Me Mondays- Avenging the Donnells

Hello everyone!
Hope your weekend was great and your work week starts of  great as well. As the title implies, today is dedicated to my updates: where I'll be virtually and in real time, what's new with me, my new releases, what I'm working on and so forth.

My monthly newsletter is live and doing well. Everyone who gets the newsletter is automatically entered in the drawing to win an original item from my craft shop. (This craft shop tab on the website) The newsletter is also your vehicle to ask me questions. When you send in your questions you are entered again into the monthly drawing. The answer to those questions will be posted here as well. What is exclusive to the newsletter is the free reads. Sign up for the newsletter on my website. 

Book I: Seven Year Switch was about Kyle and Sonja Winters, a mid thirties, childless couple, together 10 years, married 7 and happy. Sonja discovers a secret that rocks their marriage to the core. It will either destroy them or they will have to restructure to survive it.
Available now

Book II: The Right Choice, is about Christian and Andrea Cooper. They have a long term marriage, 20+ years, are in their 40s and are new empty-nesters. Basically this book shows how you could get caught up in doing the right thing and push someone away unintentionally. Even after being together for years you can still make mistakes. 
Available now exclusively from my website in print and all formats of ebook

Today I am spotlighting my completed work, Avenging the O'Donnells, a wolf shifter, urban fantasy romance. 
I love to put folklore and magic into my stories. Avenging the O'Donnells has it all, folklore, tragedy, redemption and destined love. It is waiting for it's cover and to be edited.

Blurb:

The beast of the lake massacred the O’Donnell family leaving only Ian to avenge his clan. During the long wait to them he met Nadine and fell in love. With love in his life again, Ian is distracted from his duty after waiting over a hundred years for the chance. Will Nadine be the loophole that will allow him to have love and revenge?

Excerpt:

“Wait! Listen…do you hear that?” he asked in a hushed voice.

Sean joined him at the doorway. He looked left then right, before closing his eyes. Suddenly he gasped and turned wide eyes to Ian. Ian’s heart filled with the fear he saw in his friend’s eyes. He returned to the pantry with Sean close at his side. Opening a cabinet he tossed Sean one of the swords that were hidden there, took one for himself and they left the kitchen again with a sense of urgency.

They walked through the house, but came across no one. None of his brothers or servants seemed were about. As they approached the great room, muffled screams reached his ears. Ian and Sean looked at each other and ran to the steps, taking them two at a time. At the top of the stairs they found the missing servants. Their broken and abused bodies lay along the hallway with all sorts of weapons lying nearby.

The sight froze them in place, but another shriek shook them alert. Ian pushed through his fear to hop through the small spaces between people moving down the hall. Following the sounds, he and Sean burst into a bedroom. A monster, taller than any man he’d ever seen, black as night and dripping with what looked like loose mud, plunged his fist deep into his brother’s chest. His mouth dropped open as he stood horrified.

“No! Leathan!”

The monster flung Leathan’s lifeless body across the room. Ian watched his brother’s body hit the wall and slide to the floor to land on top of his other brothers disfigured bodies and turned toward Ian. The monster moved in his peripheral, but he could not tear his eyes away from his brother. Tears streamed down his face. His breath caught when he was abruptly yanked away.

“Come, Ian! We must flee!”

Sean dragged him from the room toward the back steps. The obvious thud of bodies hitting the walls followed them. The terror in Sean’s eyes woke Ian from his stupor fueling an urgency to get back to the kitchen. Ian leaned on the door closing it behind them. He snatched his hand away from Sean and held it up.

“Wait, Sean, stop. I cannot run away. I must fight!” he told him trying to catch his breath.

“Ian, don’t be daft! Think man! Live today, fight tomorrow!”

Ian shook his head. “My family is dead. I must avenge them.”

Sean pointed up the stairs. “That was the demon from the lake! You cannot defeat it on your own! You must go to your guardian and pray for help.”

Ian shook his head. “Listen to me, Sean. I cannot leave my family. I must fight with them or die with them. You must go to the glade and summon the guardian for me.”

“What? No! I won’t leave without ya, Ian.”

Ian grabbed Sean by the shoulders and shook him hard. “Sean! Do as I say! You are my servant!” he snapped choking on the words as new tears fell down his face. “And my friend,” he added in a softer tone. “Now please, go to the guardian and beg for her help.”

