The book cover for Whiskey Jug Genie was selected for the book cover contest over at All Author. The contest just started the first round and I could use your help.
If you like my books, and if you like the book cover, skip on over there and give me your vote in this round.
Written by my alter ego, Sultonna Nadine, this is a fun story featuring a London apothecary owner, his girlfriend and energy healer, and a cursed genie. If you haven’t read it yet, you can find it on Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and most other retailers. Here’s the link over at Books2Read, where you can choose your retailer and format!
To vote in the contest, click this link for AllAuthor!
It’s that time of year again–rain most days and temperatures from summer to winter and back again. It will be just a bit too chilly not to have heat, but as soon as you light a fire, it’s too warm.
How are things going in your world today? It seems like a great idea to find a good book, a cup of coffee or tea, and have a seat for the rest of the afternoon.
What are you reading? If you haven’t looked at my books before, check out the video below for a brief preview. I have two series under this pen name–Esperance and Gambler’s Folly.Esperance is more laid back featuring people with unusual abilities. Gambler’s Folly is futuristic with shifters.
Either way, one of them would make a good read for your afternoon. I’ll have new covers out soon, so let me know what you think. In the meantime, happy reading!
My alter ego, Sultonna Nadine, has a new book, Whiskey Jug Genie, ready for pre-order. Right now it’s in ebook format, but will soon be available in print as well.
So, what is this book?
Imagine an old whiskey jug, dark brown, and salt glazed from somewhere in the late 19th or early 20th century. Now imagine a young apothecary owner touring the American Southeast, who collects old jugs and bottles to decorate his shop. And he falls in love with this jug.
What he doesn’t know is that it holds one of the djinn–a genie–inside. Trapped inside. By a curse some 200 years ago. A genie who has been out of touch with the world for around 200 years.
Now imagine the shop owner and the jug in a London apartment, as he unstops the jug and releases a redneck genie into the modern world. A genie who insists his name is Bubba, and who can’t get too far away from his jug because of the curse.
While Martin may have a bit of magical and psychic ability, he knows nothing about curses. And Bubba knows nothing about electricity, automobiles, television, or telephones. To him, the whole world is run on some weird form of magic.
Join these two as they try to sort out this curse, while Bubba learns about the world of the 21st century. And as Martin tries to kindle more of a romance with a lovely lady who doesn’t know anything about magic or the djinn.
Where can you pre-order?
Whiskey Jug Genie is available at Books2Read! with links to all the retailers listing it.
So come on in and join the fun as these three try to unravel the problems brought about by a redneck genie in London!
And I wish the weather would decide what season we’re going to be in. A week ago, it seemed like late autumn was here. And then two days ago, summer came back.
But in the meantime, what is everyone reading?
As most of you know, I usually write paranormal romance novels. But sometimes I branch out, and this is one of those times. My alter ego, Sultonna Nadine has a new short story out you might want to check out. Set in Wyoming, one of my favorite places, we meet DEA agent Shane Shadowstalker.
But out there in the high desert, among the sage, can you believe what your eyes are telling you? Or is it all an illusion brought about by the wind, the moonlight, and the shadows?
I know. I’m late for last week’s post, so this one will have to do double duty. But let me explain.
My husband had a total shoulder surgery last Wednesday. I don’t now if you know someone who’s had this particular procedure, but it makes life difficult during the recover. In his case, it is doubly so, since the surgery was done on his dominant side. So eating, washing, doing anything really, has been awkward. Everything is set up for him to use his left hand–he’s a lefty–and so everything is out of reach.
Having to do everything with one hand is awkward as well, like getting dressed or taking a shower. Unless you’ve had a shoulder issue of some sort, you don’t realize how much you use those muscles–even when you’re not using that arm.
In the meantime, I’ve finished my latest edit of Whiskey Jug Genie and of Gregor Thayne. One is a stand alone for my Sultonna Nadine books. The other is the next book for Esperance–after Ben of Blackstone’s Forge.
