OF SCIONS AND MEN AND GYRE DOUBLE COVER REVEALS

 

Today's the day for a dual cover reveal: OF SCIONS AND MEN by Courtney Sloan and GYRE by Jessica Gunn! Both books are in the New Adult category and are being published by Curiosity Quills Press.

 

Here's a bit about each book:

 

OF SCIONS AND MEN by Courtney Sloan (February 22nd, 2016)

Geopolitical babysitting while arresting preternatural killers, it’s just the daily grind for Scion Rowan Brady. Brash and sarcastic, Rowan has sold her life, her career and her very blood to the controlling paranormal ruling class of America, all to make sure her kid brother can eat. Now she uses her powers as a scion to kick the ass of any preternatural creature idiotic enough to break the rules and prey upon humanity without a license. All it costs her is her freedom and a pint or two per week to her new Master.

 

But juggling her job and duties becomes even tougher when she is tasked with keeping a contingency of diplomats from Canada from getting gnawed on. However, negotiations for an International Blood Exchange are interrupted when bodies start showing up. Now Rowan must rely on her talent and wit to defend the society she despises to save the lives she’s sworn to protect. But as she stumbles into the truth, she chances becoming a target of not only these killers, but of her own government. With shifters, ghosts, vampires and psychics all watching her, can she stop the killings before she is silenced?

ADD OF SCIONS AND MEN TO GOODREADS HERE

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GYRE by Jessica Gunn (February 1st, 2016)

Trevor couldn’t believe his eyes when Chelsea teleported onto SeaSatellite5. The miracle is Trevor’s absolute worst nightmare. Chelsea is Atlantean, which would be fine if Trevor’s family weren’t Lemurian—enemies of Atlantis. Then SeaSatellite5 uncovers Atlantean ruins and stumbles into the crosshairs of an ancient war. The Lemurians want the artifacts inside the ruins, and Trevor’s the only one onboard who recognizes the relics for what they really are: Link Pieces, tools used by ancient civilizations to wage their time-travel war. Chelsea and Trevor must brave the gyre of lies surrounding them. If they can’t, Atlantis will be destroyed forever.

ADD GYRE TO GOODREADS HERE

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Are you ready to see the covers?

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Here we go!

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PRE-ORDER GYRE HERE!

PRE-ORDER OF SCIONS AND MEN HERE!

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ABOUT COURTNEY SLOAN

A New Orleans native, Courtney Sloan relocated to the hills of Central Maryland after Hurricane Katrina. There she lives with her husband and fellow author, J.P. Sloan, their son and their crazy German Shepherd pup. Adding to her writing life, Courtney is also a professor at the local college and enjoys learning a world of new ideas from her students as she teaches them about writing and communicating. Courtney’s New Orleans upbringing has left her with a love for the macabre and a flare for the next to normal. She writes speculative fiction with a variety of horror and sass mixed in for flavor.

 

She loves taking the world of politics that haunts us now, and adding the supernatural to create a gumbo of thrills to keep you up at night. A self-proclaimed lover of way too many fandoms, Courtney also loves crafting. From blankets to jams to stories, it’s always better homemade.

Author Links: Twitter | Website

ABOUT JESSICA GUNN

Jessica Gunn is a New Adult author and avid science-fiction and fantasy fan. Her favorite stories are those that transport the reader to other, more exciting worlds. When not working or writing, she can be found binge-watching Firefly and Stargate, or feeding her fascination of the ancient world’s many mysteries. Jessica also holds a degree in Anthropology.

Author Links: Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | Goodreads | Website

THE ROLE COVER REVEAL- RICHARD PEARSON

I'm very excited to reveal the cover for Richard Pearson's THE ROLE. I'm dying to read THIS!

I love the vibe this cover projects from what looks like velvet curtains to the actors' bare feet. Plus, there is the skulking guy hiding off to the side. Makes me curious about what's going on in this scene.  

Luckily, I won't have to wait too long. Spring 2016 is right around the corner.

Title: The Role

Genre: LGBT Fiction

Publisher: Lethe

Publication Date: Spring 2016.

Format: Paperback and E-book.

