Creatively Green is the blog of freelance writer, avid crafter, and La Mamma Verde (the green mom), Wenona Napolitano. This blog features everything about her creatively green life from green crafting to eco-gardening, green parenting and green living in general. You will also find articles on writing, being a mom writer, and see guest posts from authors. Full of green musings, eco-product reviews, book notes, eco-friendly crafts and so much more.
Saturday, March 28, 2015
Friday, March 27, 2015
Kindle Freebie March 26-30 Paranormal Pleasures:Ten Tales of Supernatural Seduction
Ten tantalizing, erotic tales of vampires, witches and demons grace the pages of this short story collection by Roxanne Rhoads.
Step into the darkness and let these tales tempt and tease to satisfy your paranormal cravings.
Eight of Roxanne Rhoads' previous eBook publications appear in print for the first time, along with two brand new, never before published tales of supernatural love and lust.
Step into the darkness and let these tales tempt and tease to satisfy your paranormal cravings.
Eight of Roxanne Rhoads' previous eBook publications appear in print for the first time, along with two brand new, never before published tales of supernatural love and lust.
A Last Goodbye
New witch Marissa is learning the ropes of being one of The Others. One of her mentors is vampire Deirdre, a tall beauty who really irritates Marissa. Marissa is extremely pissed when she shows up to Dante's Ball and finds Deirdre there with Marissa's recent ex-boyfriend, Jeff. The one she was encouraged to break up with because of his humanity. Deirdre explains her reasons for bringing Jeff and offers to help Marissa say goodbye to him in a way none of them will ever forget
Overkill
Vanessa is tired of her boyfriend Simon’s promiscuous vampire ways and stakes him, repeatedly- not close enough to the heart to kill him but close enough to make it hurt. But now she’s had a change of heart and considers embracing the sexual world of the vampire instead of being jealous of it.
Witch in the Middle
Ariadne is a witch torn between two men, a vampire and a human. Her heart doesn’t want to choose but the men force her to make a decision that could break her heart, unless with the help of the Goddess all three of them can come to a mutually acceptable…and enjoyable agreement.
When It Storms
Devon’s witchy girlfriend becomes insatiable every time a storm rolls around and he’s more than happy to give her exactly what she needs.
Monster Inside
Shannon’s never seen her vampire boyfriend, Logan, vamp out before. Then one night he has to kill to save her life. Can she ever look at him the same way again?
The Questioning Concubine
Elita, a pure blood witch, has come home to find who or what killed her parents and to take her rightful place as the head of the coven. After five years of investigating and exhausting all conventional methods at her disposal, she decides to do the one thing a good witch should never do—summon a demon. The demon is not what she expected. Elita is soon swept up in his power… and her own.
Renata
The residents of the sleepy little town of Flushing, Michigan had no idea a vampire lived among them, seducing and drinking from all the men in town. Renata walked among them, blending in, taking only what she needed. One night, while she was on the prowl for fresh blood at a carnival, a handsome carnie caught her eye. She had no way of knowing he was a vampire hunter and was there for her.
Sea of Blood
Liana made Nerissa a vampire centuries ago in the islands of Greece but she’s never tired of her companion or the way she hunts her prey.
A Halloween to Remember
New witch Marissa is learning the ropes of being one of The Others. One of her mentors is vampire Deirdre, a tall beauty who really irritates Marissa. Marissa is extremely pissed when she shows up to Dante's Ball and finds Deirdre there with Marissa's recent ex-boyfriend, Jeff. The one she was encouraged to break up with because of his humanity. Deirdre explains her reasons for bringing Jeff and offers to help Marissa say goodbye to him in a way none of them will ever forget
Overkill
Vanessa is tired of her boyfriend Simon’s promiscuous vampire ways and stakes him, repeatedly- not close enough to the heart to kill him but close enough to make it hurt. But now she’s had a change of heart and considers embracing the sexual world of the vampire instead of being jealous of it.
Witch in the Middle
Ariadne is a witch torn between two men, a vampire and a human. Her heart doesn’t want to choose but the men force her to make a decision that could break her heart, unless with the help of the Goddess all three of them can come to a mutually acceptable…and enjoyable agreement.
When It Storms
Devon’s witchy girlfriend becomes insatiable every time a storm rolls around and he’s more than happy to give her exactly what she needs.
