Guest Post and Giveaway Fiery Bride (Matchmaker & Co. #3) by Cynthia Woolf

Published July 5th, 2013

Description:

After a disastrous marriage, Matchmaker Maggie vowed never to marry again. She will never give another man the power of life and death over her body and soul. Unfortunately, that doesn't keep her lonely heart from fantasizing about her newest client, Caleb Black. She made the mistake of starting a flirtatious correspondence with the clever devil, believing they would never meet. But when his new bride abandons her mid-way to Colorado to elope with another man, Maggie is forced to face the devastatingly handsome Caleb and explain. Now she'll have to stay long enough to make things right and find him a new wife. But Maggie better hang on to her vow with both hands, because Caleb has other plans for the fiery matchmaker...and a very seductive kiss.

GUEST POST

What a western historical needs to be a good story

(MB's topic)

A historical western romance, just like any other romance, needs a great romance first and foremost. 

Second, it needs to have a setting in the west, of course. It doesn’t need to go on and on about the country, the cowboys or the cattle, unless they are an integral part of your story 

A western always needs a larger than life hero and this can be shown in different ways. The way he acts with the heroine and the children. Does he treat them with care? Does he treat them the same? Our hero is going to realize his strength and never use that against the heroine. 

The heroine doesn’t need to be superwoman but she sure as heck isn’t some simpering miss. She never simpers. 

They must love each other, though one or both of them refuses to believe it or even believe in love. He or she has never felt the all encompassing love for anyone except perhaps their children. 

I sometimes like to have children in my stories. They have a new and innocent perspective on the world that the adults don’t have. 

Overall a western, just like any other book needs to have characters that you like and that you care about. Without that, your reader isn’t going to care about your book.

Thank you, Mrs. Cynthia Woolf

EXCERPT:

TOUR SCHEDULE

“What do you mean, you quit?  Mr. Sinclair, you just can’t quit.”  Margaret “Maggie” Selby put her pen down on the desk.  She would not raise her voice.  She would not lose control.

“I’m sorry, Mrs. Selby, but I got no choice.  There’s an opening at the sanitarium in Albany and my Mary, she needs to go right now.  The doctors there might be able to help her.  We leave on the morning train.”

Maggie took a deep breath and nodded.  She understood.  She really did, but it didn’t change the fact that she was now in a difficult situation.  “Of course, you must go.  I know how poor Mary’s health is and any help that can be obtained for her, must be.”

“I wish I could give you some notice, but we just received the letter in yesterday’s post.”

“It’s fine, Mr. Sinclair.  I’ll manage.”

He handed her an envelope.  “Here are the train tickets.”

“Yes, well, I’ve wanted to see the frontier I’ve been sending my these girls to.  I’m simply going to see it sooner than I anticipated.”

“I’m truly sorry, Mrs. Selby.”

Maggie got up, came around the desk and held her hand out to him.  “You just take care of Mary.  That’s your job now.”

He shook her hand, nodded.  Mr. Sinclair put on his hat and wiped his brow with his kerchief before venturing back out into the already hot and sunny morning. 

She went to her desk, grabbed Caleb Black’s file, put the closed sign on the door and then went upstairs to her apartment to pack.  Her bride, Jenny Talbot would be by in an hour or so to pick up her tickets.  Maggie would tell her then that she’d be accompanying her, not Mr. Sinclair.  It was just as well.  Jenny was nervous as a kitten and Maggie worried about the union, but both Mr. Black and Jenny had been adamant that it take place.  If truth be told, Maggie herself was a better match for Mr. Black than Jenny.  But she was here to find matches for others, not for herself.

Jenny’s reasoning she understood.  Jenny was the oldest of the seven Talbot children.  At twenty-two years old, felt she was a burden on her parents even though she worked and helped out with the bills.  She hated her job and wanted to get married.  Her chances were growing slim.  Most men of marriageable age were either already married, old or widowers with hellions for children.

Jenny was a tall, slim girl with pale blue eyes and dark blond hair.  Her lips were full, her nose long and straight.  Just a plain young woman from a struggling family who wanted a better life.  One that the wild frontier might be able to offer.

Mr. Black’s reasoning was less clear.  He was successful and wanted children.  Maggie had presented him with several other possible candidates, some more attractive, some younger, some older, all of whom he’d rejected.  The reasons he gave were weak.  Brown hair.  Too short.  Too fat.  Too thin.  Too young.  Too old.  There seemed to be a reason for rejecting every one she sent him. 

Finally, he’d settled on Jenny with the proviso that Maggie herself accompanied the girl.  She’d agreed, but stated only that Jenny would be accompanied.  With her full intention having been to send Mr. Sinclair in her place.  Maggie’s time was much more well spent here in New York.  Finding clients, assigning candidates that is where her mind, body and commitment lay.  Yes, running her business is where she belonged more than on a trip to the wild West.  She didn’t feel bad about her decision.  Really she didn’t, she told herself over and over.  But she was lying.  If she were honest, deep down she was afraid to meet Mr. Black.  Afraid her image of him would be wrong, but even more afraid it would be right and he really was the man he depicted in his letters.

She shouldn’t have allowed it, the private correspondence, but it had been innocent enough.  In the beginning.  A simple flirtation with someone she’d never meet.  But now, the thought of actually meeting him terrified and thrilled her at the same time. Now she had to go.  Maggie released a rather breathless sigh.  She blinked repeatedly against the harsh sunlight.  So Mr. Black was getting what he’d asked for after all.  Much to her dismay.

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Books in series:

About the author:

Cynthia Woolf was born in Denver, Colorado and raised in the mountains west of Golden. She spent her early years running wild around the mountain side with her friends.

Their closest neighbor was one quarter of a mile away, so her little brother was her playmate and her best friend. That fierce friendship lasted until his death in 2006.

