April Vignette - "Pink Moon" by Linda Mooney

"Pink Moon"

“Somewhere up there is a pink moon,” Morris declared.

            Sonja glanced at the sky, but the dark clouds blanked out everything, including the moon and stars. And had for as long as she could remember. “How do you know it’s pink?”

            “Well, this is April, right?”

            “Yeah.” They followed the homemade calendar almost religiously so everyone would know what day it was, as well as the month and the year.

            “My mother told me it’s named after the phlox.”

            “A fox?”

            He chuckled. “No. A phlox. It’s a pink flower that used to bloom in the spring.”

            Sonja sighed. “I’d love to see a real flower again. I’d be happy with an artificial one that I can hold in my hand.” They both glanced at her pale fingers that rested on top of his. He opened his fingers, and they laced them together.

            “Maybe one day we’ll find one…or the other.”

            Several minutes passed as they continued to stare into the darkness shrouding their world. A darkness that brightened only slightly when night turned into day. But at least during the daytime they didn’t need lanterns or candles to find their way around.

            A brisk wind picked up, hurling snowflakes at them. Sonja drew her coat tighter around her as he slipped an arm across her shoulders for a sideways hug.

            “Does this moon have other names?” she asked after a while. They spoke in hushed tones, for fear of attracting the unwanted. He knew they shouldn’t be outside after dark, anyway. But tonight had been so tempting. The storm that had enveloped their little community had raged for eleven days, finally letting up in the wee hours before morning. Morris knew that if there was going to be a “safe” time to go topside for some fresh air, it would have to be now. Otherwise, it could be days before they could venture above again.

            “Oh, yeah,” he admitted. “Momma said it was also called the Hare Moon, or the Egg Moon.”

            “Let me guess. For Easter, right?”

            “I think so. Yeah. I’m not certain, but that sounds about right.”

            They remained huddled together for another couple of minutes, when he decided they’d been outside long enough. He was about to tell his wife it was time to go below when she squeezed his hand.

            “Morris, do you think we’ll ever see the moon again?”

            “I dunno, honey. Maybe. Who knows?”

            “Do you think it’ll ever be safe enough to come up top and stay here, instead of having to keep living underground?”

            He stared at her. At the way her face glowed from the radiation. He knew…she knew…they all knew that living to a ripe old age was no longer obtainable. And hadn’t been since the bombs fell years ago. If anyone reached their forties these days, it was a miracle. So if anyone found someone they could spend those few short years with, they were blessed beyond measure.

            “Like I was blessed to have found you,” he murmured, reaching up to tuck a strand of hair back underneath her knit cap.

            “What?”

            “I feel so lucky to have you fall in love with me.”

            She smiled. She had just a few teeth left, but it didn’t matter. She would always be beautiful to him.

            “I think we need to go back inside.”

            She nodded in answer. “Maybe I’ll try some of that soup again,” she whispered. “I think I’ll be able to keep a little of it down this time.”

            “I hope so.” He helped her to her feet, and they left the small deck that was normally used as a watchtower during the day.

            “Oh, and Morris?” She paused at the edge of the hatchway and turned to face him. “Thank you for telling me about the pink moon.”

            “You’re welcome.”

            “Does it ever show up as another color later in the year?”

            He made a face as he thought back to his childhood. “There’s a strawberry moon in June. I don’t remember if it’s called that for the fruit or the color. I remember the pink moon because it was Mom’s favorite color.”

            “What about a blue moon? I thought I heard someone mention a blue moon a long time ago.”

            “It’s not really blue. In fact, the moon never turns the color associated with it. A blue moon is what people call it if there’s a second full moon in one month.” He chuckled. “Those are rare, which is why people sometimes used to say an event happened once in a blue moon.”

            She smiled again. “If we’re lucky, we can look for the strawberry moon when June comes.”

            Morris fought the tears. If we’re lucky.

            If we’re both still alive.

            “It’s a date, sweetheart. I promise.” Even if only one of them managed to survive until then, he knew the one who survived would be sure to keep their word.

            Sonja stepped onto the ladder, grasping the rungs with her thin hands, and slowly descended back inside the sewers that had been their home for the past six years. Taking one last look up into the blanketed sky, he followed her down.

HERE BE NEWS for Monday April 25, 2022

 

 

 

                            

Monday April 25, 2022 

Welcome to HERE BE NEWS, where each monday we bring you all the latest from the fantasy romance authors at Here Be Magic:

Thursday April 21, 2022: PG Forte is ranting about scammers taking advantage of newbie authors.

 

Since Yesterday was Earth Day, I figured a Spring-themed excerpt was in order. A Taste of Honey is the fourth book in my Oberon series--and features one of my favorite couples, Lucy and Dan Cavanaugh. Unfortunately, it's not currently in print, but you can still get a copy of the prequel (see details below).

