Masquerade by Hannah Fielding (VBB, excerpt and GIVEAWAY)

Masquerade

by Hannah Fielding

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Summer, 1976. Luz de Rueda returns to her beloved Spain and takes a job as the biographer of a famous artist. On her first day back in Cadiz, she encounters a bewitching, passionate young gypsy, Leandro, who immediately captures her heart, even though relationships with his kind are taboo.

Haunted by this forbidden love, she meets her new employer, the sophisticated Andres de Calderon. Reserved yet darkly compelling, he is totally different to Leandro – but almost the gypsy’s double. Both men stir unfamiliar and exciting feelings in Luz, although mystery and danger surround them in ways she has still to discover.

Luz must decide what she truly desires as glistening Cadiz, with its enigmatic moon and whispering turquoise shores, seeps back into her blood. Why is she so drawn to the wild and magical sea gypsies? What is behind the old fortune-teller’s sinister warnings about ‘Gemini’?

Through this maze of secrets and lies, will Luz finally find her happiness … or her ruin?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~




EXCERPT


For a moment they stared at each other. He was clearly a gitano, one of those people that Luz’s family had always warned her to steer clear of. The frayed, cut-down denims sat low on his hips, revealing deeply tanned, muscular long legs, and his feet were bare as though he had just walked straight from the beach. Unruly chestnut hair, bleached golden in parts by the sun, tumbled to his shoulders; his smooth copper skin glowed more than that of any gypsy she had ever seen. As she allowed her gaze to flick back to his face, Luz caught the flash of amused, provocative arrogance in those bright, burning eyes, mixed with something deeper that she didn’t understand. She swallowed. The overwhelming masculinity of the gitano unsettled her. Luz lifted her chin resolutely, but felt the pull of his magnetism reaching out and gripping her, beguiling and dangerous, so that instinctively she nudgedmount and they broke into a smooth canter. The thumping of her heart sounded loud in her ears. She could sense his eyes on her, as a palpable touch, even as she rode away, trembling, and the feeling remained with her until she knew she was out of sight.

Amazon

Amazon UK

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Author Info and links:

Hannah Fielding is an incurable romantic. The seeds for her writing career were sown in early childhood, spent in Egypt, when she came to an agreement with her governess Zula: for each fairy story Zula told, Hannah would invent and relate one of her own.

Years later – following a degree in French literature, several years of travelling in Europe, falling in love with an Englishman, the arrival of two beautiful children and a career in property development – Hannah decided after so many years of yearning to write that the time was now. Today, she lives the dream: writing full time at her homes in Kent, England, and the South of France, where she dreams up romances overlooking breath-taking views of the Mediterranean.

Twitter
Facebook
Goodreads




********************************

GIVEAWAY

a Rafflecopter giveaway


The tour dates can be found here

Wealth and Privilege by Jeanette Watts (VBT, guest post, excerpt and GIVEAWAY) GFT

I am pleased to have a guest post from author Jeanette Watts, who answers...

What would be your dream place to visit and why?

JW:  I assume Oz, Ruritania, and the moon are off limits?   Then I would have to go with the Columbian Exposition of 1893.  It has always fascinated me.  I’m a Chicago native. I discovered a diorama of it at the Museum of Science and Industry when I was something like 8 years old.  I have been sorry since that day that the whole thing was temporary!  How could people put in so much work, create such a beautiful place full of Beaux-Arts palaces, and then tear it all down?  This struck me as tragic.

I want to see George Westinghouse’s new electric lights lighting up the entire fair at night for the first time.  Electric lighting was in its infancy at this point.  People had never seen such a thing before.  They were awed.  I want to ride the first-ever Ferris Wheel, where the individual gondolas were made out of railroad cars!  Nowadays we have the London Eye.  But this one was first.  I want a pickle charm from H.J. Heinz’s display, which is a landmark in marketing.  Heinz had a lousy location on the second floor of a building, but managed to become one of the most popular displays in the fair by littering the place with coupons redeemable for a free pickle charm.  You could say his tactic worked “like a charm.”

Other things weren’t quite so monumental, but they still sound amazing and very entertaining.  Who would not want to see Canada’s 22,000 pound “Monster Cheese?” 

While from the photos it looks beautiful to behold, the Chicago World’s Fair was devoted to progress.  People could see for themselves all kinds of innovations in science and technology.  There were also new foods debuted there, like Juicy Fruit gum.  There were pavilions dedicated to different foreign countries, where people could learn something about other cultures. 

