How did you get started writing?

I started writing after I retired from the military, just as a creative outlet. My kids were small, so I started to record their antics. That kept me plenty busy!

What inspired your latest book?

My latest book, Hard Target, was inspired by two things. My mission trips to Bolivia inspired the setting, but my friend, a military policewoman, worked at an embassy in South America, and was kind enough to share some details with me. Her work inspired me to create a military policewoman as my heroine.

What is your typical day like?

My typical day, when I don’t volunteer at the local school, consists of my hubby bringing me coffee in bed before he leaves for work. (It’s true and it’s wonderful!) and then during breakfast, I answer emails and then begin my writing. I break at lunch and do some housework, then back at it for an hour, then finish up with more housework.  Not too much, as it gets in the way of writing. <G>

How has your experience with self-publishing been?

My experience has pretty much been middle of the road. I had terrible sales at the beginning and have learned to promote my work through Twitter, reviews, blogs and getting good covers and a beta reader to find all the mistakes. I have been steadily improving in sales but always keep upbeat, no matter what happens.

What is your favorite dessert/food?

My favourite food is shepherd’s pie, and for dessert, custard tarts. I’d be 500 pounds if allowed to eat them. That’s how much I love them. On a similar note, I dislike olives and cucumbers, but eat pickles and olive oil. Go figure.

Give us an elevator pitch for your book.

Hard Target is the term used for a military target. That’s what my heroine is, and she’ll do anything to keep her embassy safe. Then, ‘Anything’ showed up at her work one day.

Do you have a view in your writing space?  What does your space look like?

My office window looks out at my front yard, with Austrian pines and a barley field beyond. It catches the morning sun and is very peaceful.

Tell us a little about yourself and your latest book.

Hard Target is an espionage suspense set in Bolivia. It’s sweet only in that it isn’t sexy. But it’s gritty, and loads all the senses with the sights and sounds and smells of Cochabamba and the Andes.  I have been there twice and loved it. It’s not easy to live there, but missionary work is simply one of the more rewarding experiences a person can have. Just going and helping someone less fortunate is such a blessing to a life.

Did you have several manuscripts finished before you sold? If so, did you send them out yourself?

I finished a TON of books before I published. I had no support network, nor anyone to tell me about my writing. I was really writing blind and learned everything the hard way. So any of your readers who want to start to write should find an organization like Romance Writers of America, and a local chapter, plus some on line friends. There are also many freelance editors out there who are worth their weight in gold.  Use them.

I recently received back the rights to my first book, All For A Good Cause, and revamped it and made a great cover for it, too. So, writers, always look for ways to get your older stories back up there.

Thank you Cynthia for hosting me! You rock!  

EXCERPT

HARD TARGET

Chapter One

The bomb exploded at precisely six-oh-four in the morning. Its blast rocked through Sergeant Dawna Atkinson’s beat-up Fiat just as she entered the city’s largest square. Ahead, despite the early hour, the block hummed with people, people who were not all running away from the old school which housed the embassy.

No, a few were running toward the large building.

Her grip tight on the steering wheel, Dawna shook her head. Those civilians were either incredibly foolish or incredibly brave.

Or members of a drug cartel determined to undermine the strengthening democracy here in Bolivia. They’d already ruined the capital of La Paz for many foreign nationals and displaced ambassadors to other cities like Cochabamba.

She gritted her teeth. Tramping her foot down on the accelerator, she darted into the early morning traffic, now thick with post-explosion chaos.

Smoke spewed into the smoggy morning sky in a single, ugly belch, its source a black burning mound in front of the doors that led into the embassy’s enclosed courtyard. Snapping her attention back to her driving, Dawna steered the car into a narrow alley across the square from the embassy and leapt out. No time for her locking bar, normally a must in most South American cities. With any luck, someone would steal the old rust bucket and inherit all of its mechanical woes.

She threaded through the noisy crowd, her long, quick strides carrying her over the numerous cracks in the sidewalk that sliced through the park-like square. Loud Spanish voices bounced around her as she hurried past the white monument of some long-dead dignitary on horseback. Already, the acrid smell of burning metal and ancient building materials penetrated the growing warmth of the early July morning.

She pushed past an old native man, who coughed out something in Spanish. Charging through the rest of the square, she reached the area in front of the embassy.  There, she stopped Miguel Ramos, one of the vigilantes, a security guard, just as he raced away from the small door that led to the courtyard, the one used for foot traffic only. He’d worked the night shift and must have been leaving when the blast occurred. Surely he would know something.

“What happened?” she called out over the wail of approaching sirens. Her lungs tightened, reminding her that the air up here in the Andes was still too thin for her.

“A bomb, Sergeant,” Ramos panted, his lined features slack with horror. “Outside, at the front entrance.” His panicked gaze searched the noisy crowd, fast and needy, seeking something.

She grabbed his elbow. “Anyone hurt? Where’s the Ambassador?” Please God, let him still be at home. Last night, along with the Ambassador and his family, she’d attended a small private function at the far end of the city. They hadn’t left until after midnight.

Please God, let him still be asleep. Let today not be one of the days when he felt compelled to come to work early.

“The Ambassador is not here, Sergeant,” Ramos cut into her thoughts with sharp, accented English as he brushed himself off. “Very few people here. I don’t think anyone was hurt.”

Dawna sagged. Thank you, God. She wasn’t three weeks into her new assignment as Military Security Guard, not counting the few months supervising the installation of the security system, hiring her staff and preparing for the Ambassador’s arrival. Bolivia had a long and healthy relationship with Canada. She aimed to do her part to keep it that way. And, blast it, this was her chance to prove to her home unit that she was one of the best, despite the black mark on her record.

Someone shouldered her to one side. She spun, prepared to shove back, to stop whoever was invading her embassy, but caught her action in time to see a firefighter hauling a hose toward the smoke in front of the entrance.  The swarthy man barked out orders in Spanish. Behind him, a battle-scarred fire truck was still heaving to a stop.

Several more firefighters trotted in behind the first one. She turned to Ramos. “Is the embassy empty?”

“No, Sergeant. We have two vigilantes inside.”

“I want one of them armed and guarding the firefighters out here,” she ordered, pointing to the front facade. “And the other to do the same on the inside. Secure the rear door and arm yourself as well. I need you with me.” Dawna glared at the firefighters. Though not her job to order them around, she wouldn’t let them take over, either. One of them could easily be responsible for this blast, and right now could be preparing to storm the embassy. The Bolivian government had cracked down on drug trafficking, and several cartels had warned that they would punish countries interfering with their illegal trade.

With Ramos hurrying to obey her, Dawna turned the other way. A barrel-chested policeman, dressed in fatigues, herded the crowd back, as her gaze journeyed around the square with methodical precision.

