Ultimate Duty

ULTIMATE DUTY
by Marva Dasef

Eternal Press
Amazon Kindle
Amazon Print
Mobipocket
Fictionwise
Barnes and Noble Print



Marva Dasef is a writer living in the Pacific Northwest with her husband and a fat white cat. Retired from thirty-five years in the software industry, she has now turned her energies to writing fiction and finds it a much more satisfying occupation. Marva has published more than thirty-five stories in a number of on-line and print magazines, with her stories included in several Best of anthologies. She has five published books. See a complete list of her work at Marva Dasef's Website.

Blurb: Remy Belieux, a woman born into a life of servitude on a repressive factory planet, is desperate for a different life. When she's accepted into the Space Service Academy, run by the organization that enslaves her planet, she discovers the truth behind generations of rebellion. Now, she must decide what to believe, where her ultimate duty lies, and fight for more than her life against impossible odds.

Excerpt:


“Would you prefer separate quarters from Mr. Smith?” Phillip asked when they said their good-byes.


Remy shook her head. “No, he’d get suspicious. We’d better leave things the way they are. I’ll make sure he doesn’t get access to the console.”



Phillip looked at her closely for a moment, then nodded, as if making a decision. It surprised her when he cupped the back of her head with one hand and pulled her gently toward him. It surprised her even more when she didn’t resist.



He kissed her lightly, a mere brushing of moist lips on hers. A tingle of desire curled down her spine. She pressed into him, slipping her arms around his waist. Remy parted her lips, tilted her chin, and licked his lips teasingly. He yanked her tight to his body, their tongues met, testing, tasting the texture of each other. Phillip pulled back and looked into her eyes. “Yes?”



“Yes.” Her voice was a husky whisper. If Phillip fell for her, it’d be even easier to gain his trust and learn the rebellion’s secrets.



Phillip took her hand, led her into the bedroom, and locked the door. He spun her around, began kissing her again. He nibbled her tender flesh from earlobe, down her neck, to her collarbone. Her nerve endings on fire, she arched her head back and sighed. The woman inside her begged for more, even as her mind clamored for her to stop, not let this get personal. But her body, trained to react without thinking when she performed martial arts moves, had something different in mind.


Their hands fumbled feverishly to strip off each other’s clothing. Phillip ran his forefinger down Remy’s torso, then bent to kiss her breasts. He lowered her gently to the cot. He stood before her, and she wondered briefly if he only wanted oral sex. She tensed, ready to push him away, but he knelt in front of her and kissed her from lips to waist, then lower. She gasped and leaned back supporting herself with her elbows.


She moaned, the delicious sensations flooding her, then she clutched his shoulders and pulled him onto the bed beside her, both of them breathing hard.


Remy guided him onto his back. She swung her leg over him and eased herself down until he filled her. He fondled her breasts in both hands and rocked his hips. She took up the rhythm, slow at first, then increasing in intensity. Remy threw her head back and growled deep in her throat as she peaked, her inner muscles contracting time after time. Phillip grasped her waist tight and thrust up. A strangled growl escaped his lips. He shuddered and climaxed with her.


She gasped and fell forward onto his chest. He wrapped his arms around her and held her close. He rubbed her short hair, inhaling her fragrance. “Nice. I love the smell of antiseptic soap.”


She punched him lightly on his bicep, but couldn’t help but laugh. “A damn good thing.”

Mountain Romance

Red Holden is a man of the west who's never felt the love of a good woman. So when he meets and rescues Mattie Sharp, he is a little confused by her attention to him. Is it gratitude or more? he wonders. And will he ever be rid of her? Discover the answers in Mountain Romance. Try this excerpt first.

The evening sunset was as pretty as any the prairie could offer; a
beautiful mixture of blues, yellows, oranges and reds that would’ve
soothed the breast of any savage beast. But nothing could soothe either
Red or Mattie, who sat by the fire as the air began to cool.
“I told you I didn’t want to stay at the fort,” Mattie said.
“So you claimed to be my wife thinking I’d be forced to take you with
me,” Red countered.
“Either that or leave you in the guardhouse.”
“There had to be another way.”
“Like what?”
“Like telling the truth.”
“The truth was much more complicated and might’ve put us both in
the guardhouse,” Mattie said. “Why not just accept the fact you’re stuck
with me?”
Red wasn’t ready to admit anything, but his options were limited.
The more he thought about it, the more he realized any solution would
involve a delay he could not afford. The only practical solution was to
leave her alone on the prairie, but that was something he could never
bring himself to do.
“You could leave me alone on the prairie,” Mattie offered, as if
reading his mind. “I survived before and I can do it again. Just give me a
few supplies and point me in the direction of the nearest town.”
“Don’t tempt me.”
Mattie shook her head. “Tell me something, Mr. Holden,” she said.
“Do you hate all women or is it just me?”

