Love is in The Air by Sharon Kleve

Blurb:

Sophie Grant made a promise to her friend. She loves the comfort of her book store and has no desire what-so-ever to go on an adventure—not when she can read about them every day in a book.
But a promise is a promise.

After sticking a pin in a map she heads off to the Colorado Rockies.

High in the Colorado Rockies, world renowned photographer Jonas Hansen is healing from a personal loss. Will Sophie’s kind nature, love of photography, and beautiful smile make Jonas whole again?

Excerpt:

Sophie climbed the stairs and Jonas held the door open for her. He didn't leave a lot of room to get by and she could feel his breath across her neck as their bodies brushed. He removed the pack from her shoulder after she stepped inside and one of the straps snapped.

"That's a new backpack. I can't believe that just happened." At first, Sophie felt embarrassed, and then mad that her pack didn’t even last a day before something broke.

He laughed and pointed to a picnic-bench-style table. "Don't worry. I can fix it. Have a seat. Would you like a cup of coffee?"

Sophie took a deep breath and replied, "I'd love a cup. Heavy on the cream please." She sat and zipped her pocket before she removed her coat. Sophie didn't want any of her precious feathers to float away.

"That's how I drink my coffee, but I only have the powdered stuff. Is that all right?" Jonas asked as he laid her pack on the table.

"Sure. I'm not picky. I usually drink it out of my secondhand Mr. Coffee machine." Sophie had a hard time keeping her eyes off of Jonas. He took off his jacket and his large shoulders pulled at the fabric of his shirt, emphasizing the muscles in his back and arms. Talk about being unprofessional. She needed to stop ogling his body. To distract herself, she looked around the building. The interior reminded Sophie of a miniature ski lodge, except hiking poles and backpacks hung on the walls instead of skis and goggles.

"Here you go. The coffee is hot, but not necessarily good." His hand brushed hers as he pulled away.

"I'll take it hot over good any day." Too late, she realized how that might've sounded. The heat rose in her cheeks as she clarified, "I meant I like my coffee served hot."

Sharon Kleve was born and raised in Washington and currently lives on the Olympic Peninsula with her husband.

Sharon is a writer of paranormal and contemporary romance. She loves romance. She loves reading romance, living romance, and especially loves writing about romance. She gets no greater feeling than watching her characters come alive in each other's arms. Most of all, she loves giving her characters the happily ever after they deserve—with a few bumps and bruises along the way.

One of her favorite things to do is picking up a new book and sinking into the story, immersing herself in the emotions between the characters. She hopes to inspire her readers the same way her favorite authors have inspired her.

When not writing, she can usually be found either curled up in her recliner with her cat and a good book, or in the kitchen baking sourdough bread or bagels.

Available at Amazon:  http://www.amazon.com/Love-Air-Places-Sharon-Kleve-ebook/dp/B00K7SKL9A/

Love is in the Air is the third book in Places to See Series.

Contact Sharon:

Email: sharon.kleve@yahoo.com

Blog: http://authorsharonkleve.blogspot.com/

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/sharonrkleve

Twitter: https://twitter.com/SharonKleve

Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/srkleve/boards/

Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5399389.Sharon_Kleve

Linkedin: http://www.linkedin.com/pub/sharon-kleve/56/ab/691/

Amazon Author Page: http://www.amazon.com/Sharon-Kleve/e/B006JAH14S

Shelfari: http://www.librarything.com/profile/SRKLEVE

Library Thing: http://www.shelfari.com/sharonkleve

Publisher: http://bookstogonow.com/

Author of "The Corny Myers Series"

Flamingo Blues, Published December 2011

Be Mine, Published February 2012

Klutzy Love, Published August 2012 Amazon / Amazon UK

Love Under The Christmas Tree, (Christmas Anthology), Published November 2012

Josey's Christmas Cookie, Published November 2012

Book Review Jane Yellowrock World Companion: (InterMix) by Faith Hunter

Loved the three short stories/scenes!

I love the world Faith Hunter has created, but if you are not familiar with the Jane Yellowrock series, I would not start with this book. Yes, it will give you a synopsis of the series, but where is the fun in that?

When I heard about this book, I was not interested in the synopsis (though, it is very interesting). What I wanted to know was how long each short story was and what was it about. Having said that, here is a short run down.

