Giving up... 02/21/2012
Update: I'm watching the protests in Greece. It doesn't look good for them, at least from my point of view. You can identify with how they feel, but I can't get these thoughts from my mind. Did they not get the government they deserve? When people realize they can vote themselves a raise, the destruction of the country can't be far away. It really is simple math--balance sheets, debits and credits. When there is more red than green, it becomes unsustainable. Yet, I feel for the people. Imagine--a soup line in elementary schools. Update: So, did you see where Anonymous has hacked the Greece Justice Department? Well they have. They've also put up a list of demands. Google it. Now, on a personal level, taking down a website doesn't take much skill. But to free the Greek people from debt? Got your popcorn ready? So I'm giving up upgrading my website for now. There were so many things I wanted to change and so many things I wanted to leave in that my frustration grew into a food -fest of frozen home-made chocolate cookies. The one food I obsess for when under stress. Not good for someone with Crohn's disease. To my fellow Cronies, I promise to be good today. I want to invite you to meet some of my Crescent Moon author friends. They are such a great bunch that it's worth heading over to www.crescentmoonpress.com to check them out. You can also check out their websites here: (Some of them have some fantastic give-a-ways.) http://thebookboost.blogspot.com/2012/02/in-love-with-love-with-guest-blogger.html Iwww.sashasummers.com http://jordankrose.com/blog/perpetual-light-blog-tour/ http://authorkinleybaker.blogspot.com/2012/02/best-book-i-ever-read-watery-tarts.html http://www.ciaraknight.com/2012/02/21/gremdon-goodies/ I'm halfway through Shadow and I want to thank my editor. She is awesome. When you write, that old adage, you can't see the forest for the trees, really rings true. Like most authors, when I'm writing, the entire story is going through my mind in vivid color and is in 3D. I hear and see everything around me which sometimes makes me a little too detail oriented. And since I know what my characters are thinking, sometimes I leave things out that are obvious to me, but are not obvious to the reader. My one goal in this life is to write a book that doesn't need an editor. Now that is one lofty goal, don't ya think? Happy reading everyone! 4 Comments Aargh! 02/20/2012
Would someone tell me why upgrading to a new website has to be so hard? Back later... FIRST CHAPTER OF GEMINI 2! 02/10/2012
There is an old saying, May you live in interesting times. I would say today’s world qualifies. Why just this morning: Greece will default Greece won’t default Greece will default The EU is facing doomsday. No, not true. The EU will stand Israeli’s will/won’t bomb Iran. The market is up and the market is down, however, the market is still close to its highs. Well that’s enough of a political commentary right now. Frankly, i’ve had enough. Haven't you ever wished you had a safety zone? A place where no one could bother you? Where the news didn't exist, school didn't demand your attention, or a place where no one could enter? Four strong walls that kept the outside out and the inside in? Yeah, me too. I am so excited to be working on the sequel to Gemini Rising. I have to say it’s going well. I really like the darn thing and because it's the only thing that got me happy this week, I've put it here for you to enjoy. Here is the first chapter, unedited of course. Happy reading! CHAPTER ONE From the book Gemini Rising: To think is to be. Eyes closed and feeling terrified, Kathryn Kelly waited for the whirling that surrounded her to stop. She remembered kissing her newborn daughter good-bye and the look in Ryan’s eyes; despair etched on his young face was almost more than she could bear. She grew nauseous and Noah’s arms tightened around her as he sensed her feelings. She hadn’t seen him for months, the entire time she was pregnant. She had wondered if he even knew about the baby. Then, just moments ago, she had faced death, until Noah showed up in the birthing room and whisked her away. Suddenly, the dizziness stopped. She opened her eyes and rested against her mate too weak to stand on her own as the mist settled, gray mixed with bluish sparkles resembling Prana. “Oh God, please no.” The words were out of her mouth before she could stop them. “It’s all right. I know you miss the children.” She gazed at him, drinking in his presence, thanking the Light for his understanding. Vivid blue eyes looked back, a smile playing around his lips. “I had no idea how much I missed you.” Myriad thoughts ran through her brain, the agony of losing her children, the overwhelming loneliness life without them would bring, yet mixed within her sadness was joy. Noah was here, strong, tall, and powerful. He would guard her until she