HERE BE NEWS for Monday May 5, 2025

 

 Monday May 05, 2025 

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

Tuesday April 29, 2025: Linda Mooney treats us to Chapter Four of her Fantasy Romance, THE IMMORTAL.

Now Available! The MIRACLE Trilogy Box Set by Linda Mooney

 I died and was resurrected, and I don’t know why. 

My name is Casi Clarity. I was 26 years old when I died in 1969. Then I woke up in the 21st century—whole, sane, and unblemished. And at the same age I was when I died.

What's more, when I came back, I brought a friend with me. His name is Coheed. He's a corporeal spirit, and he is also my protector. Against what, you ask? Well, it seems that ever since my return, I've been chased by ghosts. Demons. Ancient evil. Monsters. You name it.

Why are they after me? Because they want to know my secret. They want to wreak havoc on mankind and bring about our ultimate destruction, and the only way they can accomplish that is by being fleshy beings again. To inhabit as many bodies as they can to cause untold horror. They are determined to discover how I returned from the dead, even if it means trapping me, torturing me, and ultimately killing me again to see if I'm resurrected a second time.

My name is Casi.

The undead call me Mouse.

Coheed calls me Miracle.

Warning! Contains a houseboat, explosions, a rain of ashes, invisibility, sanctuary, a forbidden testament, and a love that was prophesied thousands of years ago.

May Box Set

The Miracle Trilogy
(blurbs and excerpts)

THE IMMORTAL, a Fantasy Romance by Linda Mooney - Chapter 4, The Past

 THE IMMORTAL

Chapter 4 - The Past

THE IMMORTAL

“Mr. Cobb? Mr. Cobb, are you out here?” Not finding the man in the house, Clea stuck her head out the back kitchen door and called his name, hoping he was close enough to hear her.

A muffled voice answered her. “In the barn, madam!”

She hurried to the building, arms wrapped around herself since she failed to grab her coat before venturing outside. He was slowly emerging from the barn by the time she reached him. His face looked thin and pale, and she knew why.

“Nice going. You’ve over-extended yourself. Now it’ll take you longer to recover,” she gently scolded. Grabbing his arm, she once again threw it over her shoulder and held onto his waist as they made their way back inside the house. She bypassed the kitchen to guide him into the living room where she finally released him, giving him a little shove. Jonah dropped into an easy chair where he sighed in relief.

“Now, here.” She retrieved one of the bowls of soup sitting on the hearth and handed it to him. “Eat.” Straightening, she wagged a forefinger at him. “And you better be here when I return.”

She was relieved to find him exactly where she’d left him when she reentered the room with a few thick slices of bread. She held the plate out to him. He started to reach for a slice but hesitated.

“I’m afraid my hands are too filthy to procure a slice. Allow me to go wash them first.”

“Nah-ah.” She pressed down on one shoulder to prevent him from getting up. “Here.” She took a slice from the plate and laid it over his bowl of soup before taking her own seat in the chair across from him. “I get the impression you’ve eaten a few meals with dirtier hands than you have now.”

The man snorted in amusement. “Guilty as charged. I must have eaten enough dirt and grime in my days to plant an entire crop.”

She watched as he tore off a piece of bread and dunked it into the soup before eating it. As he ate, whitish drops dribbled onto his beard. She was about to point out the napkins she’d brought in with the bowls when he reached over and got one for himself to wipe his mouth.

“This bread is superb, madam. I haven’t had bread this delicious since…” He looked up at her. “Is it sourdough?”

Clea smiled. “It is. I buy it from a little shop in town that makes it. I don’t like the white bread you normally find in grocery stores these days.”

“And the soup. Is this of your making?”

“Yes. I can claim credit for it. It’s my mother’s recipe.”

“You turned out to be as good a cook as her,” Jonah remarked and shoveled a spoonful into his mouth.

Clea continued to watch him. The jury was still out with regards to her believing him or not. Yet the more she listened to him, and studied his movements, and the longer she was around him, the less she was inclined to think he was trying to pull one over on her. Or worse, a possible danger to her and her son. 

She figured this was as good a time as any to get a few things out of the way. “Mr. Cobb, would you be willing to answer a few questions for me?” 

He smiled. “I was wondering when you would get around to asking.”

“You said you’re an immortal. That means you can’t die, right?”

“So far I haven’t.”

He was teasing her. But at the same time, she sensed a truthfulness in him. It was possible he just thought he was immortal because he hadn’t died yet. 

“When were you born?”