Then it stalled. From the direction she’d come five short minutes earlier, a large SUV loomed. Her patience drained away as she recognized the wide vehicle. The Ambassador. Of course he’d come at the first hint of trouble.

BIO

Barbara Phinney retired from the military to raise her two children and soon turned her creativity toward writing. That’s when she asked herself, what was the hardest genre to write? Romance. Nearly twenty years later, she’s published in that genre, going on to final in several contests and take the plunge into the self-publishing pool, with Souvenirs, set in the shadow of the bridge to Prince Edward Island, on the warm beaches that inspire her. Barbara lives in Eastern Canada with her husband, several barn cats and some chickens. Her own brood has flown the coop.

BOOKS BY BARBARA PHINNEY

 Hard Target

http://www.amazon.com/Hard-Target-romantic-thriller-ebook/dp/B0077TPK5M/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1330130148&sr=1-1%29

Deadly Trust

Silent Protector (Love Inspired Suspense)

Fatal Secrets (Love Inspired Suspense)

Deadly Homecoming (Love Inspired Suspense)

Keeping Her Safe (Love Inspired Suspense)

Desperate Rescue (Love Inspired Suspense)

Necessary Secrets (Silhouette Intimate Moments)

Trust No One (Silhouette Intimate Moments)

All For A Good Cause   http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00847SMVU

Thank you Sylvia for being on my blog today.  Readers, Sylvia is going to give away a copy of her book to one lucky commenter.  Be sure and leave a comment or a question for Sylvia to be entered into the drawing.

How did you get started writing?

All my life I have been a voracious reader.  One day I read a particularly bad historical romance and thought, I could do a better job.  So I bought a typewriter (yes, this was before home computers) and started a book.  I quickly learned that it’s not as easy as it appears, but I finished that novel that terrible first draft and realized I loved writing.  At that point, I began the journey to learn how to craft stories. Along the way, I met some fantastic writers who not only taught me the craft, but some were my critique partners who helped guide me on this journey.  It took me three books and eight years before I published.  I published nine historicals with a major New York Publisher before I decided to go straight Indie.

Tell us about your current series.

My series, The Burnett Brides, is about a mother who has three older sons who are unmarried.  She wants grandchildren and decides to set them up with women she thinks will tame their wild souls. All three sons are equally headstrong, but each has his own set of personality quirks. Travis is headstrong and way too rigid.  He needs Rose to show him how to have fun. Tanner has a wounded soul and while he nurses Beth, she heals his soul. And Tucker is well, he’s running from marriage as fast as he can, right into the arms of Sarah. The one woman he loved years ago.

What is your favorite part of writing?

I love to storyboard an idea, so that I have the necessary map to take me on the journey. Then I sit down and I let the fingers fly on the keyboard, while the movie plays in my head.  I’m sort of the stenographer at his point, just getting the story down on paper. I hit roadblocks and things change along the way, but to me this is the best part of writing, just letting the story flow onto the page.

What is your least favorite part of writing?

My least favorite part of writing is the last draft.  At this point, I’ve edited the story 3-4 times. Usually around draft 5, I have everything the way I want and I’m going back through to make certain that the scenes work, end on a hook, setting, grammar, etc.  By the last draft, I’m ready for the story to end and to start thinking of a new project.

What is your next project and when will it be released?

Right now, I’m working very hard to get my backlist on Amazon.  I’m also working on draft five of a Christmas Story that I plan to release the end of October. For me some stories just seem to grab me by the heart and refuse to let go. This story is like that. It’s the story of a man who doesn’t want Children and hates Christmas. So what did I do to him?  He finds out he has a daughter right at Christmas.  It’s called The Reluctant Santa and Colin, the hero, healing story is near and dear to me.

What is your typical day like?

I get up at six am, ride the elliptical for twenty minutes and then I’m off to the computer.  I work on the computer for an hour and then get ready for the day job.  The day job is working for a small insurance agency, where I take care of commercial insurance for clients.  I’m home at five thirty and back on the computer until supper time.  Eat a quick bite and then back on the computer until about nine o’clock, when the body wears out and the eyes start to see double.  I sit downstairs and watch several taped TV shows, until I crash into bed about eleven o’clock.

How has your experience with self-publishing been?

I absolutely love self-publishing. I’m learning as I go, but I know that I don’t have the time to do everything, so I am hiring out editing, cover design and formatting.  That being said it’s really important that you find someone who is good at the formatting.  A Scarlet Bride had some formatting issues and I didn’t know until I had some readers complain.  I had the formatter correct the problem and now I’m back in business.  I loved selling to New York, but the books were not being distributed correctly, which meant readers couldn’t find them in stores and how can you sell books if they’re not available?  This way I am in charge of my own destiny and if I fail, it’s no one’s fault but my own.

What advice do you have for other authors wanting to self-publish?

I was scared to try. I also didn’t want to be seen as someone who was “vanity” publishing. It took me hearing from at least three people that this was the future and how successful they were before I decided to put out my backlist.  Now, I doubt I ever sell to another New York Publisher. I’m not a New York Times Bestseller yet, but I’m doing okay and I’m publishing again. I’m hearing from readers again. I’m back doing what I love and I’m not waiting for an editor or agent to send me a rejection letter any longer.  Now I’m working at my pace, not a publishers pace.  I’m happier than I’ve been in years and it just feels right for me. You have to decide what is right for you. Don’t listen to naysayers, check out what it takes and then do what’s best for you.

Short Excerpt

“I’ve waited years for a husband.”

Beth stopped in front of Tanner, her hazel eyes flashing indignantly. “To have someone who would wake up in my arms each morning, a bby to rock to sleep. Isn’t that what all women dream of? So why am I so bad for wanting the same things?”

“You’re not as long as you know I’m not good husband material.” Tanner took a deep breath and tried not to reflect on what he could see beneath her sheer nightgown. “But you think you can soothe my hurts and make me care about you enough that I’ll change my ways.”

“I don’t give a fig about your hurts.”

Tanner didn’t want to stop. “you think that beneath this rough exterior there’s a man worth saving, worth turning into a husband. You’re wrong.”

God, how he wanted her even when she was pushing him, making him feel things he’d long forgotten. He still wanted to feel her arms around him, even while he was trying his best to push her away.

“I have a man waiting for me. Why would I want a coldhearted bastard like you?”

“Because the man waiting for you, doesn’t make you feel like this,” he said as he pulled her into his arms.

Please help me welcome Christine Hughes to my blog today.  Remember to leave a comment to be entered into the prize drawing.