Mountain Romance available on:
eternalpress.biz
amazon.com
fictionwise.com
coffeetimeromance.com

Dangerous Seduction

Elizabeth and Galen are confused about the feelings they have for each other, but that is the least of their worries. She is noble born and he is a commoner which prohibits anything beyond mere friendship. Add the danger of a conspiracy to overthrow her father and the obstacles seem insurmountable. Will they ever find true love? Discover the answer in Dangerous Seduction. But first try this excerpt.

“Arise and face your judgment.” Galen made the words a harsh
order.
Reg and Egan awoke with a start and struggled to see in the
darkened room.
“Stand up you scum who pass for men.” Galen shifted the direction
of his arrow from one to the other. “Stand up lest I loose
the arrow and end it now.”
The two obeyed as their eyes became accustomed to the dim
light.
“You,” Reg replied in anger having identified Galen standing in
the doorway. “Are we never to be rid of your constant torment?”
“Never!” Galen declared. “Now where is she?”
“Where is who?” Egan asked with patently false innocence.
“The Lady Elizabeth, you swine,” Galen declared. “Tell me
quickly for my bow fingers grow weary.”
Reg smiled at him. “But there are two of us,” he said. “And you
have but one arrow.”
“You speak the truth for once in your dismal life,” Galen said
returning the smile and aiming the arrow at Reg’s chest. “But the
solution is a simple one. I will drive the shaft through your heart
then deal with your friend with my knife.”
Reg stepped back raising his hands. “No need for violence, laddie,”
he said his voice shaking. “It was only an observation.”
“Very well, then,” Galen said. “Outside with you and no tricks
or one of you will surely die.”
The two brigands hurried out into the moonlit night.

Dangerous Seduction available on:
eternalpress.biz
amazon.com
fictionwise.com
coffeetimeromance.com

When Romance Becomes Erotica, And Why I Care

Many thanks to fellow EP author Lisabet Sarai for hosting me on her blog the other day. There is an ongoing discussion, which just had a Yule log added to the fire.

Just today, this op-ed was published in the New York Times, set in the same time period as The Journey, but in Georgia rather than Massachusetts. It is a fascinating but disturbing discussion featuring details about end of the year package deals for slaves just before the Civil War.

So the discussion has shifted to why grahic sex, and by extension romance and erotica, engenders more negative press than violence and other indignities in other genres, including nonfiction.

Coming a short time after Books by New York Times spotlighted ebook romance, I'd say there is ample evidence that what we all love to read also has literary merit.

Stop by Lisabet's blog, or my Facebook Page, to weigh in.

All the greeting of the Holiday Season!

Gianna

My New Cover!

This beautiful cover was made by the very talented (and very awesome) Dawné Dominique. I love every single cover she's made for me, and absolutely adore this one! Not only did she capture exactly what I imagined, but went beyond to make it super awesome.

Seriously, I haven't been able to stop staring at it since I got it in my Inbox the other day. :)

By the way, this is for my upcoming novel from Eternal Press. It'll be released 7 June, 2011 and is actually the first installment in the Alex Wales Quartet. A series which follows the adventures of Alex Wales--space courier--and introduces some strange planets, space stations, characters, former lovers, villains, cyborgs, and dangerous entanglements. It might be set in a Sci-Fi world, but there are plenty of otherworldly and magical things going on in this world, and I can't wait to tell her (and Damon's) entire story.

Well, what do you think?

Yolanda Sfetsos
http://www.yolandasfetsos.com/

Mountain Romance

The lonely prairie is a dangerous place to be lost so Mattie was a lucky woman when Red found her. But will her gratitude toward him turn into love? Discover the answer in Mountain Romance, but first see this excerpt.