This was my first time through Gregor Thayne, and I’m happy to say it wasn’t as bad as I thought it might be. Yes, it needs work, and my editor will probably tear out her hair–or mine. But as a first read through, I was happy with the result.
Whiskey Jug Genie is just fun. And I’m so glad my husband came up with the idea. Since it isn’t part of a series, it is written under my pen name, Sultonna Nadine. Imagine, if you will, one of the djinn trapped in a whiskey jug for 200 years. He’d spent considerable time before this in the deep south of the United States and picked up quite a southern accent.
Now imagine him freed in modern day London, bound to the owner of his jug, who is an apothecary shop owner.
Next in Esperance will be Ben of Blackstone’s Forge.
Ben’s family has a way with iron, a particular talent which runs in the family. During his childhood, up until he went away to serve an apprenticeship with another forge, Ben had planned to marry Deborah. They’d always seen themselves together, as had their families.
But while he was away, something changed. The young woman will scarcely speak to him as they pass in the street. But no one can tell him why. His father keeps hinting he should find a wife. But the only woman he has ever wanted to marry was Deborah.
Deborah had always known she and Ben were meant for each other. But while she waited for him to return, something happened which she has kept secret even from her mother. She can’t marry Ben, or anyone else. Her father strongly suggests she at least go out with some young men suitable for her, but he doesn’t understand the situation. And she can’t explain.
So what are they to do when their parents arrange a marriage for them?
Monday started with an appointment with the eye doctor, which wasn’t bad, but takes at least half the day with the drive time. And since my husband had a business trip the next day, once we got home we were packing all his stuff so he could leave early the next morning. By early, I mean 4 am. Yeah, he’s one of those.
Wednesday our 12 year old kitty, Magellan crossed the rainbow bridge, so I had to deal with that, so all the stuff I was going to do was postponed until the next day.
That night, one of our other kitties, Monster, started sneezing. Afraid she might have caught what Magellan had, Thursday was a rush to the veterinary hospital to check her out. Fortunately, it seems she has seasonal allergies. And I will admit, the pollen this week has been terrible. Once again, things got pushed back to take care of the kitties.
So that brings us to Friday. I was finally able to get in and order new glasses and do some shopping. And after a couple weeks of nice cool temperatures–like in the 50’s and low 60’s F–the day turned hot. Like 85 F hot. And I’m not a fan of heat to begin with.
So my blogging has been put on hold while I dealt with life in general.
Never fear! I am writing, although I may not have done as much as planned.
Tiger’s Tempest is moving right along. I’ll keep you posted.
But in the meantime, how about a peek at Ben of Blackstone’s Forge–next in the Esperance Series?
Excerpt:
Moire had accepted his invitation to the Gather dance eagerly. After a nice dinner, she took his arm as they walked to the dance. At least she wasn’t awkward and could follow his lead. Not as well as Deborah, but well enough for the experience to be enjoyable.
After dancing for quite a while, he suggested a break for refreshments. Weaving between the tables, they carried tall glasses of lemonade to a free table and sat down to relax while they enjoyed their drinks.
He knew it couldn’t last. Something always came up when he began to enjoy himself too much.
“Ben Blackstone! What are you doing with her?”
It was Deborah, of course. She wouldn’t come out with him, but resented it when he dated anyone else.
“Drinking lemonade. Good evening, Deborah. Yes, I’m fine and enjoying my evening. Kind of you to ask.”
“Ben, I’m sorry. Do I need to leave?” Moire asked nervously.
“No. You don’t. Could you sit here and wait for me? I’ll be right back. Let me take care of this.”
Rising to his feet, he stretched to his full height and glared down at the source of his irritation.
“Shall we?” he asked, motioning her toward the open ground outside the refreshment area.
With a swish of fabric from her ankle-length skirt, Deborah turned and stormed away in front of him. Once they were away from the crowd, she whirled, hands on her hips, and fire in her eyes.
“How dare you ask Moire to the dance?” she demanded.
