Minnette Meador, World Weaver...

CREATING ROMANTIC FRICTION BETWEEN THE SHEET...OF PAPER

2012-02-09T09:42:00.000-08:00

On Tuesday night I was honored to present "Creating Romantic Friction Between the Sheet... of Paper" to Willamette Writers Association at The Old Church. What a wonderful group of writers! Several of them asked me to post the notes from the talk and they are now available on my resources page for review by anyone. I talked about some of the tools I use including the ARC (an abbreviated version of The Hero's Journey and Aristotle's Fall From Grace scenarios), a copy of The Hero's Journey Summary, It Not What You Say; It's How You Say It; Body Language Basics for Writers, and my comprehensive 11 page list of Chart of Body Cues By Emotion/Attitude and Color Terms. Please feel free to download the article if you can use it.

My sincere thanks to Mary Andonian and Bill Johnson from Willamette Writers for inviting me. I had such fun! Minnette :o)

MINNETTE MEADOR'S RESOURCE PAGE

THINGS TO COME...

2012-01-21T13:53:00.000-08:00

Well, I think I'm well rested from some time off over the last month. I've caught up on my reading, organized my office, and even got enough sleep over the past few weeks to keep me going for this year. It promises to be a great one and I wanted to thank everyone for all their support over the last few months. Here's what I have coming up for 2012-2013...

ARPEGGIOS IN THE DARK - Sci-Fi (appropriate for YA) - Earth has joined alliances with two other civilizations, the Gammond, a race of diplomatic geniuses, and the powerful, very dangerous Saatus race, who have already wiped out a fourth civilization because of a slight to one of their royals. Mousikós, the very first half human, half Gammond hybrid faces a life of celebrity where she is never allowed a single minute to herself. When she hides on a derelict freighter to escape the ever-present paparazzi, her life is changed forever when the ship suddenly takes her into space where she discovers, quite by accident, that her voice can kill. Unfortunately, the Saatus she annihilates, is the crown prince of the sovereign family. Earth teeters on the balance of destruction with only a strange young woman, her very inexperienced attorney, and a salty aged space captain who can tell their story. RELEASE DATE: TBD.

PHANTOM HEARTS - Book II in the Ghost Series, Paranormal Romantic Comedy - Dyna is having a bad day... a really bad day. Her house is now filled with ghosts, the neighborhood association is trying to get her evicted, a coven of erstwhile witches are camped on her front lawn, and she just found out she's pregnant with a demon child. To top everything off, a handsome cop thinks he can make it go away, but all he is doing is making it worse! RELEASE DATE: 10/31/12

THE PIRATE PRINCE OF EGYPT - Book IV in the Centurion Series, Historical Romance - Hasani has a reputation to uphold as the world's greatest pirate; but that's hard to do when you're wasting away in a Syrian jail for making love to one of the Parthian king's daughters. For the first time in his life his luck has run out and he faces a very real possibility of losing his head for good this time. When a mysterious woman shows up and helps him to escape, he falls in love for the first time. The problem is... she is taken prisoner and swept away to Egypt, the last place he wants to be. Will he risk his life and riches to save her or follow old habits and simply walk away. There is something about this girl... RELEASE DATE: 1/16/2013

PHANTOM HEARTS - Book III in the Ghost Series, Paranormal Romantic Comedy. He's suave, he's debonaire, he can say or do no wrong, the ladies love him, and life couldn't be any sweeter. That is until he finds out he's the devil's love child and strange things start happening around him. Enter a sexy, snoopy female reporter who not only seems immune to his charms but does everything she can to double his trouble. He simply can't resist her and that's where the fun begins. Will he fight the evil deeds blooming in his head or will he finally succumb to his father's wishes and "join" the family business. Only a crazy girl knows... and she's not talking.

THE BELLE STALKER BLOG HOP

2011-12-12T06:30:00.000-08:00

THE BELLE STALKER

BLOG HOP

Come join me over the next month as we take a journey to some of the coolest blogs on the internet. We'll be talking about murder, psychos, strange fantasies, and harsh realities as I celebrate the release of my new urban fantasy thriller, THE BELL STALKER. I'll be giving away prizes everyday and at the end of the tour I will be giving away a Kindle and a tote bag full of wonderful Portland goodies. All you have to do is comment on as many blogs as you can. Hope you can join us... We'll be talking every day about something new!

Below is a complete schedule with links. I will update this post every day with that days visit, plus I will send out reminders via Goodreads and Facebook to everyone. Also, if you get a chance while you're visiting, please join these wonderful blogs for more info on books and reading. Good luck in the contests and see you there! Minnette :o)

TODAY, THURSDAY, DECEMBER 22nd - READER GIRLS: We're talking about Genre Bending today and you could win a recipe box filled with my favorite dishes. See you there!