A Taste of Honey

Oberon 4.0

Blurb:   For Lucy Greco Cavanaugh, life is a dream come true. She has it all. The perfect family. The perfect husband. The perfect marriage. What more could she wish for? Other than the chance to do it all again. To experience once more the agony and ecstasy of falling in love with the man of her dreams. To recapture the joy and uncertainty that comes with starting over.

​ As far as Dan Cavanaugh is concerned, his life has become a nightmare. His storybook marriage is on the line when Deirdre Shelton-Cooper, the runaway daughter of a former girlfriend arrives in Oberon intent on proving Dan is her father. Even though he's convinced the girl's claims are false, Dan decides his only chance to keep from losing everything lies in keeping her very existence a secret from his wife and family.

But, sometimes, what you don't know can hurt you--and those you love. When Deirdre, masquerading as a surfer girl named Monica, accidentally hooks up with their son, Seth, Lucy and Dan are left to wonder: has their perfect, fairy-tale romance, turned into a classic Greek tragedy?

Sometimes you get exactly what you wish for. And it's more than you'd ever dreamed.

*  *  *

Excerpt:   Lucy drove out to the nursery early that afternoon, with the windows rolled down. No Doubt’s Tragic Kingdom, an album she’d ‘liberated’ from her teenage son’s music collection several years earlier, was blasting from the Explorer’s CD player, and a plan for fixing the deteriorating relationship between her husband and her son was cooking in her head. In fact, if things worked out the way she hoped they would, she might even be able to give her own relationship with Dan some added spice.

It was a glorious Spring day. The air along the coast was warm and lushly scented with yerba buena, eucalyptus and sage. Fat, majestic puffs sailed across the sky, casting cloud-shaped shadows onto the earth and sea below, further mottling the already variegated landscape. When she turned off the coast road onto the canyon drive that led to the nursery, she saw that the hills that lined the way, gray-green, emerald, and gold for most of the year, had been transformed. They’d blossomed overnight into an almost endless expanse of orange and blue--mostly California poppies and lupine--disrupted only where the spiky silver foliage and dried flower heads of wild artichokes broke through to tower above them.

It was the same thing that happened every year, but, as always, the beauty of it took her by surprise and made her catch her breath.

It was a perfect day for a picnic, she had decided after leaving Marsha and Scout that morning; and so she had gone home and packed a basket with which she hoped to tempt Dan to join her at Seth’s ball game this afternoon.

The relationship between the two men in her life had become so strained of late. And, even though she had taken care to pack all of Dan’s favorites--marinated artichoke hearts, olives stuffed with sun dried tomatoes, roasted eggplant and goat cheese sandwiches on fresh foccacia bread, and a mint-mango salad--she wasn’t sure that even that would do the trick.

It wasn’t so much that she feared her husband’s relationship with their son was in any real danger of becoming irrevocably damaged, as had happened to Dan’s relationship with his own father; although the possibility had certainly occurred to her, and more than once. It was just that it was so very obvious how much both he and Seth were suffering from their estrangement. And it would be good for Seth to see that, annoyed as he often was with him, his father still supported his efforts.

Besides, she knew very well that her own attendance at his games was almost more frustrating for Seth than supportive. Despite all her years as a spectator, Lucy still seemed to be missing the finer points of the game. Their mutual interest in baseball had always been a passion that Dan and Seth enjoyed sharing. And really, what was the point of sports, if not to allow men the opportunity to renew their bonds with one another without shedding too much blood?

She pulled off the road before she reached the nursery’s main entrance, unlocked one of the gates that led directly into the fields, and detoured through the back of the nursery’s grounds to check on her hives. Sunlight shimmered in the air, and as she walked through the field she breathed in deep lungfuls scented with the heady fragrance of flowering plants and warm earth. 

 The bees were everywhere; crawling on the flowers, filling the air with their busy flights, and clustering around the hives’ entrances in a carefully choreographed confusion. Lucy reminded herself to keep all her movements slow as she moved among them. She was entranced by their gentleness as they detoured around her. Even without the honey, she’d enjoy keeping them. Of course, she hadn’t been stung yet, although everyone who worked with bees assured her that it was inevitable, and she hadn’t yet been forced to contend with a swarm, either. Perhaps she’d feel a little less enthusiastic after either of those occurred. But for now, it was a terrific little sideline business.

She watched the bees for several minutes longer, observing their activity, trying to take a count of the bees as they moved in and out of the hives, as she’d been taught to do; looking for anything unusual, any suggestion that the hives were ailing. Finally, satisfied that all was well, she slowly turned and walked back towards her car. She’d come back out here this weekend, with all her equipment, so she could inspect the hives properly, but right now, she had an even more interesting project to work on.

Seth was not the only one whose bonds with Dan could use a little renewing, she thought. It had been months since she and Dan had enjoyed the kind of romantic adventure she had planned for them. Altogether too many months. And man could not live by sports alone.

