Without Love
Nothing manifests as it was intended
Without Love
Energies distort and warp the world
And it becomes a treacherous place
—Susan Kirk
MOONLIGHT SLANTED ACROSS THE floor, a gentle breeze lifting the gossamer curtain. Shadows moved across the wall. The sleeper moaned and turned, muttering, the bedding shifting to the floor. Down the hall, a few mumbled words as if in reply, and then silence again. The house sighed and creaked as it settled for the night. A dog barked at shadows down the street— a melancholy sound— joined by another bored canine farther away. An owl hooted in the tree outside the window, its heart-shaped face turning to survey the night before it swooped soundlessly into another dimension.
The sounds belonged to another world, because the sleepers didn’t hear. Somebody heard, though, crouched in the swirling mist, careful not to disturb the shadows on the wall. Breath rasped in the still of the night, power in the plume.
This is a place that is not a place,
at a time that is not a time.
Please, release me from the dark,
and let me rest in the light.
The clock in the hall ticked down the minutes to midnight. Something scratched at the glass in the window frames, the breeze sighing around the corners, piling dead leaves into a doorway. The mask hanging against the landing wall fell from its hook and clattered down the stairs.
Within moments, they were at the top of the stairs, three wispy white figures illuminated by the moonlight.
“Something is about to happen,” one of them said, a hand to her throat.
“A big change is coming,” another agreed, grasping for a hand to hold on to.
“We have to prepare,” the third one added, turning into the circle of protection.
~~~
A Convenient Marriage:
The Moragh Saga, Book 1
By Maggie Tideswell
I loved this book! It's a little bit paranormal, with witches, psychics and the ghost of the series, but mostly an endearing romance with a little bit of astrology thrown in for fun, although if you don't know much about astrology in its full form, you'll not be too affected by portents such as this:
Dark Moon in Virgo
Ending Relationships--Contact
With the Dead
Attention to Detail to Make Life Better
Even Holly didn't pay too much attention to any of this paranormal stuff...unless it was her sister talking, for Holly knew she was a true psychic...That's why she didn't interact much with her any more...
Soooo, how did she wind up living with three witch wannabees who very conscientiously enjoyed watching out for their room mate? She was always expecting them to break into a trio version of bubble, bubble, toil and trouble!
And Holly really did need help. Her ex-husband and new wife, had her children and they were refusing to let her see them or abide by the original divorce orders! And don't be surprised to learn that a bit of "witchy work" was used to break up the marriage in the first place... So that Holly was at her wit's end. She had tried everything she could think of to get the children returned to her, but there was always one excuse after another when it was time to return the kids...
And Holly was worried, even felt a little creepy looking at her friends. "The three of them looked as they always did, only now they had the same soft little smile around their lips. That never boded well." And then they threw out their idea... She must get married so that she could prove that she, too, had a suitable home in which their children could live... Holly's immediate response to them was that they were bonkers! LOL!
But you know do-gooders often think they know exactly what needs to be done...and they acted on behalf of Holly, by placing an ad!
In the meantime, in another place, a young woman engaged to be married was enjoying herself romping in the straw with one of the hired hands... Indeed she had been engaged for four years and kept procrastinating setting a date for her marriage, while enjoying herself any time and with whom she wanted...
What could make things worse?! Why, how about the spell on Holly's husband wearing off and he was beginning to be unhappy in his new marriage, regretting that he'd ever replaced Holly... Even if Holly didn't want him back!
But what's this, Holly's sister is worried about her so she uses her cards to "read" what was happening...
The first card was The Lovers. It was high time Holly found someone of her own to love. She would have to do a reading for him when she met him, to see if he was worthy of her Holly, but for the moment, Heather knew that a new man in her sister’s life was not what was bothering her. It was the second card that had quickly followed.
The Empress. A pregnancy? Was Holly pregnant? The card was reversed. Did that mean the pregnancy couldn’t come to its natural conclusion? Yes, but it wasn’t Holly who was pregnant. A frown pulled Heather’s brows together. A pregnancy… not Holly’s— but one that was going to affect Holly in some way. The cards would reveal the significance.
Heather stared at the third card. The High Priestess. told her exactly that, that the truth would be revealed, all secrets would come to light. Heather’s hand hovered over the card to feel its vibrations— it had fallen in the position of the distant past, which meant that something mysterious was at work in Holly’s life.
Heather turned the fourth, fifth, and sixth cards over in quick succession, placing them below, above and to the right of the spread. Studying the cards closely, her hair blew off her face and she sucked her breath in sharply. They were powerful cards...
~~~
And so a bargain had been made... Holly was going to meet the man she would marry for her marriage... of...convenience...
Only one problem... Holly fell head over heels in love... with a man who already was engaged...
No, this isn't a soap opera...it's exactly what a brilliant author has dreamed up to entertain, delight and take you away into a world where princes really do exist!
Oh, dear, if you don't like this as much as I did, well, you are missing out on lots of fun with a simply wondrous book of enchantment!
GABixlerReviews
Maggie Tideswell is a South African author with a passion for romance. All over the world people are falling in love, even the birds and the bees are doing it. Ghosts just can't seem to leave her alone and she combines things that can't be explained, sweaty bodies and rumpled beds in a way that will make your toes curl and your hair stand on end.
Maggie just can't do without perfume, coffee and the internet. She is nearly as passionate about food as she is about creating alpha heroes every woman will fall in love with, just as she does, every time. The strangest thing is that cats have never played any kind of role in her stories, as she is owned by three of them. That might change soon.
Follow Maggie's blog for updates on what she is working on and other things she finds interesting http://maggietideswell.blogspot.co.za/
Maggie just can't do without perfume, coffee and the internet. She is nearly as passionate about food as she is about creating alpha heroes every woman will fall in love with, just as she does, every time. The strangest thing is that cats have never played any kind of role in her stories, as she is owned by three of them. That might change soon.
Follow Maggie's blog for updates on what she is working on and other things she finds interesting http://maggietideswell.blogspot.co.za/
Mike Faricy is a detective with the local police and was on a stakeout with Barney, his partner, trying to learn more about the Druglord Milton and his men. Suddenly action starts and the two officers give chase and Barney is killed. Mike and Barney are not just partners. Barney is married to Mike's sister Carrie and a child is coming. When Mike realizes that Barney is dead, his immediate thought was for his sister and the baby. But then more of Milton's men came and Mike had to run for his life. Finally he came to a long-time vacated home that was said to be haunted and he entered, hoping that the men would not think of following him there.
Were there any actual conclusions buried in all that, or was it just a brain dump? I think that the age of the character is a strong factor, but it depends on how realistic vs. fantastical the author wants to make the relationship. It's possible to create any combination of experienced/virginal desired and mess with their individual characteristics. For example, let's invent a male lead a thousand years old to whom something bad will happen when he first has sex--he loses his powers, changes into a frog (!), or even dies. Understandably, he's going to be selective about choosing a partner. That's part of the fun of 