Aithne Jarretta Paranormal Romance Author

Pearl Luster: Modern Day Time Travel

noreply@blogger.com (Aithne) — Tue, 11 Dec 2012 14:14:00 +0000

About PEARL LUSTER

(Please enjoy the full first chapter of PEARL LUSTER below.)

The short story, PEARL LUSTER is linked by a fascination with artifacts and our delicate sense of touch.

Never underestimate the power of touch. Add in a beautiful family heirloom and you’ve got the makings of powerful and magical time travel.

In this story world, 21^st century time travelers do exist. They are everywhere; the grocery store, movie theater, and even the typical (or mundane) place of work.

They are hidden in plain sight. Many of these travelers may appear as a free spirit passing through a life, and then they are gone, leaving only a whispered memory behind.

The characters in these stories are the Daughters of Athena. A hidden bloodline, they have been among us since before the beginnings of written history.

It's their mission as warrior women to give aid to those in need, heal others when necessary, and lead women into greatness. (Think in terms of creative inventions like writing or great strides in women’s history like the right to vote.)

The independent women in this series are gifted with wanderlust and they know how to use it. There may be boyfriends or husbands in the picture, but they are grounded in time and do not travel with their women. This can frequently add to the conflict of the story.

* * * * * * * * *

[ 1 ] Happy Birthday

Present Day

East Stowe, Florida

Aunt Maggie’s earrings arrived on my twenty-fifth birthday. The gift was completely unexpected because she died when I was two years old. It turned out she left specific instructions the pearl earrings should be held until ‘Barbara is of the proper age.’

Those were her words, not mine.

The doorbell rang just after I arrived home from a long day working at the woman’s shelter.

It was rather late for a delivery. But when I pushed the curtain aside and peered out, the delivery man looked respectable enough.

Handsome, clean shaven, and dressed in the casual Friday style, he didn’t set off any predator alarms within my head. So I opened the door.

“Good evening,” he said. “Are you Barbara Gibbins?”

“Yes.”

Broad shoulders relaxed noticeably beneath his shirt.

“Finally!” he said. “Did you know there are three addresses listed for your current home? I’m from the law firm Meyers & Lake. I have a special delivery for you. The instructions clearly state this package must be delivered today. Frankly, I worried after you weren’t at the Ridgemont address.”

“I moved four months ago,” I said, slightly impressed he had searched two different towns for me. “What kind of package?”

He placed a black briefcase on the chair next to the door. “I’ll need you to sign for it,” he said, while spinning the small combination dials.

The latches snapped and he opened the black case. “The first document is just standard when receiving your inheritance. That one is for the probate court. The second is for a family member who insisted the handover be done by a qualified person to serve as a witness.”

“Inheritance?” The word made me shiver with a sense of dread. “Who died?”

“Oh, forgive me.” He spoke quickly and tried to reassure with a wave of his hand. “I should’ve mentioned this isn’t due to a recent death. It’s from your great Aunt Margaret. I believe she died twenty-three years ago.”

“She left me something in her will? No one ever said anything. In fact, growing up I only heard whispers about her. You know the kind I mean. Those soft muted words that were silenced when we kids came into the room. Aunt Maggie was definitely a woman of mystery.”

He laughed. “I have an aunt like that.”

The fact that he answered so openly increased my curiosity. “But why now? I mean after all these years. And what’s your name?”

“I’m James Markum. The answer to your question is easy. You haven’t received your inheritance because of her specific instructions.” He shuffled some folders in the briefcase, straightened, and held a dark green file with the papers that needed signatures on top.

“Don’t worry. I’m an attorney. That’s the reason Mr. Meyers sent me. I’m here as witness, too.”

“That’s comforting. I mean that you aren’t some evil doer. Instead, you’ve been sent by a reputable law office, but I’m still surprised.”

“Ah, you’ve heard of Meyers & Lake?”

“The law firm in Tampa that handles the difficult family and probate cases? Of course I’ve heard of them.” I glanced toward the street and finally stepped outside. Nearly twilight, I did not invite him into my home.

The balmy breeze felt great and there was plenty of foot traffic along the street to give a sense of security. The scent of summer flowers and the friendly passers-by along Virginia Street reminded me of two reasons I moved to this small town in Florida.

Mr. Shinn, an elderly neighbor, paused while walking his dog Sootie. “Evening,” he said from the sidewalk and waved. Sootie, a rambunctious Scottish terrier, tugged eagerly at her leash. She loved evening walks, but if there wasn’t someone to pet her, she always wanted to move onward.

I approached the porch rail. “How’s Ethel?”

Mr. Shinn tipped his head at James Markum and gripped Sootie’s leash firmly. “Ethel’s fine. She had a good afternoon. The doctor said she’s spry and will regain her mobility with physical therapy.” He fixed his attention on the stranger standing on my porch and motioned toward his house. “My wife fell and broke her hip.”

“That’s too bad,” Markum said. “Hope her therapy is successful.”

“Thank you,” Mr. Shinn replied. Sootie pulled toward a drifting butterfly. “I best be off. You folks have a good evening,” he said, and sent me an inquiring glance.

I gave him a reassuring nod.

Satisfied, he allowed Sootie to guide him down the street.

Two more neighbors jogged past and waved, but didn’t stop.

“You’re in a close knit community,” Markum said. “Are they satisfied you’re safe now?”

His question made me laugh. “Did you expect anything less in East Stowe with its tree lined streets? We’ve got an excellent neighborhood watch. Yes, they know I’m fine.”

He clicked a pen and handed it to me. “Well then, let’s sign these papers and you can get back to the business of celebrating your birthday.”

The porch swing was a convenient place to get comfortable. I sat and placed the folder on my lap while I read. The first paper had the formal letterhead for probate court. Reading through the legalese, I saw the original date of execution at the Blount County Court of Alabama, and toward the bottom of the page the listed bequeath. “Pearl earrings?”

Markum pulled a small red box from the briefcase, and held it so that I could see. Everything was tied neatly with an antique satin ribbon. A yellowed envelope beneath the box was probably a birthday card or private note. “This has been in the firm’s vault all these years.”

He motioned toward the papers, waiting for my signature.

“This second page is a proof of delivery for an Uncle Bob?”

“Yes. Is there a problem?”

“I don’t know an Uncle Bob.”

“It’s my understanding he’s from an estranged branch of your family. He didn’t protest your bequeath; just wanted legal proof you received everything. If you’ll sign, I’ll witness, and then you’ll be finished. I realize you probably have plans.”

Refocused on the pages, there was something that held my hand motionless over the signature line. It would be a simple action writing my name, but I hesitated.

A deep honesty blossomed in my heart and kept my hand motionless. I had to admit that my hesitation had nothing to do with the unexpected earrings. Yes, I was also curious about what may be written on the card.

But the true cause of my stillness was a sudden urge to know James Markum. “I don’t have special birthday plans. There was a party at work and I expected to go out with friends, but they were called to a crime scene. You know the life of police officers.”

“That’s unfortunate,” he said. “Especially since it’s Friday night. You know… There’s a concert at Pier 66 tonight. A walk along the beach and some music would be relaxing and fun. If you’re interested.”

With a flourish, I signed the second paper. “It’s an excellent idea.” I tucked the papers into the file folder and handed them back. “Give me a few minutes to freshen up?”

“Sure thing. Wear these,” he said, and gave me the package. “I bet they’ll look awesome.”

A soft warmth lingered where his fingers had held the small gift. The energy transferred through my skin in a rush of adrenalin. More at ease with him, I said, “Will do. Would you like to come inside while you wait?”

“Not necessary,” he replied, cocked his head toward the street, and winked. “I can pass the time out here. Keep an eye on your neighbors.”

The adrenalin rush from the warm velvet box carried me up the stairs to my room where I suddenly froze. A quick glance at the bedroom clock, it’s eight-thirty. Downstairs, the grandfather clock confirmed the time with its resonant declaration.

The concert, which is a weekly event during summer, usually lasted until eleven. It’s casual with people coming and going as they pleased, but at past events the music always grew livelier as the evening progressed. We wouldn’t miss anything getting there after nine.

Okay, what to wear? I kicked off my heels and changed quickly into comfortable capris, a soft blue printed tee shirt, and then pulled my favorite strappy sandals from the closet. They slipped on easily and enhanced my fresh pedicure.

As dusk deepened outside, I turned on the lamp.

The red box on the dresser drew me to its special contents. I paused before untying the bow. The satin was slightly stiff from age and the ribbon ends frayed.

It was strange that at this moment my mom rushed into my thoughts. She has been gone since I was thirteen. Vanished, leaving behind only the occasional hushed whispers of her name.

I shook the memories away, pulled the bow and set the ribbon aside.

The hinge on the red velvet box creaked softly when I lifted the lid.

Pearl luster glowed in the lamplight.

My fingers trembled slightly as I touched the smooth surface. The earring posts went into my ear lobes easily.

An unexpected sensation of tingling began at the top of my head. The feeling grew, and then traveled down my body as though I was being painted with faery glimmer.

A physical consciousness deepened the faery glimmer feeling as if a supernatural power touched the bone marrow within me. There was nothing different in my mirror reflection.

Everything still looked the same.

I stared at the luminescent pearls with their soft pink tint. The simple beauty drew my fingers upward, and I touched them again.

The room, dresser and mirror blurred into a combination of mist and darkened color that gradually became black.

The air in my bedroom spun as though a tornado burst through the solid oak door.

A blackness grew deeper than a starless night sky and engulfed my whole world. The only relief from darkness was an occasional bright light of color that flashed with the power of Fourth of July fireworks. The air sizzled with magic.

During those moments, I flew above what my mind perceived was the floor. As the motion intensified, it became difficult to discern which way was up, and even if there was a down anymore.

* * * * * * * * *

Thanks to all Blog Readers for stopping by. Enjoy your day & happy reading!

If You Missed these Plot Bunny Tracks:

March Madness ~ Not Crazy...Just Conflicted

Merry-go-round; Jump on to catch plot bunny...

Mothers, Daughters & Secrets

Hoppin' Kerfluffle! Plot Bunnies Run Amuck!

Magically Entising: Is Your Shapeshifter Sexy today?
Mother, Daughter & Plot Bunny Tracks, Oh My! #amwriting

* * * * * * * * *

Amazon Kindle: Pearl Luster (Touch Time & Soar Mini-series) ~ Short Story

Amazon Kindle: Enchanted Ravensong: Charmed Evermore (Fantasy Novelette)
Amazon Kindle: Samhain Spirit: Charmed Evermore #2 (Fantasy Novelette) "...original and fun." Amazon Reviewer, Abouchard

Amazon Kindle: Concentric Circles (Shayla's story)

Amazon Kindle & Print: Claire: the Lost Fae

* * * * * * * * *

Peace & Love be with you always.

~ Aithne Jarretta

Home Twitter Kindle

Samhain Spirit: Charmed Evermore Book Two plus First Chapter Read

noreply@blogger.com (Aithne) — Thu, 01 Nov 2012 16:37:00 +0000

During the past month many things have happened. One good thing... I finished the novelette, Samhain Spirit: Charmed Evermore (Book 2)

It was both a challenging and fun endeavor. Health issues reared its ugly head, but my natural born stubbornness won out and finished in the nick of time. (Just as October ended. Whew!)

This page is purely for introduction purposes (Goodreads) and to give a bit of information about this growing series.

First, when I published Enchanted Ravensong: Charmed Evermore (Book 1) last July, I figured it would be a while before I wrote another story about Ruby Gladstone.

My muse had other ideas. ;D She stood next to my desk and pestered me while I worked on the next Touch Time & Soar story. (Pearl Luster) After several days and since there was a time crunch, I gave in.

Samhain Spirit swirled through the writing process and came to a completion without further interruptions from the muse department. (That's unusual because I'm constantly juggling muses and plot bunnies.) This story is slightly different because in the first chapter readers experience Dayton's pov. In case you haven't read book one, Dayton is Ruby's familiar. He's a beautiful black cat with a quirky personality.

In other news about this story, there's a different aspect to publishing Samhain Spirit. It isn't in Amazon KDP Select. That means I will publish to other reader outlets--Kobo and B&N. (Probably next week.) When that happens, I will share any relevant links here.

Without further chatter I'd like to share some of Dayton's First Chapter with you.

Dayton

Samhain Spirit

[1] Perks of Being a Witch’s Familiar

Sometimes being a witch’s familiar has its perks. I believe this is one of those times. The front row seat into the intricacies of witchy magic is just plain fun, even to a self proclaimed aloof bot like me. Everyone’s heard of curiosity got the cat.

“Dayton,” Ruby said, while putting fingers protectively around one of her precious artifacts. “If you knock my great grandma’s porcelain pencil holder off the desk, I swear I’ll ban you to the backyard.”

If you haven’t figured it out, Ruby’s my witch.

A tail twitch just to keep up nonchalant appearances, then with a tilt of my head, I drawled, “Since when have I ever knocked anything off and broken it?”

Yes, we talk. Daily. Constantly.

To prove my point, I ease my butt down in the face of that handsome pencil holding dude and his unwitchy bride. “What you doing with that musty old book?”

