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Tuesday, August 29, 2023

August Vignette - Leo the Zodian by Linda Mooney

Leo 

            Seeing the coast was clear, Linsie took the moment to pull her lip gloss from her pocket. Using the back of a spoon to check herself, she quickly swiped the tube over her lips.

            A familiar form suddenly appeared from around the catering truck and waved to her. Replacing the spoon, she casually slipped the tube back into her pocket.

            “Hey, Lins!”

            “Hey, Shandra.”

            “Glad you could make it. Help me with these pastries, would you, please?”

            Linsie followed the caterer over to the truck where she was loaded up with two trays.

            “I was afraid you weren’t going to make it,” the woman remarked.

            “Hey. So what if it’s Saturday night. I had nothing on my calendar. And your offer was too tempting to resist.” Linsie flashed her boss an honest smile.

            Shandra rolled her eyes as she unshelved two trays for herself. “I don’t suppose getting to rub elbows with movie stars might have something to do with you agreeing to this gig, would it?”

            Linsie snickered. “Are you insinuating I might be star struck?”

            “Girl, I got just two words for you. Clark. Gable.”

            Linsie groaned as Shandra laughed out loud.

            “Clark Gable’s dead,” Linsie reminded the woman.

            “I know, but I also know how smitten you are with all those old movies of his. And after all the times I’ve had to listen to you blather on about how debonair and swoony that man is, I have every right to rag you about your obsession.”

            They took a set of stairs leading up to what appeared to be an open balcony or patio. The going wasn’t hard, but climbing with arms loaded was a chore.

            “So who all do you know is going to be here?” Linsie challenged.

            “What do you mean?”

            “You said we’d be hobnobbing with movie stars. Who movie stars?”

            Shandra paused to both catch her breath and to look back at her. “You don’t know where we are, do you?”

            Deadpanned, Linsie replied, “We’re in an area of Los Angeles known as Beverly Hills. More specifically, at twenty-one-oh—”

            “I meant, do you know whose home this is?”

            “No.”

            Giving her a wide grin, Shandra turned and continued climbing. “You’re gonna thank me later when you do.”

            When they reached the top of the stairs, a man in a suit and tie, and an obvious earpiece in one ear, stopped them. Shandra handed her trays over to the man in order to produce her credentials. After clearing them to enter, he gave the trays back to her and stepped aside.

            “How much more do we have to bring up?” Linsie questioned, hoping there wasn’t much more. Stair climbing wasn’t the problem, but these were steep and narrow.

            “This is the last of it. The rest was delivered earlier.”

            Following Shandra across the open-air patio, she couldn’t help but stop to gaze open-mouthed at the view. With the sun setting, the valley below was draped in twilight. It made the area appear to be swathed in twinkling stars.

            “Heads up, Lins!”

            Linsie hurried to catch up. “That view’s incredible!”

            “It better be, considering what this place probably cost,” Shandra quipped. “You can unload those trays on that table over there,” she instructed with a wave of her hand.

            Setting her load onto the covered table, Linsie began setting out the hors d’oeuvres. She was almost finished when she caught movement from the corner of her eye. A hand reached out to snatch one of the desserts. Thinking it belonged to one of the staff, she automatically swatted it away.

            “No touching the food without permission!” she automatically chastised.

            “Sorry,” a deep voice apologized.

            Hearing the touch of amusement in the tone, she jerked her head up to find herself staring into a pair of golden-brown eyes across the table. In the next instant, her brain took in the face and body, and she felt herself literally shrink in embarrassment.

            “N-n-no, sir. Sorry, sir. I-I didn’t know—”

            “Don’t apologize,” he hastily reassured her with a chuckle. It was deep and resonant, and sounded truly honest. Not to mention exactly like it did on the big screen whenever she watched one of his movies. “My mother would have done exactly the same thing. In fact, she has. On several occasions.” He stuck out a hand. “Hello. I’m Brale.”

            “I know,” she replied, then blushed more furiously. “I mean, I’m Linsie.”

            He pointed to the hors d’oeuvre he’d almost absconded with. “May I?”

            “Oh, yes! Please do!”

            She watched as he picked up the cracker topped with Shandra’s special recipe foie gras and took a careful nibble. The way he did it made her giggle.

            “Go ahead and shove the whole thing in your mouth. You know you want to, and I don’t mind.”

            He did. Two chews, and an expression of rapture came over his face.

            “Oh, that is incredible,” he praised with a full mouth.