1. What inspired your latest book?

I wrote a few paragraphs and saved them on my computer. Months went by and I hadn’t thought about them, hadn’t thought about writing at all actually. Then I was told I was losing my job due to budgetary constraints. My husband had been telling me that I should “do something” with writing and I had always blown him off.

While cleaning up my computer, I found the file with those few paragraphs, printed them out and read them almost daily for a little while. Then one night I was watching The Vampire Diaries, the one with the Founder’s Day ball and Stefan had gone all vampy so Damon had to step in and dance with Elena. Well, the song that was played while they danced in called “All I Need” by Within Temptation. That song flashed a whole book through my head and I began to make a playlist that surrounded those ideas. Once I had my playlist, I began to expand on those paragraphs (that eventually became the prologue) until I finished TORN.

2. What is your least favorite part of writing?

Editing and revising is by far the worst part for me. It’s so hard for me to find little issues like comma usage, grammatical mistakes and such because I wrote it. I find it hard to slow myself down and really look at what I wrote. When it comes to revisions, I can be so difficult. I’ll never complain to an editor out loud, or I haven’t needed to, but when I’m asked to change a scene, it hurts me. I wrote it so l like it best how it’s written. Then again, once it’s changed due to recommendations or whatever, then I can usually see their point of view and realize all that shouting I’ve done in my head had done nothing but give me a headache.

3. Where do you get the ideas for your stories?

Music. I am in no way musically inclined. As a matter of fact, my singing voice might be better compared to nails on a chalkboard than anything remotely melodic. But, for some reason, music inspires me. Not the melody but the lyrics. If I can see the story in the words, then I can base a character, a plot, an emotion on them.

4. Give us an elevator pitch for your book.

TORN: When Samantha’s father dies and she finds out her life isn’t what it seems, she must join the fight between two groups of fallen angels, the Faithful and the Exiled, in a race to save humanity. In spite of the unforgivable betrayal of her best friend, the newly acknowledged love for her guardian angel, the face to face confrontation of the dark angel who killed her father and the growing need to allow darkness to take over her being, Samantha has been charged making the choice between fighting alongside the Faithful or succumbing to the darkness of the Exiled.

5. Do you have a view in your writing space? What does your space look like?

Writing space? I seem to be a traveler. While I was writing TORN, it was the summer and I tended to wake up very early and sit outside as often as I could and get as many words down before everyone else woke up. I’d send the kids outside to play and I’d be on the deck with my mac book and playlist.
When I started writing Three Days of Rain I started off doing the same thing but for some reason it wasn’t quite working. I eventually made my way to my local Barnes & Noble. People watching with my grande earl grey coupled with a new playlist and earbuds pushed me through that manuscript in less than six months.

6. Do you write under a pen name? Why or why not?

No. I haven’t found a reason for me to do so. I’m not against it and I totally get why some people do but I don’t need to. At least not now.

7. What are you currently working on?

I am currently working on revisions and edits for a manuscript that is totally out of my comfort zone. Three Days of Rain took so much for me to write and I don’t want to change anything but I know I have to. Other than that, I’m figuring out where my third manuscript will take me. I’m thinking psychological thriller but I’m not totally sure yet.

TORN BLURB:

When Samantha’s father dies and she finds out he was an angel because of what he was protecting, she must join the fight between two groups of fallen angels, the Faithful and the Exiled, in a race to save humanity. In spite of the unforgivable betrayal of her best friend, the newly acknowledged love for her guardian angel, the face to face confrontation of the dark angel who killed her father and the growing need to allow darkness to take over her being, Samantha has been charged making the choice between fighting alongside the Faithful or succumbing to the darkness of the Exiled.

 EXCERPT

Chapter 1

September
The Cabin

Run, Samantha. Don’t look back. Just run.

I repeated this mantra over and over again as I sprinted through the trees. Focused, like my life depended on it and knowing that one day it would, I ran. Through the damp woods, past branches that tore at my skin, and hurdling over logs, I ran. My breath mingled with the crisp fall air but I didn’t feel the cold. I felt nothing but the pure and relentless adrenaline that pumped through my veins. As the sun rose and cast its broken beams through the trees, I ran. With only a single thought: I have to get there.

I knew he was following me. He was close. So close. I couldn’t let him catch me.
My legs carried me over slick moss and rotting bark. I flew over downed trees, grabbing for branches to help me over. I was fast. Faster than before. Faster than yesterday. My focus was singular. The task at hand was all I could think about. Get through, Sam. Faster, Sam. Jump, Sam.

I swore I could navigate those woods with my eyes closed. I could see the next obstacle that lay ahead of me yards before it came into view. And when I concentrated hard enough, those obstacles began to disappear.

I burst into the clearing and could faintly make out his barely labored breathing behind me. He was so close I could smell him. I dug in and pumped my legs faster. Always faster. I knew I was going to beat him this time. I had to. I closed in on my destination. All I had to do was jump. I had to make it over the water. Over the creek on the other side of the clearing.

Samannnnnnthaaaa…. Run!

The intrusive voice pulsed through me and drowned out the mantra in my head, breaking my rhythm and I stumbled over a rock I was sure hadn’t been there yesterday.

Damn it! The eerily familiar voice that had settled comfortably in my head like a squatter, had the worst timing It teased like a schoolyard bully and I wanted to scream. But I couldn’t. I had to run. I was almost there. Come on, Sam. Fifty feet. Forty feet. Thirty feet. Almost there. As I braced my body for the jump over the swollen creek, he caught my ankles in mid-air and dropped me to the ground with a bone jarring tackle onto the muddy bank.

“Son of a bitch,” I growled.

I fought back, jumping up the way I was taught, fists at the ready. I caught him off guard, for the first time, with a jab to the chin and a roundhouse to the stomach. Then I did a back spring, landing well out of his reach and quickly regrouped. The grin on his face as he rubbed his chin told me I surprised him with that one. And now I was in trouble.

“Lucky shot, Sam. Nice kick. Too bad this one’s on me.” His cocky bravado triggered an extra jolt of adrenaline inside me. He’s not gonna take this round. Not this time.

For a few seconds we circled each other, anticipating the other’s next move. He crouched and lunged at my knees. I jumped to grab the branch above me and he missed, sprawling out in the dirt. But not for long. He was on his feet again before I’d even let go of the tree, his eyes merely blue slits of predatory focus. I had a total of three seconds to figure out my next move before he lunged again, targeting me mid-waist.

Instinctively, I dropped to the ground, and sprung forward, drilling him into the trunk of the nearest tree. Rain had started to fall, shrouding the sound of my movements as I quickly disappeared behind the brush. I needed to work out how to nail him with an element of surprise.

He growled in frustration but his annoyance didn’t matter. I was winning. I could feel it.