Monster Inside
Shannon’s never seen her vampire boyfriend, Logan, vamp out before. Then one night he has to kill to save her life. Can she ever look at him the same way again?
The Questioning Concubine
Elita, a pure blood witch, has come home to find who or what killed her parents and to take her rightful place as the head of the coven. After five years of investigating and exhausting all conventional methods at her disposal, she decides to do the one thing a good witch should never do—summon a demon. The demon is not what she expected. Elita is soon swept up in his power… and her own.
Renata
The residents of the sleepy little town of Flushing, Michigan had no idea a vampire lived among them, seducing and drinking from all the men in town. Renata walked among them, blending in, taking only what she needed. One night, while she was on the prowl for fresh blood at a carnival, a handsome carnie caught her eye. She had no way of knowing he was a vampire hunter and was there for her.
Sea of Blood
Liana made Nerissa a vampire centuries ago in the islands of Greece but she’s never tired of her companion or the way she hunts her prey.
A Halloween to Remember
What says Halloween better than a wild party at an old Victorian mansion complete with its own cemetery? Perhaps meeting the man of your dreams thanks to the magic of Halloween.
Adena can’t believe her eyes when she spots Dimitri in the library- he looks like something straight off the cover of a historical romance novel-the type of guy she’s always dreamed of. Too bad he disappears before she has the chance to introduce herself. When she finally spots him again later that night she decides she’s not letting him get away again. Adena thinks she’s finally found the one. Until she wakes up alone the next morning- in the cemetery.
Halloween magic brought them together but will it be strong enough to keep them together?
Witching You A Merry Christmas
Witch Vicki has been leery of vampires ever since she was attacked five years ago. Daniel's a vampire and he's been secretly in love in with Vicki for two years ever since becoming Vicki's partner in The Guardians a supernatural group of paranormal crime fighters. Daniel loves Christmas and hopes the spirit of the holidays will soften Vicki's hatred of vampires and help her see him in a new light. Will he get his Christmas wish?
Adena can’t believe her eyes when she spots Dimitri in the library- he looks like something straight off the cover of a historical romance novel-the type of guy she’s always dreamed of. Too bad he disappears before she has the chance to introduce herself. When she finally spots him again later that night she decides she’s not letting him get away again. Adena thinks she’s finally found the one. Until she wakes up alone the next morning- in the cemetery.
Halloween magic brought them together but will it be strong enough to keep them together?
Witching You A Merry Christmas
Witch Vicki has been leery of vampires ever since she was attacked five years ago. Daniel's a vampire and he's been secretly in love in with Vicki for two years ever since becoming Vicki's partner in The Guardians a supernatural group of paranormal crime fighters. Daniel loves Christmas and hopes the spirit of the holidays will soften Vicki's hatred of vampires and help her see him in a new light. Will he get his Christmas wish?
Spotlight and Giveaway Wolf On Wheels by Layne Macadam
Wolf On Wheels
Heritage Series
Book One
Layne Macadam
Genre: Erotic Wolf Shifter
Publisher: Syn Publishing
Date of Publication: 16 March
ASIN: B00TP8WA3I
Number of pages: 76
Word Count: approximately: 38,000
Cover Artist: Syn Publishing
Book Description:
Caleb Grayson’s opinion of humans is about as low as it can get until Lara Walker enters his life. But can the pretty veterinarian be trusted with his secret? As alpha of his pack, he is duty bound to keep them safe and that means maintaining anonymity.
When Caleb offers Lara a job on the mountain she loves, it is like a dream come true, but there is something strange about the handsome biker. Little does she know that he is harboring a secret that once revealed will turn her world inside out and have repercussions neither could have expected.
EXCERPT
Caleb Grayson’s
fur spiked and his tail swished with anger as without a thought or a care, Nora
bounded off down the street, leapt over the suburban fence and was lost from
sight. His orders to the pack had been clear. Bare minimum—travel in pairs.
Stay together at all times. Watch each other’s back. The lure of fresh rabbit
must have overridden duty and common sense.
The growl he
released was feral as he took off after her. The rules were put in place to
keep his pack safe. Hunters were on the warpath and they were after wolf
shifters with deadly intent. He’d already lost one member to their violence and
would not lose another. Humans, he made a derisive sound. They were uncaring
and self-centered. He’d yet to meet one he liked. He pulled his muzzle into a
sneer and bared his teeth at the thought of that race.
