That Odd Fantasy Story

That fantasy challenge from over the summer is still hanging around. It's moving slower, but it's still there and growing as time goes on. This story isn't an epic fantasy. No, it's focused very much on the leading lady and, if I may, said "To hell with the rest of the world!"

The Mistaken Saga currently has four parts and a well defined heroine. It's almost halfway through the story as I know it and I thought I'd throw out a little teaser to see how it's going. This is a dance scene in the second part of the story. Dalia is rescued by the rouge!

Snippet:

The knight wasn’t going to move.

Spinning and kicking her leg high, Dalia hid her distress behind the flourish of her skirts. She knew once her leg came down and she bent low her dance partner wouldn’t be there to pull her into the delicate tug of war. As she bent her hand went back and she tried to race through the options to alter the dance.

And then on the upswing Dalia was saved. A strong hand took hers firmly and pulled her up into the next flourish. At first she was blessing Jojo for finally snapping out of his stupor, but when she was pulled flush against the hard body of her dance partner she was suddenly eye to eye with Sanderwise.

“I got you,” Sands whispered, taking the led into the next set of spins and dips. He’d thrown off his dark star covered cap and had found a new mask to hide his face. If Dalia didn’t know better she wouldn’t recognize him as the magic performer. Now, as his hands slide over her waist and up her arm, he was her dance partner.

Dalia’s heart skipped a beat as Sands pulled her into another tight press. A twirl followed and then he dipped her low. Mischief sparkled in his blue eyes and a grin spread across his lips.

Suddenly another hand took hold of hers and Dalia was pulled away from Sands. She twirled under the knight’s arm and the original dance was back in step.

That's the Tuesday Teaser! Let me know what you think and we'll get this story rolling again!

Peace and Love

Writer's Rambling: 2019 Projects

Things are going and I'm running into walls. Scalable walls, but walls none the less.

As many of the lovely readers know, the Star Crossed Series is coming to an end in Jan 2020. Since NaNoWriMo was a bust for me this year I've moved on to finishing edits and formatting on Knot in Destiny. These characters are my children and letting them go is rough, but their story has come to an end for me.


Here's the cover and I'm in love with it! Unlike the other covers, there is only Meredith featured. Malcolm didn't get a headline because it's a wedding and he was doing his best to stay out of the planning. (Most men do!)

Knot in Destiny is set to release Jan 31, 2020 and I'm still working on all the marketing stuff to go along with that. Tricky stuff. There will be a few teasers coming out in the weeks leading up to the release and I'm thinking about running a sale or two to help promote.

Finishing up this series has brought another problem to the forefront of my concerns. What to work on next??


There are a few stories and characters fighting to be heard, but I haven't settled on any yet. My NaNoWriMo story is still there and if I can work through the glitch that made me stop last week, I may continue to work on it. It's an interactive paranormal romance and I'm hoping it runs a little smoother once things start calm down.

The dreamweaver stories are also hammering away at my mind and another series has created itself in the back of my mind. Fea, demons, witches and demon hunters. It's going to be a fun time.

Thanks for reading my ramblings.

Peace and Love

Tuesday Teaser: Lost Relic

Let's start something new on the blog. Tuesday Teasers are fairly common with authors and hopefully it'll fill in some of those peeks I've been missing.

This week let's dive into a scene from Lost Relic. As you lovely readers may know this is an interactive romance where the reader gets to decide what the leading lady, Lillian, does through out the story.

There are two hunky men interested in Lillian and in this snippet we'll take a look at the adventure with Alex. Enjoy!



Lost Relic snippet:

 “You’re letting me win, Mr. Martin,” Lillian accused as she gathered up the cards and began to shuffle them back together. “It’s Alex and I only lose when I’ve got something to gain from it,” he said playfully. 

“Well, I can’t extend your funding, Alex. So I don’t see what you could stand to gain from me.” She shifted her eyes down to look at the cards as her fingers flipped and shuffled the cards back together.

“There’s always something to gain from a pretty lady.” The husky tone in his voice caused her to flinch, which sent the cards flying from her hands. For a second she locked eyes with him through the flutter of cards and there was no mistaking the suggestive smirk he wore. She could feel heat spreading across her face and knew the blush was clear to him too.

Clearing her throat, Lillian started picking the scattered cards up off the table and her lap. Having the man proposition her had crossed her mind, but she’d brushed it aside as a silly idea. She was in her mid-twenties after all and spent more time with books than caring about her appearance.