He tore another piece of bread from the slice to sop in the soup. “As near as I can estimate, around sixteen twenty.”

She knew her mouth was open as she stared at him. He glanced up to see her expression but didn’t comment on it. 

“Is there any chance I can get a cup of water, please?”

She said the first thing that popped into her head. “Will you still be here when I get back?”

He smiled. “I will try.”

Hurrying into the kitchen, she quickly filled two glasses with water and carried them into the living room. The man was still there.

“Okay, Mr. Cobb…”

“Jonah. Please. I would be grateful if you called me by my Christian name.”

Clea took a mental step back. In spite of his insistence that he was an immortal from the year 1620, there were two undeniable facts she couldn’t refute. He had a very odd accent, as well as a unique speaking pattern. Both of which could easily be explained since he definitely wasn’t a local.

But then there was that disappearing trick. And there was no way she could explain that one away.

“Jonah, do you honestly expect me to believe that you’re hundreds of years old?”

“You may believe what you will,” he answered with a deep sigh. “After all this time, I have learned there is nothing I can do or say that will convince you otherwise.” He tapped his temple. “All I have are my memories that prove to me of my past.”

“What about your disappearing act? How does that work?”

His eyes narrowed slightly. “An act, madam? If only it were so.” When sadness crossed his features, an odd sense of guilt washed through her. 

“I recall vividly the first time it occurred to me,” he continued. He was finished with his meal, and now he faced the fireplace, although she knew he wasn’t seeing it. No, his vision had turned inward. He had returned to the past in every way except physically.

“I was young. Very young. My voice had yet to deepen, and I had no facial hair. I was cold…hungry…and alone. I don’t recall my parents. I don’t know where I was, or how I got there. I recall wandering from one town to another, hiding in barns at night, stealing what I could during the day just to keep myself alive.

“One day, I was in some village. It was market day. Many, many stalls had been set up in the town square, and merchants were hawking everything from food to clothing and weapons. I liked market days. I could tag behind mothers with their children and blend in to where most people never gave me a second look. 

“There was one merchant who was selling hot buns. They smelled…” He closed his eyes, a tiny smile lifting the corners of his mouth. “Heavenly. And I hadn’t eaten in so long. 

“I waited a short distance away until he was distracted, then I ran up, grabbed one of those buns, and turned to get away when a soldier snatched me by the back of my shirt. He tried to throw me on the ground, but I stumbled, and I struck my head on the edge of the cart. I remember the soldier yelling at me, but I can’t recall what he said. My head hurt. Blood trickled down the side of my face. The soldier got angrier and angrier, I guess because I wasn’t doing what he was yelling at me to do. He lost his temper and pulled out his sword, raising it overhead I guess to hit me or cut me with it. I threw up my hands. I was so dizzy. I think I blacked out. But the next time I opened my eyes, I found myself lying on the side of the road, nowhere near the village. I was far from the marketplace, and I had no idea how I had gotten there. It was only later, right before dark, that I came upon that same village I’d been to.” He chuckled. “Fortunately for me, somehow I had kept my grip on my bun. It was the only thing I had to eat that day.

“Since then, I have learned a little more about this strange gift I’ve been given, and how to use my ability. I have also learned that my ability sometimes kicks in when I don’t expect it.” He swiveled his head to look at her. “I can transport myself whenever I want to and wherever I want to go, as long as it is to a place where I have previously been. And when it happens to me involuntarily, I go back to those locations as well. Except I just don’t have any say so as to where.”

He stared down at his hands. “I have lived a thousand lives. I have grown older, but it seems for every year a regular person lives, I age an hour. Perhaps a day. I’m not certain about that. It’s only a guess.”

“What are you doing in Terry County?” Clea asked. “How did you get here?”

“Oh, I have walked countless miles. I have ridden on horses, in the back of wagons, and then in automobiles. I have traveled over endless seas once I overcame my fear of accidentally being transported into the middle of the ocean. I keep going, keep pushing, keep travelling because it is all I have. To go from one new locale to another. I avoid people as much as possible, unless it is absolutely necessary.”

“So you have no home? No job? No…family?” she softly inquired.

“I tried to…many, many years ago. But being sent back to location after location took a toll on that. I sowed my seed, madam. I won’t deny that. But I was never blessed with children, that I’m aware of. In a way…” He took a deep breath, letting it out slowly. “In a way I guess that is a blessing.”

“Why do you say that?”

When he lifted his gaze to meet hers, she saw the glitter of tears. “Because I could never forgive myself if I discovered my progeny was forced to live with the same affliction I’ve been cursed with.”