“This is about the kiss, isn’t it?” She looked up at him with her hands
on her hips.
Red shook his head. “It’s about me making a decision. That’s all.” He
made a move to go around her, but she moved with him and blocked his
way again.
“I felt something when we kissed, Red,” she told him. “I think you
felt something, too.”
Red side-stepped around her then walked over to get his saddle. He
lifted the saddle and turned toward the mustang only to face her once
Richard Jones
24
more.
“It was just a kiss,” he said. “I’ve kissed a hundred girls the same way
and never felt a thing.”
“If that’s the case,” she said with a sly smile, “let’s try it again and see
what happens.”
After a moment’s hesitation, she moved closer and titled her head
back. Seconds passed while her breasts heaved as she struggled to
breathe, but Red made no move to embrace her. Mattie saw the fire in his
eyes and knew his desire was as fierce as her own. If only she could will
him to allow his feelings to guide him.
Red gently pushed her away. “No,” he whispered.
“You did feel something,” she said once her heart stopped racing.
“Of course I did,” he replied. “I felt your body against mine. Your soft
lips touching mine. Your heart racing against mine. The unmistakable
feel of a woman in my arms.”
“But if we both felt the same—”
“It can’t go on,” Red said. “There’s no future in this.”
“You were going into the mountains to do some trapping. I could go
with you. We could build a future together.”
Red shook his head. “I’m a drifter, Mattie,” he confessed. “I’ve been a
drifter since I left my family’s home in Ohio some twenty years ago and
all I have to show for it is sitting on the back of that mustang. Everything
I own is on the back of that horse. Is that what you want?”
“But you could change,” she declared, fighting back the tears welling
in her eyes. “Anyone can change.”

Mountain Romance available on:
eternalpress.biz
amazon.com
fictionwise.com
coffeetimeromance.com
booksamillion.com

Dangerous Seduction

There are no boundaries when it comes to love, so it is that Elizabeth and Galen ignore their separate stations in life and fall prey to their passions. Can they overcome their differences amidst conspiracy and betrayal? Discover the answer in Dangerous Seduction, but first try an excerpt.

Galen’s head was throbbing as he released his hold on the chair
and walked within an arm’s length of her. “Then swear to me that
you had nothing to do with this.”
“I swear to no man,” she retorted hotly. “I have given my word
and I stand by it.”
Galen searched her soft blue eyes for deception, but found
none. He grabbed her shoulders with both hands, partly for support
and partly because he felt a deep need to touch her. Elizabeth
loosened her grip on the cloak as she looked up into his eyes, but
made no move to free herself.
“I want to believe you,” he said softly. “I know not why, but I
need to believe you.”
“I know,” she whispered wondering why she felt so strange
whenever Galen was near her. “I would never break my word to
you or anyone.”
“You bewitch me, m’lady,” he said. “All reason abandons me
whenever you are close. Why is that?” Women had never been a
part of Galen’s life and his emotions now were a mass of confusion.
They stood in silence for a long moment as neither knew what
to say nor do. Elizabeth felt her heart beating wildly in her chest
as madness overtook her and she dropped the cloak exposing her
exquisite body clothed only in a near transparent chemise.
Galen could not believe his eyes and was soon lost in the
smooth, soft texture of her skin and those full red lips. He fought
for control, but it was useless. In a dizzy moment of pain and passion
he pulled her close and kissed her. Tenderly at first, but then
with a fever they both felt, but neither could control.
She abandoned any hope of decorum as his hands began to explore
her body. They seemed to be everywhere at once exciting her
with a passion she had never known. Who knows how far it might
have gone had Galen not pushed her away as he surrendered to
the effects of his fight and fell to the floor in a swoon.
Galen awoke hours later with a start. It took some time for his
eyes to focus before he spied Lady Elizabeth sitting in a nearby
chair.

Dangerous Seduction available on:
eternalpress.biz
amazon.com
fictionwise.com
coffeetimeromance.com
booksamillion.com

Unholy Alliance by Tom Olbert

UNHOLY ALLIANCE by Tom Olbert
Released February 2010 from Eternal Press
Available in paperback and Kindle at Amazon.com

Chris is a 16-year-old boy whose life is an endless war against the living dead. Orphaned at the age of 5 when his family was slaughtered by vampires, Chris was "adopted" by the vampire hunters who rescued him, and raised as one of their own. A child soldier driven by hatred and revenge, he has known only battle and killing. His life changes dramatically when, one night, on a routine hunt, he chances to meet Sara, a "teenaged" vampire girl who touches his heart in a way no one ever had before. Their love is an impossible one, and the alliance of necessity that forms between them equally so. They find themselves pitted against dark forces that would exploit or destroy the innocent. The odds are against them, but Chris's greatest battle is within his own soul. He must choose between his love for Sara, and his faith in a greater good...