Find it: | Lethe | Amazon |

Author: Facebook | Twitter | 

Synopsis: 

Mason Burroughs is an actor on the verge of giving up after being turned away at audition after audition. But his life changes when he bumps into Kevin Caldwell, an old crush from acting school. Kevin helps Mason land a role that could make him the next Broadway star. However, as rehearsals begin, Mason learns that there’s a lot more drama than just what’s on stage. With a personal trainer claiming he can mold his body to resemble a Greek statue, an underhanded understudy waiting in the wings to replace him, a megalomaniacal director, and Kevin hellbent on breaking up Mason and his boyfriend, Mason must choose how much he is willing to sacrifice to make his Broadway dream a reality.

About the Author: 

Richard Pearson is the author of The Role an LGBT Novel which explores the backstage drama behind a Broadway show. It will be published by Lethe Press in Spring of 2016. Richard is a triple threat: Author, Actor, and Attorney. When he’s not performing in New York City, he writes and works from his home in Jersey City, which he shares with his loving husband and newborn baby daughter.

Happy Release Day- Grudging by Michelle Hauck

Wishing my critique partner, Michelle Hauck a Happy Release Day! I loved GRUDGING from the very first page, but I'm biased. I've loved every book I've ever read by Michelle. She has the ability to transport me into a magical world of her creation. And I never want to leave. Congrats, Michelle!

Title: GRUDGING

Author: Michelle Hauck

Pub. Date: November 17, 2015

Publisher: Harper Voyager Impulse

Format: eBook

Find it: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | iBooks | Goodreads

A world of chivalry and witchcraft…and the invaders who would destroy everything.

The North has invaded, bringing a cruel religion and no mercy. The ciudades-estados who have stood in their way have been razed to nothing, and now the horde is before the gates of Colina Hermosa…demanding blood.

On a mission of desperation, a small group escapes the besieged city in search of the one thing that might stem the tide of Northerners: the witches of the southern swamps.

The Women of the Song.

But when tragedy strikes their negotiations, all that is left is a single untried knight and a witch who has never given voice to her power.  And time is running out.

A lyrical tale of honor and magic, Grudging is the opening salvo in the Book of Saints trilogy.

Excerpt:

Shortly after the combat, Ramiro made his excuses to the men at the wall and left, returning to the citadel and taking the stairs to the roof. Some alcalde’s wife from the past had turned this spot into an outdoor garden and dining room, making it a favorite retreat for many. A peaceful place when he felt anything but.

Other people’s blood spotted his white shirt. Had things gone differently, it could easily have been his own. He needed a bath and a rest, but his mind hummed from the conflict, leaving him unable to stop pacing. Cold chills claimed his limbs. His stomach was sourer than when alcohol had filled it. With no clear single-combat victory, he hadn’t earned his beard. The night reeked of disappointment.

How long? How long could they keep the Northerners out?

Stars spotted the night sky here, where the citadel met the top of the world. Or so it had always seemed to him as a child. Life was no longer so certain now that he was older.

He drew in the cool scent of creeping jasmine, carefully tended and watered by hand in pots across the rooftop. Colina Hermosa spread before him, a humbling sight. The city stretched away from the citadel on all sides, a jewel shining with lights. It spread down the hill, becoming wider and grander as it sprawled, with imposing avenues and white-clad stucco buildings whose thick walls and small windows kept out the noonday heat. There was squalor and dirt as well, fits of temper, rudeness, and often impatience. But the darkness hid all that, washing the city of its faults and giving it a fresh life until it tumbled like the sea against the immovable stone walls that now held out the Northerners.

His heart swelled with love. Something worth defending. Home.

Outside the high, white walls, well beyond arrow shot, was a sight not so welcoming. There, jammed between the city and a deep, old quarry used to build the city walls, campfires burned. A red swarm of rage and death, brimstone and smoke, offering a grim contrast with the peaceful firmament. Not by the hundreds did they burn, but by the thousands, mirroring the stars in the sky. How many peasants’ houses did they demolish to feed so much hungry fire? They must be down to burning cacti. How they kept it up night after night, he couldn’t begin to comprehend. Salvador had talked on about supply trains and quartermasters, but Ramiro had let his imagination dwell on his first ride instead. An indulgence he regretted now.