One giant leap
had him over the fence and landing smoothly on all fours on the other side.
Nora was farther up the yard edging closer to her goal, but she was not alone.
Frozen to the
spot he couldn’t move had his life depended on it. It was as if he’d stepped
into a trough of rapid dry cement and was stuck fast. His heartbeat had ramped
up and his tail twitched at the sight of the divine human before him.
Awestruck, he
snarled at the smaller gray wolf beside him. They’d talk about her
transgression later. Nora was an adolescent and still in the playful stage of
wanting to hunt live prey. Fresh meat was tempting but no excuse for defying
his orders. She pawed the ground waiting for him to speak telepathically, but
he was speechless. The female human had him dumbstruck and transfixed.
She was a good
head shorter than he, athletically built with dips and curves in all the right
places, and her spiral curls were the color of marmalade and looked every bit
as rich and glossy in the lunar light.
It came to him
in a flash then; this human with her emerald eyes sparkling like gemstones was
his mate. He’d waited centuries to find her, had given up hope, and now, like a
bolt from the blue there she was. Not even Lycan, but human. It was cruel,
preposterous, but true. He had little tolerance for the species, but he ached
to carry her home, cherish her, breed with her, howl with elation, but he
quashed the instinct as his homosapien side surged to the fore—tread carefully,
do not rush this—she may not understand.
“Caleb, what is
it?” Nora’s telepathic voice quivered with unease.
He didn’t
answer, couldn’t answer, so consumed was he with the human before him. Her
shape was visible through the silk of her gown. The night breeze had molded the
thin white material to her womanly form. She was a vision. He was grateful it
was a she-wolf beside him and not a male from his pack.
As he continued
to stare, mouth agape and tongue lolling, the breeze picked up and she
shivered. Her nipples punched out against the flimsy fabric. He whimpered. His
heart pounded faster now as if he’d run for miles at top speed over the rugged
terrain around his Black Mountain home.
“Caleb what’s
wrong, can’t you hear me?” Nora’s voice was high-pitched now and sharper than
normal.
Before he could
speak the woman took a small tentative step toward Nora’s midnight snack. She
reacted on natural impulse. Her fur stood on end, a menacing growl emanated
from lips drawn back in a savage snarl baring sharp teeth. Crouched low and
ready to spring, it was enough to have him recover his voice.
“Stay. The human
is my mate. Threaten her and you threaten me.” As he sent the telepathic
message, Nora dropped to her haunches, and with a whimper assumed a submissive
position—she would not dare challenge him.
The command was
issued with his sight still glued to his female. The stiffening breeze had
whipped the ginger ringlets around her face giving a halo effect, but when her
eyes widened and she trembled, it pierced his heart like a blade. He hated
seeing her frightened, smelling her fear, but at this point there was little he
could do.
About the Author:
Layne lives with her husband, two dogs, and a cat on the mid-eastern coast of New South Wales, Australia. In addition to being an author she has a degree in history and holds down a full-time job.
She has always been an avid reader and voraciously consumes all types of fiction, but she particularly loves a happy ending, so writing romance seemed a natural progression for her. But as she sat at the computer one day — staring at a blank screen — it all seemed rather daunting. Yet once she finally started tapping on the keys, the words kept flowing, and what was meant to be a short story turned into a full-blown novel, Desire Unleashed, the first book in the “Desire” series.
Layne writes contemporary romance, paranormal, and sci-fi. With her passion for travel and a love of history an historical romance is not outside the realms of possibility.
When she’s not writing, you might find her tackling a craft project, walking by the lake, or in the kitchen creating some culinary delights.
Website : http://www.laynemacadam.com
March 23 Interview
Roxanne’s Realm
March 23 Review
Musings From An Addicted Reader
March 24 Spotlight
Houston Havens –
March 24 Guest blog
Fang-tastic Books
March 25 Review
Crazy Four Books
March 25 Spotlight
Inner Goddess
March 26 Interview
All I Want and More Books
March 26 Guest blog
Erotica For All
March 27 Interview
Diane’s Book Blog
March 27 Spotlight
The Creatively Green Write at Home Mom
March 30 Review
Fanatical Paranormal Romantical
March 30 Review
Paranormal Romance and Authors That Rock
March 30 Review
Smokin' Hot Books
Guest Blogger Jere' M. Fishback Talks about his Edgy Young Novel Becoming Andy Hunsinger
Hi, folks, I'm
Jere' M. Fishback. I primarily write Young Adult fiction, and you can read
about my titles at my website: https://www.jeremfishback.com My latest release is a novel titled Becoming Andy Hunsinger; it's narrated
by the title character, and on the book's first page Andy says this:
"On my seventh
birthday, my parents gave me a Dr. Seuss book, The Cat in the Hat.