My hands and knees were scraped and dirty. My hair was a tangled mess and the sudden rise in humidity brought on by the rain wasn’t helping. The scent of decaying vegetation around me did nothing to mask the stench of my sweat.

His voice taunted me. “Come out, come out wherever you are. You can’t hide from me forever. You think you can camouflage yourself from me? I can smell you.”
Think, Samantha.

He was right. I couldn’t sit there all day getting soaked in the rain waiting for him to find me. Through a small gap between the leaves, I could see him looking, scanning the trees and underbrush. Then his eyes focused where I crouched. I needed to act, now.

The forces of nature seemed to heed my need for action and the sky erupted, complete with booming thunder and darting strikes of lightning. I belly crawled behind bushes until I was on his right. His eyes still boring into the spot I’d just vacated, he took a step forward.

I slowly stood and crept up next to him. He turned around and I caught his cheek with a right hook but he grabbed my hair and yanked my head back. I yelled, in surprise and pain. The look on his face made him almost unrecognizable and for a moment I was paralyzed as the maniacal voice stole through me once again.

Samannnnnnthaaaa… Run!

He took advantage of my shock and swept my legs out, dropping me face first into a vat of mud.

So not how I had envisioned this ending.

BIO

A former Army brat, Christine Hughes moved quite often. She spent much of her time losing herself in books and creating stories about many of the people she’d met. Falling in love with literature was easy for her and she majored in English while attending college in New Jersey. Not sure where her love of reading and writing fit, she became a middle school English teacher. After nine years of teaching others to appreciate literature, she decided to take the plunge and write her first novel. Now at home focusing on making writing her new career, she spends her time creating characters and plot points instead of grading papers.

Music has become an integral part of her writing process and without the proper play list, Hughes finds the words don’t flow. At least a few times a week she can be found at the local Barnes & Noble with her Mac and headphones working on her next novel. Her YA novel Torn will be released by Black Opal Books in June 2012.

3 Interesting Facts:

1. I attended 13 different schools, including college, due to my family’s military relocations.

2. I met my husband when I was 14.

3. My favorite book of all time is Ray Bradbury’s Fahrenheit 451.

Please help me welcome Robin Helm to my blog.  Also, be sure and leave a comment for the prize drawing.

Do you write under a pen name?   Why or why not?

I use my own name when I write because I have a large family and acquaintances strewn over several states and countries. I want them to be able to find my work easily. In addition, I intend never to write anything that I would not want people to know I authored. The knowledge that former students, friends, and family will know that I wrote the material holds me to a certain standard. I very much doubt that I will ever reach the level of fame which would make it dangerous for people to know my real name.

What are you currently working on? 

I am nearly finished writing Legacy, the third book in The Guardian Trilogy.  Chapters 12 through 18 are in the rewriting stage, though most of that work is done, and I am presently writing chapter 19. I plan to have 20 chapters in the book, unless my betas (editors) keep telling me I am finishing the book in too much of a hurry. I don’t want the ending to drag, but I also don’t want to disappoint my readers by rushing the story.

What do you have planned for the future? 

I will begin to outline and write my next book, Darcy’s Wish, as soon as I finish Legacy. It will be a relief to start writing the story, as it is presently fighting to get out of my head. The Guardian Trilogy is romance fantasy fiction, and the next book will be as well. Darcy’s Wish will take place in modern and Regency times simultaneously. My premise is that Jane Austen’s characters in Pride and Prejudice  were actual people.

BIO
Robin Helm has published the first two volumes of a trilogy (The Guardian Trilogy), Guardian and SoulFire, and is presently writing Legacy, the third and final volume, posting as a work in progress on four different forums. She has also published three Regency short stories.

She and her husband have two daughters, the elder a Navy nurse stationed in Guam, and the younger a university senior. They live in South Carolina with their Yorkie-Poo, Tobey.

Ms. Helm graduated with a BA from Piedmont International University. She is a member of the Delta Epsilon Chi honor society, the American Legion Auxiliary, and the scholarship faculty of the United States Achievement Academy.

Blurb for Guardian, Volume I of The Guardian Trilogy

In Guardian, a religious fantasy fiction, the powerful and imposing Xander/Darcy, Chief of Guardian Angels, has protected exceptional humans from demonic forces over the course of ten millennia without losing a single battle. In 1989, he receives an unusual assignment which will forever change his ordered existence and alter the course of human history. Will he lose the battle for his own heart while guarding supernaturally gifted Elizabeth Bennet from the evil which surrounds her? Will he be strong enough to resist her as she grows from a precocious child into a beautiful, intelligent woman? The veil dividing the physical and spiritual planes is drawn aside to reveal warfare on an unprecedented scale as Elizabeth develops her gifts and her guardian discovers his emotions.

Synopsis

Guardian begins with a prologue, the fall of Lucifer from heaven. The main body of the work concentrates on the years beginning just prior to Elizabeth’s conception in 1989 and ends in the fall of 2007 as she begins her junior year in college and Xander is summoned before God to make a momentous decision.

Blurb for SoulFire, Volume II of The Guardian Trilogy

In the second volume of The Guardian Trilogy, Fitzwilliam Alexander Darcy, powerful Chief of all guardian angels, adjusts to life with a dual nature. An angel/human, Darcy seeks to win the love of his beautiful partner in SoulFire Ministries, Elizabeth Bennet, as they travel together across the globe. While keeping his true identity hidden, Darcy joins archangels Michael and Gabriel in defending and protecting Elizabeth from the schemes and trickery of Gregory, the Dark Prince, and Lucifer, his father.

Though the supernaturally gifted team of Darcy and Elizabeth is tremendously successful in their joint mission as they partner with evangelist Jonathan Edwards, the question remains, will Elizabeth find the strength within herself to forgive Darcy for his secrecy after she accidentally discovers the truth, that he was her guardian angel, or will Gregory be ultimately successful in separating this match made in heaven?
Synopsis

SoulFire, Volume II of the trilogy, continues the story, picking up January, 2008 and ending in August of the same year. Xander is in human form, using the name Fitzwilliam Darcy. SoulFire develops the actual meeting, ministry, and romance of Elizabeth and Darcy.

The Guardian Trilogy is a Christian fantasy fiction which loosely incorporates elements of Jane Austen’s masterpiece, Pride and Prejudice, into a Christian story line. Mrs. Helm is presently writing the third book in the series, Legacy.

Please help me welcome Lori Dillon to the blog today.  Lori will be giving away an electronic copy of her book to one lucky commenter so be sure and leave a comment or question for Lori.

How did you get started writing?

I wasn’t one of those people born with a pen in my hand. Well, not a writing pen, but maybe a drawing pencil. I’ve always been an art geek. I have a BFA in Graphic Design and Illustration. Before doing the stay at home mom thing, I worked for 14 years as a graphic designer.

