Alternate Dimension Days #Romance #ShortStory #FlashFiction #Love

 

Alternate Dimension Days #Romance #ShortStory #FlashFiction #Love

 When you’ve been under water for so long, coming up for air can feel strange. It takes some time for the senses to adjust to the sunlight. The reflection over the smooth surface looks different when we know what’s above the water and what’s below.

Alternate Dimension Days is a short love story about an alternate dimension that might have the light and hope that tech product developer, Jenna Kalen, needs after swimming against the current for so long.

There must have been a hidden portal to an alternate dimension somewhere on Irongate Road that Jenna Kalen had been accidentally travelling through some mornings. The portal ate time and spit her into an alternate dimension where she ended up late even though she’d left on time. Logic dictated that the lateness could be explained by traffic and construction on the roadways, except there were almost always traffic issues or construction detours. She’d been working at Delgado Star Tech for five years and up until the previous month, though she’d constantly been busy as hell with barely time to come up for air, things had been alright.

The last few weeks had been different. Unpredictable. Some days, she was really productive and she and the other members of the research team made a ton of progress. Other days, she ended up at work, slightly late, even though she’d been so sure she was running on time, and things seemed uncomfortably weird all day. Also strange was, on what she’d begun calling “time warp days”, she never really remembered parking her car in the deck, just running to the elevator, trying not to trip and fall on her ass. Things usually devolved from there. Obviously, she needed a week-long nap, followed by a vacation, followed by more sleep but her boss had turned down her vacation request. He’d given promises of a promotion to the team who developed the highest profiting product but the vague chance of a promotion carrot didn’t get her revved up on time warp days.

On those days, everything and everyone around her felt like a song being played slightly off key, so close to being fine that the mystery part of the harmony that was missing made her angry. Everyone seemed uncanny and gave her a sticky, skin crawling feeling, except that one guy who worked in the software development department. His hair was dark as night and his eyes were deep, ocean blue. His muscular forearms were covered in tattoos that reminded her of… something, maybe a scene from a movie or a story she’d once loved. She’d only seen him twice but each time, he’d looked at her as if he knew her. He hadn’t spoken either time, just nodded.

Maybe he had fallen through an alternate dimension portal, too. Maybe he could see how, on time warp days, the windows were foggy and blurred the out sight of the apple trees lining the street and hid the sunshine outside so that when evening came, the blur of darkness didn’t cut through any more of the windows than the sunlight had. Maybe he was sick of practically living in the Delgado Star building the way she was on time warp days. More likely, though, she probably reminded him of someone he used to know.

By the time her stomach started growling, Jenna decided she needed a break from working on the latest project. Her teammates objected heavily at the idea of stopping for lunch but she’d had enough— enough of racking her brain to help create products that she didn’t care about, enough of listening to her three teammates pick apart each other’s ideas without a scrap of empathy for one another, enough of their arrogant voices, and enough of the whole damn building.

The sexy, tattooed guy with the coal black hair stepped into the elevator with her.

“Hey, Jenna. It’s been a long time.”

The sound of his voice, smooth and deep, wasn’t the slightest bit off key, not the way everyone and everything sounded to her on alternate dimension days, but “Do I know you?”

“You used to. I stayed here for a while. Hoping you would find me again.”

Ah, hell. Was he an illusion? Was she so tired and off-center that she was imaging actual people? He took her hand. The man definitely felt solid and real. And… familiar.

When the doors opened, the sun hit just right, lighting up the world outside. She stepped outside into the light and broke the surface. The portal dissolved and the man with ocean-colored eyes asked if she was ready to leave.

She held tight to his hand and they swam to the shore.

 

If you’d like to follow me on social media for my latest book information and excerpts, poems, contest info, book recommendations, and other fun stuff, you can find me at:

Amazon Author Page: https://www.amazon.com/Christina-Lynn-Lambert/e/B01MCYK0K7

BookBub:  https://www.bookbub.com/authors/christina-lynn-lambert

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/christinalynnlambert

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/15900423.Christina_Lynn_Lambert

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/christinalynnlambert

Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/chris4lamb

Wordpress: https://christinalynnlambertwordpress.com

Fall Reads

 

Fall Reads

Fall is upon us. Pumpkin spice is at Starbucks and grocery stores everywhere. And while fall temps haven't hit my neck of the woods, it's nice to begin thinking of those things that are wonderful about fall- football, apples, hay rides...and BOOKS!

