Thursday, March 31, 2016

Sneak Peek: EOLYN by Karin Rita Gastreich (#fantasy #excerpt #giveaway)

[I love a good fantasy, a story that creates a living, breathing, magical yet believable world. Eolyn sounds like it might be just the thing. Don't forget to enter Karin's drawing, at the end of the post! ~ Lisabet]



Blurb


In a land ravaged by civil war, the Mage King Kedehen initiates a ruthless purge of the magas. Eolyn, last daughter of the magas and sole heiress to their forbidden craft, seeks refuge in the South Woods.

When she meets the mysterious Akmael, heir to the throne of this violent realm, she embarks on a path of hope, seduction, betrayal, and war. Desire draws Eolyn toward Akmael’s dark embrace, but fate binds her to Corey of East Selen, a cunning mage whose ambition challenges the limits of love and loyalty.

Can she trust either man?

Hunted in a realm of powerful wizards and brutal deceptions, Eolyn must find her own path to freedom or she will burn on the pyre.

"Vigorously told deceptions and battle scenes, with a romantic thread." -Publishers Weekly


Excerpt

Eolyn lunged at Akmael, hand raised to strike him. He caught her wrist in a vice-like grip that gave pause to her fury.

In the silence that followed, Akmael measured the heat under Eolyn’s skin, the rhythm of her pulse, the condensation of her breath against the cool night air.

Eolyn.” He did not bother to hide the note of surprised hope in his voice. “Are you jealous?”

She wrenched free of his hold. “Your magic is a disgrace! You have allowed your abilities to be twisted to foul ends. Dragon did not grant us these powers to invoke fear or take advantage of those weaker than ourselves. And our festivals are meant to celebrate the heritage of MoisehĂ©n, not to reinforce your authority, much less your sexual prowess.”

That may be the case, but your question about the third night of Bel-Aethne…It did not arise out of concern for the proper interpretation and practice of magic. Did it?”

Eolyn cheeks flushed, but she lifted her chin. “There is no place for jealousy in a maga’s heart.”

Akmael did not let her finish. He caught her lips in his. In an instant the spark granted to them as adolescents was reignited. Akmael wrapped his arms around her, inhaling her honey and wood aroma, intertwining his fingers in her silky hair, exploring every delicate contour of her face and throat. The force of his passion pushed her back against the raw trunk of a large tree. His hands traveled insatiable over the landscape of her body, at once familiar and new.

About Karin


Karin Rita Gastreich writes stories of ordinary women and the extraordinary paths they choose. She lives in Kansas City, Missouri, where she is part of the biology faculty at Avila University. An ecologist by vocation, Karin has wandered forests and wildlands for over twenty years. Her past times include camping, hiking, music, and flamenco dance. In addition to The Silver Web trilogy, Karin has published short stories in World Jumping, Zahir, Adventures for the Average Woman, and 69 Flavors of Paranoia. She is a recipient of the Spring 2011 Andrews Forest Writer’s Residency.


Purchase link for EOLYN: http://www.amazon.com/Eolyn-Silver-Web-Book-1-ebook/dp/B01B8F4G50/ 




Giveaway! Karin has a $15 Amazon/BN gift certificate for one lucky reader. Use the Rafflecopter below to enter!



  



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Wednesday, March 30, 2016

Steamy ideas in the shower… (#guestblog #BBW #rollerderby)


By April Ryder (Guest Blogger)

One of the most common questions we are asked as authors is: How did you come up with…? And most of the time we have no real idea. Every day we’re absorbing things, experiences, snatches of conversation, something on the TV, finding inner meaning in songs and enjoying hot scenes in romance books, etc. After we get a good night’s sleep (hur hur) all of that mixed up mess is then spat out in the form of seeds of ideas for books or characters or what have you.