“Eugh!” Ruby exclaimed while crinkling her nose. “That’s gross. Now, I’ll have to wash the holder.

Why would you do that?”

“I was just doing what feels good. Are you going to tell me about this old tome? It smells funky. I thought you put all of your magical books on the tablet.”

Ruby rolled her eyes and opened the old black leather cover.

Musty pages and the odor of old-fashioned ink combined and tickled my nose. I sneezed. “There’s one good reason to put everything in a tablet. Even familiars can have allergies.”

“Bless you,” Ruby said, and scratched under my chin.

I leaned into her magically healing fingers. That’s another advantage to being a familiar—regular doses of touchy-feely—when I say it’s appropriate.

“Thanks,” I said, and backed away, careful not to knock the pencil holder and a framed picture off the edge of the desk. “Something’s troubling you. I can always tell. Spill.”

“Funny,” she said, “you’ve been elusive for days and now you want to know what’s going on?”

“I had to take care of some things out there,” I said, and tilted my head toward the window.

“Humm… New moon mating?”

“A gentleman never kisses and tells.”

“You may not tell, but I got an earful from Mrs. Shively because she doesn’t like you tomming around her Marissy. Pure Persian? I don’t picture you with a hoity-toity purebred.”

“Marissy likes me.”

“That may be so, but you better watch your urges around Mrs. Shively. She wouldn’t hesitate to use the gardening shears on you.”

“She’d have to catch me first.” I pawed the aged parchment. “Back to the book.”

“Yeah, well…” Ruby flipped several pages, but didn’t pause and read any of them. “Samhain is coming.”

“Just like it does every year. Party time!”

Ruby glared in the midst of my jubilation.

Her green eyes have a unique magical ability. When her emotions shift, her eye color often changes to express deep feelings.

Now, the green deepened and I knew the shift was serious because I saw something in those emerald depths that I had never seen there before. I froze. “All right, now I’m worried. You love Samhain. Right now you look scared and I’ve never known you to be scared of anything. Tell me what’s going on.”

“I already said Samhain is coming.”

I blinked. I’m rarely confused, but this is beginning to frustrate me.

She sighed and thumped her head down on those smelly old pages. Her voice became mottled as though lost in the magical past forgotten in ancient parchment, but I got the gist of her words.

“Don’t you remember how it was when Becca was here?” Ruby raised her head and shoved fingers through brilliant red hair. “I didn’t like that! Talk about home invasion! Up close and personal?

Blegh!”

Ruby shuddered visibly and chewed her lower lip. “The veil between the worlds is thinner during Samhain. I have to prepare because I refuse to let another spirit jump into my body!”

“But you survived Becca just fine and she moved on.”

“Yeah, but my joints ached for a week afterward and…”

Brooding silence swelled in the air around us.

I waited, but she stared past my ears like she saw a mirage behind me. “And what?” If I would ever understand her plight, she needed to explain.

Ruby shook her head as though coming back to earth. “There were bathroom issues. You wouldn’t understand.”

“Oh. Right. So, that explains your strange behavior after Becca left. I deduce you want this very old book for some sort of spell?”

“Duh. Sometimes, Dayton,” she said, and flipped several more pages. “I wonder if we really are on the same magical frequency.”

“We wouldn’t be having this conversation if we weren’t.”

“I suppose you’re right,” she grumbled, leaned over a page and started reading. She paused painted fingernails over an image and its caption. “I borrowed this book from Aunt Molly. I remember a spell about sending a spirit into an artifact if they try to possess you. When I find that spell, I’m going to make a new amulet. It should serve as an effective barrier to stalking spirits.”

“What can I do to help?”

She narrowed her eyes and studied me.

A twitch skimmed along my spine and raised the tips of my fur.

Ruby’s gaze moved over me.

I tucked my tail away from view.

“A freshly plucked tail hair should help,” she said, motioning behind me where I had hidden my fluffy pride and joy. “You know I always add a bit of my own personal magic for tweaking.”

I swallowed a lump the size of George the garden gnome. But Ruby’s my witch and there are perks to my position. Finally, I nod. “So be it.”

“Here’s the spell.” Ruby pulled a pen from the porcelain holder, opened a drawer and lifted a notebook out. “I’ll let you pluck your own hair so start licking. I’ll begin my list and meet you downstairs in the magic lab. I think I already have some of these spell ingredients.”

“Sure thing.” House rule number six—no licking, biting or scratching on Ruby’s desk. I’d rather exit anyway.

I moved out of her bedroom, through the hall and down the stairs. At the bottom a draft of cold air brushed my fur. I shivered, but walked through it and continued to my cat exit. The cat door flapped with a rubbery sound when I stepped outside into the crisp fall air.

* * * * * * * * *

Thanks to all Blog Readers for stopping by. Enjoy your day & happy reading!

If You Missed these Plot Bunny Tracks:

March Madness ~ Not Crazy...Just Conflicted

Merry-go-round; Jump on to catch plot bunny...

Mothers, Daughters & Secrets

Hoppin' Kerfluffle! Plot Bunnies Run Amuck!

Magically Entising: Is Your Shapeshifter Sexy today?
Mother, Daughter & Plot Bunny Tracks, Oh My! #amwriting

* * * * * * * * *

Peace & Love be with you always.

~ Aithne Jarretta

Home Twitter Kindle

Seasonal Changes and a Cover Reveal for September Release

noreply@blogger.com (Aithne) — Tue, 11 Sep 2012 09:58:00 +0000

The fall picture above just grabbed my attention because I'm looking forward to the seasonal change. (yes, even here in Florida) The road also brings to mind the journeys I've been experiencing lately.

Sometimes life can get crazy. ;) I'm happy to say that I went to Ohio for two weeks, had fun and good times with my family there and managed to get home through the airport security and all that craziness. (still can't get used to taking my shoes off! lol)

I took lots of pictures, but haven't put them on my computer yet because I'm focusing on writing, plotting and getting ready to publish PEARL LUSTER.

Here's the final cover:

PEARL LUSTER is a shorter story that is part of a six part mini-series. I'm calling these stories 'mini-series-' because they will each be between 7K & 10K words.

It's a new wave of writing and the process has been a learning experience. For one thing, I realize that my stories are becoming tighter in the plot line.

The other aspect of this series is they are all connected by a magical artifact, the simple action of TOUCH and the secret bloodline of the DAUGHTERS OF ATHENA.

About the Touch Time & Soar Mini-series

The Daughters of Athena, women born into a secret bloodline, are 21^st time travelers. The clan sisters live amongst humans everywhere. Hidden in plain sight, they slide through time and put events that shape the universe into harmony.

These short story episodes are about independent women gifted with wanderlust. That’s what their families call the gift of sliding through time. There may be boyfriends or husbands in the story, but they are grounded within their own life’s timeline.

It is the mission of the Daughters of Athena to give aid to people in need, heal when necessary and lead women into greatness.

PEARL LUSTER

A simple touch. That’s all it took to shift Barbara Gibbins’ life. Touch and her great Aunt Maggie’s pearl earrings. Barbara Gibbins received an unexpected gift on her 25^th birthday. What she doesn’t realize is that the small red velvet box comes with great potential. The pivotal moments that follow help Barbara explore important choices of the heart.

* * * * * * * * *

Touch Time & Soar

(episode #1)

PEARL LUSTER

Release Date: September 15, 2012

Thanks to all Blog Readers for stopping by. Enjoy your day & happy reading!

If You Missed these Plot Bunny Tracks:

March Madness ~ Not Crazy...Just Conflicted

Merry-go-round; Jump on to catch plot bunny...

Mothers, Daughters & Secrets

Hoppin' Kerfluffle! Plot Bunnies Run Amuck!

Magically Entising: Is Your Shapeshifter Sexy today?
Mother, Daughter & Plot Bunny Tracks, Oh My! #amwriting

* * * * * * * * *

Amazon Kindle: Enchanted Ravensong: Charmed Evermore (Fantasy Novelette)

Amazon Kindle: Concentric Circles (Shayla's story)

Amazon Kindle & Print: Claire: the Lost Fae

* * * * * * * * *

Peace & Love be with you always.

~ Aithne Jarretta

Home Twitter Kindle

Friday Foodie: Amber Kallyn, Steak Tartare: HUNGERSTORM, Heart of a Vampire

noreply@blogger.com (Aithne) — Fri, 31 Aug 2012 09:30:00 +0000

Today's Friday Foodie will be the last post from this segment of features here in my little niche of the 'net. (Look for new concepts in September.)

This week I'm featuring author Amber Kallyn, her Friday Foodie contribution; Steak Tartare and her Paranormal Romance (sexy vampire), HUNGERSTORM, Heart of a Vampire, Book 2.

To start, here's Amber sharing her recipe for Steak Tartare.

Need a lovely dinner for the special vampire in your life? Try some Steak Tartare. Not only will it leave your sexy date satisfied, he'll be ready to sate his other appetites.

Steak Tartare

Ingredients:

Assorted fresh greens
12 ounces beef tenderloin or sirloin
Worcestershire sauce
Hot pepper sauce
Salt
Black Pepper
2 tablespoons drained capers
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
1/3 cup minced red onion
1/3 cup finely chopped parsley
2 eggs
4 slices of white bread, crusts removed, brushed with olive oil and lightly toasted
Extra-virgin olive oil

Directions:

Garnish 2 plates with the fresh greens.

Place the beef on a cutting board and finely chop with a very sharp knife. Season to taste with Worcestershire sauce, hot pepper sauce, salt and black pepper. Shape the meat into 2 patties of equal size and center each on a plate of fresh greens.

Around each meat patty arrange half of the capers, Dijon mustard, red onion and parsley. Carefully break the 2 eggs, reserving the yolk and half of each shell. Place the yolks in their eggshell cups, then sit an egg cup in the center of each patty. Serve the steak tartare with toast points, olive oil, and hot pepper sauce and Worcestershire sauces on the side.

* * * * * * * * *

Amber is offering a GiveAway!

Amber said she'll give 2 commenter’s a copy of any Amber Kallyn e-book, winners choice. To see all of her books, click http://amberkallyn.com/books/.

Please make sure you leave your email so she can contact you.

BOOK BLURB FOR HUNGERSTORM:

After centuries alone, can a vampire king trust the woman who's woken his heart?

Jordan MacDougal, laird and King of his vampire clan, walks a thin line of civility between his clan and the local shifter pack. When his vampires began to disappear and the wolves accuse the intriguing woman who’s touched his heart of being evil, he discovers that the traitor in his midst may be closer than he thinks.

A newly turned vampire, Dalia Jensen wakes to an unusual and frightening new world with no memory of the past year of her life. Accused of working with the Master Vampire who held her prisoner, her inability to remember the truth leaves her reeling under the allegations of vicious past actions. Uncertain of her culpability, she’s unable to trust her own instincts as the reigning Vampire King turns her world upside down.

When the wolves call for her trial, demanding her life for those killed and tortured during that blank year, Jordan and Dalia must work together to find the truth, and save the love blooming between them.

Why not visit the Amazon HUNGERSTORM page and read the sample?

But don't forget to come back and comment because Amber has a prize for two lucky winners.

* * * * * * * * *

A Twitter Favor:

Pls RT: "Vampire Steak Tartare" A CHARACTER FAV! http://bit.ly/O0Lfdk via @AmberKallyn #friday #foodie #yummy

Amber's Bio & Contact info:

One of those rare breeds, Amber Kallyn is an Arizona native who can trace her family's history through six generations in the state. She lives with her husband, and their four very active children. Included in the menagerie are four cats (though there's always room for more), one snake, and two dogs. We won't count all the fish.

Blog: www.AmberKallyn.com
Twitter: http://twitter.com/AmberKallyn
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/AmberKallyn
Facebook Fan Page: http://www.facebook.com/AmberKallyn#!/pages/Amber-Kallyn/119605398111010
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/amberkallyn
Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/amberkallyn/
Sign up for Amber's newsletter for fun & freebies: http://bit.ly/H04jPF

Thank you Amber for sharing your recipe, Steak Tartare and your book info; HUNGERSTORM. ;)

* * * * * * * * *

If you missed any of the Previous Friday Foodie Posts:

M. S. Spencer: Awesome Lobster Roll ~ LOST & FOUND [here]

Jackie Leigh Allen Shares Scrumptious Shrimp Salad [here]

Lyncee Shillard Shares Spicy Shrimp [here]

Norah Wilson's Post featured Stuffed Pork Chops & a Sexy Vampire! [here]

Thanks to all Blog Readers for stopping by. Enjoy your day & happy reading!

If You Missed these Plot Bunny Tracks:

March Madness ~ Not Crazy...Just Conflicted

Merry-go-round; Jump on to catch plot bunny...

Mothers, Daughters & Secrets

Hoppin' Kerfluffle! Plot Bunnies Run Amuck!

Magically Entising: Is Your Shapeshifter Sexy today?
Mother, Daughter & Plot Bunny Tracks, Oh My! #amwriting

* * * * * * * * *

NEW! Amazon Kindle: Enchanted Ravensong: Charmed Evermore (Fantasy Novelette)

Amazon Kindle: Concentric Circles (Shayla's story)

Amazon Kindle & Print: Claire: the Lost Fae

* * * * * * * * *

Peace & Love be with you always.