SCHEDULE

11/28/2011 Riverina Romantics

11/29/2011 Sexy Lady

11/30/2011 The Forbidden Bookshelf

12/1/2011 The Muse

12/1/2011 Night Owl Romance Winter Wonderland Hunt

12/2/2011 Sugarbeat's Books

12/5/2011 AsianCocoa's Secret Garden

12/6/2011 Travel the Ages

12/7/2011 Reading Romances

12/8/2011 Paranormal and Romantic Suspense Reviews

12/9/2011 Wake Up Your Wild Side

12/12/2011 Romance to Make Your Heart Race

12/13/2011 Rogues Angels

12/14/2011 Me Want Food

12/15/2011 Erotica for All

12/15/2011 Night Owl Romance Winter Wonderland Hunt

12/16/2011 Urban Girl Reader

12/17/2011 FORUM - Writing Paranormal

Chelsea's Paranormal Books

12/19/2011 Realmantic Moments
12/20/2011 Books-n-Kisses

12/20/2011 Among the Muses

12/21/2011 It's Raining Books

12/22/2011 Reader Girls

12/23/2011 Sarah Ballance

12/26/2011 LASR Stuff Your Stocking

1/1/2012 Night Owl Romance Winter Wonderland Hunt

1/10/2012 Night Owl Romance Winter Wonderland Hunt

THE BELL STALKER
an urban fantasy thriller
by Minnette Meador
RELEASE DATE: October 26, 2011
Resplendence Publishing

Excerpt

Romancing Christmas Give Away Hop!

2011-12-10T00:00:00.000-08:00

ROMANCING CHRISTMAS GIVEAWAY HOP!

THE MAGIC LINKYLINK
Or see a list below this post

Here is an opportunity to win tons of great prizes from over 40 authors, publishers, and reviewers! Each post is giving away prizes and all you have to do to participate is follow each post's instructions!

I am giving away all three of my new 2011 books!!!

All you have to do is leave a comment about what you're doing for the holidays! It's that simple....

So make sure you follow the linkylink above and get yourself into as many contests as you can. Good luck!!! Minnette :o)

The Romancing Christmas Giveaway Hop is being hosted by Reading Romances!

A FINE LIKENESS BY SEAN MCLACHLAN

2011-11-23T06:28:00.000-08:00

I met Sean McLacklan years ago when I first started out as a writer and was awed by his grace, his humor, and his amazing turn of a phrase. Sean travels the world and writes about his adventures for several different travel blogs and is a solid history buff, like myself. I'm so excited to introduce his full length novel "A FINE LIKENESS" and am delighted to feature him here.

A FINE LIKENESS
by Sean McLacklan

Civil War Missouri: a great setting for a novel

A Confederate guerrilla and a Union captain discover there’s something more dangerous in the woods than each other.

This is the idea behind my Civil War novel A Fine Likeness, set in Missouri in 1864. That particular time and place made a perfect setting. Take that rebel guerrilla, Jimmy Rawlins, and that Union captain, Richard Addison. They exemplify the divisions that tore Missouri apart. While the majority of Missouri’s urban population was Unionist, rural Missourians generally supported the Confederacy. Jimmy is the teenaged son of a poor farmer from the Ozarks. Addison is a successful shopkeeper in Columbia, a small city in central Missouri.

Their two different worlds had been clashing since before the war, when during Bleeding Kansas, proslavery bushwhackers invaded Kansas to kill abolitionists, and abolitionist Jayhawkers rode into Missouri to kill slave owners and free their slaves. Once the war started in earnest in 1861, the Union army quickly took control of Missouri, but the countryside remained in rebellion. The bushwhackers now turned their wrath against Union troops and Jimmy, an impressionable young man, joined them. Addison, like many Missourians, wanted nothing more than to stay home, yet as the war laid waste to the countryside, he realized he needed to do his part.

In 1864, after almost three years of Union occupation, the Confederate army returned. Marching north from Arkansas, they swept aside the scattered Union forces and approached Columbia. Jimmy and his fellow bushwhackers busied themselves with attacking Union outposts, cutting telegraph wire, and burning bridges in support of the Confederate invasion.

Enter Bloody Bill Anderson, the deadliest of the bushwhackers and a real historical figure. In 1864 he burned, shot, and scalped his way through central Missouri in an orgy of killing that shocked even some die-hard bushwhackers. Various guerrilla bands joined him, including Jimmy and his young friends.

And this is where the tale really becomes fictional. Bloody Bill is part of an occult conspiracy sacrifice a Union prisoner in a hellish ritual to raise the Confederate dead. Jimmy discovers Bloody Bill’s plans and has to choose between his conscience and his loyalty to the rebel Cause. Meanwhile Captain Addison gains the support of rival occultists who want to stamp out the evil arising in the woods of Missouri.