To be honest, I came pretty late to the romance novel fan club. As a teen, I read mostly horror. Stephen King, John Saul, and that staple of adolescent girls at the time, the Flowers in the Attic series. I didn’t discover romance novels until I was 28, when I was newly engaged and enthralled with all things romantic. So when I found one of my roommate’s romance novels lying around, I picked it up and read it cover to cover in one day. Needless to say, I was officially hooked!

Of course, we all know there are good books, keeper books, and wall-banger books out there. After one too many paperbacks hit the drywall, my husband dared me to write a book myself. So I did, and I amazed myself that I actually finished it. (Completing projects is not my strong suit.) I entered the novel in several writing contests and it finaled a few times. Hey, what do ya know? I didn’t totally suck as a writer. Although now that I know better, that book will forever remain under the bed keeping the lonely dust bunnies company. So I wrote another book, which ended up being OUT OF THE ASHES. That novel landed me an agent and came really, really close to selling to a New York publisher.

What genre(s) do you write in and why?

I pretty much stick to paranormal historicals. I love being transported to another time and place. And when you throw a little magic in the mix, how can you not love it? For now, my paranormals are not what’s all the rage—you know, the dark, sexy immortal brotherhood, each warrior in search of their soul mates. I love to read those books (love me some Kresley Cole and Gena Showalter), but I have yet to write one of them. Try as I might, my inner comic comes out and can’t help but dribble humor all over my books. I’m not saying I never will write the dark, tortured immortal warrior series. I just have too many out-of-the-box paranormals that are clamoring around in my head to be written first. I’ve got a gothic time travel (it’s a spoof on Jane Eyre) and a medieval series (they’re a mix of shape shifters and time travels) that I hope to have out later this year.

What inspired your latest book?

David and Sera’s story started out with the idea that if a cat could have 9 lives, why not people? My initial thought was to write short vignettes of their first eight lives, starting from when they meet each time until their untimely deaths, then end the book with their 9th life where they finally get it right. Unfortunately, a book like that would’ve ended up being a War and Peace behemoth. So I decided to focus on their first and last lives, and just hint at the tragedy of their other lives that came in between.

While I was doing research for possible time periods and settings, I came across a National Geographic photograph of a plaster cast of a couple from Pompeii. The man and woman died in each other’s arms as they tried to flee the city, forever frozen in time, his hand shielding her face in a vain attempt to protect her. The cast is beautiful, touching, and heartbreaking. In fact, I use a photo of that exact cast from the Pompeii Exhibit taken by photographer Ken Thomas on the back cover of the print book. (You can see his original photo here.) I began to wonder what their story might have been, and the tragic couple eventually evolved into a young Pompeian girl and the slave gladiator she loved. Then I wondered what might have happened if they were given a second chance.

What is your favorite part of writing?

Hearing from readers that they’ve enjoyed the book is the best thing evva! I used to be a contest diva back in my pre-published days. A few weeks ago, a contest judge blogged about how she’d judged the first few chapters of ASHES in the Golden Heart Contest years ago and has been waiting ever since for it to be published so she could finish reading it (http://tinyurl.com/blh92ty). I swear, I cried like a baby when I read her post. Being able to touch a reader like this is why I do what I do.

What is your least favorite part of writing?

Keeping the word count down. I’m a wordy writer. I find it hard to keep a book under 120,000 words. ASHES originally clocked in at 124,000 words. I managed to trim it down to 110,000. DRAGON weighed in at a whopping 137,000 words. I’ve got it down to 120,000 now and I’m still cutting. Ugh.

Where do you get the ideas for your stories?

They come from all difference things. I already talked about where the idea for ASHES came from. I can’t remember how GOTHIC came to life (most likely it was while I was watching a BBC version of Jane Eyre?), but I can definitely recall the moment DRAGON (the first in my medieval time travel series) came to me. My daughter was having her 6th birthday party and she was so sick of going to princess parties that she insisted on having a dragon party. After hand making dragon hand puppets, a pin the flame on the dragon poster, and 3D a dragon cake (complete with blue tortilla chips down the back for its spines—it was actually quite cool looking), I was on dragon overload. While I was up to my elbows in suds doing dishes one night, the idea of a modern woman being send back in time and sacrificed to the local dragon came to mind. Then I thought it would be a lot of fun if the dragon was actually a dragon slaying knight cursed to be the creature he once hunted. The story took on a life of its own from that moment on.

What advice do you have for other authors wanting to self-publish?

Hire a good professional editor (not your mom, your sister, or the English teacher down the street). I’m a firm believer that no author, even those who’ve been published for years by NY, should edit their own work. At some point, you’re just too close to it and can’t see the mistakes staring you in the face. I thought I had a decent grasp of the English language, but after having two editors go over ASHES, I’ve discovered I have comma issues. *G* Oh, and if you don’t have an artistic bone in your body, hire a good cover artist, too. Unfortunately, people do judge a book by its cover. Your novel may be the next Gone With the Wind, but if your cover looks like a 4 year old slapped it together with magazine cutouts and a glue stick, they’ll never see beyond the bad artwork to find out.

Do you have critique partners?

I used to be in a critique group. But I’m not a linear writer. I tend to jump around, working on the scenes that are screaming in my head to be written as opposed to writing chapter 1, then chapter 2, then chapter 3. I might work on the cute-meet today, the black moment tomorrow, and then the love scene the next day. It’s a process that works for me, but it makes it nearly impossible to critique my work until it’s pretty much done. I’ve decided at this point in my career, beta readers will serve me better. BTW, I’m on the hunt for a few good beta readers, so if anyone’s interested, shoot me an email!

What is your favorite dessert/food?

Snow crab legs. Any time there’s a birthday or special occasion, it’s always celebrated with all you can eat crab legs in our family. Pass the butter, please.

Was your road to publication fraught with peril or a walk in the park?

Definitely no walk in the park. After I wrote my first book (the aforementioned dust bunny babysitter), I wrote ASHES. One of the first agents I queried signed me, so in that aspect, I did hop on the fast train. I thought, “Sweet! I made it to the big time with my second book.” Not so fast. Although my agent loved it, NY had ‘issues’ with the WWII time period. Apparently it has cooties as far as they’re concerned. The book made its way up the editorial ladder at one NY publishing house and they asked me to reset the WWII part as a contemporary.

After a lot of soul searching, I had to say no. It would have changed the characters and the story too much. So I put ASHES away and waited for NY to come around. They never did, so I self-published it. It was the best decision I ever made. I love the control, the ability to say THIS is how this story needs to be told. And being able to design my own book covers really appeals to the graphics geek in me.

