For readers that like their romance with a bit of steam and naughtiness Dana Littlejohn delivers. Courtesy of Goddess Fish Promotions I get to bring you a taste of her new hot read The Seven Year Switch along with a giveaway. So get comfy and learn more about Dana in my interview with this new to me author.....
TSP: How did you get where you are today with your writing career?
DL: I write whenever the characters tell me to write. When their story is complete I submit. That is the process I plan to use until they stop talking to me. I also spend every day that I can promoting my books, past present and future releases to keep my name out there.
TSP: What's an average writing day like for you?
DL: When I get home from work after doing house stuff, I’m at my computer until the characters stop talking. I’m usually working on 2 sometimes 3 stories at a time so I never know which I’ll be working on until I pull up the folder.
TSP: What sets your books apart from others and what would you tell people to encourage them to buy your books?
DL: That’s kind of a hard question. There are so many good books out there by so many great authors who have a similar style to mine. I’m sure they all have the same thoughts in mind that I do when I write my books. I try to make all my characters real, someone my readers can relate to in some way. I put them in real situations, in everyday places. My readers have mentioned that that is one of the things they like best about my books. They recognize the places or the situations and it makes the book that much more real to them.
TSP: What can you tell us about your latest release, The Seven Year Switch? How did you come up with the storyline?
DL: I was out with a girlfriend having lunch and she was venting about her husband. She wondered how different her marriage would be if she was ‘in charge’ of everything instead of him. I took that notion to the extreme and then wondered myself what a marriage like that would be like. The Seven Year Switch is about an established couple who decide to flip the traditional roles of husband and wife…with a little sizzle added. *wink*
TSP: Many of your books are erotic in nature. What draws you to this genre and why do you think it appeals to readers?
DL: It’s not really on purpose. I try to stay true to the storyline and the character’s personalities within. If the main characters don’t call for that type of situation it doesn’t go in, but lately I’ve been having a lot of sexually interested characters. LOL!
TSP: Any WIPs that you can share with us or any other top secret info I can pry out of you?
DL: LOL! Sure. I have a futuristic space pirate story I’m working on called Renegade Rae. She is a female trader hiding behind her father’s flag after he dies. Rae never does face to face trade sending her men to do so, but in order to get something she really wants she has to or find someone to pose as ‘Infamous Renegade Rae’. She goes to a slave planet to get someone she can control but when she acquires the slave she finds she is the one being controlled.
Also, I am working on a contemporary called Devine Intervention. Delisa Stewart loses her job, her home and two years of her life to a liquor induced mistake. When she gets out her best friend gives her job as her consultant and a place to stay so she can start over. The only thing Delisa thinks came of her prison stay was she learned she loved working out. She joined a nearby gym and met Jacob Devine. She instantly thinks a man that fine and that intelligent would never want anything to do with an ex-con…or would he?
TSP: How has the digital revolution affected your career and how you market yourself? Do you have an eReader yourself?
DL: I think the digital revolution has exploded the ebook industry. I think that is fantastic. Not only because I am a writer but because it is good for the future storage literature and the environment. Yes, I do! I was always an avid reader so my shelves are covered, but I jumped on the ebook thing as soon as they came out. I have had several while they tweaked them and got all the bugs out, but now I have a Nook and I am happy with it.
TSP: My site is all about favorite things. What are your favorite things, the things you can't live without?
DL: Nowadays I would have to add my Nook to that list, but with it would be my old stand bys: sun flower seeds, diet Cherry Pepsi, kettle corn and my fuzzy socks! LOL!
TSP: Thanks so much for taking the time to answer my questions, Dana! I look forward to your responses as well as your visit to my site.
DL: Thanks for having me! I had a blast. I hope to come back one day.
The Seven Year Switch by Dana Littlejohn
Could you make the switch from dutiful, submissive wife to paddle wielding queen bee to save your marriage?
Sonja Winters was enjoying the good life with a great job and being married to the man of her dreams. As she prepared to celebrate their seven year anniversary she came across a secret that her husband had been keeping from her that would alter the course of their marriage forever.
EXCERPT ONE:
“Yes, I understand.” Bianca sat next to her and openly looked her over. “I see now why he chose you. You are beautiful and strong. You will be able to control him well.”
Sonja scoffed. Her anger at the situation came back, fueled by Bianca’s nonchalant description of her ability to deal with her husband.
“If you’re talking about my husband, I was controlling him just fine until you came along.”
“Hmm, I can appreciate how you must feel, but you do not have all the facts.”
Bianca clapped her hands and two men appeared. They looked similar to the biker guy who led her into the room except they were much younger and more firmly built. They dropped to one knee and bowed their heads.
“Yes, Mistress,” they said in unison.
Sonja’s eyes widened and her jaw dropped. Bianca’s voice roused her from her stunned state.
“Sonja, would you like a drink?”
“Uh…”
“Coffee, tea, perhaps a glass of wine,” she offered.
“Umm, yes, a glass of wine would be nice.”
“You heard her and bring fruit, too,” she told the men.
Sonja’s emotions teetered between anger, confusion and amazement. These large and strong looking, fully grown men were seemingly at Bianca’s beck and call. They left the room to do her bidding with only a comprehensive nod. She turned a look to Bianca. Sonja was sure her face reflected the surprise and shock wavering inside her over the men’s behavior. It was hard to hide as she looked at her hostess.
“Please, allow me to explain. These men come to me from various places and all walks of life, but they all want the same thing and they pay me to give it to them.”
“Uh-huh, and what’s that?”
“They want to be dominated by a woman.”
EXCERPT TWO:
“Submissive men will always seek strong women because they are in need of her guidance,” Bianca said continuing her explanation.
Bianca’s voice was in an audible octave, not at all a whisper for Sonja’s benefit or to spare the feelings of the men. Sonja sipped her drink and sent a quick glance toward them. To her surprise, they stood at perfect attention, staring straight ahead showing no signs of emotion at all to what Bianca just said.
“Yes, well, I wouldn’t know that, Bianca. My husband is not a submissive man.”
“No disrespect to what you think you know, Sonja, but I beg to differ. Kyle is, in fact, a submissive man. He is what I call an alpha submissive. At work he can be very dominate and extremely aggressive when it comes to other men, but with a woman he has the desire to be humble and subservient.”
Sonja crossed her legs and turned her body toward her adversary. “Look, you must have my husband confused with another one of your men,” she sent a pertinent wave in the men’s direction, “because I know my husband. Kyle and I have been together for—“
“You have been together for the last ten years. You met while you were still in college. Kyle’s company was doing a project on your campus. He bumped into you, and you guys have been together ever since. Since then, you have graduated and have become a successful lawyer. You and Kyle were married October fourteenth, and yesterday made your seventh year anniversary. You have no children, but you want at least two, and a dog. You are leaning toward the Jack Russell breed because you want a smart dog that will not out-grow the child physically.”
