Interview with Margaret Izard, Author of Stone of Doubt (Giveaway)

 

Margaret Izard is an award-winning author of historical fantasy and paranormal romance novels. Her latest awards are 2024 Reader’s Favorite Honorable Mention for Stone of Love and 2024 Spring BookFest Silver Award for the same title. She spent her early years through college to adulthood dedicated to dance, theater, and performing. Over the years, she developed a love for great storytelling in different mediums. She does not waste a good story, be it movement, the spoken, or the written word. She discovered historical romance novels in middle school, which combined her desire for romance, drama, and fantasy. She writes exciting plot lines, steamy love scenes and always falls for a strong male with a soft heart. She lives in Houston, Texas, with her husband and adult triplets. 

http://www.margaretizardauthor.com

https://www.facebook.com/mizardauthor

https://linktr.ee/mizardauthor

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0DSGBDMRL

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/223346303-stone-of-doubt

https://www.bookbub.com/books/stone-of-doubt-by-margaret-izard

Where did you grow up?

I was born in Lake Charles, LA, but raised in Houston, Texas.

When did you begin writing?

I started in my 30s, stopped, then picked it back up again in my 50s after tutoring my triplets through college.

Do you write during the day, at night, or whenever you can sneak a few moments?

I’m a 9-5 girl.

What is this book about?

Stone of Doubt, book 5.  Evie’s story. (Colin and Bree’s daughter) A human with Fae powers finds herself fulfilling an old magic stone prophecy as her lost dream boy, now a man, must rescue her from the cruel grip of an evil monster and save the realms. 

She’s a human with Fae powers—and two men who want her. One dark and devilish, the other her long-lost love. Which path will Evie choose? 

Evie MacDougall, you met in book 3, Stone of Hope. She’s Breille and Colin MacDougall’s daughter with Fae powers who accidentally opened the Eye of Ra portal, which sucked her, her brother Ewan and their uncle, Dominic DeVolt, into Egypt of the 1930s. In that story, she meets her mysterious Fae boy, whom she falls hard for. When we met with her again, she had graduated college and had not seen her Fae crush since. She meets the handsome, dark man, Manix, and they start a relationship, only to have her Fae crush, Aodhán, return, begging him to take her to his Fae realm. 

Aodhán, saved Evie and her family at the end of Stone of Hope, book 3 Stones of Iona, only to be punished for showing his true love forbidden Fae spells. Now freed from his captivity, he’s free to visit Evie, his love. But she’s torn between two men, one dark and dangerous, and him, a prophesied future King of the Tuatha Dé Danann. Aodhán will do all in his power to fight for their love, even risk his own destiny. 

Manix Skene Evie admired from afar since he transferred to her college three months prior. He’s a drama major who prefers goth like her and carries a darkness about him that all the girls find irresistible. When Manix invites her to his estate for a masked ball, she becomes curious about the dark and handsome man every college student dreams of dating. Some say he held a temper as if another lived inside him, but for Evie, he was everything a girl desired, or was he?

What inspired you to write it? 

This is the fifth book in the series, and it shifts into the next generation of MacDougalls, who must search for missing magic Fae stones. Evie searches for the Stone of Doubt, so the book delves into individuals grappling with internal conflicts and external challenges, making their journeys deeply human.

 

What readers have said about this next release: The narrative keeps you guessing. Just when readers think they’ve figured it all out, unexpected turns will invite them to re-examine their assumptions—mirroring the book’s central theme of questioning certainty. Stone of Doubt isn’t just a story; it’s an exploration of how doubt and certainty shape our lives. As readers navigate the intertwined threads of romance, suspense, and self-discovery, they’ll find themselves reflecting on their own experiences and beliefs.

Was the road to publication smooth sailing or a bumpy ride?

For my first release, Stone of Love, book 1 Stones of Iona, I searched for an agent or publisher. I spent over two and a half years querying while trying to improve my writing before finding a home with The Wild Rose Press.

If you knew then what you know now, is there anything you would have done differently?

Hired a better freelance editor and had more patience.

Where can readers purchase a copy of your book?

Most all retailers for ebook and print books.

https://linktr.ee/mizardauthor

What is one piece of advice you would like to share with aspiring authors everywhere?

Read. Some of my best ideas came from inspiration from reading history or another story. It fires the creative spark and generates my mind to develop “what if?” and then answer it. 

Write. Even if it stinks, write. Get it on the page. You can always edit it after. You should edit and edit and edit. Writing is a practiced technique. Storytelling is a practiced art. They go hand in hand, but to learn, one must practice. 

Don’t do this alone. While writing is solitary, crafting and creating great stories isn’t. Take a class, find a writing group, or join a critique group. Get feedback on what you write to make it better.
What is up next for you?

Is there anything you would like to add?

Next in the series: 

Highlander’s Holly and Ivy, a Christmas companion book coming November 2025. Features Alex MacDougall, Mary and Roderick from Thistle in the Mistletoe son. A forbidden love between a Highlander and an English lady intertwines with magic, betrayal, and the fate of a nation as they fight to unite their worlds and reclaim Scotland’s legacy.

Stone of Faith, book 6 Ewan’s Story. (Evie’s twin brother) A cursed pirate captain and an enslaved siren defy a power-hungry madman—and fate itself—to claim a love that spans centuries as they save the human and Fae realms.

Stone of Destiny, book 7. Katerine MacArthur, Evie’s BFF love story. A woman torn between fate and forbidden love must defy a Fae prophecy and battle dark forces to reclaim her future—and the heart of the Fae warrior she can’t forget.

Evergreen Evermore, a Christmas companion book coming in 2026.

This series leads into another connected series, Dragons of Tantallon, a dragon-shapeshifter series revolving around the magic Iona Stones.

Read an Excerpt: 

She breathed as Aodhán wrapped his arms around her, pulling her against his muscular chest. “Welcome to Broemere Castle, my home.” 

She turned as he held her in his arms. “Yer home? Ye mean the Fae realm?” 

Aodhán brushed his fingers over her cheek. “Aye.” He gazed at her momentarily with a grin spread over his face. “Come, I wish to show ye around the castle before we meet the others.” 

He pulled her hand, and she tugged back, stopping him. “The ball, it still calls ye?” 

He nodded as he turned, and she tugged again. “Ye mentioned punishment. What for?” 

He took her hand and kissed the back. “For showing ye spells I wasn’t allowed to.” 

Evie stood staring at him as the edges of his eyes crinkled. She looked down, her mind rolling over memories as the past connected with the present, then his statement. 

She gasped. “The Fae, they punished ye for helping me.” Her eyes connected with his. “Yer punishment was because of me. Ye didn’t leave me. They kept ye away.” 