            “Isn’t it, though? It’s Shandra’s personal and private recipe. People who have us cater for them, if it’s their first time, they always ask for it on repeat bookings. But word’s gotten around, and people who book us for the first time also request it.” She grinned. “You could say our reputation’s grown by word of mouth.”

            He got the pun and chuckled again. Taking a napkin from the pile, he wiped his mouth and nodded to her. “Good one. And this foie gras is well worth the hype. You’ll definitely catch me sneaking back around to grab more of these.” Throwing her a wink, he strolled away.

            A figure hurried up behind her. “Oh, girl! Lucky you! Do you know who you just spoke to?” Shandra asked breathlessly.

            Linsie nodded. “Yep. The one and only Brale Panthera.”

            “Major A-lister,” Shandra confirmed. Moving her face closer to Linsie’s shoulder, she whispered, “You know what they say about him, right?”

            Suspicious this might be a sex joke, she was about to tell the woman she wasn’t interested, but curiosity got the better of her. “No. What do they say about him?”

            “That he’s the least vain man in Hollywood. Very reclusive. Very private.”

            She turned to give the woman a curious stare. “He’s the what?”

            Smiling, Shandra eyed what they could see of the house’s interior. “Look around for yourself. There are no mirrors, no shiny surfaces of any kind. Even the plate glass doors are treated. No way to even see his reflection. Weird, huh?”

            “Uh, yeah. It is.” Linsie snorted. “So what are you telling me? That he’s a vampire or something who can’t see his reflection?”

            The woman gave her a derisive eye. “It’s definitely odd, considering his face is all over the place. They even say he doesn’t allow mirrors in his trailer for the makeup artists to use. Isn’t that crazy? You almost done here?”

            “Yeah. Just about. What ‘cha got next for me?”

            “Check to make sure there’s enough tableware set out.”

            “Cups and glasses, too?”

            “Those, too. Thanks.” The woman shuffled away, carrying the empty trays with her to stack somewhere until the party was over, and they’d be used to load up the leftovers to take back to the kitchen.

            Although she had her favorites when it came to actors and actresses, Linsie had never been one to ardently follow them in the media. Although this was the first time she’d heard about Brale Panthera’s supposed “non vice,” she had to admit she’d heard whispers here and there, but she’d brushed them off as gossip. However, Shandra sounded pretty sure about it, which told Linsie there could be more than a kernel of truth in the stories.

            A random thought came to her, and she tried to shake it off. “No. It’s not possible.”

            A sound in the next room caught her attention. The next instant, she caught sight of the movie star exiting one room and entering another. Something in the way he moved…

            “Or is it?”

            Going over to where the tableware was laid out, she realized the plan she’d been debating wouldn’t work. Everything here was textured. Then she remembered the large serving spoon she’d recently used to touch up her lips. It belonged to the catering company, and it wasn’t textured.

            She went to get it from where it was sitting in the bowl of cut fruit. Slowly lifting it to where she could see herself reflected in the convex bowl, she ignored the faint feline shadow over her face and held it to where she could also look over her shoulder. At that moment, Brale left the other room and strode toward the back of the house. It all lasted about three to four seconds, but it was all the time she needed.

            Dropping the spoon back into the bowl, she took several deep breaths to calm her nervousness. “Back to work. Get your mind off of what you just saw,” she told herself, and went to count the glassware.

            She was almost finished counting when she sensed a figure coming up behind her and knew who’d returned. Smiling, she glanced over to see the man in question eyeing her as he hovered above the foie gras.

            “Back for seconds? Or thirds?”

            “May I go ahead and fill up a plate?”

            “Hey, you’re paying for it. Go right ahead.”

            She shuffled a little closer to him, enough to where she could talk without anyone else listening in. “They say you’re the least vain man in Hollywood.”

            A corner of his mouth turned upward. “I’ve heard that, too.”

            “Truth or not?” she playfully challenged him.

            “Hey, we all have our perks. I just happen to be able to afford mine.”

            “So just how long do you think you can keep your secret safe?” she bluntly asked him.

            His eyes widened as he stared at her. Linsie continued before he could speak.

            “Are there others who know what you really are? Or have you been able to slide by on your lonesome?”

            “What are you talking about?” He was suddenly nervous, defensive, and abrasive. She didn’t blame him.

            Picking up a fork, she shook it at him. “All textured. No mirrors. Nothing reflective. You may have everyone else fooled, but not those of us like you.”

            His eyes narrowed, giving him the appearance of a cornered yet vicious animal. “Miss…”

            “I’m one of you,” she hastily told him. When he softly gasped, she looked at him in surprise. “Wait a minute. You’ve never met another one of us? You thought you were the only one?”