grew strong enough to protect herself. Sweeping one arm under her legs, Noah lifted her against his chest. His voice spun through her brain, bringing comfort. “Shhh. It is only for a time.” Any strength she’d had melted away as sorrow spread in waves. She sobbed, her heart broken. “I can’t leave them. Who will feed Lucia? Who will help Ryan become the man he is meant to be?” Noah held her tight. “Listen to me. Time is not what it seems. It moves faster here.” “I don’t understand.” Her voice grazed his ear and she breathed deep, taking in the scent of him. “In space, time moves slower, but here a lifetime can be lived in moments.” “Are you sure?” “Quite sure. Trust me.” She stroked his face, studying the deeply pigmented skin, the shining eyes, and the hawk-shaped nose that warmed her soul. She wrapped her arms around his neck, snuggling her face into warm flesh. “I missed you so much. I thought I’d never see you again.” He cradled her. “If Bel hadn’t warned me, I might have lost you forever.” Remembering Lucia’s birth, Kate envisioned the warmth that flowed from her body onto the sheets. Crimson stains dotted the bedding, her legs, and oh dear God, her son. “My poor Ryan.” Even though Ryan was not biologically Noah’s, her mate had given him the gift to heal after the crossing of Nibiru. Earth had tipped on its side and those not taken aboard the Nektosha were injured and maimed. The people had needed her son and probably needed him still. Noah kept walking. “I promised to bring you back to the children and I will.” Feeling faint, Kate slipped for a moment into another world where Ryan waited and Lucia cried for her milk. Her entire body awash with wanting caused a great sob to tear through her then a sigh, bringing relief. In that moment, she knew they would be cared for and in her heart, she knew she would do everything to destroy Rathor, the clone that conspired their deaths. Noah stopped and she lifted her head, perusing a valley below. Like a grassy womb, the vale spread from one stand of trees to the other, her eyes dancing over strikes of light that lit the valley floor, outlining each blade of grass, bush, and tree. Amazed, she took in the sights and sounds. Everything was clear, sharply so. “Where are we?” “In the Olam Yetzirah.” “My God. It’s beautiful.” Green grass spiked off molten light, caressing the meadow in waves. Even the trees shined, everything perfectly attuned to her senses. Noah stopped and sat down on the grass, holding her close. “It is the home of the angels, a place of dreams, but for now it is our haven.” He smiled, fine lines crinkling at the edges of his eyes. Kate leaned against him as she overlooked a garden that grazed the perimeter of the grassy expanse. Rich reds, deep sea greens, and violent yellows brightened the tips of hearty vines that glowed with perfect health. Across the meadow lay a shining city of white. A golden dome-topped structure rested on the outskirts. Suddenly, a memory jolted and she felt certain she’d been here before. “I know this place.” “You do?” “Yes. Bel brought me here. He gave me a copy of Gemini Rising before the crossing. It’s a library of sort.” Noah pointed toward the dome. “That’s the Hall of Wisdom.” Kate studied the building and then the garden. “I’m sure it’s the same place and the people dress in white with golden sashes.” She did a double take, first at Noah, then at herself. Fine white cotton rippled across Noah’s broad shoulders that ended at his thighs. The same fiber made up his pants and around his waist, a golden belt hung. Her gown was made of the same material, soft, almost whimsical in its beauty. She too had a golden sash. “No jeans allowed,” he said with a grin. “It’s lovely. I’ve never seen anything like it.” She fingered the dress. Noah leaned in close and parted her lips with his tongue. Reaching in, he kissed her. Kate responded to him even though she had given birth just moments earlier. She fell into his embrace and let the warmth of their union surround her until finally, he pulled away. “You taste like wine,”he said, his warm breath tickling her cheek. “Heady enough to fill me with joy and spicy enough to keep me warm. I don’t think I would have survived if something had happened to you.” Comfort filled her along with a sense of rightness. He grew serious and pointed. “The Hall of Wisdom is Bel’s pet project. Your library in Alexandria was a perfect copy before it was destroyed by Nero.” He put her off his lap and stood, holding one hand out to her. “I don’t think…” “You can stand and in just a few short minutes your body will completely recover.” Legs trembling, she got to her feet. A slight nausea filled her then disappeared. She allowed her eyes to follow his hand. Ambient lighting struck the Hall of Wisdom, causing it to glisten. There wasn’t a sun, but light was everywhere. Not a shadow trailed. Noah continued, “Every thought