Yes, MORGAN--The Pixie and the Green Man goes back to its regular price after Saturday, Sept. 5. But there’s still time to get your copy for only $0.99! And with the long holiday weekend coming up, you’ll have plenty of time to get to Esperance, learn about Morgan and James, and get in a little relaxation.
Morgan was one of the young women who volunteered to come to Clan Brannach from her home clan when Jareth came to demand restitution in Book 1 of the series, Jareth First Lord. But soon after her arrival, she was attacked and feared for her life until two young men came to her rescue.
One of those young men was James Ferguson, son of the local lumber yard owner. He fell in love with her the moment he saw here there, covered in mud, clothes torn, and face a downpour of tears. He knew he must become better acquainted with her, but didn’t want to rush. So he took his time and gave her some space.
When he eventually approached her, she politely refused. Being persistent, he finally gained a little bit of trust. Enough for her to agree to a cup of tea at least.
Their courtship progressed at a snail’s pace, but he was a patient man. She was scared and not at all sure about relationships.
The way things go on Esperance, trouble soon reared its head, leading them to a rushed wedding and disappearing act to avoid danger coming their way. Up the mountain and into the forest, where James’ link to the forest was strong.
A young woman trying to find a safe haven in a new clan, once again the subject of abuse. A young man who fell in love when he first saw her, chose to bide his time to give her some space, all while the two of them deal with the memories of past relationships gone wrong.
James’ family is a leading family in the clan and owns the lumberyard. But they have a special relationship with the forest. One that makes people a little uncomfortable. Morgan is amazed when she is first shown his Talents and nicknames him the Green Man. And that Talent of his is a lifesaver later, quite literally, when they are being hunted through the forest.
Come to Esperance for a little magic, some fantasy, intrigue, folklore, and of course, Romance…
The sale is from September 1 through September 5, so get ready! A full novel for only $0.99. Less than a cup of coffee. Available at Amazon and most other retailers.
It’s a wet and rainy Thursday here, so I thought I would share one of my worlds with you. I don’t know how much you know about this series, so come with me and learn more!
Esperance was settle from Earth after it was discovered by the Seekers looking for habitable worlds to colonize. These individuals had psychic abilities that allowed them to explore the universe without leaving Earth.
At first everything was great. The world was lush, in a British Isles sort of way, with a lot of highland type environments in the more temperate regions. Earth supplied them with whatever they couldn’t yet produce on their own, while they got established. But when those shipments suddenly stopped, the young colony was at a loss. Not only could they not repair equipment which broke down, when a new virus swept through, they had no medicines to fight it. Over half the colony perished.
Those left were scattered and developed an “every man for himself” attitude, taking even more of a toll on their civilization, or what was left of it. But during their years on Esperance, descendants of the Seekers who had come with them had continued to develop their abilities. To safe the settlers fro themselves, they used those abilities to force a rule of law back onto their society. Dividing into clans, each family with the abilities or Talents to hold their clan together gave their name to their clan.
A few centuries later we come to Clan Brannach, ruled by the latest in the lineage, Jareth, the First Lord of the clan. The neighboring clan is Clan Belfort, which is where our story begins.
Jareth is a young ruler, widowed and with no heir as his wife died in childbirth. It has been two years, but he’s not sure he’s ready to seek another woman to be his First Lady. On top of this, thieving parties from Clan Belfort have been stealing from his storehouses. As harsh as the winter is, his people will be seriously short of food and grains if it isn’t stopped. Though he has communicated with the other First Lord, he has heard nothing. It seems the only way to settle it is to make a trip through the ice and snow to demand restitution in person.
Viviane is a young widow in Clan Belfort. Though her family begs her to come back home, she has gotten used to being independent. But without a means of support, once the stock in her late husband’s shop is gone, she needs another option. She had never considered it would come from another clan.
As part of the restitution and penalties, Jareth demands his rights under an old law–the right of Choosing. He can clam up to 10% of the women of marriageable age to take back to his clan. When the women are gathered, one catches his eye. Then and there he decides she will be his First Lady, if he can win her heart. But she has a secret which threatens to throw their clans into armed conflict.
