Tuesday, September 21, 2010

The Wishing Hour

I have gotten behind on my blogging, but I do have something to show for it. My creative juices have been flowing and I am happy to share with you a preview of what they've produced. The title of my new baby is The Wishing Hour. It is my forthcoming romantic fantasy ebook!

About the Book

Celine Halston lives an average solitary life, sticking to routine, never taking chances, and she has never experienced true love. All of this changes when a handsome immortal enters her life. She has never laid eyes on the man before, but she somehow knows him and instantly trusts him completely.

Placing her life in his hands, Celine is taken on an unexpected journey and learns of an ancient prophecy she is to take part in. And her immortal guardian is intent on protecting her against those who would see her fail. He has been chosen for this calling and it is his sacred duty to keep her safe–to see the prophecy fulfilled at all cost. If they fail, it will change the world as they know it.

Excerpt

Venice, Italy

Standing on the steps of St. Mark's Basilica in the pouring rain, he heaves a tired sigh and watches the battered creature from the Dark Dunes force its heavy body up and stand once again. The rain dilutes the sulfuric odor of the canal, lending a freshness to the air. He inhales deeply, taking the cleansing scent into his lungs as he carefully watches the creature.

The square is void of life, and if not for the storm, the only sound would be the gentle-flowing water of the canal. The fight has been brutal. It started at two am. It is now three. His sinewy muscles ache and his silky white shirt is streaked with blood, but his cuts have healed and his strength is quickly regenerating. He pushes the long strands of inky black hair from his face. A leather thong holds the rest in place. His brilliant blue cat-like eyes hold excellent night vision and clearly see the Urchin crouching, readying itself to spring once again. Its hands are like a hawk's talons and black leather stretches over the large round body. Its head is bald and pointed top teeth protrude over the bottom lip of the twisted and deformed mouth. Scars in different shapes and sizes cover the Urchin's face and neck. The acidic green mucus dripping from its mouth is foul enough to turn the strongest of stomachs.

He takes all of this in for a moment, then clears his mind. Closing his eyes, he calls upon the power living deep within him–a power he summons only when absolutely necessary. A rush of adrenaline fills his veins and heats his body to the core. His eyes snap open wide and he lunges, meeting the Urchin in the air. He lands a fist in its chest and a great current of power surges from his hand as it makes contact with the Urchin's heart. It cries out and the ear-piercing screech echoes throughout the square. No longer able to stand, it falls to the ground, writhing on the pavement.

He approaches the creature and stares down into its half-closed, blood-red eyes.

This isn't over,” it croaks in a garbled voice.

It is,” he says with surety and strength. Standing still as stone, he watches the Urchin close its eyes and release a final rattly breath. It turns to dust and disintegrates before his eyes. It is the second time this week he has witnessed such a sight. And he is sure it will not be the last.

Heaving a deep sigh, he turns his gaze to the body lying a few yards behind him. He quickly scoops the unconscious woman up in his arms and cradles her against him. Once again he has succeeded in protecting her, only this time it had been a closer call than before. His eyes take in the soaked features of the woman he has come to know as his true mate. Every time he touches her, the mark of the Ki Talimai, the soul's bond, glows and tingles in his palm. Now, as he stands holding her in his arms, the eternal mark burns.

He lowers his dark head and presses his forehead against hers, inhaling her rain-enhanced scent. He smells a mixture of jasmine, vanilla, and cinnamon pine on her skin. He knows her scent well because it matches his own. It calls to him as strongly as her senses. He knows her emotions intimately–her joys, her fears, her sorrows, her grief, her loneliness. He knows her. Yet she doesn't truly know the real him, nor does she know the full measure of his powers.

But she will. She will finally know everything this night.

* * *

He moves toward the large double doors of the church. They swing open without him making contact. He never needs to touch an object to move it. He simply thinks it into action and his command is obeyed. When it comes to people or living creatures, however, his powers only work on the weak-minded. For the strong, he must get physical. Even still, he never forces his will on anyone. He would never abuse his powers that way. That had been the first lesson he was taught when his training began seven hundred years ago at the young age of twenty.

He steps inside and Father Battiano silently directs him to the corridor to the right. He has been here before–he has used the same quarters he now enters. He lets his eyes scan the room. There is a small bed against the wall, covered with a thick quilt. A pan of water is heating on a hotplate in the corner and a creaky furnace warms the small area. A wooden door in the corner opens to a small bathroom.

He walks over and places the woman on the bed, then gestures to the priest to turn and face the wall.

When the holy man complies, he in turn closes his eyes and whispers three words. He opens his eyes and the woman is dry and now wearing a soft white gown. He lifts her from the bed to pull the quilt and top sheet back, and tucks her underneath. His eyes take in her smooth brown skin, long fluttering lashes, and the mass of black spiraled curls splaying over the white pillow, spilling down to her waist. He watches the slow rise and fall of her chest and listens to her soft rhythmic breathing. His gaze moves back to her face, and for the ten thousandth time he admires her beauty. From the moment she was born, he has been watching over her from afar until recently. He witnessed her childhood, watched her blossom and grow, and turn into the great beauty that she is.