"I still have the book; it
rests on the shelf above my desk, along with other Seuss works I’ve collected.
Inside The Cat in the Hat’s cover, my mother wrote an inscription, using
her precise penmanship. 'Happy
Birthday, Andy. As you grow older, you'll realize many truths dwell within
these pages. Much love, Mom and Dad.'
"Mom was right, of course.
She most always is.
"My favorite line in The
Cat in the Hat is this one:
"'Be who you are and say
what you feel because those who mind don't matter and those who matter don’t
mind.'"
Becoming
Andy Hunsinger is
all about having the courage to be different in a society that places far too
much value on conformity. The story takes place in north Florida during
1976-77. It's not autobiographical, although I did attend law school at Florida State University in Tallahassee
during those years, and certain events in my book actually occurred while I
lived there.
People always ask me, "Where do you
get your ideas for the stories you write and the characters you create? Are
they based upon real-life events and people you have known?"
I always answer by saying, "None of my characters are based on
individuals I have known. I might borrow certain personality traits in folks
I've met, but that's about it. Certain incidents I've experienced might inspire
me to write a story including them, but they certainly don't dictate plot or
outcome. They're just a starting point." And it's true.
I think trying to base fiction on
real-life events can hamper a writer's creativity. Fiction comes from the
"creative" side of our brain, and I have to give this side of me
freedom to roam and explore.
I'm what fiction writers call a
"pantser"; I don't outline a book before I start writing it; I get an
idea for a story, and then I start by writing a scene that begins the story. I
never have any idea how any of my stories will end. In fact, I don't plan any
"plot twists." I don't prepare character profiles in advance, either.
I write "by the headlights" as E. L. Doctorow once called it; I only
know what's going to happen in one or two scenes beyond the one I am working
on.
Thanks to The Creatively Green Write at Home Mom for hosting me today, and
thanks to readers who follow this blog for taking the time to get to know me.
If anyone has questions or comments for me, feel free to send them via this
blog; I'd love to hear from you.
Happy reading, everyone ….
Becoming Andy Hunsinger
Jere' M. Fishback
Genre: Historical romance, GLBT,
Historical,Edgy Young Adult
Publisher: Prizm Books
Date of Publication: December 30, 2014
ISBN: 978-1-61040-858-5
ASIN: B00RN6L8HS
Number of pages: 208
Word Count: 65,800
Cover Artist: Fiona Jayde
Book Description:
It's 1976, and Anita Bryant's homophobic "Save Our Children" crusade rages through Florida. When Andy Hunsinger, a closeted gay college student, joins in a demonstration protesting Bryant's appearance in Tallahassee, his straight boy image is shattered when he's "outed" by a TV news reporter.
In the months following, Andy discovers just what it means to be openly gay in a society that condemns love between two men.
Can Andy's friendship with Travis, a devout Christian who's fighting his own sexual urges, develop into something deeper?
Available at Amazon Prizm Books
Excerpt
On my seventh
birthday, my parents gave me a Dr. Seuss book, The Cat in the Hat.
I still have it;
the book rests on the shelf above my desk, along with other Seuss works I've
collected. Inside The Cat in the Hat's cover, my mother wrote an inscription,
using her English teacher's precise penmanship.
"Happy Birthday, Andy. As you grow older,
you'll realize many truths dwell within these pages. Much love, Mom and
Dad."
Mom was right,
of course. She most always is.
My favorite line
in The Cat in the Hat is this one:
"Be who you
are and say what you feel because those who mind don't matter and those who
matter don't mind."
***
Loretta McPhail
was a notorious Tallahassee slumlord. On a steamy afternoon, in August 1976,
she spoke to me in her North Florida drawl: part magnolia, part crosscut saw.
"The rent's
one-twenty-five. I'll need first, last, and a security deposit, no exceptions."
McPhail wore a
short-sleeved shirtwaist dress, spectator pumps, and a straw hat with a green
plastic windowpane sewn into the brim. Her skin was as pale as cake flour. A
gray moustache grew on her winkled upper lip, and age spots peppered the backs
of her hands. Her eyeglasses had lenses so thick her gaze looked buggy.
