Monday, December 6, 2010

Coming Wednesday: Solstice Miracles

Solstice Miracles
In the cold winter nights, two desire to keep her warm.
 
Coming Wednesday from Purple Sword Publications

Blurb:

Natalie Bear found a quaint old farmhouse that needed some TLC. Upon moving in, she discovered that she wasn’t alone in the house. Her resident ghost happens to be a hunky cowboy that she can’t keep her mind off of. Not to mention, one of her handymen has a certain appeal too. Trying to overcome her dark past, she finds love in the cowboy who can also soothe her raging desire. Drawn between two men, each with their own hidden secrets, Natalie must choose who she wants more.

As the Winter Solstice draws near, the veil between the living and the dead grows thinner. Before claiming which man she wants, the evil spirits in the house come out to play. Along with her ex husband who wants nothing more than her blood.

Excerpt:


The night was much quieter. Hardly a cricket chirped. It helped to ease her anxiety. She felt a hand on her shoulder. Without thinking, she turned and brought her knee up into her attacker’s groin. With a low moan, the man hit the gravel. She fumbled for her keys when she glanced over to see Scott clutching his balls on the ground. Oh shit! She knelt down to help him up.
“Oh my God! I’m sorry. I didn’t realize it was you. I thought you were the jerk who hit on me earlier.”
He grabbed the bumper of her car and hoisted himself up but leaned against the car. Tears glistened in his eyes. “You got one hell of an aim.” He took in a few more breaths before trying to stand upright.
“Sorry.”
He rubbed his balls. “I was coming out to see if you were okay. You seemed pretty spooked.”
She lifted her hair off her neck and looked past him.
“Hey, what happened there?”
Quickly she pulled her hair back down to hide the blemish on her neck. “Nothing.”
“That nothing looks like a nasty scar. Trust me nothing gave me this permanent beauty. Look, I’m not trying to get interfere with your life, but if I were to guess I’d say you’d been put through the wringer. Here.” He reached into his wallet and pulled out a card and handed it to her. “If you ever want to talk about anything. Just give me a call. Day or night. Of course, this would not be about the house.”
She eyed the card and then looked back at him. “I’m not ready to get involved with anyone yet or even consider dating. I don’t think that’s a good idea.”
He stepped forward and slid the card across the hood of her car. “No strings attached. Honest. Friends. We can all use some of those, right?”
She bit her lip, picked up the card, and slipped it into her pocket. “Yeah. We can all use friends. Thanks, Scott. Sorry I kicked you. It was nice to meet you.” With that she got into her car and headed back toward the house. The toll of the day was weighing on her, and she wanted to sleep.
When she arrived, she went inside expecting to find the doors slamming or things floating in mid-air.
But a calm essence welcomed her. Getting ready for bed, she didn’t feel anyone or anything around her. She wrapped herself in a sheet and shivered. The nights were getting colder. She had to get the gas turned on, but couldn’t do that until Monday.
The movers were coming in the morning to deliver what little furniture she had. Mostly boxes of books, her bedroom furnishings, a futon, and a few other things she was able to salvage from the house.
The mountains stood out against the night. In the distance, the same little balls of light started to dance and twirl around the tree line. She observed them for a little while and noticed there were some even on the edges of the field. A shiver ran up her back. The heaviness of the atmosphere weighed on her shoulders. It was the same feeling she used to get when she was a child in her mother’s old house. Sighing, it seemed there was no way around it. This place was haunted. I guess what Scott was saying is true.
Her heart thumped against her breastbone when she recalled staring into Scott’s eyes. The pull she had toward him ignited inside of her again.  Not sure of what it was or where it came from, she tried to shove it aside. Only this time the feeling wasn’t going away. She started to imagine seeing him shirtless and watching his rippling muscles glistening in the sun. I have to get my mind off him. What have I gotten myself into?
Natalie settled down into bed and drew the sheet around her, wishing she had something warmer. The air mattress squelched the more she turned on it, trying to get comfortable.
She heard heavy footfalls. She waited for them to start running, but they stopped in front of her door. From the large crack underneath, she saw a shadow move.
Her curiosity almost got the better of her, but she wasn’t going to get up and see who was on the other side. Fear took over, but she didn’t hear any more footsteps, and no door handles rattled. It has to be Dustin checking on me before I go to sleep. She waited and resisted the urge to call out to him. Without another incident, she let sleep take over and drifted off.

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