So my answer is usually the above and ideas usually come out while I’m in the shower, which is why I sit down in the shower every morning and see what my brain has come up with. With Skid Marks and the Selby Slammers I knew that BBW was popular and so were— least somewhat recently—sports romances. I disadvantaged myself though by making the sport Roller Derby but I didn’t care. Roller Derby kicks arse! I’m also not good at writing to market, which is good and bad. Good because I write what I feel like, bad because it probably won’t earn me much money :(

I’m not a derby chick but I’ve seen quite a few matches and it’s quite amazing! Women of all ages, shapes and sizes coming together to get that jammer through the pack can be quite inspiring to someone in the crowd. I think it was watching them that helped me come up with Skid Marks. As for the main character Hayley, she’s a bit more on the young and stupid side of the scale. Not that she’s too stupid to live, she’s just quite naive, especially in the beginning. When the book starts she’s had just one long term boyfriend and she thought she was happy. It just goes to show that not everyone in the relationship is happy at the same time. There’s another person there thinking, feeling and experiencing and we tend to forget they might not match up.

Hayley is super fun to write though. She’s very talkative and her mind doesn’t shut up. As a result I’ve had to throw in quite a few of my own life experiences, some mannerisms and thought processes to help make her life a non-stop roller coaster. She might be a bit over the top at times but we’ve all had those moments ourselves. I’m not saying Hayley is a clone of me, we just have a few things in common.

Something else that is hot in steamy romance right now—and may it forever be—is BBW. Big Beautiful Women. Since I am one and ‘they’ say to write what you know, I decided to go with it. I try to keep Hayley’s size vague except for when I don’t but that is from the character’s point of view. Keeping it vague allows for any woman who might consider themselves a little curvier than average can relate to Hayley. It does also help if you like pancakes :P

So there you have it. Ideas for romance stories come from anywhere and everywhere and some are even a reflection of real life!

I hope you enjoy reading about Hayley and how she gets the unfortunate nickname of Skid Marks.



Blurb: A Fun BBW Roller Derby Romance

After being dumped by her live-in boyfriend for a blonde stick insect and a job in Wellington, Hayley is tricked into trying out for the local roller derby team—the Selby Slammers. At the tryouts, hilarity ensues when she leaves her mark on not only the rink, but some of the hunky men from the inline hockey team who practice on the next rink over.

Meanwhile, Hayley attempts to pick up what's left of her (love) life but is thwarted at every turn by three men: 1) the surprise return of her ex, 2) Jake, the hunky hockey player, and 3) continually running into Rick the 'Dick' who may or may not have a crazy underwear fetish!

All three seem to be conspiring against her, taking turns causing unexpected problems in her new and very hectic (love) life.

Adam, I'm gonna kill you. Right after I've finished eating these pancakes—ooh maple-flavoured syrup and berry compote. But after that I'll kill you! And then, I'll find a time machine and kick my own butt, cause damn, am I stupid or what? Nobody answer that!”
Hayley


Excerpt

I opened the door, grabbed my towel and was in the process of wrapping it around me when I realised I wasn’t alone. Unfortunately, it wasn’t Jake who stood guiltily by my clothes with my panties clenched tightly in hand.

You’re not Jake.”

No,” he said. The guilty look on his face disappeared, quickly replaced with the angry one I was used to. “Sorry to disappoint you.”

We glared at each other. He was better at it though, seeing as he was clothed and seemed to have more practice.

Wh-what are you doing?” I asked, hoping for some sane, logical response as to why the man who liked to yell at me had my panties. “This is the women’s changing room.”

I know.”

I blinked. After the swear-filled tirade he had given me earlier, that’s all he had to say? I snapped. I know, completely out of character for me, but he deserved it.

I marched up to him, placed my fisted hands on my hips and got all up in his face, just like he had with me in the rink. “That giant tent in your hand? That’s mine.”

I couldn’t believe what he did next. He dropped them. On the floor. Right in a puddle of water.

Oh my god,” I breathed as we both stared at my sodden plus-sized panties.

Sorry,” he said and bent to retrieve them.

Well, so you should be,” I admonished.

When he didn’t get back up, I knew something was wrong. I looked down at the top of his head and frowned. This had gone beyond the Outer Limits.

What’s wrong?” I asked.

You should put a towel on,” he murmured, speaking to the ground and not up at me.

