Time to place catch up with life. It’s been a strange week
to say the least. It all began last Monday, when I did something as simple as
take my car into the garage to have a fuel line checked… If I’d only known how
that would turn out! Two days later the estimate to make my car (which you have
to understand was running beautifully at this point, but was guzzling gas,
which made me aware there was a leak) road-worthy again came in at $7200 – yes,
you did read that correctly, over 7 grand. My car was old, I admit that, but
Holy Hannah… Imagine my near heart attack while I stood there gaping?
In the week that followed, many scenarios were discussed,
all of them workable, but the plan became wait until Spring and see about
buying new. Or used new for me. What fun! Brother in law asked a simple
question about choice of model, I decided to look into it – within three days,
I was buying a new car. Took delivery yesterday! Wow Spring arrived quickly!!
However, during the week I was MIA, I missed a lot of stuff –
a great TRS party, promotional things I’d signed for, and now I am slogging
through mail, proposals, and trying hard to get caught up.
This is a business where a week in absentia can kill your momentum.
I saw that when Facebook took down my fan page and disabled my profile for a
week. The fan page never recovered, it’s still operating at approximately one
TENTH the views and users it had only a couple of months ago. This is very
disheartening. But, we can rebuild, right? *lol*
I’ve written up a list of work – titles that have been in
progress awhile and are finally almost done. I have an amazing array of stories
in the works that should appeal to many readers. Diversity is our friend,
right? 2013 has already proven to be a very unpredictable year in terms of
throwing out promises then everything falling to pieces. I try to remain the
optimist, though, and that’s why I’m not quite ready to call it quits yet.
Let me share with you a scene from my next work, this one is
roughly half done, and it’s my first shifter book. Please do let me know what
you think, ok?
Also, new sites for me are:
Now, a look at UNLEASH YOUR PASSION ~
As the latest guest arrived and stared in wonder at his
palace home, Vasya felt a tremor of excitement ripple his outwardly calm
expression. Something in her stance, and her genuine love of what stood before
her stirred recognition deep inside him, and he wondered if he’d finally found
her.
“Your stillness is much more revealing than words,” a soft
voice noted as his sister drew close and stood at his side. “Do you think this
might be the one you have both been looking for?”
Vasya turned away with reluctance and faced his lovely
sister. He shrugged, the gesture simple and elegant. “She may be, something
about her feels different to the others who have accepted our invitations. I
want you to stay close to her, Antoinetta,” he requested. “If she is the right
woman, you know he will try to take her from here before she knows why she has
come halfway around the world purely on instinct.”
“When does Patrizio arrive?”
Vasya smiled, the expression devoid of warmth. “When it will
be of best advantage. I would guess he has been watching to see who is coming
to the Palace. If this is the right woman, he will be here soon enough.”
“Will you be able to protect her?”
“I hope so.” He closed his eyes for a second, and drew in a
heavy breath. “She will have to want me to. There is no other way.”
He stared at her, his eyes a mirror to the sadness in his
soul.
“Cabrini is a very charming man, brother,” she reminded him,
unnecessarily. “Just make sure you permit her to see the best of you.” She
kissed his cheek. “Trust your heart this time, Vasya,” she advised. “If you do,
you will never lose to him.”
“We mate for life, remember? If Carla had been truly mine,
he would never have persuaded her to leave with him.”
“She chose her death,” Antoinetta stated flatly, careful to
contain her anger. “You know this. The past is long past now, leave it there.
This is meant to be a new beginning for you, Vasya.”
He nodded and reached out to hug her close, then kissed the
top of her head.
“You are right, as usual. Shall we greet our newest guest
together?”
“Why not allow me to meet her, and you prepare for tonight?”
There was wisdom in her suggestion, as well as honest love,
and his nodded, his smile one of ironic amusement. A moment later, he was alone
with his demons again, and a growing restlessness that would only be soothed by
the passion of true mating.
* * *
“It is a pleasure to meet you Signorina Townsend,”
Antoinetta said as she descended the last steps of the curving staircase. The
palace was a place in all ways and the grandeur was overwhelming to someone not
used to opulence. Riella Townsend was staring in combined awe and disbelief,
her open admiration making Antoinetta’s smile even warmer as she approached the
latest arrival.
“This place really is a Palace of Dreams
“Vasya has spent a lifetime making it a place of beauty,”
the other woman agreed. “Tonight’s ball is our first in many years.”
“Why did he invite me to this party?” It was a question
Riella had wondered about from the moment the invitation had arrived, and no
answer she’d imagined had been satisfactory to explain why a man from the other
side of the Atlantic Ocean would ask her to a Masquerade in Venice , let alone send her the tickets and
make all the arrangements for her trip.
Antoinetta shrugged. “I have learned not to question my
brother’s decisions, or ask for explanations. Vasya does as he wishes, and he
rarely makes errors in his judgements.” Her smile emerged again and she leaned
forward to kiss Riella’s cheeks. “I have things I must attend to before
tonight, signorina, so I will see you later. If you require anything, do not
hesitate to ask.”
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