As anyone who reads Minnette Meador’s novels knows, history is a rich mine for story ideas. I found Civil War Missouri to be the mother lode. The conflicts of North vs. South, urban vs. rural, rich vs. poor, and Order vs. Chaos create a rich backdrop of narrative tension. Add in Bloody Bill Anderson, a real person who looks like he just stepped from central casting for a slasher flick, and you have the beginnings of a story.

A Fine Likeness is available at Amazon, Amazon UK, Amazon DE, and Amazon FR. In the next couple of days it will appear on Barnes & Noble and Smashwords. A print edition is coming in early December. Drop by my Civil War blog, Twitter feed, and Facebook page to learn more about me, my novel, and my history and travel writing.

Sean McLachlan, freelance author and blogger

gadling.com

civilwarhorror.blogspot.com/

Twitter: @WriterSean

A Fine Likeness: Civil War novel

American Civil War Guerrilla Tactics (Osprey, 2009)

EXCERPT

CHAPTER ONE

September 19, 1864
The road between Rocheport and Columbia
Boone County, Missouri

Jimmy Rawlins gripped his rifle and hoped his friends couldn’t see his hands shake. Peering through the underbrush, he scanned the dirt road’s gentle curve as it disappeared around an outcropping of rock topped by a tall oak. That was the way to Rocheport, the way the supply wagon would come.

He darted a glance to either side to check if everyone was in position, hidden in the thick forest that pressed in on the road like a green wall. Elijah Bogan lay underneath a dense shrub to his left, a pale blonde boy of seventeen with a broken-toothed grin on his face and a Colt six-shooter in his hand. He was close enough that Jimmy could have touched him, but barely a third of his body was visible through the leaves. Jimmy knew Hugh and Albert Milligan lay further away but couldn’t see them at all.

To his right, Morgan Whiteside nestled against a spreading black oak, his dark features set in concentration as he aimed down the double barrels of his shotgun. Past him crouched the Kid, barely a shadow in the dim half-light of the forest.

Morgan looked at Jimmy’s hands and grinned. Jimmy gripped his rifle tighter to stop them shaking as Morgan nudged him and made a startled face, shaking all over like he’d seen a ghost. Jimmy frowned and looked back down the sights of his rifle, squinting as his eyes adjusted to the bright midday glare of the open road.

Calm down, Jimmy told himself. Waiting is the worst part. Think of something nice. See that rock by the bend? Looks like the one you and Eliza used to sit on down by Squaw Creek. Wish I was there now. Quiet, you got your duty. You’re no slouch, not like that Henry Gibbs who’s always sparking Eliza with his fine ways and nice horses. Henry Gibbs never did a damn thing for the South. What’s his business kissing Eliza at the corn shucking? Sh. Quiet now. Don’t get mad. Got to be calm in a fight, not mad.

A thin brown haze smudged the blue sky beyond the bend.

The wagon? Riders too, by the looks of it. If it’s too many don’t risk it. Morgan will call you yellow but he knows you ain’t. Aw, but why do my hands always shake?

An open-topped wagon rattled around the bend, flanked by five riders wearing blue. The riders carried muskets and peered into the underbrush.

Let ‘em get close. The boys will wait for your shot. They respect you. They voted you captain because you’re the toughest (except for Morgan) and the smartest (except for Elijah) and at nineteen you’re the oldest.

Well, nineteen next month.

The driver sat stoop-shouldered in his seat, sweat staining his blue uniform black, a forage cap shading his eyes from the heavy sun. He let the horses have their reins, not bothering to hurry them. The creak of wagon wheels and the soft clop of hooves on dirt grew louder in Jimmy’s ears, as did the rising whir of the cicadas sounding out from the forest. Jimmy aimed for the driver’s head. The sight on his rifle tracked the man’s slow progress along the road. Jimmy’s hands no longer shook.

Just a few more feet. You’re fine. Do it just like last time. But you almost got killed last time. Sh. None of that. Think of something nice. Eliza sitting on that rock and dipping them pretty white legs in Squaw Creek. Eliza and Henry kissing at the corn shucking. That yellow, sneaking son of a. . . Sh. All serene.

Jimmy squeezed the trigger and a loud crack jabbed his eardrums. Through a gritty plume of smoke he saw blood erupt from the driver’s neck. The man jerked to the side, fell off his seat, and got crushed under the wheel of his own wagon.

“Bushwhackers!” one of the riders shouted.

The forest lit up with the flashes of rifles and pistols. One rider toppled off his saddle with a bullet in his forehead. Morgan leapt to his feet with a rebel yell and set off his shotgun. The blast from the first barrel hit a soldier and his mount. The horse reared, screaming, and Morgan let loose with the second barrel, horse and rider toppling over. Bullets grazed two other horsemen and they flinched in their saddles.

The sole rider who hadn’t been hit raised his rifle and cocked it with his thumb. Jimmy threw down his own rifle and drew a pair of pistols.