Aodhán stepped to her, his hand on her cheek. “Aye, that’s true.” He bent and brushed a kiss. Tingles like before shot to her toes, electrifying her body. 

Aodhán’s whisper brushed her ear. “And I’d do it all over again.”

Margaret Izard will be awarding a

Stone of Doubt Book Swag Box

to a randomly drawn winner. 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

New Release: The Child by Sarah Cass

Velli knows things are too good to be true. She finally has almost everything. A mate that’s soon to be her husband, children, her best friend Reed, and a good relationship with her parents. Only one thing is missing—her daughter, Morgan.

Kane is ready to finally have Velli as his partner in every way. He knows how skittish she gets though, and is on edge as a series of events predict disaster in the most superstitious of ways.

When Velli goes missing minutes before the wedding, the race is on to find her. They find her easily but no one, not even Velli, can explain what happened to her during that time. They push through with the wedding anyway, but sinister forces are working to rip their family apart.

Forces much closer than any of them realize.

Published by Divine Roses Ink
Published: July 18, 2018
ISBN: 9781945030222

Purchase here!


Don't miss the other books in the series!

Cover Reveal: Dark Echoes by Jaime McDougall

LONE WOLF

Lily Peterson is a wolf who hunts alone. Haunted by the attack that left her best friend permanently human, she will do whatever it takes to catch her prey.

FATE

Jason North is one of the Neuri, a pack of werewolves with special abilities. He knows he’s never met Lily before, but his instincts tell him he has. He’ll keep her close until he figures out why.

EVERYBODY LIES

A war that has played out across lifetimes threatens to consume Echo Falls. Friends become enemies, and old enemies become allies. Lily fights against memories that aren’t hers, forced toward a fate she doesn’t believe in.

Fate is about to learn that Lily doesn’t like being told what to do.

Jaime McDougall is a chocolate-addicted paranormal romance author living in country Australia. She likes

kidnapping her husband and naming her pets after science fiction authors.

When she is not writing or thinking about writing, she is baking all kinds of sweet concoctions. It’s been said that she makes the best brownies in Bendigo, but she couldn’t possibly comment.

She has been published in Chicken Soup for the Soul: High School: The Real Deal, Chicken Soup for the Soul: Campus Chronicles, Painted Words 2012, and Painted Words 2013. She has also published the paranormal romance novels Echo Falls, Fading Echoes, and Dark Echoes as well as the So You Want non-fiction series for authors.

Find out more at Jaime’s website: http://www.inkyblots.com

Interview with P. Christina Greenaway, Author of Written in Ruberah

Christina Greenaway has worked in fields as diverse as advertising in London and New York, fashion modeling in Paris, and partnering in a frog farm in Costa Rica. While she now calls the United States home, Christina is a traveler at heart and may be found anywhere in the world writing the next book in the Jeweled Intelligence series. Her first novel is Dream Chaser: Awakening, a contemporary paranormal romance set in New York City that delves into human aspirations and the power of love. Her second novel, Written in Ruberah, paranormal romance/fantasy, explores what lies in the chasm that sometimes keeps lovers apart.

You can visit Christina at www.christinagreenaway.com or her blog at http://christinagreenaway.wordpress.com.

Connect & Socialize with Christina!

TWITTER * FACEBOOK

Where did you grow up?

Mevagissey, Cornwall, UK

When did you begin writing?

I wrote stories as a young child and dreamed of being a writer one day. For many years I traveled the world and worked in different careers. I settled into writing full time fifteen years ago.

Do you write during the day, at night or whenever you can sneak a few moments?

My habit is to write for about three hours in the early morning. I like to edit in the afternoon. When travelling, I write anywhere I can.

What is this book about?

A woman who feels hard-wired to be with the man she loves but who cannot realize that love because of a debt she bears from a previous life in ancient Ruberah.

What inspired you to write it?

I wanted to set a novel in Cornwall, UK, where I grew up. I felt the lush countryside, the moors, and the rugged coast would feed my imagination.They did. Lovers came to mind. Lovers who must time travel to the ancient past to heal a rift that prevents them from being together. I needed an immortal—a guide who would help them. I turned to an old Cornish legend that fascinated me as a child: the legend of the beautiful nymph Tamara and the giant brothers Tavy and Tawridge. Tamara lives in a cave beneath the moors with her parents. Her father forbids her to meet the giants. Tamara disobeys him. Her father catches her with the giants and punishes her by turning her into a river of tears. Tamara forms the River Tamar. As a child, I traveled back and forth to boarding school by train crossing the River Tamar. I imagined Tamara as a water spirit who helped people.

Written in Ruberah, is the first book in my Age of Jeweled Intelligence series about people who lived in ancient Ruberah who made sacred promises to one day make amends for the disaster that brought about the end of that land. They tossed those promises into the River of Life. Many of those old souls live on the planet today. As their promises come due they float into the River Tamar. Tamara guides those ready to fulfill them.

Who is your favorite character from the book?

Miriam who longs to be in a loving relationship with Mitch. Miriam fears aging and the possibility of growing old alone. A little overweight, she struggles to take the pounds off only to binge eat to feed her emotions and pack them back on. Miriam is strong, humorous, and painfully vulnerable.

Was the road to publication smooth sailing or a bumpy ride?

Long and arduous. It took many drafts to weave the history of the ancient Kingdom of Ruberah into the story of Tamara and the present day lives of Miriam and Mitch.

If you knew then, what you know now, is there anything you would have done differently?

I wrote the first two drafts of Written in Ruberah in first person from Tamara’s POV. My editor told me the story was too big for first person. If I had to do it over, I would take her advice earlier than I did.

Where can readers purchase a copy of your book?

Amazon or www.christinagreenaway.com

Do you have a video trailer to promote your book? If yes, where can readers find it?

My website: www.christinagreenaway.com

What is the best investment you have made in promoting your book?

I’m at the beginning of that journey. Right now, I’d say having my website redesigned and going on this blog tour. I rather dreaded promoting my book but I find myself enjoying it—enjoying the connection I’m making with other writers and book lovers.

Is there one piece of advice you would like to share with aspiring authors everywhere?

If you dream of being a writer, you can be a writer. The dream is telling you this. Let nothing stop you. Build the habit of writing every day. This tells your body, mind, and spirit you’re serious about this. After a while that something magical happens and you’ll find your imagination racing off, exploring possibilities you might otherwise never have considered. You’ll laugh, cry, fall in love, and kill whoever needs to be killed. Since you create all the characters you realize your protagonist could not complete his journey without having met and defeated a number of enemies along the way. This opens your compassionate nature and guides you to deal fate with an even hand. In Written in Ruberah I learned why Tamara’s father turned her into a river and how he did it. Yes, it’s just an old Cornish legend, but truth abounds in myths and legends. I write by Rumi’s advice: “Don’t be satisfied with stories, how things have gone with others. Unfold your own myth.”