First Sight - Bruiser's POV of his first meeting with Jane = Awesome! This is a single scene, not an entire story. Appx percent of e-book 2% or (kindle location) 531 of 3997 to 582 of 3997

Dance Master - mini novella in Bruiser's POV = Great read! Loved it!! I really loved the chance to get into Bruiser's head and hear his true thoughts/feelings toward Jane. Appx percent of e-book 3% (kindle location) 587 of 3997 to 700 of 3997.

Beneath a Bloody Moon - Jane's POV - Fantastic novella! I really enjoyed this novella about werewolves. If you plan to read Black Arts on Jan. 7th, I recommend reading this book first. It might not be critical, but it shows Jane (and others) growing in their relationships with each other. Appx percent of e-book 28% (kindle location) 2660 of 3997 to 3764 of 3997.

**** slight spoilers ****

I have to admit, I swing back and forth between Team Bruiser and Team Ricky-Bo. Hard choice! After the three great stories/scenes I'm leaning toward Bruiser as Jane's primary guy. Why? Ricky-Bo wants her (no doubt), but he doesn't seem willing to go that extra mile to let her know how he feels or otherwise. It's like he is waiting for someone better to come along. On the other hand, Bruiser (in no uncertain terms) has made it clear he'll do anything (even against Leo) to make Jane his. AND Bruiser is simply HOTTER than Ricky-Bo.

Would I recommend this book to a friend? Yes! But I would recommend they read the series first. It would make reading this book much more enjoyable.

Empty Places by Roy Martin Hill

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Jack Templar and the Lord of the Vampires by Jeff Gunhus

Jack is back.

After his adventures at the Monster Hunter Academy (which included fighting a goblin army, befriending an ancient werewolf, and battling two fire breathing dragons), Jack Templar was hoping for a rest. No such luck. In Book #3 of the Jack Templar Monster Hunter series, Jack embarks on a quest to track down and acquire the first of the five mythical Jerusalem Stones, an ancient power found by his ancestors the Templar Knights. Only the reunited Stones can stop Ren Lucre, the Dark Lord who holds Jack’s father hostage and prepares for an all-out war against an unsuspecting human world. But each Stone is held by a different Creach Lord and recovering them will not be easy. Jack and his friends begin their quest by seeking out one of the most powerful and dangerous keepers of the Stones, the Lord of the Vampires. The fate of the world rests on Jack’s shoulders and he will be tested like never before. But true monster hunters always do their duty…come what may.

Jack Templar and the Lord of the Vampires.

Amazon

Jack Templar and the Monster Hunter Academy (Book 2)

 After barely surviving the onslaught of monsters that tried to kill him the day before his fourteenth birthday, Jack Templar leaves his hometown on a quest to rescue his father and discover the truth about his past. Joined by his friends Will and T-Rex, and led by Eva, the mysterious one-handed monster hunter, Jack sets out for the Monster Hunter Academy where he hopes to find answers to his questions. Little does he suspect that the Academy is filled with dangers of its own, many of them more terrifying than anything he’s faced so far.

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Jack Templar: Monster Hunter (Book 1)

Orphan Jack Templar has no memory of his parents and only the smallest details from his Aunt Sophie about how they died. The day before Jack's fourteenth birthday, things start to change for him. At first it's great: A sudden new strength helps him defend his nose-picking friend "T-Rex" from the school bully, and even his crush, Cindy Adams, takes notice. But then a mysterious girl named Eva arrives and tells him two facts that will change his life forever. First, that he's the descendent of a long line of monster hunters and he's destined to be in the family business. Second, that there's a truce between man and monster that children are off-limits...until their fourteenth birthday! Jack has only one day before hundreds of monsters will descend on his little town of Sunnyvale and try to kill him.

As if that weren't enough, things get even more complicated when Jack discovers that the Lord of the Creach (as the monsters are collectively known) holds a personal grudge against him and will do anything to see that Jack has a slow and painful death. To stay alive and save his friends, Jack will have to battle werewolves, vampires, harpies, trolls, zombies and more. But perhaps the most dangerous thing he must face is the truth about his past. Why do the other hunters call him the last Templar? Why do they whisper that he may be the "One?" Why do the monsters want him dead so badly? Even as these questions plague him, he quickly discovers survival is his new full-time job and that in the world of monster hunters, nothing is really what it seems.

