Tag Archives: Fiction

Dark Dawn Giveaway

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It’s no secret that I love reading and when I find a new book or author that I really like I want to share them with everyone so they can enjoy them as much as I do. Well, this is another one of those occasions and that book is Dark Dawn by Melissa Brodsky and Nicole Andrews Moore.

Through blogging I met Melissa Brodsky and had the chance to meet her in person this spring. What I didn’t know though was what an amazing writer she is! I had the chance to read one of her books… which totally left me hanging and I can’t wait for the next one. But I also have the chance to share this one with you and give you the opportunity to win some amazing prizes!

Here’s a little teaser about Dark Dawn.

dark dawn cover

In the beginning God made the heavens and the earth, and everything in between. The In-between was unplanned, unexpected, and

unwelcome. Every action causes a reaction and when mankind was born, so were the Fae. Suddenly it was up to Heaven to save Earth. God created Angels to right his wrong, to save human kind. A deal was made, an agreement of sorts. The Angels would protect humanity from Fae domination and destruction, and in return they would have inhuman strength and immortality. Thus a time of angels swooping in to save humans from free will, bad decisions, and big mistakes began. They protected humans from the Fae who intentionally enslaved them, leaving shells of humans, or worse, leaving nothing at all.

Even God doesn’t always learn from mistakes. Angels were given freedom of choice. Some Angels chose wrong. When some of them spread their wings, they went too far, and just as Icharus was punished for getting too close to the sun, they were punished for getting too close to mankind.

So they fell. Falling was the easy part.

I am in the middle of reading the book and it’s simply amazing. I love the fantasy aspect of the book and how it’s intertwined with God’s creation of Earth, Adam, Eve, and well you get the idea. Besides, I’m only half way through and don’t want to give too much away.

If you want to read the books you can find it on Amazon in both the NA version as well as the adult version for only $2.99!

If you want to know a little more about the authors of Dark Dawn you can find them on Goodreads, social media, as well as their own websites.

Nicole Andrews Moore

Goodreads
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Website

Melissa Brodsky

Goodreads
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Website

Now, for the really good part. The giveaway!

There will be 7 winners total! One will win a $20 Amazon gift card, two will win a signed copy of Dark Dawn, and five winners will win Dark Dawn bookmarks. All you have to do is use the super simple Rafflecopter form below!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Disclosure: I was given a copy of Dark Dawn for review. All thoughts & opinions are my own.

Imperfect Pairings – A Book Review

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I just finished another novel! That makes almost 10 this year so far… a pretty darn good accomplishment if you ask me! The latest was called Imperfect Pairings by Jackie Townsend.

Touted as a romance novel based on the write up it quickly grabbed my attention and I thought that I’d love it.

imperfect pairings

 

 

 

In “Imperfect Pairings” a woman’s love for an Italian leaves her confronting this question. He’s Jack in America, but he’s Giovanni in Italy; understanding him means understanding his culture, his language. It means losing the foundations of her identity to become entangled in the deep-rooted vines of his family’s troubled past when she’d vowed to remain disentangled. Her career and autonomy had always come first, and she fell in love thinking she could control it, not give in to it. Is she losing herself? Or is she finally giving in to the woman she’d been all along.

 

 

 

 

Was it a romance? Eh… sort of. It was one of those books that I start reading and think that it’s just to slow to keep on reading but I read and then as I get further into it I’m pulled in because I want to know more.

Jamie and Jack, the main characters, are both very intelligent and driven people who put a lot of effort into their jobs. It’s their jobs that brought them together in a secret relationship until they get married to help Jack stay in the country. Of course they’re in love with one another but it’s an odd relationship to say the least. It’s not a relationship that I would want for myself as it seems to cold… contrived. It lacked the deep love & warmth that relationships have.

With multiple trips to Italy Jamie quickly learns that Jack or Giovanni isn’t the man that she thought he really was. She quickly learns that there is more to him… his life… and his family… and wine. Which becomes center to the book and their lives.

It wasn’t until the end of the book that the two of them actually started acting more like a couple than two who were together for mere convenience. It was then that I actually started to really like the characters and wanted to know what happened with them…. and then the book ended. Yes, ended.

Overall, I thought that it was a pretty good book and I’d recommend it if you’re looking for something to pass the time.

I received this advance copy of this book through Net Galley in return for my review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

The Coffee Shop

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Zermat-Romantic-M

This week the fabulous writers from Write on Edge are tempting us with a new prompt….. Introduce a romantic interest or opportunity and see what happens. And do it with 450 words or less. 

In keeping with the current storyline of Becca & Jake I bring you another installment in their story. If you’d like to read more click here.

Becca looked down at the cup in front of her, it was half full of tea that had gone cold hours ago. Another turn of her head and she looked out the window and realized that dusk was setting upon the city.

