Happy
Winter Solstice everyone! I posted a few days ago about yoga and how similar a
yoga practice is to the act of writing, but I was in class again today—on the
Solstice—and we did several variations of Tree Pose, which took my mind right
to
OAK.
For those of you who don’t know
this book (which was previously released under the title The Oak King) it’s a
reframing of the Oak King, Holly King story as a Solstice-centric, MMF, holiday
ménage romance, set in 19
th century Ireland.
Because
who doesn’t love a little genre blending? And it just wouldn’t be the holidays
without a Holiday Menage (I’m looking at you,
Finders Keepers).
Anyway,
back to yoga. Several of us were having more problems this morning than usual
with our balance (in life as well as on our mats, I think!) and so my teacher
spent a lot of time discussing the importance of finding the balance between
alertness and relaxation. While we were in Reclining Tree Pose she also talked
about how the mind has a tendency to drift away from the body…
Which
was when my mind left the room entirely, and went directly to this scene at the
end of Oak. It’s the morning of the Winter Solstice, and Fionn has just begun
his six-month reign as The Oak King:
The world was not what it once was. Of that
Fionn O’Dair was certain. It was a bright and beautiful place this pristine
morning. A world reborn. Though it still slumbered in its snowy bed, he could
feel the life within it. Curled up and folded in upon itself, it was like a
seed in the dark, awaiting the light of the sun’s rays to quicken it and bring
it forth. As his mind expanded outward, Fionn was aware of the joy that lay at
the center of all creation. He could feel it aching to break free and explode
into the world in swollen creeks after a spring thaw, in sweet-scented blossoms
unfurling on a leafy branch, in newborn lambs dancing in the meadow.
He felt like dancing himself, if only that were
possible. It was not, however. It would be several long months before he could
dance again. This morning, even that was all right. He was content to stand
here, tall and proud, ruling over the woodlands, protecting all that he held
dear…
the Oak King’s thoughts drifted and spread,
traveling throughout the forests and the woodlands, all across the Greenworld;
life calling to life. Far and wide his thoughts went, to the ends of the earth
and back again, whispering the world awake on this perfect winter morning.
* * * * *
Twice each year, Aine Murphy ventures into the woods to hold ceremonies to honor the Oak King and the Holly King, never dreaming these Lords of the Forest could be anything more than myth. When the legends spring to life in front of her, how can she help but fall for the sexy demi-gods she's loved all her life?
From midwinter to midsummer, Fionn O'Dair rules the Greenworld as the Oak King--a role he feels is beyond his abilities, and one that dooms him to a loveless future, forever craving the one man he can never allow himself to have. How can he resist what Aine offers--the sweet devotion that soothes his aching soul, and the slim chance to live a "normal" life as her husband, if only for half a year?
Holly King Kieran Mac Cuilenn never desired a human lover--until now. Seeing Fionn and Aine together fills him with longing for the love he threw away and awakens feelings he thought he'd buried with the last Oak King. Is there enough magic in the solstice to correct the mistakes he made years ago? Or is he doomed to be forever left out in the cold?
* * * * *
Just as a reminder, I'm still offering these Free Reads for the Holidays! Also, I'd like to invite you to join my Facebook Group,
The Crone's Nest. I'm not sure yet what I'll be giving away to my group this year, but join it and find out!
Free For The Holidays
This Winter Night
Winter Hearts 0.25
Newlyweds Dario and Ophelia Leonides are passionately in love. There are only two things marring their happiness this holiday season—Lia's homesickness and her continued inability to conceive a child.
Dario would do anything to make his wife smile again. He's hoping to use the miraculous technology his father-in-law has pioneered, combined with the magic inherent in his native land. But calling upon the forces of Kokopeli may have unintended consequences.
This prequel to This Winter Heart is available as a FREE READ.
Counting On Christmas
An Ugly Christmas Sweater Story
This Ugly Christmas Sweater short story features the characters Mike and Claire from Let Me Count the Ways (LA Love Lessons, book 3). Mike's been a very good boy this year and Santa Claire has the perfect present picked out for him--one that's both naughty and nice!
***This story was originally released as part of the Nine Naughty Novelists' Ugly Christmas Sweater story collection ~ Volume I***