Sean stared at him for just a moment longer then pulled him into a hug.

“I pray that the guardian hears the pleas of one that is not an O’Donnell by blood. Now go,” Ian said.

Ian took a deep breath and returned to main house. Halfway up the stairs muffled screams and doors slamming reached his ears. Images formed in his mind of the monster going room to room dispatching all he found hiding. His distress magnified when he realized they came from his father’s bedroom. Standing in the doorway he could see his father broken body across the room. He moved inside at the sound of a door being torn off its hinges. The monster pulled Emma from the closet and lifted her from the floor by the throat. He knew his horror matched hers when their eyes locked, but for a brief moment he saw relief in her gaze before the light of life faded from them. 

“No!”

Howling his rage, Ian charged the beast with his sword extended. With all his might Ian shoved the blade deep into its back. The monster screamed in apparent pain. Swirling about trying to dislodge the weapon, the beast slung Emma’s body one way then slapped Ian haphazardly across the room the other way. His body crashed to the floor landing on discarded and broken furniture. Pain radiated through his body from head to toe. It was unlike anything he ever felt. He could barely draw a breath.

The monster had managed to remove the weapon. It turned toward him with the blade in his hand. Ian closed his eyes bracing himself as the beast walked to him. The blade pierced his gut swiftly stabbing into the floor beneath him. Surprisingly it did not add much to his discomfort. The monster stood over him just a second the shuffled from the room.

A visual of his father and brothers came to mind. Ian could not avenge them, but he was at peace to die with them. Closing his eyes he prepared for death. His head lifted and rested on something softer than the floor.  Conscious thought slipped away and the pain began to ease.

“In here! He’s in here! Oh my God! Fairy! Quickly!”

Ian gasped and let out a moan when the blade was removed from his body. His eyes flickered open, but closed again.  

“His heartbeat is very faint, but he lives. The O’Donnell’s are good and kind people. Don’t let their line die this horrible way. Heal him, please,” Sean begged.

Fingers touched Ian’s forehead. They were so light he barely registered the sensation, but a rush of heat rolled over his body like a wave at the slight connection. Immediately he drew in a deep breath and his eyes popped open. The pain ceased and his heart beat with new vigor. He felt stronger than he ever had. Sean smiled down at him.  

“My God Ian. The bleeding has stopped. The fairy has healed you.”

Ian scrambled to his hands and knees rushing over to his father’s body. Cradling his father’s head in his lap he looked toward the fairy.

“Can’t you save him too, fairy? He is my father, leader of our clan.” 

She shook her head. “No, Ian O’Donnell, I cannot. It is fate to end here.”

Ian cried rocking his father’s head close to him. Sorrow and frustration filled his screams. After a while he stopped and he laid his father back on the floor, retrieved his weapon, and moved toward the door. 

“Ian, where are you going?” Sean asked.

“I’m going to avenge my family’s deaths,” he replied calmly.

“Ian, no! The fairy has given you a second chance to live. You cannot squander it!”

Ian turned and opened to his mouth to argue his point with his friend, but the fairy’s calm voice stopped his retort.

“Ian O’Donnell, your family line will not die here, but if you chase the beast now you will erase what I have done. I can give you the means to avenge your family, but it will not happen today. The beast thinks he has destroyed your blood line, he must continue to believe it is so. All must believe until the time is right.”

Ian looked at his father’s body again and then to the only mother he ever knew. His heart was heavy with his loss. He was exhausted with grief. Turning tear filled eyes to the fairy, Ian dropped his weapon and fell to his knees beside it.

“What must I do, Fairy?” 

*********

Keep an eye out for a cover reveal! All Dana's books are available on her website

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Facebook: author Dana Littlejohn    

Twitter: @liljohndana   

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Me Mondays: HEA-Book II, The Right Choice

Hello Everyone, 
Me Monday is here again! Today I'm talking about Book II of the Happily Ever After: By Any Means Necessary. The Right Choice is live!



Book II of the Happily Ever After: By Any Means Necessary series. 

Andrea Cooper, a stay at home mom, was out of a job when her sons went off to college. She turned to her husband Christian for companionship, but he had his hands full with an expanding company. Andrea is alone for the first time in years with nothing to do and no one to care for. In search of a new life she ran into her first love, Raymond Reyes. Christian spends more time away from home as she renews her friendship with Ray. After a while Andrea can’t help but wonder if she made the right choice in marrying Christian after all.