~ Aithne Jarretta

Home Twitter Kindle

Friday Foodie: M. S. Spencer, Awesome Lobster Roll: LOST and FOUND

noreply@blogger.com (Aithne) — Fri, 24 Aug 2012 10:00:00 +0000

Okay, I confess that I'm having so much fun hosting authors and the recipes they've used in their books. ;)

Today's contributor, M. S. Spenser offers up her Lobster Roll. I have to admit, that looks scrumptious. And wow! She also recommends the perfect wine to go along with the meal.

The Perfect Lobster Roll—Not for the Faint of Heart

My second novel, Lost and Found, finds a desperate wife searching the wilds of Maine for the husband who disappeared.

When Rose Culloden’s husband of only a year disappears from their Boston home, she follows his trail to Maine. Her first stop is Moosehead Lake in the North Woods, where she meets James Stewart, a gruff and handsome Maine guide. She pursues her husband David to the western lakes, to Florida and back to midcoast Maine, even as her love for James grows. However, her loyalty to her marriage demands that she confront David before she can know her true feelings.

Exhausted after months of finding only cold trails, she takes a break and drives to Camden, a lovely old coastal town. As evening approaches, she stops at a small restaurant. On a deck overlooking the charming marina, she orders a glass of wine and a lobster roll.

As the sun sets, Rose licks the last drop of lobster broth from her fingers and sits back to admire the ketches and yawls making port after the day’s sail. She calls the chef over and congratulates him on creating the most perfect lobster roll she’s ever eaten. He grins, wipes buttery hands on his white apron, and hands her this recipe.

The Perfect Lobster Roll

Ingredients

One 1- to 1 ½-pound lobster

3 to 4 tablespoons real salted butter

1 soft submarine roll, preferably the New England top-loading kind

Chopped lettuce

Equipment

1 lobster pot

1 wide shallow bowl (or the sink)

1 medium bowl, large enough to fit lobster meat and butter

Fill a lobster or canning pot ¾ of the way up with water and bring to a boil. Pop lobster in head first (kills him quicker) and boil until the shell is bright red. Remove from the water and drop in a shallow bowl. Make slits in the shell to drain water.

Melt the butter. Toast the bun lightly.

While still warm remove the meat from the shell and chop into large chunks. Drop chunks in the melted butter and mix thoroughly.

Add chopped lettuce to the bun. Add the buttered lobster. Plate and eat.

Makes one sandwich (maybe two if you absolutely have to share).

Note: Do NOT use frozen lobster…ever. If you can find fresh lobster meat, go ahead and try it, but I do not guarantee the results.

Rose being a Boston snob, she goes for the white wine, but this roll is really best served with a nice Geary’s Pale Ale or other Maine microbrewery beer. True confession: the deli chef did not actually give Rose this recipe; I did.

If you’d like to read Rose’s story and all about Maine, here are the particulars:

Lost and Found, by M. S. Spencer

Published 2010 by Red Rose Publishing

eBook, 69,000 words, ISBN 978-1-60435-707-3

Contemporary Romance, Action/Adventure; M/F; 3 flames

What do you do when David, your husband of a year disappears? If you’re Rose Culloden, a beautiful woman in her forties who had despaired of finding happiness, you do anything to find him. The trail takes you to the North Woods of Maine, where you meet James Stewart, who vividly highlights the contrast between a real man and your delicate husband. Loyal to your marriage despite your powerful attraction to James, it takes the dramatic discovery that David is not just vicious and venal, but insane, to free your heart for true love.

Buy links:

Red Rose Publishing

Amazon Kindle

EXCERPT (G): First Meeting

Rose would never forget the tight knot of panic squeezing her heart as she looked down, down an almost thousand-foot drop to moss-dusted crags, down through the cold wraiths of mist circling the mountain in the chill September air. Ignoring the fear, she took a tentative step forward, away from the comfort of the cliff face, felt the icy breath of high altitude fan her face, and retreated. What she'd thought was solid rock behind her yielded slightly and she froze, engulfed in a surge of terror. I’m going to fall. I’m going to die in agony, crushed on those distant jagged spears. The rock behind her moved again. She began to totter forward, but a furry paw seized her elbow. The paw tightened its grip, and Rose let it pull her sideways, back into a gap between the damp stone walls.

Okay, Rose, girl. Steady. Take a deep breath. Now, open your eyes and look at the paw. Five fingers encased in a furry glove. Okay. It’s human. She followed the fur up a forearm, then to a broad furry chest. She risked a peek at the dark face, encircled with more fur. It was scrunched up, not with the cold but with a cold fury. The deep brown eyes flashed. She meekly dropped her own. “I was perfectly safe, Mr. Stewart,” she whispered. Did that sound as stupid to him as it did to me?

The face scowled. Her rescuer moved around Rose and knocked lightly with his heel at the ledge on which she'd been standing. A large chunk broke off and tumbled in crumbly bits into the ether. She heard pops and bangs as it immolated itself on the crags below. Still scowling, he turned back to her. “Get back to the others.” His voice was deep and primal.

Contact M. S. Spencer:

Blog: http://mssspencertalespinner.blogspot.com

Facebook: www.facebook.com/M.S.SpencerAuthor

Twitter: www.twitter.com/mssellsworth
Amazon Author Page: http://www.amazon.com/M.S.-Spencer/e/B002ZOEUC8/ref=sr_tc_2_0?qid=1277387999&sr=1-2-ent

GoodReads: http://www.goodreads.com/msspencer

Biography ~ M. S. Spencer

Although M. S. Spencer has lived or traveled in five continents, the last 30 years have been spent mostly in Washington, D.C. as a librarian, Congressional staff assistant, speechwriter, editor, birdwatcher, kayaker, policy wonk, non-profit director and parent.

Ms. Spencer has published five best selling contemporary romance novels. Lost in His Arms is set in the spinning world of 1991 when countries fell like flies and a CIA fixer had his hands full. In Lost and Found we follow a desperate wife searching the wilds of Maine for the husband who disappeared. Losers Keepers is a tale of love, lust and treachery set on the island of Chincoteague. Triptych tells of jealousy and intrigue high above the Potomac River. Her latest release is Artful Dodging: the Torpedo Factory Murders, in which Milo Everhart, artist, meets her match in lawyer Tristram Brodie on the battleground of the old munitions factory turned art center called the Torpedo Factory.

Thank you, Meredith for sharing your wonderful recipe with us.

* * * * * * * * *

If you missed Previous Friday Foodie:

Jackie Leigh Allen Shares Scrumptious Shrimp Salad [here]

Lyncee Shillard Shares Spicy Shrimp [here]

Norah Wilson's Post featured Stuffed Pork Chops & a Sexy Vampire! [here]

Thanks to all Blog Readers for stopping by. Enjoy your day & happy reading!

If You Missed these Plot Bunny Tracks:

March Madness ~ Not Crazy...Just Conflicted

Merry-go-round; Jump on to catch plot bunny...

Mothers, Daughters & Secrets

Hoppin' Kerfluffle! Plot Bunnies Run Amuck!

Magically Entising: Is Your Shapeshifter Sexy today?
Mother, Daughter & Plot Bunny Tracks, Oh My! #amwriting

* * * * * * * * *

Peace & Love be with you always.

~ Aithne Jarretta

Home Twitter Kindle

Friday Foodie: Jackie Leigh Allen Shares Scrumptious Salad and NINA'S NICHE

noreply@blogger.com (Aithne) — Fri, 17 Aug 2012 04:31:00 +0000

This week for Friday Foodie I'm pleased to welcome Jackie Leigh Allen. Her salad looks scrumptious and I admit the addition of beef makes it something I'd like to try myself.

As a bonus, Jackie has offered to give away a FREE copy of NINA'S NICHE. Leave us a comment for your chance to win by drawing. (You can read a sample at that link. ;)

Here's Jackie telling you about her salad and why she included it in her story:

The three J's, Nina Jones, Carol James and Sherry Johnson, friends all through school eat this salad at a time when Sherry needs the support of her old pals. Nina Jones caught her bad boy in the first book of the Julian Treasures trilogy, NINA'S NICHE. Carol surrendered to the deputy sheriff in CAROL'S CHOICE. Sherry meets her match in SHERRY'S SUCCESS which will be out in November from Desert Breeze Publishing.

Green salad topped with rare beef strips.

4-5 cups mixed greens

3 oranges, sectioned

2 avocadoes, sliced

One pound beef, cooked rare and cut in strips

Arrange oranges, avocadoes and beef over greens. Makes 4 main dish servings.

Blue cheese vinaigrette

1/3 cup olive oil

1/3 cup vinegar

2 teaspoons snipped fresh basil

½ teaspoon paprika

Shake together then add ½ cup crumbled blue cheese.

Makes about one cup.

Excerpt from SHERRY'S SUCCESS:

Sherry took a roll then put it back. "I already had bread today at lunch." Then she remembered her lunch had been interrupted when she’d only eaten half her sandwich.

"That must have been some bread by the dreamy look on your face," Carol said.

Damn, I must be blushing, but those were some of the best kisses I ever had. It was fun, but it can’t go anywhere.

"I want me some of that bread," Nina said. "Give, tell us the story behind your look."

"I need energy for this tale." Sherry opened a roll and sniffed in the yeasty aroma. Stalling for time, she buttered the roll, took a bite, and lifted her spoon for another taste of soup.

"Tom and I had a picnic this noon. We were looking at the cupboards in Jake’s cabin."

"Ooh. I remember some very romantic times in Jake’s cabin," Nina said.

"We weren’t in the cabin long," Sherry said. "We had a picnic outside on a blanket."

"A picnic on a blanket under the trees. Now that sounds romantic," Carol said.

The waiter removed their empty soup bowls and placed salads in front of them. He put a plate with three bowls in the middle of the table. "We offer balsamic dressing, a blue cheese vinaigrette and a creamy horseradish."

"Now continue your story, Sherry," Nina said.

"This is a great salad," Carol said."Different kinds of lettuce, orange sections, avocado." She cut a piece of beef, added greens to her fork and smacked her lips. "Sharp cheese and savory meat. I wonder if they give out the recipe."

"We can ask," Nina said, "After Sherry finishes her story."

"Nothing much happened. We were outdoors after all."

Nina rolled her eyes. "You were two horny adults on a blanket with no one around."

"Horny?" Sherry put another bite of salad in her mouth.

"We know how we felt when we were without a man and a prime specimen came around," Carol added.

"Prime specimen?"I sound like an echo.

"What’s missing?" Now Carol did the eye roll. "Tom’s built, dependable, a darling daddy, what more could you want?"

~ click cover to read sample ~

Jackie Leigh Allen enjoys writing and is delighted to be published. AN OFFICER AND A GIGOLO piqued the attention of Desert Breeze Publishing and debuted in April 2011. NINA'S NICHE, the first book of a trilogy based in the mountain town of Julian, California, came out in November 2011 followed by CAROL'S CHOICE in May 2012. WIN'S WAR, the story of a Marine Lieutenant returning from Afghanistan without his legs was out in June 2012. SHERRY'S SUCCESS, THE THIRD BOOK in the Julian Treasures trilogy will be out in November. Later in the year AREAL MAN will come out from Boroughs Publishing Group as part of the New Year's Eve Club, five novellas about five women looking for the right man with a New Year's Eve deadline to find him.

Website: Jackieleighallen.com.

Facebook: http://facebook.com/Jackieleighallen

* * * * * * * * *

If you missed Previous Friday Foodie:

Lyncee Shillard Shares Spicy Shrimp [here]

Norah Wilson's Post featured Stuffed Pork Chops & a Sexy Vampire! [here]

Thanks to all Blog Readers for stopping by. Enjoy your day & happy reading!

If You Missed these Plot Bunny Tracks:

March Madness ~ Not Crazy...Just Conflicted

Merry-go-round; Jump on to catch plot bunny...

Mothers, Daughters & Secrets

Hoppin' Kerfluffle! Plot Bunnies Run Amuck!

Magically Entising: Is Your Shapeshifter Sexy today?
Mother, Daughter & Plot Bunny Tracks, Oh My! #amwriting

* * * * * * * * *

Peace & Love be with you always.

~ Aithne Jarretta

Home Twitter Kindle

Friday Foodie: Lyncee Shillard Shares Spicy Shrimp! #yum

noreply@blogger.com (Aithne) — Fri, 10 Aug 2012 13:15:00 +0000

This week for the #Friday #Foodie post I'm pleased to introduce Lyncee Shillard. She has submitted a mouth watering recipe for Spicy Shrimp which includes a tasty excerpt from her story Spike, from the anthology, Boys of Summer.

Here's Lyncee's post. ;)

First I'd like to thank Aithne for having me.

I love to cook! I love to write! So it was only natural that the two would melt together. I've only written one story that did not include food (they were running through the Amazon – not the ideal setting for a gourmet feastJ) . One of favorite forms of research is coming up with dishes the characters will serve.

The recipe I'm sharing today comes from my contribution to the Boys of Summer Anthology – Spike available from Pink Petal.