Sonja’s eyes widened as she raised the cup to her mouth.
Dana Littlejohn was born and raised in Brooklyn, New York, but has called Indianapolis, In. her home for over ten years. She has always wanted to write since early childhood, but put that wish on hold to raise her growing family and have a career. With the encouragement of her husband, Dana picked up her pen again in 2003 and has no intention on putting it down. With 3 novels, 8 novellas, 4 stories in anthologies, 42 short stories published to date and a long list of wips (works in progress) she is literally living her dream. Join her on the wild journey through her imagination. It’s a ride you’ll never forget!
Giveaway is for a promotional pen to one randomly drawn tour commenter and a promotional T-shirt to another commenter.
-Giveaway is OPEN TO US & CAN!
-To be entered just leave a comment along with your email addy.
-Two commenters will be chosen randomly and named winners from all comments made throughout the tour, so the more tour stops you make a comment on the greater your chances of winning. A list of all participating blogs can be found here.
-Giveaway ends at 11:59 PM CST on 3/2.
With her New Dawn series Aubrie Dionne has created a sci-fi series long on excitement with a nice bit of romance on the side. Today, the second book in this series along with a novella will become the talk of the town here at my site. So let's get this party started by introducing you to the world of sci-fi as seen through the eyes of Aubrie Dionne....
Now for the alien mammoths…
Did I get your attention with the title? Yes, Tundra 37 has
alien mammoths! When creating my ice world, I thought about Earth’s ice age and
all the creatures that inhabited the tundra. In the first book of the New Dawn
series, I had giant sandworms, so this book needed a beast to rival them. I
couldn’t have real mammoths, of course, because this was another planet
altogether, so I made up my own.
These mammoths have several spiky tusks that twirl around
their heads in a crown. A snout of thick, wrinkly skin dangles in front of a
sharp toothed mouth. Their hair is made of muscles that extend and wrap around
you, and they’re very very hungry. Whereas Earth’s mammoths ate mostly
vegetation, these alien mammoths are out for meat!
The mammoths play a pivotal role in Tundra 37, because the
main character, Gemme, has to battle them to save the man she’s paired with,
Miles Brentwood.
In Paradise 21, the main character didn’t like her lifemate,
but this is the opposite case in Tundra 37. Gemme thinks Miles is so achingly
gorgeous, she knows everyone will believe she devised the pairing herself,
being the only matchmaker on the ship. So, she deletes it, and suffers for the
rest of the book as she gets to know him on an expedition to search for more
fuel.
I can tell you right now, someone on the expedition doesn’t
survive one of the mammoth attacks… you’ll have to read Tundra 37 to find out
who!
Tundra 37 by Aubrie Dionne
Gemme is a hi-tech matchmaker who pairs the next generation of Lifers aboard the Expedition, a deep space transport vessel destined for Paradise 18. When the identity of her lifemate pops up on her screen, she’s shocked that he’s the achingly gorgeous and highly sought after Lieutenant Miles Brentwood—a man oblivious to her existence. Believing everyone will think she contrived the match, she erases it from the computer’s memory.
Just as comets pummel the ship and destroy the pairing system forever.
With the Expedition disabled, the colonists must crash land on the barren ice world of Tundra 37 where Gemme is reassigned to an exploratory mission, led by Lieutenant Brentwood. Only in the frozen tundra does she understand the shape of his heart and why the computer has entwined their destinies.
EXCERPT:
Prologue
The Seers
I’m losing her.
Abysme guides the vessel in silence, her blind eyes rolling as she senses our course, two hundred years away from Paradise 18. She’s scattered her thoughts among the stars, and her mind drifts farther from the sister I once knew. I fear the machine has engulfed her individuality. She’s forgotten the meaning of our goal, the oath we took three centuries ago. Most of all, she’s forgotten me, creating an emptiness inside me more profound than the desolation surrounding us.
If I had my arms, I’d reach out to comfort her and usher her back from the black abyss spread before us. As children, I kept her alive through the destruction, signing us up for the Expedition and winning two tickets off Old Earth before it succumbed to hell. But can I save her now?
I send impulses through my brainwaves and into the ship. Bysme, do you hear me?
Unlike her, I have one operating eye and can see the control chamber we hang from. Twisting my head, I search her features. Her skeletal face twitches. She writhes and the wires holding her in place stretch taut. I wonder what I’ve done to us, the shock of our disembodiment jolting me. Every input hole drilled into my skull snakes with activity. The ship surges through me, a vast intranet of information, names, status charts, and infinite trajectories. If I couldn’t feel the cold, regulated air on the remnants of my torso, I’d be lost in the machine too. I remind myself of our mission and the perseverance flows into my veins.
She doesn’t respond and the fear wells up from within me. Can I guide the ship alone? I realize I’ve left her at the helm for too long while I drifted into memories.
Status of Beta Prime? Bysme speaks in monotone computer speech as she turns to the corner of the main control deck where the orb glistens, tempting us with the mysteries hidden in the cosmic swirls within its core. Sometimes, I wish we’d blasted the ball off the hull after its tendrils attached to the outer frame instead of recovering it for study. We’ve guarded it for so long, Project Beta Prime has become part of us, yet we’re further than ever from unlocking its secrets. All I know is the insistence of my memories, like ghosts that refused to be ignored.
Unchanged. The weight of my voice in our mindspeak reflects my disappointment. Like everything else.
Bysme falls silent, and I scan the systems searching for answers that aren’t there.
Chapter One
Matchmaker
The Expedition 2751
Names trailed in pairs along the wallscreen as the next batch of destinies unfolded. Gemme pulled her hair into a ponytail and sipped her synthetic coffee, reviewing the computer’s choices. Beside her, a constellation of stars glittered on the sight panel. She studied the spherical pattern, content to watch the world float by from the safety of the Expedition’s computer analytics wing.
She’d live and die on the decks of the aging transport ship. The certainty of her fate comforted her from the black void pressing in. Consistency gave her solace, and in her life regularity reigned. She lived through her work, finding life in numbers.
After another long sip, she gazed up at the screen and read the first pair of names.
Aaron Tixton and Cassandra Smith.
She accessed their profiles with the tip of her finger on her keypad. Both Lifers tested well in energy maintenance and ship repairs. Their personalities were type ISTP and type ENFJ, and their family trees didn’t intersect until third cousins in the first generation, providing a promising match. Neither showed any manifestation of the rare hypergene they’d searched for since they left Earth, but no one she’d ever matched had. There were no guarantees the Seers would last until the ship reached Paradise 18. Suppressing a moment of worry, she scratched her chin, then typed an affirmation on the touchscreen.
