Tag Archives: Romance Fiction

The Galloping Ghoul of Hockomock Swamp

Hello all our Rebel Ink Blog Hoppers and welcome to my world.

I am glad you are here to share in my happiness over the release of my short “The Galloping Ghoul of Hockomock Swamp” available at all quality e-book vendors.

First of all, isn’t that an amazing cover?  Carl Franklin the graphic artist at Rebel Ink Press is a genius.  It is a work of art worthy of framing.  I think I’ll do that!

The Galloping Ghoul story came about when Rebel Ink Press put out a call for twisted tales to come out Halloween in an anthology form.  I couldn’t let the opportunity pass me by.  I wasn’t familiar with RIP at the time but gave them a pitch that was a twist on the “Headless Horseman” story by Washington Irving.  They loved the pitch and I proceeded to write what we called for a long time as a work in progress, The Horseman.

This sexy story is an erotic male male historic romance between Nathaniel Hawkins and Ike Sandhill, a government surveyor.

BLURB:

The Galloping Ghoul rides each full moon, exacting revenge by frightening those who tormented his past. By day, he is one of the town people, Nathaniel Hawkins, an affluent entrepreneur. He identifies with Ike Sandhill, a government surveyor, and wants to protect him from the same thugs who drove Nathaniel to revenge. Ike goes to the extreme to prove to everyone how straight laced he is. He pursues Misty VonMix with the intention of marriage. Nathaniel doesn’t know how to confess his desire without driving Ike away. He comes up with a plan of seduction. Before the night is over Ike discovers things about himself he always knew, yet denied.  

Nathaniel is a powerful man and it is charming to see his attraction and hope of a love with Ike take him apart.

Excerpt:

“Massachusetts, 1790

Somewhere in the Bridgewater Triangle, old wives tell tales in hushed tones about strange lights in the sky and the Galloping Ghoul of Hockomock Swamp. They say the specter rides on the night of the full moon. They don’t know what drives him to haunt unsuspecting travelers. Those who’ve crossed his path flee in fear for their lives. If the victims know why he rides, they never say.

***

…Nathaniel drew closer in the deadly race. The gap closed but not fast enough and his heart jolted when the tired animal stumbled.

“Socrates!” Ike shouted the encouragement to his floundering steed.

Nathaniel struggled to rescue Ike from himself. He didn’t have time to calculate a fancy plan. He just needed one that would work. His options were limited but inspiration with a dose of blind luck seldom failed him. He threw back the cloak of his headless ghoul disguise, surprised the costume survived the mad race. The muskmelon head he carried to aid his full moon revelry would be forfeit. “Mother luck, do not fail me now.” Nathaniel lobbed the ball shaped fruit at Ike’s ridiculous hat  to save the life of the man he’d benefactored, secretly lusted after and suspected he loved.”

Thank you for hopping by today.  Visit the other Blog Hop participants by hopping through the Rebel Ink Press cite hot linked above.

And while you are at it, hop on over to Amazon, Barnes and Noble, BookStrand or All Romance Books and pick up a copy of “The Galloping Ghoul of Hockomock Swamp” for your summer reading pleasure.  Or if Menage’ stories are more your fare check out “Raynia’s Magic” also at Amazon, Barnes and Noble, BookStrand, or All Romance Books

Blurb:

Raynia Castellano is drawn to purchase an amethyst pendant as an impulse buy but not before the clerk assures her the magic is in the woman not the necklace that seems to call to her. And given that Raynia has just left an adulterous ex-husband and has recently settled into a law practice with her oh so sexy and oh so apparently gay law partners, Chase Thompson and Peter Thornton, surely a little magic is required.

Fantasy Man Monday

Norman Reedus is our Fantasy Man Monday

I first noticed him on Walking Dead as a tough ass redneck.  This moment talking about the Cherokee Rose to comfort a comrad whose daughter was lost made me first notice him.  Then the episode where he got shot with the arrow in an accident and still climbed up the mountain.  Whew! Stand up and shout out loud…he made it so real!

I then found him in the Boondock Saints movies that are nothing short of legendary to the saints cult following.

My daughter and I are now working our way through various movies he played parts in.

The list is quite impressive and extensive.  We had to like him he was a Florida boy and worked at a Harley shop in California.  LOL

He seems like a genuine person in his interviews.  But for now, this sexy bad boy who keeps a grin on your face and your heart pounding is my Fantasy Man Monday.

Fantasy Man Monday

Often a writer captivates her readership in ways that approach mega cult following.  That has to have a double edged sword appeal. Fans wield a powerful influence in the market place. Does a large enough fan base guarantee at NYT best seller list hit every time off the stand?