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Jack Templar Monster Hunter was chosen as a Book of the Year Finalist by Foreword Reviews.

Darkness Dawns by Dianne Duvall - ONLY .99!!

I love (LOVE) the Immortal Guardians series by Dianne Duvall!! When I saw it was only .99 (price subject to change), I wanted to share it with everyone!

In this dazzling, sensual novel, Dianne Duvall beckons readers into a world of vampires, immortals, and humans with extraordinary gifts. . .where passion can last forever, if you're willing to pay the price. . .
Once, Sarah Bingham's biggest challenge was making her students pay attention in class. Now, after rescuing a wounded stranger, she's landed in the middle of a battle between corrupt vampires and powerful immortals who also need blood to survive. Roland Warbrook is the most compelling man Sarah has ever laid hands on. But his desire for her is mingled with a hunger he can barely control. . .

In his nine centuries of immortal existence, no woman has tempted Roland as much as Sarah. But asking her to love him is impossible--when it means forfeiting the world she's always known, and the life he would do anything to protect. . .

"These dark, kick-ass guardians can protect me any day!" --Alexandra Ivy

Amazon

Hyperion and the Great Balls of Fire (Heroes in Training Book 4) by Joan Holub and Suzanne Williams

The action heats up for Zeus and his fellow Olympians in this blazing Heroes in Training tale.

Phew, it’s hot! Under the titan Hyperion’s rule, the sun is burning even brighter than normal and scorching everything in northern Greece—including the villagers! The Olympians are forced to play a sizzling “game” of Dodge the Sunbursts as Hyperion hurls giant fireballs that could fry them to pieces! Armed with some clues, Zeus, Poseidon, and Hades set out to figure out why in the world Hyperion has been making things so hot. They also need to rescue Hera, who is still missing. Battling the extreme heat—and some fantastical and scary creatures, courtesy of their old foe Cronus—the boys are off on another epic adventure…and Zeus is one step closer to discovering his destiny.

Amazon * Amazon Kindle * Barnes & Noble

Heroes in Training by Joan Holub & Suzanne Williams 
Authors Joan Holub and Suzanne Williams deliver fun, adventures, and a few surprises as ten-year-old Olympians go on a journey of a lifetime to discover their true identities and defeat their Titan enemies.

Praise for Heroes in Training

"Readers will gobble this down and look for more, make no mythtake." ~ Kirkus

“This is a fun read, casting Zeus in the role of relatable kid, and there is a nice balance between his primary goal of survival and his sense of destiny and adventure. . . Share this title, and likely more to come, with those still too young for Percy Jackson’s adventures.” ~ School Library Journal

The Series

#1 Zeus and the Thunderbolt of Doom #2 Poseidon and the Sea of Fury #3 Hades and the Helm of Darkness #4 Hyperion and the Great Balls of Fire Aladdin Paperbacks (ages 6-9)

http://series.simonandschuster.com/Heroes-in-training  

Zeus and the Thunderbolt of Doom (Book 1)

After pulling a magical thunderbolt from a stone, ten-year-old Zeus goes on the adventure of a lifetime in this thrilling start to a brand-new series! The terrible Titans--merciless giants who enjoy snacking on humans--have dominated the earth and put the world into chaos. But their rule is about to be put to the test as a group of young Olympians discover their powers and prepare to righteously rule the universe.... Ten-year-old Zeus is mystified (and super-annoyed) by the fact that he keeps getting hit by lightening. Every. Single. Year. He also longs for adventure, as he has never been far from the cave where he grew up. Zeus gets his wish--and a lot more than he bargained for--when he is kidnapped by dangerous, giant Titans! In self-defense, he grabs the first thing he sees--an actual thunderbolt he pulls from a stone that is covered in mysterious markings. Zeus is the only one who can decipher the markings, and sets off on a quest to rescue his youthful fellow Olympians from the evil Cronus. Armed with his trusty thunderbolt (named Bolt, of course), Zeus is on an adventure of a lifetime--and a journey to fulfill his destiny as King of the Gods.