            Brale glanced over at the patio. Seeing people coming in, he grabbed her by the arm and hurried her into the adjacent room, which turned out to be a study. Letting her go, he quickly shut the door then whirled around to face her. “There are others like me? Like us?” His mouth hung open for a moment. “What are we?”

            “We’re Leons.”

            “Leons? What?”

            “We’re Leons,” she repeated. “We’re…unique.”

            He blew a raspberry. “Boy, that’s putting it mildly.” His eyes roamed over her. “How do I know you’re telling the truth? How can I trust you?”

            “Look at my eyes.”

            He stared at her. “Okay. So?”

            “What color are they?”

            “They’re…uhhh…” His head jerked back.

            Linsie smiled. “That’s not a sure sign. There are other people, normal regular people, who have the same color eyes. But all of us Leons do. The true test, though, is our reflection.”

            “Do you…see…yourself differently in a mirror?”

            She nodded. “Oh, yeah. And people who look at our reflections do, too.”

            “Do you see me as I really am? Right now?”

            Smiling, Linsie tilted her head slightly. “Do you see me as I really am?”

            “No, but how do you know…”

            She tapped her nose. “Trust your instincts. What does this tell you?”

            Blane studied her for a moment. “Why can we see our other selves in a reflection? What are we? Freaks?”

            “No.” Linsie shook her head. “Didn’t your parents explain it all to you?”

            “My parents were human, but they loved me anyway. They’re both dead now. They died several years ago. That’s when I decided to pursue a career in the movies…” He glanced down for a couple of seconds, then back up at her. “After I found out that a photo of me doesn’t show the real me.”

            “You’re right. The camera only sees what everyone else sees, but we still must be careful about it catching our reflection.”

            “So…” He touched his nose. “I know you said we can sense each other, but how did you know for certain? Certain enough to come tell me you knew?”

            She pointed toward the table. “I used the back of one of the serving spoons that came from the caterer.”

He pointed to her. “Linsie, right?”

            “Right.”

             “Is there other stuff you can tell me about me? About us? About Leons?” He was now curious and excited. She could tell he was anxious to hear all about those like him, including their abilities that were far superior to what normal humans were capable of doing.

            “How much time do you have?” she quipped.

            A knock on the door suddenly interrupted them. He opened it to find Shandra standing there, a concerned look on her face.

            “There you are! I was getting worried!” She gave Brale an anxious look. “Is something wrong? Did Linsie do something I need to know about?”

            Turning to Linsie, Brale pointed to the woman in the doorway. “Does she…”

            Knowing he was asking if Shandra was one of them, or knew about Leons, she shook her head. “No.”

            He faced Shandra. “Everything’s fine. I was trying to coerce her to give me the recipe for that awe-inspiring foie gras, but she flatly refuses to relent.” He suddenly flashed the woman a smile. “She’ll be out shortly.” That done, he closed the door in the woman’s face, much to Linsie’s shock. “Are you available tomorrow night?” he asked.

            Surprised by the sudden shift, she shook her head. “Yes.”

            “Mind if I pick you up so we go someplace where we can talk? I gotta hear more about this.”

            “Tomorrow works for me.”

            “Great! How can I get hold of you?”

            Linsie laughed softly. “How do you know I’m not already married or have a boyfriend?”

            “Because I don’t smell him on you if you do,” he bluntly answered. “Is that weird or…”

            “It’s one of our abilities,” she informed him, tapping her nose again. “Our senses are enhanced.”

            He took a step back. “Wow,” he softly said.

            “Do you have a pen and some paper?”

            He quickly produced a pad and pen from the desk at the far end of the room. She jotted down her phone number.

            “I have to get back to my job. But feel free to come grab some more of the foie gras before it’s all eaten up.”

            “You can count on it,” Brale promised. Holding up the pad, he smiled. “And thanks for this. I can’t wait.”

            He opened the door for her. Shandra was no longer there, but Linsie hurried back to the patio. She knew the woman would harangue her for information about why she and Brale Panthera had been alone in the study together, but it didn’t matter.

            Tonight she was going to enjoy her time here and later sleep sweet dreams of what tomorrow might bring.      

Monday, August 28, 2023

HERE BE NEWS for Monday August 28, 2023

 

 




 Monday August 28, 2023 

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




Tuesday August 22, 2023: PG Forte discusses reviving a series twenty years later.




 A Sight to Dream Of was the second book I ever finished writing. The question uppermost in my mind the entire time I was working on it was, "I did this once, but can I really do it again?" Spoiler alert: I could. 