A towel?” I asked, confused. That’s when I remembered I was naked under my towel—except my towel was missing. I slapped one hand over my still tingling lady bits and an arm across my breasts, smacking him in the side of the head in the process.

He grunted and tilted slightly before righting himself while still crouched on the floor.

For a man who just had his hands on my panties, he sure was going to great extremes to avert his eyes. Why would a man do that? Why would he only be interested in panties and not the woman who wore them?

God you don’t wear them, do you?” I asked without thinking.

No!”

That answer was too quick.

I was just—never mind.”

On the one hand, I was curious about what he actually wanted them for but on the other, I was still naked and he wasn't. Not that I wanted him to join me in being naked!

Oh god,” I groaned again.

I spied my towel on the floor behind me and retrieved it. I made sure it was wrapped around me extra tight before I made him leave.

He of course, tried to apologise again before shutting the door. “I’m sorry. It’s not what you—“

Just get out. We’re even okay. We’re so totally even that you might owe me!” I froze, suddenly aware that I had possibly suggested that I wanted to see the other half of him—the half I hadn’t yet seen—naked. “Get out!”


Buy Link
Amazon (everywhere): http://smarturl.it/SkidMark


About April Ryder

Rock star, catwalk model, ventriloquist--April Ryder is none of these things. She is, however, a BBW housewife looking to spice up her life with her hardworking and supportive BBM (is that even a thing?) husband. April enjoys living on the beach and plans to further explore her sexy, sensual side writing romance.


Tuesday, March 29, 2016

Love from the Dust (#historical #erotic #romance)

By Lola White (Guest Blogger)
The 1930s was a difficult time for most people living in America. For those in the western and Midwest states, the Great Depression was compounded by terrible dust storms, brought on by drought, which led to famine. People left the Dust Bowl in droves, because the land their families had occupied for generations no longer lent them a sense of hope.

Women were forced to knead bread in dresser drawers to prevent dirt from being on the menu. Men worked in dusty conditions that had them choking behind the handkerchiefs they tied around their faces. Children walked miles through the driving grit to get to schools in danger of collapsing under the weight of the wind. The government began initiatives that may have done more harm than good and creditors fought loan forgiveness all the way to the Supreme Court. These were dark days.

The Double O Saga is all about hope, though. In the face of great challenges, insurmountable obstacles, the O’Neal family holds tight to their hope, and in the process finds love. In Audacious Audit, Opal O’Neal hass been abandoned or betrayed by every man in her life, has taken on the responsibility of single-handedly raising her young nephew and is left the burden of dealing with her family’s broken-down ranch, The Double O. She’s a fighter and she doesn’t trust anyone, but Sam Hollister, the bank auditor, is determined to gain her heart, no matter the danger to himself. And there is danger—in the swirling grit of the Dust Bowl’s worst storm, the loss of all Opal holds dear seems inevitable, unless she risks trusting a man, one last time.



Blurb

She has little choice—she swore she’d never trust a man again, but she needs his help.

Opal O’Neal doesn’t trust any man. Since her brother’s death and her husband’s departure, she’s been raising her nephew alone, standing on her own two feet as years of drought have left the Double O on the verge of foreclosure. She’s struggling to stay a step ahead of utter ruin, and an investigation by a Home Loan Bank Board auditor is the last thing she needs.

Samuel Hollister is diligent about going over all of Opal’s paperwork, but he’d rather go over all of Opal. Living in the Dust Bowl, she’s a feisty woman who’s been keeping body and soul together through sheer force of will during the Depression, earning Sam’s respect and fostering his desire to help however he can.

The fight for Opal’s rights against foreclosure can’t compare to the burdens of Mother Nature, though. When the biggest storm the region’s ever seen descends on the Double O and puts her nephew in danger, Opal has no choice but to place her trust in Sam—something she’s sworn she’d never do.


Buy Links


Excerpt

Hers was a simple goal. She would take Samuel Hollister into her body, find pleasure and give it in return, and make the memories she would savor long into her lonely future. And she would not give him a piece of herself that he could break, like all the other men she’d known had done.