Amazon *Amazon Kindle * Barnes & Noble

Persephone the Daring (Goddess Girls #11) by Joan Holub and Suzanne Williams

Mortal rock star Orpheus steals the spotlight in this Goddess Girls tale of love and lyres!

Orpheus is a mortal rock god, and the girls at Mount Olympus Academy are wild about him! With his lyre and singing voice, Orpheus can charm pretty much anything—even things like stones and trees. But Hades and the other MOA boys aren’t charmed. In fact, they are less than thrilled that the girls are so gaga over this guy. His fans are especially excited about his latest song about the girl he loved and lost, Eurydice. Orpheus was devastated when he lost Eurydice to the Underworld, so he asks Persephone to help get her back. Though it means breaking some very serious Underworld rules, Persephone pushes Hades to return Eurydice to the living world. But restoring Orpheus’s one true love might jeopardize Persephone’s own chances with her biggest crush...

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Praise for The Goddess Girls

“…a clever take on Greek deities…” ~ Booklist "Readers familiar with Greek myths should get a kick out of this plucky restaging." ~Publisher's Weekly “…an enchanting mythological world with middle-school woes compounded by life as a deity…” ~ School Library Journal

The Goddess Girls Series

The Goddess Girls series, by Joan Holub and Suzanne Williams puts a modern spin on classic Greek myths. Follow the ins and outs of divine social life where the most privileged godboys and goddessgirls in the Greek pantheon hone their mythical skills.

• Athena the Brain Finding out she’s a goddess and being sent to Mount Olympus brings Athena new friends, a weird dad, and the meanest girl in mythology—Medusa!
• Persephone the Phony Hiding her feelings works fine for Persephone until she meets a guy she can be herself with—Hades, the bad-boy of the Underworld.
• Aphrodite the Beauty Sure Aphrodite is beautiful, but it’s not always easy being the goddessgirl of love.
• Artemis the Brave She may be the goddess of the hunt, but that doesn’t mean Artemis always feels brave.
• Athena the Wise Zeus says Heracles has to do twelve tasks or he'll get kicked out of MOA! Although she's not sure it's wise, Athena agrees to help out.

Just This Once by Diana X. Dunn

FREE at Amazon >> Today to Aug. 10th!!!

Adopted by an international multi-governmental agency that doesn't officially exist, her only genuine identity is "F6" - the sixth female baby adopted into the program. Now she changes identities as often as other women change their shoes, moving through the world completing top-secret missions and keeping her distance.


A chance meeting with a handsome stranger tempts her to lower her guard. A second encounter turns up the heat until he finds himself in the middle of a murder investigation being conducted by one of F6's former lovers. Now F6 finds herself using her skills, training and multiple identities to help a friend in trouble. Something she has never done before; something she's prepared to do just this once.

Amazon

Excerpt!
___________________________

April 2120

Spring in the rebuilt city of New York felt just as magical as spring in New York should feel.  Older residents often grumbled about the city; many argued that the city had still not yet recovered properly from the fall of the Twin Towers that marked the very earliest stirrings of the Wars that would eventually follow.  But most modern day New Yorkers loved the city just the way it was.

The skyline had been forever altered by the Wars and the years of terrorist activity.  For a while most of the city had been too dangerous for all but the very bravest or desperate to venture into.  As the skyscrapers had tumbled or been abandoned, jobs and people had deserted the city and left most of it empty and forsaken.

Now the city was experiencing a rebirth as people and companies flooded back.  Property prices were suddenly racing upwards and abandoned buildings were being converted into luxury apartments at an astonishing rate.  For older residents, those that had chosen to make the city their home even during the worst times, the rebirth was a mixed blessing.

But today, as the birds sang in the replanted and newly budding trees and the traffic flowed smoothly with no hint of the jams that were sure to be a problem in the very near future, the city looked amazing.  The sidewalks teemed with young, healthy looking men and women in business suits, carrying MPPCs and briefcases presumably bulging with important papers.  Everyone seemed to be striding purposefully through the city.

As day turned to dusk, clothes designed for other pursuits replaced the business suits.   The beautiful people of the city were out in force once more, this time in short skirts and tight jeans, hair and makeup as extreme as they dared, now looking for love or romance rather than the next deal.