The entire place sounds like a fantasy land of wonder and magic, and I have been wanting to go visit there almost all my life.

Jeanette Watts

Author of Wealth and Privilege

*******************************


 

Wealth and Privilege

by Jeanette Watts

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

BLURB:

Money. Family. Love. Hate. Obsession. Duty. Politics. Religion - or the lack thereof. Sex -- or, once again, the lack thereof.

Thomas Baldwin finds himself married to a woman he can’t stand, while head-over heels in love with another woman he can’t have. Talk about bad planning. He feels like a kite, buffeted by circumstances which blow him not only through personal crises, but also through some of the most significant events in Pittsburgh during the late 1800s, including the railroad riots of 1877, the creation of the Homestead Steel Works, the assassination of President Garfield, and the Johnstown Flood. Over time, and with the help of his muse, who dances maddeningly just beyond his reach, he takes control of his life, wresting it from the winds attempting to control him.

A carefully-researched historical novel about life among the privileged class of Pittsburgh during the Industrial Revolution.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

EXCERPT

The troops had achieved their objective.  The tracks at the crossing were clear.  They stood in formation, at attention, their arms at their sides, guarding the tracks.  Their faces were impassive, and not one of them looked down.

The dead and dying lay scattered about the rail yard.  There were men, women, even children lying face down in the dirt.  A young man in the uniform of the 14th National Guards, one of the Pittsburgh regiments, was crawling away from the scene, his right arm and leg both covered in blood.

From his elevated viewpoint, Thomas could see movements beyond the rail yard, as people half-dragged, half-carried dead and wounded away from the crossing.  He could see the shock on people’s faces – he could also feel the anger.  It was a burning, deadly anger.  These Philadelphians shot down protesters in cold blood.  By God, this wasn’t over yet.

Thomas and Regina both sat down on the hard metal deck of the water tower.  They sat in silence, too appalled by the scene below to say anything.

“They could have shot over people’s heads, and probably had the same effect without killing anybody,” Regina said eventually.

“Could be,” Thomas answered, only half paying attention.  He’d seen movement on the streets below.  Yes, indeed:  the protesters were returning.  He nudged Regina – easy to do, since she’d been leaning against him - and pointed.  She looked, and a grim, glad smile reached her lips, if not her eyes.

Amazon
Barnes & Noble

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

AUTHOR Bio and Links:

 Jeanette Watts has written television commercials, marketing newspapers, stage melodramas, four screenplays, three novels, and a textbook on waltzing.

When she isn’t writing, she teaches social ballroom dances, refinishes various parts of her house, and sews historical costumes and dance costumes for her Cancan troupe.

Website

Goodreads

Amazon author page

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

GIVEAWAY

a Rafflecopter giveaway


Follow the tour and comment; the more you comment, the better your chances of winning. The tour dates can be found here

 

Cat's Lair by Christine Feehan (Review) ADULT title

ADULT title

5 out of 5 stars

Cat's Lair by Christine Feehan is part of the ‘Leopard’ series and features Catarina (Cat) Benoit, who has made a life of sorts while she is in hiding. She works hard at learning self-defense techniques and at being self-effacing but she runs into a male who refuses to allow her to remain in the shadows. Ridley Cromer has only recently joined the dojo where Cat trains, but he manages to disrupt her life in more ways than one and his betrayal is almost too much for her to bear. Cat fears that she will be unable to get past this devastating obstacle, but a male leopard shapeshifter named Eli Perez insists on introducing her to a world that she is frighteningly unschooled in, whether she wants it or not. Cat has always had an intense desire to survive, but Eli makes her begin to believe that she can reach for more in her life, if she can escape the evils that pursue her from her past. But can she?

This impressive paranormal tale is a delicious combination of intense shapeshifter dynamics, action, and romance. Watching Cat’s journey to shed the persona imposed upon her by her horrific past, her ability to recover from betrayal after finally finding a way to trust someone, and her growth and intense determination to live up to her full potential, is inspiring and enthralling. The males in Cat’s life are larger-than-life, and the evil that stalks her is so horrific, one shudders at the descriptions and is amazed that she can remain a determined and brave individual. I have not read the other books in this series, yet had no trouble reading this particular one as a stand-alone, and I have become anxious to read about the other leopard-shifters featured, especially the pair who have cameos in this book. There were a couple of elements that I didn’t think were quite explained to my satisfaction but this did not detract from my overall appreciation of the story. I love to read paranormal romance and this book epitomizes all of the elements that make it such an enjoyable genre for me and I look forward to reading other titles by this talented author.