Picking up the story from book 1, Viviane begins to settle in to the routine in Jareth’s house. But these new abilities she seems to be developing have worried Jareth. Once tested for Talents, both Jareth and his head instructor agree. She must begin training at once before all those abilities get out of hand. She never asked for these Talents and doesn’t want the. But it seems once they appear there is no going back.
The headaches are monstrous and the medicine to tame their is horrible, but her companion, Annie does her best to sympathize with her. At least she and Jareth are doing well together. And all those Talents tend to lead to some exciting times behind closed doors! Between his Talents as First Lord and her surprise Talents, tings heat up rather quickly.
Unfortunately they have to go back to her home clan for her brother’s trial for treason, which is where trouble raises its head. In anger, she uses her Talents to lash out at her brother when he attempts to influence her through his mental abilities. Realizing what she’s done, she disappears fight in front of Jareth’s eyes, meaning she has even more Talents to worry him. Now if he can just find her…
When Jareth went to Clan Belfort to confront the First Lord there in Book 1, Morgan volunteered to go to Clan Brannach and leave her homeland. From an abusive background where it seemed every man in her life had hurt her in one way or another, she hoped for a fresh start. But shortly after the move she is attacked on her daily rounds and very nearly raped, saved only by two young men who heard her cries. She was offered another jog in a market, where she wouldn’t have to be anywhere alone. The couple who owned the store were older and quite protective.
One day a young man came in to buy something for a snack. She remembered him from her previous ordeal. He had come to her rescue several months previous. He introduced himself, asked for he items he wanted, and threw a mischievous smile her way on parting. Soon his visits became daily as did his invitations for coffee of tea.
Finally, Mrs. Kennoway, her employer, asked why she never accepted his invitations, to which she answered she couldn’t. Fear of men wouldn’t let her go, even across the street. But James came up with a solution. He brought coffee and scones over to the market, along with a cafe table and chairs from in front and invited her to sit down for tea.
Come with me as these two navigate the perilous waters of romance on this fantastic world. Be prepared for magical abilities, spirit guides, and a bit of folklore!
After her traumatic experience at her brother’s trial, Viviane wants to banish her Talents. Maybe if she doesn’t train them they’ll just go away. Even with Jareth and her instructors explaining why it won’t work, she trains reluctantly feeling that the less she trains them the less danger they will present.
Unfortunately her trainers are right. After a few accidents involving her Talents she relents.Digging deep, she finally agrees to give it her all, even when frustrations get her down, leading to a bizarre game of tag in the snow and the weirdest chess game ever.
Meanwhile, in her home clan, Belfort, her nephew, Connell, is beginning to train his Talents as he steps in as heir to the ruling house. He doesn’t understand why Talents are necessary and he doesn’t like the headaches he gets during training. When his grandfather, the First Lord, suggests he reach out to his Aunt Viviane telepathically, he is amazed. How could they communicate from so far away?
His Aunt Viv was one of his favorite people. But her husband, First Lord Jareth, scared him half to death. The man had never been cruel or harsh toward him. He had tried to reach out and speak with Connell. It was just the incredible amount of energy swirling around him, which seemed scarcely contained at times.
Connell also has difficulties controlling his Talents. And when on of his old friends from home hurts a young girl who is his friend, his anger and need to talk to someone who might understand unexpectedly lands him in Jareth’s front hall. He had no idea how he’d arrived there and was even less certain about how to get home.
Come join the fun and games on Esperance. Another book is in progress, so catch up on the series before its release.
I hope this gives you a little overview of my world Esperance. It’s a great place to visit and dream about Talents and magic.
If you like fantasy worlds, magical abilities, and a bit of intrigue, you’re in luck. I have just the world for you.
Two hearts hurt by relationships, hesitant to trust again. To souls destined to be together. Each afraid to take the next step until the forest insists they must.
Meet Morgan and James. She’s been hurt by every man in her life, even changing her clan to escape. He gave his heart once before and his secret Talent scared the woman he loved so much she was nearly killed trying to get away.
But there is something about each other they just can’t escape. Morgan’s black hair and eyes the color of the sea draw James in. And for her, it’s those darling dimples and green eyes.
And you can get it all for FREE this weekend! Over at Books2Read, you’ll find all the links you need for an escape this weekend.
So come with me to a magical world, where Talents show up in the most unusual places.