Do you have a view in your writing space? What does your space look like?

Oh, yes. Once my kids were old enough to no longer require my attention 24/7, I turned the sunroom—which was their playroom until about 6 years ago—back into a sunroom. It’s on the 2nd story and has huge windows on 3 sides with views of the woods behind our house and the babbling creek that cuts through our backyard. I’ve had deer, fox, hawks, and a wild turkey traipse by while I’m writing. You’d never know we live in a suburban neighborhood. I have a lounging couch by one of the windows that I pretty much live in, with my laptop on—what else?—my lap.

Tell us about your hero. Give us one of his strengths and one of his weaknesses.

David is a closet beta forced to be an alpha. He abhors the idea of taking another person’s life. Unfortunately, being born a slave gladiator and then again as a soldier in WWII, he’s had little choice but to kill others if he wants to live. I’ll let you in on a little secret—he’s much braver than he thinks he is.

Tell us about your heroine. Give us one of her strengths and one of her weaknesses.

Sera is a head-strong woman in a man’s world. All her life, she’s had to fight for respect and recognition as an archeologist. But behind the strong façade, she’s still the lost and lonely girl from her past life—until David comes along to rock her world.

EXCERPT:

David must have sensed her presence. Turning, he leaned a broad shoulder against the crumbling wall and gazed down on her from his high perch, casually sticking a blade of dry grass in the corner of his mouth.

“I wasn’t sure if I’d be welcome here this morning.”

She was struck by how fluent his Italian was. His voice sounded so calm, so relaxed. Did he feel half as uneasy as she did? If he did, he hid it well.
“And I wasn’t sure if you’d be here at all,” she replied.

He shrugged and rolled the piece of grass from one side of his mouth to the other.

“I almost didn’t come. I figured instead of you, I’d have the Italian guard waiting with a complimentary blindfold and cigarette.”

“Don’t think I didn’t consider turning you in a half a dozen times last night.”

David jumped down from the wall, startling her, and she took an involuntary step back. Just how dedicated was he to this mission? Did he see her as the threat she saw him? Would he kill her if she got in the way? Was he even now planning a way to silence her forever?

Closing the gap between them in four quick strides, he stood so close she swore he could feel her heart pounding even though he wasn’t touching a single inch of her.

“So, why didn’t you?”

Why did he have to stand so close? She glanced down at his hands hanging loose at his sides. Strong hands that could easily wrap around her neck and squeeze the life out of her before she could utter a sound.

“I promised you I wouldn’t.”

“People break promises all the time.”

Her eyes shot back to his face. Whether he knew it or not, he’d hit a nerve. She tried to pretend telling Maria didn’t count.

“Not me.”

For a long time he just stared at her. She wondered what secrets he saw, what vulnerability he might sense deep inside and use against her. Regardless, Sera refused to retreat.

“I know.” He spoke in English, his voice so low it was almost a whisper. “That’s why I trusted you enough to come back.”

Now it was her turn to look into his face and search for the truth. His soft brown eyes showed nothing but trust, full and complete. But then again, she’d been wrong about men before.

He tilted his head to the side, and the slight movement blocked out the morning sun in the sky behind him, creating the effect of a glowing halo around his handsome face. But she reminded herself that he was no angel. He was a spy.

She stepped back, needing to put some space between them, and tripped over the forgotten shovel David had thrown in anger yesterday. Her arms spun around, grasping for balance in the air as she felt herself falling. He reached out to grab her, but her feet tangled with his, and they both crashed to the ground.
David raised himself up on his arms above her, concern evident as his eyes flicked over her face.

“Are you okay?”

“I’m fine, except for the fact that I have a shovel digging into my back, and you weigh a ton on top of me.”

A slow grin crept across his face, the boyish charm he flashed sending her heartbeat into double-time. He reached beneath her and eased the shovel handle out from under the small of her back. After tossing it to the side, he looked back down at her, his upper body hovering over her with his arms braced on either side of her face.

“Better?”

“You’re still on top of me.”

The grin slowly faded. “So I noticed.”

BIO

In a previous life, Lori worked as a graphic designer for fourteen years for the power company, occasionally venturing into nuclear power plants for her job (yes, nuclear plants need graphic designers, too). In her current existence, she weaves tales of the past, the present, and some places only magic can take you.

Lori lives in Virginia with her engineering geek/hero husband, two kids who test her sanity on a daily basis, a dog named Hokie (named after the Virginia Tech Hokies, of course), and various other critters of the furred and finned variety.

Thank you for joining me today, Lynda.  Readers don’t forget to leave a comment with your email address in the comment.  Lynda will be picking a winner from those who leave their email address only

How did you get started writing?

I’m not sure. I started writing stories when I first picked up a pencil. Of course most of those stories featured talking animals, ie dogs or horses.

What genre(s) do you write in and why?

I write Science Fantasy Romance. When I was a child visiting my uncle, I found an Isaac Asimov book, The Foundation and Empire, that just captivated me. There was adventure, science and romance all of which just spoke to my soul. That book gave me the desire to write similar stories and so I have.

Tell us about your current series.

Right now, I’m working with Linda Wisdom on an erotic paranormal series under the subtitle: Great Escapes. This series is an interactive series from Colilolquy where the reader can customize certain factors in the story. This is a bit different for me as an author but it’s so much fun!

What inspired your latest book?

I’m working on a futuristic series that features a symbiotic life form pairing with human beings. The first book, Rider, is actively seeking a home while I work on the second book.

What is your favorite part of writing?

I have two favorite parts: research and character development. I love research and find myself lost for hours at a time finding fascinating tidbits that might or might not end up in the book. Character development, well, that introduces me to a new set of friends. Yes, these characters are my friends. I end up knowing them better than almost anyone in the real world. The neat thing is that, like ‘real’ people, different facets of their personality comes out as the story progresses or situations change. Learning about these characters is just as fascinating as creating the world they live in.

What is your least favorite part of writing?

Mmm, writing the synopsis so you can sell your finished book. I either make it so long, it’s pretty much a mini book or so short the reader just scratches her head and says, huh? I’m not much of a salesperson.

What is your next project and when will it be released?

Linda Wisdom and I are working on Great Escapes: Summer Solstice for Coliloquy right now. Then we might work on a July 4 or Veteran’s Day  themed Great Escapes.

What is your typical day like?

LOL, it’s pretty boring. Get up, feed the alien kitten, housework-exercise-email, prep posts if any for my blog Star-Crossed Romance, prep any guest posts for myself, review current edits or new material to prepare for the day’s writing, actually WRITE, give alien kitten lunch, WRITE,  feed alien kitten, relax by petting or playing with alien kitten, watch tv while checking email. Prepare for bed, feed alien kitten (she has to have small amounts because she gorges then vomits it back up which is definitely an eeewwww moment we try to avoid. The stuff smells bad going in but even worse coming out!)