© Night Owl Reviews 

I received a copy of this title in return for an honest review.  

Amazon link

Siren's Call by Jayne Castle (review)

4.75 out of 5 stars


Siren's Call by Jayne Castle is part of the ‘Rainshadow’ series that features those with extraordinary psychic abilities and their enigmatic dust bunny companions. Ella Morgan comes from a very talented musical family but very few know she is that rare being, a Siren, whose very voice can be used as an instrument for manipulation of psychic energies. She opens her own dream counseling service but is struggling until a dust bunny she names Lorelei comes into her life. Even greater changes are prompted by her interaction with Rafe Coppersmith, who eventually hires her to deal with dinosaurs on Rainshadow that were altered by Aliens. Unfortunately, dinosaurs are not the only danger to be faced, and Ella and Rafe must race against time to solve the mystery threatening them before their lives are destroyed.



This exciting addition to one of my favorite paranormal series grabs your attention and doesn’t let go as it takes you on a thrill ride that ratchets up with each increasingly fantastical occurrence and ends with a wonderful sense of coming full circle. I love the great start to the story, as someone actually takes seriously the (usually rhetorical) wedding question about whether anyone knows of a reason the ritual should not take place.
 
One of my favorite things about this author’s works is her ability to make the impossible believable using larger-than-life characters who have a mesmerizing intensity and a sense of self-deprecating humor to leaven all of that energy. Add in those beloved characters who threaten to steal the spotlight, in this case a dust bunny named Lorelei, and the reader is in for a singular treat that will keep one enthralled for hours. I think that it may be difficult to read this book as a stand-alone if one is new to the universe that features such remarkable examples of psychic ability but it probably would be entertaining to anyone who keeps an open mind.

I enjoy visiting the different eras and locales characteristic of each facet of Ms. Krentz’s (or her alter-egos, Ms. Castle’s or Ms. Quick’s, lol) masterful series and psychic phenomena has always fascinated me, so I am always thrilled when a new book is added to the collection, but this particular story resonated with me even more than usual. The wry asides (e.g. as Ella savors her first paying, albeit non-human, customer), quirky characteristics (yay for powdered sugar donuts), mysteries of the Aliens (wow, dinosaurs!), and delicious heat between Ella and Rafe combine to make this a fantastic adventure and I look forward to reading about more charismatic couples who combine to form unbeatable partnerships that utilize both their brains and their psychic talents!

 © Night Owl Reviews

I received a copy of this title in return for an honest review.

Amazon link
 

Forbidden Things: Book One - Dissident by Nikki McCormack (VBT, excerpt, GIVEAWAY) GFT

Here's a fun interview with author Niki McCormack

What group did you hang out with in high school?

NM: I tended to be rather solitary. When I did hang out with a particular group, it was either the nerds/geeks or the goths/stoners. I’m not sure I fit properly with either, but I found them all interesting. Socializing was always less compelling than people watching to gather fodder for my books. The majority of my true friends came into my life after high school.

What are you passionate about these days?

NM: My writing, as always, is still a primary passion in my life. I am, unfortunately for my work, also quite passionate about video games. I love a good RPG, mostly because I love having the opportunity to play in the stories of others in such an interactive way. Several injuries have limited some of my other passions, such as horseback riding, kayaking, and cave exploration; though I hope to spend more time doing those things again soon.

If you had to do your journey to getting published all over again, what would you do differently?

NM: I think the only thing I really wish I had done differently is taking my writing seriously earlier in my life. I treated it like a hobby for years, even though it was the only career I ever wanted. I feel as if I might have been in a better position coming into the eBook revolution than I am now if I had focused on it back then, but I have also improved significantly in my writing over the years, so it might also be better that I waited.

Ebook or print? And why?

NM: Both. I love eBooks because that format is so accessible to people and is the most popular medium these days. I will probably always have print available, however, because I love being able to have a copy of my books on my shelves and because it is so much fun to do public signings where I can actually meet people who are interested in what I do.

What is your favorite scene in this book?

NM: There are several scenes I love, but the first to come to mind is one of the ones I most enjoyed writing. The scene is in the last third of the book when Indigo has a chance to save Yiloch from an assassination attempt, but she must risk exposing her greatest secret to do so. When…oh wait. No spoilers.