She’d included a jar of her honey in the picnic basket. If she and Dan could find a private, secluded little spot for their picnic, perhaps she’d find a way to increase his appreciation for her new hobby.

*  *  *

Such Fleeting Pleasures 

An Oberon Prequel Novella 0.5 

Love wasn't always strawberries and cream for Lucy and Dan Cavanaugh...or was it? 

In this Oberon prequel, we travel back in time to see how it all began. ​ Most of the material in this prequel novella (set some eighteen years before the series begins) also appears as flashback scenes in A Taste of Honey. ​ 

Although the series as a whole is not currently available, you can access a FREE DOWNLOAD of this novella when you join my Facebook group: The Crone's Nest. 

​ Read an excerpt HERE

Bring It Back(list) A Taste of Honey by PG Forte

 

Since Yesterday was Earth Day, I figured a Spring-themed excerpt was in order. A Taste of Honey is the fourth book in my Oberon series--and features one of my favorite couples, Lucy and Dan Cavanaugh. Unfortunately, it's not currently in print, but you can still get a copy of the prequel (see details below).

A Taste of Honey

Oberon 4.0

Blurb:   For Lucy Greco Cavanaugh, life is a dream come true. She has it all. The perfect family. The perfect husband. The perfect marriage. What more could she wish for? Other than the chance to do it all again. To experience once more the agony and ecstasy of falling in love with the man of her dreams. To recapture the joy and uncertainty that comes with starting over.

​ As far as Dan Cavanaugh is concerned, his life has become a nightmare. His storybook marriage is on the line when Deirdre Shelton-Cooper, the runaway daughter of a former girlfriend arrives in Oberon intent on proving Dan is her father. Even though he's convinced the girl's claims are false, Dan decides his only chance to keep from losing everything lies in keeping her very existence a secret from his wife and family.

But, sometimes, what you don't know can hurt you--and those you love. When Deirdre, masquerading as a surfer girl named Monica, accidentally hooks up with their son, Seth, Lucy and Dan are left to wonder: has their perfect, fairy-tale romance, turned into a classic Greek tragedy?

Sometimes you get exactly what you wish for. And it's more than you'd ever dreamed.

*  *  *

Excerpt:   Lucy drove out to the nursery early that afternoon, with the windows rolled down. No Doubt’s Tragic Kingdom, an album she’d ‘liberated’ from her teenage son’s music collection several years earlier, was blasting from the Explorer’s CD player, and a plan for fixing the deteriorating relationship between her husband and her son was cooking in her head. In fact, if things worked out the way she hoped they would, she might even be able to give her own relationship with Dan some added spice.

It was a glorious Spring day. The air along the coast was warm and lushly scented with yerba buena, eucalyptus and sage. Fat, majestic puffs sailed across the sky, casting cloud-shaped shadows onto the earth and sea below, further mottling the already variegated landscape. When she turned off the coast road onto the canyon drive that led to the nursery, she saw that the hills that lined the way, gray-green, emerald, and gold for most of the year, had been transformed. They’d blossomed overnight into an almost endless expanse of orange and blue--mostly California poppies and lupine--disrupted only where the spiky silver foliage and dried flower heads of wild artichokes broke through to tower above them.

It was the same thing that happened every year, but, as always, the beauty of it took her by surprise and made her catch her breath.

It was a perfect day for a picnic, she had decided after leaving Marsha and Scout that morning; and so she had gone home and packed a basket with which she hoped to tempt Dan to join her at Seth’s ball game this afternoon.

The relationship between the two men in her life had become so strained of late. And, even though she had taken care to pack all of Dan’s favorites--marinated artichoke hearts, olives stuffed with sun dried tomatoes, roasted eggplant and goat cheese sandwiches on fresh foccacia bread, and a mint-mango salad--she wasn’t sure that even that would do the trick.

It wasn’t so much that she feared her husband’s relationship with their son was in any real danger of becoming irrevocably damaged, as had happened to Dan’s relationship with his own father; although the possibility had certainly occurred to her, and more than once. It was just that it was so very obvious how much both he and Seth were suffering from their estrangement. And it would be good for Seth to see that, annoyed as he often was with him, his father still supported his efforts.

Besides, she knew very well that her own attendance at his games was almost more frustrating for Seth than supportive. Despite all her years as a spectator, Lucy still seemed to be missing the finer points of the game. Their mutual interest in baseball had always been a passion that Dan and Seth enjoyed sharing. And really, what was the point of sports, if not to allow men the opportunity to renew their bonds with one another without shedding too much blood?

She pulled off the road before she reached the nursery’s main entrance, unlocked one of the gates that led directly into the fields, and detoured through the back of the nursery’s grounds to check on her hives. Sunlight shimmered in the air, and as she walked through the field she breathed in deep lungfuls scented with the heady fragrance of flowering plants and warm earth. 