TO BE CONTINUED

Linda's Website

HERE BE NEWS for Monday April 28, 2025

 

 Monday April 28, 2025 

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 24, 2025: PG Forte explores romance writing rules in her post: Don't Kill the Dog.

Don't Kill the Dog

 So...this post (or at least the title of it) is a little personal to me, at the moment. We just had to put my grandson's dog to sleep last week (and when I say "we" I mostly mean my daughter-in-law, but it's been hard on all of us). Especially since I lost one of my dogs last year, and the other the year before that!. They'll probably get a new dog in the not so distant future. Me? I'm not so sure. I'm still pretty broken.  

Also, we're feeding birds in the back yard and community cats in the front...yes, I'm aware that's both stupid and a massive rationalization. But so far, so good. 

Also, my husband has befriended a squirrel, which is a whole 'nuther story. 

But I digress...

So, one of the first "writing rules" I learned when I was starting out in romance is: Don't kill the dog. Which I promptly disregarded by having one of my characters have to put her dog down when it gets mauled by a bobcat. (Oberon, Book Three: Sound of a Voice That is Still). 

A decision I still defend, btw. But it got me thinking about other rules that I bend (or make sure not to break, etc). 

RULE #1: Make sure your characters are on the same page--literally.

Yeah, I blew this one right off the bat with my very first book. In a romance, the story is the relationship between the two main characters. If they're both off having adventures on their own, their relationship is mostly stagnant. BUT in Scent of the Roses, the H/H don't come face to face until approximately halfway through the book. In this case, however, there was a reason. It took me that long to commit to the fact that I was writing a romance, NOT a cozy mystery. 

RULE #2: No one likes a character who's too good--or a villain you can't relate to. 

Okay, I don't even know why I included this one in this list. I love flawed characters. To the point where there have even been a couple of readers who got confused as to who was the hero and who was the villain. So, I guess my point is: you can go too far with this rule. I thought I really loved morally gray characters, until people started falling in love with fictional mafia dons. 

I ran afoul of this one when with a villain who had no redeeming qualities. I'm not sure how I feel about that, to be honest. Some people aren't redeemable. A lot of people, actually. lol

RULE #3: Story is more important than accuracy. 

Which I guess goes hand in hand with the last one. Maybe unredeemable people don't belong in romance books? Hard to say. I have a lot of problems with this rule. On the one hand, I kind of agree with it. It's called fiction for a reason--right? But on the other hand, as a reader, nothing bugs me more than books that aren't accurate when it's a place or subject I know about. Like those fictional mafia dons--if they were accurately portrayed no one would be swooning. 

RULE #4: Don't use slang--unless it's historical slang and you're writing an historical book--because it will date your book.

And...here's another of those slippery, gray rules. I love using slang even though--yes, yes. It dates things terribly. I just got finished annotating the twenty year old Oberon series and OMG. But I stand by my use of slang. And I think not using slang when your characters absolutely would, make the book feel dated NOW. I can't tell you how many books I've DNF'd over the past few years because the AUTHORS sound dated. And I should know! When your twenty-something character starts referencing songs and movies someone my age knows, loves, and remembers...it's annoying. Because either you have to create a plausible reason for why they're referencing things older than they are--a grandmother they used to watch movies with, or who used to be in a band and taught them to shred to  classic rock songs. And too many of the excuses are, "I guess I'm just an old soul." Which, honestly, runs thin. 

So, those are mine. Now show me yours.

HERE BE NEWS for Monday April 21, 2025

 

 Monday April 21, 2025 

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

 

Now Available as an Audiobook!

ANOTHER BATTLE LORD'S FURY

Book 11 of The Battle Lord Saga

Sci-Fi/Futuristic/Post-Apocalyptic Romance

by Linda Mooney

Word Count: 78.6K

$4.99 e / $16.99 p / $19.95 a

Narrated by Daniela Acitelli

Length: 8 hrs, 35 min

Hear a Sample: https://amzn.to/4ipzXh1 

A life for a life. When one is gone, another is promised to take its place.

Unexpected visitors with an invitation to a horse sale and auction from an unknown battle lord piques Yulen D’Jacques’ interest. The opportunity to renew their horses’ bloodlines is too good to pass up, although he knows the trek will be long and dangerous.