Of course a reborn and growing city also has to deal with growing pains, and New York was no exception.  Strictly enforced rules on identity cards, registered addresses, and required employment had cut down on the problems of homelessness and petty crime, but any big city would always have some level of street crime, no matter how hard the police and the government worked to prevent it.

At eight o’clock on a Friday evening a high-security door opened at a large apartment complex in the heart of the rebuilt city.  Three people stepped out from the door and made their way down the sidewalk.  They were clearly dressed for clubbing and it seemed likely, from their staggering walks and hysterical laughter that they had already started drinking or drug taking before they left home.

The two girls and one boy laughed and teased and flirted with one another as they made their way towards the bright lights of the club district.  Anyone watching would assume that they had all worked hard during the week and were determined to enjoy their weekend.  They wouldn’t have been far wrong.  The trio drew nearly everyone’s eyes as they made their way towards their favorite establishment.

All three were strikingly beautiful, but in very different ways.  They seemed to radiate youthful energy and an abundance of enthusiasm for living life to the fullest.

King of Bad by Kai Strand

Jeff Mean would rather set fires than follow rules or observe curfew. He wears his bad boy image like a favorite old hoodie; that is until he learns he has superpowers and is recruited by Super Villain Academy – where you learn to be good at being bad. In a school where one kid can evaporate all the water from your body and the girl you hang around with can perform psychic sex in your head, bad takes on a whole new meaning. Jeff wonders if he’s bad enough for SVA.

He may never find out. Classmates vilify him when he develops good manners. Then he’s kidnapped by those closest to him and left to wonder who is good and who is bad. His rescue is the climactic episode that balances good and evil in the super world. The catalyst – the girl he’s crushing on.

A girlfriend and balancing the Supers is good, right? Or is it…bad?

Amazon * Barnes & Noble

Goodreads * Whiskey Creek Press

  Author Kai Stand

When the electricity winked out, Kai Strand gathered her family around the fire and they told stories, one sentence at a time. Her boys were rather fond of the ending, “And then everybody died, the end.” Now an award winning children’s author, Kai crafts fiction for kids and teens to provide an escape hatch from their reality. With a selection of novels for young adult and middle grade readers and short stories for younger children Kai entertains children of all ages, and their adults.

Book Review: Magic Rises by Ilona Andrews

This is actually more of a rant against the publisher than a book review... :) LOL - You've been warned!

I've been in a reading mood. Yesterday, I went to Barnes & Noble and purchased Magic Rises by the writing team of Ilona Andrews. I was so excited! I love their writing style.

I didn't open the book. I didn't even read the back cover blurb. I got home about 4:00 and and started reading... Argh! The print was teeny tiny and the lines were smashed together. Honestly, it was horrid! What was the publisher thinking?! (Yes, I know, a better profit.) The small print by itself would have been hard, but I would have managed. The narrow space between the lines was awful!

After six pages, I wanted the book to be over; I just wanted to get through it. :( I was sick.

Sigh, I wanted that book! I did the unthinkable... I went to Amazon and purchased the Kindle version. I know, double price whammy! I don't have an unlimited income, just the opposite. My 'fun' money is a very small portion of my overall budget.

Sorry, I digress.

The book was AWESOME!! If I could shout louder, I would! :)

In Magic Slays, I figured out the bad guy within pages. It was a let down. Magic Rises was just the opposite! It kept me guessing the entire time! LOVED it!!! LOL I must have loved it. I stayed up until 3:00 a.m. reading! :)

Honestly, I loved the entire book! The pace was perfect. The action and romance was a perfect balance. At one point, I had trouble seeing through tears.

I tried to find a favorite quote, but I loved them all! The one that stuck with me was...

“Kate. Open the box,” he said quietly.

I highly recommend Magic Rises!!

It is available at all major online stores. Here is the Amazon link.

The Hero's Lot by Patrick W. Carr

 

Riveting Sequel from Christian Fantasy's Most Talented New Voice.

When Sarin Valon, the corrupt secondus of the conclave, flees Erinon and the kingdom, Errol Stone believes his troubles have at last ended. But other forces bent on the destruction of the kingdom remain and conspire to accuse Errol and his friends of a conspiracy to usurp the throne.