In Spike, Treyvon is a bit of a show-off cook so he makes all sorts of goodies for Rae.

My Spicy Shrimp is a must for all our summer gatherings and is what I had in mind when I came up with the menu Treyvon made.

Spicy Shrimp Seasoning ~

¾ teaspoon salt

¾ teaspoon smoked paprika

½ teaspoon ground cumin

½ teaspoon curry power

Mix spices together and store in an airtight container for up to 3 months.

Spicy Shrimp

Spicy Shrimp seasoning

1 ¼ pound large peeled and deveined shrimp

1 tablespoon unsalted butter

Sprinkle seasoning over shrimp and set aside. In a large skillet melt butter over medium-high heat. Add shrimp and cook, stirring occasionally, until opaque throughout. 3 to 5 minutes.

Note: If you want to make this on the grill as Treyvon did, put shrimp on bamboo skewers and mix the seasoning into the melted butter. Brush the shrimp with the spicy butter and place on the grill away from the direct heat. Turn after 3 minutes and brush again with the butter mixture. Remove after another 2 minutes.

Delicious Excerpt from Spike:

“Unless I eat something, I’m going to faint,” she said realizing she hadn’t eaten all day.

Brody disappeared into the room behind the foot of the bed. Was he mad because Treyvon had joined them? She struggled to sit, her muscles still more jelly than anything else.

“Then by all means let’s eat.” Brody walked back in and tossed a shirt toward her. He had put on a pair of warm-up pants. “Because baby, the night has just begun.” He winked and kissed her forehead.

Good lord, could she take another bout of sex this intense? Who was she kidding it would be more so. A shiver danced down her spine at the thought of both Brody and Treyvon using her body.

Brody hadn’t been joking about Treyvon’s cooking skills. Skews of mushrooms, small blue potatoes, tomatoes, onions, and zucchini rested on a bed of lettuce. Thick slices of Italian bread filled a basket.

“To think I was going to go home make a grilled cheese sandwich and hope we had potato chips left.” If possible the food was as good as the sex had been. The marinade on the chicken had a light fruity flavor in contrast to the spicy Cuban sauce he’d used on the shrimp.

Oil lamps flickered in the darkness casting warm yellow shadows across the small makeshift dining area. Treyvon had just finished telling her about the time Brody went scuba diving and was attacked by a school of fish.

About Lyncee Shillard.

I'm a mother, a wife, a writer, a crafter, and a foodie. I live in Northern Michigan (I would usually say cold but we've broke all kinds of records with high temps this summer). I have five lakes including Lake Michigan less than 6 miles from my house that provides excellent walking and picture taking opportunities. The beach is one of my favorite places to plot my next scene. I write romance suspense, paranormal and as Tasarla Romaney young adult fantasy.

I can be found at:

Website: http://lynceeshillard.com/

Blog: http://lynceeshillard.wordpress.com/ or http://tasarlaromaney.wordpress.com/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/lyncee

Facebook: https://twitter.com/lyncee

* * * * * * * * *

If you missed Last Week's Friday Foodie, stop by and visit Norah Wilson's Post featuring Stuffed Pork Chops & a Sexy Vampire! [here]

Thanks to all Blog Readers for stopping by. Enjoy your day & happy reading!

If You Missed these Plot Bunny Tracks:

March Madness ~ Not Crazy...Just Conflicted

Merry-go-round; Jump on to catch plot bunny...

Mothers, Daughters & Secrets

Hoppin' Kerfluffle! Plot Bunnies Run Amuck!

Magically Entising: Is Your Shapeshifter Sexy today?
Mother, Daughter & Plot Bunny Tracks, Oh My! #amwriting

* * * * * * * * *

Peace & Love be with you always.

~ Aithne Jarretta

Home Twitter Kindle

Inquiring Readers Want to Know: What Do You Feed Your Characters? ~ #Friday #Foodie

noreply@blogger.com (Aithne) — Fri, 03 Aug 2012 08:28:00 +0000

In July I did something completely new. I put out a call to other authors for #Friday Foodie posts. The process was easy. I asked, “What do you feed your characters?”

The responses have been tasty.

Today’s guest author, Norah Wilson is a multi published author who crosses the genre lines with fascinating efficiency.

So without further chatting on my part, here’s Norah!

My sister makes a killer spinach stuffed chicken breast – I think it’s a Joy of Cooking recipe, and I seriously thought about using that dish in my book (NIGHTFALL, A Vampire Romance). In the end, I decided I needed something just a little more esoteric. So I scoured the interwebs and found this awesome recipe for stuffed pork chops. I also wanted it to have a bit of an Italian flavor, since the heroine’s lost heritage is Sicilian. Incorporating pine nuts, parsley, capers, garlic and pecorino (a hard cheese made from sheep’s milk), this definitely qualifies as Italian!

The recipe itself is pretty easy. You prepare the chops by slicing them open, pounding them out and seasoning them. Then you combine the stuffing ingredients, put the stuffing on the chops, pinch them closed, dredge them in flour, sear them on both sides in a skillet, then finish them in the oven with onion and cherry tomatoes. Pretty straight forward, yet exotic and delicious!

Here’s the URL for the step-by-step recipe: http://bit.ly/N8CG9O

Food is actually pretty important in this book. My heroine, Sam Shea, enjoys fine dining and deplores fast food, but hates to cook for herself. Fortunately, she earns more than enough money with her world-class photography to indulge her love of gourmet food. My hero, Aiden, is a vampire who hasn’t eaten food in 200 years, but paradoxically, he enjoys cooking. He especially enjoys cooking for Sam, because as he tells her, a person’s diet shows not just in her skin and hair, but in her blood. He aims to enjoy the fruits of his cooking in an indirect way, as soon as he can talk her into bed. But that whole getting-her-into-bed thing is taking way longer than he anticipated. In addition to being psychic, Sam has something else no other woman has shown him: the ability to resist him.

Of course, there’s more to the story than just that! It’s a paranormal romance, but it’s also a fast-paced romantic suspense/thriller. Aiden is the best of the vampire hunters, a slayer of rogue vampires who pray on society’s most marginalized citizens. When he discovers that his proximity to Sam causes her psychic compass to suddenly focus on vampire violence instead of the fantastic storms she usually chases, he convinces her she must cooperate with him to save those innocent lives. But as they will discover, their collaboration puts them squarely in the crosshairs of some nasty villains.

Here’s a short excerpt around the above recipe:

Sam woke in her own bed to the smell of something amazing cooking. She glanced at her clock radio. Almost 11:00 p.m. Wow, she’d slept late.

Of course, she’d stayed up long after Aiden had retired. She’d been too wired to sleep, for a couple of reasons.

First, she’d actually slept on the plane, in Aiden’s arms as they reclined in the big leather chair. After kissing her into a state of achingly sweet arousal, he’d soothed her back down, and she’d fallen asleep with her head resting on his chest.

Secondly, once they got back home, the memory of what had happened on that roof back in Boston kept playing in her head on an endless loop. She’d wound up checking email, returning calls, catching up on some financial stuff, and even doing a little housework. Anything to keep her mind occupied.

Finally, around mid-afternoon, she’d succumbed to the need for sleep, only to have her sleep disturbed almost immediately by a vision. Of course, she’d gotten up to jot down the details, then struggled for the next hour to get back to sleep. Even now, she felt like she could use a few more hours. Her stomach, however, declared it was time to get up and investigate those smells.

Ten minutes later, freshly showered, she walked into her kitchen to find Aiden setting the table.

“Hey, look who’s finally awake.”

“I didn’t sleep all that well.” She glanced around. Ah, good. He’d made a salad. “What’s in the oven?”

“A stuffed pork chop, with a nice side of roasted Campari tomatoes and roasted onions.”

“Oh, yum. I could get used to this having dinner for breakfast.”

He made a face. “Breakfast is boring. Besides, what could I make you for breakfast that I could stuff with pecorino, pine nuts, garlic and capers?”

She nabbed a piece of raw onion from the salad. “What’s pecarino?”

“A cheese made from sheep’s milk. It’s Italian. You’ll like it.” He caught her hand and pulled her to him. “I’ll like it.”

She blushed. “Well, that’s the main thing, isn’t it?”

“Baby, you can have Pop Tarts washed down with diet cola and I’d still want you.”

She snorted. “You silver-tongued devil, you.”

“Mmmmm, tongue.”

He caught her head and kissed her, and her laughter dissolved.

Thank you for having me, Aithne! I hope I haven’t rambled on too long. Once you get me started on my hero, Aiden Affleck, it can be hard to get me stopped. LOL. He’s one of my favorites.

AUTHOR BIO:

Norah Wilson lives in Fredericton, New Brunswick, Canada with her husband and two adult children, a Rotti-Lab mix dog and one rat (the pet kind). She has been writing romance a long while, and has finaled multiple times in the Romance Writers of America's Golden Heart® contest. She also won Dorchester Publishing's New Voice in Romance contest in 2003. In addition to the romance, Norah writes paranormal YA stories with writing partner Heather Doherty, under the name Wilson Doherty. She and Heather also write the laugh-out-loud Dix Dodd mysteries under the name N.L. Wilson.

Website/Blog: http://www.norahwilsonwrites.com
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/norah_wilson
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/norah.wilson1

Buy NIGHTFALL at Amazon, B&N, Apple, Kobo, Smashwords

Thanks for sharing your post, Norah. I've been hungry for stuffed pork chops all week. lol

* * * * * * * * *

Thanks to all Blog Readers for stopping by. Enjoy your day & happy reading!

If You Missed these Plot Bunny Tracks:

March Madness ~ Not Crazy...Just Conflicted

Merry-go-round; Jump on to catch plot bunny...

Mothers, Daughters & Secrets

Hoppin' Kerfluffle! Plot Bunnies Run Amuck!

Magically Entising: Is Your Shapeshifter Sexy today?
Mother, Daughter & Plot Bunny Tracks, Oh My! #amwriting

* * * * * * * * *

Amazon Kindle: Concentric Circles (Shayla's story)

Amazon Kindle & Print: Claire: the Lost Fae

* * * * * * * * *

Peace & Love be with you always.

~ Aithne Jarretta

Home Twitter Kindle

New Release: Enchanted Ravensong: Charmed Evermore

noreply@blogger.com (Aithne) — Sun, 29 Jul 2012 23:15:00 +0000

New Release: Enchanted Ravensong: Charmed Evermore

July 29, 2012

Ruby Gladstone is a witch seeking new experiences. What she really wants is Daryl Manchester. But a magical encounter, body shift and a detour through an Otherly World takes immediate priority.

Becca Benard is a restless spirit. She wants justice for her murder and the person that can help her just arrived in the garden Becca has been haunting.

Ruby and Becca join together through spirit possession and shapeshifter magic to achieve their goals, but it isn’t always smooth flying.

This is a Magical Fantasy Novelette
Word count: 15,250

* * * * * * * * *

Enjoy this Excerpt:

I’ve always believed that stopping to smell the roses was an excellent way to induce a feel good magic. When the opportunity presents itself to indulge in this simple pleasure; it’s Mother Nature’s way of getting your attention.

Naturally, I paused and treated myself with fragrant indulgence.

The heady scent pulled my face closer and I took a deep breath. Rose magic is powerful and I was under its spell before I had a chance to exhale.

I sensed the magical charm immediately, but the bliss of scented rosiness made the experience euphoric. That’s why I did not panic.

Even as I stared at the crimson blood droplets on my fingertip and wondered vaguely how the skin had been pierced, the sensation of bodily change began its mystical process.

There was a flutter of wings, and then the world spun out of control as my physical body shifted into an unfamiliar form.

A feminine voice interrupted my confusion. “I’ll give you your body back when the moon shifts into the next quarter phase.”

Uncomfortable in my new skin, I shudder and ripple the feathers along my wings. “Since I’m a bird, I don’t understand. It’s lost within bewilderment and this body change.”

“That’s not my problem,” she remarks. “I’ve a mission and must see it through.”

“Who are you? A body snatcher?” A bird’s eye view of my body frightens me with a reality check.

“For now, I’m you,” she answers with a cocky attitude. Her confidence seems to grow with each passing second. “But I don’t mind if you call me Becca since no one will hear you anyway. The confusion will ease as you get used to the transformation from human to raven.”

Read the full Amazon Sample:

* * * * * * * * *

Thank you for stopping by. Enjoy your day & happy reading!

If You Missed these Plot Bunny Tracks:

March Madness ~ Not Crazy...Just Conflicted

Merry-go-round; Jump on to catch plot bunny...

Mothers, Daughters & Secrets

Hoppin' Kerfluffle! Plot Bunnies Run Amuck!

Magically Entising: Is Your Shapeshifter Sexy today?
Mother, Daughter & Plot Bunny Tracks, Oh My! #amwriting

* * * * * * * * *

Amazon Kindle: Concentric Circles (Shayla's story)

Amazon Kindle & Print: Claire: the Lost Fae

* * * * * * * * *

Peace & Love be with you always.