If only each fire meant a single enemy, but that was wishful thinking. Each fire contained tens of men. Tens and thousands. And behind them, the siege machines waited their turn. A lethal combination for Colina Hermosa.

He touched the spot above his spleen, and whispered, “Santiago, don’t let me give in to despair.”

About Michelle: 

Michelle Hauck lives in the bustling metropolis of northern Indiana with her hubby and two teenagers. Two papillons help balance out the teenage drama. Besides working with special needs children by day, she writes all sorts of fantasy, giving her imagination free range. A book worm, she passes up the darker vices in favor of chocolate and looks for any excuse to reward herself. Bio finished? Time for a sweet snack.

She is a co-host of the yearly contests Query Kombat and Nightmare on Query Street, and Sun versus Snow.

Her epic fantasy, Kindar's Cure, is published by Divertir Publishing. Her short story, Frost and Fog, is published by The Elephant's Bookshelf Press in their anthology, Summer's Double Edge. She's repped by Sarah Negovetich of Corvisiero Literary.

Website | Twitter | Facebook page | Tumblr | Goodreads

FOREVER #HALLOWEEK FRIGHT NIGHT STORY!

 

Hi! It's time for the FOREVER #HALLOWEEK FRIGHT NIGHT STORY!

Forever authors Lauren Dane, Katie MacAlister, Rebecca Zanetti, and I have joined forces to put the spooky in Halloween. This collaborative short story will give you the shivers in all the right places!

Below are the blogs participating and which author will appear on each (blogs will have their post up by 10 AM EST). Be sure to read the story in order or you'll be really confused.

Dear Author - Lauren Dane (Part 1)

Under the Covers – Katie MacAlister (Part 2)

Smexy Books – Angie Sandro (Part 3)

Ever After – Rebecca Zanetti (Part 4)

 

There will also be a fun giveaway featuring books from all the authors. Here is the rafflecopter link.
 

Before you go, don't forget to enter my Goodreads giveaway of DARK EMBRACE. I'm giving away (1) autographed paperback copy to a lucky winner. This giveaway is international, 'cause I didn't want to leave anyone out.

It ends next week, so don't wait too long to enter. You may be the lucky winner.

 

DARK EMBRACE RELEASE DAY

I'm happy to announce that DARK EMBRACE released today. I'm so excited to share this story with you all.

 

DARK EMBRACE (Dark Paradise, #4)
 

July 14, 2015. 

 

 

"A vivid and entertaining storyteller, Sandro is an exciting new writer to watch."
-J. A. Redmerski, New York Times bestselling author

Reader favorite Angie Sandro returns to the South with a bewitching paranormal New Adult romance perfect for fans of Jennifer Armentrout's Wicked and Cora Carmack's Inspire . . .
Rescued from the brink of death by her cousin Mala, Dena Acker returns to the land of the living with a terrifying gift. Still connected to the darkness that almost claimed her, she can tell when someone's about to die--but there's nothing she can do to save them. Desperate to rid herself of this cursed ability, Dena has only one chance at peace . . . and two very different men willing to rescue her.

For centuries, Ashmael has seen more souls than he can count but he's never been drawn to anyone the way he is to fragile, beautiful Dena. She fills the dark void of his days with light, and he would sacrifice anything - even his immortality - to cross over to her world and ease her suffering. But he can't afford to be discovered by police detective Michael Anders, who is investigating the deaths that surround Dena. While Michael fights his growing attraction to her, the evidence still points to Dena as the killer. Both men have the ability to save Dena from her horrible fate, but which one can she trust with her darkest secrets?

 

Buy DARK EMBRACE

B&N / Kobo / Amazon / GOOGLEplay/ Amazon CA / iBooks / Amazon UK

 

 

MY CRAZY ROAD TRIP- THE END AND A BEGINNING

If you missed the first four posts about My Crazy Road Trip, click on the link HERE to get caught up.