and deed throughout the universe is recorded here. We have two lives, the one where we are conscious and the one where we dream.” “That’s impossible.” Noah laughed. “Nothing is impossible.” “So, you’re saying we’re in our dream world?” “Yes. It is just as absolute as our conscious world. Only now this place is real and the other the dream.” “Are Ryan and Lucia dreams?” “They could be. I know that if we stay here too long they will fade in memory, just like your dreams fade in your other life.” “Oh, no. That can’t happen.” A sudden shock of fear chased her stomach to her feet. “We won’t allow it to happen. In any case, Rathor cannot harm them now.” “How do you know?” Kate’s voice quavered as thoughts of the disastrous implications her leaving might create. "They are under Bel’s protection. Rathor can only find them through us. We have a unique parity with connections to the children. Ryan and Lucia are, even as we speak, protected within the belly of Earth.” He frowned, his eyes turning deadly. “If we were with the children, it would be only moments before Rathor destroyed them.” “Ryan too?” “Especially Ryan. Rathor wants to hurt us both. You perhaps, more than me.” “Did you know this would happen? Did you know of Rathor’s hatred of humanity? " His eyes lightened as they locked on hers. “No, but it seems Bel did. He tried to warn me, but I didn’t listen. Without the Light, things become more, uh, complicated.” Kate could only imagine. The Light had been with Noah’s people for eons. It guided them, talked to them, and comforted the Nareshians. At the moment of her and Noah’s union, Noah’s green eyes had turned a startling blue and the Light had gone out from his people’s lives. He continued, “I think that at some point we will meet Rathor again.” “Here?” Noah lifted his head and gazed about. A strange light emanated from his eyes. “In the Olam only Light created souls can find safety. Rathor is a clone.” “What about Jason?” “Bel will see to his safety too.” Relief settled. Kate no longer loved her husband, but did care about him. The look on his face just before she had left with Noah, told her he still loved her. She was glad he was with the children. Bel too. Noah stepped away and she followed, her legs unsteady but growing stronger. Across the valley and beyond the library, numerous buildings spread out on a hilltop and though it was far away, the grounds were crowded with people she could just make out. “Is that a city?” “It’s more of a school. Advanced souls come here to learn how to project their minds, move objects without physical force, and even how to create worlds, depending on where they are on the evolutionary ladder. Like your dreams, you can live and learn a lifetimes’ worth of experience in just a few moments.” Her heart lifted. “How much time will pass before we return?” “I don’t know.” Noah frowned as she staggered. “Slow down. Give yourself time. Here, the mind overrules the body, not the body the mind.” She put out a foot, then another and another. Her strength returned and the pangs of childbirth eased. Within moments, she kept stride with him. Hope blossomed. If she could regain her health so quickly, perhaps he was right and her time here would be short. They crossed a small bridge and skirted a waterwheel. A log home resided next to the wheel that sang and clattered as a small stream pushed wooden boxes in a circular pattern. Four steps led up to the front door. A four-paned window looked over the valley, light glancing off beveled glass. Kate asked, “Who lives here?” Noah laughed. “Do you remember what I told you about the Olam?” “Which part?” “About it being the place of dreams?” “Yes.” “This is your dream home.” “My what?” “The home you dreamed of while in the flesh. Would you like to go in? Obviously, it’s important to you or it wouldn’t be here.” Kate turned and headed toward the porch. “Don’t be silly. Someone must live inside.” “Apparently we will for a time.” “How do you know it’s mine?” She stopped and looked over her shoulder. “It has you written all over it.” “Where? I mean, how?” “The wood speaks of emotional safety; the water wheel of ongoing love for those far away, but most of all, the garden outside the front door contains roses—your favorite flower. It isn’t hard if you look and really see.” “But why here?” Noah shrugged. “You have a need to feel safe right now, hence the house. While you are within, no one can bother you without permission. This is your safety zone. Our safety zone if you will it.” Kate opened the door and walked inside. While the outside spoke of security and comfort, the inside allowed her spirit to roam free. Cathedral ceilings, supported by powerful wooden beams suggested space while a colorful rug hanging on one wall added color and richness. Leather couches and chairs hugged a huge rock fireplace and knotty pine walls sported oil lamps and pictures of