Ray Ellis and Melissa Stewart. Although they were three years apart, Ray being the senior, their genes were optimally compatible. With resistance to Alzheimer’s, cancer, and heart disease, they would produce durable children. The touchscreen flashed as her finger pressed enter.
Molly Fritz and—
The portal beeped, interrupting her work. Who would visit so early on the first morning shift? She’d dragged herself out of her sleep pod for a reason. The Seers expected the next report by fourteen hundred, and she didn’t have time for unplanned meetings.
Gemme sighed and clicked off the screen. She couldn’t have an intruder spying on the new sets of matches. She pressed the portal panel and the particles dematerialized like falling stars, revealing a stellar beauty.
“Luna?”
“Gemme.” Luna shifted and leaned her busty body against the portal frame. “How are you? I haven’t talked to you in years.”
For a reason.
Uneasiness spread through Gemme’s shoulders, making her neck tingle. A vision of Luna’s highly mascaraed teen face scrunched up in anger came back to her. “What am I going to do with you, you freckle-faced cybergeek? You make me look bad with all your studying and high test scores,” Luna had taunted before she smacked Gemme in the chest, leaving a bruise that had lasted for two months. Sure, Gemme had pushed her back, but Luna’s final shove had landed her in the recycling bin. She’d suffered in that cold, metal container for four hours before a custodian heard her banging for help.
Luna had claimed it was an accident, and as the Lieutenant’s daughter, and the descendant of the original founder of the Expedition, everyone believed her. Gemme hadn’t pressed the issue. No one messed with the Legacys. Since then, she’d stayed clear of the beauty and her bullying tactics. As Luna hovered over her, Gemme sensed where this conversation led, and it made the coffee in her stomach churn like acid.
“I’ve got a lot of work to do, Luna. What do you need?”
Luna flipped her wavy blonde hair behind her shoulder and stared at her as if she had a right to be there. “I want to discuss my pairing.”
“You know I can’t talk of future matches.” Gemme fought to keep her tone professional. “The computer makes the decisions. I only review the pairings and double-check for glitches.”
“You have more power than you let on, Gemme, dear.” Luna pushed past her and slinked across her office, tapping her fingertips along the keyboards.
Hot air flared out of Gemme’s nostrils. The nerve! Luna asked her to change the bylaws, to risk her job after years of bullying? Her cheeks burned like a supernova. The keys clicked under Luna’s long nails in a rhythmic pitter-patter. Thank goodness she’d locked down the system.
The blinking button for the screen stood out like a dwarf star. Luna inched toward it. Gemme squeezed by her and stuck her small body between Luna’s ginormous chest and the touchscreen, turning her back on her to protect the machine.
“I can’t change the pairings, only approve or disapprove.”
“You can disapprove of everyone for me.”
The harshness in her voice made Gemme whip around from the controls and stare her down. “You’re telling me you don’t want a lifemate?”
“You didn’t let me finish.” Luna’s lips slid into a smile. “Everyone, that is, except Miles Brentwood.”
Of course. Gemme could’ve guessed that request from a parsec away. The computer hadn’t assigned Miles Brentwood a lifemate yet. Five years their senior, not only was he powerful, attractive, and brilliant, his sweet charm could warm even the coldest reaches of deep space. Somehow, even though Luna was gorgeous, Gemme didn’t think she deserved Brentwood, and she reveled in the fact that she couldn’t honor Luna’s request.
“The computer decides the lifemates, not me.” Besides, pairing Luna with Lieutenant Brentwood would explode the mainframe of the lifemate pairing system. The computer’s choices had an excellent success rate, much better than the statistics she’d seen from Old Earth. She couldn’t imagine people choosing for themselves.
Luna shrugged as if she discussed tricking a five-year-old instead of defying a centuries-old system. “If you deny every pairing for me, eventually his name will come up.”
Gemme held her nose up, but her head only came up to Luna’s magnificent plunging neckline. Why didn’t her uniform ever look as good? “I’m not going to bend the rules for you.”
Luna pulled back and pouted her full lips. “I thought you’d say as much. That’s why I brought you a bribe.”
She dropped a piece of paper on Gemme’s desk. Before Gemme could reply, Luna slipped around her and jogged out the portal. “Think about it. Get back to me.” Her voice echoed down the corridor, cheerful, yet tense.
Gemme watched her leave, stunned. What could Luna have that she wanted, besides an apology? She’d already earned a cushy job with a cosmic view. Gemme picked up the piece of paper, feeling the strange thinness in her hands. Paper was only used for formal occasions. What could it be?
Opening the folds of the document revealed a border of glittering gold. The writing was etched in inky cursive.
Gemme gasped as she studied the contours of the inscription.
Request granted. Please present this upon arrival on Control Deck 67.
A ticket to visit the Seers. This rarity was one more shred of proof the Legacys had advantages others didn’t have.
Why would she ever want to meet them? The Seers had sealed their chamber for the last century for fear of weakening their fragile bodies with germs. People whispered about their transformation from real humans born on Old Earth to skeletons and machines. Just thinking about how they’d severed their arms and legs after the limbs had atrophied to have wires run directly into their torsos made her squirm.
She realized Luna didn’t know her at all. Status quo contented Gemme more than any high position or special meeting. She wanted to live her life on the Expedition, drink her coffee, and play matchmaker in space.
Gemme slipped the document underneath her keyboard. She’d have to return it to Luna herself. This couldn’t be trusted with interdepartmental mail and she didn’t want Luna thinking she owed her anything.
After the portal materialized, she flicked on the button for the pairing system and the list of names blinked on her wallscreen.
Now where was I? Oh yes, Molly Fritz and—
A letter G stole her attention from halfway down the second column. She skimmed the names.
It couldn’t be.
Gemme gasped and backed away from the wallscreen. Her touchscreen fell to the floor and rattled.
Gemme Reiner and Miles Brentwood.
Her first thought was of Luna running at her with a laser gun.
But I didn’t choose it. The computer did.
She knew the day would come when her name would cross the screen, she just didn’t think it would be today or it would be him. Everyone would suspect she devised the pairing herself. She’d look like the most selfish, hypocritical computer analyst in the history of the Expedition. She might even lose her job.
She scrambled to the floor and collected the touchscreen. Her hands shook as she replaced it on her desk. Wasting no time, she highlighted their names and the reasoning for the pairing. They both had history of mild high blood pressure, and a few minor propensities for anxiety in their family trees. They weren’t incompatible, but they sure as hell weren’t a perfect match either. Although, their first names sounded so right together: Gemme and Miles.
Shaking the nonsense from her head, she forced herself to focus. The florescent yellow connecting her name and his made her uneasy. Her finger paused over the word delete. For a millisecond, she thought of his strong hands touching her cheek, running across the back of her neck and into her hair.