What is up next for you?

I’m writing the next book in my Age of Jeweled Intelligence series. This story features a new main character, a seventeen-year-old boy, Ib, short for Ibiza, (Ib’s mother names all her children after the place where they were conceived), a soul-searing love story, and another adventure in ancient Ruberah.

Is there anything you would like to add?

Thank you for your kind interest in my novel. I bid you goodbye with the phrase used by those who lived ancient Ruberah. Foretune to travel well.

Cover Reveal: Romancing the Million $$$ Ghost by Heide AW Kaminski, Pam Ryan, and Dorothy Thompson

Eccentric tobacco tycoon Rodger Hawthorne III can have anything his heart desires except his dead wife, Sarah. Feeling responsible for the car crash that killed her twenty years earlier, he offers one million dollars to anyone who can find her spirit and bring it to him within one week or the money is forfeited. Six spiritually-challenged—but highly intuitive—women find his ad over the Internet and accept his challenge only to embark on a journey they didn’t quite expect that covers astral traveling, past life regressions and spiritual encounters of the unworldly kind. While this book is lightly based on a true story of a real man who is offering one million dollars to anyone who can prove that spirits exist, this story is purely fictional. Or is it?

Coming October 2013!

ABOUT HEIDE AW KAMINSKI

HEIDE AW KAMINSKI is the mom of three very successful children and lives in southeast Michigan with her partner, her son and stepson. She teaches English in a high school for juvenile delinquent boys, as well as co-directs the Sunday school program for an Interfaith Center. She is also the editor-in-chief for the Interfaith Center’s monthly 16-page newsletter. She is currently the author of five books, ADHD and ME , Get Smart Through Art, The Ability Gang (a novel for upper elementary readers), Von Riesiggross bis Klitzeklein (a German children's book), and South of Eden (a not so serious novel about life in Heaven). She has also published stories in 15 anthologies, including Chicken Soup for the Divorced Soul.

Kaminski was born and raised in Germany, and after spending a year as an exchange student in the USA, she ended up marrying an American and has been a permanent resident in the U.S. since 1984, as well as a citizen of the U.S. since 2007. After dedicating many years to being there for her children first, she obtained her bachelor’s degree in English communications at the ripe age of 50 and her English teaching certificate two years later.

ABOUT PAM RYAN

Pam Ryan is a writer and professional psychic from Northwestern Ohio. She is the mother of two and has been a widow for the last five years. Her writing career began back in high school where she wrote a column for the Sylvania Sentinel Newspaper in Sylvania, Ohio. Pam was also the first page editor of the high school newspaper as well as doing the public relations for the high school musicals. At the University of Toledo she helped to create the Public Relations Department for the Department of Theatre and Speech, worked as a reporter for the college paper, The Collegian, and was assistant to the Public Relation Director of a local Toledo, Ohio, theatre group, Lynro Productions. After college Pam went to work for the United States Government and part of her duties were to write and publish a newspaper for the Migrant Opportunity Program in Phoenix, Arizona. Back in Ohio she lent her talents to the local Muscular Dystrophy Association, Make A Wish of Northwestern Ohio, worked on newsletters for Grace Lutheran Church and Christ the King Church, both in Toledo, and did public relations for the Parent Organization of Lake Elementary School. Pamela Ryan, as she is known professionally, began her professional psychic career in 1990. She presently does private readings and parties, and is also available at Lite the Way, Lambertville, Michigan, and The Healing Oasis in Clay Center, Ohio. Pam has recently completed classes and become a Certified Hypnotherapist and has completed the Master’s level for hypnotherapists. Publication is tentatively set for 2013, for her book, “My Dearest Children,” channeled by Mary Magdalene, and is presently working on a biography of world renowned journalist, Ruth Montgomery and a series of books about a fictional psychic medium. The first one is called, "The Macrame Cross."

ABOUT DOROTHY THOMPSON

Dorothy Thompson is the owner/founder of Pump Up Your Book, an innovative public relations firm specializing in online book promotion and social media marketing for authors. Pump Up Your Book was voted #1 in the Preditor's and Editor's Readers Poll in 2012. She is also the co-author/compiler of Romancing the Soul, an anthology which proves soul mates exist and has appeared in USA Today, Chicago Times and other publications. Dorothy loves the paranormal and is spatial clairsentient. She lives on the beautiful island of Chincoteague, Virginia.

Together, they make the writing team for Romancing the Million $$$ Ghost. Visit the official book blog at www.RomancingMillionDollarGhost.com or like them on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/RomancingTheMillionDollarGhost.

New Cover Reveal: Echo Falls by Jaime McDougall

Running from a nightmare stalking her every move, Phoebe Martin arrives in Echo Falls hoping she has finally found a safe place to stop. But trouble has a way of catching up and soon the signs are there.

After a vicious attack in an alley, policeman Aidan O'Bryan is left with Phoebe as his only path to understanding why the Echo Falls werewolf pack - his pack - is being attacked. When another pack member is killed, Phoebe is forced to confront her past before she loses Aidan and everything she has come to love.

Love and duty become one as Aidan strives to prevent Phoebe from becoming the next victim. But with Phoebe just as determined to protect Aidan and her new home, secrets from her past threaten to tear them apart.

Will love give Phoebe the strength to trust Aidan and face her fears, or will her past destroy her future?

Purchase here.

Inspired by the original cover art by Scarlett Rugers, the new cover embraces the feel of Echo Falls as a series. Jaimes says she's in such awe of the pure talent at Cohesion and she's so happy in taking these books to the next level!

To celebrate, she is holding a contest! You have the chance to win both Echo Falls (with the now-limited edition original cover) and the sequel, Fading Echoes – both signed! Already have the books? Then you can choose to have a minor character in the third book named after you or a friend. This contest is open internationally.

To win:

Go to her Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/authorjaimemcdougall

Tell her what scene in Echo Falls or Fading Echoes is your favourite and why. Haven’t read the books? Then all you need to do is tell her what paranormal creature you would be if you could and why.

Everyone who participates will go into a draw. You will get an extra entry if you share this on Facebook and an extra entry if you Tweet!

Good luck!

Guest Blogger: Julie Eberhart Painter, Author of Daughters of the Sea

Laura, descended from the Princess Kura, revisits her Tahitian heritage to seek her birth father, a Polynesian navigator

Ian, an English journalist connected by heritage, falls in love with Laura. He’s by her side when dejá vu overtakes her and they are plunged into the past to the time of Captain Cook’s first landing on the islands, 243 years prior.