mountains shrouded in snow. “How could I create this with just my mind?” She knocked her hand against a wall. “It’s so real.” “In the Olam every probability is researched and the one most suited to you is created. You’ll need to be careful though. While the house is nice, I don’t expect your nightmares are.” “Noah, I’m frightened.” She turned to look at him. “Of what?” “I don’t belong here. I can’t control my mind like you. What if something happens? What if…” Noah wrapped his arms around her. “We will find our way through.” The scent of his skin and the warmth of his body set her emotions reeling—God, how she wanted him. He smiled, one side crooked with humor as if reading her mind and she blushed. He said, “You want me and I need you. What is wrong with that? Why are humans so afraid to touch?” Mesmerized by his lips speaking words she longed to hear she wanted to chase her memories aside. Still, one insisted on her remembering. Noah came from the planet Naresh. His people had visited Earth for eons, each time saving several thousand humans to repopulate the planet after the crossing of Nibiru. Noah had been assigned to her. The first time she saw him she knew she loved him and because of their union, they had changed the universe. “Is there a bedroom?” “If you want one.” She grabbed his hand, leading him upstairs. The first room they came to held a four-poster bed. She glanced from the bed to Noah then threw herself into his arms. They fell onto cotton sheets and scrambled out of their clothes. Warm lips nibbled her shoulders, her breasts, and her belly. Heat rose, filling her womb with a lushness she hadn’t known possible. Devoid of Noah’s presence for months, she craved his attention. The touch of his hand set off waves of wanting. The children, on whom her thoughts settled, drifted into dreamland and once again, she gave herself over to the Light and the flame. ENTANGLED by Traci Bell 02/02/2012
 Welcome Traci! I started reading Entangled last weekend. I finished the following day. It's a wonderful book, full of romance and adventure. What a great first novel from an aspiring writer. I asked Traci to let her character give voice to this blog, just because Cassie is such a great character. So here she is. Cassie, a strong funny woman caught in alternate world. My name is Cassie, and I’m a teacher from Earth. Texas to be exact. I now live in the province of Ostia, on a parallel world called Caedmon. I was brought here by the High Commander over all of the Republic’s armies. His name is Alexos de Werner. He claims I can save his people from the natural disasters threatening their homes and their lives. I’m not sure how I feel about this place, this parallel world. It’s very primitive. No cars, no iPhones, no airplanes, no refrigerators, and don’t get me started on the plumbing. I’ve ridden a horse. I’m scared to death of the beasts, but it’s the only way to get around besides walk. Alex says the province of Ennis where the disasters are occurring is far away from where we are now. That means more horseback riding. Oh, goody. The weather here is temperate, not at all like the extremes we experience in Texas. From what I’ve seen of this land so far, everything is lush and green. We’ve climbed down out of the mountains and are now surrounded by farmland. I’ve slept on the ground and bathed in a river. I’ve seen a Golden Eagle. Did you know its cry sounds like a puppy’s yelp? Alex introduced me to a Master Gareth, a man who had a vision that I could save Ennis. He believes I have some sort of gift. I’m a divorced third grade teacher. The only gift I’m aware of possessing is the ability to not kill my ex-husband when he comes around wanting a hand out. But he’s the least of my problems right now. Back to Master Gareth and my supposed gift. Alex says he does not believe I can help stop the disasters. He brought me all the way here from Earth because he’s run out of options. The man is impossible – bossy and beautiful and annoyingly connected to me. He can feel my emotions as if they were his own, and he knows where I am at all times, even when he can’t see me. I wonder how long we can both ignore the attraction between us. I wonder if our connection has something to do with my gift, and what kind of gift Gareth thinks I have. I wonder if I really can help save the Ennisian people before it’s too late. Entangled is my story. Excerpt: Despite her pleasure at not having to sleep on the hard ground again, Cassie found she couldn’t sleep. Tired of staring at the same four walls, she picked up her shawl from the end of the bed and left her room to sit in the peristyle. She relaxed on one of the chaise lounges and looked up. The abundance of stars in the clear night sky momentarily mesmerized her. A peaceful stillness surrounded her, but instead of being calming, it agitated her. The door to the living room stood ajar, and she