Excerpt:

Andrea laughed between bites of chicken. She and Ray slipped into an easy conversation reminding her how easy it was to talk to him.  

“Oh, by the way, I talked to LaTonya and she said it was okay. I can be in your book club,” he said pushing his empty plate to the side.

“That’s good. It should be fun. I’m looking forward to it.”

“I agree, and I get to spend more time with you.”

Andrea looked up from her dessert. “This is not about me and you, Ray. I’m married.”

“I know that.” He paused for a moment to sip his drink. “I heard you married right after I left.”

“It wasn’t right after. A while had passed.”

“Did you miss me while I was gone?”

“Miss you? You’re not serious, right?”

“Yes, I’m serious. I heard that I wasn’t even gone a year before you and that guy from the track team got together.”

Andrea shook her head. “It wasn’t like that.”

Ray put his drink down. “Well, what was it like?”

She heard the change in his voice and knew he would continue to push the conversation. Her anger rose.

“You want to talk about this now? Twenty-five years later?”

He shrugged. “We’ve always been able to talk about anything that was on our minds. I think that conversation is unfinished business between us.”

She wiped her mouth and threw the napkin into her unfinished bowl of ice cream. “Okay, fine. Let’s get it out in the open.”

Ray sat back and gestured for her to continue.

“When you left you broke my heart, Ray. You dropped me like a hot potato without a word. I cried for over a year wondering what I did that was so wrong that you would just leave me and never come back.” 

Ray’s eyes gaped and his jaw dropped. “Andrea, I—”

“No, you want me to talk about it so hush up and listen,” she told him in angry hushed tones. Her heart raced as she attempted to control her breathing.

Ray nodded. “You’re right. I’m sorry, please continue.”

She took a slow deep breath. “Ray, when you left I was devastated. I was young and in love and you flat out broke my heart. You were my first real boyfriend. We dated all high school, my first year in college and you were my first lover. You knew that, but you left with so much as a goodbye anyway. How could you think you leaving wouldn’t affect me? That it wouldn’t hurt me to my core?” she asked palming her chest. “Of course I missed you.”

Ray lowered his head. “Andrea I swear none of that was my intention,” he said with a soft voice.

Andrea folded her hands on the table. “You told me you loved me and then you went to the Army and I never saw you again,” she told him staring at her thumbs.

“I wrote, Andrea. Didn’t you get my letter?”

She shifted her gaze to him. “The letter that said you wanted to see the world so you could grow?”

“Well yes, but it also said that I loved you. Not coming back to you was the biggest mistake I ever made.”

Andrea scoffed and rolled her eyes. “Well, apparently it was a mistake you had no intention on rectifying either.”

“It wasn’t like that, Annie.”

The sound of the nickname he gave her so long ago made her gasp and her pulse race. His voice filled with emotion sent shivers down her spine. He took her hand and she looked up at him.

“I had every intention on coming back to you, I swear, but I couldn’t come back a boy. You deserved more than that. I wanted to give you the world and so much more.”

“So why didn’t you?”

Ray’s shoulders slumped as he dropped her hand and leaned against the booth. With a heavy sigh his head falls back.

“The years went by so fast, Annie. Just as I thought I was ready something else held me back. I tried to write you again, but I felt like a failure and I couldn’t bring myself to pick up the pen. Believe me, I have been kicking myself ever since.”

Andrea wrapped her arms around her chest. “I gave Christian all the grief and anger you left behind in me, Ray. He didn’t deserve it, but you know what? Christian stayed with me. He comforted me and waited for the pain to pass while showing me every day how much he wanted to be with me,” she told him leaning on the table. “I often wondered about you, even after a married. If you met someone and just forgot about me. If you were okay or even alive. How my life could have been different if I had been with you rather than him. I even wondered if I still loved you.”

“Do you?”

Andrea look at him. There was a hopeful tone in his question and undeniable love shining in his eyes. She couldn’t help but smile.

“You seem like the same guy I loved back then, but I sense something has changed in you, too. I don’t think I’m in love with you anymore, but it would seem that even after all these years my emotions still go haywire when you’re near.”

Ray beamed at her.

