Tuesday, May 28, 2019

Teaser Tuesday ~ You Never Could Be

Blurb

 A passion-fueled encounter in the corridor of a hotel convention room reveals two anguished hearts struggling to reconnect despite life’s difficulties. Will Carlisle, the eye candy of the office, is every woman’s dream, tall, handsome, and dashingly charming. Sara Rozek never guessed he has secretly wanted her for months now. When a bad day falls upon them and Will breaks the reins of his own restraint, she sees the burning passion in his eyes, and there is no denying the mutual attraction. Will and Sara’s start quickly runs awry, and Sara becomes convinced she was played for a fool. Will begs her to listen to him, but she turns away in fear. Can Will mend her broken heart, or will the passion they shared vanish forever?

Excerpt ~

Will finished his conversation and hung up his phone, having booked himself on the next available flight. Highway assistance had solved their lug nut challenge. They were back on the road to the airport. Sara saw the exit and glanced at him with a grin, her stomach churning. His phone beeped, he glanced at the screen with an audible sigh.

“Is everything okay?” Sara asked.

“Uh, yeah. It’s fine.”

“You don’t sound so convinced.”

“I’m not.” His focus went to the window, a deafening quiet lying between them once again.

“Are you going out of the same terminal?”

“Yeah, I think so, American.”

She grabbed her drive-thru pass and headed to the terminal. They reached it, but the curbside thorough way was closed. She pulled into the garage and found a space. She exited the car unwilling to break the boundary of silence he’d put up and wordlessly popped the hatch.

“Make sure you get a new tire, you shouldn’t be driving on the donut for longer than a day.” He came around the side, pulling his luggage from the back.

“I will.” She pulled her fingers against her hair. The tension was killing her. Sara had enough. “Will…”

“They’re replacing me.” Her blood turned to ice.

“What?”

“The phone call, it was Regan. They decided to split the departments, and my position has been absorbed into the transition.” Unable to deal with the news without emotion, she turned away from him. “There are a couple positions available in Phoenix. They are setting up interviews for me.”

“When?”

“I’ll announce it Monday, they want me to work through the transition so probably a few weeks.”

“I can’t believe this is happening. Will, you’ve been—“

“It’s okay, Sara. It’s not personal, we knew with all of the changes stuff like this was going to happen.”

“Yeah, but not to us.”

She saw him take a deep breath before he closed the hatch. Her emotions rose in her chest again, and she wasn’t sure what to do. She did her best to gulp it back.

“Well, at least you’ll be around for the next few weeks, so I can still harass you when needed.” She meant for the statement to be light, but it came out like a final farewell. “You’ll have to come up with an excuse to come to visit. I’m sure the group of us can come up with a plausible justification.”

“I’ll be around.”

“I know you will, you’re always around when I…we need you.” His eyes bore 
through her. Sara’s body involuntarily tightened. “You’d…uh…you’d better get going, or you’re going to miss your plane again.”

“Yeah. I think I would have a hard time using the flat tire excuse twice.”

“Have a safe trip.” She stepped into him, wrapping her arm loosely over his shoulder in a hug. Her heart raced at the solid heat of his body against hers. 
“Let me know if you need anything. Seriously, if you need anything, just call.”

“You too.”

She nodded and went to step back, his hand lingering on her hip. She hesitated, he moved. She took another step back. He threw his laptop case over his shoulder and unfolded his luggage before waving goodbye.

A heaviness settled in her chest, forcing a deep sigh. Her mind felt thick. She pulled herself away, turning to get in her truck. She lifted the handle when the smacking of hurried footsteps against concrete got her attention.

“Sara!”

She spun on her heel, following his voice around the truck.

“Did you forget something?” He didn’t respond just kept walking, a startling determination in his eyes. She waited in open confusion. He kept coming. Before she could react, his hand curled around the back of her neck. His mouth crushed hers with a heated demand. Giving her no choice but to give in.