How much time do you spend promoting your books?  What works best for you?

I try to do guest blogs on a regular basis but haven’t really counted up the amount of time. I like to have giveaways so readers can get introduced to my books which I think works best.

How has your experience with self-publishing been?

I’ve only self-published one book, Altered Destiny, and it’s done almost as well as my Heartstone published by Mundania Press.

Where do you get the ideas for your stories?

Dreams. I have strange and unusual dreams that have spurred ideas and scenes and characters. It’s as if I have a doorway to all the alternate universes I write about and the ideas come pouring out. Yep, I’m a bit odd, lol.

What advice do you have for other authors wanting to self-publish?

Prepare to self-promote as often as you can but first make sure you’ve edited your book so that typos and other assorted errors don’t live on every page. Nothing is as distracting as misspelled or misplaced words or grammar.

Do you have critique partners?

No.

What is your favorite dessert/food?

I’m a simple girl. I like chocolate in any form. Dark chocolate is the best but any chocolate will do.

How likely are people you meet to end up in your next book?

If they totally tick me off, they might end up in a chalk outline on page 12 (I have a coffee cup that says that, lol) but generally most people won’t make an appearance.

What is most difficult for you to write?  Characters, conflict or emotions?  Why?

I have a harder time writing conflict since I’m a peace loving person. But I always try to make it a case of defending the innocent or righting a wrong. That seems to make it a little easier for me.

Was your road to publication fraught with peril or a walk in the park?

I’m not sure if was fraught with peril but it wasn’t a walk in the park either. I’d won or finaled in a number of contests and got some nibbles but it took a while to actually make a sale.

Give us an elevator pitch for your book.

Great Escapes pitch – The heartbroken and lovelorn come to Great Escapes B&B in search of a relaxing getaway, only to embark on a weekend of sexual self-discovery, courtesy of the inn’s resident ghosts, who bring to life each guest’s deepest desires.

Do you have a view in your writing space?  What does your space look like? 

Right now my office is a disaster. I’ve been trying to clean my files so I have papers stacked and scattered everywhere. Then there are the piles of books. Luckily I firmly believe you can never have too many books…though I seem to be pushing that concept, lol.  I have a south-east exposure but no real view. I like the amount of morning light I get since it energizes me. I sure wouldn’t mind a view of a lake or woods though.

What genres are you drawn to as a reader?

I read what I write – science fiction, fantasy, paranormal. Luckily I also get to review a number of fine books in these genres so it’s win-win for me…and explains the stacks of books mentioned earlier, lol

What do you have planned for the future?

In addition to the futuristic books, I have an End-of-the-World book that I’m seriously thinking about. I’m still fleshing out the story and the hero, who won’t be exactly human, but it’s a story that’s becoming more beguiling to me as it grows.

How far do you plan ahead?

Five minutes?

Do you have any words of inspiration for aspiring authors?

Read, then write. Then read some more. Craft books are fine but books by authors you admire are even better. Re-read them. Study how that author has developed the plot or the characters. Compare a book you liked to one you didn’t care as much for, discover why you didn’t like the one and preferred the other. Then read more books, write some more. Never stop writing. Never stop reading.

Do you or have you belonged to a writing organization?  Which one?  Have the helped you with your writing?  How?

I’ve been in SFFA, HWA and currently in RWA. I belong to several fine chapters that provide research possibilities to help me create background or worlds.

Do you have any rejection stories to share?

I started writing short fiction and one of the rejections I got actually said – we don’t want our readers to lose their lunch! Now…that really irked me because there was nothing in the story that was gory. Not. One. Thing. There was conflict, there was potential conflict. There were romantic elements. There was no gore. But that magazine publisher went belly up about six months later. I hate to see publishers of any sort go belly up, but that time I did the Happy-Dance-of-Revenge, heheheh.

I’d like to offer one person who leaves a comment WITH their email address a pdf copy of my book, Altered Destiny.  The time limit will be three days from the post date.

Thanks for having me here!

Lynda

 Where to find me on the web:

Website http://www.lyndakscott.com.

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Facebook Author Page:  http://www.facebook.com/pages/Lynda-K-Scott/201599553208653

   Heartstone

By Lynda K. Scott

Mundania Press

Science Fantasy Romance

Eric d’Ebrur is out of time. He must fine the legendary Heartstone and fulfill the ancient Gar’Ja bond he shares with the Stonebearer. But when he finds her, he discovers that love can be more dangerous than the Gawan threat. Eric can defeat the mind-controlling Gawan but will it cost him the woman he loves?

After terrifying episodes of hypersensitivity, Keriam Norton thinks she’s losing her mind. When handsome shapeshifter Eric d’Ebrur saves her from the monstrous Gawan, she’s sure of it. But insane or not, she’ll find the Heartstone and, if she’s lucky, a love to last a lifetime.

Available in print and ebook format

Buy Links: Mundania Press (use MP10 at checkout for 10% discount)

http://www.mundania.com/book.php?title=Heartstone

Amazon http://www.amazon.com/Heartstone-Lynda-K-Scott/dp/1606592335/ref=ntt_at_ep_dpt_3

Altered Destiny

By Lynda K Scott

Science Fantasy Romance

Available in ebook formats

Stranded on an alternate Earth, architect and Jill-of-all-trades, Liane Gautier-MacGregor must find her way back to her homeworld before she’s enslaved…or falls in love with a man who is the exact duplicate of her ex-husband.

Devyn MacGregor’s alter ego as the Reiver Lord is the only way he can fight the Qui’arel and their nefarious Bride Bounty, a tax paid with human females…until he meets the oddly familiar woman who claims he is her husband. And who sets in motion the rebellion that will either free his countrymen or destroy them.

Buy Links:

Amazon http://www.amazon.com/Altered-Destiny-ebook/dp/B00579FKFO/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1308920443&sr=8-1

Nook http://search.barnesandnoble.com/Altered-Destiny/Lynda-K-Scott/e/2940012882417

Great Escapes – Valentine’s Day

By Lynda K. Scott and Linda Wisdom

Coliloquy

Interactive Adult Paranormal Fiction

The heartbroken and lovelorn come to Great Escapes B&B in search of a relaxing getaway, only to embark on a weekend of sexual self-discovery, courtesy of the inn’s resident ghosts, who bring to life each guest’s deepest desires.

Just as the ghosts transform to meet the needs of each guest, Great Escapes leverages the Kindle platform to deliver what each reader wants. Do you like your erotica steamy or romantic? Your hero to have blue or brown eyes? Anonymously fill out your preferences, and we’ll deliver the best version of hundreds of combinations prepared by the authors.