Dissident: Forbidden Things Book One

by Nikki McCormack

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

BLURB:

Ascard power can strengthen, heal and create. It also has great potential to destroy, enough to topple entire governments. Indigo’s country places strict limitations on the use of ascard so she must channel her talents into the healing arts or risk severe punishment. An orphan from a disgraced family, trapped by her father’s treason, Indigo struggles to reclaim her place in a society that has driven her into an abusive engagement.

Then a mysterious stranger from a neighboring country contacts her using ascard. He needs help escaping his prison so he can bring an end to his emperor's oppressive rule or die trying. His unshakable devotion to his cause and the passion hidden behind his cool arrogance move her to help him at the risk of being branded a traitor herself.

When the politics of society bring them together a second time, Indigo decides to use her growing powers to help him fight his war. If only she dared fight for her own future with such passion. Perhaps she can find the courage to do so by helping the man she has fallen for win his revolution. She might have exactly the power he needs to succeed.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

EXCERPT

Indigo stared at the place Eldrian had been seconds ago. With him there, even the beasts couldn’t drive her away. With him gone, icy fingers of dread crept up her spine. She wanted to be anywhere else. In scant seconds, everything changed and all she had left of him were memories and a pair of boots.

Looking at the oversized boots, she grinned. Though she barely knew him, something about him fit her. His arms felt like home more than any place she had ever been. Jayce would be a poor substitute for this exotic man who made her feel so wanted and alive. Such was the price she would pay for her father’s treason.

She stepped closer to the pillars, pulse racing, but the shimmer was gone. He was gone and she couldn’t follow. In that instant, she would abandon everything to go after him. Placing a hand on either side of one pillar, she closed her eyes and pressed her forehead against rough gray stone. If only…

The sound of movement behind her shattered her musings like so much fragile glass. Her heart bounded into her throat. She spun. A hound ambled into the canyon. She looked into its sightless eyes and recognized death in them.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

AUTHOR Bio and Links:

Nikki started writing her first novel at the age of 12 (which is still tucked away in a briefcase in her office). Despite a successful short story publication with Cricket Magazine in 2007, she treated her writing addiction as a hobby until a drop in the economy left her with an abundance of free time to focus on making it her career.

Nikki lives in the magnificent Pacific Northwest tending to her awesome husband, two sweet horses, three manipulative cats, and a crazy dog. She’s a wine and tea fanatic who loves sitting on the ocean in her kayak surrounded by open water or hanging from a rope in a cave, embraced by darkness and the sound of dripping water. She also enjoys horseback riding, archery, PC gaming, dancing, good anime, etc. She studies Japanese and practices Iaido because she believes we should never stop learning.

Twitter handle: @Author_NikkiMc

Facebook

Goodreadsauthor page

Blog

Amazon Author page

Barnes and Noble Author page

Elysium Palace

***************************************

GIVEAWAY




a Rafflecopter giveaway

The tour dates can be found here

Finding Mr. Right Now by Meg Benjamin (VNBtM, excerpt, review and GIVEAWAY) GFT

Finding Mr. Right Now
by Meg Benjamin



~~~~~~~~~~~~~



BLURB:

Monica McKellar, associate producer of Finding Mr. Right, is desperate. One of the show’s bachelors has bailed one week before shooting starts. She not only needs a replacement ASAP, he has to get the temperamental bachelorette’s stamp of approval.

Fortunately there’s a hot guy right under her nose who’s a perfect fit. Unfortunately, he pushes all her hot buttons. Until the show’s over, her hands—and every other part of her body—are tied.

When Paul DeWitt signed on to write for the reality show, “Bachelor #10” wasn’t supposed to be in his job description. He fully expects to be cut early on, which will free him to focus on the real object of his attraction. Monica.

Instead, he’s a finalist, and they’re all packed in an SUV climbing the Continental Divide, headed for Salt Box, Colorado. Where stampeding horses, vindictive tabloid editors, and one capricious bachelorette’s waffling over suitors may conspire to end Paul and Monica’s romance before it even starts.



~~~~~~~~~~~~~




EXCERPT


What was one boyfriend, more or less?

Of course that one boyfriend was Paul, who’d turned out to matter a lot more than she’d ever thought he would. She knew his leaving would hurt eventually, once the adrenaline and beer wore off. But maybe she could put it off for the rest of the evening.

Or maybe not.