She opened beneath him, and his tongue dove into her mouth. He shifted his arm, wrapping it around her waist, resting at the small of her back. His mouth still dominating her attention, his overpowering torso pressed her against the truck. She was trapped, unable to escape his possessed siege of her mouth.

The kiss broke. They both gasped for air. Will’s eyes searched her face. His fingers kneading her neck. He wordlessly pulled at her lips. Her hands balled against his chest.

She took another gasp of air, looking up into his heavy-lidded eyes.

“Don’t go.”


“I was hoping you’d say that.” His voice, deep and gritty, seemed to caress her body like rolling thunder. She shuddered, and he captured her lips again, this time with gentle persuasion. He pulled back, and her heart sighed. “Let’s get out of here.”

~

~

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Monday, May 27, 2019

Romine Reviews - How to Cope with Intense Drama and Survive by M Lemont & Taylor Green

Blurb
Every 13 minutes someone in the United States dies by their own hand. More than 41,000 died last year and 1,400,000, suicide attempts.
One out of every four people suffer from some form of mental illness and go undiagnosed until tragedy strikes. If you know someone that has been emotionally abused, have had abusive parents, like a stepmom or stepdad, or know someone with severe mood swings, or a person who’s been bullied, they could be affected and have a mental disorder. This book is not a manual, inspiration, or a self-help guide. It is based on a true story of how one woman found the courage and strength to survive the cruelty and emotional trauma of her family. It’s an intense real-life drama, intriguing and poignant; it deals with serious challenges related to mental illness and could be upsetting for some people who have endured similar incidents of trauma.
~

Review

It took me a long time to read this book. When I was reading How to Cope with Intense Drama and Survive, I found myself gripped and propelled forward with a pace and nuance I have rarely experienced. I love to read. I am a writer, so I read a lot. This review is difficult, not in the sense that I have anything negative to say, but I am somewhat speechless. As a woman who has a family history filled with current and past mental illness, this was a very difficult read.

The narrative is enthralling and concise. The descriptions are horrific and mind-blowing. The emotional upheaval I experience throughout this book is unmatched thus far in my lifetime. The only thing I can equate this book to is the ocean. Beautiful, clarifying, refreshing, and inspiring. In the same breath, this story, like the ocean, is overwhelming, thought-provoking, real, emotional, horrific, and powerful.

How to Cope with Intense Drama and Survive is the closest dual sided narrative about mental illness in the world. Leaving out the medical jargon and social stigmas it tells the hard, ugly truth. Pulling you in and not letting go, even when you walk away from reading it for a while. It changes your perspective, your empathy, and your understanding of the devastation mental illness has on not only the person but the people surrounding them.

A few years ago, I watched a scene in one of my favorite shows, The Blacklist. In it, the Main Character describes the aftermath of suicide.

Have you ever seen the aftermath of a suicide bombing? I have. … The shock wave knocked me flat, blew out my eardrums. I couldn’t hear. The smoke… It was like being underwater. I went inside. A nightmare. Blood. Parts of people. You could tell where (he) was standing when the vest blew. It was like a perfect circle of death. There was almost nothing left of the people closest to him. 17 dead, 46 injured. Blown to pieces. The closer they were to the bomber, the more horrific the effect. That’s every suicide. Every single one. An act of terror perpetrated against everyone who’s ever known you… Everyone who’s ever loved you. The people closest to you… the ones who cherish you… are the ones who suffer the most pain, the most damage.

This emotional speech shook my core. This book flattened me.


Kudos to M LeMont and Taylor Green on such a masterpiece. Well done. 

Buy it Here!

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Saturday, May 25, 2019

Saturday Seven ~ May 25th 2019

Happy Saturday, what have you been up to this week? Here is a rundown of highlights for the week. I hope you find them useful in your life! My goal as a person and a writer are to always Pay-It-Forward, so please let me know how I can help you. YES, YOU!
Enjoy your weekend & this post! Amazing things to come!
~Amy

What am I Reading? -  I have been reading one particular book on and off for a few weeks now. It is a great book but man, tough. How to Cope with Intense Drama and Survive by M LeMont & Taylor Green. This book is well, it is enthralling and not for the faint-hearted. Not because of any horrific physical reasons but the mental and emotional upheaval of the story. Read more about it in my upcoming review.