It’s that time of year, with the temperatures around here soaring up into the high 90’s. But that’s all right! It means I have an excuse to stay inside and read.
Or write.
But if you’re looking for a different sort of heat, check out Too Many Talents. Things between the First Lord and Lady heat up as she gains control over her Talents. Not like there was no passion before, mind. And with all that Talent between them, stimulating each other psychically, let’s just say things heat up. In a good way.
If you haven’t read Viviane, First Lady, you should check it out as well. As Viviane begins to discover her Talents, the First Lord uses his to enhance their sex life, making her glad she accepted his proposal.
Looking for a sweeter romance with a bit of spice?Morgan–The Pixie and the Green Man. She’s had enough of men and their problems. He’s afraid to get close to anyone due to an unfortunate accident involving his abilities. Can the two of them let go of their fears and find love?
You can find all these magical people and their friends on the wonderful world of Esperance!
Prefer shifters to paranormal abilities?
Damiano and Karianna are a lively couple in Gambler’s Folly.
And don’t forget Dante and Angela in Dante’s Angel. Soulmate challenges are so passionate…
There’s always The Russian. After two hundred years of hunting alone, Mother Nature surprises him with a second soulmate. And it all happens on Gambler’s Folly!
What better way to beat the summer heat than sitting back with a book and sipping something cold and delicious?
This particular story began with a dream. But the dream didn’t begin with the opening scene of the book. I wouldn’t have paid any attention to it, except it kept recurring for several nights. In order to make it go away, I wrote it down.
The next few nights, I dreamed a different scene from the story. Again, it wasn’t the beginning of the book, nor did it follow the scene I’d already written.
So, I decided to sit down and try to figure out how those involved in the story would get to the point of my dreams. And how did they connect?
Sitting down in front of my computer, I let my mind drift off into a daydream and began to write. After I had the beginnings of the story, the rest flowed pretty easily. Of course, there was a lot of editing to do, but at least I stopped dreaming it.
The original story became two books, Jareth, First Lord, and Viviane, First Lady. My editor noticed that i seemed to have one ending, took a breath, and launched back into the story. She felt it would work better if we stopped at the first break and continued in the second book.
Morgan was a character in my first book who touched my heart. I decided she needed a story of her own and spent several days wondering where I should start. And since I write romance, who would be her love interest?
Enter James Ferguson, whose family has Talents related to wood and the forest. His nickname for Morgan is Pixie, since she is much smaller than her is. Because of his abilities, she calls him her Green Man, which is how we arrived at the title.
Book 4 will be coming out soon–Too Many Talents. This one continues the story from Viviane, First Lady and brings in the story line from Clan Belfort and the new heir–her nephew, Connell.
The three book series, Esperance, will soon be joined by a fourth book–Too Many Talents.
How about a little background?
The world I call Esperance was settled during a very disturbed time on Earth. People with a particular remote viewing ability sought new worlds to colonize, as it seemed Earth might not survive. On this new world, these individuals, called Seekers, also helped discover minerals for mining concerns, new food which could be used by the new settlers, and many other things.
As the colony would take time to become self-sufficient, Earth subsidized them with shipments of necessities they couldn’t manufacture yet. Machine parts, medicines and the like were at the top of the list.
Until the shipments stopped coming. The colony struggled to keep going until a mutated virus wiped out over half of the colony. Without the medicines from Earth, they were at the mercy of nature. Many skills were lost, machines broke down with no way to repair them, and the remaining settlers descended into chaos, each man for himself in a bid to survive.
After several decades of this confusion, a few among them developed Talents–psychic abilities such as telepathy, teleportation, telekinesis, and a host of others. Using these new abilities, they got together to impose the rule of law to save what was left of their world.
Dividing the world into clans, each named after one of the original talented men, the colony slowly began to revive. New Talents, which took the place of mechanism and medicines, began to emerge among the people. Some had abilities relating to wood and the forest. Others for various sorts of metal or stone. And those who could heal using energy became the new medical professionals among them, while the herbalists researched various plants to add to the mix. Some had very minor abilities, others became masters in their field.
Until we come down to the time of Jareth and Viviane, several hundred years after the end of the confusion.