Fantasy Man Monday is dedicated to a character from J.R. Ward’s series of Black Dagger Brotherhood books.  She has truly started a landslide of readership admiration, advise and lol, sometimes disapproval that has been sustained through last count ten books with multiple story lines and character development.  Story threads spidering out into multiple books to reach their fruition.

Readers have adopted the Warden’s worlds and characters as real as they come. It is nothing short of a phenomena with huge egroup and web based chat groups branching off into podcast and chat discussions.  Readers like to devour her stories and then whoo hoo they like to talk about them, the characters and their own conspiracy theories for what will happen next and why.

I’ve heard the Black Dagger Brotherhood described as Twilite for adults, Twilite on crack. LOL. I was told these are the stories about the “real” vampires.  One thing is universal, everyone has an opinion.

The last book to release this past spring was Lover Reborn, the story of Tohrment…Tohr.

However you imagine Tohr, he is certainly fantasy man worthy. He had a great deal of heart wrenching grief and pain to travel through which captivated readers.

Maybe the appeal to the nurturer to lift his burden and spare him from further grief was the key to his devoted following.

Or maybe his complete and total hotness.  Who can say.

Have you ever read an author or series that made you want to immerse yourself in their world?  Something so powerful that you wanted it to be real and live in that place or time with those people?

Fantasy Man Monday

I chose a couple of candidates for Fantasy Man Monday that you might find unusual. I just saw “Brokeback Mountain” Yeah, I know I’m way behind times.  I remember the huppla and mixed feelings about the movie.  It was based on a short story by Annie Proulx.  (SPOILERS). These too men are Fantasy Man Monday Hottie worthy. What bigger fantasy than hidden love?

 

I love the story.  It was moving, thought provoking, tender.  Enormous sexual tension played out on the screen from the first scene of their meeting.

It was so much a story of the loss of a road not taken. It is a story that will have impact on my life.

 The New York Times review of the film, critic Stephen Holden writes: “Both Mr. Ledger and Mr. Gyllenhaal make this anguished love story physically palpable. Mr. Ledger magically and mysteriously disappears beneath the skin of his lean, sinewy character. It is a great screen performance, as good as the best of Marlon Brando and Sean Penn.”[26] In a review in Rolling StonePeter Travers states: “Ledger’s magnificent performance is an acting miracle. He seems to tear it from his insides. Ledger doesn’t just know how Ennis moves, speaks and listens; he knows how he breathes. To see him inhale the scent of a shirt hanging in Jack’s closet is to take measure of the pain of love lost.”[2 (from Wikkepedia)

I like the way the reviewer said, “anguished love story physically palatable”.  That is exactly the way I felt it. His loss was a visceral thing.  Heath Ledger was amazing as Ennis.  He as a person, completely disapeared into the character. Like the reviewer said, “tears it from his insides.”

Both actors were wonderful in the roles they were given. A hidden love affair spanning decades. That to fill the void left by only occasional visits with Ennis, Jack had an affair with the local Ranch Foreman, not the foreman’s wife as he told Ennis. That he was beat to death for being “gay” not an accidental tire blow out as his wife told Ennis.  All veiled subtext slid into the story line in a masterful way.

So powerful that the happiest time in Jack’s life was one short summer on Brokeback Mountain. Who, even in death was denied his request for his ashes to be scattered on the mountain. How symbolic that he didn’t get what he wanted in life or death. His ashes would be buried in the family plot.

So much conveyed in Jack’s mothers eyes as she looked at Ennis allowing him to place the shirt and jacket into a tattered paper bag.

Who saw the movie?  What did you think?

How different is the climate of our world now compared to when the movie aired in 2005?

I would love to hear your comments about the story.

 

Valentines Blog Hop

It is finally here. The Valentine’s Blog Hop. Take a look and visit with the hundreds of fantastic authors taking part in this weekend’s blog hop. Check it out HERE.

Valentines Day. There were many years I didn’t care much for the celebration of this day. Commercial, made up holiday that it is. Yet, somewhere in my heart is mushy romance that says awwww, lovers need a day to celebrate. Cupid’s arrow struck my heart and here I am, an erotic romance author.

I’ve been told that I am hedonistic, silly, ungrounded. I don’t think any of those words were meant in a flattering way.

Bottom line, I love honest and open, without reservation. Once I love it is unfettered and with complete abandon, my lover’s heart to mine.

I guess that is why when, love fails, and they take back their heart from mine….somewhere deep inside me there is a huge piece of imaginary velcro that sticks their heart and mine together. So, the loud velcro ripping sound….imagine that with pain attached, bone melting, soul shredding, rending pain as their heart rips from it’s special place near mine.

Ha, Didn’t mean for a post about love to turn to one of horror. LOL.

Thankfully my characters all face their blackest moment like the one above but survive it and come through the pain together with their lover, or lovers intact. That IS the wonderful thing about fiction. There are happily ever after endings. I require it to be so. LOL

Fantasy Man Monday

I am forever warped by my childhood.