In a bid to keep the three of them from the axe, Archbenefice Canon sends Martin and Luis to Errol's home village, Callowford, to discover what makes him so important to the kingdom. But Errol is also accused of consorting with spirits. Convicted, his punishment is a journey to the enemy kingdom of Merakh, where he must find Sarin Valon, and kill him. To enforce their sentence, Errol is placed under a compulsion, and he is driven to accomplish his task or die resisting.

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Hero's Lot is the Sequel to A Cast of Stones

A Cast of Stones

An Epic Medieval Saga Fantasy Readers Will Love.

In the backwater village of Callowford, Errol Stone's search for a drink is interrupted by a church messenger who arrives with urgent missives for the hermit priest in the hills. Desperate for coin, Errol volunteers to deliver them but soon finds himself hunted by deadly assassins. Forced to flee with the priest and a small band of travelers, Errol soon learns he's joined a quest that could change the fate of his kingdom.

Protected for millennia by the heirs of the first king, the kingdom's dynasty is near an end and a new king must be selected. As tension and danger mount, Errol must leave behind his drunkenness and grief, learn to fight, and come to know his God in order to survive a journey to discover his destiny.

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Rys Rising by Tracy Falbe

Ready for a FANTASTIC adventure?

Try this Epic Fantasy

It is the first book in an awesome series!


Dacian is a young and powerful rys who has been training to enter an elite priesthood. In this scene he suffers an ultimate rejection that will alter the course of his life and the history of all civilizations that he touches.

Smashwords * Barnes & Noble Nook * UK Nook * 

Amazon Kindle US * Amazon Kindle UK * Apple iBooks US 

Apple iBooks UK * Apple iBooks Canada * Kobo * Diesel * Sony Reader Store 

Excerpt!

"The Nebakarz priests flanking Dacian radiated disapproval in thick mental waves that even a human could have felt. Dacian knew that he had behaved badly and more than once. His esteem for law and order that his teaching master had instilled in him seemed no longer sufficient to control his behavior. Willfully he rallied his determination to salvage his education as the priests marched him into the hallowed audience chamber of the Grand Lumin.

The thin elderly tabre male in his red robes looked deceptively weak and benign, but Dacian sensed his immense power.

Dropping to his knees, Dacian said, “Great Grand Lumin, my Master, forgive me.”

The attending priests went to the sides of the Grand Lumin and placed themselves near the hovering crystal orbs. Their stance was defensive, and Dacian cringed in shame.

After a painful silence, the voice of the Grand Lumin cracked out words. “After everything else, you even dare to speak first.” The Grand Lumin then proceeded to harangue Dacian for his impudence and interference at the punishment of the rys female. Respect for authority was paramount in a society composed of magic beings, the Grand Lumin insisted. Dacian’s crime had been doubly wrong because he had done it in public!

Rift Healer by Diane M. Haynes

Rift Healer is the first installment of the ‘Forest Magic’ series, a Young Adult Fantasy/Romance set in Central and Western Massachusetts.

After a minor earthquake, the enchanted forest in Bidwell, MA, is infested with monster-spewing rifts. Gisele Westerfield’s great nephew, the gifted Micah, and his distant cousin, Selena, arrive to assist. Together with Gisele’s summer students, twins Haley and Lacey, they will try to heal the magical forest.

Much to the consternation of the beautiful Selena, Micah identifies Haley as The One whom he’ll share his future. But after witnessing a terrifying display of Micah’s Gift, Haley cools to his advances and unexpectedly discovers her own Gift– she can heal the earth.

Monsters, mayhem, and teenage angst follow the small group as they confront evil in the forest and a dangerous prediction that ‘one will fall’. Will they heal the rifts in time? Can they save the unicorns? And is Haley really destined to be with Micah?

 Amazon

Snippet!

He tore his eyes from the ceiling, caught and held her gaze. “I can make people do anything on command.”

            “Like, hypnosis?” she asked, blinking under the over-bright fluorescent lights, her spoon halfway to her mouth.

            “Almost,” he said.  “Except, a hypnotist is unable to persuade his clients to do anything they wouldn’t ordinarily do. And I can.” He shrugged his shoulders, almost as if he were apologizing.

              Haley frowned as she sorted through this weird information. “So, let me get this straight. You think you could tell me to do something—anything–and I’d do it?” Her brows knitted together and she shook her head in disbelief.