Cynthia was and is an avid reader. Her mother was a librarian and brought new books home each week. This is where young Cynthia first got the storytelling bug. She wrote her first story at the age of ten. A romance about a little boy she liked at the time.

She worked her way through college and went to work full time straight after graduation and there was little time to write. Then in 1990 she and two friends started a round robin writing a story about pirates. She found that she missed the writing and kept on with other stories. In 1992 she joined Colorado Romance Writers and Romance Writers of America. Unfortunately, the loss of her job demanded she not renew her memberships and her writing stagnated for many years.

In 2001, she saw an ad in the paper for a writers conference being put on by CRW and decided she'd attend. One of her favorite authors, Catherine Coulter, was the keynote speaker. Cynthia was lucky enough to have a seat at Ms. Coulter's table at the luncheon and after talking with her, decided she needed to get back to her writing. She rejoined both CRW and RWA that day and hasn't looked back.

Cynthia credits her wonderfully supportive husband Jim and the great friends she's made at CRW for saving her sanity and allowing her to explore her creativity.

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Author's Giveaways

Giveaway 1
Prize: A $50 Amazon GC
International
There will be one winner.
The winner will be notified via email and has 48hs to respond, otherwise a new winner will be drawn.a Rafflecopter giveaway
Giveaway 2
Prize: A Paperback copy of FIERY BRIDE by CYNTHIA WOOLF.
U.S ONLY
There will be one winner.
The winner will be notified via email and has 48hs to respond, otherwise a new winner will be drawn. a Rafflecopter giveaway

Guest Post Cap'n Random by Chris DeBrie

Published: August 10th, 2013

Description:

When crime scene cleaner Charles 'Yey' Reyes helps a detective friend solve a Roanoke homicide, he shuns the attention and plans to avoid further investigating.

He quickly changes his mind when his friend is killed while on duty. But this time, his offer to help is rejected by the police captain.

Meanwhile, homegrown celebrity Sydney Estes buys a house near town. As the citizens swoon, Yey notices a link between Sydney and a flurry of homicides. 

Harangued by the captain, local media, and Sydney's fans, Yey struggles to connect clues which will prove his theories.

GUEST POST

What inspired you to write your first book? 

My first book was "As Is", a coming-of-age story set in high school. I used a print on demand company to release it in 1999. I actually wrote the book ten years prior, before I started the ninth grade. It was about 90 handwritten pages back then, about an interracial relationship between two high school seniors. I remember laughing at myself, because at the time I was barely a teenager, and had never dated anyone. 

Some have asked if the book is based on real experiences, but I didn't have any of that kind. I was a weird hybrid of jock and bookworm, and that combined with my mother's vigilance about teaching me to be a respectful young man, meant that I was a gentleman (or basically a nerd in the world's eyes), when it came to the ladies. The plus side of having that character meant that I didn't become a teenage baby daddy. The flip side was that people expected me to fit into a stereotype of the promiscuous young black man, and when I proved to be something else, I was discarded or ridiculed by black and white alike in many cases. It was a confusing time. But all teenagers are confused on some level. 

Even if all of that weren't so, I had already realized from my early short story writing that trying to twist real life into fiction didn't work for me. Charles Bukowski, a writer I once admired and read much of in my school years, could do that well. He could change his name to "Hank Chinaski" and twist life into entertaining tales that made me laugh out loud--it is not easy for a writer to make a reader do that. I couldn't do the "journal as story with names changed" thing. My characters always seem to take a life of their own, and I go with them; their voices are more interesting. It is similar to why I knew I'd never be a beat reporter or news journalist, which is what some people expected me to do with my life. 

"As Is" was inspired by what I saw around me. At that age, I was noticing America's racial dynamics clearly for the first time. I was digging more deeply into history, and hearing the things that people said with a young adult's ears rather than those of a child. I felt a combination of curiosity, disgust, and maybe something like awe that so many people were caught up in skin color. Of course, even the youngest children are aware of these things on some level, and I was no different, but to me it was a triviality. To this day, I still have a toddler-like mentality: "You like me, I like you, let's go talk and play!" And I rarely meet others with that heart. So in the eighth grade, I was finally acknowledging that my view of the world did not always match up to the prevalent view. To be blunt, I was understanding that people of all kinds and from all quarters were really in anguish over "race," which is a complicated and much misunderstood concept. 

Since then, I've come to terms with the fact that the word of God will never match up to what most of the unsaved world believes. The Bible declares in the book of Romans that all men and women are sinners, therefore none of us should see ourselves as superior or inferior. In the Lord's eyes we are equally flawed. Our only salvation is in the belief and faith that Jesus Christ is Lord, something no other person can claim. I say all of that to point out why all of the conflicts about race, ethnicity, skin color and other related concepts are ultimately irrelevant. That was really the point of "As Is," though I was not mature enough to express all of it as a young teen. I consider my real family to be those who call on Christ, and that is something I still am learning to say in my writing, music, art, and life. No matter the subject matter and theme, this is my foundation.

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About the author

Chris DeBrie is an American publisher, author, and artist. He has written hundreds of news and sports articles for a variety of sources. DeBrie has independently published several novels and comic books. He lives in Roanoke, Virginia.

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Giveaway Edible Delights Anthology Volume 2 by Bianca Sarble, Imogene Nix, Alysha Ellis, Seanna Smythe, Kate Belle

Published July 17th, 2013

Description:

Flavor of the Month – Bianca Sarble

When Cate Gallagher thinks her day can’t get any worse, Patrick Garrett comes along to prove her wrong. The sexy stranger awakens her long forgotten libido but she knows from past experiences his type is best avoided at all costs.

Patrick is sure the chemistry between them will set the sheets on fire, if only she would give him a chance. He hatches a seduction plan to show her exactly how right they could be.

But getting the girl isn’t the only obstacle to their Happy Ever After. Misunderstandings and assumptions bring their heat level to boiling point and threaten to scorch their love.

Can Cate overcome her past and let Patrick show her she’s not just the Flavor Of The Month?