Excerpt:

The girl’s scream cut deep to his marrow as she jumped on Kenny’s
back, driving her fangs deep into his throat. Kenny roared in pain as she
clawed out his eyes, his blood splattering. Chris rubbed the side of his
head and tried to sit up as Kenny toppled to the floor with a thud, his
legs twitching, the girl on top of him, tearing wildly at his throat. “Get
off him, you bitch!” Danny raised his wooden spear. He didn’t make it
two steps towards the girl. Chris grabbed the switchblade from Pete’s
limp hand and lunged forward on his knees, plunging the knife deep
into Danny’s thigh. Danny screamed and swore, pulling the knife out
slowly, tears in his eyes. “Holy Mother of...Chris, you stinking punk,
I’ll...”
He didn’t have time to finish. Danny screamed as two more
vamps...a teenaged boy and a girl...flew on his back and tore into him.
Chris winced as Danny’s head was nearly ripped off, his throat torn
apart, blood spurting everywhere. The two vamps growled and ripped
voraciously with their teeth, tearing like ravening wolves mad with
hunger.
How’d they miss these two? Chris wondered. They must have been
hunting elsewhere in the house, he guessed. They looked up from what
was left of Danny, their faces covered in his blood, their fangs bared,
their eyes shining yellow in the dark. Bryce had regained consciousness
and gotten shakily to his feet, holding his crucifix at arm’s length. The
two vamps hissed hatefully and averted their eyes from the cross,
turning to Chris.
He picked up the blade-end of the broken axe, holding it aloft to
defend himself. The fire was rising in him again. “Stop!” The blue-eyed
girl held up a hand as she looked up from Kenny’s dead body. The other
two vampires seemed to hesitate, looking at their ‘sister’ and trembling
in something between rage and hunger, like two rabid young wolves.
“He saved my life,” she said, looking at Chris and licking Kenny’s blood
from the back of her small hand. He slowly lowered the axe as their eyes
met.

****
“Unholy Alliance” is a dark, violent urban fantasy about a first love under the worst possible circumstances. Vampirism stands in contrast to Man’s own evil, and a boy becoming a man has to sort the two out.

Available at:

http://www.eternalpress.biz/book.php?isbn=9781770650343

http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=Tom+Olbert+-+Unholy+Alliance&x=11&y=21

****
Tom Olbert
http://tomolbert.blogspot.com

Dangerous Seduction

Elizabeth and Galen are two young people from vastly different worlds who find themselves in the midst of a dangerous plot to overthrow Elizabeth's father and steal his land. Can they uncover the conspirator? Will their different stations in life prevent true love? Discover the answers in Dangerous Seduction, but first try this excerpt.

Reg limped closer to Galen holding his knife at the ready.
“We were told to just rough you up a bit, laddie, but all that has
changed.” He gritted his teeth against the pain of his bruised shin.
“I will not suffer another blow from such as you, which means you
will not be leaving here alive, my boy.”
Galen was focused on Reg and his knife, but life in the forest
had heightened his senses. They told him Egan was up and about
and moving behind him.
“I do not suppose it would do any good to beg for my life,” he
said biding his time until they made their move.
“None at all,” Reg replied with an evil smile that showed no
quarter. He moved close enough to his quarry so a lunge with
his knife would give Galen a very nasty wound. “Now, Egan!” he
yelled.
Galen heard the footsteps fast approaching from his rear as
Reg thrust with his blade. He then did the only thing he could.
He fell to the ground tripping Egan with one leg and watching as
the two ruffians collided and hit the floor with a thud. Then he
scrambled to his feet and kicked the knife from Reg’s hand.
Meanwhile, Egan leaped up. Galen was too late in seeing the
piece of wood the other held in his hand. He had only time enough
to raise his forearm and partially deflect it. Though only a glancing
blow, it sent him reeling and almost back to the ground. Egan
saw his chance and advanced for a second blow, but this time
Galen was ready. He waited until Egan drew back to swing then
shot his right fist into the young man’s mid-section.
Egan dropped his weapon and doubled over in pain. Galen immediately
followed with a left hook to his jaw and Egan fell to the
floor unconscious.