What am I Listening to? –  I have been listening to a lot of talk radio as of late. Politics and Sociology, in general, is one of my fascinations. In today’s world, one of social media documentation of every freaking word, hiccup, and mis-step the ‘opinion’ has become king, and facts have become an afterthought. This makes all media in general very versatile and yet also very jaded. With everyone inputting their opinions into their particular media form. Again, making for an enthralling mix of left, right, black, white, gray, and green. (analyze that statement for a minute).
       
·    What Quote am I pondering? –  The RIGHT doors will open for the RIGHT version of you. ~ Kinda goes along with ~ The universe will only give you what you can handle. ~

·    What am I Researching? – Pickle Juice – Y’all just went – what? Well, I was at the dentist the other day, and an older woman said she was feeling a lack of energy and she needed to go drink some pickle juice. I got curious and Googled it. I suggest you do the same. Pretty interesting. I even found out that our favorite sports drink Gatorade was born from the consumption of pickle juice by football players! Go figure!

     CoconutOil – I knew coconut oil is awesome, but I found another use I did not know. Last year I started oiling (using coconut, oil or grapeseed oil to detoxify the yucky stuff in your mouth) it worked pretty well. After a recent trip to the dentist, I found out that brushing with coconut oil can help reduce and strengthen your gum line. People who brush with coconut oil before they brush with their favorite toothpaste were able to stop their gums receding and repair the strength of the remaining tissue.

        Amazing what you can learn at the dentist!

·    Yummy Meal of the Week – Egg Salad, yes is my favorite item this week. I was craving it on Monday, and I crave it often, Could be my amazing mixture of Olive oil Mayo, Garlic Mustard Aoli and perfectly hard-boiled eggs. Sometimes I leave out the mustard and add some pickle relish just to mix it up.

·    What did I Learn? –   I learned that spring cleaning is not only something you do to your residence. Spring cleaning is something that you can do with your life and your mind. A few times a year, my house gets cluttered, and I have this urge to clean, purge, and rearrange. This is very cathartic, and I feel renewed when finished. This is something I do mentally, as well. I evaluate my current life and activities. Good and bad. Positive activities and negative. Taking a look at what I am doing, when I am doing it and the results. Sometimes things need to be rearranged, cleaned and purged. Rearrange your schedule to when you are most productive. Identify who or what is draining your mood and or your energy. Purge the negative and focus on the positive. Clean out your insecurities, negative thoughts, crappy habits, and clean out your mental closet. What gives me joy, and how can I do more of that?

·    What am I Watching? –  The OrvilleMany of you may, or may not know, I have a HUGE intellectual crush on Seth McFarlane (Creator or Family Guy, American Dad, Actor, writer, etc.). The Orville is his latest project, and I’ve heard mixed reviews. I’ve had absolutely no time to watch anything lately and was honestly trying to avoid watching it out of fear. I am such a fan I wasn’t sure I wanted to go there. This changed the other night, and I watched a few episodes. I really like it, but not for the reasons you would think. I am enjoying the show overall. Its Star Trek throwback with a mix of the realistic dialog is very entertaining. What I love about the show is the transparency of its message and humor. Seth is a genius at taking the world and tilting just enough that you are laughing and thinking at the same moment. It is his gift. The Orville is definitely a labor of love for him, you can see it in the careful planning and execution of the production. It is not the best show on television, but it is the one with the most genuine artistic heart.  

        I also watched My Strange Addiction on Netflix with my kids. All I am gonna say is people are freaking weird and everyone needs therapy.

Have any thoughts on my week’s activity or want to make a recommendation? Drop me a line or a tweet. Never want to miss a blog post or a Saturday Seven? Join my mailing list, and I will be happy to send it straight to your inbox!