The Chocolate Affair – Imogene Nix

Deanna has one love. The Scheherazade Chocolate Factory. When it’s bought out by an off world consortium, they send someone to inspect their purchase.

JD Ruan is their expert investigator. But JD has a secret. He’s a demon. And not just any kind of demon –a Pleasure Demon.

Secrets, abilities and hidden truths will find their way… especially when chocolate is involved

My Lord’s Table – Alysha Ellis

Gently-bred Susan arrives in 18th century London starving, penniless and desperate to find a job. When a chance-met acquaintance offers to help, Susan happily accepts a position as housekeeper in the home of Lord Winslade.

But the position is not what she expects it to be. She is greeted by a grim manservant, who locks her in a room and orders her to wear the scandalous costume she finds there.

She is forced to attend an erotic banquet of carnal and epicurean delights, presided over by the darkly sinister Lord Winslade.

Susan’s expectations of domestic service shatter as she is seduced into fulfilling appetites of an entirely different order.

The Banquet – Kate Belle

Banquet is a moment in the life of James, a less than attractive chef and restaurant owner who is obsessed with celebrity chef, Sheba. Sheba’s famed erotic recipes have saved James from a life of involuntary celibacy. After impressing Sheba with a special dessert of his own creation, James finds himself invited to the most exclusive and mysterious event on the hospitality calendar. Everyone who’s anyone in the hospitality industry knows of it, but the banquet itself is shrouded in secrecy.

Nervous and out of his depth, James attends and is introduced to a world where the boundaries between food and sex are entirely blurred.

Never on a Sundae - Seanna Smythe

Delicious delights you’ve dreamed of, but Never on a Sundae. Would his beloved Evie cater for the kind of party Aidan had in mind?

The sign advertised catering for parties, but he doubted they catered for the kind of party he had in mind…

Evie is running away from love and when things get a little too hot with Sydney-sider, Aidan, she disappears to Newcastle to buy an ice-cream parlor, Never on a Sundae. But fate conspires against her, and she finds herself out of business and places to run.

As she’s wrapping up things up, Aidan rides into town on his Harley looking for a unique idea for an ice cream cake for his brother’s bachelor party. He’s been searching for months for the only woman who can do wicked things with chocolate…and his heart.

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TOUR SCHEDULE

About the authors:

Bianca Sarble
Once upon a time, in a land called Australia, there lived a delightful young girl named Bianca who loved to read. As she grew older, her sarcastic tendencies and warped sense of humor became evident, as did her preference for raunchy romances.

Now, as well as reigning over their 1/4 acre kingdom with the handsome Prince that stole her heart and feeding their ever-growing children, she not only reads everything she can, but pens her own deliciously sexy stories.

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Imogene Nix
A mother of two, compulsive reader and bookstore owner. She lives in regional Queensland, Australia with her husband, 2 daughters, dog, cats and prize winning chooks. She has a particular fondness for Vampires, Star Ship Captains and things that go bump in the night.

She is also a firm believer in writing what you enjoy… something she strictly adheres to!

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Alysha Ellis

Alysha Ellis lives in Australia on a diet that consists entirely of chocolate, champagne and strawberries. She write stories your mother would never let you read, even now that you're all grown up - but what Mama don't know can't hurt her.
Live on the wild side a little. Her motto is always,Bad girls have all the fun!

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Kate Belle 
Kate writes dark, sensual contemporary women’s fiction. She lives, writes and loves in Melbourne, juggling her strange, secret affairs with her male characters with her much loved partner and daughter, and a menagerie of neurotic pets. She holds a tertiary qualification in chemistry, half a diploma in naturopathy and a diploma in psychological astrology. Kate believes in living a passionate life and has ridden a camel through the Australian desert, fraternised with hippies in Nimbin, had a near birth experience and lived on nothing but porridge and a carrot for 3 days.

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Seanna Smythe
A little naughty and a whole lot nice, Seanna Smythe writes 3-chilli-hot romance with heart. Sizzling heroes and playful heroines, each with a story to tell, will take you on the adventure of lifetime with a guaranteed happy ending.Take my hand and walk with me…

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Authors' Giveaway

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Giveaway Mangled Hearts (Hearts #1) by Felicia Tatum

Published: July 12th, 2013

Description:

Francesca and Cade

Can two loves find their way back to each other despite an addiction and a hardened heart? Will their love overcome it all?

Francesca Taymon is young, successful, and broken. A tragic accident years ago haunts her to this day, and she blames only one person--the one that holds her heart. When she finally gets her first case, will she be able to handle seeing him again? Can she do her job and keep her heart intact?

Cade Kelling doesn’t take life seriously. He’s reckless and irresponsible, drinking all his problems away. When his parents bail him out for the last time, will he be able to handle seeing Francesca after all of these years? Will he be able to tell her what really happened that night five years ago or will he lose her forever? 

And the most important question….

Can these mangled hearts be mended?

Author's DREAM CAST

If ‘Mangled Hearts’ was made into a movie and you could cast anyone you wanted, who would you choose? (Please attach any pics separately) 

Ooooh, this is difficult! Let me think, let me think.

I love this guy and he could totally be Cade. We can just dye his hair a tad bit darker. He’s Danny on  AbcFamily’s “Baby Daddy.”

I have no idea who this girl is, but I see her as Francesca. I couldn’t find an actress that fit her role! Though, Hilary Duff may work.

Daphne has to be spunky. I think Sophia Davis could be her, but she’d need green contacts.

Cason--I dunno who this is but he’s sexy.

Zander

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TOUR SCHEDULE

About the author:

Felicia Tatum was born and raised in Tennessee. She always loved reading, and at the age of twelve began writing. Her passion for creating stories grew and in May 2012, she finally wrote her first novel, The White Aura.