With that in mind, Opal took control. She climbed onto the bed on her knees, and threw one leg over Sam’s waist. His big hands came up to catch her hips, kneading a moment before sliding over her ass and up her back as he urged her toward his chest.

She complied because she didn’t want to hear any more of his words on marriage or commitments. She could see the arguments forming in his gaze, in the tension infusing his features, and it sent a thrum of anxiety to interrupt her lust. She refused to let it. She brushed her breasts over Sam’s chest and fastened her mouth to his, just to lock his words away.

Lips met and clung. Opal ravished his mouth. She kissed him deeply, tongues tangling in mindless carnality, her emotions as firmly locked away as she could make them. Purely physical, she surged forward, thrust and parried for nothing more than her enjoyment.

She sensed Sam’s shock. She tasted the moment when he tried to take the control away from her, but she shredded his attention with the simple act of aligning her wet folds to his rigid dick and arching until his mouth went acquiescent beneath hers again. She slid her body against his, took a single minute to appreciate the rasp of his chest hair against her nipples and gripped his head to angle him for an even deeper kiss.

He filled the space between her legs perfectly. His thick length spread her folds and rubbed over her clit with every rock of her hips. Sam’s heat radiated up into Opal’s body, spreading shivering tendrils of sensation down her legs and up her spine. Already primed from her midnight ponderings, her pussy grew wet enough to turn his cock slippery in just a few thrusts.

Sam’s hands impressed her spine as they slid back down toward her ass. He gripped her and hauled her closer as she rolled her hips, then his fingers descended between her cheeks, reaching far enough to find her pussy and tease the entrance. Opal shivered as he slid two fingertips just inside her body.

Her control threatened to crack. She gasped into his mouth and fought to maintain their kiss as he played with her. A single minute of feeling his fingers penetrate her body was too much for her, and she jerked away from his hands. Levering up onto her knees, her ass raised and head lowered so she could continue their wild kiss, Opal groped blindly for his dick and dragged him to her entrance.

Once he was notched in place, she had to pause to get her bearings. She pulled back from their kiss and licked over his lips, eyes closed to feel and savor, to burn the sensation of his thick crest parting her and barely pressing into her onto the pages of her memory for all time. Inner muscles clenched in anticipation as she waited a moment more, then lowered herself onto his dick.

Opal—”

Shh.” She licked Sam’s lower lip. “Just feel me all around you.”

About Lola White

Delve into the emotions, dive into the erotic.

An extensive traveler who loves to incorporate various legends from around the world into her tales, Lola White likes to twist reality at its edges in her stories. She likes delving into the emotions of her characters, finding their strengths and weaknesses, and seeing (and showing) how they get themselves out of whatever trouble has found them—if they can.


For news, exclusives and special deals, sign up for her newsletter at http://lola-white.com

Find her on:



Monday, March 28, 2016

Journeys of the Heart (#guestblog #cambodia #eroticromance @delilah_night)

By Delilah Night (Guest Blogger)
 
Thank you so much to Lisabet Sarai, and thank you for letting me guest post on your blog. Im so thrilled to have the opportunity to talk about my first solo titleCapturing the Moment.



One of the most common questions an author is asked is How much of your real life ends up in your books? For me the answer varies depending on the story. I’ve set stories in my hometown of Boston in the US and in my current home, Singapore. I’ve written a story centered around the strain of reconnecting with your spouse post children. Thus elements of my life or my experiences have made their way into my stories. On the other hand, I’ve also written about shape-shifting reindeers, so there’s that.

The setting for Capturing the Moment was inspired by my 2014 trip to Siem Reap, Cambodia. Ever since I saw a poster of Angkor Wat, one of the oldest temples in the world, at sunrise, I wanted to recreate that photo myself. My bachelor’s degree is in History, so places that are historically significant are endlessly fascinating to me.

I went alone as my husband had no interest in going and my small children would have been bored out of their minds. But I didn’t mind because, like Meg, I am an amateur photographer. I loved having four days to photograph my heart out, not only at Angkor Wat, but at the many nearby temples as well.