I grew up with Saturday morning cartoons and in particular Tarzan movies. The real Tarzan. He is just as illusive as the real Santa Clause. Although I saw the real Santa last Friday night at Rock city. We went to see their Christmas light festival. I was thinking “He looks like the real Santa.” Santa looked over at me an winked. So, He is the real Santa

Anyway, back on track. Warped childhood, Tarzan. Yeah.

http://www.youtube.com. The real Tarzan. No other imitations need apply.

He was a jungle man of few words. “Me Tarzan, you Jane” “Yes Tarzan”

Man in a loin cloth who can find food, save you from crocs, and doesn’t talk much.

Wonderful Wednesday Wackiness


My life has a lot of drama. Say it isn’t so? No, true. It is bound to be punctuated with bouts of drama. We have one, mature adult college student (will be two when my partner starts on line classes in January). Also Three young adult college students and a high school student. So, All six of us in school. Plus an aging mother in assisted living.

My resources were running rather thin. So, I went job hunting again. Or should I say job hunting “still”. The result, Daughter, step daughter and I all all going to work for Amazon doing various warehouse work tasks. The pay is good. So, I can’t complain. Looks like I will be taking three on-line classes next semester to compensate.

AND I WILL CONTINUE TO WRITE. Somehow! Writing is breathing. I can not give up. I will not give in. LOL Besides I have an exciting WIP my editor asked me for.

Stay posted for more of the continuing saga of ??? As the mountain crumbles? Good night John Boy

Anne Holly – Rain and Curios

I’d like to welcome Anne Holly to the blog today. Her new release Rain and Curios sounds like a perfect book for my next to be read selection. Take a look

Rain and Curios
Anne Holly

In my recent release, Like Magic, the hero ends up stranded in an old occult shop owned by the heroine on a cold, rainy Halloween night. Now, from that point on, things get pretty weird for him, since she not only claims she is a witch, descended from witches, but that the only reason he got lost, had his car stolen, and ended up at her door is because she summoned him.

So, that last bit never happened to me, but the rainy nights in weird shops have. And I loved it.

I used to live in Halifax, Nova Scotia. That is my home, no matter how long I have lived away. I wrote my first romance in the cafes, bars and parks of that lovely old city, and wandered every inch of her in my time. Especially in the rain, which I have always loved and which was always plentiful in that citadel outpost by the sea.

Her used bookstores, antique markets, arcana and curio shops, these were my favourite places – spots where you could look at 17th century maps right next to Coke ads from the 1930s, and rusty old trykes, and globes with countries on them that no longer exist. Buttons and thimbles and quilts. Wax figurines and opal necklaces, and hardback century-old collections of faerie legends of Great Britain. A framed doctorate of theology someone’s great-grandfather earned in 1911, and a Gladstone bag from 1880. Painted shingles and antique spectacle frames. Bizarre candle holders and daggers, and ink wells, and tin can pin wheels. Wonderful things. Unique and mysterious.

In one shop, there was a stuffed owl watching everything in the store like a creepy antitheft device. This owl became the mascot of the shop in Like Magic – a tribute to my time in Halifax. Here’s what Ian finds in Raven’s shop:

Glancing at the walls, he saw shelf upon shelf of weird items ranging from the recognizable, albeit strange, such as the row of beeswax candles shaped like vulvas and phalluses, to odd metal instruments that looked like star charts in globe form. There was a very old stuffed owl stretched to take flight behind the counter. One corner of the shop was dedicated to shelves overflowing with books. The sign outside had said “Aowen’s Arcana” so he assumed it was a pagan-themed oddities shop that was fashionable when this part of town housed literati and neo-beatniks some thirty years ago. Now, he was slightly alarmed to find it wasn’t abandoned but was clearly run by a complete lunatic.

I will always miss Halifax, keenly, until I find a way to return. But, no matter how far away I am, she lives on in my memory. And in the little items on my desk and shelves I bought during those rainy day forages in all those strange little stores. The city, and her treasures, will always keep coming up in my writing. Little details no one else likely notices, but small scraps of memory and image that always make me smile.

*

LIKE MAGIC

Ian Hannigan was having the worst day of his life. A real estate prospect turned out to be a prank, his car has been stolen, and he’s stranded in the worst neighborhood he can imagine on Halloween night. If he believed in magic, he would swear he’d been cursed. Nothing could possibly make this day any worse or better… That is, nothing but Raven, a mysterious occult shop owner who not only claims to be a witch, but insists that she summoned him as the answer to her aching loneliness.

For more info please visit Anne Holly’s Seasonal Tales.
http://annehollyholiday.webs.com/halloweentales.htm