Morgan bellowed and ran into the road, blazing away with a revolver at the man about to fire. The rider’s shot went wild as Morgan hit his arm. The soldier ducked in his saddle and yanked on the reins with his good hand, hollering as Morgan shot him in the side. He dug his spurs into his horse’s flanks and galloped down the road. His two comrades sped after him.

Jimmy leapt out into the open and fired at the receding figures. His friends did the same. Once or twice a rider jerked in his seat, but all managed to keep a hold of their mounts and get back around the bend, fleeing for their camp at Rocheport.

“Daaang!” Morgan shouted. “You see them Feds run? They’ll be to California by sundown!”

“They’ll think twice before using this road again,” laughed the Kid as he grabbed the reins of the wagon team and calmed the horses.

The horse Morgan had shot lay on its side pawing the ground, breathing in great gusts as it tried to get up. Jimmy leveled his pistol and approached, a sharp eye on the Union soldier lying slack jawed beside it. Jimmy gave the man a kick. He felt limp, unresisting. The horse made another attempt to rise but slammed back down into the dust, its coat spattered with blood where half a dozen pellets had pierced it.

“Sorry partner,” Jimmy whispered.

He aimed his pistol and closed his eyes. The crack of the shot wasn’t loud enough to drown out the sound of the horse’s head thudding into the dirt.

Jimmy let out the breath he’d been holding and turned around before opening his eyes. He swallowed to steady his voice and called out to a pair of lanky boys who’d emerged from the woods, looking as alike as two halves of a split log.

“Hugh, Albert, fetch your horses and ride down a ways to keep a lookout. Morgan, check that wagon. Kid, you help him. Elijah, what in hell you doing?”

“What I always do,” Elijah said as he waved his hands over the dead body of one of the riders, making strange signs with his fingers. After a moment he pulled a dirty bottle from the inside pocket of his overcoat. He uncorked it and put the opening close to the mouth of the dead man, whispering:

“Come to me, come to me, your immortal soul shall never be free.”

“Elijah,” Morgan called out as he rummaged through the wagon, “you are one sick son of a bitch.”

Elijah corked the bottle and stood up, his grin showing a broken front tooth.

“Come say that over here,” he invited.

Morgan mumbled something Jimmy couldn’t catch, lowering his head so the brim of his hat covered his eyes, and continued to search the wagon.

Jimmy shook his head and checked his pistols. Three shots gone from each. He pulled a pair of fully loaded ones from the deep pockets on the sides of his loose shirt and put them in his holsters. He put the used ones in the pockets. No time to reload them now. They needed to get any munitions they could find from the wagon and be gone. Jimmy ran to fetch his rifle as the twins rode out from the brush. Hugh headed down the road in the direction of Rocheport while his brother Albert went the other way toward Columbia.

Jimmy picked up his rifle and wiped a bit of dirt from the stock. It was a Sharps, the finest made, taken off a Kansan he’d killed a few months back. He slipped a cartridge into the breech and slung it over his shoulder as he sauntered back toward the wagon.

“We want their guns, Captain?” the Kid asked.

Jimmy smiled. He liked the Kid. Only fourteen but a fine shot and a fine rider, and the only one who called him “Captain.”

“Naw,” Jimmy replied. “Them Springfields are no good for our type of fighting, and we don’t want these here government nags neither. You keep checking that wagon.”

A second later Morgan let out a whoop and raised a barrel over his head.

“Powder!” he shouted.

“Just one barrel?” Jimmy asked, running over to him.

“Yep, but big enough to blow a blockhouse if we set it right.”

“Good, anything else?”

“Only commissary stores, Captain,” the Kid said.

“No percussion caps?”

“Nope.”

“Hey, Jimmy?” Elijah’s voice came from beneath the wagon.

Jimmy bent down.

“What you skulking down there for?” he asked.

Elijah patted the wagon driver’s corpse on the shoulder. Blood trickled from holes in the soldier’s throat and stomach.

“’Cause that’s where he is.”

“Quit fooling around and help,” Jimmy said.

Elijah waved the dirty bottle.

“Oh, I’m helping, don’t you worry on that score. But I got a question, Jimmy. I gave him this slug in his belly as he fell, so I got a claim on him despite you plugging him too. But you see, the soul comes out of the mouth, and you done given him another one. Which one should I hold the bottle up to?”

Jimmy grimaced and stood up without answering.

“It’s all right,” Elijah continued. “I’ll hold it up to the hole you made in his throat. It’s closer to the heart. Come to me, come to me, your immortal soul shall never be free.”

Morgan jumped off the wagon, the barrel of gunpowder tucked under his arm. The Kid opened a few more boxes and sacks before turning to Jimmy.

“Nothing else but hardtack and tinned beef here, captain. Grandma Wyatt will cook us up something better than that.”