 The bees were everywhere; crawling on the flowers, filling the air with their busy flights, and clustering around the hives’ entrances in a carefully choreographed confusion. Lucy reminded herself to keep all her movements slow as she moved among them. She was entranced by their gentleness as they detoured around her. Even without the honey, she’d enjoy keeping them. Of course, she hadn’t been stung yet, although everyone who worked with bees assured her that it was inevitable, and she hadn’t yet been forced to contend with a swarm, either. Perhaps she’d feel a little less enthusiastic after either of those occurred. But for now, it was a terrific little sideline business.

She watched the bees for several minutes longer, observing their activity, trying to take a count of the bees as they moved in and out of the hives, as she’d been taught to do; looking for anything unusual, any suggestion that the hives were ailing. Finally, satisfied that all was well, she slowly turned and walked back towards her car. She’d come back out here this weekend, with all her equipment, so she could inspect the hives properly, but right now, she had an even more interesting project to work on.

Seth was not the only one whose bonds with Dan could use a little renewing, she thought. It had been months since she and Dan had enjoyed the kind of romantic adventure she had planned for them. Altogether too many months. And man could not live by sports alone.

She’d included a jar of her honey in the picnic basket. If she and Dan could find a private, secluded little spot for their picnic, perhaps she’d find a way to increase his appreciation for her new hobby.

*  *  *

Such Fleeting Pleasures 

An Oberon Prequel Novella 0.5 

Love wasn't always strawberries and cream for Lucy and Dan Cavanaugh...or was it? 

In this Oberon prequel, we travel back in time to see how it all began. ​ Most of the material in this prequel novella (set some eighteen years before the series begins) also appears as flashback scenes in A Taste of Honey. ​ 

Although the series as a whole is not currently available, you can access a FREE DOWNLOAD of this novella when you join my Facebook group: The Crone's Nest. 

​ Read an excerpt HERE

Author Rant Ahead

 You have been warned. 

I belong to a lot of author groups online (I also belong to a lot of reader groups, btw, but that's a rant for a different day). And rarely does a week go by without some newbie-ish author asking for advice about things that make my blood boil. Like so-called self-publishers that only charge a grand or two to put your books into print. Or self-styled literary agents who eight-hundred dollars to get your book ready to submit to a publisher. 

Typically, responses to this sort of thing tend to be something along the lines of, "Don't do it!" "It's a scam." "That's not how this business works." And yet nine out of ten times the author who's (theoretically) seeking advice will respond by saying, "but he/she seems so reputable." Or, "I just don't have the time to market my books myself." 

I just don't know how to get through to these people. What I want to say is something like this:

Dear Newish Author,

I once was you; perched on the edge of publication with one, or possibly two, books under your belt. You have no idea how to market your books. You barely even understand how publishing works.  And you're still at the silly question stage: What font should I use for my ms? How many pages should my chapters be? 

On the one hand you have people offering to lead you by the hand and help you navigate this confusing new world. On the other you have people offering what you think has to be the lamest, least helpful phrases of all: "Congratulations. You've written a book. Now the hard part begins."

Obviously the latter have no idea what goes into writing a book--am I right?  Because how could that be true? How could anything be harder? And, how could anyone believe that something that discouraging could ever be helpful?

Well, because it is. 

Marketing and promoting your book is something that all authors, even the traditionally published ones with A list agents have to do. Don't let anyone tell you otherwise. And, yes, it's complicated and confusing and time-consuming and soul-destroying and, especially if you're a math-challenged introvert (as so many authors tend to be) much, much harder than writing. 

Writing (even popular, commercial fiction) is still an art form. And, like all art, ultimately there is no right or wrong way to do it. 

This isn't to say that there aren't rules and conventions that you'll probably want to follow--especially if you're hoping to sell your book, get decent reviews and make actual money. It doesn't mean there's no learning curve, or no trends or fashions that you'll want to consider. But, in the writing stage, the world is (quite literally, if we're talking about the fictional world you're creating) yours to do with as you wish. You have no one to please but yourself.

Marketing, OTOH, requires  a whole different skill set. For example, you to find an audience--people who are A) are looking for books to read. B)  would enjoy your books in particular and C) are willing to actually either buy your books or rent them through proper channels--like libraries. 

In a world where pirating books is rampant, where read-and-return is viewed as a clever game, where readers are pre-loaded with prejudices, triggers, and lists of words that will automatically land your book in their DNF pile. Words like moist or nub or honeypot, or plunged or wet or chuckled.

 Maybe you'll get lucky. But, in all likelihood, finding your tribe will be much, much harder than you think it will be right now.  Some readers only want free books. Some only want to read books in third person, or first person, or present tense, or with a specific number of narrators--no more than two, but not less than two for example. Some are easily triggered, others will only read particular tropes. And then there are those who would probably love your books except that they won't read a series until it's finished--so your series will never get finished because either you or your publisher won't see the point of it. Clearly there's no audience for it. Let's just pull the plug. 