Yulen worries Atty isn’t yet up to the trip, but she refuses to let him go without her, even if that means leaving the children behind. The decision is a hard one, but they won’t risk Mattox and Mistelle’s lives along with their own. Although Bloods are still a threat, along with any number of other creatures, they plan to make a few stops and hopefully pick up some allies along the way, both Mutah and Normal.

The scenes they stumble upon along the way are vicious. Entire settlements have been slaughtered, soldiers mutilated. And just when the group think they’ve made it to the safety of the compound for the sale, they learn that Normals can be more brutal than Bloods. The new battle lord is anti-Mutah, and when his plot to take advantage of his visitors comes to light, Yulen won’t stand for it.

Ghosts from Yulen’s past also resurface, bringing a secret to light. Can Yulen and Atty work through it? Will he be able to step up and do what’s right? Of course he will. It’s what a good battle lord would do. And it’s time to teach everyone else that lesson.

Warning! Contains lessons in swordplay, a bet, deliciously prepared lizard, blame, lessons in cookie dunking, rigged games, blood and Bloods, and a love sorely tried that grows and becomes stronger.

Excerpt and Buy Links: https://lindamooney.com/BattleLord.htm 

Now Available as an Audiobook! ANOTHER BATTLE LORD'S FURY, Book 11 of The Battle Lord Saga by Linda Mooney

 

Now Available as an Audiobook!

ANOTHER BATTLE LORD'S FURY

Book 11 of The Battle Lord Saga

Sci-Fi/Futuristic/Post-Apocalyptic Romance

by Linda Mooney

Word Count: 78.6K

$4.99 e / $16.99 p / $19.95 a

Narrated by Daniela Acitelli

Length: 8 hrs, 35 min

Hear a Sample: https://amzn.to/4ipzXh1 

A life for a life. When one is gone, another is promised to take its place.

Unexpected visitors with an invitation to a horse sale and auction from an unknown battle lord piques Yulen D’Jacques’ interest. The opportunity to renew their horses’ bloodlines is too good to pass up, although he knows the trek will be long and dangerous.

Yulen worries Atty isn’t yet up to the trip, but she refuses to let him go without her, even if that means leaving the children behind. The decision is a hard one, but they won’t risk Mattox and Mistelle’s lives along with their own. Although Bloods are still a threat, along with any number of other creatures, they plan to make a few stops and hopefully pick up some allies along the way, both Mutah and Normal.

The scenes they stumble upon along the way are vicious. Entire settlements have been slaughtered, soldiers mutilated. And just when the group think they’ve made it to the safety of the compound for the sale, they learn that Normals can be more brutal than Bloods. The new battle lord is anti-Mutah, and when his plot to take advantage of his visitors comes to light, Yulen won’t stand for it.

Ghosts from Yulen’s past also resurface, bringing a secret to light. Can Yulen and Atty work through it? Will he be able to step up and do what’s right? Of course he will. It’s what a good battle lord would do. And it’s time to teach everyone else that lesson.

Warning! Contains lessons in swordplay, a bet, deliciously prepared lizard, blame, lessons in cookie dunking, rigged games, blood and Bloods, and a love sorely tried that grows and becomes stronger.

Excerpt and Buy Links: https://lindamooney.com/BattleLord.htm 

HERE BE NEWS for Monday April 14, 2025

 

 Monday April 14, 2025 

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 10, 2025: Nicole Luiken entertains us with her post:  Ways I've Marked My Page in a Book -- Rated From Good to Bad

 New! 

REDEMPTION

A Contemporary Apocalyptic Sci-Fi Romance
by Linda Mooney
Word Count: 46.7K
$3.99 e / $10.99 p

Nurse Ivy Domberg, along with the rest of the world, watched as the Magellan spacecraft launched into space for a top-secret mission to the moon. She would miss her husband while he was gone, but he’d be back before she knew it. 

No one expected those two short weeks to turn into years.

The day the spaceship disappeared, Earth was hit with a blinding light, and life hasn’t been the same since. Every female is now sterile, human and creatures alike. Insects, reptiles, fish, and birds are becoming extinct. Same for all animals as none of them are able to reproduce. Meat, eggs, and milk, as well as grain and vegetable crops, are growing scarce. It’s only a matter of time before the world’s population is completely wiped from the face of the Earth, either from starvation, old age, or both. 

During this time, Ivy refused to believe her astronaut husband Skeet was dead. But when the Magellan inexplicably returns with its crew somehow alive, is it a coincidence alien ships are spotted on the same day? Were the aliens responsible for their disappearance, as well as the chaos on Earth?