“Why is it any business of yours?” he demanded in turn.
“But Moire, of all the women you could have asked.”
“Look, I know you two are rivals. But since I figured you wouldn’t come out with me, I chose to ask her.”
“Why do you think I wouldn’t have come?”
“Let me see,” he stated. “It could be something to do with the fact that you’ve turned me down three dances in a row, and won’t even accept an invitation for coffee. What do you think?”
“I think… I hate you, Ben Blackstone!” she shouted.
Her wrist smacked into his palm as he prevented her from slapping him. He caught the second one, too, and smiled at her, as her eyes flashed angrily.
“Now, Deb,” he began. “You know better than to slap me.”
“Let me go, you bastard.”
“I’ll let you go when I figure you won’t try it again,” he answered.
“Fine! Can I have my hands back?”
“First, let me explain something to you,” he said softly. “I will see anyone I care to see. You do not have a say in the matter. If you won’t accept my invitations, you cannot dictate who I may ask. Are we clear on this?”
“Let me go,” she answered just as quietly, temper seething beneath the surface.
Releasing her wrists, Ben stepped back a pace.
“Good evening, Miss Wills. It was nice talking with you.”
Deborah turned, nose in the air, and strode away from him. Ben hurried back to the table he’d left and found it empty.
“Sir?” the owner of the stand said.
“Yes? What is it?”
“The young lady who was sitting here said to tell you she was sorry, she’d had a nice time, but she was leaving early. She didn’t mean to cause you any trouble.”
“Damn it all to hell,” Ben growled. “Why does she always do this to me?”
“I’m sorry?” the man asked.
“Not the lady at the table. The one who came bursting in shouting accusations.”
“Oh. Yes, sir. She is a bit forceful, shall we say.”
“She’s a gold-plated bitch,” he replied, startling the man.
Sultonna Nadine was the name my parents were originally going to give me, until family insisted I be named after my grandmothers instead. (sigh)
Families, eh?
But part of me always wanted to be Sultonna.
For some reason, when I began writing, it never occurred to me to use a pen name. And after my series got started, I didn’t want to change halfway through. So when I began writing stand alone books, someone suggested I use Sultonna Nadine for those! And since they don’t fit conveniently into my series, and some of them are a bit out there, I decided to do just that.
Sultonna writes of things magical, in alternate realities, or if not magical, at least on far away worlds. Always with at least a hint of romance.
So far, she has published one book, but never fear. Another one should be out this year!
Where can you learn more?
Go over to SultonnaNadine.com. I’m still tweaking the site, so be patient.
Come share the magic that is Esperance. A world full of people with unusual abilities. Everyone from the First Lord to the common man on the street may be Talented in one way or another.
My Esperance series is now a 4 book series, with the latest addition–Too Many Talents. Also available at Amazon.
As most of you know, I usually write full length novels. But sometimes, I have an idea for a nice short story.
And that’s the case with Moonlight and Shadows.
If you’ve never been out at night, in the high desert around southwestern Wyoming, you simply can’t imagine the magical feel of the area. In the moonlight, everything appears as shades of gray in a world of shifting shadows. It seems that nearly anything could happen out there.
If you get far enough way from town, there is nothing and nobody except the wind in the sage brush and the moonlight casting shadows all around. You may see the occasional jack rabbit or hear the coyotes in the distance, but it is a different world out there. Some people find it intimidating or spooky. Some people hate the sound of the wind.
I’ve always found it a place of mystery and magic. But can you really trust your eyes in the moonlight?
So here is my little story for you. As you might expect, it is paranormal in nature. Meet our MC who is a DEA agent hoping to be on time for a meeting with an informant. And of course, everything is going wrong on this particular evening. But I don’t want to give it all away. And at some point, I may turn it into a full length novel. Who knows?
So go on over to Vocal.Media and click on Moonlight and Shadows. Of course, I would love it if you checked out a few of my other stories there as well.
Wishing you a wonderful, peaceful, and happy weekend.