~ Aithne Jarretta

Home Twitter Kindle

Would You Like to Participate in Book Marketing Summer Camp?

noreply@blogger.com (Aithne) — Thu, 12 Jul 2012 06:45:00 +0000

Perhaps your path to success is the Marketing Summer Camp. It's a FREE, two-day (July 14-15) online conference designed to help authors learn the basics of marketing and promotion, and to fine tune skills already obtained.

If you join us, you'll discover guest speakers, pitch opportunities, prizes, top giveaways, and plenty of learning and fun.

The Marketing Summer Camp will be held on the Yahoo group, Marketing for Romance Writers. FREE Membership is open to published as well as non-published authors, editors, publishers, literary agents, author promotion services, cover artists, and virtual assistants.

MFRW members are automatically signed up for Summer Camp.

If you want to take a particular course, read the messages posted with that title of the class. If you want to skip that class, don't read them. It's going to be that easy. Handouts and goody bags will be up for grabs once the conference begins.

Giveaways include advertising packages, blog tours, and more. Discounts on services will also be available for all attendees.

PITCH APPOINTMENTS
There will be pitch appointments with multiple publishers for camp attendees. These will take place after camp so you don't have to miss classes.

Sign up for Marketing Summer Camp by joining the Marketing for Romance Writers group: http://is.gd/mfrwgroup

To learn more:

Website: http://is.gd/mfrworg
Paperli: http://is.gd/mfrwpaperli
Newsletter: http://is.gd/mfrwnews
Facebook group: http://is.gd/mfrwfb
Marketing Camp Schedule: http://is.gd/mfrw_camp_hours

PLEASE NOTE: The MFRW Friends of Romance Award is presented to companies seeking to aid authors with promotion at little or no cost, and to offer affordable programs. In 2012 they are: The Romance Studio, Romance Junkies, and CoffeeTime Romance. The award is one way we can help authors and publishers save money and obtain ethical and excellent service. http://marketingforromancewriters.org/friends.htm

* * *

Thank you for stopping by. Enjoy your day & happy reading!

If You Missed these Plot Bunny Tracks:

March Madness ~ Not Crazy...Just Conflicted

Merry-go-round; Jump on to catch plot bunny...

Mothers, Daughters & Secrets

Hoppin' Kerfluffle! Plot Bunnies Run Amuck!

Magically Entising: Is Your Shapeshifter Sexy today?
Mother, Daughter & Plot Bunny Tracks, Oh My! #amwriting

* * * * * * * * *

Amazon Kindle: Concentric Circles (Shayla's story)

Amazon Kindle & Print: Claire: the Lost Fae

* * * * * * * * *

Peace & Love be with you always.

~ Aithne Jarretta

Home Twitter Kindle

Summer Solstice Fantasy Celebration ~ 23 Authors - 29 Books!

noreply@blogger.com (Aithne) — Wed, 20 Jun 2012 06:29:00 +0000

It has been a busy week here on the Gulf coast! ;)

The plot bunnies are hopping around my writing room and shedding to the point of distraction. I keep telling them to 'shoo!' because the story I'm working on is growing so fast that I can't keep up. Whew!

Another project has been the paper edition of Claire: the Lost Fae. I had planned to have release day set for today, but there was a glitch with the font on the back cover. I'm so grateful for the ability to revamp my covers in Photoshop. The proof came back so pretty!

The other exciting news is that I've joined in with 23 Authors in the Summer Solstice FREE Fantasy Group. If you're interested in discovering new reads in Fantasy, then you'll enjoy the the link here because each title posted on the website is FREE Jun 20-21. That's an awesome selection and I hope you find some interesting reads. ;)

Here's the link to our special website ~ Summer Solstice Free Fantasy

Yes, Claire: the Lost Fae Kindle edition is included in this special. ;)

Enjoy!

* * *

Thank you for stopping by. Enjoy your day & happy reading!

If You Missed these Plot Bunny Tracks:

March Madness ~ Not Crazy...Just Conflicted

Merry-go-round; Jump on to catch plot bunny...

Mothers, Daughters & Secrets

Hoppin' Kerfluffle! Plot Bunnies Run Amuck!

Magically Entising: Is Your Shapeshifter Sexy today?
Mother, Daughter & Plot Bunny Tracks, Oh My! #amwriting

* * * * * * * * *

Amazon Kindle: Concentric Circles (Shayla's story)

Amazon Kindle: Claire: the Lost Fae

* * * * * * * * *

Peace & Love be with you always.

~ Aithne Jarretta

Home Twitter Kindle

Genre Jumping: from Paranormal into Suspense #amreading #booklook #FREE

noreply@blogger.com (Aithne) — Fri, 08 Jun 2012 19:17:00 +0000

Yes, I do that sometimes...genre jump. In this case I jumped into suspense because I wanted to spend time in a completely different genre for awhile.

That's why I downloaded, Deadly Aim, an Angel Delaney Mystery, Book 1. This story is by Patricia H. Rushford. The original copyright for the print edition is 2004 and the ebook was published in 2011.

If you want to find out more about Patricia H. Rushford, you can Google her. She's a traditionally published author that has made the decision to self-publish some of her titles.

I admit I discovered this story by clickity-clicking through a series of blog posts, a short pass through The Literary Cafe and then on to Amazon for the sample read. Sadly the sample has a lot of wasted space on kudos and a log TOC.

A pretty beginning is good in the front matter of an ebook, but the many author kudos are IMO, unnecessary. All that gobble-dee-gook can be displayed on the Amazon page for folk interested. Two ebook pages of chapter lists...blagh. Especially, when it's just a list of numbers... Yes, I know there are links, but honestly, as a Reader I have no desire to remember what is behind Chapter 33.

Enough of that because the tone of this blog post should remain positive. I'm enjoying the twists and turns in the plot line in Deadly Aim.

Yup. You read that right. ;)

Have a I mentioned another good thing? Oh...I must have forgotten. ;)

Currently, as I write this post, Deadly Aim is FREE.

Story Description:

Patricia Rushford kicks off a thrilling new crime series set in the cozy coastal hamlet of Sunset Cove, Oregon. Featuring determined police officer Angel Delaney, the first episode is sure to have armchair sleuths turning the pages as fast as they can to discover whodunit?When a police shootout results in the death of a 12-year-old boy, Officer Angel Delaney is blamed, convicted, and condemned by the media and the Sunset Cove community before the case even goes to trial. Angel will have her day in court, but before she has the chance to defend herself, the situation spirals out of control. Key evidence is missing, evidence that could have verified her claim of firing only one shot in self-defense. In short order, the body count rises, and suddenly Angel is a suspect in more than one murder investigation. Heartsick about the young boy's death, and questioning her judgment as a police officer, Angel joins forces with Detective Callen Riley to fight the mounting charges against her.

So if you're looking to explore another genre, or already a fan of suspense then hop on over and click that FREE download button because I don't know how long this special offer will last. (I've made it super easy for you by splashing links all over this page. ;)

Enjoy!

* * *

Thank you for stopping by. Enjoy your day & happy reading!

If You Missed these Plot Bunny Tracks:

March Madness ~ Not Crazy...Just Conflicted

Merry-go-round; Jump on to catch plot bunny...

Mothers, Daughters & Secrets

Hoppin' Kerfluffle! Plot Bunnies Run Amuck!

Magically Entising: Is Your Shapeshifter Sexy today?
Mother, Daughter & Plot Bunny Tracks, Oh My! #amwriting

* * * * * * * * *

Amazon Kindle: Concentric Circles (Shayla's story)

Amazon Kindle: Claire: the Lost Fae

Wyndy: in a Heartbeat ~ Short Story [here]

* * * * * * * * *

Peace & Love be with you always.

~ Aithne Jarretta

Home Twitter Kindle

Symbolic and Creative Stubbornness Personified -- it’s Genetic

noreply@blogger.com (Aithne) — Thu, 07 Jun 2012 12:20:00 +0000

Yes, it’s been awhile since I’ve posted. That doesn’t mean I haven’t been online. In fact, I’ve spent many hours on the web in my quest to complete a project. That’s where the stubbornness comes into play.

If you’ve been around my blog before, you already know I’m a creative with a funky personality. I love plot bunnies, shapeshifters and I’m also a creature of habit. <<< This last statement is so true and the personality trait frequently gets away from me. ;)

So why haven’t I posted to my blog recently?

The creative within me was determined to prepare Claire: the Lost Fae for print edition.

And…

Since I’m a fiendish creature of habit, it meant doing the work myself.

Personally, I don’t see anything wrong with this. I was playing in Photoshop long before I sat down to write my first story. Although I didn’t have the program for awhile, my recent computer upgrade gave me all the Adobe programs and I’m back onboard with making covers or promotional banners. (fun! ;)

With the new Photoshop program installed on my computer, I proceeded to download templates for the print book interior and the full cover flat.

For the most part, formatting the book interior was easy. I’m a stickler for a nice format and the Kindle edition of Claire is beautiful. There was one aspect that I wanted to carry over from ebook into the print edition.

That little symbol became the most exasperating element of the print book creation. Looking back, I can laugh, but while in the throes of working through dpi issues it wasn’t a laughing matter. Dpi is pixels per inch and Createspace has pretty stringent expectations. That’s okay because I want the print edition to measure up to my own high standards.

That’s why I stubbornly insisted that this symbol would retain its position on the title page. (stubbornly attached to a symbol...yes that's funky & dare I say genetic?)

But perseverance pays off. YaY!

After fifteen tries, the image worked. Whew! I worried Creatspace would ban me and tell me to never come back. lol

The print edition of Claire: the Lost Fae is coming soon! I’ve ordered the proof copy and want to check if everything is perfect, then it’ll be available for shipment.

Here’s a sneak peek at the cover flat.

Be sure to watch this blog for updates. ;)

* * *

Thank you for stopping by. Enjoy your day & happy reading!

If You Missed these Plot Bunny Tracks:

March Madness ~ Not Crazy...Just Conflicted

Merry-go-round; Jump on to catch plot bunny...

Mothers, Daughters & Secrets

Hoppin' Kerfluffle! Plot Bunnies Run Amuck!

Magically Entising: Is Your Shapeshifter Sexy today?
Mother, Daughter & Plot Bunny Tracks, Oh My! #amwriting

* * * * * * * * *

Amazon Kindle: Concentric Circles (Shayla's story)

Amazon Kindle: Claire: the Lost Fae

Wyndy: in a Heartbeat ~ Short Story [here]

* * * * * * * * *

Peace & Love be with you always.

~ Aithne Jarretta

Home Twitter Kindle

Celebration -- Excerpt Party Join in the fun!

noreply@blogger.com (Aithne) — Sat, 02 Jun 2012 19:08:00 +0000

This week I have the pleasure of joining some of my Tribemates in an #excerptparty on Twitter. So if you've stopped by because of a link on Twitter thanks for coming by. ;)

Excerpt from Claire: the Lost Fae

Claire tilted her head and stared up into blackness. An odd sensation gripped her throat. She fought through the fear, and finally squeaked, "And exactly what destination is that?"

"Up the rungs and through a stone on your left."

"Wonder if I believe that one." She started climbing. "Heights," she muttered. If there was anything she truly didn't like, it was being high in the air. Give her the ground under her feet. A car or even a train was her idea of perfect traveling.

Claire climbed. Magical lights on either side of them lit the earthly shaft with just enough glow to see their direction.

Higher and higher up through the earth they journeyed.

After what seemed like fifty rungs, she stopped and looked down. "Whoa!"

Leeson's wand, stuck from a loop on the back of his long coat. The tip lit the shaft.

Seeing how far they had climbed sent spikes of fear through all five senses. Her knees went weak.

She gripped the rung in front of her and took several breaths. The smell of earth soothed frazzled nerves.

Claire couldn't help but think of the old well behind the convent. There had been a legend about a young boy surviving a fall into the wet depths.

Claire shivered as the memory passed through her thoughts.

"Nice view, isn't it?" Leeson's voice came up to her edged with laughter.

"You better not mean my butt!"

"Now that you mention it..."

She shoved her right foot downward. The only thing her foot found was empty air. Embarrassment made her flinch. The worn leather sole of her left boot slipped off the ladder rung.

"Ahhh!" Heart pounding, Claire realized her fingers were slipping. She kicked empty air. Fingers seeking something to grip scratched at the walls.

Panic!

"Easy."

Strong arms surrounded her.

Claire gasped and sputtered. Masculine scent filled her lungs. Words eluded while supercharged heat raced through her veins. The fabric of his coat was suddenly the dearest lifeline.

* * *

Thank you for stopping by. Enjoy your day & happy reading!

If You Missed these Plot Bunny Tracks:

March Madness ~ Not Crazy...Just Conflicted

Merry-go-round; Jump on to catch plot bunny...

Mothers, Daughters & Secrets

Hoppin' Kerfluffle! Plot Bunnies Run Amuck!

Magically Entising: Is Your Shapeshifter Sexy today?
Mother, Daughter & Plot Bunny Tracks, Oh My! #amwriting

* * * * * * * * *

Amazon Kindle: Concentric Circles (Shayla's story)

Amazon Kindle: Claire: the Lost Fae

Wyndy: in a Heartbeat ~ Short Story [here]

* * * * * * * * *

Peace & Love be with you always.