These wonderful books are set in the cooler temps of September, October, and November and will certainly get you ready to sink into a pile of leaves and read!

Forever to Fall

BUY LINKS:

AMAZON- https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0D7ZZ7R43

KOBO- https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/forever-to-fall

BN- https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/forever-to-fall-libby-kay/1145894445

APPLE- https://books.apple.com/us/book/forever-to-fall/id6504831195

 

Blurb:

Welcome to Buckeye Falls, where second chances mend broken hearts for these childhood sweethearts. Wedding bells are ringing, but the sister of the groom is conflicted.

Fifteen years ago, Mallory Lawson “married” her childhood sweetheart, Beckett, in a pretend wedding on his family’s apple farm. She treasures not only the memories, but the ring he put on her finger. The trouble now, her brother, Evan, wants to put that family heirloom on his fiancée’s finger.  Mallory adores CeCe, but she struggles to get past her girlhood fantasies of Beckett swooping back into her life with a certain ruby ring…

Beckett Fox is at a crossroads. After losing his grandfather, he’s listless and fearful of coming back to the family farm. There are too many memories, and most of them are tied to the love of his life, Mallory. He doesn’t even know if she remembers that fateful day when they were kids, playing make-believe under the apple trees, but he does. Now he’s back to help his buddy get married, and he hopes to find peace on the family farm, with Mallory by his side…

When the wedding planning kicks into high gear, Beckett and Mallory are thrust together as maid of honor and best man. The more time they spend together, the harder it is to ignore the sparks between them. Beckett fears Evan won’t support him dating Mallory, so the pair date in secret. But true love won’t stay hidden forever… 

Best-selling author Libby Kay’s Buckeye Falls Series reminds readers of small-town life where everyone knows each other. Fans of Sharon Sala’s Blessings, Georgia series and Susan Mallery’s Fool’s Gold series will fall in love with Buckeye Falls and the childhood sweethearts who are tired of hiding their feelings. Come for the wedding and stay for the whole series. 

 

EXCERPT

Rubbing the back of his neck, Beckett felt his muscles relax at her presence. Mallory had this amazing ability to calm him down while simultaneously causing him to burn with lust.

For a moment, neither of them spoke. The sound of cicadas in the night air surrounded them, their nightly song echoing through Buckeye Falls. Mallory finally cleared her throat and gestured with the box toward the door. “Can I come in?”

“Erm, yeah.” Beckett stepped back and held the door open for her, catching a whiff of her perfume as she slunk inside. Mallory always smelled like summertime: sweet and tangy like a handful of blackberries.

Mallory took a few paces inside and looked around. Beckett said a silent prayer of thanks that he had the forethought to start unpacking. It was a mess, but at least it looked like his mess. “Cute.” She said the word with a small smile, plopping the box on top of the coffee table.

She turned like she was going to leave, her presence not required beyond the delivery. Instinctively, Beckett blocked the way, letting the door close behind him on a soft click. “Where are you going?” he asked, his pulse kicking up at the idea that he wouldn’t see her for more than another moment.

Shrugging, Mallory pointed to the door. “Home?”

Before he could think better of it, Beckett blurted out the first thing that came to mind. “Stay. Have dinner with me.”

Mallory didn’t respond at first, but he didn’t miss the flush that crept up her neck. “You want to have dinner with me?”

“Yes?” he replied, although it was far from a question. Beckett wanted Mallory to stay as long as she liked—for dinner or the rest of her life. He wasn’t picky.

 

Trusting Love

BUY LINKS:

Amazon https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CNQSBJ43

Kobo https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/trusting-love-11

BN https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/trusting-love-julie-navickas/1144389581

Apple https://books.apple.com/us/book/trusting-love/id6472675900

 

Blurb:

What does a s’more, a tent, and a campfire have in common? For Ryan Prescott, it’s a typical weekend camping trip. But for Tess Browning… it’s a recipe for the truth.

Tess Browning earned the nickname Little Vixen for a reason. And she has no incentive to play by the rules anymore. Because why bother? All it ever did was trap her in a loveless marriage. Tossing faithfulness out the window, the only thing she is committed to now is her new code: keeping it fun, flirty, and deliciously sultry.