She saw him the minute he walked in, although she wasn’t sure anybody else did. He looked like a man who hadn’t gotten much sleep over the past few days. His eyes were red-rimmed, his hair mussed, his clothes wrinkled. Either he’d passed into that zone beyond tired, or he was half shit-faced.

He paused just inside the door for a jaw-cracking yawn, which pretty much settled the matter. Then he saw her.

Monica had always assumed the whole room-stood-still business was just a movie cliché—it had certainly never happened to her before. But it happened now. The noise in the room disappeared and there were only the two of them, staring at one another.

It took her a moment to realize the noise in the room really had disappeared because everybody was watching them to see what would happen next.

What actually happened was that he strolled across the room, leaned on the bar beside her, and said, “Hey, Monica.”

Well, damn. As romantic greetings went, that wasn’t much. But at least the silent room thing had been really cool.





~~~~~~~~~~~~~

AUTHOR Bio and Links:

Meg Benjamin writes contemporary romance for Samhain Publishing and paranormal romance for Berkley InterMix. Her books have won an EPIC Award for Contemporary Romance, the Romantic Times Reviewers’ Choice Award, the New England Romance Writers Beanpot Award, and the Holt Medallion among other honors. Meg lives in Colorado.



Website
Blog.
Facebook
Pinterest
Twitter

Meg loves to hear from readers—send her an e-mail.


*************************************

GIVEAWAY

a Rafflecopter giveaway


The tour dates can be found here

 *************************************

My Review:

 

3.75 stars

Finding Mr. Right Now is a contemporary romantic story by Meg Benjamin that is the start of the ‘Salt Box Trilogy’ series and centers on associate producer Monica McKellar who is frantically trying to ensure that her bachelorette finds true love by the end of filming.  Writer Paul Dewitt doesn’t expect to provide more than scripts for the show and being conscripted as a last minute replacement bachelor is more than he planned for, especially when he’s more attracted to Monica than to the star of the show.  The picturesque Colorado town of Salt Box and its quirky inhabitants provides a great backdrop for this complicated romance between two people who have to decide whether to pursue their careers or their hearts.

This entertaining story is a fun look at the machinations behind a popular reality show trend, even as it makes one think about motivation and the dangers of accepting things at face value.  Everyone has a different agenda in this story, and the contrast between the picture being presented for the benefit of television viewers and the drama playing out in real life is a somewhat sobering comment on the artificiality of shows of this type.   

Some of the secondary characters have unexpected depths and the author does a nice job of creating tension on several levels even as the relationship between the main characters intensifies.  I enjoyed the heat and romance in the story but I would have liked a little more depth and backbone to the main characters and I wasn’t crazy about the deception that they all felt compelled to perpetrate, although I understood the drive for self-preservation that was the basis for their decisions.  I think that there is a potential for intriguing follow-up adventures in the town of Salt Box and I feel that this is a fun light read which will be enjoyed by fans of reality shows and contemporary romances.

A copy of this story was provided to me for review.

Twilight's Encore by Jacquie Biggar (VBB, excerpt and GIVEAWAY) GFT

PLEASE NOTE: This book will be on sale for $0.99 only until 2 PM Pacific Time (5 PM Eastern Time). It will then be on sale for $1.99 until 8 AM Pacific Time on August 8.

Twilight's Encore
by Jacquie Biggar

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

One man's betrayal will seal another's fate.

Ty Garrett fell in love with Katy Fowler from the moment they'd met. When her father’s betrayal yanked the young couple apart, Ty becomes bitter.

After a decade away, Katy returns to Tidal Falls with plans to get married in her family's theatre.

But she hadn't expected to run into Ty Garrett, the boy she'd never forgotten.

When unseen forces endanger their lives, can Ty save Katy and win back her love, or is it too late for these two star-crossed lovers?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~





EXCERPT:

On the steps of the theatre stood an angel gilded in white and gold. Her hair glittered like spun silk in the morning sun, while the filmy white dress she wore made him think of all kinds of sin.

For once in his life, Ty Garrett was struck silent. He knew seeing Katy again would be hard, he just hadn’t realized how cruel fate could be.

“Ty. I should have guessed.”

He hadn’t expected her to jump into his arms—though she’d seemed quite happy to do just that with Jared—but would it kill her to at least pretend she was glad to see him?

“Well you know me, sugar. Laggard that I am, getting up before noon is something of a stretch.”

If she wanted to think the worst, he didn’t mind playing along.