 Lillian bent from her chair to pick up the cards that had fallen on the floor. When she sat back up Alex was leaning his elbows on the table and smiling at her. “You are a very pretty lady, Lillian, but I don’t think throwing the cards at me is the best way to win a game.” He reached over and plucked the cards from her hands. “How about I shuffle this hand?” 

That's the tease for now. If you're interested in finding out more about Lillian and Alex, keep reading:

Lost Relic:
An Interactive Romance Adventure


Years of working inside a museum have taken a toll on Lillian’s passion for history. Now two strangers, each a master of his field, have shown up offering her a chance to rekindle her love. The lost temple of the Golden King is hidden just beyond the horizon of the Amazon and now Lillian has the chance to be a part of its discovery.

Will she follow the prestigious historian or the roguish treasure hunter?

You decide.


Find it on Amazon HERE


Peace and Love 

Character Chit-Chat with Meredith Blackburn

It's been too long since we've had a character chit-chat and I know just the character, Meredith Blackburn. We're interrupting her just before Witching Hour Madness. There's a big event going on in the magical community. It's Halloween and there's a Samhain Ball being held by the upper crust. It's an important night. Let's find out why...


So, Meredith, what's going on tonight?

Meredith: The Samhain Ball is happening. It's one of the more important events within the magical society. Tonight we'll lock ourselves away until morning to show our support of our treaties swearing to let those who have passed be free of our influence.

You mean people who have died? Why is this so important?

Meredith: Yes. The veil that separates the world of the living and world of the dead is thinnest tonight and travel between the two is easier and more common on this night. Magic users could bond with the dead and trap them, but it's very wrong. We lock ourselves away to allow the spirits to move freely without that worry.

Okay. That makes since. What else is going on with this Ball?

Meredith: Well, like any large event there are always behind the door deals. Marriage agreements, business contracts and even loan repayments have been known to take place. This year is also the first year the Oasis group is hosting the ball. It's bound to be a treat as they've been petitioning to host for over a  decade.

Alright, on to the gossip. Are you taking a date tonight?

Meredith: Malcolm Blackwood is joining me tonight. It'll be our first venture out into society as an official couple. I'm not sure what to expect from the other families and organizations, but it's well passed time to care.

That's right and where is Malcolm? Getting ready?

Meredith: That is a good damned question and it brings us to the end of this interview. I have some hunting to do.


And with that Meredith Blackburn set off in search of her wayward lover, leaving this writing sitting alone with a notepad and pen.

What to find out what happens? Read Witching Hour Madness and find out.

The Witching Hour is upon them, and Meredith Blackburn finds herself navigating family politics and community gossip. When the doors lock down, so does her magic, and she starts to wonder about the foreboding feeling that has been tickling her neck all night.

With Meredith at his side, Malcolm Blackwood is ready to face the elite magic community he once ran away from. Asked to help track down a missing magical threat, he finds something more frightening than the golden ring in his pocket.

Can they stop an ancient threat? Or will the magic users be consumed?


Find it in print or digital at Amazon! 



Peace and Love

Full Moon New Releases (Sept. 2019)

It's time for our full moon new releases! This time it falls on a Friday the 13th! How perfect. Best of luck finding an awesome new book.

Darklight by Bella Forrest

"Vampires don’t exist. At least, not anymore..."

I celebrated when vampires were declared extinct.

Those beasts had preyed on humanity for millennia, committing senseless, brutal murders. Like the rest of my colleagues at the Occult Bureau, I looked forward to a world where we could all sleep at night—where constant cover-up jobs were no longer required to keep the public calm and unaware.

But the end of vampires wasn’t the end of our problems. It was only the beginning.

Other blood-sucking creatures began to lurk in the night. As soon as I turned twenty-one, I became a ground agent at the Bureau because I wanted—no, needed—to join the fight.

And then Dorian Clave burst into my life—turning everything I thought I knew into quicksand. Vampires like him were killers who devoured humanity’s inner darkness until shadows danced beneath their skin. Yet there was more to him than that.

He showed me that light cannot exist without the dark, and that trying to fight this balance would have consequences our human minds couldn’t even comprehend.

Because sometimes darkness needs to exist.

 The Water Princess Claiming of Earth by Gina Manis

For the last five years, I have been held captive by my sister, the Queen of Watergate. She cursed and bound my waters powers and turning me into a hideous hag.

Locked behind the walls of a convent in the holy lands kept me safe, but they also kept me from living. That is until I give myself in a sacrifice to the Elemental Powers. They send me three strong men in which I have to form a bond.