That is, until Ryan Prescott walks in and charms his way into her heart with a leather tool belt strapped around his waist. He’s sexy, smart, and as emotionally damaged as they come. And Ryan seemingly wants nothing more than to have Tess pick up the pieces of his broken heart.

But there’s one thing he doesn’t know about her.

When the details of Ryan’s past heartache come to light, Tess digs her hot pink heels into the ground and will stop at nothing to hide her past indiscretions from the man who stole her heart. Because if there’s one thing Ryan won’t tolerate—it’s dishonesty.

Will Tess manage to keep the truth hidden? Or, will the secrets of a lifetime shatter her one true chance at love?

Best-selling and award-winning author Julie Navickas brings back fan favorite, Tess Browning for her own shot at love. Readers of the Trading Heartbeats trilogy will recognize the flawed heroine but may not recognize the woman she’s become. After all, no one is above redemption. Fans of Lynn Painter’s Mr. Wrong Number and Katie Cotugno’s Birds of California will find a swoon-worthy and engaging romance in TRUSTING LOVE.

 Excerpt 

Beside him, she released a heavy breath and lifted her gaze. The deep hues of blue sparkled, each eye coated in a thin layer of tears.

“Wait, is something wrong?” Ryan frowned and propped his body up on an elbow.

She shook her head and smiled. Dragging a hand down the side of his face, she paused on his cheek. “This happened really fast, didn't it?”

You’re not wrong.

Ryan gripped her hand and pressed a kiss on her palm. “It did,” he muttered.

“One minute we’re picking out a paint color and the next we’re sleeping together beneath the stars.”

Their relationship flashed before his eyes, each smile on her lips gripping his heart as affection and desire built within his soul.

“It may have been fast, but that doesn’t make it any less real for me.”

A single tear slid down her cheek and dripped onto his arm. It rolled, falling to the blankets and dissolving into the material.

“It’s real for me, too.” She sniffled. “Maybe too real.”

A twinge gripped his gut. “What’s that mean?”

“Like, when is the other shoe going to drop?” She snorted. “When does the dream end, or the bubble burst?”

Just as cynical as me. You’ve been hurt just as bad, haven’t you?

Ryan sat up and reached for her sandals in the corner of the tent.

“What’re you doing?”

He pressed the first shoe into his chest. “I promise, I won’t drop it.” Holding the second sandal out to her, he placed it in her hands and guided it to her chest. “If you won’t.”

Her smile melted his heart. Eyeing a blonde curl falling in her face, he tucked it behind her ear as a shiver zipped along his spine—inspiration striking once more. “How about another adventure this morning, Ms. Browning?”

“Clothes on or off?”

With a wink, he pressed a kiss on her forehead. “That’ll be your choice.”

 

Chasing Favors

BUY LINKS:

AMAZON: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0C5ZW6XQF

KOBO: https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/chasing-favors

BN: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/chasing-favors-mark-love/1143532150

APPLE: https://books.apple.com/us/book/id6449441859

 

Blurb:

Doing a favor for an old friend. What could possibly go wrong??

It was supposed to be one simple favor. Randy was the nice, charming guy who drew Jamie into a steamy romance, two years ago, during her vacation. Now he’s in town, nudging her curiosity with the request for some help. What could possibly go wrong?

Jamie’s skills as an investigative reporter made for a smooth transition to writing mysteries. And Randy’s request seemed harmless enough. Doing a favor for a friend is really no big deal. But things are rarely as they appear when Jamie starts digging. When she uncovers the answers for Randy, she’s faced with another request for a favor. Who knew she could be so popular? Now Jamie’s spending her time, chasing after favors.

While researching Randy’s situation, Jamie stumbles upon something that doesn’t seem quite right. Most people would just ignore it. Or chalk it up to a coincidence. But Jamie’s never been a believer in those. Sensing there is something more going on in the background, Jamie becomes determined to figure it out. And if she’s right, she intends on stopping the bad guys in their tracks.

