so. And she continued to drink and listen, drink and listen, as she clutched the red sachet under her shirt.

“Two hundred pesos says she defeats him.”

Gracias a Dios! At least someone had faith in her.

“No, no,” another man protested. “One hundred pesos says his cock is this big!”

Conchita summoned the bartender for a shot of tequila.

 

Catalina Ferrer lives in an undisclosed location and prefers to remain mysterious. She loves readers, however, and invites them to like her Facebook page to stay up to date on further releases from her. She promises not to spam you to death.

Meet Arianna Calin of Fire Within by Ally Shields

I always get a little giddy when an author chooses a character interview. Today it’s Arianna Calin of Fire Within (Guardian Witch #2).

*~*

1.  Tell us a little about yourself. How did you come to your author’s attention? Occupation?

It wasn’t easy getting her attention. She wanted to write some boring story about a woman named Samantha who hadn’t a single witchy power! I’m not even sure this Samantha was going to be a cop. Imagine that—trying to solve crimes with no supernatural powers and no badge.

Occupation? I’m a Guardian, a supernatural cop sworn to keep the peace between the Otherworlders and the human population. My heritage is useful on the job, since I’m a fire witch. Not only can I do magic like spells and potions, but I can shoot magical fire from my fingertips and summon the fire spirits if I’m in major trouble.

2.  What or who is the greatest love of your life? Why? What drew you to them?

Um, I suppose you mean a guy. I’m not sure love is the right word, but Andreas, the really hunky vampire prince of Riverdale, and I have this “thing” going. Our magics really like each other, and the chemistry is definitely there, but more than that, who knows? I don’t have much time to think about it.

3.  What’s your greatest fear?

That some time I won’t be good enough, that I’ll come up against some evil creature I can’t stop, and people I care about will die.

 4.  What’s your motto in life?

Live and let live. But that’s only if the other guy is doing the same.

 5.  How do the other characters in your book view you?

Depends. I guess most of them would say I have an attitude, that I don’t hold much back. It doesn’t stop anyone from coming to me when there’s trouble.

 6. What do you prefer? To spread & hear gossip, or be the creator of gossip fodder?

Being a cop, I’m more interested in the facts. I hate gossip because it causes too much trouble. But if I had to choose one, I’d rather hear it. I like to know what’s going on in my town.

 7.  What is it about you that is going to draw us readers in?

I live in a really interesting world, full of unusual beings. They do things and think thoughts that are sometimes foreign to readers, which I think makes them interesting. Readers also seem to enjoy the police procedural aspects, like the crime lab. Of course, I hear a lot about Andreas and where our relationship is going. Who knew readers would be so interested in that?

 8.  What was your happiest moment?

Our family was at the lake when I was five and my parents were still alive. I found a big caterpillar and my father paid me a nickel for it. It was nice being together that day. By the next summer by parents were dead, my brother and sister lived with my grandparents, and I was in training with Great-Gran. But I still remember that day.

 9.  What trait in others do you find most deplorable?

Deceit, disloyalty. I can’t imagine a good enough reason for turning against those who depend on you.

10. The random question: If you were a color, what color would you be and why?

I’d be red for fire. The ability to call fire is an integral part of who I am.

 

*~*~*~*

| Trailer |  Amazon | B&N | ARe | Kobo |

Book Blurb: Ari Calin refuses to believe her human friend Eddie murdered a vampire—in spite of his confession. Her human partner Ryan thinks the case is a slam dunk, even though there’s no weapon and no witnesses, but Ari’s not about to let her friend take the rap without finding out more.

When Ari attends a charity event on the arm of a handsome werewolf, she finds someone she never expected to see again—Andreas De Luca, the charismatic vampire she used to date. When their eyes meet across the room, memories come rushing back. His kiss, his touch, a savage death…and a terrifying magical bond. A reconnection is the last thing she wants. Only by staying away and forgetting Andreas can she hope to avoid the Legend of Ramora.

But when vampires keep dying, one thing becomes clear: Riverdale has a serial killer on its hands, and Andreas could be next. Ari begins to fear there’s more to it, though. Something truly evil is stalking the city, waiting to take control…

Excerpt:

         Ari paused when she spied a champagne dinner for two from Club Dintero. She wouldn’t be bidding on that. Claris’s attempt to hurry them past, to skip that particular auction item, brought a frown to Ari’s face. Like she wouldn’t notice. Apparently, Claris wasn’t convinced the past was in the past.

Ari’s frown deepened. She knew she had been a little touchy on the subject of Andreas and his club. Unbidden, a series of scenes flashed through her head: strong arms holding a grief-stricken young witch; a dark figure singing on stage, the crowd captivated; the same sexy figure sipping Chianti; a forbidden kiss. Ari determinedly brushed aside such highly selective memories. Those were only the good things—and there were some not so good. She flashed a reassuring smile at Claris and turned her attention to the next item, a spa package.