Stop fantasizing!
Why would such a man be matched to her? Obviously the computer had miscalculated. Here lay the one glitch she was destined to fix. Gemme’s finger trembled as she pressed the touchscreen. In an instant, their names disappeared, deleted forever in the vastness of deep space. Even the Seers wouldn’t detect it in their nets.
A response beeped on the screen.
Pairing denied.
Gemme breathed with relief. She couldn’t have people thinking she’d manipulated the system, especially Luna. Besides, attraction shouldn’t factor in any of the matches.
She picked up her coffee mug just as a crash echoed above her head. The floor rumbled beneath her feet.
Had her deletion wreaked havoc on the whole system?
Two monotone voices echoed in unison out over the intercom. “Comet shower approaching. Collisions imminent. Evacuate the outer levels.”
Gemme froze. Danger to the Expedition? Impossible! The Seers would have detected any danger from a parsec away. They could never be wrong. The Guide said so.
Another crash shuddered the floor and she fell to her knees. The wallscreen flickered. She gazed out the sight panel at the familiar constellation. Balls of red with trailing tails streaked the sight panel. She fisted her hands. Had the Seers failed? She had no time to ponder the impossible. Her office lay on an outer deck. She had to get to safety.
Her first thought shot to the computers. Could she save her life’s work? For privacy, the Seers instructed each matchmaker to store all data on the computer in front of her. The lights flickered out and an alarm screamed down the hall. One of the fiery balls grew larger, hurtling right toward the glass separating Gemme from the void of space.
Forget the data.
Taking one look back at her touchscreens, Gemme sprinted to the portal and slammed her fist on the panel. The second it took for the particles to dematerialize tugged on her nerves. Visions of space sucking her out haunted her more than visions of being stuck to the ship like the Seers. Gemme clutched her hands together and bounced on her toes.
The particles disappeared, and smoke wheezed in. Bending down, Gemme covered her mouth with the sleeve of her uniform and ran. The ship pitched sideways, and she fell into the wall, bumping her knee. Her leg collapsed, but she forced herself up through the pain. The corridors lay empty. Was she the last one on the outer decks? She hoped so. Most of the Lifers slept in their cells at the heart of the ship at such an early hour.
“Hull breach imminent. Congregate to the inner decks immediately.”
Was there a hint of fear in the Seers’ voices? Gemme refused to believe it. The Seers had everything under control. They always did. They wouldn’t let anything happen to her, would they?
She punched the portal panel in front of the elevators, but nothing happened. Fear twisted her stomach, climbing its way up her throat. She breathed in, and the air seared the back of her mouth. Coughing, she slammed the panel harder.
Come on, you aging piece of junk.
The panel light flickered out like a dying sun.
Smoke filled the corridor and burned her eyes. She ran to the air shaft’s emergency ladders. Another crash hit the hull, and another. What were the Seers doing? Had they lost their minds? She clung to each ladder rung as she climbed down, afraid another shock would send her plummeting ten levels at once.
As she reached the next deck, the air spiraled over her head. Pressure sucked the breath out of her lungs. A warning buzz sounded, and the Seers’ unison voices echoed out, “Hull breach on Deck 86.”
Gemme searched below her feet. She could climb down ten more rungs to close the lower hatch, or climb back up five to close the upper hatch. Metal clicked, and the emergency systems made the decision for her.
Beneath her feet, the particles of the lower hatch materialized.
Panic rushed up her legs along with the dwindling air. The Seers had locked her out.
Gemme stared at the spinning particles. If she fell too soon, she’d be stuck in the particles of the hatch and the portal would rematerialize inside her. She had to wait for the hatch to become solid.
The air grew thin and she gasped for breath. The force of the suction pulled at her, yanking hair out of her ponytail. Once the hatch formed, she leaped down on top of it. Scrambling in the folds of her uniform, she brought out her keytag.
Thank goodness she’d worn it around her neck. Sometimes the cord irritated her skin, and she took it off, setting it by her touchscreen. Now, she wasn’t sure if her touchscreen still existed. The thought of her office pummeled by comets flashed in her mind. She couldn’t go back for anything now.
She shoved the keytag into the portal panel and typed override. A message popped up.
Please enter your security code.
The temperature dropped and she shivered, sucking in one last breath. Gemme forced herself to type slowly to get it right. One missed touch would shut her out forever.
Her heart raced as she tapped the panel and the particles disappeared.
A wave of hot air blew by her as the hatch reopened. Gemme jumped down and slammed her fist against the panel to close it above her. As the particles solidified, she climbed down to the next level and kicked something blocking her way.
“Whoa! Look out.”
Miles Brentwood gazed up from the toes of her boots, his green-flecked eyes piercing the semidarkness. Gemme’s heart sped up. To see any person right now made her emotions crumble, never mind the man she’d been thinking of ever since she deleted their pairing. “If you’re going up, there’s no way out. I sealed the passage.”
“I’m not going anywhere.” He took the sight of her in, traveling up her cheek to her eyes and she almost lost her grip on the ladder rung. “I’m looking for you.”
Miles Brentwood had come to spend the end of the world with her? Gemme’s mind reeled. Nothing that morning had made any sense. She felt stuck in some sort of quasi-nightmare turned hot dream. “What?”
Although chaos crashed around them, his hair still looked perfect, the blond wave rising an inch above his broad forehead. “I’m retrieving all the stragglers. I followed your locater number.”
“Oh.” She looked away, feeling sheepish and small. How could she have ever thought he’d know who she was, never mind go searching for her in particular during this disaster?
He gestured over his shoulder. “There’s a safe chamber just down this hall. Follow me.”
Gemme collected her scattered emotions just as something crashed against the hatch above them. The screeching sound of crushed metal echoed down the vent shaft.
Brentwood shouted over the din, “This compartment’s losing pressure, come on!”
She followed him down two more levels and through a side passage she’d never have found by herself. They crawled through an air shaft, collecting dust webs under their fingers. A metal grating hung missing half its hinges. Had he come all this way just for her?
Brentwood looked back at her over his shoulder. “It’s not far. You can jump.”
He paused at the hole below them and waited for her to make the first move.
Of course, his valor screamed “ladies first.”
Gemme dangled her legs and judged the distance from the ceiling to the floor below her feet. If she fell the wrong way, she’d break both her ankles.
He must have seen fear cross her eyes because he offered his hands. “Here, I’ll help you.”
The warmth in his voice calmed her racing thoughts. She locked on his gaze. The flecks of green were so pure, they reminded her of the foliage in the biodome. Those eyes could have been hers to gaze into. She damned the pairing program. Why had it ever put such an outrageous idea in her head?
“Take my hands.”
