From Beltane Magic
Book I in the Magic Seasons
Paranormal Romantic Suspense
Available in eformats and paperback
Publisher buy link: Class Act Books
Blurb:
Step into a world of magic and passions....
Take a dash of spice, heat it
Add a flash of magic and watch the sparks fly
Toss in a killer that's targeting women
Add a handful of witches from all paths to stir it all together...
Each were willing to spend their lives alone and safe; until they’re touched by Beltane Magic.
Can they survive their pasts to be together as they struggle to find a killer before the wheel turns again?
Extended Blurb:
Leena is a woman that is gentle in everything, her personality and moods. She always feels maternal with her closest friends and would go out of their way to look after any one of them. Her ability of controlling the elements and knowledge of plants make her magic abilities strong and unbreakable. She is a leader at work and in life, always working hard to keep those around her close, but never allowing anyone to get too close.
To the outside world she is just Leena Duncan, a quiet woman who works a normal job and lived a quiet life.
A few times a year she can openly use her magical gifts at celebrations within a small community of people she calls friends.
Having lived through the horrors that can come from the hands of someone you thought loved you; she decided never loving again would prevent more emotional scarring.
It takes one man at a rainy Beltane celebration to change everything she is comfortable with and one killer to change her safe world.
Owen is a man that reflects humor and cavalier vibrations to others, he is gentle and caring as is his ability to draw negative and heal others. If you didn’t know him, you would never realize he came from violence. Knowing how the real world can be, he has vowed to never put himself into the position, or allow anyone else that could open up the world he has carefully sealed shut forever.
He creates worlds and puts them on paper to entertain others. After years of using his imagination he finds out his friends can do things he thought only his mind created.
For his entire adult life Owen Grey has always played it safe and kept to his own world of writing, never getting too close to anyone.
Having lived a nightmare growing up he would never take the chance of repeating history. He may write about happily-ever-after, but knows it is pure fantasy and doesn’t exist.
Until her . . .
| Excerpt 1 Owen found himself placed between Dade and Chris among the drummers. He was caught up in learning the rhythms and watched either Chris or Dade’s hands to pick up the beat. This he found was also a good place to be as the dancers stopped often and danced right in front of the drummers or brought them drinks. After an hour his arms were tired and he honestly had a new admiration for the men beside him who were still going strong, moving effortlessly from one rhythm to the next. During a slower beat, he noticed several of the dancers moving through those at the edge of the circle and through the drummers. He watched as the dancers took their wreaths off and placed them onto a male’s head. He was sure the males didn’t realize how silly they looked wearing flowers and ribbons, although when the dancers gave them a kiss, he was also sure they didn’t care how odd they looked. Kasey paused in front of the drummers and began to weave her way toward them, slowly taking off her wreath. She smiled in a shy, nervous kind of way at the drummers. Neither Dade nor Chris paused in their drumming, but Owen could feel them both waiting to see who she was going to place her wreath on. When she passed Dade and went to Chris, Owen noticed and enjoyed the grin on his new friend’s face. Chris actually missed a few beats in the rhythm as he raised a hand to place behind her head to receive the kiss. Owen didn’t see steam, but he felt warmer just witnessing their kiss. He found himself wishing some woman would make him look like an idiot and place her wreath on his head. He turned to watch the same with Doc and Rachel. He was sure Steven was blushing after it, or maybe it was just from the heat of it. At the point when Cora began seductively dancing her way into the drummers, his heart stopped. She was far too exotic a woman for him to handle, but if she placed her wreath on his head, he would certainly try. He felt like a schoolboy wanting to jump up and say, “pick me,” but he dug deep and found his dignity somewhere. She passed him by and held the eyes of the man beside him. When she placed the wreath on Dade’s head and leaned her mouth down to his, Owen was sure the sparks that flew between them somehow burned him. In his own amazement, he realized it was a kiss out of a movie that made your heart speed up. Dade didn’t miss a single beat on the drum, though the kiss seemed to last more than just a few moments. He found himself wishing for mistletoe or a cute puppy, anything that would bring one of them to him. His heart tripped and almost stumbled when he noticed Leena was dancing toward the drummers. He fought the urge of wanting to look around and make sure he was the only one in the area without a wreath on his head but held onto what adult-like composure he had left. When she stopped in front of him, it was all he could do to not stand and meet her halfway, so he held the drum in front of him tightly and stayed seated. As the wreath touched his head, she smiled a smile that made his insides burn. He reached up to gently guide her head down to his. |
| Excerpt 2 The eight stood in a circle around the small fire pit. Outside the shelter, the rain poured so hard it was like a steady, deafening sound. Cora stepped closer to the fire and stared into it. She glanced up and nodded to Leena. Taking Dade’s hand, she whispered, “Let’s hope some ancestors are available tonight.” Dade lifted her hand and kissed it before he let go. “I’ll make sure they are.” He picked up the shaker sitting in front of him and gently began to shake it from side to side. His lips moved in a silent chant, and he closed his eyes. Owen watched as Leena and Steven both turned their backs to the circle and faced the pouring rain. Raising their hands, they lowered their heads in concentration. If he hadn’t seen it with his own eyes, he’d never have believed someone telling him. As their heads came up, the wind seemed to continuously circle the shelter and block out the pouring rain. He could no longer see or hear the heavy downpour. Not knowing what to expect next, he looked back at the others. Chris, Kasey, and Rachel were standing with their hands clasped and staring into the fire as the flames rose higher. The flames were almost white now, and he blinked to make sure it wasn’t just his eyes. Dade’s motion with the rattle became faster and louder as he moved to stand beside Cora. Her head was thrown back and her eyes closed, and she seemed to be shaking with the rhythm of the rattle. Her eyes flew open, and she stopped shaking to look into the fire. He could see the sweat beading down her face, and her hands trembled. The look on her face told him she was afraid, but she said nothing. She reached empty hands toward the fire, and the flames flew higher. Not knowing what else to do, Owen went to stand behind her in case he was needed at some point. She stepped back and cried out in fear. He caught up her shoulders and held her tight as Dade instructed him to do. Glancing over her shoulder and into the fire he saw, he wasn’t sure what, images but they blurred together and he couldn’t understand them. Cora cried out again and sagged back against him. He caught her tight against his waist and held her to his chest. His own chest began to burn. He didn’t know what was going on, but he felt compelled to stop it. “Stop now!” He said roughly. |
| Excerpt 3 Leena grasped at his shoulders and wanted to climb right inside him. His mouth was torturing her system with things she hadn’t felt in a long time, and she wasn’t sure she’d ever felt this hot quite this way ever. His mouth offered strength, a path straight to pleasure her body wanted to take. Feeling his hard body press her back against the wall was more than she could handle, and she moaned into his mouth as his hand gripped the back of her head, holding her for his exploration. She was sure her legs were going to give out at any moment when he softened the kiss and loosened his hold but didn’t release her. His lips brushed lightly against her a few more times before he rested his forehead against hers. “We better get you back before they come looking.” He continued to nuzzle into her hair. “Yes, they’ll worry.” Her voice was barely audible. Dropping her hands, she let go of him completely and waited for him to step back. Letting out a ragged breath, he picked up the sheet and held it out for her to get under it. Walking the rest of the way to her cabin was harder than he thought it would be. The silence was strained, as if they were both trying hard to keep walking and not stop and continue that. When they reached, the cabin he quickly pulled her to him again and kissed her so hard and fast it felt like a wave crashing over her. She handed him the wreath and flashlight, then turned to run the last few steps to the cabin. Owen watched her until she started to close the door, then turned and headed toward the other side of the line of cabins. ~*~ He could hear the drums outside as he reached to the bottom of the bag. Closing his hand around the case, he pulled it out slowly. They had come right to him, their souls screaming to be saved. He opened the case and with a loving caress picked the knife up from its resting place. They had come to him knowing of their sins and knowing he could cleanse them. He would not let them down. |
Available on Amazon
Check back tomorrow for the promo of the second book, Solstice Heat.