As if Ari’s traitorous thoughts had conjured it, a surge of Otherworld power touched her. Vampire. And not just any vampire. Sensation raced across her skin, her witch magic singing in recognition as the air shimmered with his dark, slightly wicked energy. She whipped her head around, focused on the front entry, and there he was.

Andreas’s dark eyes captured hers from across the room. Her breath caught, and like always, that compelling swirl of power wrapped itself around her, beguiling, irresistible. She barely registered the presence of the other vampires with him. Seconds, perhaps hours or years, passed with her caught in his gaze. As suddenly as it came, the magic withdrew, leaving a void. Andreas turned away and said something to the woman at his side. His companion laid a possessive hand on his arm.

Shaken, Ari took a shallow breath. After eight months she’d thought her reaction to him would be diminished. She’d be the last one to deny Andreas De Luca was heartbreakingly attractive, despite being one of the undead. That still didn’t explain his almost paralyzing effect on her.

*~*

Author Bio:  Ally Shields was born and raised in the Midwest, along the Mississippi River, the setting for her urban fantasy series. After  a career in law and juvenile justice, she turned to full-time writing in 2009, and Awakening the Fire, the debut novel in her Guardian Witch series, was released in September 2012.  Ally still lives close to the Mighty Mississippi with her Miniature Pinscher, Ranger. When not writing or reading, she loves to travel in the US and abroad. Way too often she can be found on Twitter.

Author contact links:

Website: http://allyshields.com

Blog: http://allyshields.com/blog.html

Twitter: http://twitter.com/ShieldsAlly

Facebook: http://facebook.com/AllyShieldsAuthor

Goodreads:  http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/...

More than a Job by Lynette Endicott

| Trailer | Amazon | Desert Breeze Publishing |

BLURB:

Paige Hamilton is forced to seek a new life when her consuming, 24/7 job ends at the hands of a new company owner. But Paige is a survivor, and begins to build a new life, one that may even have room for romance. When the handsome stranger is the first to help her through the transition she falls fast and hard for Joshua Robinson.

Then she discovers he is the cruel owner, and that the company she’d loved — the company that cared so much about the adults with disabilities who lived in their homes — is in a downward spiral that puts the life of one of her friends at risk.

Romance, job loss, life coaching, hidden family treasures, and a secret about an uncle she’d never met — Paige learns that life is More Than a Job.

 *~*

EXCERPT:

Paige rounded the corner and jogged toward the Elm Street house at a steady pace. She felt great. She was breathing, zoning into the rhythm of her steps, head up, taking in the blue sky, the leaves with their fall colors, the mums bright splashes against the green lawns. The tension from her most recent separation from Josh began to recede.

Suddenly her heart pounded at a more rapid pace. She couldn’t register, couldn’t accept, what her eyes told her was true. Don sat on the porch in his wheelchair. Someone she didn’t recognize stood behind him — as the chair rolled toward the steps. Not the ramp. The steps.

Don waved his arms frantically.

She lengthened her stride and shouted with all her breath, “Wait! Stop!”

I will never make it in time. Pounding faster than she’d known she could run, she closed in on the house. The man in the gray sweat suit behind Don looked up, paused.

Maybe she would make it after all.

The man turned and went back into the house. He must have pushed away from the chair as he moved. He certainly hadn’t set the brakes. The chair rolled forward in slow motion, tottering at the top of the three steps, then turning, tumbling, crashing upside-down at the bottom as she arrived at Don’s side.

I can’t panic. She peered into Don’s startled, pale face while she fished out her cell phone. She knelt beside him, twisting around so he could see her face from his crumpled position on the ground.

“Hey, guy, this is no way to start the day.” She kept her tone light while checking him visually for injuries. No blood except for a scrape on his forehead. Good. She dialed 911. “I’m not going to move you, Don.”

Alert, he looked into her eyes.

“This chair is too heavy for me. Anyway, I want a doctor to check you over. Okay?”

Don blinked twice, his signal for yes. She covered his hand with hers while she talked to the dispatcher, giving the address, stating the nature of the injury, keeping her voice calm and steady.

Where were the staff? She plugged her headset into the phone and dropped it into her pocket.

“I’m going to talk with this man while we wait,” she told the dispatcher. “Yes, I’m trained in first aid, but I don’t think I should move him. He fell on his neck and head, and I don’t want to cause more injury.” She turned her attention back to her friend.

“Don, I know you must hurt.” Several minutes had passed since his fall. Why hadn’t anyone in the home noticed he was gone? “Does your head hurt at all?”

One blink. No.

