This has been a week. Still trying to sort out auto and home insurance. Still working on getting things arranged for my husband to retire and get ready for his surgery coming up in about a month.
So the well decided to run low on water.
Yes, we now have aerated water coming out of the tap, which is not a good thing. The question is, do we need to drill a new well or see if they can do something to fix this one?
But at least we have two new little kitties to keep us entertain. Names for now are Licorice and Spook, who are both black, as you may have guessed, and 4 months old. They moved in and took over. Miss Kitty, our long haired white kitty is annoyed. The Lugnut, our 1 year old puppy, is not sure about the whole affair. They’ve taken over his bed and the couch, so where is a dog to sleep? I’ll try to get some pictures later.
In the meantime, when I’m not stressed to the max, I’m editing on Old Flame. Yes, still. I know… I’ll cut it down as I go. And writing on Tiger’s Tempest.
And as for wizards…
Check out Master of the Fleet, by Sultonna Nadine. I could use someone around here who could control wind and water…
So what are you reading?
Drop me a line with suggestions.
Or go over to Amazon or Smashwordsand check out what I have to offer!
In the meantime, have fun. Enjoy the nice weather, if you’re here in the Southeast.
It’s the middle of August and here in Georgia school has started. And the start of school means new supplies, new clothes, new shoes, school fees… You know the drill. And around here, the schools publish a list of all the supplies your child will need to start school, which really adds up.
So here what I’m going to do!
For the next few weeks, I’m going to feature one book in each series over at Smashwords and offer if for–
FREE!
Yes, you read it correctly. This week, beginning this afternoon, Jareth, First Lord and Gambler’s Folly will each be FREE, as my gift to you.
Jareth, First Lord is the first book in the Esperance series, on a world where paranormal abilities abound, especially among the ruling class.
Gambler’s Folly features a high tech, futuristic world with shifters!
Now, what do I ask in return?
Please review the book on your favorite site. You can write a review at Smashwords or at Goodreads! And please, share the book with your friends.
Other than that, nothing at all. It costs you nothing, but it will mean a great deal to me.
No, I haven’t abandoned all the folks on Gambler’s Folly. It has just been very busy around here lately.
But just to prove I’ve been doing something, here’s the first few paragraphs from Old Flame.
Old Flame
Chapter 1
Kort Behrens stepped out onto the front porch of his elegant home late in the afternoon. With its tall windows facing the setting sun, the house sat back into the mountains of the Sierra Nevada range in Northern California.
“All right, Ernie,” he told his estate manager. “I’ll be back in about a month, depending on how things shake out. You know how it is.”
“Indeed I do, sir,” the man of about forty-five told him. “Have a nice vacation.”
“Thanks, Ernie.”
Folding his six foot eight inch frame into the limo, Kort relaxed back to enjoy the drive.
Two hours later, his driver let him out at the Reno Hyatt and passed his luggage to the concierge. Though the limo was comfortable, a long drive always made him stiff. Maybe it was age creeping up on him. He’d turned fifty-five this year after all. Even doing his best to stay in shape, the stress of his life took its toll. Still, he looked good for his age, his light brown hair only now beginning to show some gray at the temples.
Sinking into the comfortable bed, he dozed until the soft chime on his com woke him at six-thirty. After a warm shower and change of clothes, he took the lift down to the third floor dining room. Raised voices caught his attention as he entered the room and breaking his contemplative mood.
A few tables away, a woman with shoulder length blond hair looked beaten under the verbal assault from the man who stood across the table. There was no reason for this sort of altercation in public, especially in a place like the Hyatt. Time to intervene.
And the story begins.
How does it end?
With a happily-ever-after, of course.
If you haven’t read the previous books in the Gambler’s Folly series, go on over and catch up! They’re onAmazon,Smashwords, and most other major book retailers.
So don’t despair. There are more books coming to the series.
Here it is August already and summer is in full swing down here in the Southeast. We haven’t had any rain in a few days and the temperatures are rising. But where has the summer gone?
I don’t know about where you live, but around here, school starts in August. In some areas, it starts as early as August 5. So everywhere in town is slammed with people trying to get their school shopping done. It is a crazy world out there.
But, with school starting, why don’t you sit back with a cold drink and a good book? With the kids in school, now’s the time to catch up on your reading.
Check out my books on Amazon for paranormal fantasy romance. Or check out Sultonna Nadine–my pen name for stand alones–for a bit more magic!
Esperance — a more frontier-like world where paranormal abilities abound.
Gambler’s Folly–a vacation planet with hunky shifters as Interpol agents, fighting crime and finding soulmates.
Master of the Fleet–an alternate universe of the Pacific Northwest, where magic is all around, but doesn’t seem to help Richard’s love life.
There you have it–a total of eight books to choose from.
So what are you waiting for?
Grab yourself a cold drink, find a comfy spot, sit back and take a virtual vacation to a mystical world.
I know. It has been a while. But about three weeks ago I had to go ahead and have surgery on my foot. The arthritis in it was pulling my toes down to where I was walking on the tips of my toes instead of the pads. So I’m hobbling around and taking twice as long to do anything. And I think it takes twice the energy as well.
My usual desk chair is one of the kneeling chairs. But since I’m still all bandaged, I can’t put any weight on my toes or bend them at all, so I’m using this other one. And it puts me at an odd angle, with the desk too high to touch type conveniently. So with my foot propped up under the desk, and my hands about six inches too high to be comfortable, I’ve put off any writing until I can do it with a little more ease.