Chased by the demons of her ancestor’s past, and fearing for her sanity, Laura and Ian work to find the answers to her quest.

How I spent my winter vacation finding paradise: Research: can anyone spell tax deduction? by Julie Eberhart Painter

It was the Midwestern storm of January 26, 1978 that convinced us it was time to move out of Ohio and seek respite. It’s one thing to “winter” in “Winterland”, but another to live in a climate that locks you in half the year.

Our destination: a three-week luxury tour/escape from Cleveland to the South Pacific. At five-fifteen the morning of our departure, my husband Shaw tapped on the barometer.

“What’s this? This can’t be right. The barometer has dropped to 28.28.” The temperature plummeted from an unseasonable 50 degrees to 15 degrees. Icy rain slanted toward our townhouse condo.

The temperature dropped to zero. Our son Steve rolled down the window to chip ice off the windshield. The white blanket of oncoming snow raced toward us. We could see nothing. Had the car skidded into a drift, no one would have found us until spring!

Hopkins Airport’s sliding-glass doors, which should move smoothly from side to side, flapped back and forth like sheets on a line. A little man in winter gear wearing thick leather gloves hovered over his computer keyboard. The airport was on quarter power. He looked up as we approached dragging our baggage.

“What are you doing here? Go home—if you can get home. Nothing will fly today.”

Cars and trucks littered the road. Most of the off ramps were drifted closed. Orange barriers sprung up, warning the public that roads were impassible. There had to be a warmer place to be, if only…

Let’s say, we were predisposed to loving Tahiti, and soon fell in love with Polynesia. We’ve returned to those islands many times since. In Daughters of the Sea, I take you there to wallow in the culture: welcoming, warm and magical.

My heroine, Laura is possessed by her ancestor of 243 years prior. Finding that she’s adopted and the daughter of a modern-day Polynesian navigator, Laura travels to Tahiti to confront the father who gave her away. She meets Ian, who’s on holiday before relocating to the States to write for a travel magazine. Drawn into an intrigue that endangers her life and forever changes his, they uncover Laura’s exotic ancestral history.

One of the challenges of writing Daughters was to bring the story of Captain Cook’s men into the readers’ view so they could understand the Romeo and Juliet drama taking place in 1769 between her ancestors Justin Adams, Cook’s Cabin boy, and Kura, the island princess. Because of the stilted language, a friend asked where I’d gotten Justin’s diary entries,

“They’re so poetic and old fashioned.”

"I wrote them," I said. The Fatal Impact by Alan Moorehead holds the voices of the men from the Endeavour, Captain Cook’s ship. Their letters guided me in creating the voice for Justin’s diary.

Example: Justin’s reflections at the first sighting of his island lover:

She stood at the back among other young women in the narrow boat, but none held my eyes as she did. She singled me out, and I felt compelled to wave her a greeting. Arms stretched above her head, she leapt from the boat and swam toward me. Her sleek shoulders sliced through the sea. She scrambled up the hemp ladder and jumped onto the deck shaking her glossy black hair. Sparks of water flew from her head catching the light as if they were diamonds. Her naked body gleamed as the seawater beaded and trickled in rivulets to the deck’s surface. Entwined in her hands were blossoms she’d lifted from her headdress. They swung free in a ring as she danced forward and laid them around my shoulders. I reached for her, but she slipped from my grasp. With a promissory glance, she dove from the ship until all I could see was the powerful kick of her feet and her noble head carving through the opal and sapphire swells. She hast undone me whilst welcoming me to this Garden of Eden into which our captain has brought us.

PURCHASE DAUGHTERS OF THE SEA AT MUSEITUP PUBLISHING AND AMAZON!

Julie Eberhart Painter, born in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, was raised in Bucks County by her adoptive family. She worked in Ohio and Georgia in nursing homes as a volunteer coordinator and later as a community ombudsman. In Daytona Beach, Florida, Julie served as a bereavement volunteer at the local hospice, and contributed to two of their self-help books.

Time permitting (Laughter here) Julie’s hobbies include duplicate bridge, art, music, dance, reading and world travel. Julie is a regular blogger at http://thewritersvineyard.com/ , and a staff columnist for Cocktails, Fiction and Gossip Magazine, http://cocktailsmagazine.wix.com/fictionandgossip#!issue-17, an online slick. Bewildering Stories has published nine of her flash fictions tales at http://www.bewilderingstories.com/bios/painter_bio.html

Kill Fee, a cozy mystery won the Coffee Time Romance & More award for Best Book. Champagne Books awarded it Best Book for 2011. Medium Rare, the sequel, released in December 2012.
Learn more at www.books-jepainter.com

Contact Julie:

Twitter: @JulieEPainter
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/julieeberhart.painter
Linked-In: http://www.linkedin.com/profile/view?id=108603208

Cover Reveal: Fading Echoes by Jaime McDougall

In a town full of werewolves and legends, Charlotte Peterson is unique. As the first ‘pure-bred’ werewolf in Echo Falls, she struggles to fit in even amongst her pack.

When Dr. Adam Baker arrives in town, Charlotte is forced to balance their growing friendship with her need to keep the pack’s secrets – and her own. But she is not the only one keeping secrets and Adam’s past could threaten them all.

That is not the only danger. Compass, the genetic research company intent on isolating the ‘werewolf gene’, will do whatever it takes to gain the final advantage over all werewolves. Compass CEO Calvin Stephens has a very special plan in mind for Charlotte…

Time is running out for Charlotte and the pack as Calvin’s plans near completion. In a town where secrecy is the key to survival, can Charlotte trust Adam to help her? Or has she revealed the deadliest secret of them all?

Coming soon!

Jaime McDougall is a citizen of the world, currently loving life in beautiful country Victoriain Australia. She loves eating sushi, kidnapping her husband and naming her pets in honour of science fiction authors.

She has been published in Chicken Soup for the Soul: High School: The Real Deal and Chicken Soup for the Soul: Campus Chronicles. So You Want to Write a Guest Post: An Author’s Guide to Promoting with Guest Blogging is her most recent non-fiction ebook. She has also enjoyed writing a column called ‘The New Australian’ in local newspapers as well as various articles online.

Echo Falls is her first paranormal romance novel. The sequel, Fading Echoes, is coming soon.

You can visit her website at InkyBlots.com.

Book Review: Echo Falls by Jaime McDougall

Phoebe Martin keeps running from her past. Problem is, it keeps catching up with her. She hopes Echo Falls is finally her safe haven from the secrets she holds inside.

After Phoebe is violently attacked in an alley, policeman Aidan O'Bryan finds her to be the only path to understanding why the Echo Falls pack--his pack--is being attacked. When another pack member is killed, Phoebe is forced to confront her past before she loses everything, including Aidan.