Even as a possible interstellar war looms on the horizon, Ivy’s nurse instincts kick in when she discovers a lone creature lying near a road. A creature not from Earth. A creature who appears to have just given birth. Seeing the infant, Ivy can’t ignore the alien’s plight, no matter the species. Regardless of the devastation they may have brought to the planet, a mother’s love for her baby is universal. 

And it just might save the world.

Warning! Contains a jar of eggs, a devastating loss, plant-based meat, paying in cash, fake hot chocolate, and two people whose love and resilience gives them the hope and faith they need to survive.

Excerpt and Buy Links 

New! REDEMPTION, a Contemporary Apocalyptic Sci-Fi Romance by Linda Mooney

 New! 

REDEMPTION

A Contemporary Apocalyptic Sci-Fi Romance
by Linda Mooney
Word Count: 46.7K
$3.99 e / $10.99 p

Nurse Ivy Domberg, along with the rest of the world, watched as the Magellan spacecraft launched into space for a top-secret mission to the moon. She would miss her husband while he was gone, but he’d be back before she knew it. 

No one expected those two short weeks to turn into years.

The day the spaceship disappeared, Earth was hit with a blinding light, and life hasn’t been the same since. Every female is now sterile, human and creatures alike. Insects, reptiles, fish, and birds are becoming extinct. Same for all animals as none of them are able to reproduce. Meat, eggs, and milk, as well as grain and vegetable crops, are growing scarce. It’s only a matter of time before the world’s population is completely wiped from the face of the Earth, either from starvation, old age, or both. 

During this time, Ivy refused to believe her astronaut husband Skeet was dead. But when the Magellan inexplicably returns with its crew somehow alive, is it a coincidence alien ships are spotted on the same day? Were the aliens responsible for their disappearance, as well as the chaos on Earth?

Even as a possible interstellar war looms on the horizon, Ivy’s nurse instincts kick in when she discovers a lone creature lying near a road. A creature not from Earth. A creature who appears to have just given birth. Seeing the infant, Ivy can’t ignore the alien’s plight, no matter the species. Regardless of the devastation they may have brought to the planet, a mother’s love for her baby is universal. 

And it just might save the world.

Warning! Contains a jar of eggs, a devastating loss, plant-based meat, paying in cash, fake hot chocolate, and two people whose love and resilience gives them the hope and faith they need to survive.

Excerpt and Buy Links 

Ways I've Marked My Page in a Book -- Rated From Good to Bad

GOOD

#1/ A book mark, of course. Like many readers I have a collection of these, ranging from handmade to glossy and pretty to bookstore handouts. I need more than one because I often have more than one book on the go--and I'm always misplacing them.

 

#2/ A ribbon or string. Best are those books with built-in ribbons for marking your place but I've also used hair ribbons or bits of string.

 

#3/ The dustcover on a hardcover can be tucked in to hold one's place. I use the front for the first half of the book and then the back fold for the second half.

 

#4/ Receipt. You just bought a new book, what's handier than the receipt when you dip into it?

 

#5/ Random scrap of paper. Anything will do.

 

#6/ Memorize the page number. Alas, this only works if you have a good memory and can lead to inadvertent spoilers if you remember incorrectly. 

POOR

#7/  Another book inserted into the first one. This is only for emergencies.

 

#8/ Turning book facedown. Warning this is only acceptable with the sewn-in leaf type bindings and is apt to damage a book with stiff glue binding.

 

#9/ Pen. (Capped of course, I'm not a heathen.) This is again only used temporarily in emergencies as the pen won't stay in most books for long.

 

BAD

#10/ Dog-eared page. I don't do this anymore, I swear! But it is something I did as a child.

 

HERE BE NEWS for Monday April 7, 2025

 

 Monday April 7, 2025 

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

Redemption 

by Linda Mooney 

 

Buy Links: https://www.lindamooney.com/Redemption.htm

 

Nurse Ivy Domberg, along with the rest of the world, watched as the Magellan spacecraft launched into space for a top-secret mission to the moon. She would miss her husband while he was gone, but he’d be back before she knew it.

 

No one expected those two short weeks to turn into years.

 

The day the spaceship disappeared, Earth was hit with a blinding light, and life hasn’t been the same since. Every female is now sterile, human and creatures alike. Insects, reptiles, fish, and birds are becoming extinct. Same for all animals as none of them are able to reproduce. Meat, eggs, and milk, as well as grain and vegetable crops, are growing scarce. It’s only a matter of time before the world’s population is completely wiped from the face of the Earth, either from starvation, old age, or both.