I'd heard
McPhail held title to more than fifty properties in town, all of them cited
multiple times for violation of local building codes. She owned rooming houses,
single family homes, and small apartment buildings, mostly in neighborhoods
surrounding Florida State University's campus. Like me, her tenants sought
cheap rent; they didn't care if the roof leaked or the furnace didn't work.
The Franklin
Street apartment I viewed with McPhail wasn't much: a living room and kitchen,
divided by a three-quarter wall; a bedroom with windows looking into the rear
and side yards; a bathroom with a wall-mounted sink, a shower stall and a
toilet with a broken seat. In each room, the plaster ceilings bore water marks.
The carpet was a leopard skin of suspicious-looking stains, and the whole place
stank of mildew and cat pee.
McPhail's
building was a two-storied, red brick four-plex with casement windows that
opened like book covers, a Panhandle style of architecture popular in the
1950s. Shingles on the pitched roof curled at their edges. Live oaks and
longleaf pines shaded the crabgrass lawn, and skeletal azaleas clung to the
building's exterior.
In the kitchen,
I peeked inside a rust-pitted Frigidaire. The previous tenant had left gifts: a
half-empty ketchup bottle, another of pickle relish. A carton of orange juice
with an expiration date three months past sat beside a tub of margarine.
Out in the
stairwell, piano music tinkled -- a jazzy number I didn't recognize.
McPhail clucked
her tongue and shook her head.
"I've told
Fergal -- and I mean several times -- to close his door when he plays, but he
never does. I'm not sure why I put up with that boy."
McPhail pulled a
pack of Marlboros from a pocket in the skirt of her dress. After tapping out
two cigarettes, she jammed both between her lips. She lit the Marlboros with a
brushed-chrome Zippo, and then she gave me one cigarette.
I puffed and
tapped a toe, letting my gaze travel about the kitchen. I studied the chipped
porcelain sink, scratched Formica countertops, and drippy faucet. Blackened
food caked the range's burner pans. The linoleum floor's confetti motif had
long ago disappeared in high-traffic areas. Okay, the place was a dump. But the
rent was cheap, and campus was less than a mile away. I could ride my bike to
classes, and to my part-time job as caddy at the Capital City Country Club.
Still, I
hesitated.
The past two
years, I'd lived in my fraternity house with forty brothers. I took my meals
there, too. If I rented McPhail's apartment, I'd have to cook for myself. What
would I eat? Where would I shop for food?
Other questions
flooded my brain. Where would I wash my clothes? And how did a guy open a
utilities account? The apartment wasn't furnished. Where would I purchase a
bed? What about a dinette and living room furniture? And how much did such
things cost? It all seemed so complicated.
Still . . .
Lack of privacy
at the fraternity house would pose a problem for me this year. Over summer
break -- back home in Pensacola -- I'd experienced my first sexual encounter
with another male, a lanky serviceman named Jeff Dellinger, age twenty-four.
Jeff was a Second Lieutenant from Eglin Air Force Base. I met him at a sand
volleyball game behind a Pensacola Beach hotel, and he seemed friendly. I liked
his dark hair, slim physique, and ready smile, but wasn't expecting anything
personal to happen between us.
After all, I was
a "straight boy", right?
We bought each
other beers at the Tiki bar, and then Jeff invited me up to his hotel room.
Once we reached the room, Jeff prepared two vodka/tonics. My drink struck like
snake venom, and then my brain fuzzed. Jeff opened a bureau drawer; he produced
a lethal-looking pistol fashioned from black metal. The pistol had a matte
finish and a checked grip.
"Ever seen
one of these?"
I shook my head.
"It's an
M1911 -- official Air Force issue. I've fired it dozens of times."
Jeff raised the
gun to shoulder height. He closed one eye, focused his other on the pistol's
barrel sight. "Shooting's almost... sensual," he said. Then he looked
at me. "It's like sex, if you know what I mean."
I shrugged, not
knowing what to say.
Jeff handed the
pistol to me. It weighed more than I'd expected, between two and three pounds.
I turned the pistol here and there, admiring its sleek contours. The grip felt
cold against my palm and a shiver ran through me. I'd never fired a handgun,
never thought to.
"Is it
loaded?" I asked.
Jeff bobbed his
chin. "One bullet's in the firing chamber, seven more in the magazine;
it's a semi-automatic."
After I handed
Jeff the gun, he returned it to his bureau's drawer while I sipped from my
drink, feeling woozier by the minute. Jeff sat next to me, on the room's double
bed. His knee nudged mine, our shoulders touched, and I smelled his
coconut-scented sunscreen.
Jeff laid a hand
on my thigh. Then he squeezed. "You don't mind, do you?"
About the Author:
Jere' M. Fishback is a former news editor and trial lawyer. He writes Young Adult novels, short fiction, and memoirs. A Florida native, he lives on a barrier island on the Gulf of Mexico, west of Tampa/St. Petersburg. When he's not writing, Jere' enjoys cycling, surfing, lap-swimming, and watching sunsets with a glass of wine in hand.
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/2920032.Jere_M_Fishback
http://www.amazon.com/Jere-M.-Fishback/e/B00DDXM806/
http://www.amazon.com/Jere-M.-Fishback/e/B00DDXM806/
Thursday, March 26, 2015
Foxglove In Springtime by Abigail Madison Chase
Foxglove In Springtime
Short stories and Poems
Abigail Madison Chase
Genre: Poetry
Date of Publication: February 28, 2015
Number of pages: 30
Cover Artist: Keri Knutson
Book Description:
Foxgloves In Springtime, is a collection of beautiful lyrical expressions of love in the springtime. Lovers of romantic poetry can scarcely go wrong with this collection.
Many of the poems reflect on longing, loss and great passion. Written from the perspective of a lover, there are poems for every mood and occasion.
This thoughtful collection of poems is a treasure for connoisseur of poetry and those who are not big poetry readers.
Care
Instructions for Springtime Love
Prepare your heart for love.
Carefully weed through the dirt
bags
till the best bachelor or
bachelorette,
begins to shake free of those who
are unworthy.
Set out each season carefully
planting yourself
in your best light.
Don’t dig a hole with lies.
Sow the seeds of love and
happiness,
as you watch love hop your way.
Spring
Showers of Truelove
Truelove showers open hearts in
the springtime,
the fertile earth gives birth to
the gentle beauty of,
a blissful season of truelove.
Sweet rays of springtime
thaw the freeze heart.
Gone like the first day of
winter,
Love Springs forth like the hands
of time
About the Author:
Author Abigail-Madison Chase is a 20 something (ok, 40something) neurotic mother of two. A highly trained professional (ok, only in her mind she's Jane Bond super heroine), along the way she writes terrible poetry and illegible books.
Abigail Madison Chase lives in the beautiful Mountains of the Western United States. Always a dreamer, Abigail has been writing since she was in Mrs. Turners 4th grade Language Arts class. There she won 1st prize in the Creative Writing Fair. Abigail holds a B.F.A and M.F.A in English and Literature.
Abigail's family, and her writing exist in a world of make-believe harmony. Each fighting for their right to become a character she want kill off. Sarcasm, quick wit and lots of laughs are the hallmark of Abigail's Wonderful World. A place were lots of peace and harmony descend upon, she and her two children is where Abigail-Madison Chase lives.
Darkness Within by Candis Vargo
Darkness Within
The Darkness Series
Book One
Candis Vargo
Genre: Paranormal Thriller
Publisher: Limitless Publishing
Date of Publication: March 10
ISBN:
ASIN:
Book Description:
Tragedy strikes the Roseburg family and leaves Mike struggling to help his wife, Mia. After losing their only child in an accident, Mia is far from emotionally distraught…instead, she continues on like their son is still alive.
Four months passed since the accident…
Mike begins to work with a psychiatrist to help his wife with her delusions when a darkness begins to haunt them. As this dark presence becomes violent, making itself known, Mike wonders if the illusion of their child that his wife is seeing is something far more demonic.
With the dark force looming over them, Mike is left questioning his own sanity as he tries to unravel what is real and what is not.
Soon he realizes…
Something is dreadfully wrong.
Chapter 1
The force of the impact with the truck thrust the Jeep forward, throwing Mia deep into her seat as they went nose first into a ditch. What was left of the back of the jeep rolled up over the front. It continued to flip over several times before seeming to levitate in the air after rolling off the embankment. It felt like an eternity, the world moving in slow motion, before it smashed against the icy cold river sending shards of glass and ice throughout the vehicle. As it slowly began to sink Mia automatically reached down to unbuckle herself. After struggling to free herself from the seat belt she reached back for her son.
Her long, dark hair floated through the thickness of the icy water and streams of blood swam around her face. As she turned around everything became hazy and the darkness fought to take away her control. A panic began to set in as her heart raced. She needed to get back to Eli, to unbuckle him…she needed to save her son.
Being a mother she couldn’t care less if she was hurt, she just needed to save her son. Like a tiger protecting her young, it was a mother’s first priority.
As she tried to move into the back seat she reached out to Eli again.
He gently placed his outstretched hand into hers. His eyes, so soft and gentle, stared into his mother’s, whose were full of pain and fear for him. He smiled his sweet innocent smile as if telling her that things were going to be okay.
It was the end of February, a time the weather was supposed to be warming up as it was readying for spring. Supposed to…but of course it wasn’t.
Mia had been trying to avoid what happened. Just moments ago she was talking to her husband on the phone through the Bluetooth she managed to con him into installing, stating that she was going to wait for the storm to pass.
“Hello,” Mikes groggy voice had echoed through the car.
“Hi, Daddy.” Eli’s enthusiasm rang throughout the vehicle. “Dad…Dad, I’m out of school, Dad. And it’s snowing!”
“Oh yeah, buddy,” Mike replied. “Well, I guess I will see you soon then.”
Mia had angled her rear view mirror down to look back at Eli. She placed her index finger in front of her mouth to shush him but smiled underneath it.
Eli puckered his lips out and grabbed them with one hand to keep himself from talking as he gave her a thumbs up.
“Yeah, it’s snowing like crazy.” Mia took her time as she drove. She was never a fan of the winter weather and only liked snow on Christmas Eve and
Christmas Day, any time before or after that she’d prefer it be seventy degrees and sunny. “We’re going to be late for dinner. I think I’m going to pull over when I can manage to even see anything so I don’t slide into a damn ditch.”
When Mia left to pick Eli up from preschool there were just a few flurries floating in the icy wind. Now it had come to near white out conditions, causing her to curse winter even more.
“All right, just take your time and watch out for the crazy people out there. And I came up with an awesome idea for big man’s birthday party. Turning the big five soon, eh, buddy.”
Mia looked in the mirror and saw Eli’s deep brown eyes light up. He hopped up and down in his booster seat with excitement. “Do I get a guitar,
Dad? Daddy, I want a guitar!”
“You’ll have to wait and see, buddy, but I better let you guys go so you can get home. Maybe this snow will be good enough to take you snowmobiling later.”
Mia rolled her eyes and shook her head in frustration. “See you when we get home.”
She was still upset with him over what had happened the night before. She could swear that sometimes it seemed like he’d rather be anywhere but where the man of the house should be at night…home. Gender roles were never really her thing, but to her it always seemed like the man did a better job of protecting the family from intruders.
“Stay safe,” Mike said before he hung up.
After Mike hung up Mia had slowed down even more, trying to find a place to pull over before she got anywhere near the upcoming bridge that crossed the river. She wanted to be out of the way of any oncoming traffic but with the snow falling as hard as it was, it was nearly impossible to see anything.
After a few more minutes of driving the snow let up ever so slightly, enough for her to spot a place where she could pull over. Slowing down to a near stop, she started to turn the wheel.
The distinctive sound of a big rig's horn snapped her attention to the rear view mirror, still angled for her to see Eli. She snapped her head to the right side mirror and saw a tractor trailer turned sideways, sliding towards her. Her heart raced as she pushed the gas pedal, trying to get out of the way as fast as she could. The wheels seemed to turn in pace and the air horn blared again, but was drowned out by the screeching of metal as it collided.
Everything went black.
About the Author:
Growing up on an old dirty road in the middle of nowhere, as a child Candis used her love for books as a way to escape reality (and her brother constantly trying to kill her—literally). She blames her love of all things Horror on being born on Friday the 13th and will always find joy in scaring her friends.
You will find a little piece of her in every book she writes. She loves a good happy ending, but most of the time she prefers one she never saw coming.
When she’s not writing or reading, she can usually be found chasing her children around. She currently lives in Rome, Pennsylvania with her husband and three children. And her fat cat.
Twitter: https://twitter.com/CandisVargo
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/candis.vargo
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5625334.Candis_Vargo
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