I have to admit I was a bit nervous about reviewing this one. Werewolves aren't my thing. I went through my vampire stage, but it was more television shows--Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel--than books. And any time you review a book for a friend you've known for a few years, it lends itself to some tense moments before you crack open the binding and begin reading.

Thankfully, McDougall is an excellent writer. I felt drawn in right from the moment I met Phoebe, who was running for her life. I love a book that drops me right into the action, and Echo Falls certainly did that.

I applaud an author who can create a superb villain, as it is something I struggle with as a writer. McDougall managed to make Liam despicable, yet the reader still is left with an ounce of sympathy for him. Challenging to do, yet wonderful when a storyteller creates such a character. McDougall's strength definitely resides in her ability to develop characters and bring them to life for her readers: Aidan the strong, sexy hero; Phoebe the independent, stubborn heroine who is determined to handle things herself; Will and Elle--husband and wife, leaders in the pack, who accept Phoebe and help her feel welcome; Mia, a member of the pack who isn't fond of Phoebe and Aidan's developing relationship.

I would definitely look forward to an Echo Falls sequel, perhaps a story that focuses on one of the secondary characters. If you enjoy a fast-paced paranormal romance, Echo Falls is the book for you.

Title:  Echo Falls
Author:  Jaime McDougall
Publisher: CreateSpace
ISBN-10: 1463664044
ISBN-13: 978-1463664046
SRP:  $10.99
Kindle version: $3.00

Author Spotlight: Martin Sharlow, Author of Shades of Twlight

Melissa has waited her whole life to move out and start her own. This is her first summer after graduating and now she has her own place and a job. Everything she wanted is starting to happen.

Until the accident.

When the most gorgeous guy she has ever seen saves her life, he also forever changes it. What do you do when you find out that life as you have always known it isn’t real, and the man you love is a vampire, out to save you from something worse?

Read the Excerpt!


The lights came back on in the theater, and still half the people hadn’t left yet. The first portion got up and left the moment the credits came up, but the rest sat in their seats and talked about everything they’d just watched. A few of the last people leaving let their eyes linger on Michael as they walked out, but most didn’t even seem to notice him any longer. I guess they were more wrapped up in their new world of vampires and werewolves. I couldn’t blame them, really. Bella’s world looked all romantic and fun. Somehow even with a horde of vampires trying to kill her, the movie seemed to make it a cool thing. I realized that, had I been Bella and that was my life, it wouldn’t seem so cool anymore. At the moment, though, it did. Her romanticized life seemed preferable to mine, and yet a part of me knew I wouldn’t leave mine right now even if it were possible.

I looked over at Michael to see him sitting there staring at me. I wondered what he was thinking, if he thought I was his Bella, or was he just amused that I had the need to escape into fantasy. I noticed a kernel of popcorn stuck on his shoulder, then one in his hair, and couldn’t help wonder how they got there.

“Are we done yet?” He asked with a bit of hope in his eyes. “Or are we going to go get another ticket and watch it again?”

He looked so adorable right now, just sitting there with popcorn in his hair. I wasn’t sure what it was or why he so appealed to me right then, but without thinking I found myself pressing my lips against his silky soft ones. His lips warmed to the touch of mine, as we kissed.


Read the Reviews!

"If you like a paranormal storyline with some mystery and a little romance thrown in, than you will enjoy Shades of Twilight."

--Acting Balanced

"I do recommend this story for those who enjoy vampires with mystery."

--Goodreads Reviewer

Martin Sharlow was always a storyteller. In his youth he used to play role playing games and usually he was the game master. That allowed him to create and modify stories and then tell them to his captive audience in the form of a game. Because of this and the many fantasy books he read, Martin went the next step and started writing fantasy novels.


Recently, however, Martin changed genres to vampire romance as he got bitten by the vampire bug. This happened after picking up one of the latest novels and finding himself hooked on it. Today Martin has written two vampire romance novels, and is in the process of writing many more.


Martin currently lives in Vancouver, WA with two of his three children, who help to keep him grounded in reality.


You can visit Martin Sharlow at http://www.wix.com/targoun/martin

PURCHASE A COPY OF SHADES OF TWILIGHT AT AMAZON.COM!

My Serbian Wolf by Charisma Knight

Niko sacrificed himself once for the sake of his pack, but will he discover another lesson of self sacrifice that may release him from his spiritual imprisonment?

Centuries later, he discovers his life mate, Rebecca, the one who can make him whole once again. For Niko and Rebecca, a second chance at love is just a breath away.

Read an Excerpt!

 Clutching the bed furs, Rebecca shivered as she returned to the warmth of the bed. The cold air hardened her chocolate nipples, causing the silk to feel harsh against them. Candles adorned the room, and a slight breeze caused the flames to sway in a smooth fluid motion, in such a strange hypnotizing way. It was no secret, once again she'd been thrust into an alternate reality.

A growl made the hair on the back of her neck stand on end. Chills skittered down her spine, causing goose bumps to erupt over her flesh.

The bed sat adjacent to the entrance of the room, and within the door- frame she caught a glimpse of Niko's large silhouette. From what she could see, his eyes appeared to be silver, or perhaps the candlelight played tricks upon her eyes.

Seeking more warmth, Rebecca tucked the furs closer to her body. Her breath escaped her as the wolf man moved closer into view, leaning against the stone wall. Silver eyes pierced her soul, and her pussy clenched in anticipation. Hot cream flooded her silk panties when Niko finally came into full view, snatching her breath away like a thief in the night.

She smiled. "I've missed you. Her pulsed quickened, and her clit throbbed. She ached with want at the thought of his hardened body slipping and sliding against hers.

"And I've missed you, Ljubavnica (lee oo bav neet sa)."

Rebecca swallowed hard as the large, muscular man, who stood at six-foot-three appeared to float into the room. Every time Rebecca saw him, many memories invade her psyche, causing her to remember their past lives together. Tonight, he wore a blood red wool shirt, and black cotton knickers, that were pretty damned form-fitting against his chiseled body.

His features appear to be carved from stone and adorned with tell-tale signs of his age, sending her blood pressure through the roof. To Rebecca, he looked to be in his early to mid forties, but she knew Niko was centuries old. Gray streaks were prominent throughout his black, shoulder length hair. Rebecca shuddered, not from the cold, but from eyes that were now black as obsidian. She released a breath and shuddered in anticipation of what was to come. Those eyes possessed ancient unspoken secrets, and promised hours of forbidden carnal pleasures.

Purchase My Serbian Wolf here!