 

During this time, Ivy refused to believe her astronaut husband Skeet was dead. But when the Magellan inexplicably returns with its crew somehow alive, is it a coincidence alien ships are spotted on the same day? Were the aliens responsible for their disappearance, as well as the chaos on Earth?

 

Even as a possible interstellar war looms on the horizon, Ivy’s nurse instincts kick in when she discovers a lone creature lying near a road. A creature not from Earth. A creature who appears to have just given birth. Seeing the infant, Ivy can’t ignore the alien’s plight, no matter the species. Regardless of the devastation they may have brought to the planet, a mother’s love for her baby is universal.

 

And it just might save the world.

The Battle Lord Saga

by Linda Mooney

Buy Links: https://lindamooney.com/BattleLord.htm

Their love would spawn a dynasty.

Three hundred years in the future, mankind still is trying to survive the Great Collision that changed the earth forever. People live in pockets of civilization called compounds, battling the elements and the mutations which have developed over the centuries, trying to live and survive day by day.

Yulen D'Jacques is the Battle Lord of Alta Novis. His duty is to keep his compound and his people safe, which means yearly sweeps of the area to remove any mutated men and animals from encroaching.

Atrilan Ferran is Mutah, a mutant warrior and huntress trained to protect and defend her home from Cleaners, the “normals” who invade the forests to slaughter everything and everyone who gets in their way.

They never anticipated the day when their hearts would collide, challenging and changing everything they thought was the truth. Leading them to the day they would have to prove their love for each other to man and mutant alike.

Warning:  Contains intense cruelty, an avaricious mother-in-law, unbelievable hunting abilities, mutant animals, silken tents, dungeons, denial, and a love that would spawn a dynasty.

April Box Set

The BATTLE LORD Saga
(blurbs and excerpts)

Now Available! THE BATTLE LORD SAGA, Books 1 - 3 Box Set by Linda Mooney

Their love would spawn a dynasty.

Three hundred years in the future, mankind still is trying to survive the Great Collision that changed the earth forever. People live in pockets of civilization called compounds, battling the elements and the mutations which have developed over the centuries, trying to live and survive day by day.

Yulen D'Jacques is the Battle Lord of Alta Novis. His duty is to keep his compound and his people safe, which means yearly sweeps of the area to remove any mutated men and animals from encroaching.

Atrilan Ferran is Mutah, a mutant warrior and huntress trained to protect and defend her home from Cleaners, the “normals” who invade the forests to slaughter everything and everyone who gets in their way.

They never anticipated the day when their hearts would collide, challenging and changing everything they thought was the truth. Leading them to the day they would have to prove their love for each other to man and mutant alike.

Warning:  Contains intense cruelty, an avaricious mother-in-law, unbelievable hunting abilities, mutant animals, silken tents, dungeons, denial, and a love that would spawn a dynasty.

April Box Set

The BATTLE LORD Saga
(blurbs and excerpts)

HERE BE NEWS for Monday March 31, 2025

 

 Monday March 31, 2025 

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 25, 2025: Linda Mooney treats us to chapter three of her fantasy romance, The Immortal

NOW AVAILABLE AS AN AUDIOBOOK!

NEVERWYLDE

The Rim of the World, Book 6

Sci-Fi Romance

By Linda Mooney

Word Count: 47.2K

$3.99 e / $10.99 p / $14.95 a

Narrated by

Kathleen Starr Hall

Length: 4 hrs, 44 min

Finally rescued from the half-world, Kyber and Kelen believed the worst was behind them. They were wrong.

Another ship has landed on Neverwylde, but are the visitors friend or foe? Kelen, Kyber, and the crew are hoping for a rescue, but preparing for a battle. The fight between Terrans and Seneecians has been put behind by those on the half-planet in order to survive, but the newcomers are not of the same mindset.

Even if they are rescued, where will that leave Kelen and Kyber? With neither being accepted by the other’s race, will they be forced to go their separate ways?

Everyone is hoping for their own happily ever after once and for all. But sometimes the worst terrors don't come from alien worlds.

They're closer to home.

Warning! Contains lies and deception, brutality, sterile domes, condemnation, sacrifice, falling moons, and a love between two people that could either save them...or condemn them.

Excerpt and Buy Links: https://lindamooney.com/Neverwylde.htm

THE IMMORTAL, a Fantasy Romance by Linda Mooney - Chapter 3, The Fire

 THE IMMORTAL

Chapter 3 - The Fire

He was warm but the air going into his lungs was bitterly cold. Moving his legs to relieve a cramp, he discovered he was warm because of the heavy quilts lying on top of him. 