You could be a great writer, but a terrible marketer. BUT you could also be a terrible writer--and it's hard to keep the faith and trust that it's the first, not the second, because the resultant lack of sales still looks the same. And there will always, ALWAYS be someone ready and eager to tell you that if your book isn't selling it MUST be because it's bad. 

It's depressing and demoralizing. It makes you feel helpless. I know. I've been there. I think we've ALL been there, to one extent or another. And that's when the scam artists crawl out of the woodwork looking to take advantage of you. 

Please don't let them. Please don't give up or take the easy way out. Because it's NOT the easy way. You'll end up giving them money that would be better off spent elsewhere. You might end up giving away your rights, and sometimes it's too hard a slog to get them back. You could conceivably lose all the joy you now get from writing. You could find yourself unable to write at all. 

Educate yourself about industry standards. Cultivate realistic expectations. Develop a long-view approach to your career. And, FFS, if you ask other authors for advice, please don't write off what they tell you just because it wasn't what you wanted to hear. 

Congratulations. You've written a book. Now the hard part begins. BUT YOU CAN DO THAT TOO!

HERE BE NEWS for Monday April 18, 2022

 

 

 

                            

Monday April 18, 2022 

Welcome to HERE BE NEWS, where each monday we bring you all the latest from the fantasy romance authors at Here Be Magic:

Thursday April 14, 2022: Deborah Bailey asks, "What's your writing process?"

YOUR HEART, MY HOME
Urban Fantasy Romance
by Linda Mooney
Word Count: 53.9K
Co-narrated by Guy Veryzer
and Linda Mooney
Length: 6 hrs, 4 min
$3.99 e / $9.99 p / $19.95 a

They were deadly enemies, until a greater threat made them unwilling allies...and lovers.

Sherandar is the most cunning adversary Quazar has ever faced. He never knows when or where his worst nightmare will strike, but when she does, it's with the single-minded purpose to taunt him. Ridicule him. And to make his life a living hell. Regular cuffs and jail cells can't hold her, yet somehow, someway, Quazar has to bring her reign to a screeching halt.

But when a new enemy makes himself known, and tries to kill both Quazar and Sherandar, the two combatants realize the only way to defeat this deadly threat is to call a temporary truce and join forces.

It isn't until she lies broken, bloodied, and dying in his arms that Quazar realizes she has become more to him than his temporary ally. He has fallen in love with her.

Warning! Contains deadly necklaces, delectable desserts, a skintight costume, an antique stove, dining table sex, and a bored megalomaniac who has no qualms about killing because he just wants to watch the world burn.  

Excerpt and Buy Links

Bring It Back(list) - YOUR HEART, MY HOME, an Urban Fantasy Romance by Linda Mooney

YOUR HEART, MY HOME
Urban Fantasy Romance
by Linda Mooney
Word Count: 53.9K
Co-narrated by Guy Veryzer
and Linda Mooney
Length: 6 hrs, 4 min
$3.99 e / $9.99 p / $19.95 a

They were deadly enemies, until a greater threat made them unwilling allies...and lovers.

Sherandar is the most cunning adversary Quazar has ever faced. He never knows when or where his worst nightmare will strike, but when she does, it's with the single-minded purpose to taunt him. Ridicule him. And to make his life a living hell. Regular cuffs and jail cells can't hold her, yet somehow, someway, Quazar has to bring her reign to a screeching halt.

But when a new enemy makes himself known, and tries to kill both Quazar and Sherandar, the two combatants realize the only way to defeat this deadly threat is to call a temporary truce and join forces.

It isn't until she lies broken, bloodied, and dying in his arms that Quazar realizes she has become more to him than his temporary ally. He has fallen in love with her.

Warning! Contains deadly necklaces, delectable desserts, a skintight costume, an antique stove, dining table sex, and a bored megalomaniac who has no qualms about killing because he just wants to watch the world burn.  

Excerpt and Buy Links

What's Your Writing Process?

Over the years I've tried to plot my stories beforehand, but it's never felt comfortable. Then I started creating outlines and that seemed easier for me. 

A lot of the time I have an idea but it's always subject to change. That makes it challenging for me to write faster. So I've learned to accept that the book is going to take the time that it takes. 

Usually, my story begins as a conversation in my mind between the characters. I might not know who the characters are at first, that takes more writing. Eventually I get an idea of who these characters are and what is happening in their world.

Since my stories are character-driven (as opposed to plot-driven) I have to get a feeling of who the characters are. What do they want? What are they hoping to achieve? It might take a lot of writing before I have those answers.