When we last left off, Mom and I had just escaped the Salt Flat People. After a good night of rest (three hours) we headed across the street to this lovely Flying J gas station.

After we gased up for our trip and grabbed snacks, we're ready to hit the road again. Only Mom's jeep wouldn't start. The battery was DEAD. 

And Mom's jumper cables were at the bottom of a pile of boxes in the back of her jeep.

It's at times like these when you realize how nice people can be. We got a lot of help. One man told us it was the alternator. He offered to call a tow truck for us. Another man thought the battery cables had loosened during the drive. Turned out, he was right. Only we didn't know it at the time. He tightened the cable for us. Unfortunately, the battery still died right afterwards, leading us to believe it really was the alternator. 

Mom called USAA road service, and they dispatched a tow truck. Meanwhile, we left the jeep connected to the Uhaul and charged it up while we waited. 

By the time the tow truck driver arrived an hour later, the battery was already fully charged. YAY!

 He checked it over for us. Everything was okay! He then gave us the go ahead. Thank goodness this didn't happen in the middle of the desert.

This side bar stole most of the morning. We didn't make it to Las Vegas as planned. Shoot, we didn't even try. We got really close and found a hotel at 4 p.m. We woke up at 1 a.m. and hit the road by 3 a.m. Las Vegas came and went at six a.m. The sun was just coming up, so the town was still lit up. Traffic was minimal. We crossed the Valley of Fire before it got hot enough to burn.

I discovered this gem at a little gas station in the Mojave National Preserve. It's actually animated, but my video wouldn't load. I'll post it on my Facebook page, if you want to watch it. I got a snort laugh from it (totally audible on the video, too.)

 

 

 

Next stop, San Diego, where I lost my mom on I-15. I pulled off onto the I-215, but I didn't notice she wasn't behind me. We ended up making the last hour of the drive solo. But we made it.

 

I got to spend the 4th of July with my mom (who refused to be in a picture posted online) and my sister at the ocean. It was a glorious.

 

Vinnie and Angie at the beach.

 

 

 

What I learned from this trip is that I'm stronger than I thought. If I had to, I know I could travel across the country alone. No problem. Having the trip veer off from the plan made this an adventure I'll never forget.

 

Tomorrow begins a new adventure when DARK EMBRACE (Dark Paradise, #4) releases. It's still available for pre-order. :)

AMAZON / B&N / KOBO / iBOOKS / AMAZON CA / GOOGLE PLAY / GOODREADS

 

Want to watch the mining video. Click here for my Facebook page.

MY CRAZY ROAD TRIP-THE SALT FLAT PEOPLE CAME OUT TO DANCE

If you missed the first three posts about My Crazy Road Trip, click on the link HERE to get caught up.

I took this picture at a rest stop in Utah. We'd been driving through the most beautiful country. This is just a taste of the sights we saw in the mountains outside of Salt Lake City.

This little guy let me walk right up to him.

Little did I know that this rest stop was the last moment of peace we'd have for a long time.

Once we hit the mountains outside of Salt Lake City, it felt like we were driving in a speed race. We had to be going over 80 miles an hour just to keep up with the other drivers, who were going much faster. I've never been so terrified and...thrilled, to be honest. 

Whipping around those corners, speeding up to pass slower drivers. OMG, it was amazing.  I've never gone so fast before. When we came out of the mountains, and I saw the lights of Salt Lake City on the horizon, fireworks shot into the sky (literally). It was 4th of July weekend, but it felt like they were just for me. I've never been so happy.

Then I follow Mom into the city. By the time we hit the freeway, it was fully dark. I could barely see Mom's jeep because of drivers pulling in front of me. Some guy in a white truck almost ran me off the road. Traffic moved fast.

Mom got confused by the signs and ended up turning onto Hwy 80 for Reno. Next thing you know, we're lost. Trapped on a two-lane freeway with no way to pull off. We end up passing the Bonneville Salt Flats (which stink). It was close to midnight. I was exhausted and upset that we'd ended up an hour off course.

Mom finally noticed my frantic signaling and pulled off at a small gas station. The lights were off inside. Nobody else was around, but us.