This title is scheduled for re-release in October. In the meantime, check out book one in the series, Scent of the Roses, which is available for pre-order now.  https://books2read.com/u/4EpR5Y


A Sight To Dream Of
Oberon Book 2.0

Sam Sterling is a man with problems.  Including a partner who is trying to kill him, and a nosy reporter, who's just turned up dead! It's going to take a miracle to save him.  Or, better yet, an angel.

Marsha Quinn is used to being called a witch.  After all, her abilities as a psychic make a lot of people uncomfortable.  But no one has ever called her an angel before!

Falling in love was not a possibility she'd ever envisioned, until Sam the skeptic arrives in Oberon, and teaches her to see past the scars she carries, and the lies he's told her, to the love that lies within their hearts and minds.


Excerpt:  

Her conversation with Nick weighed heavy on Marsha’s mind as she drove out to Hidden Canyon later that afternoon.  The closer she got to Celeste’s cabin the worse she felt.  These trips out here always made her melancholy now.  Celeste’s cabin.  She really couldn’t think of it in any other way.  She had only been there a handful of times in the last few months.  She felt bad about that, but it was just too painful to come any more often than that.  Celeste would understand how it was.  At least, she hoped she would.
The heat wave that had been predicted for days, had finally materialized.  Bright September sunlight poured down into the canyon, filtering through the branches of the tall trees that surrounded the cabin to gild the glade with its warm, golden glow.  The grass of the lawn, and the cedar shake roof blazed with light.  In between the trees to the rear of the clearing, she could see even more light reflected on the rippled surface of the creek, and glancing off the white granite boulders.  Dragonflies danced in the air around her, their wings iridescent flashes of brightness surrounding the brilliant reds, blues and greens of their bodies.
Guilt stung her anew when she saw how overgrown everything had become.  She really should have come out here more often.  She should have sent someone out, if she couldn’t have come herself, to at least cut the grass!  As it was, she’d let Celeste’s gift to her lie empty and neglected.  
Oh, God.  Celeste, I am so sorry.  So very sorry.  
She was so wrapped up in her mournful thoughts, she was almost on top of Sam before she noticed him.  He’d been crouched on the lawn, examining something there.  He got to his feet when he saw her; rising up out of the sun-gilded grass in one swift, graceful motion, his very presence an assault on all her senses.  
She couldn’t remember the last time she had been this attracted to a man.  Had she ever been?  He was wearing black again she noticed, absorbing every detail in a single, greedy glance.  Black chinos, a black and silver belt, and the same silver and turquoise jewelry he’d worn yesterday.  The first two buttons of his collarless shirt were open, and the sleeves were rolled up almost to his elbows.  His hair was loose today, falling in smooth silver waves to lie about his shoulders.  He looked more like a wizard than ever, she thought, except that his eyes had lost a little of the guarded, inscrutable look she had noticed from time to time the day before.  The eagerness that glowed in them today made him even more attractive.
“This place is incredible,” he announced without preamble.  “I hadn’t even noticed the other day, but...there are flowers in the grass.  Look.”  He held out his hand, and she moved closer, disarmed by his enthusiasm.  
“It’s a violet,” she said after she’d examined the little yellow blossom.  “Kind of unusual, for this time of year, I guess.  But there must be lots of them, they spread pretty aggressively.  They’ll probably take over the whole lawn eventually, if I let them.”
“And this is a bad thing?” he asked, with a disbelieving smile.  “I mean, why wouldn’t you want them to?  They’re so pretty.”  He looked around, in wonder.  “What is it that smells so good?”
“Probably the incense cedars,” she answered, returning his smile.  “Those big trees there and there and over there...” She felt another pang of loss, as she pointed out the trees that Celeste had always referred to as the guardians of the property. 
“What about that one?” he asked, indicating the largest tree in the glade. 
“That’s a Jeffrey Pine.  We don’t really know how it got here.  It normally only grows in the Sierras.  Its bark smells like vanilla.”
He looked around startled.  “A vanilla scented pine tree?” he asked, bemused.  “Can there really be such a thing?”
“See for yourself,” she suggested, enjoying his reaction.  He stood hesitant for a moment then turned and stalked quickly across the lawn.  She followed more slowly, picking her way among the clover and the violets and the delicate patches of phlox, chamomile and thyme that laced the lawn.  She stopped a few feet away, mesmerized by the sight of him.  His face, held only inches from the trunk of the pine tree, was taut with concentration, his eyes were closed, and his hands clutched at the tree as though he would divine all its secrets in that single touch.  He looked like Prospero, attempting the spell that would free Ariel. 
He stood so a long moment, and then his eyes opened and he turned his face to her.  “You’re right.  It does.”   
He left the tree and came to stand directly in front of her.  “Do you know all these plants?” he all but demanded.
“No, not all.  But a lot of them, I do.  My father was always very big on nature walks when my sisters and I were kids.  He loved introducing us to new plants.  And, of course, I was here when Celeste planted most of these, so that helped, too.”  She pointed out the scarlet lobelia, the fireweed, the blue-eyed grass.  “It’s really beautiful in the springtime,” she told him.  “When the redbud and the bitter cherry and the ceonothus are all in bloom.”
“Hell, it’s beautiful right now.  I had no idea there could be so many things flowering in September.  I can’t imagine what it must have been like for you, growing up around here.  I’ve never seen anything like this place.”  
His eyes refocused on her then, his face suddenly as intent as it had been a moment before with the tree, and the look he gave her caused everything inside her to go still.  She held her breath and waited, as though for some sort of judgement.  
“It suits you,” he said at last.  “It really does.  You fit right in with the rest of it, somehow.  Unexpected.  Lovely.  Maybe just a little bit unreal.”    
Marsha felt herself blushing.  She didn’t know how to respond to such an assessment.  She seized on one of his words in an attempt to change the subject.  “But you were expecting me, right?  I thought we’d agreed last night that I’d come out here today?”  
He smiled at that, his eyes gleaming with amusement, and she felt a small glimmer of annoyance.  Damn it, she was the one who was supposed to be able to read minds.  Yet, he seemed to be doing a pretty fair job of reading hers.
“Right,” he answered, and then added unnecessarily.  “Not what I meant, of course.”