Elijah crawled out from under the wagon and stood up. He grinned and held the corked bottle in front of Jimmy’s face. Jimmy flinched, then cursed under his breath. He had promised himself he wouldn’t do that.

“That makes nine,” Elijah said. “Only four more to go.”

Before Jimmy could reply a pistol shot rang out in the distance. He spun around. It had come from the direction of Columbia. Everyone drew their guns. Elijah tucked the bottle inside his shirt, drew a pair of pistols, and began to whistle.

Out of the shimmering haze a figure rode into view. In a moment they saw it was Albert. A black line appeared in the distance behind him, seeming to float in the heat rising off the road. It separated into silhouettes and resolved into a column of blue-uniformed riders.

“Into the woods!” Jimmy shouted.

Albert slowed his steed and headed into the underbrush while Jimmy and the rest hurried for the tree line.

The two Union officers in front fired their revolvers. A bullet snapped into the front of the wagon, making the team of horses rear. With a steady hand Jimmy aimed a pistol at the soldiers as the dusty road filled with the roar of gunfire.

NEWSLETTER CONTACTS…

2011-11-05T10:06:00.001-07:00

If you would like to be included in my newsletter list, please email me at mmeador@minnettemeador.com and I’ll make certain you get added. I only send out newsletters when I have new releases or upcoming events and you can opt out anytime you want…

Thanks! Minnette

The Experiment - Audio Clip of The Bell Stalker

2011-10-15T20:55:00.000-07:00

THE BELL STALKER - Excerpt
an urban fantasy thriller
by Minnette Meador
RELEASE DATE: October 26, 2011
Resplendence Publishing

For a year, Belle Stark has struggled to conquer fears plaguing her since being attacked by a maniac who continues to roam free and the murder of her father. And she nearly succeeds, until she discovers her lover's murdered body spread over the furniture, making Belle a prime suspect. Certain her attacker is to blame, she seeks help from her ex-husband, homicide detective Mike Cranston, the one person she swore she would never let back into her life, or heart. In their hunt for answers, the two uncover more than a lunatic: a supernatural underworld hidden beneath the tall skyscrapers of the city and a secret that could kill them both. Faced with a terrible choice, Belle surrenders herself to the hands of a monster and Mike must solve an ancient mystery before it's too late to save her---

Welcome to Sheila Deeth!

2011-10-08T13:27:00.000-07:00

Please welcome my dear friend Sheila Deeth with her wonderful book, Flower Child. Her writing will touch you deeply and leave behind an electric warmth...

About Flower Child: When Megan miscarries her first pregnancy it feels like the end of everything; instead it’s the start of a curious relationship between the grieving mother and an unborn child who hovers somewhere between ghost and angel. Angela, Megan’s “little angel,” has character and dreams all her own, friends who may or may not be real angels, and a little brother who brings hope to her mother’s world. But Angela’s dream-world has a secret and one day Angela might learn how to be real.

Where to find Flower Child:

Gypsy Shadow Publishing

Amazon

Smashwords

Flower Child begins with a mother remembering the story her mother told about where babies come from. Megan didn’t comprehend the story too well. Neither did I when my mother told me, and this first paragraph could just as well have been dictated by me. But Megan’s not me. She listened to the words in my head then took over and told her own tale…

My mother swore she’d never lie to me. The day I asked where babies come from she told me, beautifully I’m sure, how they grow and mature from a seed planted by Daddy in Mommy’s tummy. Unfortunately I heard the word “seed” and imagination took over. I furnished a field, somewhere between the Pearly Gates and a farmer’s fences on solid earth. Angels stood guard, checking marriage certificates—since I knew some babies were born out of wedlock, I imagined devils too, with a thriving business selling fakes. Meanwhile one special angel, the baby’s future guardian of course, would officiate while the precious seed was gently laid to rest. God would water. Earth and angels would nourish. And in time the happy couple would return, cutting the cord that held the child to the ground and raising her up—a sister for me!

I never had a sister, of course, but I was sure she existed. I used to imagine her running between the plants, green tendrils of flowers in her hair, forever tethered to that field, unborn, unable to be born. I used to think my parents didn’t care, and if only they’d just go visit one day perhaps they’d find her there.

Not that I spent my whole life mourning those siblings I never had; that’s not what I mean. I just liked to complain. But I was a happy enough kid most of the time; grew up in a happy home; had a Dad who didn’t die ‘til I was sixteen, so I wasn’t exactly orphaned or anything; and Mom’s still around. I played with friends; scrambled through forests and flowers, free as a bird, like kids can’t do now; I read books; I went to school and I grew up.

My husband David was a fellow math student I met at college lectures. I went out with him for a while and we got married after graduation—all the usual things; Uncle Malcolm escorted me down the aisle to the sound of Here Comes the Bride; and we both got jobs.