How long had she been sitting there? Hours it appeared, but she’d finally been able to make some progress on her final project for graduation. It was the last step before she was done with six long years of school, hard work, lack of sleep, and determination. It would be worth it though.

Becca stood up and walked up to the counter and ordered a cup of coffee this time. She figured she’d need it to get through the rest of the evening.

The door opened and a tall guy with sandy brown hair and green eyes walked in. Immediately Becca’s eyes were drawn to him and when he looked up and smiled at her it was all that she could to keep from drooling all over herself. Quickly she looked back at the clerk and thanked her before moving back to her table.

Becca started to gather her things when she sensed that someone was sitting across from her.

“Hi,” said a distinctly male voice.

Becca looked up and her eyes locked with those deep green eyes that walked in the door a few minutes ago. “H..hi,” she replied. He had caught her off guard and she was having trouble with words for some reason.

He held his hand out to her and smiled. “I’m Jake.”

She smiled in return because it was hard not to. “I’m.. I’m Becca,” she replied a bit softer than she’d meant to as she shook his hand.

“So, I’ve seen you here a few times… you’re pretty focused on your work all the time,” he said to her.

“Umm… yea. It’s quiet and I can usually make progress on my project. My roommates can be loud sometimes….” she replied trailing off as she finished gathering her things. “Do you go to Brown too?”

He laughed at her question. “Nope,” he replied before taking a drink of his coffee. “I went to college out west and graduated a year or so ago.”

“Oh,” she said and felt like an idiot for making an assumption.

“I’m an elementary school teacher,” he told her.

She smiled again at him, “Wow! That takes a lot of patience.”

“It does, but I love it.”

“I’m graduating this spring,” she told him.

They talked until the shop closed and then left together.

When all is lost

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According to Dante, the gates of hell are inscribed “Abandon all hope, ye who enter here.” Let that inscription lead, but not necessarily define, your piece for Friday’s link-up.

Write On Edge: Red-Writing-Hood

When all is lost there is hope. Hope in the future, hope in love, and hope that things will get better.

That’s what everyone kept telling her, but she knew that they were wrong and things weren’t going to get better. As a matter of fact things were getting worse day by day and keeping hope was more difficult than just accepting the inevitable. So what was inevitable… death and taxes and she sure as hell didn’t owe any money to the government. All that was left was death.

According to statistics accidents happen every day and there are some where we stand up and brush off the dirt and then there are others… like what happened to Jake.

Becca kept playing that day over and over in her head and still couldn’t figure out how it happened. One minute she was sitting on the beach watching Jake surf, something he was very accomplished at, and then next thing she knew he was being pulled out of the water by a couple other surfers and he was unconscious.

It had been almost three weeks since that day on the beach and he had yet to wake up. The doctors said that he was in a coma and that his chances of waking up were slim but she had refused to believe them. She knew that Jake was strong, healthy, and that there was no way that he would ever leave her side. She had so much hope that he would fully recover. She had to believe that he would wake up and they would continue on with their lives together as they had planned. She had hope that her love would be enough to bring him back to her.

Becca knew in the back of her mind that he was already gone after the first week and a half of sitting by his side in the hospital. She would sit there day and night and hold his hand in hers. It was cold and limp… not like that of a dead person but of someone who was not in control anymore. She would talk to him, smile, and even laugh as she talked of their lives together in hopes that she would get some sort of response out of Jake but there was nothing, not even the slightest twitch.

Hope was gone and now all that she had left was fear, a deep sadness, and she wanted to give up. Giving up would be so much easier than accepting that the love of her life was slowly slipping away from her.

The doctors gave her the options and then left her to consider what decision she would make. All she could do is hold Jake and cry and think how unfair life was.

Towards the end of the fourth week in the hospital a decision was made with family. They let Jake go.

Looking for more of the story? Check more of it out here.

Mac & Piggy

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If you’d like to read more of Becca & Jake’s story check it out here.

“Are you watching that video again Jake?” Becca called from the living room. A smile spread across her face knowing full well what the answer was, he was watching Mac Davis sing to Miss Piggy, a classic episode of Muppet’s again.

“Yea, it’s my favorite,” Jake called back from the study. He knew that he needed to get the paper work for work done but this was more entertaining. The Muppet’s were a flash back from his past and always made him smile.

Becca sat down next to him she and planted a kiss on his cheek, “Mind if I watch with you?”

“Nope, I was hoping you would.” He moved his chair a bit so she could move closer. “I could watch these over and over again. They never get old.”

Becca laughed. “I know.”

“When I was little we had a nightly routine,” he started. “After dinner with my family my dad would give me a bath and then we would sit down together with my mom on the couch and watch the Muppet’s every night until 8 and then I’d curl up in bed while my mom would read me a book.”

His voice was soft and reminiscent as he recalled the childhood memory and Becca knew that he was missing his parents a great deal. She took his hand in hers as he spoke.