“But, not having answers left a lot of pain in me, Ray. I need of some type of closure.”

 His smile faded as he leaned on the table resting his arms beside hers. “I thought joining the Army would help me see the world and grow up and it did. I saw the most wonderful things, but I also saw some stuff that I still have nightmares over.” He let out a sad laugh. “Even the world’s most beautiful sights can’t erase some horrible things that lock themselves into your mind.”

Ray fell silent for a moment. Andrea saw the pain he tried to hide from her in those beautiful brown eyes of his and fought the urge to comfort him.

“All those years went by and no matter what I saw, or what I did, it never filled the void in my heart of not having you in my life,” he continued. “I tried to fill it with adventure, food, drink, even other women, but nothing could hold a candle to the way you made me feel.”

“If you felt like that why didn’t you come back to me?”

He paused to sip from his glass and continued staring at the table as he spoke. “I don’t know what to say. Time flew by. When I did think I was ready and could do all the things I wanted to do for you it was too late. You were married and had children.”

“You knew about me and Christian?”

He nodded.

“When?”

“Years ago. Your boys were just youngsters. My parents still see your mother from time to time. I didn’t want to mess with that. So I stayed where I was.”

“You never married or had children?”

Ray shook his head. “There was no one I never wanted to have children with except you.”

She sighed. “It was so hard not knowing what happened to you.”

“I know. Please accept the apology I should have given you so many years ago.” He took her hand. “Can you forgive the man for the biggest mistake he ever made as a boy?” he asked, giving her fingers a squeeze.

Andrea gave him a small smile. “Yes, you are forgiven. I probably forgave you a long time ago, Ray. I just needed to know.”

“Excellent, so where do we go from here?”