She still lives in Tennessee with her daughter and her kitty. She loves cooking and books. Animals are some of her best friends. She watches a lot of Disney channel and often dreams up new book ideas. She's currently working on various other projects.

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Double Cover Reveal Kat Scratched Trilogy by D.T. Dyllin

Expected Release October 1st, 2013

Description:

It’s tough being a cat in a dog eat dog world. Something that Katrina Walker learned the hard way being a were-cat raised by a pack of werewolves. And after her taboo love affair with the future Alpha is discovered, Kat has no choice but to leave the only home and man she’s ever loved behind for good. Or so she thought…

Seven years later Kat is forced to return to pack lands and the man she left behind. But Jason Benson has changed, and so has she. Will she find her way back into the arms of her first love, or will James, the mysterious were-cat wriggle his way into her heart?

Goodreads

Expected Release October 1st, 2013

Description:

Blood is NOT thicker than water, or so Katrina Walker discovers when she finally comes face to face with the family she never knew existed. Her life is suddenly more complicated than she ever imagined possible. 

Not to mention Kat is currently in love with two men…if you can even call them that. One is a sexy werewolf and the other a smoldering were-cat. Throw her human ex-boyfriend into the mix and Kat may use up all of her nine lives trying to figure out what’s truly worth fighting for.

Goodreads

About the author:

D.T. Dyllin was born and raised in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Black & Gold for life, baby!) And now she lives in Nashville, Tennessee, with her husband and two very spoiled GSDs.

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Cover Reveal organized by Girls Heart Tours

Cover Reveal Pathways of the Dead (Among the Dead #2) by Jonathan D. Allen

Description:

Matty doesn’t want to end the world. Unfortunately, she has no choice.

Through a series of harrowing events, Matty DiCamillo discovered that she is the heir to an ancient prophecy, destined to destroy her own reality to save countless others. Now she finds herself locked away and interrogated by beings known as the Aetelia, who are out to force the apocalypse to their liking. After a breathless escape and an attack by the band of rebel Aetelia known as the Watchers, Matty must not only cross worlds but time itself to elude capture and face her destiny on her own terms. Aided by her lover Kristy; Tommy, a man trapped in a boy’s body; and an ageless woman named Omarosa; she must face death itself to reach the City of the Dead.

Book #1

Long ago, a mysterious being known as The Lost Aetelia crafted an elaborate series of Watchtowers, along with their resident guardians, the Aetelia, to watch over the Universe. In time, they sent a select group of their own to Earth, tasked with watching over the fledging human race. This group used humanity to challenge the established structure of the Universe. A bitter war ensued, and these rebels, who had come to be known as Watchers, disappeared from history.

The time of the Aetelia – now known as angels – is returning. After a fateful night of violence, Artist Matty DiCamillo finds herself drawn into this world by a mysterious savior, who becomes a driving force in Matty’s new life.

Both driven by and fighting the words of prophecy that lay out her destiny, Matty, her lover Kristy, and her best friend Daniel, follow this mysterious savior on a journey from Northern California to Las Vegas on a path that crosses through the boundaries of time and space.

As Matty struggles to understand her destiny, she discovers that her savior may not be what she seems, and that even the denizens of this twilight world have no idea what lurks behind the stage dressing of reality. Matty finds herself not only racing to rescue the woman she loves, but learning that she herself could be the cause of the Universe’s day of reckoning.

Goodreads

About the author:

Born and raised in the rural Shenandoah Valley of Virginia, Jonathan wrote his first fantasy/sci-fi novel at the age of 13. After studying writing and communication at James Madison University, Jonathan turned his passion for writing into a full-time technical writing career in the DC Metro area, working for companies like Sprint/Nextel, Time Warner Cable, and Sirius XM Radio, where he had an opportunity to combine his love of music with his love of writing. He may have drifted away from fiction at times, but it was always his first love – and he always returned to it. Now living in Bethesda with his wife, two cats, and two quirky guinea pigs for which his publishing company is named, he crafts the kinds of stories that he had always hoped to read but just couldn’t quite find.

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Cover Reveal organized by Dark World Books

September is for Sequels Giveaway Hop International

Click HERE or to see the list of blogs participating to this hop!

This is a giveaway where you can win a sequel in any series you want. Because this is a sequels hop, you cannot pick the first book in a series, but any one from the 2nd on to whatever number that series is on now! And it does need to to be up to $20 .
There are over 100 blogs participating, so once you've entered my Rafflecopter below, be sure to hop on along to the other blogs to see what other awesome prizes are available.

Good luck!

Mythical Books' Giveaway is INTERNATIONAL as long as The Book Depository ships to you for free OR you want ebooks from Smashwords or Amazon

The winner will be announced here, on Mythical Books

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For the Sake of Revenge by D.L. Atha

Published June 30th, 2013

Description:

How far was Tamara willing to go for the sake of revenge? And who would pay the price? She didn’t know as she tipped the bottle of vampire blood up to her lips but she was about to find out.

Stepping off the ferry in Sitka, Alaska was bittersweet for Tamara Semenov. A decade earlier she had abandoned her mother and high school sweetheart, Peter, to marry a man she hardly knew only to find herself in an abusive relationship. Now ten years later, she had escaped with her life but at what cost. Her mother was dead.

Although the police had ruled her mother’s death an accident, Tamara was convinced her estranged husband was to blame and to make matters worse, she knows she is his next target. 

While putting her mother’s affairs in order, Tamara finds the blood of a vampire named Adrik, who as a human was falsely accused of raping a wealthy Russian heiress and excommunicated from the Church. For the sake of revenge, he willing condemned himself to vampirism.

Learning that the blood could tie the living to the undead, Tamara seeks out a connection with the long buried vampire in hopes of striking a deal, his freedom for her revenge. Will he be the edge she needs to out maneuver her estranged husband or will she become entangled in a two century old web of revenge?