Check out a recent Podcast I was interviewed on ~ Write Away Podcast 

**Special Treat! ~ If you haven’t seen it yet, please check it out my teaser trailer for Finders!




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Thursday, May 23, 2019

Awesome Excerpt Thursday ~ Redeemed, book two in the Matawapit Family Series by Maggie Blackbird



Tile:  Redeemed, book two in the Matawapit Family Series by Maggie Blackbird


Tagline:  A single woman battles to keep her foster child from his newly paroled father—a dangerous man she used to love.


Blurb:  Bridget Matawapit is an Indigenous activist, daughter of a Catholic deacon, and foster mother to Kyle, the son of an Ojibway father—the ex-fiancé she kicked to the curb after he chose alcohol over her love. With Adam out on parole and back in Thunder Bay, she is determined to stop him from obtaining custody of Kyle.


Adam Guimond is a recovering alcoholic and ex-gangbanger newly paroled. Through counseling, reconnecting with his Ojibway culture and twelve-step meetings while in prison, Adam now understands he’s worthy of the love that frightened him enough to pick up the bottle he’d previously corked. He can’t escape the damage he caused so many others, but he longs to rise like a true warrior in the pursuit of forgiveness and a second chance. There’s nothing he isn’t willing to do to win back his son—and Bridget.


When an old cell mate’s daughter dies under mysterious circumstances in foster care, Adam begs Bridget to help him uncover the truth. Bound to the plight of the Indigenous children in care, Bridget agrees. But putting herself in contact with Adam threatens to resurrect her long-buried feelings for him, and even worse, she risks losing care of Kyle, by falling for a man who might destroy her faith in love completely this time.


Excerpt:


Bridget held Kyle’s hand and led him down the hallway to the same door they’d opened during their last visit at the Children and Family Services building. Instead of Thursday morning, they were meeting on Wednesday during her lunch hour. Once she got clearance from the board of directors, she’d rework the visitation to late Wednesday afternoons.


When they opened the door, Adam stood on one side of the room, and Mrs. Dale sat on the chair she’d previously used, the one by the pop cooler.


Bridget’s gaze whipped back to Adam. It’d been almost a week since she’d last seen him. He still had his cream-colored cowboy hat, the one with the curling brim that made the waves of his hair kink in every direction. A tank top hugged his dark skin. A jean shirt caressed his broad shoulders.


Adam nodded. His dark eyes brightened at Kyle.


“Go ahead. I’ll be right there.” Bridget managed to eke out the words while pointing at the chair beside Mrs. Dale.


Kyle inched toward his father. His lips spread into a big smile, flashing his missing tooth.


“Hey.” Adam shifted to his haunches. “How ya doing?”


“Awesome.” Kyle ducked his head and blushed.


Bridget sat. Kyle’s bashfulness was a good sign. She choked the handle of her travel mug. Maybe too good of a sign. If Emery was present, who’d previously visited convicted felons in prison during his discernment at seminary, he’d tell Bridget that Adam deserved this chance.


She gave her head a good shake, anything to get rid of Emery’s nagging voice.


“Thank you, Dad.” Kyle clutched a bag. “May I have this one?” He held up a monster cookie, his favorite.


“You can have ’em all. I made them for you.” Adam led them to the small table.


“Really? Let’s color this one.” Kyle pointed at the Z Men coloring book.


“We sure can.” Adam set his big hand on the back of Kyle’s chair.


Against her will, Bridget’s skin warmed. Kyle used his imagination wonderfully, and she prohibited him from becoming absorbed in TV, computers, or other technological devices. Jude felt the same way and limited his children’s time in front of the too-many screens available to youngsters.


For Kyle’s sake, she should buy a house. Not only would he benefit, this might help her chances at keeping him permanently. With a home, he’d have a backyard to play in.


The real estate market was expensive, but Bridget could broker a sweet deal on the condo to acquire a sizeable down payment for a house. She’d paid off the truck early, leaving her a bi-weekly mortgage payment and the usual bills.


Children and Family Services provided an allowance for Kyle’s care. She did dig into her own wallet for his golf classes. Then there was soccer. Kyle’s first year of hockey had kept him amused this past winter.