“Well, how about we just leave the past in the past. We started as friends and we can be friends now.”

~~~~~~~~~~

Available in ebook and print, on Amazon in a few short days, but you can get yours now exclusively from my website via Creatspace 

Me Mondays: Avenging the O'Donnell's

Hello everyone!
Hope your weekend was great and your work week starts of  great as well. As the title implies, today is dedicated to my updates: where I'll be virtually and in real time, what's new with me, my new releases, what I'm working on and so forth.

My monthly newsletter is live and doing well. Everyone who gets the newsletter is automatically entered in the drawing to win an original item from my craft shop. (This craft shop tab on the website) The newsletter is also your vehicle to ask me questions. When you send in your questions you are entered again into the monthly drawing. The answer to those questions will be posted here as well. What is exclusive to the newsletter is the free reads. Sign up for the newsletter on my website. 

The Right Choice will be released September 23, 2016. It is book II of the Happily Ever After: By Any Means Necessary series. This series is about the lives of established couples and how they deal with worse case scenario issues in their relationship.

This week my WIP sneak peek will be of Avenging the O'Donnells, a interracial wolf shifter. 

Blurb

Ian O’Donnell was the only one to survive the massacre of his family. During the long wait to avenge them he met Nadine and fell in love. With love in his life again, Ian is distracted from his duty after waiting over a hundred years for the chance. Will Nadine be the loophole that will allow him to have love and revenge?

Excerpt:

Ian took a deep breath and returned to main house. Halfway up the stairs muffled screams and doors slamming reached his ears. Images formed in his mind of the monster going room to room dispatching all he found hiding. His distress magnified when he realized they came from his father’s bedroom. Standing in the doorway he could see his father broken body across the room. He moved inside at the sound of a door being torn off its hinges. The monster pulled Emma from the closet and lifted her from the floor by the throat. He knew his horror matched hers when their eyes locked, but for a brief moment he saw relief in her gaze before the light of life faded from them. 

“No!”

Howling his rage, Ian charged the beast with his sword extended. With all his might Ian shoved the blade deep into its back. The monster screamed in apparent pain. Swirling about trying to dislodge the weapon, the beast slung Emma’s body one way then slapped Ian haphazardly across the room the other way. His body crashed to the floor landing on discarded and broken furniture. Pain radiated through his body from head to toe. It was unlike anything he ever felt. He could barely draw a breath.

The monster had managed to remove the weapon. It turned toward him with the blade in his hand. Ian closed his eyes bracing himself as the beast walked to him. The blade pierced his gut swiftly stabbing into the floor beneath him. Surprisingly it did not add much to his discomfort. The monster stood over him just a second the shuffled from the room.

A visual of his father and brothers came to mind. Ian could not avenge them, but he was at peace to die with them. Closing his eyes he prepared for death. His head lifted and rested on something softer than the floor.  Conscious thought slipped away and the pain began to ease.

“In here! He’s in here! Oh my God! Fairy! Quickly!”

Ian gasped and let out a moan when the blade was removed from his body. His eyes flickered open, but closed again.  

“His heartbeat is very faint, but he lives. The O’Donnell’s are good and kind people. Don’t let their line die this horrible way. Heal him, please,” Sean begged.

Fingers touched Ian’s forehead. They were so light he barely registered the sensation, but a rush of heat rolled over his body like a wave at the slight connection. Immediately he drew in a deep breath and his eyes popped open. The pain ceased and his heart beat with new vigor. He felt stronger than he ever had. Sean smiled down at him.  

“My God Ian. The bleeding has stopped. The fairy has healed you.”

Ian scrambled to his hands and knees rushing over to his father’s body. Cradling his father’s head in his lap he looked toward the fairy.

“Can’t you save him too, fairy? He is my father, leader of our clan.” 

She shook her head. “No, Ian O’Donnell, I cannot. It is fate to end here.”

Ian cried rocking his father’s head close to him. Sorrow and frustration filled his screams. After a while he stopped and he laid his father back on the floor, retrieved his weapon, and moved toward the door. 

“Ian, where are you going?” Sean asked.

“I’m going to avenge my family’s deaths,” he replied calmly.

“Ian, no! The fairy has given you a second chance to live. You cannot squander it!”

Ian turned and opened to his mouth to argue his point with his friend, but the fairy’s calm voice stopped his retort.

“Ian O’Donnell, your family line will not die here, but if you chase the beast now you will erase what I have done. I can give you the means to avenge your family, but it will not happen today. The beast thinks he has destroyed your blood line, he must continue to believe it is so. All must believe until the time is right.”

Ian looked at his father’s body again and then to the only mother he ever knew. His heart filled with his loss making hum exhausted with grief. Turning tear filled eyes to the fairy, Ian finally dropped his weapon and fell to his knees beside it.

“What must I do, Fairy?” 

Me Mondays: WIP-Daughters of the Sky

Hello everyone!