Charisma Knight lives in the Maryland area with her darling daughters and her overactive imagination. Her love for vampires prompted her to pursue writing in March 2009.

Vampires are her first love. Werewolves, ghosts, and dragons follow close behind. She writes of old or “cursed” souls who are reincarnated over the sands of time. Quite often these souls must atone for past sins they care not to remember before fulfilling their destinies.

Her stories contain an erotic wild edge with a little fantasy sprinkled within. On occasion, one will discover some stories deal with real life situations. There are certain trials and tribulations everyone faces while walking down that cobblestone road called life. Charisma enjoys writing about how her characters triumph over the hurdles in their existence.

You can visit Charisma online at http://charismaknight.yolasite.com/

Author Spotlight: Guard My Heart: A Taste of Terror by Chastity Bush

As a Guardian it is Cole Douglas’s job to protect all living beings, mortal and immortal alike. When Cole is attacked by a female werewolf, he is shocked to find that his attacker is none other than his intended mate. Refusing to acknowledge that he has found his mate, Cole continues on with his job of hunting rogues, only to find that the beautiful creature he was attacked by is not only his intended mate but his ticket to finding the rogue werewolf he has been assigned to kill.

Unable to resist, Cole finds himself drawn to the woman unlike any before. From her golden brown hair to her amber gold eyes, Cole realizes that just because he doesn’t think he is ready for a mate, doesn’t matter when just a look from her can set his blood on fire.

Chloe Dunn is just learning to live life as a werewolf when the scent of a stranger sends her into a frenzy and leads her to attack him. Cole is dangerous and wild, something she needs no part of but the overwhelming pull he has on her is more than she can bear. The more time she spends with him, the more she wants him, needs him and will do whatever it takes to have him, even if it means placing herself in the hands of the very rouge that turned her.

Read an Excerpt!


“Are you all right?”

Sitting up slowly, she reached to feel the tender spot on the back of her head.

“Just a little sore, I think I’m fine.”

“Are you sure?”

“Yeah, I’m more worried about you,” she said quickly, reaching out to pull what was left of his T-shirt away from the deep lacerations marring his chest.

“What the…?” The wounds she had seen him sustain were life threatening; she had been able to see his ribs through the deep gashes as he fought but now....

“They are almost gone?” she wondered aloud. “What in the hell are you?” She rubbed the tips of her fingers across what looked like four fading scars.

Cole shivered under her tender touch. Her fingertips gently brushed over the
wounds to his chest. The heat of her touch burned through him, pleasure weaving its way throughout his body. He had never experienced this kind of raw need for a woman, never felt such powerful desire for someone as he did for Chloe.

“Well?” she asked with exasperation as she stood, placing her hands on her hips.

“Well what?” His mind was still lost in the pleasure of her touch.

“What-are-you?” she enunciated slowly.

Struggling to hide a smile, Cole stood, pulling what was left of his shirt over his head before tossing it into the trash can.

Grinning, Cole watched quietly as the irritation displayed so clearly across Chloe’s face faded as her eyes roamed the length of his body.

“Do I meet your approval?” Cole teased.

It was as if he could feel her eyes roaming his bare flesh, burning a trail over every inch they covered. He could smell her need for him; he could see it in the expressions flickering across her face. For a moment he was severely tempted to throw her to the ground and take her, to claim her but his good sense prevailed. This was not the time and definitely not the place. Instead, the need to tease her had won out.

Cole watched as she schooled her features. The flicker of embarrassment fading only to be replaced by irritation.

“You’re a kind of an ass you know that?” she stated bluntly, her golden eyes
glittering in the bright lights. She had just saved his life and he would not even tell her what the hell he was? Irritation slithered within her.

She was serious, he noted and he fought to hide the smile that tugged at the corners of his mouth.

“So, I have been told.”

“I take it that you are not going to answer my question?”

“Not here.”

“Well, seeing as I need some answers as to what just happened here,” she said, waving her hands at the mess surrounding them, “where will you tell me what I need to know?”

He had intended on telling her about his assignment and what part she played in it. He had even intended to tell her what he was and answer whatever it was that she needed to know about her own kind. That had been his reason for coming to the hospital to begin with. He had first thought to catch her at her home but, after watching her apartment for nearly a week, it seemed that she was at work more than she was at home.

“Your place.”

Nodding her head, she agreed.

“There is only one problem.”

“What is that?” he asked.

“How are we both going to get out of here? I’m covered with blood and you are half naked. Don’t you think that that might draw some attention?”

Looking around the room, he spotted a door along the farthest wall with a large exit sign hanging above it.

“Where does this lead?” he asked, looking back over his shoulder at her.

“It’s a fire exit; my guess would be that it leads out onto…a fire escape.” she finished sarcastically.

“You are a bit of a smartass, you know that?”

“So, I have been told.” She repeated his earlier words.

He nodded. “Well then,” he said, striding back to stand in front of her. His chest was only inches from hers. “Let’s go.”

He reached down and hooked his arm around her waist, lifting her over his shoulder.
“What in the hell are you doing?” she squealed.

“We need to move fast.” he answered lightly, as if that explained why she was currently slung over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes.

“I can walk, she complained, wriggling about.

The feel of her thighs beneath his palms sent heat straight to his groin.

The sight of her firm ass next to his face, wriggling as he carried her to the exit, tortured him, begged him to reach up and squeeze the firm globes in his hands.

Shaking his head, he fought the urge.

“I know that,” he began, “but we will have to jump down at least one story. Can you jump that far without hurting yourself yet?”

She shook her head. “I haven’t tried,” she admitted reluctantly.

Cole was not surprised that Chloe did not know the extent of her new abilities.

She had not had a teacher to teach her what she could and could not do now that she was a werewolf. That was something that he would have to remedy.

“Can you?” she asked quietly. “Jump that far, I mean.”

Stepping out onto the fire escape, Cole tightened his grip.

“Hold on.”



Chastity Bush is the author of four published romance novels. She is the married mother of two great girls and currently resides in the small town of Whitefield, Oklahoma with her wonderful husband and children.

She loves to hear from readers and you contact her anytime on her official website, Facebook and Myspace.


A TASTE OF TERROR BY CHASTITY BUSH IS COMING IN DECEMBER 2010 FROM MUSEITUP PUBLISHING!

Rie McGaha on Paranormal Romance

Today's guest blogger is Rie McGaha, author of Grounded, Deadly Dreams, and the newly released paranormal romance novel, Blood Line.

Truck driver Joshua Kaine and his wife, Jessie, enjoy the freedom of the open road, until the night Josh is attacked by a rabid dog. Josh kills the animal, but his and Jessie's troubles have only just begun.