In Great Escapes: Valentine’s Day, Rose’s best friend gives her a weekend stay, where an invisible lover helps her to rediscover her sexuality. But will she open her eyes enough to see who is right next door?

Buy Link

Help me welcome Jennette Marie Powell to my blog today.  Be sure and leave a comment to be entered in the drawing for a prize.

What is your typical day like?

I work a full-time paycheck job, so that takes up a lot of my day. When I get home, I get on the treadmill, and get some fun reading in. It’s the first exercise habit I’ve been able to keep for more than a few months!

After that, I read and answer email and check in on Twitter and Facebook. By the time I’m done with that, it’s usually dinner time.

I’m blessed to have a husband who cooks, and our teenage daughter cleans up. That gives me time to write, work on a little promo, and get in some relaxation (usually in the form of computer games) before it’s time for bed.

What advice do you have for other authors wanting to self-publish?

Get the craft down first! Odds are, your first book won’t be ready for publication, even if you think it is. I know mine wasn’t, even though it was contracted by an e-publisher! I wrote five more books before I published myself. The sixth was actually a complete rewrite of that first book, so even though the first one may not be publishable when you first write it, that’s not to say it won’t be later. But either way, always keep learning and improving your craft!

What is most difficult for you to write?  Characters, conflict or emotions?  Why?

Definitely emotions. Characters are fun – that’s what gets the story started. Conflict is easy – all I have to do is ask myself, how can things get worse? What’s the worst that can happen? Then figure out how to get my characters out of the fixes I get them into. Emotions are tricky for me, I think, because I’m not a particularly sentimental person. The other reason they’re tricky is it’s a challenge to come up with ways to show them (as opposed to “telling”) that are fresh and not overused.

When did you start writing toward publication?

I’ve always wanted to write, and started a number of novels while I was in high school and college, but never finished anything. Then I got busy getting a life, and only came back to writing a couple years after my daughter was born.  In the late nineties, I read a really bland romantic suspense, and thought “I can do better.” At first, I just wanted to see if I could. So I bought a book – How to Write Romance by Vanessa Grant, and by the end of 1999, had written my first complete novel. To my surprise, it didn’t totally suck!

Has your muse always known what genre you would write and be published in?

Yes, even though I didn’t! When I was in high school and college, I read almost nothing but fantasy, and that’s also what I wrote. Only my stories always ended up being as much about the characters’ relationship as about the other stuff going on. What I thought was a fantasy was actually a fantasy romance – I just didn’t know it at the time because there was no such thing being published. And now, I can’t imagine writing something without romance in it, or without a speculative element, because that’s what I love.

Please tell my readers a little bit about your book. 

In Time’s Fugitive, my American time-travel romance, Violet Sinclair remembers nothing of her past, but she’s certain she loved Tony Solomon… and did something terrible to him. Time-traveler Tony Solomon is sure he never met Violet, yet she bears an uncanny resemblance to the woman he loved and lost decades before he was born. After an impulse encounter leaves Violet pregnant with his child and targeted by killers from the future, their only escape is to jump into the past, something Tony swore he’d never do again. But when they jump back much further than planned – to prehistoric times –  their troubles are only beginning—and secrets can get them killed.

Time’s Fugitive is Book #2 of the Saturn Society series, which is about a secret society of time travelers. Book #1 is Time’s Enemy. Although they’re probably better read in order, it’s not a necessity.

What’s next for you?

Hangar 18: Legacy is a science fiction romance  about a  psychic AF researcher, and a skeptical developer of mind-control software, who must team up to rescue an imprisoned extraterrestrial thought dead for decades. I’m planning to release it sometime this summer. Readers can subscribe to my newsletter on the home page of my website (www.jenpowell.com) to be notified when it’s out!

An Excerpt from Time’s Fugitive

Violet’s head stopped spinning to leave her with a prickly, scratchy sensation beneath her hands and her fanny. She opened her eyes and looked down.

Weeds and brush, bathed in ghostly white moonlight.

Everything was deathly still. No traffic buzzing by outside. No TV. No sirens blaring from the nearby hospital.

From a few feet away, a cricket chirped. Not one hundred percent quiet, then.

The hospital wasn’t there. Nor was the House. No street or traffic. The Society House’s parlor had disappeared, replaced by forestland and budding trees stretching up in the moonlight.

As if to confirm her conclusion, a tree frog croaked.

Like on television. A chill rushed down her throat.

A breeze ruffled her sleeve, her arm cold when Tony withdrew his hand. Her chills turned to quivers at the realization he’d been touching her. An ache swelled beneath her breast. She longed to lean into him, soak in his warmth, but she didn’t dare.

He gazed around with a wide-eyed, open-mouthed stare.

“Where on earth are we?” Violet asked. The crisp tang of recent rain hung in the air. In the distance, the frog croaked again.

“Hell if I know,” Tony said. Something rustled in the underbrush. Probably a squirrel or some other woodland creature.

“We jumped, didn’t we?” As the ground’s coldness seeped into her skin, Violet pushed herself up. Undergrowth crackled beneath her. She took a few tentative steps, her legs and arms growing heavier with each motion. “Only we must have jumped in space, too.”

“I’ve never heard of it working that way.” Tony rose beside her. “All I know is, recovery’s already hitting me. We need to find somewhere to crash, fast.”

Heavens, he was right. She needed to lie down. Now. “Yes, but where?”

They surveyed their surroundings again, as if wishing would make a Paradise Motel magically appear.

Tony took another wobbly step. “Doesn’t look like we have much choice, I’m…” He yawned.

Violet’s eyes fell closed. Her knees buckled, and she started to collapse, but Tony caught her.

He helped her to a pile of undergrowth at the base of a gigantic tree, one that had to have been over eight feet in diameter, with a little hollow formed by the roots. As soon as he released her, she sank into it. A breeze lifted a few dry leaves, and she shivered. Underbrush crackled as Tony lowered himself to the ground and squeezed in beside her. “We’ll need to keep warm, okay?” She mumbled an assent as he wrapped his arm over her and pressed against her back. He’s only being practical.

She wouldn’t think about how good he felt, or the heat rising inside her that had nothing to do with physical warmth. Necessity. Nothing more. Her worries about the baby, the killers, and what Tony thought of her slipped away. There was only now, cold, and recovery.

A shiver drove down her. Not from the wind, but something she remembered Mr. Pippin saying: You jump in time, never in space.

They’d gone back indeed, much further than intended.

Not decades. Centuries.

Visit Jennette Marie Powell at: http://www.jenpowell.com
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Twitter: @jenmariepowell