Hope your weekend was great and your work week starts of  great as well. As the title implies, today is dedicated to my updates: where I'll be virtually and in real time, what's new with me, my new releases, what I'm working on and so forth.

My monthly newsletter is live and doing well. Everyone who gets the newsletter is automatically entered in the drawing to win an original item from my craft shop. (This craft shop tab on the website) The newsletter is also your vehicle to ask me questions. When you send in your questions you are entered again into the monthly drawing. The answer to those questions will be posted here as well. What is exclusive to the newsletter is the free reads. Sign up for the newsletter on my website. 

Currently I am editing The Right Choice. It is book II of the Happily Ever After: By Any Means Necessary series. This series is basically about the lives of established couples and how they deal with issues in their relationship.
Today I give you a sneak peek at my African goddess story I call Daughters of the Cosmos. It is about how Takasa, the sun goddess and Lunaria, the moon goddess, find love. 


Takasa, goddess of the sun, left her mountain home consumed with bitterness caused by her long endured loneliness. The elders in her tribe fed her a potion to put her to sleep for a thousand years to wait for the one who would be able to save them from her wrath. Will the goddess have met her match at that time, or will the descendant of a neighboring sun god be conquered by her fury as well?
As Rubani, the God of War, leads the people of Buganda in an assault, he receives valuable advice from the goddess of the moon that leads to his victory. Rubani becomes enchanted by her beauty and intellect. Is there a way to convince the goddess to be his, even though they only spoke once to each other?

Me Mondays: Avenging the O'Donnells

Hello everyone!
Hope your weekend was great and your work week starts of  great as well. As the title implies, today is dedicated to my updates: where I'll be virtually and in real time, what's new with me, my new releases, what I'm working on and so forth.

My monthly newsletter is live and doing well. Everyone who gets the newsletter is automatically entered in the drawing to win an original item from my craft shop. (This craft shop tab on the website) The newsletter is also your vehicle to ask me questions. When you send in your questions you are entered again into the monthly drawing. The answer to those questions will be posted here as well. What is exclusive to the newsletter is the free reads. Sign up for the newsletter on my website. 

Currently I am editing The Right Choice. It is book II of the Happily Ever After: By Any Means Necessary series. This series is basically about the lives of established couples and how they deal with issues in their relationship.

Book I: Seven Year Switch was about Kyle and Sonja Winters, a mid thirties, childless couple, together 10 years, married 7 and happy. Sonja discovers a secret that rocks their marriage to the core. It will either destroy them or they will have to restructure to survive it.
Available now

Book II: The Right Choice, is about Christian and Andrea Cooper. They have a long term marriage, 20+ years, are in their 40s and are new empty-nesters. Basically this book shows how you could get caught up in doing the right thing and push someone away unintentionally. Even after being together for years you can still make mistakes.Coming in September, 2016

Today I am spotlighting my completed work, Avenging the O'Donnells, a wolf shifter, urban fantasy romance. 
I love to put folklore and magic into my stories. Avenging the O'Donnells has it all, folklore, tragedy, redemption and destined love. It is waiting for it's cover and to be edited.

Blurb:

The beast of the lake massacred the O’Donnell family leaving only Ian to avenge his clan. During the long wait to them he met Nadine and fell in love. With love in his life again, Ian is distracted from his duty after waiting over a hundred years for the chance. Will Nadine be the loophole that will allow him to have love and revenge?

Excerpt:

“Wait! Listen…do you hear that?” he asked in a hushed voice.

Sean joined him at the doorway. He looked left then right, before closing his eyes. Suddenly he gasped and turned wide eyes to Ian. Ian’s heart filled with the fear he saw in his friend’s eyes. He returned to the pantry with Sean close at his side. Opening a cabinet he tossed Sean one of the swords that were hidden there, took one for himself and they left the kitchen again with a sense of urgency.

They walked through the house, but came across no one. None of his brothers or servants seemed were about. As they approached the great room, muffled screams reached his ears. Ian and Sean looked at each other and ran to the steps, taking them two at a time. At the top of the stairs they found the missing servants. Their broken and abused bodies lay along the hallway with all sorts of weapons lying nearby.

The sight froze them in place, but another shriek shook them alert. Ian pushed through his fear to hop through the small spaces between people moving down the hall. Following the sounds, he and Sean burst into a bedroom. A monster, taller than any man he’d ever seen, black as night and dripping with what looked like loose mud, plunged his fist deep into his brother’s chest. His mouth dropped open as he stood horrified.

“No! Leathan!”

The monster flung Leathan’s lifeless body across the room. Ian watched his brother’s body hit the wall and slide to the floor to land on top of his other brothers disfigured bodies and turned toward Ian. The monster moved in his peripheral, but he could not tear his eyes away from his brother. Tears streamed down his face. His breath caught when he was abruptly yanked away.