Scent of the Roses
Oberon Book 1.0


For years, Scout Patterson has tried to run from the mistakes in her past.  Now, she's coming home--to face the ghosts she's never laid to rest, and the love she thought she'd lost forever.

Reawakening that love would be a dream come true.  Unfortunately, love is not the only emotion that can last forever.

Memories and dreams are the only things that have gotten Nick Greco through the past twenty years.  Memories of the girl he loved and lost, and dreams of what his life would be like, if he could only find her again.   And if he can bring himself to believe that anything she tells him is true.

Can the star-crossed lovers put aside the hurt and distrust they still harbor toward each other?  Or will the evil which already nearly destroyed them once, triumph yet again?

Pre-Order now at:  https://books2read.com/u/4EpR5Y




Saturday, August 26, 2023

Bring It Back(list) ~ A Sight to Dream Of by PG Forte

 A Sight to Dream Of was the second book I ever finished writing. The question uppermost in my mind the entire time I was working on it was, "I did this once, but can I really do it again?" Spoiler alert: I could. 

This title is scheduled for re-release in October. In the meantime, check out book one in the series, Scent of the Roses, which is available for pre-order now.  https://books2read.com/u/4EpR5Y


A Sight To Dream Of
Oberon Book 2.0

Sam Sterling is a man with problems.  Including a partner who is trying to kill him, and a nosy reporter, who's just turned up dead! It's going to take a miracle to save him.  Or, better yet, an angel.

Marsha Quinn is used to being called a witch.  After all, her abilities as a psychic make a lot of people uncomfortable.  But no one has ever called her an angel before!

Falling in love was not a possibility she'd ever envisioned, until Sam the skeptic arrives in Oberon, and teaches her to see past the scars she carries, and the lies he's told her, to the love that lies within their hearts and minds.


Excerpt:  