Gemme blinked her thoughts away and slid her hands into his. Their palms molded into a perfect fit. His skin emanated heat, warming her cold fingertips. She closed her eyes as the ship crashed around them. She expected to feel pain, but a light-headed ecstasy bubbled over her.
When she opened her eyes, the airshaft remained intact with Brentwood eagerly waiting for her to move. All the crashing had happened inside her, levels being knocked down to reveal surprising emotions she didn’t think herself capable of. Yet, the feelings stirred an undercurrent of familiarity. Gemme searched his features to see if he experienced any of the same emotions, but his wide lips frowned. He was more concerned for her than drunk on possibility He hoisted her down and her feet hit the floor with a bounce. The ship pitched again, and she fell against the wall. Brentwood jumped behind her and ushered her forward, his hands along her waist.
“Just a few more steps.”
They ran to the belly of the ship, where the structural integrity would hold under pressure. Brentwood slapped a panel and the portal disappeared to reveal a bunch of colonists huddling together. Food rations were stacked against the far wall along with space suits. Panic worked its way up Gemme’s spine. If they needed those suits, they were dead already.
“Shouldn’t we run to the escape pods?”
Brentwood shook his head. “Not yet. The Seers believe they can salvage the ship. The escape pods would only scatter us into deep space.”
Gemme nodded and bit her lower lip. She’d known his answer. Escape pods were useless unless they found a habitable planet. It would only delay inevitable death.
He bent down, his face hovering a breath away from hers, lips slightly parted. Gemme froze in shock, noticing each light hair in his eyebrows and the moisture on his lips. Only lifemates leaned in so close. He pulled back, shaking his head as if recovering from a trance.
“My apologies. I must search for others.”
Before Gemme’s heart could beat again, he’d disappeared down the corridor, smoke trailing in his footsteps.
Aubrie is an author and flutist in New England. Her stories have appeared in Mindflights, Niteblade, Silver Blade, A Fly in Amber, and several print anthologies including Skulls and Crossbones by Minddancer Press, Rise of the Necromancers, by Pill Hill Press, Nightbird Singing in the Dead of Night by Nightbird Publishing, Dragontales and Mertales by Wyvern Publications, A Yuletide Wish by Nightwolf Publications, and Aurora Rising by Aurora Wolf Publications. Her epic fantasy is published with Wyvern Publications, and several of her ebooks are published with Lyrical Press and Gypsy Shadow Publishing. When she’s not writing, she plays in orchestras and teaches flute at Plymouth State University and a community music school.
Gemme is a hi-tech matchmaker who pairs the next generation of Lifers aboard the Expedition, a deep space transport vessel destined for Paradise 18. When the identity of her lifemate pops up on her screen, she’s shocked that he’s the achingly gorgeous and highly sought after Lieutenant Miles Brentwood—a man oblivious to her existence. Believing everyone will think she contrived the match, she erases it from the computer’s memory.
Just as comets pummel the ship and destroy the pairing system forever.
With the Expedition disabled, the colonists must crash land on the barren ice world of Tundra 37 where Gemme is reassigned to an exploratory mission, led by Lieutenant Brentwood. Only in the frozen tundra does she understand the shape of his heart and why the computer has entwined their destinies.
********************
Tundra 37 is a wonderful addition to the New Dawn series continuing to tell the story about a ship full of specially chosen individuals making their way to a new world after the Earth dies out. This particular expedition is full of intriguing characters, fast-paced action, scientific mysteries, and a bit of romance. With flashbacks from the past to the present and told from differing viewpoints the reader becomes quickly enmeshed in the story and as the struggle for life plays out your heartbeat races to an exciting and satisfying conclusion.
The world building that Ms. Dionne has done in this book makes for an intriguing part of the story. Seeing how desperate the situation on Earth has become with its pollution, starvation, and political crises the need to go elsewhere is plainly obvious. The desperation people feel and the high hopes they have for the expedition are easily understandable and once the journey starts going wrong you can't help but feel their fear. Each character we're introduced to is unique with their own memorable backstories and qualities. From the psychic twins who have been physically connected to the ship for hundreds of years to the smart yet shy matchmaker to the young girl whose disability marks her as unimportant yet who has the ability to save everyone, I found myself fully invested in their lives and on the edge of my seat waiting to see what befell them next.
Gemme is insecure but oh so likable. She's the matchmaker for her people, and using a computer she makes other couples happy, but when it comes to her own chosen match she doesn't think she's worthy enough. Miles Brentwood is one of the elite and considered quite the catch. He's honorable, handsome, and heroic. The computer says they should be together but once their world is turned upside down it's up to fate to bring them together. The sparks start flying between them the moment they see each other as the ship is falling down around them. Neither has felt such a connection before and as the story progresses you realize just how deep their connection goes. The love and attraction between them is blatantly obvious but it's never shown outright. There's a bit of kissing but nothing more. So those looking for hot and heavy action will be disappointed. But those who want a deeply emotional love played out before them will find Gemme and Miles' relationship extremely satisfying.
There's a lot of scientific talk in this story that can get a bit overwhelming at times but it's nicely dispersed among some exciting action sequences. The political and socioeconomic views are easy to relate to and very timely. As a disabled person myself, the issues that are raised around disabilities were fascinating.
From start to finish I found myself fully invested in the story and these character's lives. The action was fast-paced and moved along to a satisfying conclusion. This book can definitely be read on its own but with such an intriguing concept as the New Dawn series presents why wouldn't you want to read the other books in this series.
My rating for this is a B+
*I received this book from the author in exchange for my honest opinion.
Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:
• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
• Share the title & author too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers.
TUNDRA 37 by Aubrie Dionne
.....from location 975 of 3545.
-Luna didn't look cold at all. In fact, she still had the zipper down so low the light shone in places it shouldn't. Maybe all that padding in front provided insulation.
As everyone's heard by now, GFC will cease to work on any non-Blogger sites as of March 1st. I will still have it on my site for those who can and still want to follow via that method though. Other ways of following can be through the RSS feed, through twitter, through email, or through Facebook. Links for these methods can be found down the right hand side of this page.
After a lot of inner debate I've also done away with my Fashion Monday Madness post. I LOVED talking fashion and celebs but it was a lot of work and didn't garner a lot of visits or comments so we'll have to find something else to start off our week.
I hope everyone has an exciting week planned with lots of great books to read!
For those romance readers who enjoy a bit of suspense with their sexiness, Kenya Carlton has created just the book for you. Courtesy of Bewitching Book Tours I can give you a taste of this mix of romance, mystery, and a visitor from beyond the grave. So read on and introduce yourself to this satisfying read.
Jaded by Kenya Carlton
War correspondent Mia James is back on US soil and ready to tackle a juicy political story that could make national headlines. A politician’s aid goes missing, and the son of the wealthiest family is the only suspect.