sensed Alex on the other side of it. She walked through the garden with the intent to join him, but when she stepped closer, she heard voices. She pressed her body against the wall to listen to the conversation. "Where will we say she is from?" Alex asked. "I have thought upon that," Gareth said. "I believe we shall say Cassie is from the other side of the Manisan Mountains. The people there are reclusive. I doubt any in Belvoir have ever encountered a Manisan." "That will explain Cassie’s pale skin. No one will believe she comes from any region around the sea." She glanced down at her skin and frowned. "How do you plan to teach her?" Alex asked. "Like I would a new apprentice. She has thin boundaries. She is open, but ignorant. Did you see the way she behaved in the forest?" Huh? "Cassie is a product of her world, Gareth." "Tell me of it." "Her people are more advanced than we are with their inventions, yet in many ways those inventions encourage their separateness from each other, from nature, and from the Creator." "How so?" "They socialize through machines. They try to conquer nature, rather than live as one with it. They live outside of the natural cycles of day and night, even of the seasons." "You have spent time with her, Alexos. Do you believe Cassie can change her beliefs?" "She stands just on the other side of the door, listening to us. You should ask her that question." "Come in, child," Gareth called out to her. Cassie entered the living room. Alex stood by the fire, his forearm braced on the mantle. Flames snapped in the large stone fireplace. Gareth sat in a deep red, high-backed chair next to a small wooden table. Both men looked reproachfully at her. She lifted her chin in defiance. "Would you like some wine?" Gareth pointed to the carafe on the table beside him. "Please." Gareth moved to pour, but Alex gestured for the old man to stop. "I am in need of a refill." She watched Alex pour the wine into a new goblet and refill his own. As she still stood near the doorway, he walked over to hand her the wine. She sniffed the red liquid, approving of the fruity fragrance. She sipped the wine and allowed it to stay on her tongue for a moment before she swallowed it. Not too dry and not too sweet. She took another sip, not above using liquid courage to face these two powerful men in this strange world, and of all things, in a dress. Somehow that, more than anything else, put her out of sorts. She looked at Gareth. "Why do they call you Master?" "Would you care to sit by the fire?" Gareth indicated the chair across from him. She crossed the room to sit in the second high-backed, red upholstered chair. Alex had returned to stand by the fire just to her right. She ignored him. Payback for talking about her behind her back. "Master is an ancient title," Gareth said. "I am really a teacher." "What do you teach?" "I teach the higher laws of the universe." "What are those?" "The ones you cannot see." "Like gravity?" "Of a sort." She frowned. "What does ‘of a sort’ mean?" A look passed between Gareth and Alex. She resisted the urge to storm out and leave them to their secrets. If they needed her so bad, why keep secrets? "Gravity is a type of force, aye?" Gareth asked. "Yes," she said. "There are other forces that exist," Alex said, "ones that work on a different level than what we experience in our physical world." "What are these forces?" she asked Gareth. "Emotion. Beliefs. Intention." "Those are forces?" "Aye. Our emotions and beliefs influence our interactions with the universe." Philosophy. He spoke of philosophy. "What does this have to do with why I’m here?" "Everything. If you do not understand how the universe works, you cannot fully participate in it." Cassie gripped the armrest with her free hand and thought that this must be what Alice experienced while talking to the Mad Hatter and the March Hare. "Define fully participate." "When I say fully participate," Gareth said, "I mean to be a part of the creation of the universe." "Isn’t the universe already created?" "Creation is an ongoing process of cause and effect." She finished her wine and sat back in the chair. Her mind tried to wrap itself around what Gareth wanted her to understand, but it couldn’t. Gareth stood up. "I have given you enough to think about tonight. It is time for this old man to retire." He nodded to Alex and bowed to Cassie. "I will see you in the morning." Intrigued by his view of the universe, her eyes followed Gareth out of the room. She couldn’t dismiss his words, as her being in this new world defied any beliefs she’d previously held. She looked up over her shoulder at Alex, and found him watching her with an intense expression. "Please don’t look at me as if I’m a puzzle you have to solve." His gaze did not waver. "You are." "You don’t believe I can help, do you?" "No." "Then why waste your time bringing me here?" He looked into the fire. His jaw flexed as he ground his teeth together. When he spoke, his words were so low, so reflective, that she barely heard him. "Because I do not know what else to do." Twitter is as Twitter Does... 01/28/2012