Her conversation with Nick weighed heavy on Marsha’s mind as she drove out to Hidden Canyon later that afternoon.  The closer she got to Celeste’s cabin the worse she felt.  These trips out here always made her melancholy now.  Celeste’s cabin.  She really couldn’t think of it in any other way.  She had only been there a handful of times in the last few months.  She felt bad about that, but it was just too painful to come any more often than that.  Celeste would understand how it was.  At least, she hoped she would.
The heat wave that had been predicted for days, had finally materialized.  Bright September sunlight poured down into the canyon, filtering through the branches of the tall trees that surrounded the cabin to gild the glade with its warm, golden glow.  The grass of the lawn, and the cedar shake roof blazed with light.  In between the trees to the rear of the clearing, she could see even more light reflected on the rippled surface of the creek, and glancing off the white granite boulders.  Dragonflies danced in the air around her, their wings iridescent flashes of brightness surrounding the brilliant reds, blues and greens of their bodies.
Guilt stung her anew when she saw how overgrown everything had become.  She really should have come out here more often.  She should have sent someone out, if she couldn’t have come herself, to at least cut the grass!  As it was, she’d let Celeste’s gift to her lie empty and neglected.  
Oh, God.  Celeste, I am so sorry.  So very sorry.  
She was so wrapped up in her mournful thoughts, she was almost on top of Sam before she noticed him.  He’d been crouched on the lawn, examining something there.  He got to his feet when he saw her; rising up out of the sun-gilded grass in one swift, graceful motion, his very presence an assault on all her senses.  
She couldn’t remember the last time she had been this attracted to a man.  Had she ever been?  He was wearing black again she noticed, absorbing every detail in a single, greedy glance.  Black chinos, a black and silver belt, and the same silver and turquoise jewelry he’d worn yesterday.  The first two buttons of his collarless shirt were open, and the sleeves were rolled up almost to his elbows.  His hair was loose today, falling in smooth silver waves to lie about his shoulders.  He looked more like a wizard than ever, she thought, except that his eyes had lost a little of the guarded, inscrutable look she had noticed from time to time the day before.  The eagerness that glowed in them today made him even more attractive.
“This place is incredible,” he announced without preamble.  “I hadn’t even noticed the other day, but...there are flowers in the grass.  Look.”  He held out his hand, and she moved closer, disarmed by his enthusiasm.  
“It’s a violet,” she said after she’d examined the little yellow blossom.  “Kind of unusual, for this time of year, I guess.  But there must be lots of them, they spread pretty aggressively.  They’ll probably take over the whole lawn eventually, if I let them.”
“And this is a bad thing?” he asked, with a disbelieving smile.  “I mean, why wouldn’t you want them to?  They’re so pretty.”  He looked around, in wonder.  “What is it that smells so good?”
“Probably the incense cedars,” she answered, returning his smile.  “Those big trees there and there and over there...” She felt another pang of loss, as she pointed out the trees that Celeste had always referred to as the guardians of the property. 
“What about that one?” he asked, indicating the largest tree in the glade. 
“That’s a Jeffrey Pine.  We don’t really know how it got here.  It normally only grows in the Sierras.  Its bark smells like vanilla.”
He looked around startled.  “A vanilla scented pine tree?” he asked, bemused.  “Can there really be such a thing?”
“See for yourself,” she suggested, enjoying his reaction.  He stood hesitant for a moment then turned and stalked quickly across the lawn.  She followed more slowly, picking her way among the clover and the violets and the delicate patches of phlox, chamomile and thyme that laced the lawn.  She stopped a few feet away, mesmerized by the sight of him.  His face, held only inches from the trunk of the pine tree, was taut with concentration, his eyes were closed, and his hands clutched at the tree as though he would divine all its secrets in that single touch.  He looked like Prospero, attempting the spell that would free Ariel. 
He stood so a long moment, and then his eyes opened and he turned his face to her.  “You’re right.  It does.”   
He left the tree and came to stand directly in front of her.  “Do you know all these plants?” he all but demanded.
“No, not all.  But a lot of them, I do.  My father was always very big on nature walks when my sisters and I were kids.  He loved introducing us to new plants.  And, of course, I was here when Celeste planted most of these, so that helped, too.”  She pointed out the scarlet lobelia, the fireweed, the blue-eyed grass.  “It’s really beautiful in the springtime,” she told him.  “When the redbud and the bitter cherry and the ceonothus are all in bloom.”
“Hell, it’s beautiful right now.  I had no idea there could be so many things flowering in September.  I can’t imagine what it must have been like for you, growing up around here.  I’ve never seen anything like this place.”  
His eyes refocused on her then, his face suddenly as intent as it had been a moment before with the tree, and the look he gave her caused everything inside her to go still.  She held her breath and waited, as though for some sort of judgement.  
“It suits you,” he said at last.  “It really does.  You fit right in with the rest of it, somehow.  Unexpected.  Lovely.  Maybe just a little bit unreal.”    
Marsha felt herself blushing.  She didn’t know how to respond to such an assessment.  She seized on one of his words in an attempt to change the subject.  “But you were expecting me, right?  I thought we’d agreed last night that I’d come out here today?”  
He smiled at that, his eyes gleaming with amusement, and she felt a small glimmer of annoyance.  Damn it, she was the one who was supposed to be able to read minds.  Yet, he seemed to be doing a pretty fair job of reading hers.
“Right,” he answered, and then added unnecessarily.  “Not what I meant, of course.”