“It’s been a long time, Ty. You look… older.” She brushed an impenetrable glance over him, rubbing at already raw emotions.

“You don’t. You look like the same spoiled teenage brat you were the last time you stood on

No way in hell was he going to admit seeing her again affected him. He’d learned his lesson.

Give her an inch, and she’d take a mile.

Katy smiled—a Cheshire cat kind of smile—as though she knew anyway.

“Ty, I didn’t expect to see you here. That’s twice today. I’d almost think you had it planned.” Her steps faltered when she realized just where he was standing—in front of the condom section.

She flapped a hand in front of her face, a futile attempt to calm her racing pulse and pink

He eyed her embarrassment for an amused moment before leaning over and deliberately

picking up a box of extra large—in his dreams—glow in the dark—really?—contraceptives.

“Funny, that’s what I was going to say.” He dropped the box into the half-full basket he carried in

one hand. “After all, sugar, I was here first.”

Her gaze helplessly followed the carton of Trojans. They landed on top of three cans of kitten

food, various colorful toys, and some litter. Katy reached into the basket and plucked out a toy

mouse. “Unless you’re into some kinky activities, Garrett, your cover is blown.” She pointed

toward the shelves behind him filled with pet supplies.

He shrugged. “You’re the one who leapt to conclusions.”

She didn’t think he was talking about the condoms.

Ty muffled a groan. Katy’s crooning just about did him in right there. He wasn’t sure how Tiger

held out, because if she used those words on him in that husky, sexy tone… he wrenched open

the back door and dumped the groceries on the floor. A long, deep sigh later he closed the door,

placed his hands on Katy’s waist and gently moved her aside.

“Here, I’ll get her.” He climbed into the four-by-four and scooped the recalcitrant kitten into his

hand. “Hey there, Tiger, good job protecting the truck. Come say hi to the pretty lady, and no

He nuzzled his nose into its soft, furry neck and then passed her down to Katy’s waiting hands,

their fingers tangling for a too brief moment.

“Hello, beautiful. What are you doing with this guy, huh?” She burrowed her face right into the

same spot he had and everything inside him tightened painfully. She was killing him here.

“You find that hard to believe, right?” he grumbled.

She glanced up, her mossy green eyes soft with affection. “What?”

His fingers wrapped around the steering wheel before he did what he craved. Bury his hands in

that silken waterfall of hair, drag her close, and see if her neck was half as soft as the cat’s.

“That anyone would want to stay with me of their own volition?”

Katy frowned. “What are you talking about? I was teasing, Ty. Don’t make this into something



Amazon Kindle

Amazon (print)


~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I thought I’d share with you the beginning of my love affair with writing.

Normally, procrastination is my enemy. I like to get done whatever it is, as soon as I can, so that I don’t have to worry about it any more.

In school I worked hard to stay in the top ten every year. So when I came down sick with the measles and missed two weeks of grade nine, I was devastated. How was I ever going to catch up? I had less than a week to write a compelling story for Language Arts or get a failing mark.

Angry and frustrated, I sat in our living room, pen and paper in hand, staring at a bright yellow bouquet of cheerful looking daffodils. I wanted to hurl them across the room. It wasn’t fair. Why was I being punished for getting sick?

But then an idea popped into my head. A silly, farcical story. If the teacher wanted an essay, fine, I’d give him one. And so, Count Daffodil, was born. After the first paragraph the words flowed quicker, I could see the scene in my head and needed to get it down on paper. (Sound familiar?) I spent the rest of the day writing, and by the end of the night I had my story.

The next day I turned it in and immediately felt ill all over again. It was dumb. The teacher was going to hate it. I’d be a laughing stock. Funny how easy you can build something up to catastrophic proportions when you lack self-confidence.

We had to wait two weeks for the results. I was on tenterhooks the entire time. Sure that my mom would blow a gasket because I’d goofed instead of giving it my best shot.

I was scared to look. Finally, I couldn’t take it anymore and turned to the last page. These were I’m glad I didn’t read this at night. It’s been a while since I was so enthralled with a story. Very professionally done. The suspense, the ending, the style was excellent. I think I’ll read it to the other classes. Very impressive.

Not only did he read it to the other grade nines, he read it over the intercom to the entire school!

Because of Mr. Thomas and a hapless bouquet of sunny daffodils, a writer was born.

Jacquie's first book, Tidal Falls, a romantic suspense novel about second chances, released September of 2014.

Facebook
Twitter
Goodreads
Pinterest
Amazon author page




***********************

GIVEAWAY

a Rafflecopter giveaway