“I would always procrastinate for as long as I could, asking for one more book but I would always fall asleep before she was done with it.”

Becca moved closer and entwined her arm with his. “Let’s watch this video and then get something to eat.”

Jake sang along softly with the song, “Baby, baby don’t get hooked on me.”

Miss Piggy curled up with Mac as Jake pulled Becca into his arms.

Write On Edge: Red-Writing-Hood

One Night

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If you want to read more of Becca & Jake’s story check it out here.

It was a rainy night in Dusseldorf when Jake walked out of the pub. He knew that he had to much to drink already but he was having the time of his life with his college buddies. The night was still young and they moved on to the next place just down the street, this one was more lively then the last and was sure to be entertaining.

The smoke filled room was packed with crowds of young people all drinking large mugs of beer. Laughter could be heard over the voices.. mens and womens mingled together in a melody that was enticing and could brighten any bad mood in moments.

Jake and his friends easily moved towards the bar and ordered their drinks as they scoped out the room.

Brian laughed as he nudged Jake. “What about that one?” He said gesturing to a tall, dark haired girl sitting at the end of the bar with a couple of other girls.

Jake nodded, “Yea, she’s not bad.”

Brian almost snorted beer out of his nose. “Not Bad! Hell… if you don’t go talk to her I will!”

Jake looked at his friend with a raised eye brow. “I’m sure that Jess would love that,” he said referring to Brian’s fiance. He took another drink of his beer and with liquid courage coursing through his veins Jake made his way over to the beautiful brunette across the bar.

Mandi took another drink of her beer as he approached and then greeted him with a smile.

“Hi,” Jake said returning her smile. “I’m Jake.”

“Mandi,” she replied holding her hand out to him.

Jake took her hand in his gently, it was so soft, delicate, and beautifully feminine, and gave it a small shake. “You’re American?” He said noticing her voice and accent when she spoke to him.

“Yes, as are you,” she replied. “I’m here studying for a year before returning to Yale.”

Jake looked impressed. “Nice, what are you studying?” He asked before taking another drink of his beer.

Jake spent the rest of night talking with Mandi and before he knew it he had invited her back to his hotel. They fell into each others arms as soon as they were in the door knowing that it was the alcohol that was allowing them to act on their urges.

———

The light was streaming through the windows so brightly that Jake had to roll over to keep the light from causing his head from pounding more. As he moved he felt the warm, soft flesh of a person next to him causing his eyes to open quickly.

Fear ran through his body faster than anything ever had as he tried to remember the night before.

She rolled over towards him and opened her eyes slowly. Their eyes met with the same startled look.

Mandi sat up quickly pulling the sheets up to cover her naked body. “What the hell happened last night?”

“I.. I’m not sure,” Jake replied.

Write On Edge: Red-Writing-Hood

This week’s prompt was a challenge for this opening line; “It was a rainy night in Dusseldorf…”

Well… How did I do? I’m trying to fill in some of the holes in the storyline and this piece ties directly to this one.

Their Song

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If you want to read more of Becca & Jake’s story check it out here.

Becca had finished packing up the truck before the rain started. With the keys already in the ignition she turned it over but she couldn’t seem to put the truck into gear and pull away from the house. The house that held so many memories, so much love, and hope for the future. Gone…. all gone now.

She finally pulled her eyes away from her house and the past as she drove down the road the followed the coast into the city. The rain started to come down harder causing her to turn the radio up louder so she could hear it and then the song came on. Their song.

Before she knew it she had pulled over into an empty beach parking lot. The melody pulled her deeply into her memories. Memories that she had been trying so hard to bury and push out of her mind.

I’ll be your dream
I’ll be your wish I’ll be your fantasy

The day they met the song was playing in the background at the coffee shop near the beach.

I’ll be your hope I’ll be your love
Be everything that you need

The song played softly in the background the first night she made dinner for him in her tiny apartment.

I’ll love you more with every breath
Truly, madly, deeply do

The song was playing when he asked her to marry him…. fighting against the sound of the surf crashing against the beach.

I will be strong I will be faithful
’cause I’m counting on

The song was playing when they had their first dance together as husband and wife.

A new beginning
A reason for living
A deeper meaning, yeah

Tears streamed down her face as sobs racked her body and her fingers gripped the steering wheel so hard that her knuckles were white as snow. Becca hadn’t let the emotions get to her like they did at that moment, but then again she hadn’t let the memories flow through her like they were right now. The moment she heard the news she walled everything out… every memory & thought that was of him.

The crying was almost cathartic and that there was a weight being lifted off of her. At that moment she knew she’d be alright.

She wiped the tears from her face and listed to the rest of their song, Truly Madly Deeply.

Write On Edge: Red-Writing-Hood

Show us in 400 words or less how your character reacts to a piece of music.