EXCERPT

With my heart racing, I unfolded the paper, expecting to see Joel’s neat, even handwriting. Even his penmanship was perfectly controlled, but instead, the note was scrawled in a large friendly script that I immediately recognized even though it had been more than eight years since I’d seen it.

Eight years instead of ten because Peter had written often when I first moved to Seattle. His letters followed me until I finally began returning them to the post office. I didn’t want to send them back, but I was scared for Peter’s safety. If Joel had checked the mail before me, things would have gone poorly for the both of us, and so when we picked up our bags and moved the next time, I didn’t bother filling out a change of address.

The note I held in my hand today smelled of Peter, just as those letters had eight years ago, and then, as now, the scent brought a warm feeling to my insides and a soothing reminder that Peter had loved me once. I hadn’t deserved his love, of course, but he’d loved me nonetheless, and I’d come to the realization over those first two years apart that I’d loved him more than I’d realized. Immaturity kept me from discerning it from the lust and excitement I felt with Joel, but my love for Peter was the feeling that lasted long after the excitement of Joel had worn away.

The only thing I could give Peter back was his safety, and so I’d burned his letters in the kitchen sink, washed them down the drain and resolutely forced him from my mind all those years ago.

I inhaled deeply of the note I held in my hand once more before I read it. ‘Dinner at my place? Seven? Or whenever, I’ll be waiting for you. Hope you enjoyed your hike.’

My heart sunk into my belly at his words. I wanted to go. My soul ached to see him but how could I after what I had done to him? And knowing that Joel was here, somewhere waiting for me made Peter as much a target as myself. In fairness, I had to protect him from my drama. He was a minister now and didn’t need my reputation for disaster and mayhem affecting him or his position in the church. People in Sitka have a long memory and no know had forgotten what I had put Mom or Peter through.

I started towards home, determined to put Peter’s safety before my craving to be with him, but as my driveway approached, I couldn’t force myself to turn in. Surely one dinner wasn’t the end of the world and not going would be an insult, I convinced myself as I drove on into town towards Peter’s house. On the way, I picked up a bottle of Pinot Grigio, a tip from the liquor store owner as I shopped for something suitable to take to his house.

Peter’s driveway was partially obscured in a clump of azaleas, but I’d turned in so many times as a teenager when Mom would give me the truck for the day that I had no problems finding it. His family home was nestled a couple of miles off of the main road in the protective arms of a mountain that rose precipitously from his backyard. His people had lived at this address for years. Not necessarily in the same house, as houses come and go, but this location had been his family’s home base for at least as many generations as my family. No matter where in the world the Solinovs ended up, they always came back here to be born, married, and buried.

The house hadn’t changed much since I’d been gone except that it now blended even more into the landscape. The rock chimney, the focal point of the home both inside and out, was covered with a deep green moss that had once only dotted its surface. Ferns had overtaken the bases of the trees his mother had planted when we were teenagers, and those same trees had spread branches that now cocooned the sidewalk. The wood siding on the house had faded to a steel gray color that matched the slate mountains in the backdrop. In the far left backyard, I could see the remnants of the tree house Peter and I had played in as children.

It was fairly large and sprawling by Sitka standards, but you wouldn’t know it from standing outside where the trees and shrubbery were arranged to conceal its size. But from the inside, hallways branched in nearly every direction leading to the several bedrooms that had housed his brother and four sisters.

Just seeing the house made me a bit nervous. The last time I’d walked through these doors, I’d told Peter I was leaving for Seattle. It was in front of the fireplace that he’d pleaded with me to listen to reason. I had promised I would then later I’d hastily shoved a note telling him good-bye into his mailbox. I felt guilty just standing in the yard. I shouldn’t be here, I told myself, and I turned to go. I didn’t make it more than a few feet before I heard the door open swiftly behind me.

“Hey, you can’t leave. You just got here,” Peter yelled across the expanse of the front yard. I jumped at the sound of his voice, nearly dropping the wine bottle I carried in my hand.

He was leaning around the door, and I could only see him from the neck up. “Wow. You really are jumpy. I thought you were just joking last night when you were hiding in the bushes,” he teased. “How’s your head by the way?”

Taking a steadying breath, I turned back towards him even as I was thinking of some good excuse to get out of the evening. “I just realized I’ve got to…” I started to lie, but I couldn’t think of a good excuse quickly enough. “A bad case of nerves is all,” I finally said as I walked back towards the front door. “And my head is still sore. Thanks for that,” I snipped.

“Well, you’re not letting a case of nerves ruin dinner. Come on in,” he said, stepping back from the doorway so I could pass.

“Oh,” I said as I walked through the front door and realized he was shirtless, his chest shining with sweat. “I can come back. Clearly, I’m early. It’s just that you said ‘any time,’ and so I came straight over, but I can come back later. Or I can come another day. Or we could forget it all together if you want.” I was getting more flustered with every passing moment, and my mouth just wouldn’t stop moving.

“Tam, it’s okay. Relax. It’s my fault. I was working out in the garage and lost track of time. Let me just get a quick shower. There are some glasses set out in the kitchen and some snacks. The salmon could marinate awhile longer anyways so it’s all good.”

I nodded my head, avoiding looking in his direction at all. Instead, I was studying the entryway as if I’d never seen one before in my entire life.

“Do you want me to take that?” Peter asked as I stared fixedly at the chandelier hanging from the vaulted ceiling.

“Oh, I almost forgot. Yeah, it’s a bottle of Pinot,” I said as I handed it to him. The skin of his thumb brushed my hand, and I couldn’t stop my eyes from moving to his. I’d forgotten how green they were against the honey color of his skin, but I’d never forgotten how I enjoyed looking at them.

“Make yourself at home, Tam. The fire’s going in the living room, and I’ll be back in a few.”

With his back safely to me now, I watched him walk away, admiring the columns of muscles that framed his spine as he strode from the room.