Jonah opened his eyes to find bright sunlight streaming through a window on the other side of the small room. His first reaction was to make a threat assessment. After millennia of avoiding danger, he’d developed that ability as a sixth sense. Not because he feared death, but in order to prevent himself from losing a limb or becoming infected with a debilitating disease.

He may be immortal, but that didn’t preclude him from getting sick, sometimes to the point of wishing he was dead just to end the torment. 

Memories started coming back to him. The snow. The endless days and nights. The long, wandering trek. The lack of adequate food and sleep. 

A woman’s face loomed in his mind’s eye. Her beauty was almost ethereal. Neither young nor old, she still encapsulated the wisdom of ages in her gray eyes. She had saved him. She and the young boy. Joseph. And it all came back to him. 

He centered himself. Inside this room, he detected no danger. Just the opposite. There was a coziness about this place in spite of the freezing temperature. A small baseball pennant hung on the wall above a bureau. A couple of posters were present on the wall with the window like bookends. He noticed a football and a baseball mitt holding a baseball on top of a steamer trunk parked next to a door to his right. Against the wall, near the bed, was a desk and chair. Something that appeared to be clothing had been draped over the back of the chair. 

To his left was the only other door. He knew that one opened into the house. 

Slowly, he rolled over, slipping his legs and feet out from under the quilts. Once he was able to sit up on his own, he rested until he was certain he wouldn’t be hit with a bout of dizziness if he stood. 

A small carafe of water and an empty glass had been left on the nightstand beside the bed. Jonah poured himself some and swallowed the cold water in three gulps. As soon as the liquid hit, he had to pee. 

Standing didn’t prove to be a problem. However, the chill in the room was. Shivering, he pulled one of the quilts off the bed and wrapped it around his nearly naked body before stepping off the small rag rug. The wood floor was like ice. He glanced again at the clothing placed nearby. Common sense told him that if the garments were meant for the boy, they probably wouldn’t be placed on the desk. 

“They would be in the bureau drawers. Or hung in the closet.” His eyes went back to the door on the back end of the room. “Bet that’s the closet,” he muttered.

Shuffling around the foot of the bed until he reached the chair, he picked up the first article of clothing. Immediately, he could tell the sweatshirt was too large to fit the boy. Same for the pair of sweatpants and socks.

“And they definitely wouldn’t fit her.”

Clearly, the change had been left for him.

He quickly dressed to discover they were a bit large on him. “But you’ve lost quite a bit of weight, old boy,” he told himself. “A few hearty meals, and they should fit just fine.”

Another memory returned. The one where he’d inquired about her name.

Clea Hatch.

But when he’d inquired about Mr. Hatch, she’d averted her face and didn’t answer. Her withdrawal told him he’d hit upon a sensitive subject, and he’d avoided pressing the issue.

Jonah looked down at himself now dressed in warm clothing. “These are her husband’s clothes. Or were.” He mentally shrugged. “Drop the issue, old boy. It makes no difference.”

The clothes were comfortable and warm enough to where he didn’t feel the need to take the quilt with him. He draped it back on the bed then went to seek out the head. 

No. The toilet. Bathroom. Restroom.

Slowly opening the bedroom door, he looked out to see the hall and partway into the sitting room. Living room, he automatically corrected himself again. He did that a lot now. Or more often than he used to. Not that it mattered, but because when he referred to places and things, he’d discovered it was imperative because people expected it of him in those times he was forced to communicate with them.

The smell of food came from the direction of the living room. He could faintly make out the sounds of movement and the occasional clatter of pots and pans. And singing. Soft singing. Sweet sounding and wonderfully in tune. The woman, Clea, was cooking. With her attention focused on the meal, he could make his move.

The corridor ended in a door to his right. To the left, the corridor ended in another doorway, but that one was open, revealing what appeared to be another bedroom. And between here and there…

He tried the doorknob. It was unlocked and swung inward. Smiling, he went inside to use the toilet. When he was done, he washed his hands, but not before checking the contents of the small mirrored cabinet above the sink. Two toothbrushes. “One for her and one for the boy.” That meant the man wasn’t just absent. Traveling on the road, perhaps for his job. Expected to eventually return home. 

Mr. Hatch was gone. Permanently. 

Jonah didn’t know he’d breathed a sigh of relief until he felt it leave his body. “Now you don’t have to worry about the man showing up unexpectedly and perhaps attack you for being in his house.” Smiling to himself, he left the bathroom and walked into the living area. 