How did I do? I would love your concrit!

Georgie

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We cut it, curl it, straighten it, color it, grow it out, despair over it. It can ruin our entire day or make us feel sexy or powerful or an entire spectrum of emotion.

It’s our hair.

We make judgments about mullets and comb-overs and bowl cuts. We envy thick, luscious locks. Or wildly hued ones.

Hair says a lot about us. About who we are or who we want to be, or maybe just who our friends are.

This week we’d like you to write a piece about hair. It can be about you or one of your characters where hair figures prominently. Don’t just describe it. Use it as a vehicle to tell us something about your character, a situation, you and your life.

Write On Edge: Red-Writing-Hood

Georgie walked into the office late in the day as usual and he was wearing his typical uniform in black. Dress slacks of some poly blend that looked itchy, black dress shirt with a sheen that slightly reflected light, shiny black loafers, and a few gold chains that peaked out of the unbuttoned shirt. Georgie always left the top two or three buttons undone and never wore a tie.

To say that he thought highly of himself was an understatement.

But the one thing that he was most proud of was his dark, slicked back hair that was pulled into a ponytail at the base of his neck. He went to great lengths to keep his hair slicked back and perfectly neat and the minute that he had a hair out of place he was in the office, in front of the mirror fixing it.

Aside from his profession as a lawyer he led a shady lifestyle, but I think that the outfit and hair gave that away, but that all changed one day.

A case gone badly, a jilted lover, and a pair of scissors was all it took for everything to change for Georgie.

Connie was pissed off and while Georgie was taking a nap in his big office chair she snuck in and snipped off the end of his ponytail, and then made a few random clips here, there and well… everywhere.

Georgie woke as she made the last few clips and screamed like a little girl as his hands immediately flew to his head. Connie did nothing but laugh while the secretary gathered her things for an early lunch.

That night Georgie found himself in a cell with some seriously messed up hair, no ponytail holder or gel to keep his much loved locks in place. Connie, well she was in the hospital recovering from a few stab wounds.

Recognition

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Write On Edge: Red-Writing-Hood

This week, we’d like you to take us on an actual journey, specifically a road trip? Think about who is in the car. Where are they going and why? What’s on the radio or what are the travelers talking about?

In 300 words or less, create a fiction or creative non-fiction piece that lets us feel the wind from an open window or the dry heat of a car vent.

red car

The long and winding rode was laid out ahead of me and out my window there was nothing but empty land, random trees, and dust bowls. It was a pretty desolate area that I had been traveling for hours now; each road sign brought me closer to civilization and a new life.

I left the middle of the country about a week or so ago, Indiana to be exact. It was a small town, with small minds and very little room for change or innovation. I had to leave after he raised his hand to me…. it was not the way I wanted to live the rest of my life. I packed up everything I could into my little convertible, put the rest into storage in the next town over, and headed west. It was just the open road, my music, and me and to make it even better… half way down the highway heading out of town I put the top down & let my cell phone fly out of my hand and crash to the ground. All connections to my old life were now severed and it felt good.

After another week of travel I finally hit the west coast and found myself traveling north after a weekend on the beach. The view was gorgeous! Ocean to the left and beautiful mountains and trees to the right it was then that I knew this was where I wanted to be and as the sun was starting to set over the water I pulled into a little roadside diner.

I parked in front and the bell on the door jingled as I walked in signaling my arrival. It was a small diner with booths that lined the windows overlooking the highway and a traditional diner counter complete with red stools and laminate counter top. All that was necessary now was Alice or Flo to come walking through the swinging kitchen door, instead an older woman came out to greet me and refill the cups of a few people at the counter.

I noticed a car pull in while I sat in the booth reading the paper. Normally, I don’t pay much attention but how often do see a classic car like that… I’m a sucker for a well maintained classic. I put it out of my mind, with my budget I could barely afford my cake and coffee, and returned to the paper. Again the bell jingled announcing another customer and as he walked by our eyes met and locked, for that brief moment in time I felt lifetimes flash in my mind. He had a look of recognition on his face and quickly looked away breaking the connection we had.

I know that I went over the word count but I cut it off at the best place I could find… even though I’m not sure of it still. And in case you’re wondering… yes, this is part of my novel for NaNoWriMo! So I would love any and all feedback!

They’re coming

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For this week’s Red Writing Hood prompt, we’re inviting you to truly scare us.

Here’s what you’ll need to do:

Compose a post in the form of a text–160 characters.

Your text must elicit or express fear.

Though this initially looks like more of a fiction prompt, we challenge our non-fiction writers to take a stab at it as well. (Stab! Scary!)

Around 1am October 21, 2011

Text from an unknown number

Help me. The voices… Make them stop. Help. They’re here now. Scratching….clawing…at the window. Please. They can see me. They’ll kill me. They see you now. They’ll kill you too.