Peter had always been handsome. Tall, at least three inches over six feet, he’d towered over every guy in our high school. In middle school, he’d filled out early, and by the time he was eighteen, every woman in town, no matter their age, had a hard time keeping their eyes off him. His body was hard-muscled from woodworking with his father and the continual climbing his family did in the mountains. His thick hair was a golden brown, and he always had a light five o’clock shadow, the good kind, which was just a shade darker than his actual hair color. Looking at him certainly did not make you think Christian thoughts.

But if his body was beautiful, his heart was divine. He was one of the few men who could pull off humility and kindness without looking weak and walked on. Why had I ever broken up with him? I questioned myself again.

Oh, yeah. Excitement. Escaping the familiar. The usual reasons women throw away good men.

After discarding my shoes and coat, I walked to the living room, anxious to warm my hands in front of the fire. It had always been my favorite room in Peter’s house. In the corner, the native rock chimney dominated the wall. The stones had been carved out and placed meticulously by some past relative of Peter’s, and it truly was a work of art. The walls were hand-hewn logs from the surrounding forests and stained a natural color that was both warm and inviting.

Comfortable leather furniture had replaced the country blue fabric his mom had preferred, and the bookcases were lined with rows of seminary books, woodworking manuals, a few classics and Peter’s all-time favorites—westerns. The air smelled of cedar, leather, and men’s cologne and whispered of days filled with hard work and quiet nights spent reading in front of the fire.

I thumbed through a couple of photo albums that were lying on the coffee table, smiling at the memories the faded pictures brought back. There were several of my family at church functions and a few of Peter and I at school events. Our senior prom pictures were displayed proudly followed by our graduation pictures. The second album was filled with pictures taken after I’d left and looking at them brought tears to my eyes. I wiped them away quickly when I heard Peter’s bedroom door open. Carefully, I placed the albums back where I’d gotten them.

“How was the hike?” Peter asked from behind me. He held two glasses of wine, one of which he slipped into my hand as he lowered himself down onto the stone hearth to sit beside me.

“The cold air was good. Cleared my head a little and I feel better,” I said as I took a drink of wine. I lied, forcing myself to sound happier than I actually felt, but I had no intentions of ruining Peter’s evening with the details of Mom’s case. He knew I suspected foul play, since I’d mentioned it to him the night I called and asked him to check on her, but we hadn’t discussed it since.

“Pinot Grigio is my favorite,” he said. “How’d you know?”

“Yeah, I got a little tip from the owner of the liquor store,” I said sheepishly. “I didn’t mean to tell anyone I was coming over here. He just kind of figured it out. It seems he remembered us. Or me. Probably me mainly.”

“Everyone remembers you,” Peter answered.

I let my breath out in a huff. “That’s what I’m afraid of and I don’t want to ruin your reputation, Father.” I smiled sarcastically but I wasn’t joking.

“It’s okay. I don’t care if anyone knows you’re here. I’m not ashamed. Everyone knows one of the benefits of being Orthodox is not having to be celibate your entire life.” Our eyes met and I felt my cheeks flame.

“So what were you working on when I drove up?” I asked in an attempt to change the subject away from celibacy.

“Let me show you,” he said, standing up and offering his hand. I let him pull me to my feet against my better judgment. His hands were warm, strong and slightly calloused. He didn’t let go of mine immediately but instead led me in the direction of his workshop for a few steps before our hands slipped apart.

His workshop was connected to the house through a series of hallways. His father used to work out there for hours, and he’d taught Peter everything he knew. The smell of fresh cedar drifted through the hallways as we got closer until I would have sworn I was standing on the side of a mountain.

As we walked into the workshop, I gasped in awe. Spread across braces was the partially finished hull of a boat carved from a giant red cedar tree trunk. At least ten feet in length and three feet wide, the canoe would carry five or six people easily when it was completed, which could take years. Hand carving a canoe is no easy feat.

“Peter, oh my gosh, it’s beautiful! How long have you been working on this?” I questioned as I ran my finger carefully down the sides. It was still rough-hewn and splinters would be abundant.

“About a year. I spend some time on it whenever I get a chance, which sometimes is every day and then sometimes I can’t touch it for a week or two.”

“Well, it proves you’re a dedicated man, and why you don’t have the hands of a minister,” I teased.

“I guess we’ll know for sure when I get it done, and it’s not necessary for ministers to have soft hands, by the way, so long as we have soft hearts.”

“You’ve always had a soft heart. That’s what made you such a good friend,” I said.

“As I remember it,” Peter answered, his eyes holding mine, “we were more than friends.”

The room had suddenly gotten much smaller, and the air seemed to have lost some of its oxygen. I became very aware of Peter’s proximity, the outline of his chest and the fullness of his lips.

“I need some water,” I said, breaking our gaze as I turned and walked back to the kitchen. Behind me, I heard him let out a sigh of frustration.

In the kitchen, I grabbed a bottle of water from off the counter and sat down at the bar while Peter put the salmon steaks on to cook.

“So how are your parents? I should have asked earlier,” I said, hoping for a neutral topic as I reached for some bread arranged on a tray on the counter.

“Mom died a couple of years back, heart disease, and Dad retired to the lower forty-eight. He just couldn’t face living here without her. You know, seeing their friends all the time. It was just too much. The land has been in the family for generations of course, so he just turned it over to me when I came back here.”

“I’m sorry to hear about your mom.”

He nodded a thanks as he flipped the salmon over, basting it with a traditional marinade. It smelled delicious, and I was beginning to get an appetite.

“So what’s it like being back here? You miss the big city?” he questioned.

“It’s different. But it’s nice,” I said. “I miss the Fish Market and the music that was a constant in Seattle. And I miss the crowds, which is strange, I know, but Sitka feels kind of lonely now after living there. But it’s good to be back and see the mountains again, and there’s just nothing like the Sitka air. I haven’t smelled anything this clean in a really long time.”