As the director of the Aboriginal Student Center at the university, Bridget made an excellent salary that afforded her many extras. Even with Kyle’s extracurricular activities, a house was doable.


Mrs. Dale continued to take notes, peeking over her clipboard at Adam and Kyle. “How are you today, Ms. Matawapit?”


“I’m good. How about you?”


“Busy. There aren’t enough hours in the day.” Mrs. Dale ticked off a box on the sheet of paper.


Bridget snuck a peek. The woman whom Adam referred to as The Hawk had checked off still uncomfortable regarding Kyle’s progress with his dad. Bridget glanced up at Kyle coloring away and grinning at Adam, both quietly laughing. Adam held a red crayon Kyle had picked out, and he helped color the picture.


She shifted, clicking her nails against the bottom of the chair.


“I went swimming…I went for a ride on Uncle Darryl’s four-wheeler…I helped Grandpa polish the important cups after church…I got to watch the stars come up…” Kyle kept coloring. “I always get to watch the stars come up. I never see them here. They’re really bright and pretty at Grandma and Grandpa’s house. There weren’t any dancing lights this time.”


“Dancing lights?” Adam also kept coloring.


“Yeah. The green dancing lights in the sky when it’s dark.”


“He means the aurora borealis,” Bridget piped in.


“Yeah, that’s the big name Mom calls it.” Kyle giggled and gazed up at Adam.


Through his dark lashes, Adam peeked at Bridget. More than peeked. His tender look caressed the bare skin of her arms.


“I didn’t mean to interrupt.” Bridget fumbled to call up the notes section on her cell phone. “I have to write a few things out I need to get after work.”


“I don’t mind.” Adam’s tender gaze kept stroking the gooseflesh peppering Bridget’s skin. “You can join us if you want.”


Bridget almost dropped the phone. “I’m fine. I need to make a list.” Dammit, she hadn’t meant to snap.


Mrs. Dale’s bemused expression bordered on laughing at Adam.


What was the caseworker finding amusing? Adam had a right to try. Kyle was his child. The words Bridget had furiously typed on the phone blurred. Where was her brain? Adam didn’t deserve sympathy. He was a big boy and could defend himself.


“A wise decision.” Mrs. Dale wrote on her clipboard. “Men who’ve been in the system a long time never change.”


“Thank you for your observation, but remember, you’re Kyle’s caseworker. I’m quite capable of handling my own personal life.” Bridget made sure iced coated her words.


Mrs. Dale’s prim mouth moved into a half-moon. Her beady eyes remained gray cement. “I quite agree. If I didn’t, you wouldn’t be Kyle’s caregiver, would you?”


Was that supposed to be a threat? If the old witch thought to stick her nose in the inappropriate place, she was pulling out the gloves on the wrong person. “Adam asked if I’d care for Kyle. Your supervisor agreed.”


“Yes, she did, based on my recommendation after I interviewed you in my office and assessed your home.” A warning lingered on Mrs. Dale’s words. “You have an excellent job. A condominium. A splendid mode of transportation. You’re…well, you’re not like…you do well for yourself…” She sniffed.


What had Mrs. Dale meant? There was a ton of racism lingering in the non-aboriginal population of Northwestern Ontario. Bridget had run into those who’d divided the Indigenous people into the good tax-paying Indians who fit neatly into Western Society, and the drunken, drug-addicted, homeless bad Indians who were a drain on the taxpayers. She was nobody’s good little Indian.


As for tonight, Bridget had promised Adam she’d go to The Gator. If Mrs. Dale found out, she’d probably class Bridget as another drunken Indian who relied on the handouts of society. The hard-assed woman might even terminate Bridget as a caregiver for Kyle.


She must talk to Adam after. Going to The Gator might prove too risky.


Buy Links:  




Author Bio:  An Ojibway from Northwestern Ontario, Maggie resides in the country with her husband and their fur babies, two beautiful Alaskan Malamutes.  When she’s not writing, she can be found pulling weeds in the flower beds, mowing the huge lawn, walking the Mals deep in the bush, teeing up a ball at the golf course, fishing in the boat for walleye, or sitting on the deck at her sister’s house, making more wonderful memories with the people she loves most.