            “I don’t just think.  I…know.” He lowered his voice as he leaned forward. “I could make you run around doing cartwheels in the parking lot if I wanted to. You would be unable to refuse.”

             At that, she sat straight up, staring at him. She didn’t believe it—not quite, but she was too afraid to disbelieve.

            “It’s true.” He nodded. “Fortunately, I have a strong code of honor that I adhere to and I do not abuse my Gift. But I could make you do whatever I want.”

            She shook her head. “I don’t believe you,” she said in a low voice.

            “I guess I’ll have to prove it to you. Put that spoon down,” he ordered.

            She looked at it, all but forgotten until now. Realizing she wanted to let go of the spoon, she frowned. “No,” she said between clenched teeth as she fought the urge to comply.

            “Haley,” he took a deep breath.  “Put the spoon down.”

            The fingers holding her spoon twitched as she looked into his eyes and said, “No,” in a voice she almost couldn’t hear herself. Her mouth went dry with the effort.

            “Put-the-spoon-down-now.” His glacial blue eyes bored into hers. Her right hand trembled with the effort of resisting his will. Then she watched, wide-eyed, as her traitorous thumb lifted on its own, causing her spoon to waver and fall to the table with a clatter in the quiet restaurant, spilling its load of ice cream.

            She swallowed. “How did you do that?” she asked, now truly frightened.

            “I told you, it’s my Gift,” he said, using his napkin to wipe up the mess. “It’s not one I use often and never on my friends. Never, ever.”

            Haley swallowed once or twice while wondering how fast she could get away from this beautiful, fascinating, irresistible boy with his dangerous Gift. Terrified, yet inexplicably still drawn to him, she slapped her palms down on the table and leaned forward, ready to shove away, to flee at any moment. His eyes softened as he saw the movement and he covered her small hands with his. Her breath caught. What’s he going to do to me?

“Don’t be afraid,” he pleaded.  “I would never, ever, take advantage of you.  Please believe me.”

            “Are you doing it again?” she asked, because all of a sudden she did believe him. And she knew she would always believe him. Could she ever trust her own feelings around him?

            “No, I’m not doing it again, but I am telling the truth. And now, let me tell you about another Gift I have.” He never blinked as he readied himself.

            “I don’t think I want to know–”

            “You do. I promise you do,” he said, holding her there with his eyes.

            She drew in a breath, steeling herself against whatever was about to come.

            He touched a spot in the center of his forehead. “In my mind’s eye, I see people who will be important to me in my future.”

            She frowned and shook her head slightly, not understanding. “And–”

            “And you are all over my future.” He smiled as if that should explain everything.

The Buttersmiths' Gold by Adam Glendon Sidwell

 

BATTLES. BLUEBERRIES. BOVINES.

TORBJORN AND STORFJELL’S HISTORY UNFOLDS IN AN EPIC EVERTASTER NOVELLA.

Everyone knows the most coveted treasure of the Viking Age was blueberry muffins. Blueberry muffins so succulent that if you sniffed just a whiff, you'd want a whole bite. If you bit a bite, you'd want a batch; if you snatched a batch, you'd stop at nothing short of going to war just to claim them all.

Young Torbjorn Trofastsonn comes from the clan that makes them. He's a Viking through and through – he's thirteen winters old, larger than most respectable rocks, and most of all, a Buttersmith. That's what he thinks anyway, until a charismatic merchant makes Torbjorn question his place among the muffin-makers.

When Torbjorn lets the secret of his clan's muffin recipe slip, he calls doom and destruction down upon his peaceful village and forces his brother Storfjell and his clansmen to do the one thing they are ill-prepared to do: battle for their lives.

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About The Buttersmiths' Gold

The Buttersmiths' Gold is a spin off novella in the Evertaster series that tells the story of two Viking brothers and their adventurous past. The Evertaster series (Book #1 released June 14, 2012) is about Guster Johnsonville, who goes searching for a legendary taste rumored to be the most delicious in all of history. Along the way he meets a slew of mysterious characters, including two Viking brothers Torbjorn and Storfjell. The Buttersmiths' Gold is their story. 124 pages. By Adam Glendon Sidwell. Published by Future House Publishing.