Jan. 27 (Bloomberg) -- Twitter Inc., the microblogging service, gave itself extra flexibility to censor information in parts of the world that impose restrictions on self-expression. www.bloomberg.com I have a head cold so I probably won’t give justice to the anger I felt when I read this about Twitter. This means, I surmise, that while people all over the world can read a tweet sent from a site in Iran, the Iranian people who are meant to read it, won’t be able to. Censorship at its finest. *Heavy sigh* I discovered the Internet back in the 80s. I used Prodigy to log on, dial up of course. The wait was worth it. You were able to access information from all around the world. Talk to people on the other side of the planet, and a community was formed of people with like-minds. Today, like then, I worried about the women in countries where there wasn’t freedom. Women who have acid thrown in their faces if they dare to go to school. Women who are forced to marry their rapists and female children are used and abused. I had hoped that censorship would never happen on the web. I dreamed that all people of all countries would be able to converse and learn from each other and perhaps a bond would form, creating a world without conflict, a new civilization where people agreed to disagree without war. I was wrong. Today American citizens are held in Egypt and can’t come home. Iranian citizens can’t see what the world thinks, much less their neighbor and friends. Our last bastion of freedom, Google and Twitter, are now censored. I need a Hot Toddy. A little alcohol to go with the cold. So, let’s talk Entangled, an awesome paranormal romance. I’m having the author on next week and we’ll interview her main character. You can see her book here: www.crescentmoonpress.com. That’s enough from me now. I’m going back to bed and nurse this cold. Happy reading everyone! Stuck in the Void 01/20/2012
I’ve spent a lot of time thinking about Mr. g, A Story of Creation. (Reviewed two weeks ago, see blog.) I’m having a hard time digesting that a capricious being, stuck in the Void, created billions of universes because he was bored. It’s just a novel, you say? I know it’s just a novel. Still, it bothers me. Mr. g also has an aunt and uncle who are as capricious as Mr. g and odder if possible. The entire novel reminds me of Alice in Wonderland where Mr. g is the Red Queen. Something to consider is that Mr. Carroll’s novel upset me as well. I do not like worlds where bizarre beings create and misanthropy rules. Ok, I’m done with that. Have you ever had a morning when nothing went well? When you burn your forehead with a curling iron and leave a nasty welt? Things to know: 1. When you come off chemo and your hair grows back, it sticks up in unmanageable fashion, giving the bearer a halo effect. 2. Crohn’s makes losing weight easy. Except when you are on prednisone. Some upside you think? 3. I get my news from Zero Hedge. I’m not sure what that says about me. As I was leaving work yesterday it began to snow. Nice. First bit of real weather since last April. We even have wind advisories for today. I think I’ll go home, light a fire, clean the house, eat steak, and watch an old black and white movie. I saw Gaslight last night with Ingrid Bergman. Darn good entertainment. Maybe I’ll bake chocolate chip cookies. This is the first weekend I’ve had off from family and friends since before Christmas. We live in an era of propaganda that is accepted by the general populace. This drives me nuts. I mean spend an hour with Fox then an hour with MSNBC. You can throw in CNN if you want but it’s the same blather. My heart-felt prayer is that some news source will start spouting the truth about what’s going on in the world. Here’s a sincere hope for education before the next election. Did I ever mention I am a Libertarian? Even so, I can’t vote for Ron Paul. I cannot agree with isolationism, even if it sounds wonderful. Besides, we don’t make anything in the US anymore. Republicans have had far too many debates. Obama will have over one billion dollars to run his reelection campaign. Did you know that as soon as a person is elected they begin the reelection process? Maybe that says something about the way politicians do business. My poor deer are cold and wet. They look miserable huddled in the backyard. I wish I could bring them into the house, but I don’t think my dogs would like it. They are very possessive about my bed. Sometimes they don’t like me or my husband on it. We’ve taken to shutting down the house and moving into the bedroom to eat and watch T.V. We have a portable heater we use to heat the room while I scurry back and forth cooking