Determined to take down the mayor of the small seaside town, Mia comes up against an angry ghost with her own agenda.
Afraid she may be suffering from post traumatic stress Mia figures that she’s way over her head and enlists the help of resident black sheep Gabe Montgomery. Now, she must solve the mystery of her not so friendly ghost, stop herself from falling in love with the mysterious winery owner, all while making it out alive.
EXCERPT:
Martin Conway didn’t know what to expect. He idled in his police cruiser on the curb in anticipation of a few ominous clouds or some menacing lightening to strike down on the house. He wasn’t quite sure since he avoided this place as much as possible.
The manor that sat above Vine was a picture of Victorian splendor. Or at least that’s what the welcome brochure to all new tourists had professed.
No one had occupied the oldest standing mansion in town permanently for years and the historical society made sure no one probably ever would. Restrictions had been placed on the home that most modern families weren’t willing to contend with and older homeowners would be too overwhelmed to be bothered. The most that could be hoped for was the occasional renter. So the mansion that encompassed every viable asset that a haunted house possibly ever could, sat empty.
It didn’t matter that the lawn was cut and the bushes were trimmed. Nor did it matter whether fresh paint was applied every other year or so. Right now all that mattered was that he, Martin Conway, had to get his butt in gear to welcome the new residence of Holloway Manor to Vine.
As Sheriff he took his job seriously. Crime was virtually nonexistent. A few run-ins with the local teenagers now and again were the worse offenses he imagined but that was expected in any small town.
Martin turned the ignition off and grabbed his hat. Vibes of intense displeasure seemed to waft his way from the house, with a deep breath he pushed his apprehension to the side and sorted through his thoughts of what to say to the new neighbors of Vine.
"Good Afternoon, Ma'am." Martin tipped his head to the cute little number at the door. Pleasantly surprised he greeted the woman with all smiles.
"Good afternoon, Officer-"
"Conway, Sheriff Conway," he introduced himself.
The look on her adorable face made him forget the regular spiel he had prepared for all the newbie’s that entered town. She was this tiny little thing with big boobs and a nice ass which was a win-win combination in his estimation. Her smooth cocoa skin made his mouth water not to mention her face was kewpie doll cute but her expression told him she was all about being bad. The pool of her brown eyes seemed to suck him into her.
"Where are my manners? Please come in Sheriff. My name is Tracy and this tired piece of trash over here is my cousin, Mia." He followed the woman into the Holloway home to find it was exactly as he had imagined.
Big and creepy!
The structure was the only house that could be seen from the Carlisle hilltop that looked down on Vine. From the door the stained glass windows cast a colorful dance of colors around the front room. A bright and cheery effect that should have appeared fun and joyful, but came across eerie and haunting instead.
White dust cloths covered what he could only imagine was antique furniture. The unlived look probably lent a helping hand to the spooky factor of the estate.
Entranced with the infamous inside interior of the Holloway mansion, he almost stumbled over this woman. Simply stunned into stupidity by her perfect face he missed the hand that she held out to him.
"Mia James, what can I do for you?" His tongue twisted around his mouth. Ordinarily he would be considered a man of authority but this woman made him babble like a fool.
"I uh, I wanted to welcome you to Vine. I saw your truck and thought I would be first to welcome you to our fine city."
"I appreciate that," she replied.
"We have a little picnic scheduled this evening at The Grove and we would be delighted if you could join us." He flashed his pearly smile in hopes it would be enough to persuade them to come.
"Who is we, Sheriff?"
"The Mayor is sponsoring this little shindig to extend his hand of thanks to the people of Vine."
"Special thanks for what?" Mia asked.
"Uh.” Both women stared at him with something crossed between humor and confusion.
"He wants to thank everyone for their support in Vine and continued support when he runs for Congress."
"Well Conway,” Mia began, “that's a mighty fine invitation but I think I'll pass." she touched his elbow, with the sweetest smile. He was so enchanted with the Egyptian shape of her brown eyes that he found himself outside of the front door without the faintest idea how he got there. "Thank you for keeping us in mind."
"But there's barbecue and fireworks," he stupidly stammered.
"Sounds like a true hootenanny of a good time. We will definitely give it some thought." He understood a polite brush off when he saw one. Mia was so gracious he almost didn't mind how she had just kicked him out of the house.
“Oh well.” He stepped off the wraparound porch. Most likely he would see her again around town. Of course, the lack of information about these women would leave room for the Mayor to be unhappy with his fact finding duties.
Martin headed to his cruiser and figured he would go check across town for those vandals that kept spray painting something as silly as ‘Water’ in the quarry. It was the perfect excuse that he was too busy to be nosey if the Mayor asked.
**********REVIEW**********
Jaded is another nice addition to Kenya Carlton's resume with its perfect mix of romance and suspense. From the first page to the last the reader is drawn into the present world and the past that the author beautifully weaves together. You'll be on the edge of your seat waiting for justice to be served and for the sexual tension between Mia and Gabe to be fulfilled.
The present day heroine of Mia may look like a pushover with her supermodel looks but she can kick butt with the best of them. She's smart and not willing to let the bad guy win no matter how much influence they have. Gabe is a great match for her and their sexual chemistry is off the charts. The banter between them was witty, entertaining, and showed off their sexual chemistry even more. Not only did I enjoy Gabe in his interactions with Mia, I enjoyed him on his own. He's sexy and rugged and everything a hero should be.
The mystery in this story is well-handled and the flashbacks related to it are perfectly woven throughout the story. The ghost of Jade is an intriguing character on her own and added an exciting dimension to the story. Adding even more interest to the story are the villains. The Mayor and his son are manipulative and overbearing and I felt like hissing whenever they came on the scene and that's the kind of satisfying reaction you want towards the villain.
This story sucked me in from the start and moved at a pleasant pace mixing the past and present perfectly. Kenya Carlton has created an entertaining story with memorable characters, both alive and dead. Not only romance fans but fans of mystery and the paranormal will find something to make them happy in this satisfying story and I look forward to what the author gives us in the future.
My rating for this is a B+
*I was given this book by the author in exchange for my honest opinion.
Recently author Victoria Lynne was on my site discussing her entertaining historical romance. She kindly let me offer a digital copy of With This Kiss to all of you and I'm excited to announce that the winner is......
....Rachel Rooney!!!!!!!
Congratulations!!!!! I'm emailing you now and you have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen. Thanks to everyone for entering and keep your eyes open for even more giveaways!
Fans of time travel romance have a reason to be excited with this highly emotional book that is the sequel to an equally entertaining time travel story. In Journey in Time two lovers are swept back to Medieval times and a deadly war on the horizon. For the hero this is nothing new but the heroine has a difficult time of it as the story progresses and the reader becomes more involved in the story. Courtesy of Bewitching Book Tours you can get a glimpse of this roller coaster read and enter a giveaway for a chance to win one of ten digital copies of the book. So enjoy learning about this book as Chris Karlsen is first up to talk about drawing a reader into the written world.