Viviane has Talents she should never have developed. Though she has struggled for control, an unfortunate outburst of temper at her brother’s trial nearly takes a life. Now terrified of her abilities, she begins to resist her training, which only makes the outbursts of uncontrolled Talent more frequent. Jareth and her instructor struggle for a way to make her understand how important her training is, as her uncontrolled manifestations of Talent become a daily concern.
Follow her continuing story in Too Many Talents.
We are also introduced to her nephew, Connell.
When the original heir of Viviane’s home clan, Belfort, turns traitor, another heir must be found. He should be of the family line, and still able to access his Talents. The only one who fits the bill is Connell, her sister’s son.
Connell, who is only ten and a half, isn’t sure why he needs Talents to be a ruler. After all, what could go wrong which would require it? And why does he have to come live with his grandparents for this training? But when his friends from home come to the clan center for the Gather, he learns a lesson about jealousy, friendship, and Talent he won’t forget soon.
He also learns how helpful it is to keep control of his thoughts, when he accidentally finds himself in Jareth and Viviane’s study, unannounced and quite confused, after letting his temper get out of control.
Do you like paranormal romance? With a little fantasy?
How would you feel about psychically gifted rulers? Or regular joes like blacksmiths and lumberjacks with abilities related to their work?
Then you’ve come to the right world.
Jareth, First Lord–Book 1 introduces the ruler of Clan Brannach. One of the most talented of the current first lords, he seems to be able call on and control enough energy to do anything he desires. Unfortunately, that doesn’t include winning his lady’s heart.
He met her in her father’s clan, without knowing of her ruling family ties, and took her as part of the spoils in a dispute settlement. Hoping to win her as his first lady, he moves her into the family manor to get accustomed to being a part of the ruling house.
But she has had enough of ruling houses. As the youngest of five siblings, she married to escape her family, though she grew to love her husband. When he died, her family insisted she move back home. With other options disappearing, she asked for a sign. And what she got was Jareth.
But she wanted no part of the first lady bit.
Viviane, First Lady — Book 2 This book continues the story of Jareth and Viviane. In Book 2, she must gain control over psychic abilities which have suddenly developed, which nobody can explain. But with all the various Talents she now possesses, she is beginning to cause problems when emotions run a little too high. With her brother’s trial for treason rapidly approaching, can she win enough control over her Talents and emotions to withstand the rigors of the trial?
But if her training is frustrating and the headaches a royal pain, at least her nights with the first lord are sizzling, as their combined Talents add to their pleasure.
Morgan–The Pixie and the Green Man–Book 3 Morgan was a minor character in Book 1. From Viviane’s original clan of Belfort, she came from an abusive background. So when Jareth came to town with demands, she was a volunteer in the choosing, welcoming a change of clans and hoping for a change in her life.
But mere months after resettling, she is attacked and nearly raped in her new clan. Fortunately, two young men came to her rescue and got her help. One of them was the tall, sandy-haired James, with those adorable dimples.
In that first moment after seeing Moran, muddy and sobbing thought she was, he fell in love with this petite young woman with hair of midnight and eyes the color of the sea. Biding his time, he waited until she’d had some time to recover before asking her out. But as fearful as she was, it took some time for her to agree to as much as a cup of tea across the square.
James had some trouble of his own. His family had a way with wood as part of their talent. They could shape wood, read what flaws there might be in the lumber it would produce, and understand the forest better than anyone else. And this scared a lot of people. One of those people had been a girlfriend of his, who ran out in front of a carriage when he showed her a little of his talent.
Dare he pursue a relationship with Morgan?
And can she open her heart again and accept his love?
Too Many Talents–Book 4 This book is still in editing, but will be out this year. Continuing the story of Jareth and Viviane, we also meet the next heir to Clan Belfort–Connell, a little boy of ten and a half (almost eleven). Viviane’s brother Carl was to have been heir to the house, until he betrayed his first lord and clan. And at ten years old, Connell is getting a late start on his training.
He also doesn’t understand the need for Talents, until some jealous friends harm a little girl who adores him. And then his Talents come out to play to save her from further injury.
Between Viviane’s mishaps in training and Connell’s, it makes for a lively time for a while on this magical, romantic world–Esperance.