“Come, Ian! We must flee!”

Sean dragged him from the room toward the back steps. The obvious thud of bodies hitting the walls followed them. The terror in Sean’s eyes woke Ian from his stupor fueling an urgency to get back to the kitchen. Ian leaned on the door closing it behind them. He snatched his hand away from Sean and held it up.

“Wait, Sean, stop. I cannot run away. I must fight!” he told him trying to catch his breath.

“Ian, don’t be daft! Think man! Live today, fight tomorrow!”

Ian shook his head. “My family is dead. I must avenge them.”

Sean pointed up the stairs. “That was the demon from the lake! You cannot defeat it on your own! You must go to your guardian and pray for help.”

Ian shook his head. “Listen to me, Sean. I cannot leave my family. I must fight with them or die with them. You must go to the glade and summon the guardian for me.”

“What? No! I won’t leave without ya, Ian.”

Ian grabbed Sean by the shoulders and shook him hard. “Sean! Do as I say! You are my servant!” he snapped choking on the words as new tears fell down his face. “And my friend,” he added in a softer tone. “Now please, go to the guardian and beg for her help.”

Sean stared at him for just a moment longer then pulled him into a hug.

“I pray that the guardian hears the pleas of one that is not an O’Donnell by blood. Now go,” Ian said.

Ian took a deep breath and returned to main house. Halfway up the stairs muffled screams and doors slamming reached his ears. Images formed in his mind of the monster going room to room dispatching all he found hiding. His distress magnified when he realized they came from his father’s bedroom. Standing in the doorway he could see his father broken body across the room. He moved inside at the sound of a door being torn off its hinges. The monster pulled Emma from the closet and lifted her from the floor by the throat. He knew his horror matched hers when their eyes locked, but for a brief moment he saw relief in her gaze before the light of life faded from them. 

“No!”

Howling his rage, Ian charged the beast with his sword extended. With all his might Ian shoved the blade deep into its back. The monster screamed in apparent pain. Swirling about trying to dislodge the weapon, the beast slung Emma’s body one way then slapped Ian haphazardly across the room the other way. His body crashed to the floor landing on discarded and broken furniture. Pain radiated through his body from head to toe. It was unlike anything he ever felt. He could barely draw a breath.

The monster had managed to remove the weapon. It turned toward him with the blade in his hand. Ian closed his eyes bracing himself as the beast walked to him. The blade pierced his gut swiftly stabbing into the floor beneath him. Surprisingly it did not add much to his discomfort. The monster stood over him just a second the shuffled from the room.

A visual of his father and brothers came to mind. Ian could not avenge them, but he was at peace to die with them. Closing his eyes he prepared for death. His head lifted and rested on something softer than the floor.  Conscious thought slipped away and the pain began to ease.

“In here! He’s in here! Oh my God! Fairy! Quickly!”

Ian gasped and let out a moan when the blade was removed from his body. His eyes flickered open, but closed again.  

“His heartbeat is very faint, but he lives. The O’Donnell’s are good and kind people. Don’t let their line die this horrible way. Heal him, please,” Sean begged.

Fingers touched Ian’s forehead. They were so light he barely registered the sensation, but a rush of heat rolled over his body like a wave at the slight connection. Immediately he drew in a deep breath and his eyes popped open. The pain ceased and his heart beat with new vigor. He felt stronger than he ever had. Sean smiled down at him.  

“My God Ian. The bleeding has stopped. The fairy has healed you.”

Ian scrambled to his hands and knees rushing over to his father’s body. Cradling his father’s head in his lap he looked toward the fairy.

“Can’t you save him too, fairy? He is my father, leader of our clan.” 

She shook her head. “No, Ian O’Donnell, I cannot. It is fate to end here.”

Ian cried rocking his father’s head close to him. Sorrow and frustration filled his screams. After a while he stopped and he laid his father back on the floor, retrieved his weapon, and moved toward the door. 

“Ian, where are you going?” Sean asked.

“I’m going to avenge my family’s deaths,” he replied calmly.

“Ian, no! The fairy has given you a second chance to live. You cannot squander it!”

Ian turned and opened to his mouth to argue his point with his friend, but the fairy’s calm voice stopped his retort.

“Ian O’Donnell, your family line will not die here, but if you chase the beast now you will erase what I have done. I can give you the means to avenge your family, but it will not happen today. The beast thinks he has destroyed your blood line, he must continue to believe it is so. All must believe until the time is right.”

Ian looked at his father’s body again and then to the only mother he ever knew. His heart was heavy with his loss. He was exhausted with grief. Turning tear filled eyes to the fairy, Ian dropped his weapon and fell to his knees beside it.

“What must I do, Fairy?” 

*********

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Me Monday- spot light on works in progress: Aphrodite's Day Off

As the title implies, today is dedicated to my updates: where I'll be virtually and in real time, what's new with me, my new releases, what I'm working on and so forth.