Scent of the Roses
Oberon Book 1.0


For years, Scout Patterson has tried to run from the mistakes in her past.  Now, she's coming home--to face the ghosts she's never laid to rest, and the love she thought she'd lost forever.

Reawakening that love would be a dream come true.  Unfortunately, love is not the only emotion that can last forever.

Memories and dreams are the only things that have gotten Nick Greco through the past twenty years.  Memories of the girl he loved and lost, and dreams of what his life would be like, if he could only find her again.   And if he can bring himself to believe that anything she tells him is true.

Can the star-crossed lovers put aside the hurt and distrust they still harbor toward each other?  Or will the evil which already nearly destroyed them once, triumph yet again?

Pre-Order now at:  https://books2read.com/u/4EpR5Y




Tuesday, August 22, 2023

Twenty Years On...



 “Scout Patterson had been running away from home for twenty years.”

My first book, Scent of the Roses, was first released twenty years ago this month. Not exactly the book-birthday-to-end-all-book-birthdays, but still pretty, stinking cool.

The entire Oberon series has been languishing on my hard drive for the past several years, ever since my publisher and I parted ways (for the second and last time) and I got my rights back to the books. At first, I thought I'd update the books—but SO MUCH HAS CHANGED in the past twenty years. Not only would the task have been hopelessly daunting (not to mention time-consuming) but I just didn’t feel like it would hit the same or land correctly no matter what I did.

I also felt like I was being somewhat disloyal to my small band of fans who had loved the books as-is.

So, I decided to pivot. I'll be re-releasing the series (starting next month) in a new annotated edition. 
I talk about what scenes are my favorite (or—thinking of books 3, 7 and 8—my least favorite), or scenes that I particularly remember writing. I've added some fun facts that (hopefully) readers will enjoy. There will be a playlist. Basically, all my thoughts on what it was like to write this/these book(s).

Scent of the Roses is available for pre-order now. It’s due to release on September 25th. With luck, and barring any more of life's little surprises, A Sight to Dream Of, and Sound of a Voice That is Still will follow in October and November, respectively.

But the entire series is up for preview on my website now (http://www.OberonCalifornia.US) less the very cool covers I’ve made for the three digital omnibuses that will follow.

There will be print books, too, but these books are BIG. So, for the print versions, I'll be creating a separate document for the annotations.

But, in any case, what I really came here to say is that, regardless of whether you’ve read the series previously or not, I hope you’ll take a chance on the Oberon gang when they return.

To quote Sir Paul McCartney, these past twenty years have been a long and winding road—for me, and for Scout. 

Pre-Order your copy of Scent of the Roses at:  https://books2read.com/u/4EpR5Y

Scent of the Roses
Oberon Book 1.0
For years, Scout Patterson has tried to run from the mistakes in her past.  Now, she's coming home--to face the ghosts she's never laid to rest, and the love she thought she'd lost forever.  Reawakening that love would be a dream come true.  Unfortunately, love is not the only emotion that can last forever. 

Memories and dreams are the only things that have gotten Nick Greco through the past twenty years.  Memories of the girl he loved and lost, and dreams of what his life would be like, if he could only find her again.   And if he can bring himself to believe that anything she tells him is true.

  Can the star-crossed lovers put aside the hurt and distrust they still harbor toward each other?  Or will the evil which already nearly destroyed them once, triumph yet again?

Monday, August 21, 2023

HERE BE NEWS for Monday August 21, 2023

 

 




 Monday August 21, 2023 

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



Tuesday August 15: Ruth Casie introduces us to The Lady and the Earl.





                    



Now Available for Pre-Order!

Scent of the Roses
Oberon Book 1.0
By PG Forte



For years, Scout Patterson has tried to run from the mistakes in her past.  Now, she's coming home--to face the ghosts she's never laid to rest, and the love she thought she'd lost forever.  

Memories and dreams may be the only things that have gotten Nick Greco through the past twenty years.  Memories of the girl he loved and lost, dreams of what his life would be like if he could only find her again.

 Can these star-crossed lovers put aside the hurt and distrust they still harbor toward each other?  Or will the evil—which already nearly destroyed them once—triumph yet again?


Thursday, August 17, 2023

Worldbuilding for the Family Pride Shifter Romance Series

 

When I got the idea for my shifter romance seriesFamily Pride, I was inspired by the TV show, Bewitched. 


It featured Samantha, a witch with many magical powers. She falls in love with an average guy and lives in the suburbs. Samantha gives up her status for love—though in spite of her husband Darrin’s desire that she give up using witchcraft, she never completely lives a normal, average life. Relatives and friends pop in and out, and eventually the children are born with powers as well. 