Happily married, contentedly productive in my chosen occupation—writing computer programs—but sadly unproductive in that manner husbands and wives, and potential grandparents, tend to hope for, I trundled along, one day much like another, and lived for my dreams. One day I found myself pregnant and glowing, only to be totally devastated short weeks later when the unborn baby died. I slept and screamed and wept for her, my little girl, and drove my husband to distraction. Then, in a moment’s incautious clarity, I was cured. What happened was I found those childhood dreams weren’t really so far from the truth, and I don’t care if you don’t believe me. Mom thinks I’m mad, Uncle Malcolm tries to humor me, and David just pretends not to hear a word I say. But there are more things in heaven and hell than human eyes and ears can tell, and I first stopped crying the day I met my angel, Angela.

I’d often wondered what it would be like to remember being born, or even remember a time before birth. The character, Angela, in Flower Child has all those memories and more, and starts to share them in this passage. Of course, her pre-birth time is spent in a mystical garden as well as in the womb…

My earliest memories are a mixture of red and green—red for sleeping; green for awake. Nighttime was when I heard dream voices call and oceans roar. Words weren’t something I understood, too early then I guess, but love was sweet. Sometimes she sang to me in her summer’s light while that darker voice, warm as the liquid I bathed in, whispered its bass.

The roar, I guessed after a while, was just the sound of fluid surrounding me. It tasted salty sweet and filled my eyes and mouth and ears. My body would move sometimes, pushing wetly against those cushioned walls that held firm, yet yielded, all around. Then, once in a while, something would lean into me, rocking me with that voice of love. “Feel that? She kicked.” The words carried delight in their singsong tone; I’d wriggle again and push against the pressure, kicking I guessed, whatever that meant, feeling the weight of affection pressed against elbow, ankle or knee.

In the green of waking up I imagined my dreamtime voices belonged to heroes, mystical guardians of my fate. I longed to see them, connecting their sound with the shadows that sometimes swam through the glow of my growing. I learned to reach out when they were close, waiting for that touch, that sound of joy, wondering if there were a way to forever hold such pleasures and more. But then the green would surround me again, its milk scented with hay. Leaves formed a sweet cocoon to shield my eyes from sun’s red rays. Angels, white as light, trod paths and cleared the scrub away, keeping insects that buzzed and hummed safely distant from newly formed souls. Warmth and dampness poured over me, pumped through my veins while tiny limbs budded fingers, legs and arms, and bending head. In the real world I thought I’d grow up to be an angel; in the dream-world I’d rather be man, or woman, or hero.

The leaves cocooned me in eternal green while dream-walls filtered red. But the angels were bright enough to shine with their own light, human shapes that wandered between us like shadows in reverse. They were my keepers of the gates…

About the author: Sheila Deeth grew up in the UK andhas a Bachelors and Masters in mathematics from Cambridge University, England. Now living in the States with her husband and son, she enjoys reading, writing, drawing, telling stories, running a local writers' group, and meeting her neighbors’ dogs on the green.

Sheila describes herself as a Mongrel Christian Mathematician. Her short stories, book reviews and articles can be found in VoiceCatcher 4, Murder on the Wind, Poetic Monthly, Nights and Weekends, the Shine Journal and Joyful Online. Besides her Gypsy Shadow ebooks, Sheila has several self-published works available from Amazon and Lulu, and a full-length novel under contract to come out next year.

Find her on her website: http://www.sheiladeeth.com

or find her books at: http://sheiladeeth.weebly.com

The Gladiator Prince - Blog Tour Schedule!

2011-09-07T00:01:00.000-07:00

Last Day!

10/4/2011 Proud Book Nerd
The Power of Music in Writing
Prize: Gladius Letter Opener

~BLOG TOUR~

THE GLADIATOR PRINCE
a historical romance
by Minnette Meador

Starting September 7th and going through October 4th I will be on a blog tour to celebrate the release of THE GLADIATOR PRINCE! I'll be touring with a series of articles all about ancient Rome... sex, gladiators, pirates, true love, and so much more. Something new each and every day. For details about the tour go to the Goddess Fish site or visit http://minnettemeador.blogstop.com for a complete schedule... LOTS of prizes (one for every stop and grand prizes at the end - see what prizes are being given away on the schedule below).

For description, video, and excerpt, go to bottom of post.

9/1/2011 - 10/31/11 Nightowl Romance Halloween
Scavenger Hunt - Hundreds of prizes are being awarded in the annual NOR scavenger hunt... Not part of my official blog hop, but a great way to get to know a lot of wonderful writers and win prizes while you're doing it! I'm giving away a $100 GC.