Dangerous Seduction available on:
eternalpress.biz
amazon.com
fictionwise.com
coffeetimeromance.com
booksamillion.com

Mountain Romance

Mattie and Red are alone on the prairie of the Old West each looking for a different path to follow. No matter for either path will force them to face jail, a dangerous outlaw and a strange ghost in the night. Can they survive long enough to find true love? Discover the answer in Mountain Romance, but first read this excerpt.

“How long will it take to get there?” Mattie asked after two hours of
silent riding.
“Two weeks, if we’re lucky,” Red replied.
“And if we’re not?”
Red turned to her with a smile on his face. “Then it probably won’t
matter.”
They rode in silence and Mattie watched as Red kept checking the
trail behind them. He’d been doing it all morning and Mattie’s curiosity
finally got the better of her.
“Are you worried Logan might be following us?” she asked.
“Nope,” Red replied over his shoulder.
“Then why do you keep checking our back trail?”
“Nothing looks the same coming and going,” Red explained. “I want
to get our back trail set in my mind so I don’t get lost when I make the
return trip.”
The thought of him leaving her saddened Mattie more than she
wanted to admit. But what most confused her were the strong feelings
she had for a man she barely knew. Was it only because he had saved
her life? she wondered. Or did she truly feel a bond between them? What
was there about this lonely man that so stirred her passion? Did she see
Richard Jones
26
in him something that really wasn’t there? Was he no more than what he
said, a drifter who sought no more than that which satisfied his meager
needs?
“See that mesa up ahead?” Red said, breaking her reverie. “We
should be there in about an hour and we can rest in some shade.”
The shade provided by the tall mesa was a welcome relief after miles
of riding in the hot sun. It was a cool oasis where they could pause to
chew on a little jerky and rest for the next leg of their journey.

Mountain Romance available on:
eternalpress.biz
amazon.com
fictionwise.com
coffeetimeromance.com
booksamillion

The Wolf and the Druidess released Today

I have a new Paranormal/Erotica/Romance release for Fever Day on the Eternal Press Blog. The Wolf and the Druidess comes out today, 12/7/10, heat rating of four flames.

A god leaves the Otherworld and even risks his life … for love. Mystical and magical the story’s set at Samhain rather than Halloween and instead of a werewolf the hero is the Celtic god Gwydion, a wolf is one of his shape shifting forms.

Blurb: In days of old, deep in the dark woods, Druidess Seven discovers a wolf shape shifting into the bare, muscular body of God Gwydion. Her wicked thoughts turn from the Samhain feast to feasting on Gwydion’s yummy goodies. Is the love Seren and Gwydion share strong enough to overcome the social barrier between an immortal god and a mortal woman? Will the warning of danger from beyond the grave destroy the sensual magic brewing between the wolf and the druidess?

Excerpt:
“My turn,” Seren rasped.

Releasing his tight grip on her hips, he stood. Seren’s heart hammered as she eased the white and gold-speckled druid robe off his broad shoulders. It fell to the floor. She slipped her hands to his tunic, pulled it off him and tossed it down.

Gwydion shook his head and his cascading golden hair fell in place, streaming down his back.

She grasped the belt at his flat waist, untied it and pushed his plaid pants down to his ankles.

He stepped out of them and slipped his shoes off.

Her gaze roamed over his deep blue eyes, smoldering with fire, the powerful set of his shoulders, his chest rippling with muscles and down his firm torso to the thick, rigid flesh of his loins. She pressed her hands against his hard chest, splayed her fingers and stroked his bare skin. After skimming her palms down the sides of his body, in a serpentine motion, she gripped his sturdy thighs.

http://www.eternalpress.biz/people.php?author=245
http://CelticRomanceQueen.com

Mountain Romance

It's a traditional love story with plenty of action, adventure and a little lust. Two young lovers are alone on the prairie and find they must face a Cavalry jail, a dangerous outlaw and a friendly ghost. Try this excerpt.