Despite Angkor Wat being one of the most amazing temples I’ve seen, my favorite temple was Preah Khan. Preah Khan is a temple that is slowly being reclaimed by the jungle. It is in theory being renovated, although I saw no signs of any activity beyond some empty scaffolding. The only people I saw there were a monk with his young charges and one other group of Western tourists. Most of the time I was on my own, which was magical—almost as if I were the first person to discover a lost temple.



Blurb

Meg and RJ were passionately in love. But that was six years and a broken engagement ago.

Meg has only one day in Siem Reap, Cambodia, before she must leave for her sister’s wedding in Bali. She fulfills her dream of taking a photograph of the sun rising behind Angkor Wat, one of the oldest temples in the world. But her joy is short-lived when she turns around to see RJ standing behind her.

RJ threw himself into work after Meg ended their relationship. He’s built a successful business, but it’s a hollow victory. He’s come to Siem Reap to win back the woman he’s never stopped loving. But first he has to convince her to spend the day with him.

Meg is as physically attracted to RJ as she ever was. Maybe the secret to finally getting over him is a one day only, no strings attached fling.

Can RJ win Meg back, or will she love him and leave him?

(photo of courtyard)

Exclusive Excerpt

May in Cambodia was boiling hot. The temples offered shade and a brief respite. Standing beneath the unforgiving sun, though, caused sweat to bead and make a lazy path down his spine. RJ’s mind once again drifted to the fantasy of rubbing sunscreen all over Meg.

Babe, I want to ensure I’ve gotten every inch that might burn. It would be easier if you took off your shirt…”

Sit with your back against the column. Okay, great, now look at me.”

A line of skin appeared between her shirt and skirt.

Do the panties always match the bra like they did this morning? Does Impulsive Tattoo Meg wear a thong, or does Practical Meg still think they’re dental floss for the ass?

Now stand up. Take off your shorts and boxers.”

Wait, what?

I thought the new Rule Number One is no nude photos.”

Of me,” she called back. “No nude photos of me. It’s a good thing you’re not a lawyer—you’re lousy at spotting loopholes. Shorts and boxers, please.”

RJ glanced around. He didn’t see any other obvious entrances to the courtyard. No strangers’ voices interrupted the quiet. What was she up to? “So you’re going to take my advice and sell your photos? Thinking of Playgirl?”

Meg snorted. “Puh-leez. You think highly of yourself. Now strip!”

Buy links

Starting tomorrow (March 29) Capturing the Moment will be on early download sale exclusively at Totally Bound for a month. https://www.totallybound.com/book/capturing-the-moment

The book goes on wide release on April 26, but you can pre-order at the links below





About Delilah

Delilah Night is an American expat living in Singapore. Her short stories have appeared in over a dozen anthologies including Irresistible: Erotic Romance for Couples, Nine-to-Five Fantasies, Rogues, and Prompted. Capturing the Moment is her first solo publication. Discover her world of Deliciously Naughty Bedtime Stories at http://delilahnight.com/

Contest!

Let’s talk travel—What real place have you always dreamed of visiting? I’ll pick a commenter at random on Wednesday, March 30th, (please leave your email address) and send you an e-copy of Capturing the Moment.

Sunday, March 27, 2016

Sunday Snog 219: Resurrection (#mm #erotic #romance)

Happy Sunday! It’s time for another snog. Since today is Easter, I went looking for a kiss excerpt with a hint of resurrection. This one’s from my M/M science fiction erotic romance Quarantine.

When you’re done with my snog, I hope you’ll visit Victoria’s page, which has links to many more Sunday kisses! (Click the "more" link to see the list of snogs.)



After the sunlit brilliance of the outdoors, the room was dim. At first Rafe thought it was empty. A faint moan drew his attention to the far corner.

Dylan!” Rafe raced to his lover’s side, almost tripping over the cable stretched across the floor. Dylan twitched like an epileptic. His head snapped back and forth, as though he was trying to shake off the goggles hiding his eyes. Every few seconds his spine arched, spiking his rigid, drooling prick towards the ceiling. He gasped like a drowning man, sucking in air then releasing it in throaty sobs that sounded more like pain than pleasure.