(To see pictures of prizes visit my prize page)

9/7/2011 Goddess Fish Party Pavilion
                     Kick Off & Excerpt
                     Prize: Green Roman Earrings
9/8/2011 Romance That's Out of This World
               Ancient Characters - Fact or Fiction
               Prize: Gladiator Helmet Keyring
9/9/2011 Heart of the Dragon's Den
               Interview
                 Prize: Celtic Earrings
9/12/2011 Books Read 'n' Makeup On
                 Character Interview: Thane & Phaedra
                 Prize: Celtic Bangle Bracelet
9/13/2011 Black Velvet Seductions Reader's Blog
                 Article: Creating History
                 Prize: The Centurion & The Queen
                            (Kindle or Nook)
9/14/2011 Sara York
                 Interview
                   Prize: Gold & Amber Bracelet
9/15/2011 Night Owl Romance Blog
               Sweat and Blood in the Sand
               Prize: A wooden gladius
                    (called a rudi used for training)
9/15/2011 The Celtic Rose
                   Article: The British Celts &
                                    The Roman Empire
                     Prize: Signed Copies of Centurion & Edge
9/16/2011 Lisa Sanchez
                   TBD
                 Prize: Signed Centurion Book w/Goodies

9/17/2011 COFFEE TIME ROMANCE & MORE - LATTE LOUNGE - LIFE IN ANCIENT ROME - ALL DAY! Come on over to Coffee Time Romance to talk about all things Ancient Rome: Sex, Families, Women, Soldiers, Gladiators, and even Pirates! Participate for a chance to win $100 GC from Amazon and autographed books! Must sign up for Coffee Time Romance to participate. See you there!

9/19/2011 Long and Short Reviews Spotlight
                  Excerpt: Seduction
                    Prize: Gladiator Keyring
9/20/2011 Long and Short Reviews Spotlight
                  Food & Wine - The Gladiatorial Feast
                  Prize: Layered Bracelet

9/21/2011 Long and Short Reviews Spotlight
                    Excerpt: The Bathhouse
                    Prize: Celtic Necklace
9/22/2011 Long and Short Reviews Spotlight
                    Ancient Slave Galleys
                    Prize: Celtic Heart Earrings
9/23/2011 Long and Short Reviews Spotlight
                    Excerpt: Adrostos
                    Prize: THE CENTURION &
                                  THE QUEEN (Kindle or Nook)
9/26/2011 Laurie's Thoughts and Reviews
                Interview
                Prize: Gold & Diamond Earrings
9/27/2011 Sheila Deeth
                    Londinium: From the Ashes
                Prize: THE CENTURION &
                                  THE QUEEN (Kindle or Nook)
9/28/2011 Words of Wisdom from the Scarf Princess
              Sex in Ancient Rome
                    Prize: Gladius Keyring
9/29/2011 Lisa Haselton's Reviews and Interviews
             TBD
Prize: THE CENTURION &
                                  THE QUEEN (Kindle or Nook)
9/30/2011 Sugarbeat's Books
                    Interview
                    Prize: Nero Roman Coin Keyring
10/1/2011 Christine Young - Romance Writer
                      Article: The Pros (and Cons) of the
                                     Protagonist
                      Prize: eBook of Centurion and Edge
10/3/2011 Realmantic Moments
                    Excerpt: Jealousy
                    Prize: Large Gladiator Keyring
10/3/2011 Books N Kisses
                    Excerpt: The Ultimatum
                Prize: Large Gladiator Helmet Keyring
10/4/2011 Proud Book Nerd
                    The Power of Music in Writing
                    Prize: Gladius Letter Opener

Grand Prizes: Kindle w/Three Centurion Series Books
Roman Tote filled with goodies

THE GLADIATOR PRINCE

a historical romance
by Minnette Meador
Book III of the Centurion Series
RELEASE DATE: August 17, 2011
Resplendence Publishing

Prince Thane is the last surviving royalty of the Trinovantes Tribe in Roman Britannia, having surrendered to the Romans to save his two young daughters, whose identities he sacrifices his freedom to protect. He is condemned by Nero himself to become a gladiator, to fight until he dies in the arena. When his two daughters are taken in a slaver's raid, Thane escapes to find them.

Phaedra holds a terrible secret that would mean the death of her younger brother. Her only hope is to force the gladiator to protect them as they flee to Rome. He reluctantly agrees. Little does he know that the beautiful Syrian woman holds not only the key to his passion, but a secret that triggers a disaster that ignites the world. Will this spoiled willful girl betray him in the end or sacrifice herself to save them all?

EXCERPT

CHAPTER I

…Where the man had come from, she had no idea. He stank of sweat, stale fish oil, and rancid food, towering a good two heads above her. She had to twist her neck back all the way just to see his face. The sweat and dirt from his arms left black streaks on her white tunic and cloak.

“Excuse me,” she squeaked, hoping it would be a polite way of extricating herself.

Fear gripped her when instead of loosening his arms the man opened a dark smile and pulled her closer to his naked chest. Bending his face down to leer into her eyes, he squeezed the breath from her so she could not scream.