~ Aithne Jarretta

Home Twitter Kindle

Artfully Distracted - Book Posters

noreply@blogger.com (Aithne) — Thu, 24 May 2012 21:52:00 +0000

Recently, life has had more than it's usual distractions. We all have them... those tidbit moments that take us away from what we set our mind to doing today.

I was naughty and snitched the puppy pic from Facebook this morning. It's because the little dog running as if sudden freedom was a newly found treat made me laugh. It reminded me of our dog Rodney. He never needed a gate to make a run for it. Of course, at the time, my fear for his safety made laughter something to save for later. ;)

Facebook is one of those distractions, but not so powerful as the Kindleboards. I've learned a great deal this year from reading the posts there. Someone started a discussion thread about creating posters for our books. You know the kind I mean. Movie posters.

Oh my...

You've probably read that I have a new computer. Did I mention it has Photoshop? That's something that's been absent for several years and I missed it. Now, combined with the idea to make book posters...

Well, you can imagine that I've been playing. I started a poster for Claire: the Lost Fae and haven't finished it yet. I love tinkering with the different layers. ;) When I finish, I'll post it here.

But I have finished a poster for Concentric Circles. Here's the first book poster.

You may ask, "Now what do we do with them?"

Have you ever noticed the "share your images" link on the Amazon book pages? That's right! This book poster has been uploaded to the Amazon page. Isn't technology grand?

I promise I'll get back to plot bunnies, supernatural happenings and sharing what I'm reading (yes, I've been reading, too).

* * *

Thank you for stopping by. Enjoy your day & happy reading!

If You Missed these Plot Bunny Tracks:

March Madness ~ Not Crazy...Just Conflicted

Merry-go-round; Jump on to catch plot bunny...

Mothers, Daughters & Secrets

Hoppin' Kerfluffle! Plot Bunnies Run Amuck!

Magically Entising: Is Your Shapeshifter Sexy today?
Mother, Daughter & Plot Bunny Tracks, Oh My! #amwriting

* * * * * * * * *

Amazon Kindle: Concentric Circles (Shayla's story)

Amazon Kindle: Claire: the Lost Fae

Wyndy: in a Heartbeat ~ Short Story [here]

* * * * * * * * *

Peace & Love be with you always.

~ Aithne Jarretta

Home Twitter Kindle

Over the Rainbow, #TeaserTrain Wrapped in a New Theme

noreply@blogger.com (Aithne) — Thu, 17 May 2012 09:21:00 +0000

Recently, it became necessary to take a break from my online presence and do some regrouping. The biggest aspect of that time away was spent reworking this blog. The project to change wasn't planned, but since my old blogger theme was removed from the Internet by the creator I had some major scrambling. (They don't notify the people using their CSS that the project has been removed. *sigh*)

The process wasn't easy because for several months I've been working with a nifty little Netbook. That was actually the real reason for the vacation-break. On that little pink beauty, the Internet connection is disastrously slow (think old-time dial-up) so there was no pleasure in working my social networks due to page loading taking several minutes.

Rebuilding here on Blogger while still using the little Netbook took several days while awaiting my new computer. Do you like the new layout? It should be much easier to read. ;)

When I finished with the new theme, I was completely relieved! At that point all I waited for was my new computer.

I'm blessed with a computer geek son and he has gifted me with so much computer power that it's magical. lol Not only can I work through social networking with supernatural oomph, but I can watch a DVD, too!

Also, I didn't realize how much I missed a full sized keyboard. Now, I'm back to writing and there's less cramping. Woot!

That means my current wip is progressing nicely. ;)

* * *

Enough with my news. Today is Thursday #TeaserTrain on Twitter and I thought it would be fun to share a magical moment with you.

If you've read my blogs before, you know that I love playing with plot bunnies. If you're new, don't fret. You'll find several links below where you can explore some popular plot bunny posts.

This is where we get to the lovely sign above...

Why?

Because in CLAIRE: the LOST FAE playing with a rainbow became a marvelous plot bunny. This #TeaserTrain comes from chapter twelve, Òran Mór, in which Claire loses her fear of flying in the midst of a magical rainbow.

Enjoy!

Leeson’s sensual laugh played along Claire's skin. "Did you see the rainbow?"

"No," she answered and nibbled his neck.

He backed away. His sudden absence startled her to their surroundings.

High above San Franscisco, he spun her in a waltzing circle.

Claire gasped. "Can people see us?"

"Only if you want them to."

Arching over the bay and iconic bridge was the largest rainbow she had ever seen. "Oh! The colors are awesome! Do you think it’s a sign that everything will work out?"

He moved curls from her neck, kissed and finished with a breath across wet skin. "Rainbows are a symbol of hope."

She had just been thinking of hope, moments before Leeson arrived. "It's perfect. Hope is heart magic. I never really made the connection before though. Emily Dickinson said, 'Hope is that thing with feathers that perches in the soul and sings the tune without the words and never stops…at all.'"

"Then I agree with Emily Dickinson. Can you hear the music?" he asked.

"From a rainbow?"

"Let the earth whisper," Leeson said while spinning. "The ancient Celts called the phenomen Òran Mór. That is the name for the earth’s song and is magic at the deepest level."

Claire focused on opening to hearing any possible sound. At first she only heard city traffic, but then something else murmured past her ears.

The heartstrings of heaven and earth combined into whispers of beautiful music. It was powerful and exhilarating.

Leeson’s arms surrounded her.

The air around them colored the sky with brilliance scented in delicious aromas of cinnamon and strawberry.

Fear of flying did not exist anymore as they journeyed through the wispy rainbow colors.

Nature's gift of misty transparency caressed them with divine love. Each rainbow color contained its own flavor, sound and intense vibration.

When Leeson guided her flight into the brilliant orange mist, Claire's mouth watered at the luscious citrus scent. Oranges and lemons were already her favorites. She would never see them the same way again.

By the time they reached the enriched shades of violet, joy consumed her and she spun in happy circles while coursing invisible across the San Francisco Bay heavens.

* * *

Thank you for stopping by. Enjoy your day & happy reading!

If You Missed these Plot Bunny Tracks:

March Madness ~ Not Crazy...Just Conflicted

Merry-go-round; Jump on to catch plot bunny...

Mothers, Daughters & Secrets

Hoppin' Kerfluffle! Plot Bunnies Run Amuck!

Magically Entising: Is Your Shapeshifter Sexy today?
Mother, Daughter & Plot Bunny Tracks, Oh My! #amwriting

* * * * * * * * *

Amazon Kindle: Concentric Circles (Shayla's story)

Amazon Kindle: Claire: the Lost Fae

Wyndy: in a Heartbeat ~ Short Story [here]

* * * * * * * * *

Peace & Love be with you always.

~ Aithne Jarretta

Home Twitter Kindle

The TBR Pile. What are You Reading? #fridayreads

noreply@blogger.com (Aithne) — Fri, 27 Apr 2012 05:18:00 +0000

The TBR pile. We all have one. Recently I decided to share some of my TBR Pile with the Readers that visit my blog.

Yes, I could be posting these books on Goodreads. I don't visit there often anymore and if I share here, then I can see the the progress in my own space of the Internet.

This isn't about reviews. There are plenty of other websites/blogs for that.

I may share my thoughts about the books, but I won't be posting them on Amazon or Goodreads. Also, although I'm an Amazon Associate, if you click the link here I won't be making a commission because I want to be fair in sharing.

So let's get started...

This week I'm reading The Bearwalker's Daughter by Beth Trissel.

(Amazon Product Description)

Timid by nature—or so she thinks—Karin McNeal hasn’t grasped who she really is or her fierce birthright. A tragic secret from the past haunts the young Scots-Irish woman longing to learn more of her mother's death and the mysterious father no one will name. The elusive voices she hears in the wind hint at the dramatic changes soon to unfold in the mist-shrouded Alleghenies in Autumn, 1784.

Jack McCray, the wounded stranger who staggers through the door on the eve of her twentieth birthday and anniversary of her mother's death, holds the key to unlock the past. Will Karin let this handsome frontiersman lead her to the truth and into his arms, or seek the shelter of her fiercely possessive kinsmen? Is it only her imagination or does someone, or something, wait beyond the brooding ridges—for her?

Please Note: (This is a revised version of romance novel Daughter of the Wind)

* * *

My thoughts.

Yes, I have an extensive TBR Pile and this is newly republished. I admit that I don't go through my list of books and take from the top. Frankly, it's more important to follow my mood.

My mood the day I started reading this was that I wanted to read a story with history, at least one shape shifter and perhaps a different 'writer's voice' than I usually explore. This story fit.

It took me a little while to get into the flavor of the book because it's been awhile since I've read anything within the historical romance sub-genre.

Ms. Trissel's writing style is smooth and the further I delved into the story, the more I liked it. So much so that I finished it last night.

If you are a reader of historical romance and looking for a new author, I recommend Beth Trissel. She has many other books (have added a couple into the TBR Piles).

Thank you for stopping by. Enjoy your weekend & happy reading!

If You Missed these Plot Bunny Tracks:

March Madness ~ Not Crazy...Just Conflicted

Merry-go-round; Jump on to catch plot bunny...

Mothers, Daughters & Secrets

Hoppin' Kerfluffle! Plot Bunnies Run Amuck!

Magically Entising: Is Your Shapeshifter Sexy today?
Mother, Daughter & Plot Bunny Tracks, Oh My! #amwriting

* * * * * * * * *

Amazon Kindle: Concentric Circles (Shayla's story)

Amazon Kindle: Claire: the Lost Fae

Wyndy: in a Heartbeat ~ Short Story [here]

* * * * * * * * *

Peace & Love be with you always.

~ Aithne Jarretta

Home Twitter Kindle

Magically Delightful Earth Day 2012 #blogtaxi

noreply@blogger.com (Aithne) — Sun, 22 Apr 2012 10:09:00 +0000

What does Earth Day have to do with creating supernatural stories in this modern world? Where are the plot bunnies, magic and the variety of gifted & charmed characters?

They can be in your Kindle. ;)

I’ll be honest, I LOVE books. The paper kind. Long ago, I lost count of how many I own. But that doesn't mean I don't love my Kindle. That handy little device has an Earth saving 150 books on it. ;D

Before I share some Aithne Secret Plot Bunnies, I'd like to give a little bit of historical perspective to this magical day.

Today is special and it all started back in 1962 when U.S. Senator Gaylord Nelson, the “Father of Earth Day,” initiated his first environmental actions. Senator Nelson talked Pres. John F. Kennedy into touring the U.S. in support of saving our environment.

This first effort was unsuccessful and didn’t accomplish the desired change.

But Senator Nelson didn’t give up. On April 22, 1970, the time was right. The determined senator proposed the first National Earth Day. The reason for his proposal was "...to shake up the political establishment and force this issue onto the national agenda.”

Twenty million Americans joined forces to support the cause for a cleaner environment.

It's true that I don't usually post about political issues. That's why I prefer to focus on a gratitude aspect.

Today, April 22, 2012, I just wanted to say Thank You to those folk for beginning that important journey back in 1970. You started a movement that has continued into 2012. Pretty awesome. ;)

Now, back to supernatural stories inside your Kindle. ;)

One of the joys of writing is creating locales to place within the plot lines of my stories.

Honestly, I didn't realize this until I wrote the scenes in Concentric Circles. It's one of those times when 'write what you know' becomes a pivotal plot element.

The scenes I'm referring to grew from first hand experiences and take place at the Gorge Metro Park, 1160 Front St., Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio.

The Gorge Park still holds parts of my heart within its massive ice age carved stones and the rushing waters of Cuyahoga River even though I live in Florida.

I've spent many hours hiking through freshly fallen leaves, stood next to the water fall and also basked in the earthiness of Mary Campbell's Cave. (Mary Campbell was the first known 'white' person so far west.)

During those Gorge Park mini-adventures, I didn't think ahead to when those precious moments would become part of a romance novel. But eventually the plot bunnies found me, wrangled my imagination and enticed the words through busy fingertips.

During the story writing process my appreciation of Mother Earth also deepened.

That's why I'm sharing this portion of Concentric Circles with Readers today.

I don't usually let secret CiaranLexiss (a very special character) out and journeying about the Internet, but today is an opportunity for a double serving of supernatural -- Mother Nature and an awesome talking artifact. Enjoy!

(Excerpt from Concentric Circles, chapter 14; The Gorge.)

Shayla inhaled deeply, pulling in the fall scents of the Gorge Park. She wanted to remember forever the way this place of such awesome beauty felt and smelled. Standing in Mary Campbell’s cave, brought back so many memories. It washed over her with the same power expressed by the falls below. Prior to her trip, she had felt the energies of the park and its glacier carved stones. Now, after the events in Glastonbury, she experienced their vibrations more deeply.

“DO NOT FEAR, PRETTY ONE. YE WILL BE HAPPY IF YE LET YERSELF BE.” CIARANLEXISS said from her boot.

Shayla sighed, looking around. They were alone. She couldn’t help it. Talking to an artifact still came over as more than a little insane. “I guess happiness seems elusive. How does someone leave their home with the possibility of never coming back?”