CHASING FAVORS features the beautiful redhead whose nose for trouble has her stumbling into police business. Mark Love’s series is perfect for fans of the Temperance Brennan series by Kathy Reichs or Diane Capri’s Michael Flint series, where solving a mystery and danger abound. Even though you can read Chasing Favors as a standalone, why would you? Especially when following Jamie through her romance and adventures will entertain you through the night.

 

EXCERPT

“Malone, are you telling me that my efforts to elevate your heart rate aren’t sufficient to ensuring your good health?”

He chuckled and shook his head. “You know how to get my heart racing. But there are other aspects required for a full-body workout.”

“Maybe you need to rethink your routine,” I teased from the doorway.

He was sitting on the side of the bed about to reach for his tennis shoes. Now Malone flashed me a wicked smile. Before I could move, he lifted me off my feet.

“Malone!”

“Hold still. I’m going to do a set of curls with you horizontally across my arms.” He shifted his grip. One arm was beneath my knees. The other was under my shoulder blades.

“Don’t drop me!” I started to reach for his neck.

“Keep your arms at your sides, Jay.” He turned around now so that he was holding me over the bed.

Slowly he did a curl, rolling me in his arms as if his hands were reaching for his shoulders. On the third curl, Malone dipped his head and kissed my stomach through my shirt. Then he released me, dropping me onto the mattress from shoulder height. I bounced, laughing in delight.

“We’ve just created a new exercise.” He fell on the bed beside me.

“What are you going to call it?”

He gave it some thought. “Curling the vixen.”

“I’m a vixen?”

Malone nodded.

“Hope that’s one you’re only going to do at home.”

“Only with you, Jamie.” He gave me a kiss that got my heart racing, then slid off the bed. “I gotta run.”

“Sure, leave me all hot and bothered,” I muttered.

Malone grabbed his shoes and went out the door. “To be continued.”

“It damn well better be.”

Those are just three of the many titles available that fulfill your Fall Cravings! Don't miss your chance to grab a new book!

Until Next Month,

Melissa Keir

www.melissakeir.com

Lucky Number Seven

 

He’s as cool as a Pina Colada on a Key West beach, he’s the kind of guy your mother wouldn’t let you play with, and he’s every bad guy’s worst nightmare. Nick Seven is back in “The Big Fall,” a romantic adventure from Tim Smith. This is the seventh installment in the popular series featuring two former spies trying to keep a low profile in the Florida Keys, but not having much luck.

 

“Just when you think life can’t get much better, a crashing wave wipes out your sand castle. Former spies Nick Seven and Felicia Hagens are taking a break from Key Largo to visit a casino owned by Nick’s friend, Rock Bianco. An unexpected, nasty encounter with one of Nick’s former lovers turns disastrous when she’s killed shortly afterward. The police and the girl’s wealthy father are convinced that Nick did it, despite the lack of hard evidence. The billionaire industrialist wages an online smear campaign to make Nick look guilty, including sordid details from his past career in the CIA. The stakes become more personal when the fallout impacts Felicia, testing their relationship. Nick fights back, but why is the man determined to hold him responsible for his daughter’s murder? Who really killed her, and why is their identity being shielded? Can Nick and Felicia resolve this crisis and reclaim their idyllic life in paradise?”

This is a different kind of story for this series, because Nick and Felicia don’t get involved in international intrigue or a criminal plot. Since Nick is being set up as the fall guy for a murder he didn’t commit, he and Felicia must use their covert intelligence skills to find the real killer. The nemesis du jour is an arrogant Miami billionaire who uses his mega-bucks to get what he wants, manipulates the media for his own benefit, and crushes anyone who gets in his way. Unfortunately, this time the target happens to be Nick Seven.

 

At the core of the story is a strong romance between Nick and Felicia, his former co-worker from Barbados. The situation they’ve found themselves in threatens their relationship, but ultimately brings them closer. Here’s a snippet:

 

Nick and Felicia walked hand in hand, barefoot along the water’s edge, the incoming tide washing over their feet. Nick wore an open box-cut shirt that allowed the gentle evening breeze to keep him cool. He glanced at Felicia’s hips swaying ever-so-sexily under the white mesh throw she wore over her string bikini.

 

They hadn’t said much about their fact-finding trip or the day’s earlier events. Nick was irritated about being the prime suspect in a crime he didn’t commit, and he knew Felicia was upset, too. When they returned to shore after dinner he had suggested the moonlight stroll as a distraction.