Mattie didn’t sleep well that night, and morning did not improve her
disposition. Both she and Red stomped around the camp sour-faced and
silent, looking forward to another long, hot ride with little conversation.
“I’m going to rub down the horses before I saddle them,” Red said.
“Good,” Mattie replied, not looking up from the fire. She waited until
he was out of earshot, then began packing the cooking utensils. The
sound of a rifle shot made her drop one of the pots and she turned
quickly to look for Red. She was shocked to see him lying lifeless in the
dust.
“Don’t bother with him,” a familiar voice said from behind her. “I’m
a pretty good shot with this here Winchester and I don’t figure he’ll be
getting up anytime soon.”
Mattie turned to face Jack Logan, the man who’d accosted her at the
fort. “You killed him without even giving him a chance!” she screamed,
tears wetting her cheeks.
“He got his chance at the fort,” Logan told her without remorse. “It’s
not my fault he didn’t take.”
Mattie turned again to look at Red. There was no sign of life in his
body and she had to assume the worse. Red Holden was dead.
Mattie’s first thought was to go to him, but a sadness beyond
anything she had ever known suddenly enveloped her and froze her in
place. Her mourning lasted only a moment as a fierce anger soon
replaced it. In a blind rage, she wheeled toward Logan, ready to attack.
“You murdered him for no reason!”
“I have a reason, ma’am,” Logan replied as he ran an appraising eye
along her body. “The same reason I had when we met at the fort. Now
throw a saddle on that Appaloosa and we’ll hit the trail.”

Mountain Romance available on:
eternalpress.biz
amazon.com
fictionwise.com
coffeetimeromance.com
booksamillion.com

Dangerous Seduction

I just got a review from Coffeetime Romance and thought I'd share it with you. Read on!



Lady Elizabeth Halston is the only child of Baron William Halston. She is a very willful young woman who is in danger from someone within Halston Castle.

Galen was orphaned at a young age and was educated in the monastery. He stumbles across a situation that will change his life’s path.

Galen finds Lady Elizabeth tied up and at the mercy of two ruffians. Overhearing the men’s dilemma, Galen saves Elizabeth and returns her to the Baron where Elizabeth has Galen promptly imprisoned. Recognizing his daughter’s pettiness, the Baron enlists Galen’s help in protecting his daughter from the nobleman who is out to cause her harm.

I was not overly fond of Elizabeth when I first met her. Her childish behavior was a bit off-putting. Then, I read on. Elizabeth plays a role contingent upon whoever she is with at the moment. I discovered her to be a delightful character with great strength and intelligence. The humor of the various dialogues had me chuckling with each turn of the page. This is quite a lovely read with elements to surprise the reader along the way.
Kimberly
Reviewer for Coffee Time Romance & More

Dangerous Seduction available on:
eternalpress.biz
amazon.com
fictionwise.com
coffeetimeromance.com
booksamillion.com




Lady Elizabeth Halston is the only child of Baron William Halston. She is a very willful young woman who is in danger from someone within Halston Castle.

Galen was orphaned at a young age and was educated in the monastery. He stumbles across a situation that will change his life’s path.

Galen finds Lady Elizabeth tied up and at the mercy of two ruffians. Overhearing the men’s dilemma, Galen saves Elizabeth and returns her to the Baron where Elizabeth has Galen promptly imprisoned. Recognizing his daughter’s pettiness, the Baron enlists Galen’s help in protecting his daughter from the nobleman who is out to cause her harm.

I was not overly fond of Elizabeth when I first met her. Her childish behavior was a bit off-putting. Then, I read on. Elizabeth plays a role contingent upon whoever she is with at the moment. I discovered her to be a delightful character with great strength and intelligence. The humor of the various dialogues had me chuckling with each turn of the page. This is quite a lovely read with elements to surprise the reader along the way.
Kimberly
Reviewer for Coffee Time Romance & More

A Preview and Pre-Release Blog Tour for The Journey by Gianna Bruno

There's less than one week until release day for The Journey and I'm so excited I can't wait! And check out the gorgeous cover by Amanda Kelsey.

What's it about? A mix of dark paranormal and American history. And five flames. It's so different than anything I've written before, with more traditional fantasy elements (cue the fairies and merpeople) and lush prose.