Not to worry! I’ve been doing another read through of the next book in the Gambler’s Folly series. I can at least read while sitting on the couch.
Of course, the puppy thinks what I really need is a dog on my foot…
The Book Sale is still on over at Smashwords, so go on over and get the next book in whichever series you’re reading. Or start the other one!
Wishing you a wonderful week and I’l try to get back into the swing here in another week.
All right, who else remembers the musical, Camelot? With Julie Andrews?
Every time the first of May comes around, I think of the song from Camelot–The Lusty Month of May. It is such a happy, upbeat song as we head into spring and look forward to summer.
Now if the weather will cooperate… I put tomatoes out, thinking it would certainly be warm enough at night for them. But I’m keeping an eye on the temperatures. Last night it got down to 42 out here. If it gets much lower, I’ll have to start covering them.
In the meantime, I’m still working on Tiger’s Tempest. I’m also revamping Moonlight and Shadows as a novella for Smashwords.
So stay tuned for all of those coming up. Tiger’s Tempest will be a while. It is in progress and waiting in queue behind three other Gambler’s Folly books yet to be released.
After yesterday’s all day and all night rain, today is beautiful outside. Makes me wish I didn’t have so much to do inside, but the Lugnut and I can take a walk in a little while.
Still working away on Tiger’s Tempest in the Gambler’s Folly series. I have nearly 18,000 words down so far and, at the moment, a pretty good idea of where we’re going. Of course, with my characters, the route could change drastically. They are a headstrong bunch. But that’s what I get for writing about alpha male shifters I suppose.
If you could be a shifter, what would you be?
I always thought I would love to be a black leopard. They look so elegant, even if they do seem to have only two attitudes–calm, cool, and collected, or totally pissed off.
So far in my books, including those published and unpublished, I have leopards, panthers, wolves, bears, and now tigers.
What else would you like to see?
From Esperance, the next one in line is Ben of Blackstone’s Forge. As you might have guessed, Ben is a blacksmith. What makes him different is his family’s Talent for shaping iron.
No… That’s enough of a hint. You’ll have to read the book for the rest. But how about a tiny excerpt?
****
Excerpt:
If anyplace could be consider as hot as hell, it was a blacksmith’s forge in midsummer, Ben thought, as he strode to the well. Icy water filled his mug with a cheerful splash, after a couple quick strokes on the pump handle.
The first mugful went down in three healthy gulps. Pulling the folded kerchief from around his head, he rinsed the salt-encrusted cloth in another cold stream of water from the well.
The second mug of water brought a quick gasp as he poured it over his head, but it was refreshing after several hours of heating and hammering steel in the forge, where he worked with his father. Water flew in a circle of droplets as he shook the excess from his wavy brown hair, leaving it spiked in all directions.
Once more he filled the mug. Leaning his tall frame against the pump, he slowly sipped the cool liquid as his dreamy blue eyes scanned the street around the forge.
“Good morning, Ben,” he heard from a familiar voice.
Turning toward the voice, he raised his mug and gave a brief nod to the pretty young woman walking toward him. With her light brown, nearly blond hair, and warm brown eyes, she was a sight to give a man dreams.
“Don’t I rate more than a nod, Ben Blackstone?” she demanded. “You could at least smile.”
“Hardly seems worth the effort, Deborah, when all it will gain me is a snide remark or a new chastisement for some imagined affront.”
“You are the most irritating man I know,” she told him as he took another pull from the mug.
He had no response for her accusation and continued to enjoy the water before he had to go back into the hell known as Blackstone’s Forge. He loved the work, but summers could be downright miserable.
Deborah was still glaring at him, hands on her hips, head tipped to the side, and eyes flashing in anger.
“Did you need something, Deb, or are you just here to annoy me?”
“My name is Deborah, not Deb, and absolutely not Debbie. And yes, I do need something. I’ve got better things to do than make a special trip to annoy you.”
*****
Need something to fill the time until Ben of Blackstone’s Forge is published?
Wishing you all a wonderful weekend. It is a beautiful day out here today, so I’m thinking of taking the Lugnut for a walk.
And then tonight, I’m going to find something to read. I just finished The Forgotten Witch by Jessica Dodge and loved every page of it. Elements of magic and romance, past and present lives… I would definitely recommend it if you’re a fan of the genre.
What are you reading tonight?
Can I interest you in something romantic, with a twist of the paranormal?
Here we are only a few days from holiday weekend. How is everyone out there?
I know. Take a deep breath. Hold for a few seconds, and then let it out slowly. Don’t let the ;ast minute stresses get you down.
Are you looking for something to read, but don’t have a lot to spend right now?
Time to go over to Smashwords and check out their End of the Year Book Sale. Many of their authors have joined in the sale and have discounted their e-books until Jan 1. Some are even free!
Now you can’t beat a deal like that.
Treat yourself for the holidays! If you’re looking for one of my books, you can find them at my Smashwords profile page for any price you want to pay. Even FREE! (Though I hope you’ll throw a little change my way.)
So go on over to Smashwords and find a place for a short vacation break. Pour yourself a cup of tea, glass of wine, or whatever beverage you fancy, and get into another world.
If you’re looking for paperbacks or hardcover books of mine, go to my Amazon Author Profile page and find your next destination.
If you’re looking for Master of the Fleet, it’s under my pen name, Sultonna Nadine.
Wishing you and yours a wonderful holiday season. See you in the New Year!