dinner. I really want one of those electric heaters that look like a fireplace because when your electric/propane bill tops 400.00 a month you have to make some changes. I simply refuse to give 400.00 to PG&E. I’d rather play penny machines and drink margaritas with the extra cash. I’m reading Ruined by Kinley Baker. It’s a fantasy novel that’s really good.She received a five star review. Check out her novel here: www.crescentmoonpress.com/book/Ruined.html. It is worth your time if you are into paranormal romance. Sean is another up and coming author from Crescent Moon. I haven’t read Shadow Of Tiamat yet, but plan to. I just love the name Tiamat. It would be a neat name for a girl. Check out his blog at www.crescentmoonpress.com/blog. And so I end my musings for this week. Oh, and before I forget, The Amazon Breakthrough Novel contest is just getting started. The contest brings together talented writers, reviewers, and publishing experts to develop new voices in fiction. They are a talented bunch so head on over to www.amazon.com/breakthrough-novel-award-books. If the link doesn’t work just Google it. Happy weekend reading everyone! Beneath the Surface by Joya Fields 01/13/2012
 Thank you very much, Louann, for inviting me here today to chat about my debut romantic suspense novel, BENEATH THE SURFACE. I didn’t set out to write romantic suspense. How could I? I don’t have a law enforcement background. I’ve never been arrested, so I don’t know too much about our criminal justice system, either. But my characters didn’t give me a choice. By the second paragraph of this novel, a boat explodes, thrusting Brooke Richards into the midst of the hunt for a criminal. She’s a below-the-knee amputee who is determined to be independent, and insists on helping to find the culprit who blew up the boat. Garrett Ciavello is no stranger to criminals. He’s a Flagler Beach, FL policeman. He blames himself for the death of his fiancée, and has grown overprotective of those close to him. Throughout the story, they clash because Garrett wants to protect Brooke and she needs her independence. But with a killer on their trail, they must compromise. And with a killer on their trial, I had to quickly learn what it was like to be a police officer. My local police department offered police ride-alongs and I signed up for one. I learned a lot that night, and the officer I rode along with was very patient and answered hundreds of my questions. He also told me lots of great true stories. I think I’ll use some of those in another book one day soon. Thanks again for inviting me to your blog today, Louann. Here’s a short excerpt from BENEATH THE SURFACE. For the first time since the accident, Brooke forgot about her leg. Forgot about all she’d lost and focused on the way Logan made her feel. She knew she needed to stop him. She should find a way to resist the temptation to be with him. But for a few minutes, she could enjoy the taste of him, the feel of him, couldn’t she? He dropped his hands to her waist and softened the kiss before trailing a line of kisses down her neck. A weak cry slipped from her mouth. “Garrett,” she whispered. She should stop this now before it got any more intense. He cupped her chin and forced her to meet his brown eyes, smoky with desire. Heat spiraled to her middle and she caught a whiff of his sawdust scent. “I…I can walk you back to your own room before I head to mine.” His voice broke as he whispered. She swallowed hard. She couldn’t do this right now with him. Too many obstacles stood in their way. But as she looked in his somber eyes, she realized none of those complications were bigger than her need for Garrett. “Let’s go to your room,” she said, her voice shaking. She moved her hands inside his shirt and ran them over his tight abs and chest. Heat soared through her body at the feel of him. “Together…” Find Joya on the web: http://www.joyafields.com/ Purchase links for Beneat the Surface: Amazon:http://www.amazon.com/Beneath-Surface-Joya-Fields/dp/1612170048/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1325704089&sr=8-1 Wild Rose Press: httpp://www.thewildrosepress.com/index.phpmain_page=product_info&cPath=191&products_id=4738 Killing Time... 01/06/2012