We made small talk awhile longer about the whereabouts of some old classmates and family friends while Peter plated the salmon and fresh grilled vegetables and placed our plates at the massive wooden table in the attached dining room. The table was situated in front of a large picture window. The rain had returned, and the water zigzagged randomly down the window in long streaks. I tried to guess which direction the stream would go, but I missed it every time, and the water would streak in the opposite direction to what I expected. Visibility was low with the mists sweeping in from the sound, and I couldn’t see more than a few feet away from the windows, but rather than closing us in, the fog only added to the privacy that surrounded us tonight.

The evening was perfect. Dinner was delicious. The salmon was cooked to absolute perfection. Of course, it didn’t hurt that he’d caught the fish himself just a few days back. The conversation was pleasant, sticking to easy subjects like Seattle and our old times together. I stopped at one glass of wine, since I had to drive home, but Peter was finishing his third glass by the time we were done eating.

I insisted on helping him clean up despite his protests and forced him to talk about himself for a while. I was anxious to know what he’d been up to for the last ten years.

As I wiped down the table and dried the dishes, Peter described how he’d traveled for a year or two overseas before going to seminary, and in between semesters, he’d done missionary work in the outskirt villages of far northern Alaska. He’d dated a little, had a couple of serious relationships, but in the end, he hadn’t been able to commit, and then he’d returned home and stepped into the role the men in his family had filled for generations in Sitka.

When we were finished and the kitchen was spotless, I insisted I had to get home. It was getting quite late, and I was already dreading returning to my house at this hour. Peter walked me to the entryway, and while I put on my shoes and coat, he went outside and started my truck to take the chill off.

“Thanks for dinner and for starting my truck. Especially for starting my truck,” I said when he came back in the front door. His honey skin was spattered with raindrops and a few had collected on his eyelashes framing the green of his eyes. I couldn’t look anywhere but at his face. He seemed to be having the same problem and for several seconds the only sounds were the hum of the gentle rain and our quiet breathing.

Peter finally broke the silence. “I’m surprised you came, Tam,” he said. “To be honest, I thought I might be sitting here waiting for you all night.”

“Well, if we’re being honest, Peter, I almost didn’t come.”

He sucked in his breath harshly and started to say something before I cut him off. “But you need to know why before you judge me, okay?”

Nodding his head, he took a deep breath as if he were steadying himself for my answer.

“The only reason I considered not coming was for your safety. It’s not that I don’t want to be with you. I do. But I don’t deserve you. Parts of me are broken, Peter and those same parts want something that you wouldn’t understand because you’re too good. And I’m also dangerous because Joel is out there somewhere, Peter. I don’t know where or when he’s going to pop up, but he is out there. I spent a long time with him. Too long, I realize, but if I know one thing about him, it’s that he will not give up. So you see, it was very selfish of me to come here tonight, but I so badly wanted to see you. I just hope I haven’t made a terrible mistake.”

“I can take care of myself, Tam,” he responded quickly. “I’m not afraid of him.”

“You should be,” I said. “But you’re too good to understand how evil someone like him can be. Please don’t under estimate him.”

Pulling my coat on, I reached up and kissed him goodnight on the cheek. “Talk to you soon,” I promised.

I was halfway out the door when he caught my arm in his hand pulling me towards him.

“I can take care of you too, Tam.”

His lips brushed mine in a soft whisper of a kiss before I escaped into the blur of the rain, grateful that he could not distinguish the tears that began to course down my cheeks.  

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About the author:

My name is DL Atha. I'm a wound care and internal medicine physician who craves to write full time. 

I'm originally from Arkansas and live there still with my three kids and wonderful husband.

We live on a farm with too many animals and way too many chores. 

I would say my life is very ordinary until the sun goes down and the kids go to bed. That's when the writer in me comes out and all the crazy stories that I daydream of during the day finally get to make an appearance.

My co- workers at the hospital think I'm insane for writing vampire novels and ask all the time why do I not write medical dramas. I say why would I EVER do that! I'm around it all day and I would much prefer to escape into another world rather than spend more time in the same world where I work.

My first novel was a vampire medical thriller named Blood Reaction. The story centered around a young woman whose home was invaded by a very ruthless vampire. She struck a bargain for her life in exchange for her child’s. Blood Reaction did well and I had so much fun writing it. I plan to serialize it and am working on the sequel currently. It was released in May 2011. 

My newest novel, For the Sake of Revenge, was a two year project and was inspired by an old cemetery in Sitka, Alaska. It's a beautiful place where the mists roll in from the ocean like you see in the movies. Everything is dripping in the greenest moss you will ever see and even the ground seems alive. I felt as if I was in a foreign land because of the Russian heritage of southeast Alaska which is alive and well there. It seemed a perfect place to set a vampire story. I started doing some research on Russian vampire lore and found it so different from what I'm used. Enough so that then I had no choice but to start writing.

Sitka has a tragic side as well, I found, as I dug deeper into the historical documents and it played in well with the story of revenge and betrayal that I had envisioned. A great deal of For the Sake of Revenge is historically accurate. Except the vampires of course! But after you read some of the Russian lore, you'll at least have to pause for thought!

Also by D.L.Atha:

Annalice, a single mother and physician, is ready to immerse herself in the mundane chores of her farm as a diversion from her hectic professional life. But she becomes the victim of a home invasion, the supernatural kind. Vindictive and cruel, Asa, a century old vampire, takes brutal control of her life and home. Forcing her to strike a bargain in exchange for her daughter's life, Annalice must not only accept his presence but also bow to his depravity. Facing threats to her only child, she relies on her skills as a physician to unravel the clues to the vampire's existence attempting to beat him at his own game. Caught in a race against a genetic timeline, Annalice struggles to survive the Blood Reaction.