The premise of the series is that there's a magical world interconnected with the normal human world. This is the basis of countless fantasy stories, and in them often the human world has no idea of the magical world in their midst.

When I wrote Family Pride: Love and Challenges, I wanted to flip the script. What would happen if a human started dating a lion shapeshifter? She would have to learn to navigate his world, instead of the other way around.

 

But in the Family Pride fantasy world, the shifters are living the regular, suburban life. They have their own customs and conventions, but they’re also under the radar as far as the rest of the world is concerned. Like Samantha, they have powers and rituals, but they have to keep everything under wraps so that the human population doesn’t discover that they exist. 

 

I did some research on lions and their behavior, then added a few twists for the shifter version. For instance, there are challenges for domination and control—which figure into the plot of book 1. The shifters group themselves into prides, which are made up of extended families. So, there is a normal world on one side, and the fantasy world on the other and Mac and Zora have to balance between the two. 

In Family Pride: Blood Fever, Mac hints that other magical creatures exist in the everyday world (in addition to shapeshifters). I didn't go into any detail about the other magical beings, but maybe I will one day. 

In the series, I wanted to show that "normal" depends on how you define it. There are all kinds of worlds intersecting all the time, and what you see on the surface doesn’t tell the whole story.

Tuesday, August 15, 2023

The Lady and the Earl by Ruth A. Casie


Step into the lavish world of the Regency era in England with The Lady and the Earl. Harriet Manning, a brilliant physician, is passionate about helping others and devotes herself to medicine, despite societal norms standing in her way. With her mother urging her to find a husband, Harriet's life changes when Asheton Dunn suffers a riding accident and is taken to her clinic for treatment.

As Harriet and Asheton grow close during his recovery, they soon find themselves entangled in a forbidden romance that threatens their future. Harriet's family is shocked when they discover Asheton's true identity, the Earl of Lockford. Her mother advises her to abandon her medical aspirations and conform to societal expectations.

Although engaged, their love is met with disapproval from the high society, with Daphne Willis harboring ulterior motives. Will Harriet and Asheton be able to overcome the obstacles that stand in the way of their love, or will their love be torn apart by duty and expectations?

With exquisite period descriptions, The Lady and the Earl will transport you to a world of love and intrigue, where societal expectations and personal beliefs collide, and the line between love and duty is tested. Prepare to be swept away by this captivating and heartwarming story of a remarkable woman and her journey to find acceptance and love.

Buy Link: Amazon

Other books in Regency series, The Ladies of Sommer-by-the-Sea

About the Author

Ruth A Casie is a USA Today bestselling author. She writes historical adventures from the shores of medieval Scotland to the cobblestone streets of Regency London. Within the pages, you’ll discover ‘edge-of-your-seat’ suspense, mind-boggling drama, and heart-melting emotions featuring strong women and the men who deserve them. Grab your favorite cup of tea, or an ale if you prefer, and join her heroes and heroines as they race across the pages to find their happily ever after.  Ruth hopes her stories are your next favorite adventures!

Author Links:

Website: https://ruthacasie.com/ 
Ruth’s Newsletter Signup:  http://ruthacasie.com/contact.html#newsletter
Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/ruthacasie/ 
Facebook Author Page: https://www.facebook.com/RuthACasie/   
Twitter:  https://twitter.com/RuthACasie 
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4792909.Ruth_A_Casie 
YouTubehttps://www.youtube.com/@Ruth-A-Casie 
Linktree: https://linktr.ee/ruthacasie

Monday, August 14, 2023

HERE BE NEWS for Monday August 14, 2023

 

 




 Monday August 14, 2023 

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



Thursday August 10, 2023:  Nicole Luiken explores some of the things she learned at the When Worlds Collide convention. 


                

Feral

Nicole Luiken

17-year-old Chloe fears she's a Dud, a child born to two werewolves who can't change into a wolf. If she's still a Dud by the time she reaches adulthood, she'll be exiled. In the meantime, she's at the bottom of the pack hierarchy and the other teens in her small town make her life miserable.

Then she encounters a feral werewolf with the opposite problem: he's trapped in wolf form. Chloe suspects the feral is her old classmate, Marcus, who everyone believes died along with the rest of his family in a mysterious plane crash. Chloe vows to help Marcus regain his human self because giving up on him would mean admitting possible failure for herself, too. But she must act quickly. Pack law mandates killing ferals.

Buy on Amazon   Kobo