Mom climbed out of the jeep and started to walk toward me. From the corner of my eye, I saw a flash of red. A pick up truck pulled in and parked next to us. A old guy in tattered overalls got out of the truck. He had shoulder length hair and a beard. No shirt (of course), because we'd just entered bizarro land. 

More pick up trucks pulled in and parked. It must've been a family caravanning, unless we stumbled across the gas station where the Salt Flat People held their parties. I say that 'cause the next thing I know, I'm watching a bunch of their kids dancing on top of the pick up trucks. It was the oddest thing I've EVER seen outside of a movie like Deliverance or The Hills Have Eyes. I wish I'd thought to take a video, but I didn't want to draw their attention.

Mom and I pulled out of the gas station and parked in a nearby field. We still needed to figure out where we were. And how to get back to Salt Lake City without being cannibalized by the Salt Flat People. 


So, the trip is already half over. What else can go wrong? I actually thought this as I laid down to sleep in a beautiful room at the Comfort Inn a few miles back the way we came, in Tooele, Utah (home to some of the nicest people on earth).

Foolish mortal.

Scroll down to enjoy a teaser DARK EMBRACE (Dark Paradise, #4). It releases Tuesday, July 14th, and is available for pre-order. :)

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DARK EMBRACE GOODREADS GIVEAWAY

Goodreads Book Giveaway

Dark Embrace

by Angie Sandro

Giveaway ends July 13, 2015.
See the giveaway details at Goodreads.

Enter Giveaway

MY CRAZY ROAD TRIP- WYOMING AND COWS, LOTS OF COWS

 

If you missed the first two posts about My Crazy Road Trip, click on the link HERE to get caught up.

We left Sturgis, SD around noon on Wednesday. I followed my mom because:

1) She's a better navigator than I am (if there is a way to get lost, I'll find it).

2) I couldn't see the jeep very well behind the Uhaul.

3) We were so exhausted, I had to watch to make sure she didn't fall asleep at the wheel. Every time she started swerving, I knew she'd drifted off and I honked to wake her up.

One terrifying moment had her swerving into a lane already occupied by another car. If you were curious about why it took us four days to drive 20 hours, it's a pretty easy answer. 

I wanted to get there alive.

I think we were still in South Dakota for this picture, but I could be wrong. I loved the beautiful yellow flowers.

The first day, we took two lane highways to get to Rawlins, Wyoming before getting a hotel. We were too exhausted to go on.

 

 

 

Somewhere in Wyoming.

Next stop on Friday, Utah. The place where I thought  Mom and I would be cannibalized by the Salt Flat People after getting lost. Sometimes having an active imagination is not a good thing.


Scroll down to enjoy a teaser DARK EMBRACE (Dark Paradise, #4). It releases Tuesday, July 14th, and is available for pre-order. :)

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MY CRAZY ROAD TRIP- EMBRACE THE CHAOS OR LET IT DESTROY YOU

If you haven't read about the first day of My Crazy Road Trip click HERE.

If you're all caught up, let's get to it. You'll remember where I left off. I was still in a  la la land of my own creation. A place where unicorns fart rainbows, and everything was wonderful and magical.

I still thought we'd get on the road by Tuesday. I didn't realize I'd spend the next three days packing my mom's house. She'd downsized a lot in her last move, but she still had a lifetime of stuff-- her belongings, heirlooms she wanted to leave to her children (my sis, bro, and me), grandchildren, and great-grands. She also had things that belonged to her mother and father. 

So, I boxed and wrapped all Sunday. Every time I thought I was close to being finished, I'd open a drawer or a closet and find more stuff. I found Time Magazines from the 1960's to present. Antiques were mixed in with Dollar Store junk. Pictures and important documents were mixed with magazine subscription requests.

Boxes and more boxes from the last move that had never been unpacked.

I thought I would lose my mind. At one point, I didn't think we'd be finished before the movers came. I think that was the first mini-break down.

Mom and I stayed up most of the night. I think the whole trip we averaged between two to five hours of sleep each night.

That blow up mattress never felt so good. I crashed hard.

This woke me up.