Finally, once I've written several scenes, I have an idea of what the story is about. At that point I may write an outline so that I'll have a rough idea of how the story will go. I'm a "pantser" and not a plotter, so my story may change a lot as I work on it. I don't always stick to the outline, instead I use it for guidance.

For my latest book, Blood Red Moon, I had a rough idea of the first chapter of the story, but I made a lot of changes to it. My original idea was to have Avani and Derek as adversaries without a prior relationship. However, in the final version I wanted them to be long lost lovers. As I wrote the different drafts, I had more of an idea of the vampire and shifter cultures. It took a lot of writing and working on the story before the backstory made sense to me.

As I wrote and edited, I had more of an idea of how the story would go and how it would end. In fact, I wrote the ending before I finished writing the last third of the book. I knew where I wanted the story to go, and with each version of the draft I understood how to get the characters there.

Often the completed story ends up being more than I expected. I may not know what the story will be when I first start out, but it's rewarding to go from the initial idea to a fully developed story.

HERE BE NEWS for Monday April 11, 2022

 

 

                            

Monday April 11, 2022 

Welcome to HERE BE NEWS, where each monday we bring you all the latest from the fantasy romance authors at Here Be Magic:

Thursday April 7, 2022: Nicole Luiken discusses the problematic pleasure of Too Much TV

                  

 New!

WAR OF HEARTS
Sensuous Sci-Fi Romance
by Linda Mooney
Word Count: 57.6K
$3.99 e / $9.99 p

FOR A LIMITED TIME, YOU CAN GET THE E-BOOK FOR JUST $1.99 IF YOU PURCHASE IT DIRECTLY FROM ME VIA GUMROAD!
JUST USE DISCOUNT CODE: ALIENS

After being kidnapped from Earth by aliens and forced into slavery by the Jekmeerans, Zori VanTeagun and her fellow Terrans have a plan to escape and make it back home. Though commandeering a Jek ship seems impossible, it may be their only hope, and they’re not giving up without a fight.

Vergil Ond Hees Perd is tasked with leading a troop to conquer a new planet, and if successful, his crew will be there for a while. Needing a companion to keep him fit both physically and mentally, he’s given the opportunity to bind with a female of his choice, and he’s had his eye on one particular redheaded Terran for a while.

Being forced to bind with a Jek doesn’t settle well with Zori. She goes along with it (as if she had a choice) to get information for the rebellion, but she’s surprised to find out Ond actually cares for her. He knows she doesn’t feel the same for him but hopes she’ll come to care for him in time. When she learns why the Jeks are doing what they’re doing, Zori is torn.

The two come from different worlds, and have differing points of view. Ond sees it as saving his species; Zori sees it as kidnapping and slavery. He can’t blame her for fighting, and she can’t blame him for trying.

A rebellion is coming, but which side will they fight for?

Warning! Contains see-through uniforms, an alien iPad, a damning recording, compatible DNA, facial doodles, an offer given to an officer who never believed he'd receive, and a woman who finally realizes the true meaning of love's sacrifice.

Excerpt and Buy Links

Too Much TV

There is such an abundance of wonderful SF and fantasy TV right now. Having grown up in the 1980's,  when there was so little and not always  the best quality, it boggles me a bit. And now streaming and PVRs and DVDs mean that even if I missed a show the first time round, I can still watch it. This has led to a mix of old and new shows. And me falling ever farther behind because I also read 200+ books a year.

What I'm Watching Now

1/ Hawkeye - I've been quite impressed with most of Disney's Marvel spin-offs. I was super excited for Wanda/Vision and Loki series, but even the ones with characters I was less invested in like Falcon and the Winter Soldier and Hawkeye, have hooked me. Three episodes into this one--I loved how Hawkeye's reliance on his hearing aid was shown when it got broken.

2/ The Good Place - Season Two - If, like me, you missed this when it first came out, it's well worth hunting down. I don't know that I'd ever seen a sitcom that is so good at end of an episode cliffhangers before. Funny, with a great cast and great writing.

3/ Dr. Who - Matt Smith's first season - Obviously also WAY behind on this show, got back into it last  year and just watched the Weeping Angels/River Song episode. Fun AND creepy. I loved how Amy Pond had to keep her eyes closed.

4/ Star Trek: Discovery - Just started season three.

5/ Star Trek: Picard - One episode in so Q shenanigans are  about to start.

6/ Babylon 5 - Season Four - This is a rewatch with the whole family. The war with the shadows has ended and the civil war between Earth and Mars colony is heating up.

What I Want to Watch Next

1/ Wheel of Time - waiting for season two! I'm a fan of the series, read all the books, but I'm in that sweet spot where I didn't reread them and thus don't mind as much when the timelines have to be adjusted/rewritten for TV viewing.

2/ House of Dragons - When I first heard of the Game of Thrones spinoff I wasn't very interested, but I've been reading the Dance of Dragons section in Fire and Blood and being frustrated by how condensed the fictional history is, wanting more. And it doesn't hurt that Matt Smith has been cast as the scheming Prince Daeron...

