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Albert Camus

Don't walk behind me; I may not lead. Don't walk in front of me; I may not follow. Just walk beside me and be my friend.

Tuesday, October 21, 2014

That means giving up her life - Chasing the Sun by Sasha Abernathy

Happy Release Day!
Cover Artist: Suzannah Safi

Description:

Hunted by Chaos. Protected by Death. Guided by Fire. 

Terran is now the key to a world she never knew existed.

Normal was what Terran did best – house, job, dog, friends – rinse and repeat. She never knew demigods existed, or that you could journey to other realms, manipulate nature with your mind, or that the dead weren’t really gone at all, but instead existed in the Underworld. No, she lived the mundane life of any twenty-seven-year-old Alaskan girl…until she met Aiden, the complicated and gorgeous new local art gallery owner.

As their fiery relationship evolves into something more, Terran finds herself surrounded by a world of nightmares and gods, when the mysterious Aiden proves to be more than a simple man. Soon, Terran finds that she is not so simple herself. As an ancient evil threatens to escape and unleash all Hell, Terran must dive into a magical world she never knew existed to save them all…even if that means giving up her life to do it.

GUEST POST
Who reads Paranormal Romance?

I really had to sit back and think about this question. My first instinct was to shout ‘everyone.’ Well, at least I think everyone should read paranormal romance. It’s the perfect bridge of a genre between my grandmother’s Fabio novels and the ghost/monster thrillers of today. It has all the best elements: mystery, magic, and passion. This subgenre of romance has opened up a window to two previously segregated groups: the romance readers and the paranormal readers. 

At one point, there was this stigma that you had to fall into one group. A book couldn’t be successful or enjoyable unless you had it clearly defined. Thank the book gods for authors like Laurell K. Hamilton. She took the plunge and drove us into a world different than our own, yet kept the one thing that makes my heart jump: a great, gut-wrenching, emotionally-intruding romance.

Now, I think the paranormal romance genre is full of readers of all ages and backgrounds. The line once drawn in the sand to let readers know what was acceptable to read has been blown away by the creative treat that is paranormal romance.

EXCERPT



"Aren't these Aiden’s pieces?" Micah had caught up to me and seemed as perplexed as I did.

"Yeah, I guess so.”

“Who would have thought he'd donate his work?" Micah commented and then lost interest, walking away as she saw someone she recognized.

I stayed, staring in shock.

"Don't look so surprised. Your friend Jon's charity is truly for a good cause."

I shouldn't have lingered. By now I should have known to avoid anything having to do with Aiden. Many of the contributing artists were here to help promote their pieces so I should have known. But somehow he always caught me off guard.

"Actually, I'm surprised you have a heart at all." My disdain oozed off my words as I gave him the biggest scowl I could muster.

However ugly I thought his attitude, I couldn't say the same about his appearance. Aiden cleaned up nicely in his all-black tuxedo. His hair had been gelled down, but you could still see the natural wave of it. His tux looked as if it had been custom-made, which made me curious. How many black-tie events did he go to in order to have purchased a custom tux? 

But, who cared? With my shoulders back, chest raised, and chin up I turned my head, grabbed my dress on the sides and walked away. Screw him.

I got about three steps away before I heard him. 

"You look beautiful," he said to my back. It stopped me, my heart thumping loud in my chest. An immeasurable amount of time had passed since someone besides my friends had told me I was beautiful. I could feel him staring at me, but I didn't move. I only stood there, frozen. 

"Terran," His voice was soft with yearning. It was then that I gained enough courage to walk away. I had already made up my mind about him. He was too complicated and I was tired of the ups and downs of his mood. This man would break my spirit, at least what little of it I fought to keep.

*******

"Looking for someone in particular, or just attempting to learn some new dance moves?" I turned to the side to find Seth, drink in hand, smiling at me. This man had all the confidence in the world and there was no doubt as to why.

"No one in particular, no." I smiled biting the edge of my lip in an attempt to appear flirty before going back to my empty drink. Damn. Do I really need another glass? My heart raced and stomach dropped. I was tipsy, and tipsy was dangerous.

Seth chuckled like he knew I was lying, but was too polite to say so. "I see," he replied, with a mock frown. "You see," he continued as he leaned in close enough to only have to whisper. "I secretly hoped you were looking for me."

I turned my face towards his, and now we were only inches apart. He smelled of fresh cloves and the sky right after a long rainfall. I didn't know how to respond, so I went with a breathy, nearly inaudible sound mimicking the word, "oh."

"May I have this dance?” he asked, a seriousness still on his face as he extended his hand. I didn't answer, but instead put my drink down and let him escort me to the floor. Seth walked me out towards the center and then held me close. The tempo of the music didn't matter. His intent was to hold me and he didn't seem like a man that heard no often.

A heat radiated from within me. From deep down, an energy pulsed. How could he have such an effect on me? He held me close and firm. It comforted and excited me at the same time. I finally relaxed and nestled in closer. It was only a dance, I might as well enjoy it. Our lives were worlds apart. If I were honest, this would most likely be the last time I saw him unless I was tending to his yard.

"You look ravishing tonight, Terran." Seth’s slight British accent made his words even more enticing.

"Thank you,” I said, shyness crept over me as I bowed my head so I didn’t have to look him in the eyes. 

"Your makeup and jewelry are remarkable. However this stone doesn't do your other necklace justice. Your father had impeccable taste."

I was sort of confused by the change in topic, but I didn't care. A gorgeous man held me and told me I was the beautiful one. 

"You are special. Do you know that, Terran?" He stopped our dancing and moved his hand from the small of my back to the side of my face, cupping my cheek and placing the barest touch of his thumb on my lips. My mouth parted as the energy inside me grew and blossomed. His eyes bore into mine as we stared at one another. 

Then, without warning, he withdrew his hand and placed it on my back again, motioning me to dance. 

"Do you have plans for next Saturday?"

"I don't think so, no." A date?

"I have a dinner party to attend at Mr. and Mrs. Parker's home Saturday afternoon. Would you please be my guest? I promise to take you out somewhere pleasant afterward." He laughed. I guess he wasn't too fond of them either. "You would make it so much better. I'd love to spend more time with you." 

My eyes widened and I didn't know what to say. This would be my first date since I lost the boys. 

"Please?" he asked and placed his hand on my face again, only this time he leaned in closer. I was frozen and couldn’t move. Shock crept over me along with the glow of my skin. And as he reached in and placed the barest of kisses on my cheek whispering, "please" once again, I could feel a pulse of energy form around us. I looked to the other dancers and no one seemed to notice, so it must have been in my head. It was a small rush of power, but tasted as sweet as the power had tasted in the woods. 






Goodreads
About the author:
Born in Germany to a Puerto Rican mother and All-American Military father, who saw fit to give her a Russian name, Sasha Abernathy has always loved storytelling, traveling, and doing all things silly. Raised in Oklahoma, but eventually moving everywhere from Alaska to Spain, Sasha has finally settled in the beautiful state of Colorado. With her loving husband, two wild sons, and neurotic labradoodle, Sasha is surrounded by way too much testosterone and escapes through her mysteriously whimsical and romantic novels.

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3 comments:

Linda Romer said...

Chasing the sun sounds like a good read full of excitement. I would like to read this book. Thank you

Unknown said...

Thanks for having me!! :)

justwin4once said...

I think everyone should read paranormal romance books too!!! Can't wait to read this.