Transporting a Reader:
One of the best compliments a writer can get from a reader is: “I felt so close to the characters, I could hear their voices in my head,” or “I didn’t want the story to end.” When you’ve touched someone in that way with your words, you feel on top of the world. It makes all the rejection letters you received, all the hours spent struggling through a scene and the days where you can’t seem to string two sentences together worthwhile.
As story tellers, we strive to take the reader on a journey with us, to let us transport them to a different world. For me, my first novel, Heroes Live Forever, was a love story involving a mortal and a ghost. Does the reader have to believe in ghosts when they open the book to the first page? No. But as a writer, I would ask to let me weave this romance in a way that while you read those three-hundred plus pages, you start to believe. You want to believe.
In Heroes Live Forever, there’s a scene that made me choke up a little when I wrote it. A long, well-established author friend read the scene. This was before I belonged to a critique group and I needed feedback. My friend smiled at me when she finished and said, “You made me cry and I never cry reading books.” That made my day. Later, I joined a critique group who read the entire manuscript. They loved the humorous scenes and character’s lines. And every smiley emoticon they added gave me another shot of encouragement.
Excerpt:
A man stood a few feet away. At least what was visible looked like a man. He appeared to be a knight, similar to the one in her favorite painting, except semi-transparent. He wore mail and a dark blue surcoat with a leopard embroidered on it in bronze silk. Tall, with shoulder length hair, in the soft lamplight, his eyes were as black as his hair.
“Milady...”
*************
In the sequel, Journey in Time, the hero and heroine are caught in a time portal while horseback riding and sent back to the 14th century. Does the reader need to believe in time-travel? Again, no. Is time-travel possible? Well, no one has done it yet—that we know of. But who’s to say it isn’t going to be possible someday?
Even if the reader doesn’t truly believe in time-travel, most have fun speculating whether they’d like to go back in time or forward in time. I get to elaborate on what might happen if they found themselves in England in the year 1355. I like to recreate the world through the senses. What the characters see, hear, smell, touch and taste becomes this different world for the reader. How the characters react makes you want to turn the page. Through the written word, I can put the question in the reader’s mind: What would I do?
It’s great to take a question you’ve given the reader and then keep throwing in twists and turns. It’s not simply a matter of what would I do without: running water, electricity, modern medicine, the list goes on and on. The medieval period, as times are now, was fraught with dangers, made far worse through superstition and political intrigue. To be fair to the time and place, memorable characters and beautiful settings can color those twists and turns.
Excerpt:
“Alex, what is going on?” she asked in a frenzied whisper.
“Shh.” After they mounted, Alex sidled over, so close their boots touched. “We’re riding into a very perilous situation. I’ll explain everything when we’re alone. Your life, my life,” he stressed, “depends on you being quiet until then.”
Confused, it took Shakira a few seconds before she nodded yes.
“Remember what I told you,” he warned and trotted ahead to chat with a knight he called Simon.
*************
There’s a scene in Journey in Time, where Shakira is fighting off an attacker. A reviewer for Romance Radio Network, Desmond Haas, told me when he got to that scene he didn’t want to read more (it’s a fairly graphic scene) “but couldn’t stop reading.” What wonderful words to hear for an author. I was able to transport at least one person that day to a world I created. As a story teller, what more can I ask?
JOURNEY IN TIME by Chris Karlsen
TRAPPED IN TIME
London attorney, Shakira Constantine, finally agrees to spend the day with her handsome client, Alex Lancaster. While riding in the countryside, the couple finds themselves caught in a time warp and transported back to the 14th Century, and an England preparing for war. Everyone believes Alex is the Baron Guy Guiscard...a baron who died in the upcoming battle.
If they can’t find a way to return to the 21st Century, Alex will have to sail with the army to certain death. Shakira will be left alone to survive in the alien and terrifying medieval world.
EXCERPT:
“Alex, what is going on?” she asked in a frenzied whisper.
“Shh.” After they mounted, Alex sidled over, so close their boots touched. “We’re riding into a very perilous situation. I’ll explain everything when we’re alone. Your life, my life,” he stressed, “depends on you being quiet until then.”
Confused it took Shakira a few seconds before she nodded yes.
“Remember what I told you,” he warned and trotted ahead to chat with the knight he called Simon.
Chris Karlsen is a retired police detective who spent twenty-five years in law enforcement with two different agencies. Her father was a history professor and her mother an avid reader. She grew up with a love of history and books.
She has always loved traveling and has traveled extensively throughout Europe, the Near East (especially Turkey and the Greek Islands), the Caribbean, and North Africa.
Born and raised in Chicago, Chris has also lived in Paris, Los Angeles, and currently resides in the Pacific Northwest with her husband and four rescue dogs.
You can contact her via: Books to Go Now, P.O. Box 1283, Poulsbo, WA 98370
You have the chance to win 1 of 10 digital sets of Journey in Time (along with its prequel Heroes Live Forever) by entering here. Giveaway is OPEN TO ALL. Ends 3/5.
London attorney, Shakira Constantine finally agrees to spend the day with her handsome client, Alex Lancaster. While riding in the countryside, the couple finds themselves caught in a time warp and transported back to the 14th century- and an England preparing for war. Everyone believes Alex is the Baron Guy Guisard, a baron who died in the upcoming battle.
If they can't find a way to return to the 21st Century, Alex will have to sail with the army to certain death. Shakira will be left alone to survive in the alien and terrifying medieval world.
*******************
This is an intriguing time-travel romance full of emotional angst and vividly depicted scenery. I found myself drawn to many of the characters and rooted for their happiness every step of the way, particularly amongst the male characters. Alex/Guy, whose story was touched on in the previous book, is one of the male characters that I'm particularly drawn to. He's charming and protective of those he cares for and easily navigated between the past and present. He always tried to do the honorable thing even when the course was not an easy one and I admit to a bit of a crush on him. His fellow knights Simon and Stephen were also appealing with vivid and immensely likable qualities. I would love to see more of these characters and with a word of warning given to Stephen late in the story I have high hopes of his storyline continuing.
While the males in this story are a highlight, I was a bit disappointed in the heroine. Shakira is an outspoken woman in the world of law and a musician. In the present those qualities are admirable and likable. Once in the past though a more unpleasant side of her comes out. She's only concerned with her well-being and angered that Alex adjusts so easily. She wants modern things immediately and to be treated in a modern way regardless of how it appears. During her time in the past I found her shrewish and overbearing. I'm sure that the circumstances of being thrown into the unexpected caused her unappealing nature and ultimately, once back in the present, she became more likable and worthy of the hero.