“How about your neck?”

Don hesitated. Maybe.

“Your legs?”

Two blinks. Yes.

She looked closer. He’d skinned one knee in the fall. At least he’d been buckled into the chair, controlling the injuries some. Maybe.

Sirens blared in the distance, and a female voice emanated from inside the house. “Bert, where’s Donnie?” Without waiting for an answer, the woman commanded, “I told you to wait with him by the front door.”

Suddenly a young woman appeared at the door and screamed out, “Bert, what have you done?”

She stayed on the porch, but turned to Paige. “Is he all right?” She didn’t move from the door, as if afraid of the answer.

Paige kept her voice calm to keep her anger at bay. “I don’t know yet. I called an ambulance.”

She didn’t know the staff person, and the staff person didn’t know her. For all she knew, Paige was a stranger kneeling on the walk with a man the other woman was supposed to assist. Why didn’t she assume some responsibility?

“I need you to page your supervisor — and bring me Don’s medical book,” Paige said, hoping her no-nonsense tone resulted in quick action. “It’s the red one with his name on it, in the medicine cabinet.

“I don’t know how to page my supervisor.” The girl looked young and scared and had to be brand new. Her small, frightened voice confirmed Paige’s fears. “This is my first day alone. I don’t know what to do. I don’t know what to do.”

The ambulance turned the last corner. Paige stepped out to the curb to signal the driver, but directed her words to the girl. “The list is by the phone. Call the on-call pager. Tell the person on call that Don fell and needs to go to the hospital. Get someone here to help you right away.”

She didn’t have time to worry about the young woman for the next few minutes. She ended the call to the dispatcher with thanks. She briefed the paramedics and showed them how Don communicated. When they finally had him on a stretcher, a neck brace in place, she realized someone needed to go with him, and no one had come. She would have to go.

The ride to the hospital lasted just long enough for her to make three important phone calls. She called Don’s mom first.

“Meg, it’s me. Paige.” Before Meg could chitchat, she hurried on. “Don fell at the house. I’m taking him to the hospital to make sure he’s okay. He’s conscious and giving me a hard time as usual, so I’m sure he’ll be fine. He has a couple of scrapes. But I knew you’d want to have him checked over.” She didn’t explain how she happened to be at the house. Meg didn’t ask.

“Oh, Paige, I’m in St. Louis. It will take me three hours to get there. Tell him I’m on my way, okay?”

“I’ll tell him, and I’ll stay with him until you get here. We’re going to Community Hospital, so you can check at the ER there.”

“Let me talk to Don before I leave, okay?”

“Sure.” Paige held the cell to Don’s ear. “It’s your mom,” she told him, and was reward with a smile as he listened to Meg’s encouraging words.

When Paige couldn’t hear the rumble of a voice, she took back the phone.

“Anything else, Meg?”

“No, I’m on my way. I’ll see you as soon as I can get there. I know he’s in good hands until I can be there in person.” Meg sounded rushed but not panicked. Good.

“Drive safe, then. We’ll be waiting as patiently as we can.”

Paige’s next call was to the on-call pager. “This is P.J. Fields. Hopefully by now your staff person’s told you Don’s wheelchair rolled down the front steps at Elm Street.” She wondered if her frustration came through her voice. Part of her hoped so. Maybe she could stimulate some action. “Since no one else was available to do it, I got his mom’s permission and I’m taking him to Community. Someone needs to meet us there.”

Finally, she called the Day Program, explaining that Don would not be in today and that they would have to check with his case manager for more information….

Then they were at the hospital. Paige climbed from the ambulance and walked beside the cart on the way to an examining room. A paramedic described the injuries to the ER doctor while she made small talk with Don. The EMT had dressed his scrapes, but he’d had no other treatment. The doctor listened, made some notes, and turned to leave the room.

Paige put her hand on the doctor’s sleeve to get her attention. “Wait, please. What are you going to do next?”

The doctor frowned, tapped her foot, seemed uninterested and in a hurry to leave. “We’ll observe him for awhile, see if anything becomes apparent.” Paige had seen such disinterest, heard the bored tone, far too often when seeking medical care for people who couldn’t speak for themselves.

She’d learned to be persistent. “It was a nasty fall. I saw it happen. The risk of both head trauma and neck injury are there, don’t you think? He’s at very high risk for osteoporosis. Anyone who can’t bear their own weight is at risk. Any bone could be broken.”

“Yes, either is possible. We’ll watch him for signs of head trauma.” The doctor looked at her with a little more attention, but said nothing about a possible neck injury or broken bones. Paige bit back her anger. The doctor probably didn’t think a spinal cord injury would make much difference in Don’s quality of life. His chart said he was quadriplegic already, so the doctor probably had no idea he had full sensation. He wasn’t paralyzed; he just didn’t have full control of his muscles.