Tate, my earth element, was a childhood friend that I had fallen in love with. Seeing Tate again, my heart aches to be close to him, and I can’t control these new desires.

Lindon, my wind element, who is charming and seductive. We will discover our powers together as he is just learning his. That is if we can keep our hands off one another long enough.

Brier, my water element, the commander, is a force I feel stronger than the others. He has suffered the same as me, and it has broken his powers. I have to figure out a way to put him together again for what we must do.

They have freed me, but I am not safe until I am out of this realm. Ogres who want my blood because they are drawn to it by the curse are after us. The one I call Brown is the most dangerous of them all. I fear him the most, but I cannot let that stop me.

I want to live again, and I have made my sacrifice to do so. My promise to the Elementals has to be fulfilled, or else I will never get my water element back. The bond between each of us will strengthen the powers of the elements and give them new life.

Or else the Fire Elements will win. Their element has become too powerful, and they are claiming the earth in which we live. I intend to claim it again.

However, first, I have to find my balance with these three men and make it out of this realm…alive.

 The Midnight Bride by Kati Wilde

 

To save her family from a tyrant king, Mara of Aremond must win a tournament—and she won’t let anyone stop her from claiming the prize. Especially not Strax, the barbarian warrior who has tormented her every step of the way. But when a sorcerer’s trap binds them together, Mara must decide whether Strax is her greatest enemy, or if everything she seeks can only be found in the barbarian’s arms… 

That's it for now. Hope you can find a great new read!

Peace and Love

What's Coming Up For star Crossed

With the release of Witching Hour Madness the end to the Star Crossed Series really started coming into view. At the beginning there was just one story, Just Beyond Daybreak, but then that morphed and Meredith and Malcolm took on a life of their own. These two have taken me on a trip through magical awesomeness and it's still going.

Warning: Spoilers

At the end of Witching Hour Madness Malcolm popped the question and I cried. Tear drops splattering on the keys. All along I knew this was going to happen and pushed all the stories to this beautiful hectic moment and I still cried.

Now the wedding. Knot in Destiny is the fifth and final novella in the Star Crossed Series. It'll be releasing in Jan 2020 and I'm thinking about throwing a party. These characters have been put through hell and they've put me through the ringer. As ready as I am to move on to new characters I'm sad to see it end.

There is at least one short story I'm tinkering with as a side story. Meredith and Malcolm will not have the leading rolls in this story, but it's exciting to peek in on their married life. I can't wait to see what it has in store for me.

That's the update. Now for the buy it links!

Just Beyond Daybreak

Caught by Nightfall

Chasing High Noon

Witching Hour Madness





Peace and Love

 

Fantasy Challenge

Over the summer I sat out to try something new. During CampNaNoWriMo I started a fantasy story. It's a big scary world outside of a comfort zone. While interactive fiction was challenging I've found that fantasy is a world apart from paranormal romance.

The story and some stuff about fantasy.

So, the story is aimed at being a Heroic Fantasy story told in four parts. Each part is pretty short, only around 10k to 15k words or so. I broke it up this way because shorts can be really fun to write and hopefully it might make it easier for me to see the train wrack before it happens. Anyway, Heroic Fantasy, unlike Epic Fantasy, doesn't really focus on saving the world. Instead it really is about the hero. The character may not save the day, but they've accomplished something they set out to do. Hopefully they do it with a great deal of gusto.

The story did start out with a touch of a love interest, but I didn't want to go too far into romance. After all, the challenge is something different. Still, I'm a romance author so it's floated well ahead of me and already I can tell if nothing else I'm going to end up with a romance. The question is will I have a fantasy story with a nice romance side plot or will I end up with romantic fantasy?

It's still on the fence. We'll just see when it's done.

Mistaken Saga as I've taken to calling it is rolling along like most challenges. I've hit bumps (in the middle of a big one now) and I've spent hours typing. It has the same ups and downs, so my writing process is where it normally is. However I've had to slow my roll and do a lot of research outside the norm.

What the heck would a traveling entertainer be called? Is there a title for that? How is magic going to work inside the world? Is there magic? What other races populate the place? What are the names of the oceans?

Thankfully my geekhood helped out. My husband and I play D&D once a month with a few friends and take turns being DM. So, world creation was something I've done before. I didn't want to use too much from D&D or any other fantasy stories. So I sat myself down and tore away the rules and then rebuilt the world.

All in all so far it's been a fun ride and I'm looking forward to where it all leads. Drop a comment if you're interested in fantasy or if you too are in the middle of a personal challenge.

Peace and Love