3/ Star Trek: Strange New Worlds - I liked Christopher Pike and Spock's turns on Discovery so would be looking forward to this if I weren't already so behind on the other two shows...

4/ The Mandalorian - Again, I am so behind! 

5/ The Witcher - Ditto

I know there's a ton more I'm missing and more in the pipeline coming. What are your old and new favourite SFF shows? What are you looking forward too?

New! WAR OF HEARTS, a Sensuous Sci-Fi Romance by Linda Mooney

 New!

WAR OF HEARTS
Sensuous Sci-Fi Romance
by Linda Mooney
Word Count: 57.6K
$3.99 e / $9.99 p

FOR A LIMITED TIME, YOU CAN GET THE E-BOOK FOR JUST $1.99 IF YOU PURCHASE IT DIRECTLY FROM ME VIA GUMROAD!
JUST USE DISCOUNT CODE: ALIENS

After being kidnapped from Earth by aliens and forced into slavery by the Jekmeerans, Zori VanTeagun and her fellow Terrans have a plan to escape and make it back home. Though commandeering a Jek ship seems impossible, it may be their only hope, and they’re not giving up without a fight.

Vergil Ond Hees Perd is tasked with leading a troop to conquer a new planet, and if successful, his crew will be there for a while. Needing a companion to keep him fit both physically and mentally, he’s given the opportunity to bind with a female of his choice, and he’s had his eye on one particular redheaded Terran for a while.

Being forced to bind with a Jek doesn’t settle well with Zori. She goes along with it (as if she had a choice) to get information for the rebellion, but she’s surprised to find out Ond actually cares for her. He knows she doesn’t feel the same for him but hopes she’ll come to care for him in time. When she learns why the Jeks are doing what they’re doing, Zori is torn.

The two come from different worlds, and have differing points of view. Ond sees it as saving his species; Zori sees it as kidnapping and slavery. He can’t blame her for fighting, and she can’t blame him for trying.

A rebellion is coming, but which side will they fight for?

Warning! Contains see-through uniforms, an alien iPad, a damning recording, compatible DNA, facial doodles, an offer given to an officer who never believed he'd receive, and a woman who finally realizes the true meaning of love's sacrifice.

Excerpt and Buy Links

HERE BE NEWS for Monday April 4, 2022

 

 

 

                            

Monday April 4, 2022 

Welcome to HERE BE NEWS, where each monday we bring you all the latest from the fantasy romance authors at Here Be Magic:

Tuesday March 29, 2022: Linda Mooney treats us to a vignette from Worm Moon.

              

FREE through April 4th. 

https://books2read.com/u/mggr2R

Truth or Dare
Games We Play (book one)
Erotic PNR/Holiday Romance/
PG Forte

This title is currently FREE until April 4, 2022
Buy Links: https://books2read.com/u/mggr2R

BLURB: Gwyn has her hands full these days trying to help save the family business -- a quirky hotel on the Jersey Shore. She has no time for romance. But when the two men with whom she once spent a drunken menage weekend show up with a sexy proposition, how can she resist? Berke and Cam might have broken her heart once, but Gwyn is older now and wiser. She's not looking for forever. She just wants a good time. And, after all, it is Valentine's Day.

For Berke and Cam, the weekend isn't just about fun, or adding some spice to their marriage; it's about winning back the woman who got away, and convincing her to give a committed three-way relationship a shot. They each have skills that could help make the hotel a success -- and they're not above bartering to get what they want. but first they have to get past the walls Gwyn's built to keep them out. But while Cam's biggest concern is making sure Gwyn doesn't break Berke's heart a second time, Berke is worried about what Cam will think if he learns about Berke's part in screwing things up the last time around.

EXCERPT:

It was clear from the looks of shocked surprise on both the men's faces that they had not expected to see her here. And why was that? It’s not like they didn’t know her family owned this hotel. It wasn’t as though neither of them had ever been here before. They had. Berke a couple of times, Cam once. The only possible explanation was that, in the years between then and now, they’d completely forgotten her existence. Which was exactly what she’d have expected from Cam actually, and…it was fine. It was perfect, really, because she’d certainly forgotten all about them.

Why, she couldn’t even remember the party where she’d met Berke, sometime during the first semester of her sophomore year of college. Halloween or homecoming—something like that. She’d fallen for him right away. He’d been gentle, unassuming, attentive, dependable, with a sense of humor she’d frequently found mystifying. He was exactly the kind of guy she’d seen herself settling down with, maybe five years down the line. Cam, on the other hand, was not.

He and Berke had been roommates freshman year and best friends ever since. Cam was every bit as handsome and charming as Berke, but the reason behind their friendship was a puzzle she’d never been able to decipher. The two of them weren’t really very much alike. Cam was loud where Berke was quiet, boisterous where Berke was laid-back. He was the bad boy to Berke’s good guy. And while Berke had always been something of a serial monogamist, as far as Gwyn knew, Cam had the dating habits of a bonobo chimp.