“He can’t respond easily,” Paige persisted. “Probably only a CT scan will tell you want you want to know. Won’t you consider it?”

The doctor really looked at her now. “Dr. Curtis,” she said, extending her hand, “and you are…?”

“I’m Paige Hamilton, a friend of Don’s.” Time to bluff if he was going to get any attention. “I’ve been on the phone with his guardian and mother. She’s on her way, but she wanted me to tell you she hopes you will do a scan.” Well, if she knew the details, Meg would certainly require a scan.

“His guardian has requested it?”

“I’m worried, too,” Paige pressed on. “He seems less responsive than usual, and I’ve known him for ten years. Aren’t you concerned?”

“How is he less responsive?” Finally she had some attention.

“He keeps dozing off, and he doesn’t open his eyes to answer my questions until I’ve asked two or three times. He could be in pain, of course, but it could be caused by something more.”

Dr. Curtis sat down and wrote the order, and within minutes Paige sat in the waiting room outside the x-ray area, where they would check Don for broken bones and other injuries.

Paige sat back to relax, to close her eyes for a moment. Only a moment, because suddenly everyone around her moved very fast. First the technician told her the doctor needed to talk with her right away. Then the doctor who came wasn’t the first one, but a neurosurgeon.

“He has a bleed on his brain,” he told her. “We are going to do emergency surgery to evacuate the blood. If we don’t, the pressure can cause serious injury or even death. We are taking him to prep him now.”

Hump Day Hook – Eve’s New Year

Another Hump Day Hook!

This weekend I submitted the next story in my Holidays in Lake Point series.  Eve’s New Year. Just like Santa, Maybe, this one surprised me in so many ways.  I so enjoyed getting to know Eve and Jake it was tough to let them go…and I was only able to because I know they’ll continue appearing in other stories as side characters.

So without further ado, please meet Eve and her best friend (or is he?), Jake:

“Where are they?” She grasped along the bottom of her purse, until the force of her own reaching hand shoved the purse to the ground. “Damn it.”

“Easy, babe.” He hugged her and kissed her temple. “Breathe.”

“Sorry.” She closed her eyes and leaned into his shoulder. “She’s not even bad yet.”

“No, but I heard what you said. We just have to hope that she forgets for a while longer. That her preparations are distraction enough. Okay?”

“Okay.”

“That’s my girl.”

 

*~*

Hump Day Hook asks authors to post one paragraph of one of their stories, whether a WIP, one contracted, or already published.  Please visit and comment on the participants – you might just stumble on the next great read for your library!  To see more participants, click on the HDH banner below:

Tuesday Tales – Picture Prompt

[image error]The prompt this week is a picture – 1 of 4.  Considering Eve & Jake run an antique shop, I couldn’t resist this picture.

However, this will be the last week we see Jake & Eve in Tuesday Tales…their story will be complete before this post goes live (I hope), so I can submit it and the rest of the Lake Point stories to my publisher. Jake & Eve have surprised me at every turn, making me walk a delicate line of life-long friends not sure how to cross that line.  They are a great, and sometimes very frustrating couple, that I hope I’ll be able to bring to you in time for New Years.

As always this is un-edited mostly, so forgive any errors. :

Eve pulled her coat tighter around her neck. It was Christmas Eve, the shop was closed, but she couldn’t stop herself from stopping on her way to the rehearsal dinner. The bright sun illuminated the front window she’d filled and arranged herself.

She couldn’t remember if she’d told Jake how often the display would need to be changed out to avoid sun damage. Maybe she should send him an email. If she told him tonight, he’d forget before he got into work.

The past two years had been spent in that shop. Her entire life had taken place in this small town. The courthouse square she stood in had been part of her every summer.  The candy shop that used to be on the corner had been a frequent haunt once she and Jake were given free reign with their bikes and allowances.

Of course, that candy shop was now a book store, and it had spent time as a tea room and a metaphysical shop in turns over the years.  Everything changed, but at the same time it all stayed the same. Even Jake, who happened to be approaching, had changed so much, but still was the same boy she’d always known.

“I thought I’d find you here.” Jake smiled as he walked up.

“I was early, so I thought I’d take a last circuit around the square.”

“It’s not going anywhere, you just have to visit.”

“I thought I’d raise my children here.” The familiar gnawing fear and depression tightened its grip on her nervous belly. “I guess I thought I’d have them by now, too.”

“You’re going to be the best mom.” Oddly, his voice cracked.

“At this rate, I don’t know if that will ever happen. I just…I’m struggling to let go.”

“I know the feeling.”

*~*

Hope you enjoyed it!  Click on the Tuesday Tales badge to see more excellent entries!!

*~*