 

“So pretty and peaceful out here,” Felicia said. “I always liked walkin’ along the beach back home at night, listenin’ to the tides roll in.”

 

“Do you ever get homesick?”

 

“Once in a while, ‘specially around holidays and birthdays.”

 

“Any regrets about staying here instead of going back to Barbados?”

 

She stopped and looked up at him. “None. Any regrets about askin’ me to stay with you?”

 

Nick cupped her cheek with his palm and gazed into her soft eyes. “Not a one. Why would I have second thoughts about making you a part of my life?”

 

Felicia shrugged. “I thought maybe you had a pretty full agenda, and I wasn’t sure I’d fit into it.”

 

Nick leaned down and planted his lips on hers, giving her a gentle kiss. “Life was nothing before you came along. Just an endless parade of meaningless encounters.”

 

They looked out at the ocean. The lights of a cruise ship crossing on the horizon broke up the endless darkness. Seagulls pecked at seaweed that had washed ashore. Sounds of laughter from a nearby group who were clearly enjoying themselves drifted in, along with the unmistakable aroma of reefer.

 

“Since you brought it up,” Felicia said, “can I ask you somethin’?”

 

“What did I bring up?”

 

“Your life before we reconnected a few years ago.”

 

Nick felt his gut clench a bit. Revisiting his past wasn’t something he liked to indulge in very often, preferring to let sleeping ghosts lie. There were enough of them to occupy the world’s largest haunted house at Halloween. He had worked hard at putting that unpleasantness in a vault under double lock and key, with instructions not to open it. He also realized that Felicia was now an integral part of his life, he trusted her, and part of that trust involved candor, no matter how uncomfortable it was.

 

“Such as?”

 

“This girl they think you killed. Were you two very close?”

 

“Not really.”

 

“How long did you date her?”

 

“A few months.”

 

Felicia looked at him. “Okay, Mister Tightlips. This is me you’re talkin’ to, not some board of inquiry where you stick to the facts and nothin’ but.”

 

Nick twirled a strand of her long hair that blew in the breeze. “I’d characterize my relationship with Kristine Overman as a one-night stand that turned into a runaway train heading for a fork in the tracks. Came a point where I had to decide whether to stay on board or jump off.”

 

Felicia kissed him. “I’m glad you landed on your feet.”

This story drew inspiration from current events, especially the influence of social media and how some people use it for their own good at the expense of others. There’s also an homage to one of my favorite dramas, “Law & Order,” and some nods to film noir crime capers. Add in tropical Florida atmosphere, from the oceanfront sands of Fort Lauderdale to the laidback ease of The Keys, and you have all the necessary ingredients for an entertaining read. Happy reading!     

“The Big Fall” (Nick Seven, Book 7) is available on Amazon, Kindle and print. "The Big Fall" on Amazon   

Tim Smith is an award-winning, bestselling author of romantic mystery/thrillers and contemporary romance. He is also a freelance writer, editor, blogger and photographer. His books featuring former CIA operative Nick Seven have garnered several awards and international critical praise. His author site is Tim Smith, AllAuthor 

 

 

For the Love of Winter 2 Romance Anthology

 

Book 

For the Love of Winter 2

Publisher

First Coast Romance Writers

Publication Date

September 24, 2024

Buy Link

https://amzn.to/3ASUIBq

Pre-Order price:

$3.99

Genre

Holiday Romance (varying heat levels and sub-genres)

ASIN

B0DD2KBMVN

Book Blurb

Warm your heart with nine enchanting tales of love. From historical winter celebrations to modern sizzling New Year's Eve encounters, this anthology spans sweet to spicy romance across different eras and realms. Whether you prefer gentle courtship or steamy embraces, this collection has something for every romance reader.

Mistletoe Magic, by Leah Miles: A holiday romance rekindles when Navy SEAL Michael Rodriguez runs into his old flame, Nora Geller, and invites her to his family gathering. Will they mend old wounds and find love again, or will misunderstandings leave their hearts out in the cold?

Happily Ever After, Take Two, by Sara Walker: Will Dino and Hilde's second chance love overcome family doubts and past mistakes for a lifetime of happiness?