If you haven’t read the books in the Esperance Series, you can find them at Amazonor at Smashwords. And as soon as Too Many Talents is out, I’ll let you know!
With the weather we’ve been having, I’m not too sure. A few days ago it was nearly 80 degrees when the Bear and I went walking. Yesterday’s highs were in the 60’s, and it got down to 38 degrees this morning. Glad I didn’t plant anything yet.
Anyway, how is everyone else out there? And more importantly, what are you reading?
I’ve been into cozy mysteries lately, and reading theKnitorious Murder Mystery series, by Reagan Davis. As a knitter, I love the way she weaves the skill into her stories.
But if you’re looking for something more along the lines of fantasy romance, with a little paranormal or magic thrown in, check out my book, MORGAN–The Pixie and the Green Man.
In the first book of the Esperance series, Morgan is introduced as a secondary character. When Jareth went to Clan Belfort to demand repayment of stolen goods, part of the penalty for ignoring his previous communications was The Choosing–a tithe of marriageable women to take back to his clan.
Morgan volunteered to go with him in order to get away from an abusive family situation. But shortly after arriving in her new home, she is assaulted by a young man who’s invitations she had declined. Two men passing the area came to her rescue and when she’s recovered, she testifies at the young man’s trial, but she is even more hesitant around the male of the species.
We don’t hear too much more from Morgan after this, but her story intrigued me. I decided to give her a book of her own, and help her find her happily-ever-after.
“Morgan? Is something wrong?” Mrs. Kennoway asked. “No, I was talking with James Ferguson. He came in for some fruit. I think I need more sleep.” “Did you have breakfast this morning?” “Yes. Coffee, and toast with jam. It’s what I usually have.” “It’s time you had some lunch, young lady. Take yourself into the back room and take your break.” Morgan slowly ate the lunch she’d brought. It wasn’t much—she didn’t usually eat much—just an apple, some cheese, and some bread. After finishing her meal, she made a cup of tea before going back to work. “You look a little better,” Mrs. Kennoway told her. “Did James say something to upset you? He’s usually such a polite boy.” This “polite boy” had to be a little older than she was Morgan thought, and she was twenty-five. “No, he was nice enough,” she answered, looking down at her hands on the counter. “Well, then why won’t you look up and tell me about it?” the older woman asked. Meeting her gaze, Morgan flushed. How could she tell this sweet lady that the idea of going anywhere with a guy scared her to death? “He asked me out for lunch,” she said, embarrassed and exasperated all at once. “And what did you say?” “I told him I would be busy all afternoon.” “You needn’t stay in here all day. A break for lunch might have done you some good.” “I can’t. I just can’t,” said, nearly in tears. “You poor girl. You’ll have to take the first step sometime. I know his father and mother. James is a good boy. He’d do you no harm.” “I know. I’ll think about it, if he asks again.” A few days later, James came back to the market. It was earlier in the day, but his excuse was the same. Could she suggest something for a snack? What was good today? He chose some pears and a little cheese before he walked back to pay for his items. “Could I coax you out of here for lunch today?” he asked. How could his eyes have so much sparkle? And that smile was so warm and inviting. “I don’t know, James. I’m not particularly social. Maybe another time.” Not to be deterred, he asked, “What about dinner after work? You have to eat sometime. We could go to the little place across the square. It’s small and not crowded, but the food is good.” “Maybe not today, but thank you for asking.” He seemed really nice, but she was terrified. “Are you sure? They have roast chicken worth killing for.” “Isn’t that normally worth dying for?” she asked. “Yes, but I’m not planning to die any time soon.”
So if you’re looking for a sweet little romance, with a bit of spice and magic, check out MORGAN–The Pixie and the Green Man.
Yes, all the books from my Esperance Series are on sale this weekend! If you’re like me, you love a book sale. I have several series I’ve started I need to finish. Since they’re all several books long, I wait for a sale to stock up.
And you can do the same!
Just go to Smashwords and check it out. All three books in the current series are on sale for only $0.99 each! Full length novels you can sit back and get into.
So if you’re looking for a place to get away, Esperance may be what you’re looking for–a place from an earlier time, ruled by psychic lords, and normal, everyday people with maybe a touch of Talent to make life a little easier for them.