 

 



 

 

Now, I'm from California, and we're in a drought. We haven't gotten a storm like this in years. It was pretty amazing to watch with the thunder and lightning. But then, I got to worrying about how the storm would affect the move. Would the movers be able to load the truck in weather like this? Would it be safe?

 

I went to bed stressing about these things, but I woke up in the morning to this.

 

Unicorns do fart rainbows in South Dakota.

 

I took this from my mom's upstairs window

 

On this hopeful note, Mom and I grabbed the Uhaul and brought it home. Then we continued to pack. The movers are scheduled to arrive at 2 pm.

At noon, we got a knock on the door. The movers came two hours early. We weren't done packing. Not even close, but...I didn't care. YAY!

"Come on in." Get to work. Stop chatting. I don't need to make every decision about how to load the truck. I totally trust your judgment. Just put the boxes in ALL READY! UGH.

The guys moving us were really nice, but the main guy didn't move fast. He was like an artist who had to find the perfect spot for each box. Then he had to get permission from me to put it in the truck. The other guy almost came unglued because he and I were doing most of the loading, while the other one pondered the symmetry of the load and the mysteries of the universe.

I really felt bad for the guys after we  hit the two hour mark. It was hot and muggy. There were only two of them doing a job that should be done by four or five guys. Not cool given the amount of stuff that needed to be loaded. Or the fact that we discovered halfway through the move that the Uhaul was too small. There would be nine large boxes left over at the end of the day.

What really sucked was the fact that our movers, the ones who arrived at noon, weren't even supposed to be there. They'd been contracted by the company that canceled on us Saturday. Because they'd canceled, Mom had to scramble to find a moving company to replace them.

We discovered this error when Mom received a phone call from the company she'd hired  to replace them. They were scheduled to arrive at 2 p.m., and wanted to let us know they were on the way. This left everyone scrambling for answers. Especially the guys who'd been loading our Uhaul for two hours. They wanted to get paid.

We wanted to get moved.

It all worked out in the end. They guys stayed, but it took eight hours to load the Uhaul. And like I mentioned earlier, nine boxes were left over. We ended up trashing them. There was nothing else we could do. We tried donation, but Salvation Army wouldn't pick up. So Mom spoke to a lady at the trash company. She said to line the boxes up on the curb, and they'd pick them up.

Tuesday was spent cleaning. Going through the remaining boxes to try and salvage anything of importance. Then I hauled them down to the curb.

By late Wednesday morning, we were done. Mentally and actually freaking finished. The house was empty. We wanted out! It didn't matter that we'd only be able to drive for eight hours. We got on the road.  I drove the Uhaul and Mom drove her jeep. 

The new plan: Be in San Diego by Friday.

Stop by Friday for more craziness, 'cause we're finally on the road.

Here is how Dena Acker from my new novel, DARK EMBRACE (Dark Paradise, #4), feels about being on the road. 

DARK EMBRACE releases Tuesday, July 14th, and is available for pre-order. :)
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MY CRAZY ROAD TRIP- SATURDAY DAY 1

Last week I flew out to South Dakota to help my mother move across country to San Diego. I had it all planned out. Mom would have everything packed and ready to go by the time I arrived Saturday night. Sunday we'd head out. If everything went well, we would arrive at my sister's house by Wednesday.

Wow, I really was naïve.

Nothing ever goes according to plan. And, sometimes, things veer so far off course as to make the plan non-existent--a you've-gotta-be-kidding-me, fairy-fart of a pipe-dream. Once you've reached that level of chaos, you can either curl into a ball and cry or embrace the crazy.

I did both.

It started with a flight. Well, a few too many flights. Good grief, I don't understand why airlines schedule connecting flights with such a tight schedule. My flight to Phoenix, AZ left Sacramento at 8:40 and I arrived at 11ish. At that point, everything was going well. I got checked in with minimal fuss. I didn't even have to take off my shoes because I was pre-checked. Once I got into the secure part of the terminal, I bought a giant bottle of water. It was going to be a long day, and I wanted to stay hydrated.

When I arrived in AZ, I learned I had to leave the terminal to fly on another airline. It was fun. I road a train, then hiked through the AZ heat to the new terminal. Once I arrived, I learned I had to get checked in again. This meant I couldn't bring in my giant bottle of water, which cost five bucks because I bought it in the airport. I was not happy. I told them I wasn't happy. The TSA agent told me, I could stand out there and drink it or throw it away. I threw it away.

Then I went though the body scan machine.

A different TSA agent stopped me and said, "It looks like you've got a bomb on your boob."

I looked at her. "Did you just say I've got a bomb on my boob?"  'Cause surely I'm hearing things wrong. Right? She seriously did not say...

She gave a little laugh, which neither confirmed nor denied the boob statement. Then she waved at the scanner. It a figure (way to skinny to represent me, but it also showed my breast area highlighted in neon yellow.

"I'll need to do a pat check. Do you want to go to a private area?"

Hello, no. "I'm fine. Let's just do this." I held out my arms while she searched me. No bomb. Duh.

Then she wipes my hands with tissue or something. I assume to test for bomb-making residue of some sort. She was very thorough, and I felt safer. Nobody would get through carrying a bomb in their breasts on her watch.

I spent the next four hours until my flight to Denver stressing out.

First, I got a call from my mom. She said the movers who were supposed to pack the Uhaul told her they didn't have anyone on her service area. They totally canceled the day they were supposed to arrive. My mom spent the day arranging for movers to come on Monday. So not part of my grand plan to be on the road to San Diego on Sunday.

Next, I discover my flight to Denver was showing a forty minute delay due to bad weather. Given I only had a forty-five minute window between landing and boarding the last flight to South Dakota, I worried. I spoke to the staff (really nice) who arranged for me to be on a flight at 7 a.m. the next morning if I missed my connecting flight.

Talk about praying hard for a miracle. I did not want to spend the night in the Denver airport.

Luckily, the weather corrected itself. My flight was back on schedule by the time it came to board. Then things went to hell again. We stood in line waiting for the gate to open. Ten minutes pass before we even get seated. And yes, I was paying a lot of attention to the time.

Once we're on board I think everything is okay. When we reach Denver the captain makes an announcement. The reason it took so long for us to board was because they added additional fuel in case of bad weather. Because we didn't use up all of the fuel, we had to circle Denver until we used it up. It was too dangerous to land otherwise.

We circled over Denver for twenty minutes. The mood on the plane rapidly deteriorated. Turns out I wasn't the only person with a tight connecting flight. The woman in the seat beside me saw her boarding time come and go before we even landed. 

The plane landed, and I had five minutes to find and board my gate. I didn't even realize until I was climbing down the stairs that I had to run across the tarmac to the terminal. There was a plane parked next to mine. In the distance was the terminal. I started running with the herd. My gate, the one I needed for my next flight was the first door. The attendants waved the herd off to a main entrance, so I kept on going. Once I got inside, I turned around, and ran back to my gate. 

I yelled, "I just got off my plane. I need to board."

The attendants radioed the plane to keep them from taking off without me (thank you). And I ran back the way I'd come, 'cause, yeah, the plane parked next to the one I got off was the one I needed to board.

Exhausted, I crashed during the last flight. It turned out to be a twelve hour day.

 

When I arrived in South Dakota and saw my mom, I knew it had been worth it. Getting to hug her was the best feeling ever. I hadn't seen her in three years. I never expected her to have aged. I still picture her as a giant. My mom who can conquer anything, but she's seventy-five. A tiny, fragile little thing who was brave enough to move to South Dakota last year because she wanted to live in the Black Hills. It was shocking.

When I arrived at  her house in Sturgis, SD, I received another shock. Nothing had been packed!

I'm not talking about the truck. I knew about the truck...the flakey moving company.

No, I would have to pack up her entire house in one day because the movers would be arriving on Monday.

Surely my plan is still salvageable. Nothing else can go wrong. Right?

See. I'm still so naïve.

Stop by Wednesday for more of the crazy. 

And scroll down to enjoy a teaser DARK EMBRACE (Dark Paradise, #4). It releases Tuesday, July 14th and is available for pre-order. :)

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