Love Under the Cold Moon, by Vanessa Kilmer: A headstrong Celtic woman and a reluctant Roman heir clash and connect in an arranged marriage during the Alpine winter festivals of 193 AD.

Finding a Date for Christmas by Vickey Wollan: Joan’s going to a Christmas gala and hires Mack on Rent-A-Date. If he reveals his secret, will he get a second date? Can two lonely hearts find romance in time for Christmas?

Snowbound Hearts, by C.L. Hart: When a divorced couple ends up stuck in a snowbound lodge in the Sierra Nevada mountains, it could either be the worst Christmas ever or a second chance to make things right.

A Fluffy White Christmas - A Tail of Love, by Sally Murphy: Can a half-starved stray dog help a lonely woman open up her frozen heart to a new love this Christmas?

Maiya’s New Year’s Wish, by Marie Morton: Maiya Collins finds herself swept into an unexpected holiday romance in the sun-kissed paradise of St. Croix. Yet, a misunderstanding threatens to shatter her dreams. As the New Year's countdown approaches, she must confront her doubts. Can love prevail, or will her island romance become another broken resolution?

The Naughty List Nightmare, by Erika Kilmer Freidley: Love, traditions, and a mythical menace collide as Thea and Bash get involved in a festive fight to save Pittsburgh's children.

Winter Wonderland by Elizabeth Edgar: Cinderella made her own gown and found her Prince Charming, but will they get their fairy tale ending?

Don’t miss your chance to purchase this collection while it is available.

Proceeds benefit First Coast Romance Writers, an independent non-profit organization that helps writers hone their craft and expand their knowledge of the publishing industry.

Story Blurb

When Marta Benscoter gets stuck in a snowbound lodge with her ex-husband and his energetic assistant, she prepares for the worst Christmas ever.

Marta is proud of Adam's recovery from alcohol addiction. He is back to being the man she fell in love with. Giving him another chance is tempting. However, memories of the events leading to their divorce fill her with doubt.

Can Marta and Adam move beyond their past, or is a tenuous friendship all they can hope for?

Excerpt

Enter Adam

Although Adam Benscoter's hair had grayed significantly, he still looked the part of the handsome college quarterback he had been when Marta first met him a lifetime ago. She felt a warmth rising within her, which quickly cooled when she looked at his sidepiece. The tall young Asian woman was about twenty years younger than Adam. Her long, wavy hair was dyed amaranth, and she was dressed in a light coral coat that was entirely inappropriate for the climate.

“Whoo, I’m so glad to be out of that storm!” the young woman proclaimed. “You were a boss on that road, Ad-Man!”

“At least this one looks like she’s been out of high school for more than two years,” Marta muttered under her breath. “I’m so glad we never had any children. Imagine having someone your own age as your stepmother.”

“Hi there, Ladies, I’m Clara Wola,” the young woman introduced herself, extending a friendly hand. “Since it appears we'll be spending lots of time together, we might as well get to know each other.”

“Hi Clara, I’m Ophrah Pololáník. Oh goodness, your hands are so cold! Miss Tia, could we have a hot chocolate over here for this young lady?”

“Dear Ophrah, always the mother hen,” Adam said kindly.

“Wait—you two know each other?” Clara asked.

“Yes, and he knows me too,” Marta said coldly. “Hello, Clara, I’m Marta Benscoter, your—what is he to you, Dear?”

“He’s my boss,” Clara said, a puzzled expression on her face. “But we’ve also become good friends since he hired me six years ago.”

“We’re going to make our partnership official when we get back to Diamond Bar,” Adam said with a grin. “Then she can finally stop calling me Boss.”

“Well, that’s generous of you,” Marta quipped. “I hate to rain on your parade, Ms. Wola, but even if you aren’t officially marrying Saint Adam, I hope you’ve spoken to an attorney about protecting your interests in the event of an eventual dissolution of your partnership.”

“It’s not a romantic partnership; it’s purely business,” Clara corrected. “I’ve been Adam’s assistant at Cloud Limited since getting my doctorate from Oceanside Tech. You must be the ex-wife he won’t talk about. It seems like you two need to iron some things out.”