Dylan! Baby!” Rafe tore the pod off the other man’s arm. Blood oozed from the disturbed needle ports the unit hadn’t had time to seal. Dylan’s voice rose to a wail as his pelvis jerked wildly. Rafe snatched the mask away. Dylan’s eyes stared into nothingness as he gulped air and screamed. A jet of cum erupted from his cock, spattering Rafe’s chest. Then his tight, lithe body slumped into immobility.

Dylan!” Rafe shook his unconscious lover, who was limp as a rag doll. “It’s me, baby! Wake up!” Dylan did not respond. His face was pasty white, his lips bluish. “Please…”

Rafe’s fists clenched, fingernails digging into his palms. He gathered the naked man in his arms. As he arranged Dylan’s inert limbs on the bed, he noted the bound ankle and the bolts fastened to the headboard. He’d been right. That fucking pervert bastard Randall wanted his boy for some kind of kinky sex. He’d slice off the fag mayor’s balls and stuff them down his throat…

Urgh…” Dylan released a groan that turned into a cough. His eyelids fluttered open. “Rafe…” he whispered. “You found me.”

Damn straight I did. You think I was going to just let you go and be some white honcho’s sex slave?” Rafe hid his concern in gruffness. Dylan looked really ill.

But how—?”

Never mind. We’ve got to get out of here.” Rafe pulled out a penknife and began sawing at the leather ankle-cuff.

Um…I don’t know if I can move just yet.” A shadow of Dylan’s usual cheeky smile flitted across his face. “Anyway, Kevin won’t be back until tonight.”

Kevin? You’re on a first name basis with the prick?” Rafe halted his attack on the cuff to glare at Dylan. All his insecurities came flooding back. “Did he fuck you?”

No, no… I told him no, Rafe.” Dylan voice was edged with anxiety.

And he listened to you? When he had you hogtied and at his mercy? You expect me to believe that?” A haze of red clouded Rafe’s vision. “A slutty little perv like you? I saw you in his eP rig, humping away—”

It’s true, baby.” With obvious effort, Dylan pushed himself to a sitting position and held Rafe’s accusing gaze. “I won’t say he didn’t touch me. And I won’t claim I wasn’t tempted, especially when it seemed like it might help me get away. But I told him I belonged to you. Honestly, Rafe. He said you’d been captured, but I refused to listen.” Dylan’s eyes had a liquid gleam. “I’m so grateful you’re okay. I was worried…”

You think you were worried?” Rafe leaned in, raised Dylan’s chin and claimed a kiss. The familiar taste scattered his negativity. “Oh, God! I thought I’d lost you forever.” He sealed the other man’s mouth with his once more.

Get your own copy of Quarantine!


Saturday, March 26, 2016

Time-travelling to the 1990’s (#guestblog #giveaway)

By J.J. DiBenedetto (Guest Blogger)

Its an interesting challenge writing a book set in 1990. In some ways, its harder than writing one set in the more distant past. Theres plenty of research material to help you get the details correct for a book set during the Civil War, or in medieval times. And the farther back you go, the less you have to worry about year-to-year changes. The everyday details of life in the year 1300 are not notably different than they are in 1305. You also dont have pop culture to worry about.

But going back only 26 years is a different matter. I was 20 years old, and a lot of my readers are in my age group or, if they’re younger, they’re still old enough to have clear memories of that era. It’s far enough back that my personal memories are not always clear, or accurate, but it’s recent enough that many people will notice the details. Some of them can be looked up; I’ve got IMDB to tell me that I can’t have my heroine go to a matinee of “Silence of the Lambs” because that movie didn’t come out until 1991. But not everything can be found so easily.

When, for example, did the Internet really become an everyday thing for most people? It was sometime in the 90’s, but I was using email (and CompuServe – remember THAT?) as early as 1987. It’s hard to nail things like that down.

Or cell phones. When did you get your first cell phone? Do you even remember? I honestly don’t. It was the late 90’s, that’s the best I can do. But one of my friends worked in a call center for NYNEX (one of the companies that would eventually become part of Verizon) handling customer service for cell phones in 1989. At least, I think it was 1989. It might have been 1988. Or 1990.

That’s the problem. It’s too close to be able to get away with fudging the details, but it’s too far away to be able to rely purely on memory. And there really isn’t an encyclopedia to consult. Sure, there’s Wikipedia, but it’s not always reliable.

So why did I set my new book, FINDERS KEEPERS, in that time? Why not just set it in the present?

Two reasons. The most important one is that Jane, the heroine is a spinoff character from my Dream Series novels. We see her in the first book of that series, DREAM STUDENT, as a fellow student and dorm-mate of that book’s heroine, Sara. That book takes place in 1990 as well, and Jane is a year ahead of Sara (who’s a junior). FINDERS KEEPERS starts with Jane in her first months of graduate study at the University of Oxford, so in order to maintain continuity, it has to take place in 1990.

The second reason, and it’s also a big reason why DREAM STUDENT was set then, too, is that the general absence of cell phones, and Google and GPS navigation and so forth make both stories a lot easier to write. Both heroines could have solved their problems in about five minutes if they had access to modern technology, and since I didn’t want books that were ten pages long, I needed to find some way to work around that!

(A third reason is that the college Sara and Jane attend in DREAM STUDENT is a very thinly veiled version of the college I actually went to, and that’s when I was there. Write what you know!)

Jane, the archaeologist

Here’s a very brief excerpt illustrating the similarities and differences of a time that’s not very long ago and yet is a totally different world:

As you can see from the postmark on the envelope, I’m still in England. I have not “washed out” or “packed it in” or, my personal favorite, “come crawling home with my tail between my legs.” How would that even work, anyway? It’s not anatomically possible, even if I had a tail.

I have not been driven mad by the weather, or the thick accents and the different spellings of everyday words, or the inability to watch new episodes of “Star Trek: the Next Generation.” They do actually show it here, every Wednesday night. We all get together in the Middle Common Room to watch. Shows what you know.

Besides, I’m sure you don’t even have a Middle Common Room back there at Cornell, do you? Certainly not one that C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien once sat in. I could be sitting in the very same seat that the first draft of one of the Narnia books was written in. Where are you sitting to watch “Star Trek?” Some crummy dorm lounge with ugly furniture that doesn’t match the carpeting, to judge by the photo you sent last month.

FINDERS KEEPERS is available now, on Amazon and elsewhere, both as an eBook and in paperback (and soon as an Audible Audiobook!). What’s it actually about, other than being set in 1990?



Blurb

It should have been a simple job. All archaeology student Jane Barnaby had to do was pick up a box her professor needed and deliver it to him at his dig site, along with his new car. Yes, his office was in Oxfordshire, and his dig site was in Spain, a trip of 1,400 miles across three countries and two bodies of water. Still, it should have been simple.

And it was, until Jane discovered she picked up the wrong box by mistake. Not the one with boring pottery samples, but instead the one with priceless ancient Egyptian artifacts. The one that a team of international art thieves is after.

Now she’s chasing – and being chased by – the thieves. And she’s picked up a pair of passengers who claim they can help her outwit them, get her professor’s pottery back and return the artifacts to their rightful owner. If only she could figure out which one of them is working with the thieves and which one she can trust in this high-stakes game of finders keepers.


FINDERS KEEPERS is on Amazon at http://getBook.at/FindersKeepers and you can find links to all other retailers right here: http://writingdreams.net/my-storie/the-jane-barnaby-adventures/finders-keepers.

As for me, well:

J.J. DiBenedetto is the author of the Dream Series. He lives in Arlington, Virginia with his lovely wife and Danny, a white cat who’s trained them both. He’s originally from Yonkers, New York. He loves the New York Giants, fondue, photography, travel, the opera and he’s a huge science-fiction and fantasy geek.


You can follow me at my website – http://www.writingdreams.net, and also on FaceBook and Twitter.



Last, but certainly not least, I have a giveaway! I have a free eBook copy of FINDERS KEEPERS, and also a five-book eBook box set of my Dream Series novels. Just comment to this post for a chance to win!