My monthly newsletter is live and doing well. If you're not getting it you might want to. Everyone who gets the newsletter is automatically entered in the drawing to win an original item from my craft shop. (There's a craft shop tab on the website) The newsletter is also your vehicle to ask me questions. When you send in your questions you are entered again into the monthly drawing. The answer to those questions will be posted here as well. What is exclusive to the newsletter is the free reads. There are free reads on my website for your enjoyment but I offer different ones for the newsletter as well.

Currently I am editing The Right Choice. It is book II of the Happily Ever After: By Any Means Necessary series. This series is basically about the lives of established couples and how they deal with issues in their relationship.

Book I: Seven Year Switch was about Kyle and Sonja Winters, a mid thirties, childless couple, together 10 years, married 7 and happy. Sonja discovers a secret that rocks their marriage to the core. It will either destroy them or they will have to restructure to survive it.
Available now

Book II: The Right Choice, is about Christian and Andrea Cooper. They have a long term marriage, 20+ years, are in their 40s and are new empty-nesters. Basically this book shows how you could get caught up in doing the right thing and push someone away unintentionally. Even after being together for years you can still make mistakes.Coming in September, 2016

Today I am spotlighting my completed work, Aphrodite's Day Off, a Greek mythology, urban fantasy, erotic romance kind of thing. Self edits are done and it is off to the editor awaiting a cover. Here is a sneak peek

Aphrodite's Day Off

Aphrodite longed for a little time away with Poseidon in his watery depths. Zeus’s constant demands for Aphrodite to go to Earth and the day to day splendor of Olympus had become mundane. Zeus frowned on the prospect of his precious Earth with no one to spread the love and passion the goddess of love provided. Aphrodite offered her sons, Eros and Himeros to take her place. Zeus would only accept them after they had been tested. Would Eros’s power over love and Himeros’s power over desire be enough or would Aphrodite have to forfeit her day off for the greater good of the world?

Excerpt:

Aphrodite walked into the warm glowing light eluding from at the entrance to the Chamber of the Gods. The radiance in the room emulated from Zeus’s throne, filling the immediate area. The portal, an opening in the sky that Zeus used to look down on Earth lay in the center of the room. Zeus sat on the chair looking majestic in his gold and white robes. A gleaming gold and ruby crown rested on his brow.

Zeus spotted her and invited her in with a nod. Aphrodite went around the gateway to Earth to stand before him. Zeus’s smile revealed the fondness he had for her, but when she shifted her gaze to Hera sitting on his right, the revulsion in her eyes could not be hidden by the false smile on her lips. Aphrodite closed her eyes and bowed low.  

“My lord, you called for me?”

“I did. Rise lovely, Aphrodite. It has reached my ears that you would like to leave Mount Olympus for a time to frolic with Poseidon. Is this true?”

Aphrodite worked to keep from frowning when her eyes shifted right. “It is, my lord,” she replied, careful not acknowledge Hera’s smug grin.

“I’m afraid I cannot allow such a thing again.”

“My Lord—”

Zeus held a hand up. “Don’t you remember the last time you took time off? My Earth suffered greatly without your influence. The humans have come to call it the Dark Ages for goodness sake.”

“I know, but this time the Earth won’t be without love while I’m gone.”

“Oh? How do you intend to handle matters of love during that time if you are not here?”

“The Erotes are capable, my lord,” she told him with smile. “Eros is a god of love and Himeros a god of Desiree. Together the twin’s powers are almost as strong as my own.”

Zeus nodded. “Very well then. You are—”

Hera reached over and lifted Zeus’s hand into hers. “My lord, if I may…”

“Yes, Hera?”

“Great Zeus, would it not be wise to test the boys’ abilities before setting them free on your precious Earth? Though they are the children of a powerful goddess like Aphrodite,” Hera paused to send a smile in her direction. “They are young and their powers are untried.”

Zeus turned his attention back to her. “They have not been tested?”

Aphrodite swallowed. “No, my lord. They haven’t had the chance since I have always handled the duties on my own.”

Zeus stroked his beard in thought. “But you are satisfied that they can perform the tasks given to you, Goddess of Love?”

“I am, my lord.”

“All powerful Zeus,” Hera chimed in. “With all your wisdom I’m sure you would find it prudent to test their abilities first. The sake of your beloved Earth hangs in the balance.”

“My sons are fully matured. They will be able to handle any test while I’m gone as well,” Aphrodite protested.

“I have no doubt that they can, but surely you would agree that such testing should take place while you are still on Mount Olympus?” Hera countered. “It would be tragic if Eros and Himeros were not up to par and you were not around to repair any damage they may befall Zeus’s favorite domain. Wouldn’t you agree, my lord?” she added sweetly.

Zeus stroked his beard and nodded. “You are as wise as you are beautiful, Hera.” He kissed the top of her hand. “Aphrodite, I will give them a task to fulfill to test their power. If they complete their mission with positive results you will be free to go, but if they fall short…”

“I understand, great Zeus. I will send my son Eros to you for instruction.”

Aphrodite bowed to Zeus then cut a look at Hera as she turned to leave clenching her fists.