“YE WILL NEVER TRULY LEAVE. YE CAN ALWAYS COME BACK.”

“Humph.” Shayla began walking along the leaf blown trail, stepping around roots and large stones. “Humans have a saying. ‘You can never go back.’ It’s already different, CIARAN.” She decided the shortened name felt comfortable rolling off her tongue. “What am I going to tell mom? What about my friends? I could care less about my job. I can get a job anywhere.”

The trail steepened. Large boulders, small bushes and trees made the park one of the most interesting in the area. The oaks on either side of the foot trail, stood tall and strong, reflecting the timeless beauty of the landscape. The sound of water journeying down the steep slope in small streams to the Cuyahoga River added their whispers.

A chipmunk chattered at her fiercely for trespassing on his trail.

“Shh. I’m just passing through.”

Another hiker looked at her as though she were a loon.

She shrugged and continued on her way. Think that’s crazy? Try hearing and talking to a knife. By now she realized that CIARAN’s voice actually came from the sgian dhu, and was not inside her mind. Therefore, he had no way of knowing her thoughts. That proved to be something of a relief.

Crossing a small footbridge, she moved toward the high point of the trail. The carved sandstone all around hummed. She stopped briefly, placed her palm on the stone and allowed its vibrations to sweep over her. Up here, the path cut through two massive edifices in a narrow crevice.

Fallen leaves padded the sound of footsteps with both the silence of old nearly decomposed leaves and the rustling of fall’s newest contributions. The essence of nature surrounded her. The scent of the seasons pervaded her sinuses. A blue jay called raucously.

The memory of Meekal’s voice wafted over her. “Haven’t you ever heard a stone scream or purr?”

* * * * * * * * *

Here's a pretty video if you'd like to see some fascinating views of our beautiful Earth. (Yes, I know it's from The Secret, but they offer a fine panorama of viewing pleasure.)

* * * * * * * * *

If You Missed these Plot Bunny Tracks:

March Madness ~ Not Crazy...Just Conflicted

Merry-go-round; Jump on to catch plot bunny...

Mothers, Daughters & Secrets

Hoppin' Kerfluffle! Plot Bunnies Run Amuck!

Magically Entising: Is Your Shapeshifter Sexy today?
Mother, Daughter & Plot Bunny Tracks, Oh My! #amwriting

* * * * * * * * *

Amazon Kindle: Concentric Circles (Shayla's story)

Amazon Kindle: Claire: the Lost Fae

Wyndy: in a Heartbeat ~ Short Story [here]

* * * * * * * * *

Peace & Love be with you always.

~ Aithne Jarretta

Home Twitter Kindle

Shrimp Wiggle Served with a Pinch of Nostalgia #amwriting

noreply@blogger.com (Aithne) — Wed, 18 Apr 2012 09:27:00 +0000

Have you ever held an old book in your hands; taken a deep breath and let the pages fall open where they may?

It’s a trick I learned as a youngster in the library. The process often helped me choose the books I’d check out for the week. The tradition has carried on throughout my life.

That’s why when I decided that it was time to do a bit of research for what food I’d include in my wip I picked up this cookbook.

The New American Cookbook is an antique published in 1941. The copy I own once belonged to my mother.

I must confess that I don’t handle it very often. It’s because although she’s been gone since 1990, there’s an aura around the book that she left behind. Good memories of flour dusted pages, laughter in the warm kitchen, and then there’s those papers…

Pages with mom’s handwriting marking time. The sight still makes my breathing pause. These precious papers seemed ‘old’ when I was a kid. Now the frayed edges tug my heart strings. I don’t know where mom got those recipes or why she decided to write them down. But they are still here 22 years after she is gone.

There are other things in the cookbook. A prize ribbon that my brother won in the first grade. The only reason I know this bit of information is his teacher Mrs. Dickson wrote his name on a piece of paper and pinned it to the ribbon.

There are several newspaper clippings that mom saved from the Akron Beacon Journal. (June 3, 1970) The topic has nothing to do with cooking, so I wonder why she placed them within the pages.

And then there’s the Avon Calling card. Yes, mom was an Avon lady. ;) This piece of memorabilia is a handy card to hang on a client’s door if you rang the doorbell and they weren’t there. My fingers actually shook a bit when I held it. There’s her name (her handwriting again) and the old home phone number.

So I sat here for a few minutes and contemplated these items that still bear some essence from mom. Yes, I planned to use a couple of ‘old time’ recipes in my story. But wait…

Isn’t this what I do? Search out plot bunnies and play with them enough to fit them in some unusual ways between the words that form my magical stories?

That’s precisely what I do.

So the recipe below will make an appearance in Angel Marked. And as usual it will have a special significance to the plot line. That’s part of the fun!

I will admit that I haven’t tried this recipe yet. But since it’s grocery day, I do plan to purchase some shrimp. However, instead of canned tomato soup, I think a nice marinara sauce would fit today’s lifestyle better.

When those cookbook pages fell open the name Shrimp Wiggle grabbed my attention.

Maybe you’d like to try it with your own modern variations. I say go for it and enjoy!

Shrimp Wiggle

1 lb. cooked shrimp
2 tbls. Butter
2 medium sized onions
1 can tomato soup
Cornstarch or flour
Baking soda
Soda crackers

Dice the shrimp. Heat butter in frying pan and fry onions until golden brown. Add tomato soup and equal amount of water. Heat and thicken with cornstarch or flour. When the mixture is at simmering heat, add the shrimp. Just before serving, stir in a good pinch of baking soda, and serve on toasted crackers.

Since I’m not a cracker fan, I’m thinking served on organic pasta with steamed asparagus.

* * * * * * * * *

If You Missed these Plot Bunny Tracks:

March Madness ~ Not Crazy...Just Conflicted

Merry-go-round; Jump on to catch plot bunny...

Mothers, Daughters & Secrets

Hoppin' Kerfluffle! Plot Bunnies Run Amuck!

Magically Enticing: Is Your Shapeshifter Sexy today?
Mother, Daughter & Plot Bunny Tracks, Oh My! #amwriting

* * * * * * * * *

Amazon Kindle: Concentric Circles (Shayla's story)

Amazon Kindle: Claire: the Lost Fae

Wyndy: in a Heartbeat ~ Short Story [here]

* * * * * * * * *

Peace & Love be with you always.

~ Aithne Jarretta

Home Twitter Kindle

Fun Plot Bunny Elements & #Pinterest #blogtaxi

noreply@blogger.com (Aithne) — Mon, 16 Apr 2012 13:01:00 +0000

Recently, I've joined the new trend and started posting images on Pinterest. At first I thought it would take time from my writing, but then I realized that having an online storyboard is a pretty cool tool.

What better way to feed the plot bunnies? ;)

So, although it's true that I have several 'boards' that don't have much to do with writing, I also have a board marked, Storyboard ~ Angel Marked. This is my current wip. If you've read some of my posts from the past, you'll know this story is centered around Katrina Oakland, a character shapeshifter from Claire: the Lost Fae.

One of the interesting aspects about Pinterest is the wide variety of images I can put on this board.

For example:

I went in search of some vintage cars to help with descriptive portions of the story. Imagine my surprise when I came across this ambulance.

Eager to save this antique beauty in a special place, I added it to my wip storyboard.

Now, instead of inserting a scene with a nondescript mention of the ambulance, I can give my readers more detail. (story secrets will not be revealed today) Okay, the ambulance is red and white with a cherry on top. vbg

There are several other items that play a major part in Angel Marked.

Even in my youth I had a fascination for Black Jet. Since this story will also have magical elements, an important piece of jewelry will play a pivotal role.

The idea of using something that comes from the earth, giving it a magical purpose, and hiding it in plain sight makes the plot bunnies very happy. ;)

Since artifacts are always so much fun to play with, the black jet jewelry will have a boundless historical and mythical companion...

Hope you don't mind the mystery. ;)

Of course we will have a handsome hero... This image is here just to serve as inspiration. He isn't the reason this novella is titled Angel Marked.

And of course, since this story centers around Katrina, there will be elements of marble. ;) (see Is Your Shape Shifter Sexy Today. You will find one secret about Katrina and her luscious playfulness with marble.)

When it comes to the end of the day (or story) I think that having a place like Pinterest to post and share is another fun aspect of life on the 'Net. If you'd like to see my collection of growing boards, click [here]. Stop by and give us a look. If you've already started your boards, follow me and I'll follow back and check your boards, too.

* * * * * * * * *

If You Missed these Plot Bunny Tracks:

March Madness ~ Not Crazy...Just Conflicted

Merry-go-round; Jump on to catch plot bunny...

Mothers, Daughters & Secrets

Hoppin' Kerfluffle! Plot Bunnies Run Amuck!

Magically Entising: Is Your Shapeshifter Sexy today?
Mother, Daughter & Plot Bunny Tracks, Oh My! #amwriting

* * * * * * * * *

Amazon Kindle: Concentric Circles (Shayla's story)

Amazon Kindle: Claire: the Lost Fae

Wyndy: in a Heartbeat ~ Short Story [here]

* * * * * * * * *

Peace & Love be with you always.

~ Aithne Jarretta

Home Twitter Kindle

Delightfully 8 Track Tape Day! Yes, 4-10-12 is a Holiday

noreply@blogger.com (Aithne) — Tue, 10 Apr 2012 10:00:00 +0000

Well, with that title you can probably guess a few things. This blog post is a quick expression of what happens when you start doing research for stories.

In the beginning of my exploration for story elements to include in Angel Marked, (current wip) I realized I needed to search for some different things. The paranormal aspects are super easy so I veered off into cultural aspects.

During the search for cultural tidbits, I discovered a cool site that lists unusual holidays. Imagine my surprise to find there’s a holiday celebrating that good old fashioned 8 Track Tape.

We can learn something new everyday. ;D

For the younger generation (those who don’t remember 8 tracks) back in the mid 1960s to the end of 1970s that’s what our music was placed on so that we could listen in our cars or home. Vinyl records were on the way out of style and the smaller cassettes weren’t yet the vogue.

I thought it was fascinating to discover that 8 Track Tapes were invented by William Lear—the jet maker. So you suppose he wanted music in his jets while flying the world’s air waves?

The idea of portable music without the radio DJ really took off when Ford installed the 8 Track in several of their models in 1966. Alas, this invention didn’t last long. (as with many of the wonderful gadgets we have now) Even during its short life span several glitches like bad sound quality, large size and the inability to move forward or backward led to 8 Track Tape's inevitable demise.

Will 8 Track Tapes become an element in my new story Angel Marked?

Frankly, I haven’t made that decision yet. I'm quite sure that I could add a supernatural twist to the music devise in a car. I'll take a wait and see stance. ;)

But my indecision doesn't mean we can’t pause and take a look back at history and maybe remember our favorite songs playing from an 8 Track Tape player.

Just for fun... Bring to mind and contemplate your favorite song...

* * * * * * * * *

If You Missed these Plot Bunny Tracks:

March Madness ~ Not Crazy...Just Conflicted

Merry-go-round; Jump on to catch plot bunny...

Mothers, Daughters & Secrets

Hoppin' Kerfluffle! Plot Bunnies Run Amuck!

Magically Entising: Is Your Shapeshifter Sexy today?
Mother, Daughter & Plot Bunny Tracks, Oh My! #amwriting

* * * * * * * * *

Amazon Kindle: Concentric Circles (Shayla's story)
Prime Members $0.00
Amazon Kindle: Claire: the Lost Fae
Prime Members $0.00

Wyndy: in a Heartbeat ~ Short Story [here]

* * * * * * * * *

Peace & Love be with you always.

~ Aithne Jarretta

Home Twitter Kindle

Delightfully Bound to the ‘Net from West Coast Florida #blogtaxi

noreply@blogger.com (Aithne) — Tue, 03 Apr 2012 22:27:00 +0000

I admit that I still remember the days before we had the Internet. There were childhood moments when I sat beneath the apple tree on a swing and savored the fresh blossoms floating down around me like angel kisses.

Heaven came and took the apple tree. That incident was one of my ‘first loss experiences.’ But those apple blossoms are still a part of me because I can close my eyes and be swinging in bliss. (Springtime always brings this memory to the forefront of my life. ;)

By the time the apple blossoms disappeared, I began a new journey. An amazing time it was, too. For you see, I spent many days curled up in my favorite chair reading the latest in a long stream of books to be explored.

Sometimes, I wonder if those days are long lost in the slipstream of time. We all know we can’t get them back unless we close our eyes and dream.

In many ways that’s okay, because events and memories have happened during the in-between space of Then and Now.

For awhile, I spent time living on a street named Orchardway. That’s what happens when an apple orchard is bulldozed to make room for progress and new housing.

Looking back, I realize that Orchardway was also a portal to the future. Remember dial-up internet? That horrible buzzing, and then the computer monitor springing to life with a window to the world?

Oh yeah!

I remember we were the odd people—we had a computer. Neighbors shook their heads and scowled because they didn’t know how to react to such peculiar behavior. (psst… I bet each house in that neighborhood has every gadget they can buy now. lol)

The Internet grew by leaps and bounds. Frequent changes kept the learning curve alive. During the early days of connection issues and constant ‘net construction’ the education could be a head banging experience. <-- I laugh about this now. But in the long run it has been a joyous trip.