Web Site //  Facebook Page // Twitter // Goodreads // Amazon Author Page // Bookbub // LinkedIn //  

###



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Tuesday, May 21, 2019

Sunday, May 19, 2019

Super Hero Sunday! ~ What is Your Super Hero Code?

Every Super Hero has a moment when the tide turns in their favor, the story climaxes all of the pieces fit into place and the circle is complete. Usually this is when they set their sights on righting the wrongs and stopping the villain once and for all. Then they get this look, the -- okay, you want to play, let’s go, bring it on! In this moment, they know, you know, and the villain probably has an inkling as well, the hero is going to win and there is nothing you can do to stop him.

"Tell Me No, I Dare You", is my way of laying a challenge out to all those who will oppose me. I have my dreams, aspirations, motivators and or goals. There will be obstacles in achieving them, but I will prevail and I will do it using all of the weapons in my arsenal. 

Warning though, don’t become too cocky with your superpowers, always play to win.

Confidence is the key, and part of that confidence is knowing your personal code, aka your Super Hero code.  A personal code, to me, is a list of parameters you will live within, strive for and even defend. The outline of who you want to be, to yourself and those around you.

The revelation of my personal code came when I read a fabulous book, “Guts!: Companies that Blow the Doors off Business-as-usual”. First, love the title because it sums up the requirement for anything you want in life. It is all there for the taking, you just have to have the guts to go for it! My hope is to help you discover your superpower-- and you do have one-- and empower you with the guts to go after everything you want.  I have my code tacked to my bulletin board at work and I find myself looking at more often than naught. It reminds me of who I am, what I am about, and how powerful I am. I like to think my heroes live by the same code and I am probably right.
  • Stand up and people will stand with you
  • If you messed up, fess up
  • The answer isn’t “I don’t know”, it is “I will find out”
  • Admit you will never know it all, there is always something to be learned
  • The only constant is change
  • Your gut is never wrong
  • To cut a corner is to lose the journey
  • Do it right, or don’t do it
  • Coincidence is denial, not an exception
  • What you push out always comes back to shove you

So now I have an assignment for you, what is your code? List out the things you live by, and for, every day. Now take a moment to think about what each of these statements means to you.  Life experience makes the meaning different for each individual. The meanings will also change with age. A statement may mean something to you now, and have a different meaning later on in your life.

Now take each of these statements and change them into an "I Will."
Like this, 
  • I will fight for what I believe in
  • I will admit my mistakes, and learn from them
  • I will strive to know the answers
  • I will always embrace a different point of view
  • I will strive to adapt
  • I will trust myself
  • I will accept every challenge with open arms
  • I will never accept less than my best from myself
  • I will get up when I fall
  • I will always deliver results with honesty, integrity and confidence

Every hero survives because of a core strength built on a personal code, like the one we just did. The code lay close to their heart and are what guide them, protect them and in the end save them. Read what you wrote. How amazing are you? These are the reasons you are strong, these are the reasons you will survive no matter what. These are the reasons you can look a challenge in the eye and say "Bring on your worst!"
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Thursday, May 16, 2019

Awesome Excerpt Thursday ~ The Devil Take You by H K Carlton





The Devil Take You – by H K Carlton – Historical Romance



Blurb:



Braelynn Galbraith wants peace for her beloved Scotland, marriage to her childhood sweetheart, and a house full of children. In that order. But evil incarnate, in the form of Gard Marschand, turns her life inside out and destroys all hope of a decent marriage.


Known in the Highlands as the legendary devil, Gard Marschand raids his way across Scotland and England amassing power and property in his malevolent wake. He will stop at nothing in his pursuit to regain what is lost— even conceal his true identity and associate with his enemies. His determination is all-consuming until he and his men lay siege to Ross-shire holding and one feisty Scottish lass obliterates his single-minded purpose.