Following the attack, Josh becomes deathly ill, but three weeks later he's feeling much better - much stronger - much more alive. When the moon rises full and bright, Josh experiences the change for the first time, his body morphing into that of a large, gray wolf. His appetite - for both food and sex - is enormous, and he spends every waking moment feeding his hunger.

Jessie doesn't know what's come over her husband, but she's not complaining. At least, not until a clan of werewolves comes after her and her family, intent upon seeking revenge for the death of their leader.

From a remote mountaintop to the swamps of Louisiana, Josh searches for a solution to their dilemma, but time is running out. When the absolute worst happens, Josh is forced to turn the tables and the hunted becomes the hunter.

About the author:

Rie McGaha lives in SE Oklahoma with her husband, Nathan, and their youngest daughter, Rocky. Rie rescues abandoned animals, gets them spayed/neutered, and tries to find them new homes. The ones who aren't adopted remain with Rie's family. She currently has 14 up for adoption.

When the dogs aren't demanding her time, Rie writes erotic romance novels.

You can visit Rie online at http://www.riemcgaha.com/.

Rie's turn:

The only thing I love more than reading paranormal romance novels is writing them! In this genre there are no rules and the characters can be or do anything the author can imagine, especially when paired with erotica.

Paranormal romance allows both the author and the reader’s imaginations to take them to places we’ve only seen in our dreams. I like writing about witches and vampires and werewolves and ghosts and other things that go bump in the night, but I like them to be more than the stories I read growing up. I like to push the envelope, stretch my own imagination, and make the places in my mind as real as the room I’m sitting in, not only for myself, but for the readers as well. As we all know, life can be less than what we dreamed it would be and the day-to-day details can leave us dragging, tired and less than enchanted with our existence. Although it would be nice to board a cruise ship and escape to an island somewhere, that’s not a viable option for most of us, but escaping into a world of make believe is only a novel away.

When I can create the man of my dreams in my imagination and then bring him to life with words so that others experience my fantasies the way I do, it gives me a feeling of satisfaction. When I’m able to tease and titillate the senses as well, I feel a part of my youth being revived!

I always loved bedtime stories when I was a little girl, so being able to write bedtime stories for grown up girls is a dream come true. Imagine being able to lie in bed and dream of the most glorious life imaginable, with a prince in shining armor, or a vampire prince, or a werewolf or shape shifter, and make him yours for the night or for eternity. That’s my job! I can’t imagine a better one!

While I write mainly for myself, sometimes getting away from my own worries is only done through the imagination of another author. One of my favorites is Alyssa Day and her Warriors of Poseidon series. Who wouldn’t fall in love with virile men from the lost city of Atlantis? Another favorite is Sherrilyn Kenyon and her Dream-Hunter and Dark-Hunter series. These dark, seductive vampires are enough to make anyone dream of getting just one good bite! The Argeneau Family series by Lynsay Sands is another tale of sexy vampires that I just love to eat up when I’m sitting in the Jacuzzi with a glass of wine!

So when you go to sleep tonight, dream of your perfect man and know that tomorrow you may be reading about him!

Rie McGaha…fantasy that keeps you up
http://www.riemcgaha.com/

Special NaBloPoMo Feature - Giving Up by Margay Leah Justice

Here is another author's answer to, "The hardest thing for me to give up is..."

The hardest thing for me to give up is worrying about my family. You've heard the expression "worried sick" - well, I literally do that and I always have. I just want everyone in my family to be healthy and happy and when they're not, I worry to the point of taking on their pain at times. So the hardest thing for me is to let go of the worry and trust that everything is going to work out for them.

Margay Leah Justice is a first-time author of the book, Nora's Soul, and the mother of two daughters, one of whom has issues with bipolar disorder and Asperger's Syndrome. When not writing and advocating for her special needs child, she deals with the challenges of balancing her career and motherhood with her own struggle against the symptoms of Multiple Sclerosis. She lives in Massachusetts with her two daughters and their two frisky felines. You can follow her on Twitter, friend her on Myspace or Facebook, or check out her web home at http://margayleahjustice.com, where she loves to greet visitors. Come on in and stay awhile.



Check out our February special feature of Nora's Soul here.

February Featured Novel - Discovery in Passion by Sheila Stewart

Some Like It Hot is a song from the 1980's group Power Station--which included Robert Palmer, John and Andy Taylor from Duran Duran, and Chic drummer Tony Thompson.

Check out the video:



But for those of you who like your romance hot, Discovery in Passion is a title you should pick up.



Cassie Evans moves to the town of Passion to get away from her overprotective parents. What she doesn't expect to find is a neighbor as handsome as artist and handyman Thomas Healy. Oh, she didn't really expect her house to be haunted either.

As I mentioned in my review--which you'll find here--Discovery in Passion is more than a hot and steamy romance novel. It's got a gripping storyline and complex characters. I had a hard time putting this one down, so it definitely makes my featured novel list for the month of love.

Discovery in Passion by Shiela Stewart--Book Review

Hot, spicy, and mysterious, Discovery in Passion is an entertaining page-turner.

Cassie Evans moves to the small town of Passion to start a new life away from her overprotective parents. She instantly falls in love with her new house, but strange and scary things keep happening. Luckily the guy next door is a gorgeous hunk of man who she can run to. But artist and handyman Thomas Healy thinks she's a bit nuts, no matter how beautiful and hot she is. There's no such thing as a haunted house. Besides, Tom makes a point of never sleeping with anyone he works for, and since Cassie has hired him to refurbish her new home that makes her off limits.

Everything changes when Tom makes the mistake of agreeing to paint Cassie. Not only is he falling in love with her, he's beginning to think her house really is haunted. One of Tom's cop friends begins investigating what might have happened at Cassie's house, making Cassie the target of a killer. Will they figure out who wants Cassie dead or will Tom lose the love of his life, forever?

Romance novels certainly have evolved over the years and Discovery in Passion is perfect proof of that evolution. A gripping storyline combined with complex and interesting characters makes this debut novel of the Passion series a great read. Moving along at a quick pace, the reader finds herself unable to put the book down until its satisfying conclusion. Stewart's storytelling and attention to detail draw the reader in from the very first word.

The cover art is absolutely stunning, though I'm not quite sure what it has to do with the book directly.

Sensual, sexy, and full of suspense, Discovery in Passion will leave you craving for the next book in the Passion series!


Title: Discovery in Passion
Author: Shiela Stewart
Publisher: Linden Bay Romance, LLC.
ISBN: 978-1-60202-081-8
U.S. Price: $13.99

DISCOVERY IN PASSION VIRTUAL BOOK TOUR '08 will officially begin on July 7, 2008 and continue all month long. You can visit Shiela's tour stops at www.virtualbooktours.wordpress.com in July!