He lifts her hand to his lips and presses his palm against hers. Her Ki Talimai mark calls to his, causing heat to spread up his arm through his entire body. Never before has it affected him so strongly. And he knows why.

Her call to him is stronger because the bond between them is near to completion. When that happens, nothing in this world or another can ever come between them. They will fully lay claim on one another's souls, as well as hearts.

This is not the end.

It is only the beginning.

The Wishing Hour will be available at jadamsnovels.com, Smashwords.com, and Offthebookshelf.com. I will keep you posted on the release date.

Monday, September 6, 2010

Be Yourself

The older I get, the more set in my ways I become, but I know there is always room for improvement and I continue to try to better myself. But bettering ones self doesn't mean changing who you are. I love me. I will never stop trying to increase the good things about myself, and you shouldn't either.
I found some neat little quotes on being yourself.

"If I am not for myself, who will be?"

Pirke Avoth

"The tragedy is that so many people look for self-confidence and self-respect everywhere except within themselves, and so they fail in their search."

Dr Nathaniel Branden

"Let the world know you as you are, not as you think you should be, because sooner or later, if you are posing, you will forget the pose, and then where are you?"

Fanny Brice

"It took me a long time not to judge myself through someone else's eyes."

Sally Field

"Never be bullied into silence. Never allow yourself to be made a victim. Accept no one's definition of your life; define yourself."

Harvey Fienstein

"The way you treat yourself sets the standard for others."

Dr Sonya Friedman

Suggested Reading

This week I had the privilege of reading The Thorn Book One: The Chronicles of Gan by Daron D. Fraley. It was a joy to read. I love reading stories set around the birth of Christ and Daron has done this beautifully by setting the anticipation of his birth on another world, which is very cool!

The Book

Three tribes are at war on the planet Gan, unaware that the sign of Christ's birth on an unknown world - Earth - is about to appear in the heavens.
During a bloody skirmish with Gideonite troops, Jonathan of Daniel spares Pekah, a young enemy soldier, gaining his trust forever. These two distant brothers from estranged tribes covenant with each other to end the war being waged by a self-proclaimed emperor, and soon discover the intentions of a far more dangerous foe named Rezon - a sinister general bent on ruling those he can bring into subjection and destroying all others.
In the end, Pekah's selfless bravery is the means by which all the tribes are united. But there are dissenters, and Rezon escapes a well-deserved fate. When the promised heavenly signs appear, will there be peace at last, or will the malefactors once again threaten the safety of them all?

Daron was kind enough to answer a few questions for me about his book.

Me: How did you come up with the story?

Daron: I have always had a love for science, and love to see the incredible pictures on the NASA Astronomy Picture of the Day website ( http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/astropix.html ). That has been a favorite of mine for years, and I have enjoyed being able to stare out into space through the medium of those pictures, and wonder about the awesome expanse of God's creations. In addition to this wonderful website, the idea to do a story about another world came from three things . . . first, the Parable of the Kingdoms in the 88th section of the Doctrine and Covenants verses 51-61, second, the 33rd verse of Moses chapter one where the Lord says, "And worlds without number have I created . . . and by the Son I created them . . .", third, the testimony of Elder Neal A. Maxwell in the movie Special Witnesses of Christ where he says: "How many planets are there in the universe with people on them? We don’t know, but we are not alone in the universe! God is not the God of only one planet! I testify that Jesus is truly the Lord of the universe, “that by [Christ], and through him, and of him, the worlds are and were created, and the inhabitants thereof are begotten sons and daughters unto God" D&C 76:24"
— Neal A. Maxwell

Me: Elder Maxwell was one of my favorite apostles because of his knowledge of astronomy and the universe. How many books will be in the series?

Daron: There will be three books in the series, the next one titled "Heaven's Garden."

Me: Can you tell us a little about the next book?
Daron: The next book will continue with the stories of Pekah and Abigail, Jonathan and Rachel, Eli, Rezon, and a few new characters. I hate to tell much more than that, otherwise I may give some things away about the first book which I don't want to do for those who have not read it yet. :) But rest assured, the quest to put down the traitors who want to destroy the government is not yet over.

You can purchase The Thorn at Deseret Book, Amazon.com, and other book stores. The Thron is also available in ebook format on Smaswords.com. Daron also has a giveaway going on Goodreads for the month of September.
http://www.goodreads.com/giveaway/show/5462-the-thorn

Here is are links to the entries on Smashwords, the second of which is a free ebook that contains "Angel's Song", a companion short story to The Thorn: