more great prizes are waiting for y’all in week two of the best block party to hit the internet… woo who… readers, blogger, authors, etc … all kinds of goodness
here are three great stops for you guys to hit… remember to comment so that you will be automatically entered to win today’s prizes
omg peeps… looks like we have a chance to win something from the RRBC homefront…woo who… and look at those other sites… these are all some exciting prize opportunities… okay… I am off to check these guys out… happy wordage, tracey
Howdy y’all… 😛 I hope everyone is keeping cool and relaxed, ready to win some great prizes… over here in Ashland, Ky it is sweat-palooza… but I am more than ready to party… woo who… so let’s have some fun with Rave Reviews Book Club’s BACK-TO-SCHOOL BOOK & BLOG BLOCK PARTY, this is my stop here at Finder’s Keepers – Author Tracey Clark…
My Give-aways!!!
One lucky winner will be chosen to receive either
jewelry *(bracelet or earrings – made by me)
or one of the keychains I’ve been working on… (incase you’re not looking for jewelry)
as well as a personally made bookmark…
all you have to do is leave a commentat the bottom of this post… and you are entered to win… see… super easy… here is a peek at some of the pieces you will have to choose from…
number of winners: 2
while there is only one winner for the Block Party, I will also be choosing a winner from those of you interested in signing up for my Newsletter
and don’t forget to stop by the other blogs just waiting to give out freebies… check out the other blog scheduled for today…
and now for a little bit of fun… how about a character interview… let’s see if Makayla LaPine (from my latest novel – Southern Discoveries) will tell us what she really think about our Princess Marin, how she feels about the man in her life (if Quaidin even stands a chance), and how she plans to work together with Marin without either of them killing each other… lol… (Books and Blurbs can be found at the bottom of the page…as well as an exciting summer sale!!!)
B2 Finder’s Keepers
Character Interview – Makayla LaPine
Interviewer (Jazz):(rubbing his hands together, a wolfish grin growing on his face, he speaks into the hidden camera, practically bouncing in his seat…)
Hey y’all… Jazz here with SBI – Affairs (we are the supernatural version of the human Internal Affairs, but with sass… our work is shared with the Supe Community during these daily news reports)…
Today I will be sitting down with Makayla LaPine… sadly, no one knows if Ms. LaPine is a Norm or not (meaning without magical genetics), which means we will be proceeding with caution… it also gives us an excuse to delve into the personal… muhahahaha…
(straightens up in his chair) oh, here she comes…
Makayla: (oozing sex, she saunters into the room, perching the seat next to Jazz as if ready for a photo shoot)
I was told ya needed ta speak with me??? What can I do for ya, darlin’?
Jazz: (the purring of her voice momentarily wipes all his carefully prepared questions from his mind… the woman practically screamed wanton perfection…)
ummm…. I need you… I mean I need to ask you a few questions… your boss needs me to ask you a few questions.
(clearing his throat, he starts over)
Anton has asked me to double check a few things when it comes to his highest ranking Finders. Nothing difficult… just background, interaction with others, and a few general job related questions.
Makayla: As ya like.
(she waves her hand airily through the air and waits for him to continue…)
Jazz: (he is dying to ask what she knows about the supernatural community, but Queen’s Law forbids the discussion of anything magical unless you are 100% sure that the person you’re with is one the varying Supes that make up the different magical races. Shaking his head, it is hard to believe that the level of sexual attraction exuding from her pores is anything but magic.)
Let’s start off with a simple question. How do you like working for Finder’s Keepers? Working with other Finders to locate lost or stolen people and material objects?
Makayla: For da most part, I’d say rewardin’… Ya never know what kinda delicious secrets ya’ll discover in this job. Oh, and helpin’ others, of course.
Workin’ side by side with a bunch-a gorgeous alpha males helps to make each day excitin’. Them yummy rascals really know what they’re doin’. Even our number one research gal, Marin, seems ta-have come inta her own. All n’all a wonderful team.
Jazz: (Thrown off track, he rechecks his background research… this woman was supposed to be a grade A biotch… shaking his head, he continues carefully…)
Most consider you to be a man-eater. Your treatment of others brass, confrontational, and a bit on the rude side.
Makayla: (flipping her hair over her shoulder, she straightens in her chair)
I do what I’se have ta… if them no account lay-abouts have sumptin ta say-
I’se git da job done, in half’ta time, an’ all without da help of dim polecats… unlike some… sleepin’ der way ta da top, an’ lord-a-mercy… the complainin’ I’se deal with…
Jus cuz I’se have a healthy appreciation fur male companionship? Dis makes me a Man-eater? Jealousy tis what it tis.
Jazz: (barely able to understand a word of her angry southern-twang rant, he slouches down in his seat, nodding)
Ummm… I totally agree?
(clearing his throat, he continues)
So how would you describe your relationship with Marin??
Makayla: (for some reason the question makes her narrow her eyes before she answers)
I’ve never given da girl much thought really… other than da fact dat she obviously has a ‘special’ relationship with our boss, Antonius Slade… I mean… up until dis last week or so, she didn’t seem ta have much worth… other than her phenomenal research capabilities…
I’se have ta admit, her background and research for my Finds always leaves me with very little ta do… but something has changed… lately everyone has been running ta Marin for help… normally she would be the last person I would dream of goin’ to for help-
Jazz: (sits forward and interrupts)
Really… What type of Find are we talking about??
Makayla: (waves hand dismissively through the air)
I recon I’se better see how Marin fairs before sharing my secrets with anybody else! Needless ta say, something was taken from me more dan twenty years ago. I decided dat if my boss and my co-workers were looking ta Marin for help, I needed ta get on board. Heck… I believe that she may truly be my last hope.
Jazz: (ducks his head to cover a smirk)
Well… if you don’t feel like talking about your co-workers and the Finds you guys are involved in, let’s move on.
What do you think of the newcomers to Finder’s Keepers? They may be just borrowing office space, but it has been pointed out by quite a few people that Quaidin Lari can’t keep his eyes off of you.
Makayla: (twists her fingers)
Oh… yeah… well, he’s…
Besides… I need ta focus on helpin’ Marin with da Find… I don’t have time for his attention, no matter how pretty da package.
Jazz: (doesn’t know how to respond… especially when he notices the light reddening of her cheeks… )
Right. So…
(Can’t think of anything non-magical to ask… but before he can continue, Makayla oozes to her feet)
Makayla: (hands on her hips)
Why don’t ya tell da big boss-man ta reschedule dis little interview for when ya have yur questions in better order, and you’re able ta keep yur tongue in yur mouth long enough ta ask’em.
(Huffs out of the room)
Jazz: (loosens his tie, he slumps down in his seat)
Well that was definitely an experience… the power coming off that woman is almost as frightening as her sharp attitude… if she isn’t one of the Fae, then she is definitely something powerful… I for one wouldn’t want to face her in a fight…
anywho… that’s all for now… tune in Aug 29th to hear from our long lost princess… Marin will be in the hot seat as we stop in at Finder’s Keepers Series site, and hopefully she will feel like sharing a secret or two with us… 😛
Blurb for Southern Discoveries…
Makayla can’t believe that her life has been reduced to this… asking the flighty office girl for help. Could Marin really be capable of working the decades old Find that has plagued Makayla for most of her life? With her goal within reach, she will take a chance on Marin, avoiding all distractions. Especially the overwhelmingly delicious stranger begging for her attention.
Quaidin Lari wants to get in, finish his mission, and get out. Anything to get back to Out-realm and as far from Earth-side Kentucky as possible. His band of mercenaries – the Fianna – have one goal… to locate Marin, the highly sought after Fae Princess, and see to her protection. As the Incubus on the squad, he needs to focus on persuasion and manipulation.
The mission was a walk in the park… until her. Quaidin never saw Makayla coming. A woman with enough sexual allure to bring him to his knees…
And…. on the shelf for Summer Sale we have my first novel… Shocking Finds
woo who… 99 cent Summer Sale…
here is the blurb and buy links…
Blurb:
An act of rebellion, Marin doesn’t think that running into the new store in town will hurt anything. Her aunt will never know… right? One car wreck later, her aunt is hospitalized, Marin is forced to spend her twenty-first birthday fighting for her life, and magic – the very thing her aunt has always sworn to be for fools – is real. And so is the irresistible Fae dedicated to Marin’s protection.
Kyland has searched Earth-side and all the other realms, looking for a missing Fae child. A child his Queen prophesied would be able to one day save the Fae people from the Danshue, as the evil Fae threat tries to overwhelm the entire Supernatural Community. A child that would know nothing of her blocked gifts, or her Fae heritage waiting to be claimed. A child that has grown into a curvy, delicious morsel he would love to taste
Together Marin and Kyland will fight Fae assassins, overcome betrayals, and if they’re lucky … they will find the Danshue responsible for their plight. That’s if Marin doesn’t shock him to death with her erratic new gift, and her out of control emotions.
for information about my short stories to be found in the following anthologies, go to Finder’s Keepers Series … or click on the link at the top of the page for Book Site… woo who…
and finally, here is some information on my short story Goodbye Roanoke… only 99 cents…
Blurb:
What happened to the Lost Colony of Roanoke? Jodina knows that she should be embarrassed, but really… they had it coming. As a Vampire/Dragon hybred, Jodina has lived for more than 200 years avoiding humans and supernatural creatures alike. But one accidental fire – hey, her Dragon side can be a bit testy – and she finds herself locked up with a handsome Vampire and a few innocent children. Their crimes? Well, the mob outside their cell has decided that they are unclean abominations… Jealousy and fear, with a heaping dose of hate, can turn human beings into deadly creatures.
less an a month left for the Eggcerpt exchanges… then blog life will slow down… HA…
writing comes with a needed dose of mental illness, especially if the voices in our heads get too loud… 😛 I don’t know about the rest of my fellow authors, but my head is usually buzzing with activity… very loud activity… but from that insanity come entertainment… from my personal favorite in the romance genre – fantasy, paranormal, and contempory… to historical, regency, sci-fi, Christian, new adult, goth… the list goes on and on…
Alina K. Field has stopped by today to give us a taste of what happens when the voices start screaming about Regency Romance… I hope everyone enjoys her blurb, excerpt, and an author interview that will give you a peek inside the main character of…
Liliana’s Letters….
THE MATCHMAKER MEETS
THE MATCHBREAKER
Liliana’s Letter
The Matchmaker
Lord Grigsby wants nothing more than to retreat to his study, but a promise to his long-dead sister has forced him back into society to broker the marriage of his nephew to the heiress whose money can save the young man’s estate. If only the young lady’s starchy hired companion would move out of the way.
The Matchbreaker
Hired to launch an heiress’s society debut, seemingly straitlaced spinster Liliana Ashford’s future as a professional chaperone depends on the girl’s successful marriage. But Liliana had her own close encounter with a scoundrel years ago, and she won’t let her charge be forced into marriage to the same kind of rogue, no matter how hard the man’s widowed uncle tries to woo Liliana around to the match.
Secrets and a Scandalous Murder
A shadow from Liliana’s past appears bearing an unfortunate letter she wrote long ago, and then the earl is murdered, evoking the scandal of the season. While she scrambles to make a respectable match for her charge before her own past can be exposed, Grigsby sets about finding his nephew’s killer—and Liliana’s secrets.
EXCERPT
“You clearly don’t approve of the match. Do you intend to openly oppose it?”
Her head whipped around, and she glared. “It’s not for me to approve or disapprove. Katie—Miss Mercer—will decide.”
Passion flashed in her eyes, sending an answering spark through him. She was magnificent, though so very mistaken. “Really? Then her father is more liberal than I expected.”
She looked him over more closely. “What do you know of this matter?”
I might ask you the same question. Her tone had been stiff, like the crystallized dome covering bubbling lava. He fixed her with his sternest glare, not entirely surprised at her cheek.
His glower didn’t impress her. She lifted her shoulders higher. Stood a little taller, proud, lovely, and filled with indignation.
Quite righteous indignation. He gave into an unmanly sigh, truly weary of his responsibility for Thomas. “I know a good deal, Miss Ashford. I have been negotiating for these nuptials. The arrangement is my doing as much as Mr. Mercer’s. Much more than it is my nephew’s. He is probably the least culpable, except for his abominable behavior.”
She clenched her hands tightly. “I see.”
“Thomas’s mother was my older sister. I made a promise to her that I would look after him.” Her gaze softened, and she bit her lip in a way that made him want to taste the part that she was nipping.
And where had that thought come from?
“And your nephew needs money and an heir.”
He nodded. As a woman of the ton, of course she would understand how marriage worked. Marriage wasn’t about love, or the bride’s approval, or a plump lower lip that begged to be kissed.
“He needs money most of all. He has a younger brother in the army who would make a far more dutiful earl.”
He covered his mouth with his hand. The words had rolled out, shocking him. He rarely spoke this frankly with any woman.
Very well, he never spoke this frankly with any woman.
She released a soft breath. “And there is the matter of the ore.”
His mouth gaped and he quickly closed it. Mr. Mercer had shared that information? Well. “That part of the county is rich with newly discovered veins of iron.”
That information brought her up straighter. She looked away, gazing intently at a thick, dark spot of foliage, making him want to pry into that sharp mind.
“I see,” she said. “I believe we should go back in now.”
Not yet. He tucked her hand over his arm but did not move.
Award winning author Alina K. Field earned a Bachelor of Arts Degree in English and German literature, but she found her true passion in reading and writing romance. Though her roots are in the Midwest, after six very, very, very cold years in Chicago, she moved to Southern California and hasn’t looked back. She shares a midcentury home with her husband and a blue-eyed cat who conned his way in for dinner one day and decided the food was too good to leave.
Her debut novella, Rosalyn’s Ring, was the 2014 Book Buyer’s Best winner in the novella category.
Interview with Liliana Ashford, heroine of Liliana’s Letter
Nickname
My brother and his friends always called me “Lil” as a nickname.
Job
Sadly, I was forced by circumstances to take employment as a companion to a wealthy young woman coming out into society. My job was to help her make a very good marriage.
Level of schooling, or self-taught
Like most of the girls of my class, I did not attend school. From time to time I had a governess or tutor, and I found solace, and much education, in books.
Birthdate
Must a lady as old as I am and still unmarried share her date of birth? No, I think not.
Most important goal
Before my marriage, my most important goal was to prevent my young lady from marrying Grigsby’s dreadful nephew. Now, I shall do my best to help my husband discover his nephew’s murderer.
What would you do if you won the lottery?
Yes, we do have lotteries, but ladies do not generally participate. Still, if I could dream and find myself with a pot of money, I would establish a charity to help the young girls from the London rookeries into a better life.
I know I’ve already used this GIF, but come on… lol.. this is great… poor kid… WATCH OUT FOR SWINGING HIPS… 😛
we have hit the midway point on our second month of excerpts… the bookish egg hunt is almost at a close… I have had a lot of fun getting to see all the ideas and responses from my fellow authors… a nice diversion from all the edits… but soon I will have my first contemporary romance back from the beta reader…. and that means??? yep…. more edits… lol… but I love my Skymanns and know that they deserve the best…
this Eggcerpt also falls in the contemporary romance genre… with a Plump and Pretty MC to show that love comes in all sizes… 😛
#EggcerptExchange
Plump & Pretty
Big & Beautiful series, book 6
by Mary E. Thompson
New Release – will be available March 15 (preorder links are live)
Blurb:
Riley is a quiet woman. She likes to read, hides behind her books. She doesn’t date much and thinks no one would be interested in the quiet, plump girl with her nose in a book.
Connor was the high school hottie. Riley knewofhim, but never knew him. So when he approaches her at a wedding she’s baffled that he knows she exists let alone knows her name.
Then he disappears, only to show back up a few days later, right when she needs someone to talk to.
Not someone to kiss though.
When everything Riley’s ever wanted seems almost within her reach she starts to wonder if it’s possible, or if it was just a dream all along.
Excerpt:
I looked down at his large hand circling my smaller wrist. I’d never felt small next to a man, but seeing his fingers wrapped all the way around my arm, the tips resting against his palm as though I was a normal sized woman and not big, made me feel small. I looked over him again, taking my time with my appraisal, enjoying the view of his long, thick legs encased in denim, the drape of his wool coat covering his hips and upper body. His other hand gripped the arm of the chair as though restraining himself.
His blue eyes begged me to reconsider, to take his words at face value then dig deeper into the heart of what he was saying. His lips were parted, poised to continue his argument if I didn’t give him the answer he wanted. Out darted his pink tongue covering the edge of his lip before vanishing again. For some reason with the appearance of his tongue my brain stalled, forgetting momentarily what we were talking about.
“Riley?” he asked, his rich deep voice pulling me from my blankness.
“Sorry. Um, are you for real?”
A glimmer lit his eyes, a spark of a challenge. He looked like the Connor Lee I remembered from high school, the one who never turned down a dare and who always got what he wanted.
He stood slowly, his hand still wrapped around my wrist. At his full height he towered over my 5’10″ height by the eight inches I knew he was taller than me. Broad shoulders dwarfed mine with arms that were almost the size of my legs. Connor Lee hadn’t lost any of the definition or size he had in high school. It looked as though he’d perhaps gained even more size.
“Riley, I like you. I know we don’t know each other well, or really at all, but when I saw you, I knew I had to try to get to know you.”
“Why? I mean, really?” I stammered, not really sure what the hell was going on.
His free hand lifted and approached my cheek. I flinched, wondering what the hell he was doing. He looked into my eyes, peering close, then lifted his arm slowly, as though I was an animal that was spooked. I guess I was.
His palm touched my cheek and I brushed against it like a greedy cat wanting more. He stepped closer, the blue of his eyes darkening to a navy. The hand on my wrist glided up my arm, pausing at my shoulder before ducking under my hair and cupping the back of my neck.
Completely under his control my head tipped back, giving him full access to me. As his head lowered, my eyes drifted closed, a replay of our motions at the wedding. His lips got closer, my breath coming out in hurried puffs as I felt his breath on my face. A heavy pause filled the space, disappointment filling me as I realized he wasn’t going to kiss me like I thought.
“Riley,” he said, making my eyes open. His face was right in front of me, level with mine. His navy eyes bore straight through my body. I’ve never known a feeling of being devoured by a man’s eyes until that moment. He glanced down over me, my flesh heating with every flicker of his eyes. When they met mine again I knew I’d do anything he asked, and that one day he’d crush me.
“Riley? Can I kiss you?” he whispered, barely loud enough for me to hear.
Mary E Thompson grew up loving to read, spending many nights hiding under the covers with a flashlight to finish a book. As an adult she still stays up too late, but doesn’t need a flashlight anymore thanks to her ereader. When Mary’s not reading she’s playing with her two kids or living out her real life romance with her hubby. She has a weakness for chocolate, Buffalo sports teams, and wine, lots of wine.
Interviewer: Thanks for being here today, Riley. It’s pretty exciting to hear you just got READ. How are you feeling?
Riley (laughs):I’m great. This is the best day of my life. I never thought READ would actually be mine.
Interviewer: It sounds like a pretty interesting story. Do you want to share it with us?
Riley: Well, some of it is private, but I’ll just say I have the best fiancé ever.
Interviewer: Connor Lee, right? You two grew up together?
Riley (nods): Yeah, we did. We went to high school together, but we didn’t really know each other. He was dating a girl whose lockerwas next to mine.
Interviewer: So how did you get together?
Riley (smiles and gets a dreamy look in her eyes): He approached me at my friend’s wedding. I didn’t know he even knew my name, but he knew a lot more than that. He surprised me at every step, right up until the end when he asked me to marry him.
Interviewer: Does he like to read as much as you do?
Riley (laughs): I don’t think anyone likes to read as much as I do, but Connor does read. More now than before though.
Interviewer: How did you get into owning a book store?
Riley: I always loved to read. I was forever that girl with her head in a book. I knew I wanted to work with books so I got a degree in Library Sciences. When I was going through school I wanted to work though, so I got a part time job at READ. By the time I finished my degree I loved it so much I couldn’t bear to leave.
Interviewer (smiling):It sounds like you really love it there?
Riley (nods):It’s my favorite place in the world. Connor laughs, but when he talks about taking a vacation I talk about how many books I could buy with the money.
Interviewer (laughing):Books are pretty important to you. What else matters?
Riley: Family and friends, without a doubt.
Interviewer: Your friends are like a second family, aren’t they?
Riley: Definitely. I worry about them as much as I worry about my sisters.
Interviewer: What do you worry about?
Riley: That they won’t be happy. That they won’t find someone to share their lives with. My friends are mostly paired off, but Carrie and Charlie are still single. I worry about Carrie the most though because all she’s ever wanted was to be a mom. She’s starting to think it won’t happen.
Interviewer: Do you want kids?
Riley (shrugs):Eventually. We’re not there yet. I’d like to get married first.
Interviewer: When is the wedding?
Riley (smiling): April 21. We don’t want to wait.
Interviewer (eyes wide): Wow, that’s soon. Have you always dreamed of your wedding day?
Riley (shakes head):No. Strangely enough I barely thought of my wedding at all until Connor proposed. That’s another reason we’re doing it so soon. We’re keeping it small and are pretty laid back with what we’re planning.
Interviewer: If you never dreamed of your wedding, what did you dream of?
Riley: The last few years I dreamed of owning READ.
Interviewer: You have that so what’s your big dream now?
Riley (shrugs): I’m not sure I have one. I’m happy. I have everything I could have ever wanted. A fabulous job, an amazing man, and great family and friends. What more could you ask for?
the first month of Eggcerpt Exhange is winding down… we have one more author coming to visit tomorrow, and then it is March’s turn to shine… there is an amazing number of authors out there in today’s market… a taste of every genre… no matter what you are looking for, the perfect book is waiting… personally, I need to stop looking… lol… I already have a number of favorite authors on my TBR list… if I add anymore, I will need to win the lottery… ahhhh… wouldn’t that be nice… now I am picturing the two-story home library I would build if only someone would give me the millions needed to create the monstrosity … muhahaha… I could have my bedroom, coffee maker, and office surrounded by two stories of books… ooo… and I would take a trip to hay-on-way… a European book-topia….
Okay… back to today’s guest… Janie Franz is here with an excerpt and a character interview from her novel Verses…
Verses (The Lost Song Trilogy book 1 and book 4 of the Bowdancer series)
By
Janie Franz
Blurb
Eleven summers after Jan-nell the bowdancer left her daughter Mira-nell with the sisterhood of hunters on the mountain and came to live with Khrin to raise their son, Bearin, she is called by the sisterhood to find their origins.
The first clue is a bit of song Jan-nell learns at the deathbed of the oldest woman in the sisterhood’s village. Jan-nell and her companions seek the origins of the mysterious women on the mountain through the verses of that song.
Master hunter Bekar and master trackfinder Chandro accompany Jan-nell and Bearin on a quest for the lost song that takes them from their local inn out across the landscape of their world as they meet bee spinners and kings and risk their lives to achieve their goal.
Excerpt
“Is the old woman failing?”
“She is ill, and Leyton worries that she may pass before she can tell Jan-nell the gossip from the first mothers about our coming to the mountain.”
“She wants a story-song then?”
Chandro nodded again. “She has finally agreed.”
Bekar bit into a crisp cucumber, relishing the new taste. “Hmm.” Then she turned to Jan-nell. “I would like to know how we came here and why. I feel there is something we should all know, but it has been kept from us. We did not have feasts and music before you and Mira-nell came, or ways to mark our life passages, except for when we have our first moon and become women or when a few take their places among the hunters.”
“At least Mira-nell has that affirmation. She would not get it here.” Jan-nell cast Khrin a look. “They would be plotting who she should wed by now—if not preparing the ceremony as we speak.”
Khrin held up his hands. “It is not my doing. My mother likes weddings and babes.”
Chandro’s gaze rested on Bearin. “Do they plot who you will wed?” she asked the boy.
“If I would listen,” he said.
“What?” Jan-nell turned to him.
“I do not bother you with their talk. Granddame’s sister has a girl my age that she thinks is fair.”
“But she is kin?”
He shrugged his shoulders. “They do not count kin that far from Granddame. Besides, though she is fair, she cannot think. What would I have to say to such a one?”
“There will be a time where thinking is not what is most in your mind when you look upon a girl,” Chandro counseled.
Frowning at the trackfinder, Jan-nell continued. “You have seen her?”
The boy gave a nod.
“And?”
Bearin looked confused. “What?”
Khrin shook his head, grinning “I do not know if your mother is more shocked that she did not know about this or that she does not know what instructions you have been given about girls.”
“Well, it is obvious somebody has been filling his head with something!” Jan-nell snapped. “I do not wish him to have a houseful of babes before he has explored the world and found what lies in his heart.”
Bekar chuckled, and Jan-nell turned her growing anger on the hunter, glaring fiercely at her.
“Forgive,” Bekar said. “Be at peace.” She turned to the boy. “Tell us what you have learned about girls.”
Jan-nell raised an eyebrow at Bekar’s words.
Bearin looked up at his teacher. “It depends on the girl. Some are silly though they may be beautiful. Some are wise though they may look like a goat. Some are noble and kind, and some are devious and can never be happy no matter how much is given to them. Some have talents, though they may be in the domestic arts, while some are clever and strong and know men’s work. Both kinds can work alongside any man. Girls—women are as diverse as men.”
“And what of pairings—wedded or not?”
He shrugged again. “Just as varied.” He looked at every face. “As are families. Are we not a family around this table?”
“Yes, we are,” Khrin stated and reached for his mug of tea. He held it up as if to give a toast.
Bekar smiled and held up her mug. Bearin hoisted his aloft. Chandro looked at Jan-nell and raised her mug. Moving her eyes from face to face, Jan-nell finally raised her mug. “To our family,” Khrin said in firm tones.
Interview Questions for Bekar
1. Nickname: I’ve always been called Bekar. It is a name different from the other women up on the mountain.
2. Job: Do you mean what work I have been called to do? I am a Master Hunter
3. Birthplace: I was born up on the mountain, far above the little villages below. There are only women here, strong women. We are grateful to have Mira-nell, Jan-nell’s child, teach our young girls the ways of healing and the songs of the One. Those songs and dances stir my heart, unlike many of the other women here. And Mira-nell has her mother’s touch with herbing goat and wild game. We of the sisterhood, as Jan-nell calls us, are very grateful Mira-nell tends our cook fires.
4. Significant other: Do you mean a mate? I have not found one, though I have had many lovers. I think I’m too much of a mountain goal to be tamed by a mate.
5. Most important goal: We must find the answers to where we came from. Surely, we did not spring from the rocks of our mountain home. I am different from the other women here. I brown darker in the summer’s sun. My hair is not fair like theirs.
About Janie Franz
Janie Franz comes from a long line of Southern liars and storytellers. She told other people’s stories as a freelance journalist for many years. With Texas wedding DJ, Bill Cox, she co-wrote The Ultimate Wedding Ceremony Book and The Ultimate Wedding Reception Book, and then self-published a writing manual, Freelance Writing: It’s a Business, Stupid! She also published an online music publication, was an agent/publicist for a groove/funk band, a radio announcer, and a yoga/relaxation instructor.
Currently, she is writing her tweveth novel and a self-help book, Starting Over: Becoming a Woman of Power.
4 out of 5 read-ologists recommend this WordPress.com site. ups and downs of writer's insanity and day to day life. I will write whatever makes the voices happy, for a writer that ignores her inner voices is merely a mental breakdown waiting to happen. Keeping the voices happy and creating new worlds for them to play in is my main goal.
Finder's Keepers - Author Tracey Clark 