Before she quite knew how it happened, the three of them had become inseparable. Whenever they did anything involving a group, it was always Gwyn and Berke, and Cam and his flavor of the day. Although sometimes, a lot of the time, actually, it had just been Gwyn and Berke and Cam. And when Gwyn and Berke moved in together the following year, Cam had spent a lot of nights on their couch. The three of them had been friends. It never felt odd to have a male best friend or to spend so much of her time with two other people, because all her life she’d had Brenda and Luke.

She and Berke had talked about having children—in a “maybe someday” kind of way. They’d discussed their favorite seasons, their favorite movies, the relative merits of cats over dogs, city versus country, Star Wars or Star Trek. Most of those were not the kinds of thing she’d ever discussed with Cam. But if she were honest, she kind of liked the idea of being the only woman in his life as well.

Or, at least, the only woman who’d be more than a memory come morning.

And yes, she might have developed a tiny little crush on him. She might have suspected he had an even smaller one on her. But so what? Neither of them would ever have acted on it. Until that one weekend when all the rules were suspended. But up until then, things between them had been as close to perfect as anyone could want.

Bring It Back(list) Truth or Dare by PG Forte

 

Truth or Dare
Games We Play (book one)
Erotic PNR/Holiday Romance/
PG Forte

This title is currently FREE until April 4, 2022
Buy Links: https://books2read.com/u/mggr2R

BLURB: Gwyn has her hands full these days trying to help save the family business -- a quirky hotel on the Jersey Shore. She has no time for romance. But when the two men with whom she once spent a drunken menage weekend show up with a sexy proposition, how can she resist? Berke and Cam might have broken her heart once, but Gwyn is older now and wiser. She's not looking for forever. She just wants a good time. And, after all, it is Valentine's Day.

For Berke and Cam, the weekend isn't just about fun, or adding some spice to their marriage; it's about winning back the woman who got away, and convincing her to give a committed three-way relationship a shot. They each have skills that could help make the hotel a success -- and they're not above bartering to get what they want. but first they have to get past the walls Gwyn's built to keep them out. But while Cam's biggest concern is making sure Gwyn doesn't break Berke's heart a second time, Berke is worried about what Cam will think if he learns about Berke's part in screwing things up the last time around.

EXCERPT:

It was clear from the looks of shocked surprise on both the men's faces that they had not expected to see her here. And why was that? It’s not like they didn’t know her family owned this hotel. It wasn’t as though neither of them had ever been here before. They had. Berke a couple of times, Cam once. The only possible explanation was that, in the years between then and now, they’d completely forgotten her existence. Which was exactly what she’d have expected from Cam actually, and…it was fine. It was perfect, really, because she’d certainly forgotten all about them.

Why, she couldn’t even remember the party where she’d met Berke, sometime during the first semester of her sophomore year of college. Halloween or homecoming—something like that. She’d fallen for him right away. He’d been gentle, unassuming, attentive, dependable, with a sense of humor she’d frequently found mystifying. He was exactly the kind of guy she’d seen herself settling down with, maybe five years down the line. Cam, on the other hand, was not.

He and Berke had been roommates freshman year and best friends ever since. Cam was every bit as handsome and charming as Berke, but the reason behind their friendship was a puzzle she’d never been able to decipher. The two of them weren’t really very much alike. Cam was loud where Berke was quiet, boisterous where Berke was laid-back. He was the bad boy to Berke’s good guy. And while Berke had always been something of a serial monogamist, as far as Gwyn knew, Cam had the dating habits of a bonobo chimp.

Before she quite knew how it happened, the three of them had become inseparable. Whenever they did anything involving a group, it was always Gwyn and Berke, and Cam and his flavor of the day. Although sometimes, a lot of the time, actually, it had just been Gwyn and Berke and Cam. And when Gwyn and Berke moved in together the following year, Cam had spent a lot of nights on their couch. The three of them had been friends. It never felt odd to have a male best friend or to spend so much of her time with two other people, because all her life she’d had Brenda and Luke.

She and Berke had talked about having children—in a “maybe someday” kind of way. They’d discussed their favorite seasons, their favorite movies, the relative merits of cats over dogs, city versus country, Star Wars or Star Trek. Most of those were not the kinds of thing she’d ever discussed with Cam. But if she were honest, she kind of liked the idea of being the only woman in his life as well.

Or, at least, the only woman who’d be more than a memory come morning.

And yes, she might have developed a tiny little crush on him. She might have suspected he had an even smaller one on her. But so what? Neither of them would ever have acted on it. Until that one weekend when all the rules were suspended. But up until then, things between them had been as close to perfect as anyone could want.