In most time-travel stories the cause of it is left unexplained for the most part. This story takes a different course and spends a bit of time debating the cause which felt out of place and was a bit too scientific. Time spent on debate could've been used better elsewhere. With it being a romance, I wish the mysteriousness of the situation had been left open-ended.
All-in-all I found this story intriguing and well worth the read. Even though this is a sequel I never really felt lost but I think reading the previous book would've added to the enjoyment and fleshed-out some of the lesser characters. Fans of time-travel will not be disappointed and will find this a worthy addition to the genre.
My rating for this is a B-/C+
*I received this book from the author in exchange for my honest opinion.
After discovering this emotionally intense and sensual book I knew I had to share it with all of my wonderful followers. Courtesy of CBLS Promotions I'm able to give you a glimpse into what this exciting and romantic story is all about and I'm even going to be giving away an eBook copy of A World Apart. So read on and discover what's great about this book and how to win it.
A WORLD APART by Camelia Miron Skiba
In a war that’s not hers, she loses everything.
Everything she loses is because of him.
Forgiveness is not an option.
Or maybe...
Lieutenant Cassandra Toma, trauma surgeon in the Romanian National Army starts her deployment at a joint-unit air base on a wrong foot, clashing on her first day with her new commander, Major David Hunt. Her rebellious nature and sassiness rival her excellent performance in the operating room—the only reason why she's not reprimanded, or maybe not the only reason.
They meet. They clash. A forbidden passion consumes them with the intensity of an erupting volcano, leaving her heartbroken and him with tarnished honor and pride as an officer. The only way out for David is disappearing into the dangerous warzone in Iraq. Their flame was supposed to be over when destiny brings them back under the same roof, this time with a common goal—to find Cassandra's brother, Maj. Robert Toma, kidnapped by insurgents while on patrol.
To rescue Robert, Cassandra and David put aside their resentments, uniting forces against a common enemy. Trying to forget the painful past, Cassandra opens up to give David—and their love—another chance. What she doesn’t realize is that her anguish is the result of David’s impetuous action—one reckless choice he made for which she may never forgive him.
His mistake, his secret, could cost them both the love they've finally found.
EXCERPT #1:
“You need to calm down,” David inched closer to Cassandra, fixing her with such intensity her face caught fire.
“Calm down? You want me to calm down?” she snorted, jutting her chin up, hands on her hips.
“Yes. You need to calm down. What was that all about? Why are you so furious?”
“You want to know why I am so furious?” Cassandra grounded her feet apart and pushed her chin forward. “You really want to know? I’ll tell you why. I’m so sick of your bigheaded attitude, of your ‘I’m an American—I do whatever I want’ arrogance!” She shoved a finger at David’s chest, poking it and leaning forward. Her gaze locked on his, their faces close. “You act like some god on our grounds, like you’re doing us a big favor, honoring us with your royal presence as if we are a bunch of idiots you cannot stand. Anything that comes your way that is Romanian, you dismiss with such vehemence one might think it’s poisonous. Nothing we do or have is good enough for your nose.
“But let me tell you something, my friend. My people might not have everything so technical and so advanced, but they are good and hard-working people. They have good hearts and above all, they have dignity. When you live for generations under communism and are treated the way we were, maybe only then you can understand what it means to be so ‘primitive’. To be given nothing and be expected to work wonders. Your standards and ours obviously don’t match, but who are you to judge us? What do you know about us that gives you the right to treat us this way? Huh?
“And for your information, in case nobody had the courage to tell you, this is not our war.” She made a large circle with her arms. “We haven’t asked for it and we are doing you a favor allowing all of you to be on our soil. And not vice versa.” Cassandra straightened her back, pushed away a curl that fell on her face and held her arms up. “Here you have it, I said it.”
She walked around David, opened the door and before leaving, said without looking back, “And don’t forget to write me up.”
EXCERPT #2:
David shook his head, scrunching his eyebrows. “Have you looked around, Cassandra? Do you have the smallest idea where we are?”
“Yes,” she jutted her chin up, her voice a rasp, “in a rat’s hole I don’t give a damn about. I could care less about the people here, nor want anything to do with them. This is not my war. I said it before, I’ll say it again. The only reason I’m here is for Robert, and Robert only.” She inhaled deeply, squeezing dreadful tears between her eyelids. “If you don’t want to help, that’s fine. But don’t try to stop me.” She turned to walk away, but David caught her wrist. “What—”
“Look around you. I get it you don't care about being here, or about the people, but you have a choice—the choice of staying alive and safe, here on the base. They,” he pointed at the beds, “didn't.”
Three soldiers occupied the room, one without an arm, another without a leg. The third one had bandages around his head, half of his face disfigured with burns.
Her stomach twisted, a strong taste of bile rising in her throat.
“And what am I supposed to do, David? Just sit around and wait?” She glanced at Laura who, standing in the doorway, waved a nurse not to enter. Grateful that Laura spared her the embarrassment of being heard by others, she turned to David and said, “I have to at least try to find him, I have to.” Her eyes burned with tears, her voice choked up. “He is somewhere out there, and must be found, alive...” Her stomach turned to a fire pit, pain forcing her to bend forward.
David grabbed her by the shoulders and for a moment, Cassandra thought he’d embrace her. Instead, he blinked quickly, pushed her slightly away and rubbed her upper arms, shaking his head, his voice heavy. “Cass ... You won’t be allowed to go anywhere. If your assignment is here on the base, in the hospital, then you'll follow orders. This is not Romania.”
She opened her mouth to speak, but David raised a hand. “There's no point in arguing, trust me.” He limped around the first bed, put gloves and a mask on and added, “Come, let's finish the rounds.”
I’m Chris’ wife, Patrick’s mom and Bella’s owner. During the day, I’m the assistant to the Director at SESE at Arizona State University, and romance’s slave at night.
I moved to the U.S eight years ago, following my heart and the man who stole it. I love comedies, historical dramas and happily-ever-after stories. English is not my native, not my second, but my third language.
Some fun facts about me:
Each year I participate in one big event that requires me to physically train. My biggest sportive accomplishment was the 3-day 60-mile Susan G. Komen Walk.
Annually I pick a color I decree my favorite (this year it’s salmon).
I refused to text until 2010, always preferring to hear voices rather than sending emotionless messages. Politic bores me to death and I have no tolerance for arrogance.
A World Apart is my second book. My debut novel Hidden Heart came out March 2011.
-To be entered, just leave a comment along with your email addy.
-Winner will be chosen using random.org and will have 48 hours to respond to my winner's confirmation email or a new winner will have to be chosen.
-Giveaway ends at 11:59 PM CST on 3/11.
*For even more chances to learn about this book and other opportunities to win a copy of it, go to a list of other blogs participating in this tour here.