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Excerpt and Giveaway The Jewel of Nirel (Tunuftol, #3) by Ann Snizek

Description:

For the people of Tunuftol, and other countries on the planet Nyssa, names found them starting at twelve months old… at the earliest. Along with the names came certain skills or powers. Depending on what you did with your powers determined what type of person you were, and sometimes affected future names. Therefore, names had great importance in Tunuftol, and Krissa had more than a few… nine to be exact. Her full name was Krissa Lysandra Rue Alverna Harley Mya Magryta Freya Wittek, which is quite a mouthful.

The dangers haven't ended for our friends yet. The weather is starting to warm and the war started last fall is under way. Journey with Krissa and the crew as they struggle to keep their world safe and find their place in it.

 

EXCERPT

"How can I help you my dears?" the woman asked in an extremely nasally voice.  Her smile looked very phony, and she held her hands clasped together at chest level.

Alcina stepped forward and pulled her hood back so the woman could see her elfin features clearly.  "I require two rooms for the night, and if I'm in the mood, possibly a second night," she said haughtily.  Alcina let her eyes wander the entry with a look that said she held little hope of staying a second night.  "My ladies will room with me, and I have four others with me."

"Oh, yes, m'lady.  We happen to have our best rooms available.  Lucky thin' too… what with all in town for the festival.  I'm sure ya' ladyship knows all about that."

"I know enough," Alcina brushed it aside.  "Oh, we are also meeting two colleagues of My Lord Husband.  Do you happen to have a room for them as well?  They should be close by.  My husband is so protective and he demands that I purchase enough to decorate our new estate."

"Yes, ya' ladyship.  We have the one other available just the next door down."  The woman stumbled over herself trying to pull out a logbook for the guests.  "Just sign her m'lady, and I'll have someone fetch your bags to your rooms for ya."

Alcina signed her name in elfin script.  The woman looked at it in awe and nearly dropped the book as she struggled to put it back.  She grabbed three keys from the board behind her and hollered for her husband to come back out and get someone to bring in "h' great ladyship's belongins."

She led Alcina and the others up the stairs and unlocked one of the doors, opening to a large, fresh room overlooking the garden at the side of the inn and the street at the front.  Alcina critically examined the room.  After several minutes of hushed anticipation, the woman beamed with pleasure when Alcina begrudgingly announced that it would do.

"What about the other rooms?" Alcina asked.

"At once, ya 'ladyship," the woman stammered.  "Right this way, ya' ladyship."

The other two rooms they were shown weren't quite as nice as the first, but Alcina allowed them to pass her scrutiny.  Krissa thought Alcina's performance was brilliant and humorous at the same time.

"Does she know who you really are?" Krissa asked Alcina with a mental giggle.

"No, but she knows I'm someone of importance.  I decided to behave like my older sister; she always puts on airs for the public.  They seem to expect it from us.  This will also allow us to come and go without creating any undo attention.  They will only notice when I come and go."  Alcina sent a mischievous grin back. 

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About the author:

I grew up in Vermont mostly and now live in Virginia with my family (those still at home). My husband and I have a blended family of seven kids. My childhood was spent moving around a lot. (non-military) About five years ago, we started home-schooling our youngest children.

Now there are only two remaining in home-school. I have tried to nurture the love of books in our children and now our grandchildren -- always nurturing their imaginations. Recently, I have become active in our community with literacy, starting a local (and online) creative writing club and volunteer tutoring at the Adult Learning Center.

I struggle with Fibromyalgia and PTSD. So, have to be careful not to overdo things... I don't always listen to my own advice. I have a dry, sarcastic and corny sense of humor and always try to look at things optimistically. (again not always successful) However, I feel that if I don't give up -- for long -- then things will work out for the best eventually.

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Event organized by As You Wish Tours

Concurs FEBRA NEAGRĂ, volumul 1 din seria MACKAYLA LANE, de Karen Marie Moning

Cartea este in precomanda la editura si de aceea acest "concurs" va dura pana la lansarea cartii. Aveti 2 "intrari" care vor fi zilnice crescandu-va astfel sansele de castig, iar sansele sa va placa cartea sunt foarte mari!

Vor fi 2 castigatori!

Succes!

Descriere editura:

FEBRA NEAGRĂ, volumul 1 din seria MACKAYLA LANE, de Karen Marie Moning
BESTSELLER NEW YORK TIMES

Filozofia mea de viaţă se poate rezuma în câteva cuvinte: o zi bună este una în care nu încearcă nimeni să mă ucidă.

Vă mărturisesc că nu am avut prea multe astfel de zile de la o vreme încoace.

Când MacKayla află că sora ei Alina a fost ucisă în Irlanda ─ după ce i-a lăsat un mesaj criptic pe telefon ─, decide să plece la Dublin în căutarea unor răspunsuri.

Dar încercarea de a-l descoperi pe asasinul Alinei o atrage într-o lume de umbre în care nimic nu e ceea ce pare, unde binele şi răul poartă aceeaşi mască seducătoare. Curând, MacKayla trebuie să facă faţă unei provocări majore: să rămână în viaţă şi să înveţe să mânuiască o putere pe care nu ştia că o deţine ─ o putere care îi îngăduie să vadă dincolo de lumea oamenilor, în periculosul tărâm locuit de Fae…

Pe măsură ce pătrunde în enigma morţii surorii ei, iar graniţa între lumi începe să se năruie, adevărata misiune a lui Mac devine tot mai clară: trebuie să găsească misterioasa Sinsar Dubh─ Cartea Neagră, un manuscris vechi de milioane de ani care conţine între paginile sale încifrate cea mai primejdioasă dintre vrăji ─, căci cel care pune primul mâna pe ea va deţine controlul total asupra celor două lumi.

„Un minunat roman în genul dark fantasy …” - Charlaine Harris

„Un amestec seducător de mitologie celtică şi mistere periculoase.” - Chicago Tribune

„Un roman dark fantasy, cu accente erotice, despre o Buffy printre Fae, compus cu un ascuţit simţ al umorului şi o maturitate a scriiturii care fac din această lectură o adevărată încântare.” - BookPage

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