His stockinged feet made no sound as he entered the room. It was noticeably chilly in here, and his eyes went straight to the fireplace that sat cold and empty. 

“Oh! I thought I heard the toilet flush.”

He turned to find Clea standing on the other side of the room that opened up into the kitchen. She was towel drying a pot.

A quick check of the view outside the nearest window confirmed his suspicions. The snow had let up, but the temperature remained at freezing or below, preventing it from melting. He pointed to the fireplace. “Why don’t you have a fire going?”

“Because there’s no more firewood,” she simply replied.

Jonah gestured out the window. “Madam, you are surrounded by trees. This is the time of year to clear out the dead brush and branches, and bring those in to fill your firebox and hearth.” 

She sighed loudly. He recognized it as a sign of patient irritation. He smiled inwardly. It was a typical woman’s response. One he’d heard countless times over the years.

“If I had the time, I would, Mr. Cobb. Unfortunately, I’ve been busy trying to put food on the table and keep enough money in the bank to pay my bills. My son has been the one to go out and scour the woods for those branches and twigs you mentioned, but there’s only so much he can do.” She pointed behind her. “If you’re cold, you’re welcome to come into the kitchen and have a cup of tea to help warm you up while I’m cooking.”

He straightened. “I have a better idea. Where are my clothes?”

“They were filthy, so I washed them. They’re in the dryer now. I haven’t had a chance to take them out yet.” She gave a quick glance behind her. Not saying anything, she vanished back into the kitchen. He followed her.

She was standing by the stove, stirring something in a pot on the range. “I’m reheating the potato soup for our lunch.”

“An excellent idea, madam. Where did you say your dryer was?”

He spotted the door the same instant she pointed to it. It opened to a closet-like enclosure where a washer and dryer sat, along with a small sink. His boots sat on a bench beside it. Picking them up, he noticed the snow and grime had been scrubbed away. 

He closed the door behind him and shed his borrowed clothing, replacing it with his own attire. A search of his pockets found them empty, worrying him. Spotting his coat hanging from a hook behind the door, he snatched it up and strode back into the kitchen.

“Madam, by chance did you happen to find—”

“It’s on top of the bureau in Joey’s room,” she informed him. 

He resisted the impulse to go check. Instead, he nodded. “Thank you. Speaking of the boy, where is he?”

“Mr. Barnes, our neighbor down the road, has a tractor. When the school bus can’t get down the road, he and his daughter come by to take Joey with them to school.” She eyed him. “You’re not serious about going out there to gather wood, are you? You’re barely over being sick as it is.”

“I’m not going far. Just to the edge of the wood. I will only take a few minutes. Hopefully, I can have a fire going by the time lunch is ready.” He eyed the weather outside once more. “Anything I find that would be suitable as kindling will be too wet. Would you mind if I gather a little hay from the barn?”

“Go ahead. But if you’re not back in here in fifteen minutes…”

Jonah gave a bark of laughter. “Yes, Mother. I hear and obey.”

Without the wind to brutalize him, he was able to plod through the drifts to the closest grove of trees where he found several felled branches that would make suitable tinder and dragged them to the back door.  After a quick visit to the barn to stuff his pockets with dry hay, he returned to the house. Clea was waiting for him at the door with the ax.

The hunt for firewood had nearly depleted him of what little energy he’d regained, but Jonah was determined to chop at least enough to give them a decent fire. He wasn’t surprised when she reappeared outside, bundled up in her own coat and wool cap, and wrested the ax from him.

“Go take the logs inside and get the fire going,” she ordered in a no-argument-allowed tone of voice. He obeyed without question. By the time she brought some additional firewood into the house, he had the promised fire going in the grate.

“Take your coat off and get warm,” she ordered him. Again, he did as he was told, and was warming his hands in front of the flames when she returned with a bowl of soup in each hand. “I thought we could enjoy our lunch in front of your fire,” she lightly teased.

“In front of our fire,” he just as lightly countered. Taking the bowls from her, his fingers brushed hers, and in that brief instant, it was as if something he couldn’t explain happened inside him. He glanced up to find her staring at him with those gray eyes the color of rain clouds for what felt like the longest time before breaking away. “I’m going to go get the bread. I’ll be right back.”

He watched as she strode into the kitchen.

And in a blink of an eye, he was inside the barn with the cows and sitting on the mound of hay he’d previously visited.

TO BE CONTINUED

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