Panic rang in her ears when the man scanned her face, his eyes beaming as if she were a hunk of lamb. The more she struggled the tighter his embrace became until blackness tinged the periphery of her vision. She could not take in any air.

“Lo que es una belleza!” he murmured, running his tongue against his rotten upper teeth. “Voy a hacer tus sueños realidad!”

Phaedra did not know what he was saying, though she thought it might be Spanish. The world began to spin.

She managed to get her face turned away from him and only then noticed the gate where she had been standing was wide open and the other gladiators were congregating around them, peals of laughter rising like a storm as they approached.

A blur rushed through the crowd knocking many aside that finally landed on the giant’s neck. The vision of Bahar materialized as he pulled his arm tight around the man’s throat. He seemed no larger than a child next to the massive Spaniard.

When the gladiator let Phaedra go, she fell backwards and landed square on her rear in a messy puddle of runny sand to the men’s hoots. In a blinding fast move, the Spaniard pulled Bahar from his neck and clutched the boy’s shoulders in both hands in front of him. He began to squeeze.

Phaedra leapt to her feet and smashed her tiny fists against the massive arm muscles of the monster. Two gladiators pulled her out of harm’s way. She tried to kick them, but they held her tight. All she could do was watch in horror.

Bahar managed to get a sandal buried in the giant’s gonads. The man dropped the boy and fell to his knees with a high-pitched squeal. What Bahar lacked in size, he made up in agility for he sidestepped a grab by the gladiator, whirled around with this right foot, and smashed it solidly against the man’s left eye. A ferocious growl made the ground shake as the man went down onto one arm.

The other gladiators howled in delight, one slapping Bahar’s shoulder hard enough to send him flying sideways where he landed in an immense pair of hands.

“Intentio!” Thane snarled.

To Phaedra’s surprise, every man froze at attention. The only sound was the mewing of the gladiator who Bahar had bested and Phaedra’s complaint as she pulled her shoulders out of the grip of the two gladiators.

Shaking with anger and fear. Phaedra brushed the dirt from her tunic with both hands, and fought the tears trying to escape.

“How dare you!” she sputtered to no one in particular. “You will all be whipped, I swear to you…” When she threw her chin up, Thane’s eyes caught hers, and the words trembled in her mouth and died.

His angry blue gaze cut her to the spine, turning her knees to water and squeezing the breath from her chest. “I…I did not mean…” He stood no more than a foot from her, his teeth clinched. Bahar appeared at Phaedra’s side, grabbing her elbow.

“You have no right to be here,” Thane said to Phaedra. His thick accent trickled down her vertebrae like ice water. “Take your sister home,” he hissed to Bahar. “Your father need not hear of this. Then you will…”

Without warning, the giant gladiator on the ground hauled himself up with a rumbling foreign curse and jumped at Thane.

It happened so quickly. Phaedra could have sworn the Brit had not even moved. He caught the broader man by both wrists, twisted hard, pulling one in front of the other, and then spun him around until the man faced away from him, his arms crossed. In an audible crunch, the Spaniard spasmed once and then went completely still. His eyes closed, and his head fell onto his chest. Without taking his eyes off her, Thane released his grip on the gladiator, and the giant slumped into the sand.

The others quickly gathered their companion and pulled him into the shadow of the outlining building, obviously knowing not to question the Brit.

“Abano is new,” he said quietly. “He did not know better, mistress, but he will be flogged for his mistake. It is a pity the high born are not likely punished for theirs.” A spark of humor flashed in his eyes, and for an instant, Phaedra thought he was laughing at her. “Take her home, Bahar. When she is where she should be, return, and we will finish your lesson.”

“Yes, Doctores.”

Thane turned and crossed the sand to where two wooden swords lay and picked them up in one hand. Without turning back, he strode into the shadows of another building.

“You are an idiot, big sister,” Bahar whispered as he pulled Phaedra from the arena.

Her face was ablaze in a raging storm of emotions: humiliation, fear, anger and one or two others she could not fathom. Trembling erupted in her breasts, her thighs, her ears, leaving her shocked and confused.

There was no denying what that man had done to her in those few words; he had loosened her hold on the wild beast that lay just underneath the haughty cool exterior she had spent a lifetime establishing. Phaedra felt soiled to the center of her core… and it thrilled her. Pins of pleasure triggered a surprising need. The reaction horrified her.

Biting down her body’s betrayal by sinking teeth into her bottom lip, she glared after him. She had never hated anyone more than the arrogant Briton slave and swore he would pay for his insolence.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Minnette Meador
World Weaver...
www.minnettemeador.com
http://minnettemeador.blogspot.com

Coming in 2011...
A Ghost of a Chance - Paranormal Romantic Comedy - June 2011
The Gladiator Prince - Historical Romance - August 2011
The Bell Stalker - Urban Fantasy Thriller - October 2011