As a special promotion for all our authors, Pump Up Your Book Promotion is giving away a FREE virtual book tour to a published author with a recent release or a $25 Amazon gift certificate to an unpublished person who comments on our authors' blog stops. More prizes will be announced as they become available. One winner per author on tour will be announced on this blog on July 31!


This virtual book tour has been brought to you by:

Traci E. Hall and Love's Magic

Synopsis:

Celestia Montehue has inherited special healing powers from the maternal line of her family. It comes with a glitch. The year is 1192, witch hunting abounds in England and she can only marry for love or risk losing her gifts.

Nicholas Le Blanc is a soul-sick Crusader who escapes from his captivity in Tripoli. He wants redemption and forgiveness from God for losing the sacred relic of Saint James the Apostle. And the other matter of murder, as well.

Forced to marry and move to Falcon Keep, which is haunted by Nicholas’ mother, they must learn to love one another before their family’s curses doom them for eternity.

This book screams, "Read me!" You've got a woman with special powers, a man who has lost a sacred relic--who just happens to have committed murder--and force them to marry and learn to love each other.

I was curious, not only about Nicholas, but about the sacred relic of St. James the Apostle that he lost, and asked Traci to tell us a bit more about this troubled hero. Here's what she had to say:

In Love’s Magic, Nicholas Le Blanc is a dark and tortured hero. On a crusade for the greater good – he’s charged with bringing King Richard the sacred relic of Saint James the Apostle. The caravan Nicholas is leading is ambushed, leaving him the only survivor. King Richard believes, as did King Henry before him, that collecting sacred relics will help win the battle against the infidel and keep the Holy Land safe.

Nicholas, raised a bastard child at Crispin Monastery, has sworn his allegience to Baron Peregrine. He prays for either a dignified death or a chance to avenge his men as he waits for his liege to pay his ransom. The money never comes, and in the meantime, he is being tortured and abused by his captor’s wife. She needs a dark-haired babe before her husband sets her aside, and she feeds Nicholas opium to get her way. When she puts a knife to Nicholas’s throat, he perversely decides he’s not ready to die after all. She whispers that the Baron didn’t pay the ransom – he was the one who had hired her husband to kill everyone on the caravan in the first place. Enraged, Nicholas wrestles the knife from her hand and plunges it into her heart. Guilt eats at his soul, just as the opium he’s addicted to gnaws at his spirit.

Reared to love God above all else, his loss of faith is the deadliest of blows. He breaks free of his prison and makes his way to England, living only to bring the baron’s head to Saint James the Apostle in Spain in exchange for the lost relic.
Home is the Crispin Monastery, and the abbot takes him in – then sends word to the baron that Nicholas is barely alive.

Baron Peregrine breaks his oath to the Montehue family – an oath about not forcing the daughters to wed, of all the stupid things, and tricks Nicholas into marriage. Nicholas, after embarrassing himself in front of the odd-eyed healer, comes around to find he is the legitimate child of Baron Peregrine, the man he’s pledged to kill. He tries to escape his ‘father’s’ plan by slipping away into the night, but he’s caught by Sir Petyr and told that he owes Celestia, the healer, his life – and if Nicholas doesn’t marry her, then she will hang for witch craft. Guilt plays his concious like a lute, and he stays to exchange vows. But not before embarrassing himself again by tripping into her herbal garden. She’s kind. He doesn’t want to like her, but he does. He sees her strength, for all her petite size, and he notices – against his will – her own vulnerability. A true knight with honor bred into his bones, he has to help her – and fight his traitorous body’s desire. He makes deals with himself, knowing that his true mission is to kill the baron, save Celestia’s brothers, set Celestia up at the keep he’d just inherited from his mother on the edge of the English/Scottish border, and then get to Saint James and beg forgiveness for losing the relic. Then, if he somehow survives it all, come back and win Celestia’s love.

It’s a plan.

And things go wrong every step of the way.

Nicholas is put into the position of leading another caravan. A caravan where the men are wearing Baron Peregrine’s colors – the man he MUST kill to avenge the wrongs done in Saint James’s name.

He doesn’t dare sleep because of the nightmares – demons plague him, but he doesn’t want anyone to know and he’s afraid he’ll say too much in his sleep. Celestia offers to help, and it takes all of his self-control to keep her away. She consistently proves her loyalty to him by covering his mistakes, but he knows better than to let down his guard. He has the scars all over his body to prove how treacherous women can be.

The caravan is attacked, and Nicholas panics – his first concern is for the wife he’s been trying to ignore. He turns and sees her, a veritable goddess Diana astride her white mount, launch an arrow into the woods. He could love her.

They arrive at Falcon Keep, which is a falling down pile of rock and far from the home they were expecting. He knows that he can’t leave Celestia at the keep alone, and he resents the forced closeness they’ll have to share so that she’ll be safe. How can he keep her at arm’s length when he wants her with every fiber of his being? But he can’t have her. He has to kill the baron if he ever hopes to save his soul from eternal damnation – maybe God will start listening to him once he makes amends.

Murder follows them throughout the keep, and the answers to the mystery lie in the north tower, which has been mortared closed. Following clues that lead to the old healer’s home in the woods, he and Celestia find the real relic. The genuine finger bone of Saint James the Apostle is nestled in a box on the mantel of the crone. Nicholas realizes that his men were killed for nothing – the relic they were protecting and taking to King Richard was fake. Was that why the baron ordered the ambush? To hide the fact that he’d lost the original relic, a gift from King Henry to his mother’s father, from King Richard? His men had given their lives so the baron could cover his own ass.

Revenge burns hot again and he tells Celestia he must leave immediately, despite the growing tenderness between them. She announces that she might just take a lover while he’s gone and the idea is like an axe to the gut. He is willing to change his mind if she would just give him one opening to apologize, but she throws his pack at his head instead and tells him to hurry and be on his way.

Inside the pack is a tunic that she’s hemmed, crookedly, since her skills are in healing and not sewing – but it’s the finest garment he’s ever seen. He’s been a fool, and he is going to turn back but he’s captured and thrown beneath the stables.

Captured – again. In the dark – again. Once he stops yelling at God, he starts listening – and realizes that he loves Celestia. Her happiness is worth more than the double curses their families have haunting them. Somehow her love has healed his soul.

LOVE'S MAGIC VIRTUAL BOOK TOUR '08 will officially begin on June 1, 2008 and continue all month long. If you would like to follow Traci's tour in progress, visit http://www.virtualbooktours.wordpress.com/ in June. Leave a comment at any of her blog stops and become eligible to win a free copy at the end of her tour! One lucky winner will be announced on this tour page on June 30!

This virtual book tour has been brought to you by: