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As a dog lover I'm delighted to welcome Barbara Brunner to my blog today. It is particularly fitting, in Breast Cancer Awareness month to have the privilege of featuring her book, which not only tells of stories of her rescued dogs but how one of them saved her life. Don't forget to leave a comment for your chance to win a copy of your very own.
THE STORY
Barbara's vivid and dramatic stories, told with a wicked sense of humor, will make you laugh out loud. She definitely gets what living with rescued dogs (nine of them!) is all about.
When Barbara meets her future husband, Ray, it is love-and dog-at first sight. Over the course of thirty-two years, seventeen relocations and nine dogs, their mutual love of dogs guides them on their unconventional path. The love that Barbara and Ray get in return is literally lifesaving, with one dog attacking a lethal intruder and another discovering Barbara’s cancer. Her own survival story underscores the story of how her dogs become survivors themselves.
Each new dog adds its own dynamic to the family, sometimes upending it. From Turbo (whose Spock-like ears may have provided super powers), Barbara learns about the will to live; Lexington demonstrates incredible patience and an inexplicable love of golf; Madison teaches that laughter is truly the best medicine and that the whole “nine lives thing” is not reserved just for cats; Morgan should be sainted for tolerating Izzy, who is as cute as she is bad. Barbara is certain that somewhere in doggie heaven there is a poster that says “If you are sick, injured or in need of really expensive medical care, FIND THESE HUMANS!”
Dog-Ma:The Zen of Slobber
By Barbara Brunner
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Barbara grew up in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania with her parents, sister and always a dog, or two or three. She graduated Summa Cum Laude from a small women's college in Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania. Meeting her husband in Washington, DC, they continued together on a journey as self-proclaimed dog addicts. In the ensuing years, she founded three successful businesses in the Pacific Northwest and is a prolific fundraiser for breast cancer research. She and her husband are retired and now reside in Southwest Florida with two dogs and copious amounts of dog fur. She is currently working on indulging her well known flip flop addiction.
At six months old, Madison got her first Invisible Fence collar. It was huge on such a tiny little girl; a box three inches long and two inches square. I think it weighed as much as her head. She had been very good staying by Lexi’s side but we knew that would not last forever. My office was in our guest wing and I had a wonderful view of the yard from my windows. I had no hesitation leaving the three dogs free to roam their yard during the day. One day I noticed Madison getting closer and closer to the fence limit and with a twenty-five-foot head start, ran at full speed and jumped at exactly the right moment to jump OVER the fence’s radio field. Off she went. By the time I got out to the yard she was gone.
We had a runner.
An hour later I found her at a home almost a mile away, standing in front of the kennels for their hunting dogs. She was trying to break them out. She was her father’s daughter. Once a hoodlum, always a hoodlum.
Kennel breaking was a skill Madison would become famous for. When we traveled, we would board the dogs with our veterinarian. In the morning they would arrive and find all of the boarded dogs running loose in the building. This occurred every night and only when Madison boarded. She could open a simple gate latch with her nose. The hoop catches took a little more skill, needing both nose and paws. She figured them all out quickly. She even learned to open a peg latch with a twist bolt. Madison had issues with confinement. They finally had to put a combination lock on her kennel and retired it with fanfare the day we moved away. Their nickname for her was:
“Houdini in a Dog Suit.”
Praise for Dog-Ma:
Barbara Brunner’s recounting of the comings and goings of a maddening modern life finds calm and grounding thru the love of her dogs. Laugh out loud when big slobbering licks and kisses offers solace while coping with a world somewhat insane.
–LouSagar, Film Producer, Author and Founder of Zona Home
If you are a dog lover, as we are, Barbara Boswell Brunner and her husband Ray are people you will be delighted to meet. Barbara's vivid and dramatic stories, told with a wicked sense of humor, will make you laugh out loud. She definitely gets what living with rescued dogs (nine of them!) is all about. This book will inspire you with the couple's unstinting love, devotion, and respect for dogs as family members. You'll be glad to include it in your treasured collection of great dog books.
--Allen and Linda Anderson, founders of Angel Animals Network, authors of Dogs and the Women Who Love Them (named in O Magazine as one of the top books of 2010)
Dinner at the Brunner's is always memorable. When met at the door we're told "watch out for the Doberman he nips." The little white terrier jumps into your lap, very excited to greet guests, while their Rottweiler likes to scratch her back while working her way between your legs. As a guest, one is immediately struck by Barbara and Ray’s ability to blend elegance and style with the warmth and primal curiosity of the canine family members. Soon after walking into their home it is clear they share a sincere respect and love for an environment filled with style and natural beauty, but have equal passion and respect for the dogs in their life. So often while visiting a home furnished with artwork, hanging on the walls, setting on tables, and coveted pieces of designer furniture, one might expect to feel a bit intimidated or overly cautious, concerned you might “touch” something. However, at Ray & Barbara’s home, feeling the disarming positive energy of the dogs, one quickly finds the feelings of cautious appreciation transferred to awe and warm admiration for the amazing hierarchy of dogs swirling around the artwork……in an effort to be included in the conversation of the family and guests in the living room and at the dinner table! Dog-Ma, the Zen of Slobber tells these tales with humor and love.
–Les Badden, Founder of lesbadden Creative Office
Barbara's vivid and dramatic stories, told with a wicked sense of humor, will make you laugh out loud. She definitely gets what living with rescued dogs (nine of them!) is all about. This book will inspire you with the couple's unstinting love, devotion, and respect for dogs as family members. You'll be glad to include it in your treasured collection of great dog books.
When Barbara meets her future husband, Ray, it is love-and dog-at first sight. Over the course of thirty-two years, seventeen relocations and nine dogs, their mutual love of dogs guides them on their unconventional path. The love that Barbara and Ray get in return is literally lifesaving, with one dog attacking a lethal intruder and another discovering Barbara’s cancer. Her own survival story underscores the story of how her dogs become survivors themselves.
Each new dog adds its own dynamic to the family, sometimes upending it. From Turbo (whose Spock-like ears may have provided super powers), Barbara learns about the will to live; Lexington demonstrates incredible patience and an inexplicable love of golf; Madison teaches that laughter is truly the best medicine and that the whole “nine lives thing” is not reserved just for cats; Morgan should be sainted for tolerating Izzy, who is as cute as she is bad. Barbara is certain that somewhere in doggie heaven there is a poster that says “If you are sick, injured or in need of really expensive medical care, FIND THESE HUMANS!”
Author Barbara Brunner Reveals How A Dog Saved Her Life in New Book.
The Doberman did not pull her from a burning building. He simply discovered her breast cancer.
Punta Gorda, FL – September 17, 2012 – Author Barbara Brunner, a self-proclaimed dog addict, weaves the poignant yet hilarious tale of her life with nine rescue dogs and the bonds that are formed from their shared survival stories.
Brunner draws on early life lessons to love all animals. The love she gets in return is literally lifesaving for both her and her dogs. From Madison, or Houdini in a Dog Suit to Cooper, the medical wonder-dog whose diagnosis was more accurate than a mammogram, their shared survival stores are captivating. Brunner says, “rescue dogs provide so much more than family companionship. They fill a gap in the soul. And...can empty out your wallet!”. She is certain that somewhere in doggie heaven there is a Most Wanted Poster of her and her husband that says “If you are sick, injured or in need of very expensive medical care...FIND THESE HUMANS!”
Isabella, Brunner’s Parson Russell Terrier, feels that she is quite misrepresented in the book, exclaiming “it’s lies...all lies...” to which Brunner has responded with a stack of veterinarian bills that would pale any challenger.
Dog-Ma, the Zen of Slobber is now available for $14.99 in print from Amazon and $ 8.99 in eBook format from Kindle, Barnes & Noble and iTunes.
Barbara Brunner’s recounting of the comings and goings of a maddening modern life finds calm and grounding thru the love of her dogs. Laugh out loud when big slobbering licks and kisses offers solace while coping with a world somewhat insane.
–LouSagar, Film Producer, Author and Founder of Zona Home
If you are a dog lover, as we are, Barbara Boswell Brunner and her husband Ray are people you will be delighted to meet. Barbara's vivid and dramatic stories, told with a wicked sense of humor, will make you laugh out loud. She definitely gets what living with rescued dogs (nine of them!) is all about. This book will inspire you with the couple's unstinting love, devotion, and respect for dogs as family members. You'll be glad to include it in your treasured collection of great dog books. --Allen and Linda Anderson, founders of Angel Animals Network, authors of Dogs and the Women Who Love Them (named in O Magazine as one of the top books of 2010)
For more information about DOG-MA, THE ZEN OF SLOBBER,
I'm delighted to welcome Linda HayesGibbs to my blog today to tell us about her writing and her books.
HL: Tell us a little more about yourself , with three things not many people know about you.
I have three beautiful children that I adore. I am a devoted Christian and mother and grandmother. I was married four times but I have lived alone since the 90s. Well, my children are close by me and I have a parrot that talks a blue streak and a spoiled Pekingese that thinks she is the master. I am so grateful for all the blessings God has given me in my life.
I love the Regency period of England but have never visited England. I would love to do that someday. I lived in Saudi Arabia at Riyadh and Al Khobar. My Great great grandpa was Daniel Boone and I feel that wanderlust and would love to just travel. Of course next to travel is my imagination and writing. I am part Cherokee, Chickasaw, and Mohegan besides my Irish ( Joseph Ryan) roots from Tipperary, Ireland and Heinrick Ditmar (Tidmore) from Old Frankfurt, Germany my German roots. I do genealogy research and Anthropology. I am just a mixed up girl.
HL: Funnily enough, I'm from the UK and always wanted to visit the US, I achieved my dream earlier this year. I hope you do too! So tell the readers, what do you do for fun when not writing?
I love to watch movies and swim. I read, of course, and I visit my children. I have to promote my books and that is a full time endeavor. I love to play cards with my children and I take photos of everything. I go to school functions. I used to teach and sometimes I sub. I also paint. HL: When did you start writing? I was very young when I wrote poetry. I even did a poetry thing for my high school newspaper about who was dating who and the best gossip but all in poetry rhyme. It was fun. I won some awards with it. “Who’s who of poetry, etc. I had amassed a great deal of my writing and then lost it when I moved. I published my first book of poetry at my daughter Beatrice’s insistence. I never thought it would get published. Then I just started writing romance and here I am.
HL: What comes first: the plot or the characters?
My Character has to come first. He has to be a part of the story that makes it work. My characters interact and tell the story and they have to be the kind of person that makes the story believable. I start envisioning him or her and what would motivate them. I know there has to be a plot but my character has to believe in the plot too. I say okay, this fellow would want what kind of woman or this woman would be into this and not stand for this. It is hard to explain but yes, it is my character that I make up in my head that tells the story. I want to tie my angel stories together and the third book instead of being about a woman angel, this time; it will be a beautiful male angel. I think he will be the best angel ever.
HL: Tell us about your latest release and what you think readers will enjoy about it
“My Angel, My Light As Darkness Falls” is a sweet fantasy about a young girl, who is secretly part angel. She has a life altering experience. She is weak and grows stronger everyday. It is her coming of age tale…She meets all kinds of scary things and overcomes them, vampires, ghosts, ghouls, and finally her love. All the men love her but she can choose only one. “Angel in My Heart, Devil in My Soul” is about a very horrible man that finally feels love for a creature so beautiful and angelic he is crushed under her spell. He is sent to kill her but finds he cannot. He must have her and he essentially kidnaps her and takes her to Scotland to wed. She is an angel with special powers, with temporary amnesia and is a match for him when her memory and powers return.
HL: If someone were to play one of your characters in a movie, which character and what actor would it be and why?
In “My Angel, My Light As Darkness Falls”, I think Meg Ryan or Reese Witherspoon would play Pru. Antonio Banderas could play her vampire Frenchman. Gerald Butler could play the Scottish Ghost and his English twin brother. In, “Angel in My Heart, Devil in My Soul” I think Emilia Clarke from ‘Game of Thrones’ Daenerys Targaryen, would be a great Rachael or Kristen Stewart. John Monroe could be played by Antonio Banderas or Taylor Lautner from Twilight or Jason Statham as they could play a dark assassin.
HL: Have you a favourite actor/hunk? If you’ve answered question 7 would this be the same guy?
I must confess Jason Statham or Antonio are my heroes, of course I love Johnny Depp and there is just something I just love about Gerard Butler. He is so cute.
HL: Mmmmm, yes. good choices! What have you learned about writing since you were published that surprised you the most?
Oh, my goodness, it is promotion. It is hard to promote your book. I thought when you wrote it that your job was over but that is not the case. Besides editing and rewriting or editing again there is so much work for your book. You must find ways to get your name and the name of your book out there to the public. It is not easy. Writing the book is the easy part. I am amazed at the kind of work our publisher does for us. I am exhausted just thinking about their schedules. Eternal Press is the greatest publisher. We all work together and help each other. It is like a big family. I have learned so much being a part of this organization.
HL: I've found Promotion is the biggest bugbear with most writers! :) What’s you’re writing process? Has it changed since writing your first book?
Yes, well, we learn from our mistakes or we do most of the time. I try to let my characters write the book but you have to have a plot, a beginning, middle and an end. There must be some form and function so imagination has to be toned down at least a little.
Sometimes I just have an idea and it takes off on its own but another time I have to think this part through and give it more structure and content. You go back and fatten up the story. I feel like sometimes it is put together bone by bone, so then you have a skeleton put together and you add sinew and muscle and then you get to the meat and flesh it out a bit. The finishing touches are the make up and you add that last. It is hard to explain it but you feel like you have a new born baby when you get through and you think your job is done but now you have to raise it. Lol
HL: Do you listen to music when you write and if so, what kind of music – or do you find it distracts you?
I watch TV, talk to my bird and sing. I love Christian Music and Mercy Me is a favorite of mine and country music. I am a Willie Nelson fan and Taylor Swift.
HL: Do you have a support system? Do you have a writing community? What valuable lessons have you learned from them?
Oh, yes, Eternal Press is a family of writers and we email each other and talk all the time. I have learned more about how to do so many things, like Twitter, and Linked and my new Author’s Facebook Page, my page, and reviews. I can’t tell you all the things because there are so many little stupid mistakes we make that we are not aware until someone tells you. I love being part of this community and Kim Richards, and Sally Franklin Christie, and Amanda Kelsey our cover artist. It is just such a great group of people and I admire them and love them all. The other authors are just as helpful and we are kind to each other and that helps.
HL: What is your personal definition of success?
My personal definition of success, hmmm, let me see. I don’t gauge it by money. I think the most important thing in this life to have is love. The most important is love of God and the love of your family and friends. I am sorry to say I do not get out much and have few friends but I have my children and they are my life after my God. I really had passion for and loved one man in my life and he disappeared when he went to Viet Nam. My husbands were all loved differently. I do not think we ever love the same. It is always different. I had one great all consuming passion and I got out of that. That kind of love destroys you or was about to get me so I had to leave or be destroyed. I had another marriage that was comfortable and I enjoyed as a building relationship and my last love was sweet and kind. I don’t think I loved any the same. I wish I had more friends and I would feel more successful if I sold more books but success is inside of us. WE must feel that our life is a success to have success. It would be great to have my sales off the charts.
HL: What is your favourite source of inspiration?
Oh, my granddaughter’s smile, or my grandson’s hugs are a favorite source. I see eternities in their eyes and find dreams to write. I look at nature or read a history book and I feel a connection and can start a story. I have sunsets that bring me to tears, so I guess everything inspires me. I am just so grateful to be alive and have been around to receive those smiles and hugs. I can read a passage of the Bible and start writing. They are all my favorite sources.
HL: Is there any advice, as a new writer, that you were either given, or wish you had been given?
Write about what you know, about what you love, about what you read. Read, read, read, and then read some more. Read about what you want to write. I gobble up Regency Romances. I was told to have more structure and use more imagery. I don’t always listen to advice. Also, listen to reviews, these people know what they are talking about and can give you great insight into your mistakes. Use them to build a better story. Never let anyone keep you from writing, if you love it. I let others belittle my work and me and quit. I am lucky that my daughter told me to live my dream, I had told her years before the same thing so she encouraged me. She believed in me.
HL: What sort of research do you do for your books and what’s your favourite source of information.
Okay, I do google things but I do research too. The thing I like about fantasy and paranormal is that you can make it up on your own. I let my imagination go crazy. When I do need facts instead of fiction. I use the library and the Internet to research. I did a lot of research on Napoleon and his last battle when I wrote, “My Angel, My Light As Darkness Falls.”
HL: If you were an animal, which one do you think you would be, and why?
I would love to be a black panther or a black stallion horse. I love horses. Well, on the practical side I would love to be a timber wolf. They are family oriented and can take care of each other. Another animal would be a red tailed hawk. I love the way they soar out of sight and swoop down. They are all so beautiful. It is hard to chose just one but I guess I like the horse the best.
HL: Oh, I'm a great horse lover too, and one of my own horses is black, although he's not a stallion anymore, that decision was taken before I had him but I understand he did sire some foals. Sorry, I digress. Many authors relate their characters to people they know. Is this the case with your characters and do you see yourself in any of them?
I do try and put my emotions into the picture of the characters. How would I react to this or that and would I do this? You can see other people’s personalities that you know in your family or friends in some of your characters but sometimes there is a character that you have never been around and would know nothing about their feelings. You again have to use your imagination. It is not easy to imagine the mind of a killer but you think what it must be like to be them. You take a person you think might could be like this fellow and let your mind roam.
HL: Who is your favorite character in your book and why?
My favorite in “My Angel, My Light As Darkness Falls” is Pru, some people say she is too surgery but she is part angel so she is sugary and innocent but she learns and by the end of the story she has grown a lot. In “Angel in My Heart, Devil in My Soul” I like the killer. He is a tortured soul and he learns a great deal. I like my characters to become more than they were.
HL: Who is your most favorite character of all time from any book?
Anthony Mallory in “Tender Rebel” by Johanna Lindsey. He is the ultimate rake and my fantasy for a real man. I just love him to pieces. I have to make one of my characters as good as him, he was just mouthwateringly lovely.
HL: Is there a question you really, really wish someone would ask, but they never do? If so what would be your reply?
I guess I would like to ask what a reader is looking for in a romance story? I want to fill their fantasies but I am not into erotic as much as good sweet stories. I want to show that good vs evil and good wins again. It is not being shown in most of the stories today and I feel that we must still have dreams that are good and stories that make us feel better about ourselves.
HL: Thank you so much for taking time to visit my blog, it’s been a thrill having you here and learning more about you and your writing. I wish you much success now and in the future.
Bio Linda Hays-Gibbs has a vivid imagination that always got her into trouble. She loved to make up stories and told a few to her neighbors. One time she told a teacher that her mean old stepmother kept her hidden in the attic and wouldn’t let her go because she had her doing all the work. The teacher came to the house and confronted the mother. Needless to say, Linda had no stepmother and she never did any work. She was six and quite spoiled. She had just read the story of” Cinderella” and it transformed her world. She was appropriately punished but it did not stop her from making up more stories.
She got into trouble with her cousin when she used the premise of “Tom Sawyer” on painting the front porch. Her cousin being convinced, by Linda that painting the porch was the most fun in heaven; traded her Popsicle for the honor of painting it for Linda. When she found out that it was not that much fun she chased Linda around the house with the paintbrush beating her in the head with it. Her aunt thought it a most appropriate punishment for Linda.
Linda told her other aunt that she left her cousins in quick sand and their fate was sealed one afternoon. The aunt went hysterical and searched for her two children among the mud in the park. They were up to their knees in it but quite safe. Linda got a paddling for that. In high school her Latin translations were the best part of Latin class as they kept everyone laughing. The teacher said he had never had more fun. Linda read “Pride and Prejudice and was transformed. She wanted to write like that and she has been writing ever since, although only recently published. Linda has a closet full of stories that she hopes to promote in the future
REVIEWS:
"My Angel, My Light as Darkness Falls by Linda Hays-Gibbs is a delightful mix of regency romance, paranormal thriller, humor and adventure.
Pru is an orphan whose only close family member is her twin brother, Michael, the Earl of White. When Michael joins the army to fight Napoleon's troops, Pru's Scottish admirer promises to watch out for him, but nothing goes as planned. From a sparkling ballroom to the agony of a battlefield, an across the sea to a curiously lively deserted house, Pru despairs, gains independence, is hassled by an amorous ghost, reassured by an angel, guarded by a bereft dog and finally... well, if you're like me, you'll be smiling all over your face by the end. I heartily recommend My Angel for those jaded by the kind of story where nothing seems to happen. Lots and lots happens in My Angel and Pru is a charming heroine. My Angel My Light as Darkness Falls is published by Eternal Press. It is available from various on-line retailers or directly from the publishers By S (Latrobe, Australia)
This review is from: My Angel, My Light As Darkness Falls (Kindle Edition) The battlefields rob innocent young Pru of her beloved twin, her Scottish admirer and her future. One day she is a young lady enjoying a ball; all too soon after she is wandering through the carnage seeking two bodies among the multitude. But she is not alone. A great dog howls a dirge, and a half-crazed Frenchman watches Pru with hungry fascination. In the aftermath, Pru returns to a home that is no longer hers, and then moves on to a deserted house. With Knight, the dog whom she has adopted, she tries to overcome her nightmares but again she is not alone. This sounds as if the story is one of unrelenting misery, but nothing could be further from the truth. Once Pru is over the initial shock and horror, she is a resourceful young woman and she really needs to be. What with the protective Knight, an amorous ghost, assorted demons, vampires and the eponymous angel to deal with, the arrival of a flesh-and-blood Scot is just one more thing. And then there's the Frenchman in Pru's c-- (shhh, that's a spoiler!) Parts of this story made me laugh out loud. It is exquisitely funny in places, and oh-so-sad in others. It never fails to hold my interest. Linda Hays-Gibbs's mind-world is an enchanted and enchanting place. (So, what's the genre? Um... sensual Gothic romance horror comedy Regency will do for starters...)
On the eve of the battle of Waterloo, Lady Pru was led out to the ballroom by her fraternal twin brother Michael David Densington White, sixth Earl of White. Even though Pru had not been formerly brought out yet, the stress of being shut up waiting for Bonaparte’s army to initiate the battle led to those waiting to let off steam, find joy and celebrate before the battle. Michael, ever protective did not like the attention Pru was getting from his friend Fearghass MacDonald, the Duke of Somerled but allowed Fearghass one dance with his sister, one dance and one stolen kiss that was enough for Fearghass to proclaim he wished to make Pru his Duchess once the battle was over. When the battle ended and Michael did not return for her, Pru could not be persuaded to leave until she found Michael and went to the battlefield, a sea of blood and carnage where she walked, stumbled and searched for her brother’s body. When found just before nightfall, she sank down and cradled her brothers body and screamed and raged throughout the night. However, a French soldier saw her and rather than flee as he should have – as the night grew colder he drew her into his arms as she finally slept – keeping Pru warm and safe from the evil that stalked the night.
This short novella was a most unusual paranormal regency romance with vampires and ghosts. I picked this up on a whim, because of the mention of ghosts and found it to be an utterly and totally engrossing story. The title of My Angel, My Light, As Darkness Falls was unusual to say the least but from the first few pages I was hooked. Pru and her brother were orphaned and being twins they had a special bond – the author put that to excellent use in later showing how much love there was between the two. Describing Pru’s heartache and devastation so extreme for a young girl who had never had to fend for herself. Michael had protected and provided for her every need. Pru was delicate, dainty and so beautiful it took most peoples breath away – beautiful and pure. With this in mind the author was able to portray, how such a fragile young woman survived, with the help of a few new friends, including a devoted heart-sick French soldier; a huge protective dog; a confused ghost; and help from the great beyond as goodness versus evil in a most wonderful and provocative tale with an ending I found to be FANTASTIC. Talk about a nice twist! I don’t want to spoil the surprises of this marvelous tale by giving any more spoilers away, but the bottom line is that I was moved, emotionally and spiritually by the prose and beautiful imagery this author was able to convey. I strongly suggest and highly recommend that most readers of both historical and paranormal will find a lot to love in this beautifully rendered story.
“What I said to your brother, lassie, was true. You are the sweetest flower here, and so tiny. I thought you were a dream when I saw you. Your brother looks a lot like you. Do ye be twins?”
“Well, this be a real funny coincidence. I have a twin too. We are like two peas in a pod, lassie.” He laughed and Prudence lost her heart. His smile radiated with a white brilliance and was so real, especially when she saw the twin dimples in his handsome cheeks. The dance was coming to a close and Fearghass steered his catch into the doors that led to the balcony. Pru had no time to protest before he had her hidden behind the door and took her into his arms. She saw his mouth descending to hers as if in slow motion and licked her lips. It was like a dream come true. His lips, hard and smooth, captured hers, stopping the chaos of her mind. Pru’s heart hammered wildly.
In Angel in My Heart, Devil in My Soul An assassin searches for the woman he is hired to kill but when he finds her, he cannot kill her. Her beauty astonishes him and he is left immobile. She captivates his heart and mind and lures him away from the devil with her magical powers. She has lost her memory and does not know she is an angel. She falls in love with this brutal man and is carried away to Scotland. When she finds her memory, the devil is in her house, literally and she must escape. Coming in November from Eternal Press
Welcome to 'Romance That's Out Of This World'. If you don't know me, I'm a Welsh SF and Fantasy romance writer, currently exiled to a pretty village in England, although I do still miss my homeland.
I'm taking part in the SFR Brigade Midsummer Blog Hop, and there are some fantastic prizes up for grabs.
My prize is an ebook copy of ' Starquest'. Most blog hop participants are giving away individual prizes, AND there's an overall blog hop grand prize and runner up prize. There are more details about the prizes and how you can enter, at the end of this post.
The point of this event is to celebrate Mid summer and The Summer Solstice (although in the UK today, it's grey and damp and very unlike the middle of summer!)
According to Wikipedia, 'a solstice is an astronomical event that happens twice each year as the
Sun reaches its highest or lowest excursion relative to the celestial
equator on the celestial sphere.'
My beloved Wales was the inspiration for the settings of most of my stories, including my Fantasy 'Dancing With Fate', in which I sent a Greek muse to 5th Century Wales. That was fun to write. But what has that to do with Mid Summer and the Solstice? I hear you ask? Well, not a lot, apart from the fact that the druids in Wales would have held many rituals in celebration of the event, as well as the Druids at Stonehenge.
However, late one spring, I watched the mist rolling over the mountains in front of my home in Wales, at sunset, and in my mind was transported to the planet which became a major setting in my first SF romance novel 'Starquest' and when I wrote a sequel 'Children Of The Mist', it became the main focus of the whole story. I named the planet Niflheim', after the land of cold and mist in the Norse legends.
The planet has two suns, a normal 'G' type' like our own, and a 'red giant'.
The people have a fairly simple, rural way of life, and although not unduly superstitious, they would certainly enjoy celebrating the longest day on their world, although mid summer on all areas of the planet would still see vast areas of snow covered landscape, and chilly temperatures with occasional snow flurries! So the midsummer solstice celebrations would be quite different to those we experience here on Earth!
Here's a trailer I made for 'Children Of The Mist'.
On our Earth, Midsummer's Day and the Summer
Solstice are not on the same day.
The longest day in the northern hemisphere is either the
20th or 21st of June, whilst Midsummer's Day in Europe is traditionally on 24
June.
This discrepancy is said to have been caused by the variants of
the Julian Calendar and the Tropical Year further confused by the Gregorian
Calendar.
Midsummer's Eve is a time associated with witches, magic, fairies
and dancing. On the eve of Midsummer's Day, many bonfires were once lit all over the
country. This was in praise of the sun, for the days were getting shorter and
the sun appeared to be getting weaker, so people would light fires to try and
strengthen the sun.
Practice of this ancient ritual, which also includes a Summer
Solstice Circle Dance, is now mainly confined to Cornwall, the West Country, and
London's Hampstead Heath.
Midsummer's Superstitions
Roses are of special importance on Midsummer's Eve. It is said
that any rose picked on Midsummer's Eve, or Midsummer's Day will keep fresh
until Christmas.
At midnight on Midsummer's Eve, young girls should scatter rose
petals before them and say:
Rose leaves, rose leaves,
Rose leaves I strew.
He that will
love me
Come after me now.
Then the next day, Midsummer's Day, their true love will visit
them.
Right, back to the PRIZES:
The Grand Prize is a a KINDLE! Runner up gets 20 SFR titles and a gift card. The winners will be chosen using random.org.
So to maximise your chances, Go! Visit those other blogs and leave comments!
All you need to do to enter is pop along to the blogs listed blow and comment on as many as you want (only ONE comment per
site will count as an entry). Each time you comment at a stop, you’ll earn one
entry into the grand prize – so the more sites you visit, the greater your
chances of winning. The winners will be drawn at random on the 24th June and
announced HERE
I'm delighted to be the first stop on Harlow Coban's Blog tour with CBLS Promotions.
Here is the blurb and an excerpt from Harlow's wonderful debut release:
BLURB
When a girl that social worker Kari Marchant places in foster care is brutally murdered, she’s compelled to learn why. Her quest for the truth pits her against friends and coworkers. As Kari works to solve the horrific plot, more people die. She’s been targeted for death and she doesn’t even know it. How far should she go to learn the truth—even if it threatens her life?
When homicide detective Rance Nicolet meets Kari, his attraction to her is powerful—and the feeling is mutual. But things between them go terribly wrong when Kari’s old lover is found murdered with a letter from her in his pocket. The evidence against Kari is damning. Rance’s personal and professional lives collide. Does he blindly believe the woman he’s falling in love with or follow the evidence no matter where it leads?
EXCERPT
“Frost. Call on line one.” The voice boomed overhead and interrupted Scott Frost mid-climb. He jumped off his truck, pushed up the sleeves on his dingy green work shirt and walked to the phone mounted on the wall, his face a scowl of irritation.
He grabbed the receiver. “Hello.”
“They found Patience,” his wife, Andrea, whispered.
Mammoth garbage trucks rumbled and shook the walls as they rolled out into the street for the day’s work, their giant bellies hungry for trash. Scott strained to hear his wife over the noise.
“I told you never to call me here.”
“Do you know what they did to her?” Her voice rose an octave.
"Hold it together.” He clenched his fist and resisted the impulse to smash it through the wall. “She’s the one who ran off.”
“She didn’t deserve that. Nobody deserves that.”
The phone slipped a bit in his sweaty hand. Tolerance had never been one of Scott's virtues, and what little he did have waned with each whiny word his wife uttered. “It’ll all be over soon, you know that.”
“They won’t let us out.”
He gnashed his teeth together until the noise in his head drowned out the roar of garbage trucks. The pumping of his heart escalated and Scott imagined he could feel his blood pressure rising.
“Damn it, Andrea, take a valium. These people are dangerous. They’ll kill us if we flake out.”
ABOUT THE
AUTHOR:
Author Harlow Coban was
born in Kansas City, MO, but grew up in Denver, CO. She relocated to North
Carolina five years ago with her husband, two dogs, and 16-year old twins.
She shares a
birthday with the notorious Napoleon Bonaparte. In keeping with his legacy, she
is currently working on taking over the world. Harlow’s positive attitude and
fresh take on life are her tools and conquest is certain.
She spends her
free time writing, dancing, traveling and defending mailboxes from her
16-year-old twins’ driving.
Her debut
novel, LIFE IN DEATH (February 2012), is a murder mystery which pulls from
real-life situations from her own family history. She felt compelled to share
her story with the world while offering a thrilling, entertaining, and amusing
escape for readers.
In keeping with
her commitment to improving the lives of children, a portion of the proceeds
from the sale of her book will be donated to the Boys and Girls Club in her
home state of North Carolina.
At six months old, Madison got her first Invisible Fence collar. It was huge on such a tiny little girl; a box three inches long and two inches square. I think it weighed as much as her head. She had been very good staying by Lexi’s side but we knew that would not last forever. My office was in our guest wing and I had a wonderful view of the yard from my windows. I had no hesitation leaving the three dogs free to roam their yard during the day. One day I noticed Madison getting closer and closer to the fence limit and with a twenty-five-foot head start, ran at full speed and jumped at exactly the right moment to jump OVER the fence’s radio field. Off she went. By the time I got out to the yard she was gone. 
Brunner draws on early life lessons to love all animals. The love she gets in return is literally lifesaving for both her and her dogs. From Madison, or Houdini in a Dog Suit to Cooper, the medical wonder-dog whose diagnosis was more accurate than a mammogram, their shared survival stores are captivating. Brunner says, “rescue dogs provide so much more than family companionship. They fill a gap in the soul. And...can empty out your wallet!”. She is certain that somewhere in doggie heaven there is a Most Wanted Poster of her and her husband that says “If you are sick, injured or in need of very expensive medical care...FIND THESE HUMANS!” 
'STARQUEST' 'CHILDREN OF THE MIST' (The sequel to Starquest) Dancing With Fate 'Freeread':'A BARGAIN WITH DEATH