About the Author

C. L. Hart is an editor who writes or a writer who edits. She primarily writes Lovecraftian fantasy and horror with the occasional sweet romance thrown in to upset the cosmic apple cart. This is her second year participating in the annual For the Love of Winter anthology from First Coast Romance Writers. She is a member of ACES Editing Society, The Denver Horror Collective, First Coast Romance Writers, The H. P. Lovecraft Historical Society, Passionate Ink (writing as Lil DeVille), Regency Romance Writers, and Rocky Mountain Romance Writers.

Author Links

https://naughtynetherworldpress.start.page

Another month, another new release!

 

Good Morning World,

Hope you are having a fine morning! It's the end of a long weekend in Canada after a far too short summer it seems. I always get the sensation it's going to be endless, and then the hummingbirds leave at the end of August and I'm always surprised!

As I do all winter, spring, and fall, I've been writing stories in place of getting out in the real world. The journey my characters are constantly on, keep me in constant wonderment and it's all too easy to lose track of time.

But now I raise my head and realize I just finished another book, Anna Hale, P.I., fourth thriller adventure. I recently contracted for a spin-off series as well for Anna's son Cole Hale, in the year 2055. An exciting notion, writing a futuristic post-apocalyptic techothriller!

I have a new release to mention this month: Death Echo, Anna's third book, coming September 24th from Rough Edges Press, an imprint of Wolfpack Publishing.

A gripping thriller that explores the dark shadows of a psychopath's mind in the heart of Alaska.

Anna Hale, PI, faces her most perilous challenge yet in the brief Alaskan summer.

A brilliant psychopath lurks in the shadows, orchestrating crimes reminiscent of Jack the Ripper's 1888 Whitechapel horrors. Sending taunting messages through the press and hurling explosive information, he keeps the town of Anchor on high alert. This cunning villain showers the Anchor Police Department with misleading suspects, desperate to remain undetected while ensuring his crimes are recorded as unsolvable.

With her newly formed Wolf Pack Justice group, Anna must navigate the aftermath of a serial killer, uncovering the truth behind the women used as pawns by this monster. Can she prevent future murders, or is there a darker force at play in Anchor in the summer of 2024?

Dive into this gripping tale and join Anna Hale on her relentless quest for justice.

Buy link!

Wishing you a lovely month and hope to see you back here in October!

Hugs, January Bain/Storyteller

Illness and Memory by Janet Lane Walters #MFRWAuthor #Writing #Memory

 Lately, I've been missing my blog dates. Part of this could be age but I fear most is because I'm fighting illness. As to the age - I'm eighty eight or as one of my children said twice the piano keys. I'm working on a new book and this brings new characters into being. Hopefully this will be another series like the Mrs. Miller series.

The title as yet is the Demise of the Horror Writer. Both hero and heroine are newly created and this does tike some time to hone their characters.  She does research for college professors and is about to lose her married partner whose husband has been transferred. The heroine has a five year old son and  mother who takes care of him. She is looking for a house or an apartment large enough for the three of them.

The hero is a local policeman who has recently risen from being a patrol officer to being an investigator. He ahs a five year old son and his sister gave up her career as a nurse to watch the child. He owns  huge old house that was divided into two apartments. Both having three bedrooms.

Hopefully there will be other books and I'm toying with ideas for two more. The Historical Author's snuff boxes and The Ertic author's nightgown. One will see.

There are also two Regencies I've agreed to write. One is coming up next. These three will complete the one written as Gemstones.

If you wish to look up my books, go to Books We Love Publishing and there's a whole list.

The Inner Eye -- #AmWriting #Imagination #AuthorCraft

Image by Leandro De Carvalho from Pixabay

By Lisabet Sarai

I've been reading since I was four years old – a total of sixty-seven years. I still marvel at the power of fiction to create visible, tangible worlds. Outwardly, as we read, we look at the words, the sentences, the paragraphs. Blindly, we turn the pages. All the while our inner eyes gaze upon the scenes we construct in response to the author's prose.

A skilled writer can evoke times, places and people with such vividness that, at least while we read, they feel more real than the surrounding environment. As the words penetrate my brain, I see the glare of the sun upon the looming pyramids. I feel the baking heat reflected from the stone, taste the dust kicked up from the bare feet of the passing peasant, smell the steaming dung his donkey leaves in my path. I squirm as the lash scores my bare buttocks, shiver as a fingertip traces the line of my spine, sweat as the girl opposite me on the subway crosses one knee over the other to reveal red lace and tempting shadow. Reading is a sort of miracle that dissolves the here-and-now and crystallizes a totally new universe in its place.