I don’t have a book to review this week because I’m still reading it and I don’t have a guest author scheduled until week after next. Life has been pretty nice since everyone got well. Except for Dennis, he’s my husband. He’s still hacking like a champ. Will this cold ever go away? The kids are good and so are the grandkids. I’m waiting on my editor to get A Shadow of Time back to me for final revisions. I will be so happy to see this book published so I can move on to Redemption. A fellow author/friend did a ten things you didn’t know about me blog that I thought was cute. I tried to think of ten things interesting about me, but I had a reall hard time coming up with any. So here goes: 1. In 1980 my husband was stabbed when he walked blindly into a gang fight. 2. My husband is my best friend. Probably because I learned young how fragile life is. 3.I wait on my husband. It drives my friends’nuts. No comments best friends. 4. My other best friends are: Mary Lou Johnson, Debi Marzonline, and Karen Carroll. And my kids, Shannon, Dennis, and Ryan. Then there’s my mother-in-law, my high school pals, and I could go on and on. 5. I like chocolate, but everyone knows that. 6. I have two dogs, Chelsea a very old pit bull/lab and Gus, a tenacious terrier. 7. I live in the mountains and have a herd of deer that live in my back yard. I feed them vegetables, but have been known to give them Doritos on occasion. 8. I have Crohn’s which sucks, but hey, it could be worse. I have discovered that I hate hospitals. 9. I LOVE to clean my house. Which is really weird. When friends and family get sick I rush right over to clean. Just ask Debi and Karen. Mary never got sick. My other friend Camille was busy dancing her butt off in San Francisco. She was our claim to fame as she walked the stage in Beach Blanket Babylon. 10. I don’t have a sharp knife in the house. 11. I love to play chess with my 9 year-old grandson. Who knew I’d have a grandson that liked chess? 12. I love to watch my other grandsons play ball—baseball and football. 13. I once had a bird named Bubba. He was awesome. He’d sit on my shoulder and follow me around the house. He was one great bird. Eh, I still miss him. 14. Rufus was our rather remarkable dog. He lived for almost 19 years. He sat in trees, amazing our friends and neighbors. I always figured—to each his own. 15. I’m a Libertarian. Used to be a Republican. However, I’m not a Ron Paul supporter. His foreign policy opinion bothers me. So there are 15. Dang, I should blog while cooking dinner more often. Hopefully, I’ll have Shadow back next week from the editor or I’ve finished my latest advance copy. Maybe both—that’ll keep me busy and give me fodder for next week’s blog. Happy Reading!  I love physics—always have—especially quantum physics. When I had the chance to review the galley of Mr g, A Novel about the Creation, written by AlanLightman, a theoretical physicist as well as a novelist, I jumped at it. The bottom line is that Mr g is written by God coming to know Himself through His creations. He lives in the Void with His aunt and uncle, Penelope and Deva respectively and once He begins to create His various universes He comes into contact with a being by the name of Belial who has similar powers and a companion, the beast named Baphomet. The name Baphomet comes from a pagan deity and Belial is said to be a mighty and a powerful being made after Lucifer. Belial is also the name of the creature who will meet Kate and Noah from Gemini Rising as they cross over into the home of the angels. Belial is said to be many things, but one thing we do know is that he is at his core, the essense of evil. And so the book begins, with God creating His universes, aunt and uncle, and God's protagonist, Belial and Baphomet. Our two evil companions constantly challenge God in His pursuit of creation and while He finds His two nemeses disturbing, He also finds wisdom. This little novel, for it is not so very big, combines theology, philosophy, and science into a wonderful experience that speaks to the mind and to the heart. Within many simple sentences a treatise could be written and there are so many profound ideas I hesitate to mention just one. If you enjoy science and theology this is a must read. I simply couldn't put the book down. Christmas, New Years, and the Norovirus 12/27/2011
Update: Ryan and Jake are out of the hospital and everyone is improving slowly. We have one more to add to the list and that's my nephew Keith. It's a bit like a detective story. Who got what first... We had a lovely Christmas. Plus an uninvited guest. Who'd have thought a virus could spread so fast. It leaped from one family to the next, taking each person down in a fury of vile symptoms. My grandson Jacob, who a few hours previous was bouncing down the streets of San Francisco, was taken in one fell swoop. "I'm dizzy, Mom," was all he said before hitting the floor. Dehydration can take you fast. He's still in the hospital, but should be released tomorrow. My husband of 41 years is laying on the bed, a fever of 101 accompanied by various disgustng symtoms. "Feels like I got hit by a truck," he mutters before rolling over. I had no idea this virus could be so bad. If you run into someone who has it, wash your hands and disappear fast. My poor daughter hasn't slept in 48 hours. I talked to my grandson, though I doubt he'll remember our conversation. There's nothing worse than worrying about a sick grandchild. Here's wishing you a Happy new year, filled with prosperity, love, and good health! |
RSS Feed