Can Gard abandon his deep-seated need for revenge for a love that just might save his rotten soul? Or will he succumb to the demons that hound him and surrender to the devil within?


I believe your stay in purgatory has only just begun…


This story has been previously published


Add it to your Goodreads TBR List


Excerpt:



A plume of black smoke rose over the burm, swirling into the sky.


“Dear God, not again.” Brae dropped the bouquet she had been fashioning and ran, perhaps stupidly, toward the village. Even with the wind whistling through her ears, the commotion and terror-filled shrieks of the town folk still reached her.


With her attention focused on locating her family, Brae didn’t hear the horses behind her until the last second.


All of a sudden, her feet lost contact with the damp earth. She choked on a scream as some unknown assailant grabbed her by the hair and plucked her from the ground. The destrier never slowed its pace as she dangled precariously in midair.


In agony, Brae clamped her hands on either side of her head—her scalp threatened to peel away from her skull.


The kidnapper hauled her up in front of him and body slammed her stomach-first onto the horse’s back. Brae’s breath rushed from her lungs at the force. She bunched her hand into the rider’s enormous black cloak and hung on for dear life.


While she struggled to breathe, the brigand wrapped his rather large leather-clad hand around her backside.


“This one be mine!” The sound of his deep voice chilled her. By his accent, he was English! Braelynn closed her eyes and recalled the warnings from Callum and her da. Had her own father’s words cursed her? Was she to learn the lesson the hard way?


She was afraid to open her eyes, but she knew by the smell stinging her nose that they were close to the source of the acrid smoke.


The horses came to an abrupt halt. Brae barely had time to register the fact when someone from behind grabbed her by the ankles and attempted to rip her from her captor’s lap.


“She be mine,” her captor growled.


To her horror her skirt rode high.


“I want her!” the second brigand responded while caressing her bare leg. Brae’s skin crawled.


In terror, she stared up at the raider holding her while the other slid his rough hands ever higher up her plaid.


Leather creaked when her captor leaned in the saddle. He placed one large booted foot in the center of his rival’s chest and shoved. At once, Brae’s lower body dropped as he fell backward from the blow. Her arms pulled taut, stretching painfully, supporting her weight.


Without warning, the man holding her suddenly released his grip. Brae slid down the horse’s side and fell to the ground with a thud in a tangle of voluminous skirts. She did not wait to disentangle herself but seized the opportunity to flee. She leapt to her feet intending to run, but her captor was faster. He grabbed her by the hair yet again. Circling it around his hand, he reeled her in.


“Not so fast, Caileag.” He sneered the last as if it were a nasty word. “You and I have some business to attend.”


Brae fought him, kicking, punching, and scratching, but to no avail. With his enormous reach, he held her at bay until another one of the black-garbed knights gathered her from behind and pushed her into the lean-to attached to the smithy. She landed heavily on one hip on the sub-floor, with the stranger’s hand still wrapped around her hair. He let it uncoil. Long strands hung from his gloves. Her scalp ached.


Petrified, she stared up at the small crowd now gathered. There were four of them, but more outside.


“Come, Marschand. You never take the women. Ya are just tryin’ to prove yourself to Cowan. Give her to me. She’s too bonnie fer the likes a you,” one man jeered.


All the men were dressed the same, entirely in black. But her original captor, the one they referred to as Marschand, was truly pitch-dark from head to toe, including his hair and beard. Even his eyes were two bottomless orbs of bleakness.


Brae gasped. ’Tis him! The devil himself! Absolute terror tried to climb its way up her throat.


Copyright © 2019 H.K. Carlton




Buy Links:

Amazon

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Now available @ Apple, B&N and Smashwords

Coming to other vendors soon

Also available in Print



Author Bio:


H K Carlton is a multi-genre Canadian author of romance, with over thirty titles in publication. From naughty to nice, historical to contemporary, time travel to space travel, and everything in between.


Variety is creativity’s playground—It’s where you’ll find me



Author Links
Blogs:
Outrageous Girls (contributor)



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