If you really think about your Internet time, when we click through a link, we are visiting places around the world with amazing efficiency. (No, this doesn’t eliminate real life travels.)

A brief example: I’m on the gulf coast, Florida. From this vantage point, I can click [here] and visit a favorite romance author, read her latest news and browse her pages. Catherine Bybee is a pretty cool person, and guess what? She’s in California.

After visiting California, I can click [here] and visit my friend Tanya in the Lake District, England. Yup… across the pond. Tanya shares amazing photos that she has taken during her hiking sprees through the Lake District. (please forgive my mispelling!)

*waves*

Yes, I’m still here in Florida being kissed by pleasant gulf breezes. And that means that you are here in Florida, too. Welcome to the Sunshine State. ;)

Does that make you a voyager, journeyman or time traveler? If that’s what you would like, I say go for it.

So what does being delightfully bound to the ‘net have to do with today’s post? Well, another cool aspect of the Internet is that I can be on someone else’s blog at the same time I’m on mine. (Two places at once! Lol Now that’s magic.)

Laurie’s Thoughts & Reviews has a special feature post today for Claire: the Lost Fae. Give Laurie a visit and learn a few secrets about the writing process that I shared with her readers.

Thank you for passing through my world. ;)

* * * * * * * * *

If You Missed these Plot Bunny Tracks:

March Madness ~ Not Crazy...Just Conflicted

Merry-go-round; Jump on to catch plot bunny...

Mothers, Daughters & Secrets

Hoppin' Kerfluffle! Plot Bunnies Run Amuck!

Magically Entising: Is Your Shapeshifter Sexy today?
Mother, Daughter & Plot Bunny Tracks, Oh My! #amwriting

* * * * * * * * *

Peace & Love be with you always.

~ Aithne Jarretta

Home Twitter Kindle

Gratitude Springs from an Awesome Share

noreply@blogger.com (Aithne) — Sun, 01 Apr 2012 09:00:00 +0000

Gratitude does spring from an an awesome share. If you're an author, you know how a good review can make your day.

Recently, I've learned some things about sharing.

When I began this writer's journey and paused my words long enough to focus on learning social media, I discovered that it's the simple shares that can uplift.

So I grew my following on Twitter, joined Triberr, and began sharing blog posts and books from other authors.

It's actually a personal goal to help Readers discover new reads. That's my purpose behind tweeting my fellow tribe mate's blogs and books.

There was a time when I did some book reviews. I admit that I've fallen off that wagon. And for awhile last fall I shared with my followers on Twitter what I was reading with a weekly blog post. Sadly, all those posts were on the 'pages' section of my blog and when I switched to this new theme they were completely lost.

With all the new changes, even after Claire: the Lost Fae was published, I have been overwhelmed. So I've been sidetracked from keeping tabs on the numbers for this book.

Frankly, that's unusual. So I checked. Claire has been downloaded more than 1000 times. And she only had one review. *sigh* (Although it's a 5* and I love it. ;)

But one review? The writer's mind can play tricks...

Is there something wrong? Is this story in the right genre? Are my world building skills off kilter? Is my brain too far over the rainbow? Supernatural concepts too far out there?

Yikes!

Since I'm supposed to be working on Angel Marked, a novella featuring Katrina from Claire the Lost Fae, all these questions pause the muse.

Then there's an awesome share!

A Reader in Canada leaves a wonderful review:

5.0 out of 5 stars Loved it., March 31, 2012

By Prudence MacLeod "Pru" (NL, Canada)
Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Claire: the Lost Fae (Kindle Edition)

Just a quick review here. I loved this book, it is entertaining and the storyline holds up throughout. This author has a great imagination as well as strong writing skills. Want to escape the mundane world for a few hours, The Lost Fae is your portal. Go on, step through, you'll be glad you did.

In the Author world, the more experienced authors teach that we should never respond to reviews. In many ways, that seems sad to me because I always say "Thank You" when someone does something nice.

So this little blog post is my Thank You and I want to add, Bless You, Pru! I wish you could feel my gratitude over the many miles.

* * * * * * * * *

If You Missed these Plot Bunny Tracks:

March Madness ~ Not Crazy...Just Conflicted

Merry-go-round; Jump on to catch plot bunny...

Mothers, Daughters & Secrets

Hoppin' Kerfluffle! Plot Bunnies Run Amuck!

Magically Entising: Is Your Shapeshifter Sexy today?
Mother, Daughter & Plot Bunny Tracks, Oh My! #amwriting

* * * * * * * * *

Amazon Kindle: Concentric Circles (Shayla's story)
Claire: the Lost Fae ~ Available Now

Wyndy: in a Heartbeat ~ Short Story [here]

* * * * * * * * *

Peace & Love be with you always.

~ Aithne Jarretta

Home Twitter Kindle

Aithne Jarretta Shares #FridayFlash

noreply@blogger.com (Aithne) — Sat, 31 Mar 2012 18:25:00 +0000

I like sharing this little piece of flash fiction with readers every once in a while. It doesn't take long to read because it's a whopping 750 words.

The story initially was a flash fiction challenge presented to local writers. Winners were published in the periodical The Florida Palm.

One of the memories I love about being chosen...

The periodical placed a really cool lightning flash image as the background for the whole section of pages in the article.

Hope you enjoy.

Lancashire England: 1600

“Ow!”

Arsi stared as blood seeped through a cut created by the shattered mirror. She raised her fingers, turning them to see better in the candlelight. Black in darkness becomes red within light. The last image in the mirror was lightning flashing outside her window, giving her black hair a blue tinge.

A strange sensation spiraled within, building trepidation. Broken mirrors were a portent. She frowned at the araneous cracks. They gave the impression of a thousand facetted pieces. Mesmerized by her fragmented reflection, she began to notice a strange mist.

It seeped from the fissures, increasing in thickness, surrounding her like a shroud. An unseen band tightened around her lungs, stealing her breath. Loss of air culminated in shaky knees. “What?”
She stepped away. Her breathing, now rapid and shallow, filled the chamber, in accompaniment of her fast heartbeat. She shuddered.

Someone with a strange accent spoke. “Don’t be afraid.”

The band around her released. She inhaled sharply and threw herself away from the person who appeared.

“Ah, the blood of a phoenix, a lightning strike, and of course—my mirror.”

Her heel caught on the fringe of the hand-woven rug. She landed hard on oak planks. “Omph!” Still frightened, Arsi moved backward. She stared at him, heart thudding. “Who are ye?”

He grinned, showing very white teeth, and then pushed his hand through short black hair. “I’m Raven O’dara. I’m from the future. Don’t fear me.”

The hairs on her neck stood. He was dressed in dark, unfamiliar clothing. She frowned at black boots. Their sheen reflected the candle glow. She had never seen such in her lifetime. Disbelief welled. “The future?”

He shrugged and nodded. Spinning, he studied the room. “Humph. Let me fix this.” He swept a hand over the mirror. It became whole.

She gasped. His reflection, unbroken and highlighted by flickering flames, smiled. “Ye are a witch?” Her querulous voice echoed.

“No. I’m from two thousand-eleven.” He moved closer.

She tried to scamper away across the bed; its quilts hampered her progress. His laughter sent butterfly tingles over her skin. “Ye are a witch if ye claim to be from the future!”

He pounced upon her.

Fear and confusion consumed her. She attempted to hit him.

More laughter, and then he grabbed her wrists. His face lit with amusement. He tilted his head, eyeing her. “You’re young. Nineteen, maybe?”

She growled deep in her throat and shook her head. Warmth saturated her, thrumming through her heated blood.

Someone shouted outside. The sound of shattering glass assaulted her. A large stone landed on the floor, hostility and mayhem, its tail.

“Come out! Witch!”

Stilled by the rock’s intrusion, she tried to swallow. “I’m not a witch,” she whispered through a dry throat.

“I know.” Raven brushed his finger down her temple, moving it to her mouth. A feather light touch, across tender skin, tickled her. “You must face this in order to live. That’s why I’m here. I will take you from the ashes afterward. You will be fine.” He rose, pulling her up.

Humanity surged through the door. Frenzied, she tried to escape. There was nowhere to run. Death’s shadow appeared everywhere, grabbing and pulling her toward the abyss. Someone hit her on the head.

Blackness engulfed her, choking away her scream.

Water.

She gasped at the shock of cold wetness.

“Wake up witch!”

“I am not—”

Belligerent hatred silenced her. Rough hands clenched. The stake, powerful yet temporary, held her tightly to the place of death. Strange, its purpose should cross her mind in the midst of turmoil. She looked for Raven. There, standing at the back of the crowd. Sudden calmness blessed her.

Someone in the mob stepped through him as though he was not present. Eyes gazing upon her, he smiled.

“The end is truly the beginning.” He blew a kiss on his fingertips.

The action brought forth acceptance. She studied the wood below. Damp from the rain, it would smolder and start with painful slowness. A quick inhale and release, the fire blazed from her magic, surrounding her, tickling in its warmth.

This is who I am. In a flashpoint of phoenix fire, she sang, blissful in newfound freedom.

* * *

Thank you!

* * * * * * * * *

If You Missed these Plot Bunny Tracks:

March Madness ~ Not Crazy...Just Conflicted

Merry-go-round; Jump on to catch plot bunny...

Mothers, Daughters & Secrets

Hoppin' Kerfluffle! Plot Bunnies Run Amuck!

Magically Entising: Is Your Shapeshifter Sexy today?
Mother, Daughter & Plot Bunny Tracks, Oh My! #amwriting

* * * * * * * * *

Amazon Kindle: Concentric Circles (Shayla's story)
Claire: the Lost Fae ~ Available Now

Wyndy: in a Heartbeat ~ Short Story [here] (soon to be unpublished!)

* * * * * * * * *

Peace & Love be with you always.

~ Aithne Jarretta

Home Twitter Kindle

The Creature of Habit has Returned! #amwriting

noreply@blogger.com (Aithne) — Thu, 22 Mar 2012 14:32:00 +0000

All right, I acknowledge she never left. ;) I guess I’m referring to the fact I went to the office supply store (<-- OSS) in search of creature comforts.

If you’ve stopped by and read some of my posts you’ll remember the shopping trip to find new notebooks for story notes. That was a night to remember because I was starting a new story and needed supplies. (read here)

That night at the OSS I saw an office chair that distracted me from my original intent. It took discipline but I stayed focused and purchased the necessary notebooks.

A week later my PC crashed. *sigh* Thank goodness I keep all my writing on a USB. I’m blessed with an awesome son talented in the ways of computers, so now I’m working on a different system. It would take a degree in computer science to explain the intricacies.

During all the hoopla over computer changes (creature of habit struggling with newness, acronyms she’s never heard before & working on keeping up with online duties) I decided to make another major change.

Yep. That’s me, on some supernatural, freaky day and wandering through the misty fog of the unknown.

I made a major decision.

Change my writing space. Completely change—from a room in the back of the house to the front.

Three months ago I would have never expected this.

In the new room, I sat down and started working on one of my new stories.

The story starts at a crossroads. I thought that was appropriate because I’ve been standing in the center of a junction and making many different decisions.

Then it happened. The chair I was using did horrible things to my back. It didn’t seem to matter that I placed cushions and focused on posture. The back pain kept getting worse.

Who knew this could be such a risky business? Since I’ve been doing this for several years, I didn’t.

That’s why we circled back around to the OSS & that chair that had distracted with pleasant comfort. Of course it’s been weeks so the store inventory was different. It took some poking around and moving the new arrivals aside. (Yes, I talked to them politely. They were nice, but…) I was ready to give up, and then I saw a familiar face…err, I mean chair back.

With its high back, perfectly placed arms, adjustable seat and WHEELS! I was tickled pink. Who on earth would put such a heavenly chair in the furthest corner of the store? How rude!

Woot! I discovered something amazing. My new chair was marked down 60% for clearance!

So this time, instead of riding the chair up the isle (yes, it’s rough on my son taking mom out into the ‘normal’ world), I proudly pushed the chair to the front of the store and purchased it.

Last night my dear son laughed at me because I kept sitting in my new chair. *sigh* this time in pleasure. After several hours of being here, there is NO back pain!

So now I must get back to that crossroads story filled with shapeshifters, magic and adventure, but it’s a renewed pleasure. ;)

* * * * * * * * *

If You Missed these Plot Bunny Tracks:

March Madness ~ Not Crazy...Just Conflicted

Merry-go-round; Jump on to catch plot bunny...

Mothers, Daughters & Secrets

Hoppin' Kerfluffle! Plot Bunnies Run Amuck!

Magically Entising: Is Your Shapeshifter Sexy today?
Mother, Daughter & Plot Bunny Tracks, Oh My! #amwriting

* * * * * * * * *

Amazon Kindle: Concentric Circles (Shayla's story)
Claire: the Lost Fae ~ Available Now

Wyndy: in a Heartbeat ~ Short Story [here] (soon to be unpublished!)

* * * * * * * * *

Peace & Love be with you always.

~ Aithne Jarretta

Home Twitter Kindle