What we see when we read is born of a collaboration between the author and our selves. We bring our histories, expectations and preferences to the act of reading, making the process deeply personal. My images of Catherine Earnshaw in Wuthering Heights, of Anna in Anna Karenina, of Humbert in Lolita, are unlikely to match yours. The author sketches the setting and the characters, but allows us to fill in the details. Even the most meticulous and elaborate descriptions cannot capture the full richness of sensory experience, but imagination embroiders upon the framework of the text and embeds us deep into the world of the story.

One mark of a great writer is knowing what to express and what to leave unsaid. Sometimes the simplest prose is the most evocative.

When I write erotica, I rarely describe my characters' overall appearance. I may call attention to some particular physical characteristic – the elegant curve of a woman's hip, the scatter of curls leading down from a man's navel toward his waistband – but for the most part I allow the reader to create his or her own pictures. Instead of dwelling on what can be seen, I spend most of my time on what can be felt – the characters' internal states.

When I began to expand from erotica into romance, though, I learned that readers of this genre like to have fairly complete descriptions of each major character. They want to know about stature, body type, hair color and style, skin color, eye color, typical clothing... The first time I filled out a cover information sheet for a romance book, I was stuck. The publisher wanted full details about the appearance of the hero and heroine. I hadn't thought much about the question.

Lots of romance authors I know use actual photographs of characters to inspire them. I've adopted this strategy too, in some cases. It's easier to describe a picture than to manufacture a complete physical creation from scratch.

Overall, it seems to me that Western culture is moving away from the imagined to the explicit, and that the written word is losing ground to the visual. These days, video appears to be the preferred medium of communication. If you buy some equipment, you don't receive a user manual any more, you get links to YouTube. My students seem unable to concentrate on any text that does not include lots of pictures, preferably animated. Graphical icons (often obscure to me) have replaced verbal instructions. I really wonder how the blind survive.

Suspense in film – that overwhelming, oppressive sense of imminent danger – has been supplanted by fiery explosions and bloody dismemberings. I personally find the old movies more frightening and more effective. Sex has followed the same trend, in mainstream movies, in advertising and in porn. Everything is out there to be seen, in your face. Nothing is left for the viewer to create. Common visions overwhelm individual interpretations.

High definition television. 3D movies, virtual reality. The thrust of modern technology is to externalize every detail, making everything visible. The inner eye atrophies as imagination becomes superfluous.

The rise of generative AI has only made things worse. AI models digest millions of images, then spit them back out at us, sliced and diced, meticulously detailed but often so stereotyped that it’s easy to tell a computer was involved. I’m getting better and better at identifying AI-generated visualizations, because they tend to look like images I’ve seen dozens of times before.

I remember, back in 2013, when I heard Baz Luhrmann had directed a 3D version of The Great Gatsby, I felt slightly nauseous. 3D dinosaurs in “Jurassic Park” I can accept, but if there was ever a story that needed a light touch, a judicious selection of detail, it's Jay Gatsby's tale. True, Fitzgerald's novel describes at considerable length the wild excesses of the Roaring Twenties, the booze and the jazz, the extravagant parties and casual love affairs. However, all that is just a backdrop to the lonely delusions of the title character and the vacant lives of the people who surround him. You could tell Gatsby's story on an empty stage, with a couple of bottles of champagne as props and a single sax as the sound track.

The result of Luhrmann's misguided (in my opinion) effort was an impressive spectacle with no substance. The film lavishes its attention on the crazy parties and drunken orgies. Meanwhile, Gatsby, Daisy, Jordan and Nick remain ciphers, cardboard characters one can't really care about. You see it all, but feel nothing. That, at least, was my experience.

I sometimes worry that reading will become obsolete, despite the surge in book buying due to ebooks. I'm glad I don't have children growing up in this increasingly literal, visually-oriented world. I'd hate to see them struggling to keep the magic of imagination alive.

Meanwhile, the Luhrmann film had one positive effect. It has motivated me to reread the original book.