They don't hang witches in Salem anymore, but Milena's punishment is being shunned. When her lover Thomas' ship is lost at sea, she fears he perished with the rest of the crew leaving her alone in a town bracing for a war over slavery, but still rife with an older form of prejudice.

Milena travels into the Forest and Sea Otherworlds to search for him, paying the fairies for her passage with bodily pleasures. Circe, the evil mermaid holding Thomas hostage, demands even more. She faces off against Circe in her underwater lair, endures the wrath of a colony of escaped slaves, and learns the terrible truth of what led to the shipwreck that left Thomas as its only survivor.

On the long journey, Milena learns to use her powers in ways she never imagined and discovers surprising truths about her own past. Left questioning everything she has ever believed, she must make the choice whether to return home with Thomas or stay in the Otherworlds forever.


Andrew Richardson has posted a preview, and here's some of what he had to say:

"The plot is well thought through, and enough to keep the reader gripped on its own. The story’s highlight, though – as with Gianna’s previous Eternal Press release, ‘Hot Chocolate Kiss’ – is the strength of the main character. Milena is totally committed to her man. Not in any wimpish way, but with the sort of love and passion that makes her a strong heroine.

"It might have been easier to have written this as an adventure story. Gianna shows everything through Milena’s eyes, which gives the tale an additional strength."

How about an excerpt?

Villagers swarmed around the dappled gray stallion to obstruct her passage. They buzzed like flies on dung. Since the day Milena stumbled dazed and disoriented out of the Swampscott forest, and Hecabe's lair, they'd branded her a sorceress. Thomas found her huddled near the docks, knowing little of the world and nothing of her origins, surviving only by an innate ability to forage and perform simple magic. He transformed her from an illiterate, illegitimate enigma with his love and attention, teaching her numbers, letters and the ways of the civilized.

If not for the laws on the books, and the protection Thomas provided, Milena would have been hanged. Being shunned was the extent of her punishment. And for that she owed him her loyalty and fidelity. Perhaps the winds of war blowing since Lincoln 's election and the Southerners' secession now occupied the Northerners' attention, but Milena knew prejudice to be a blinder as effective as those used on skittish work horses.

"Go back into the woods where you belong, witch." A woman reached up and tugged Milena's ebony plaits. "Immodesty in dress and action. No cap covering your hair, devil worship at the full moon."

Greystone reared. The crowd fled the horse's shrill whinny and pawing hooves.

The woman spat on the ground. "Good riddance, demoness. Ride your ghost mount back whence you came."

Milena clutched the horse's middle with her legs, regained her balance and continued on to the docks. The gray, sticky aura of the sea's wrath shrouded everything in Milena's sight. Whitecaps frothed on the bay. Plumes of sea spray surged through the planks with each swell the agitated waters. A steady wind dispersed black clouds over the town.

Hateful eyes glared from a safe distance. She tethered Greystone and walked into the shipping company office. Her footsteps echoed in the room. The workers fell silent.


She approached the purser's desk. He surveyed her from the neckline of her sackcloth dress down to the battered boots on her feet. "What business have you here, witch?"

"To inquire after Thomas Harper." Milena ignored her heart pounding and stared directly into his eyes. He would not intimidate her.

"And of what interest is he to you?" A smirk spread over his face.

The vision of Thomas headed into the forest on the day he left flashed through her mind. Milena's voice quavered despite her effort. "He's my husband."

Unmoved, the brute spoke with the venom of a poisonous snake. "His ship was last seen leaving Cay West on two months ago. The ship went down, but no one knows where." His crooked smile indicated perverse delight in delivering the news. Despair surged through Milena's body like lightning. Her heart trembled with grief, the empty pit in her soul ached. Why had the spirits not spoken the truth? She would not show any vulnerability, she would not react, she would not give them the pleasure of seeing her cry.

I'd love to continue the conversation about the story and how I researched and wrote it. There are still open contests with interviews at Rachel Leigh Romance and Fang-tastic Books, as well as at Andrew's preview.

Don't forget to come celebrate with all the new release authors next Tuesday December 7. We'll be on the Eternal Press Reader's Group all day and at live chats in the afternoon and evening. My time slot is 5:30 pm EST, but I'll be checking in as soon as I get home from work.

My other blog stops and live chats are listed on my blog and Facebook Page.

Hope to meet up with you somewhere along my journey!

Gianna