Writers Block

Do you have it? Have you had it? How did you handle it?

I don’t have writers block. I just don’t have time to write. I have so many other things to do, my blog, getting a new website, keeping up with emails and twitter, volunteering for my online chapter and now it’s gardening season and I need to get the garden ready ... You get the idea, but it’s not writers block.   I mean, I just don’t have time to write – right now.  

Writers block comes in many ways. The most obvious is staring at the screen and not being able to put any words down. Suggestions for that include take a break, go for a walk, read a book, when you go to bed, think of the challenge you’re having and maybe the answer will come during the night or early morning. Pick any subject and write a couple of paragraphs on it. Talk it out with a friend.  Do you have any suggestions? What do you do?

Someone once said there is no such thing as writers block. It means you have researched your story well enough. You don’t have enough information so go back and do more research. Also, you might be trying to make your characters do something that’s not who they are, so ask them how they would handle the situation you’ve put them in.

In my case, it’s like when you have exercised for awhile; it’s very hard to get back to the gym or the running track. I need to set my priorities, which is writing, sit down and write, even if it’s garbage. Write every day. I am going to do that. I am rereading the story so I can meet my characters again and get excited about the story.  If you have other suggestions, let me know.

Now back to my story.

Meet Madelon Smid, her Book, and Giveaway

Madelon Smid has the pioneer spirit of a true prairie woman. She seeks inspiration from the rolling hills and river coulees that surround her home; creating characters as intriguing and beautiful as the ever changing skies.

As a successful non-fiction writer, she co-authored a best seller, Smart Women, published Chronic Challenge: Living Well with Chronic Disease, and many articles in national and regional magazines.

She taught writing classes for adults at her local college, ran a successful online writing course, and edited five anthologies for the Prairie Quills Writers’ Group, before returning to her true love – fiction. The six romantic suspense stories in her Daring Heights series have received glowing reviews.

While she continues searching out the best in nature, exploring new stretches of water in her kayak, and seeking new mountains to ski, she sees every adventure as fresh material for the next story she will create in her home by the river.

Author Interview

Beverley: Which genre or genres do you write or prefer to write? And why?
Madelon: I write action suspense because I like plot driven stories and romantic suspense, because I think love is the most powerful ideology on earth and well worth exploring.
Beverley: Who influenced you the most in deciding to become a writer?
Madelon: I wasn’t encouraged by any one person in my life, or influenced by any writer I read, I just wanted to write stories that stimulated and entertained me, and did so from a very early age. I let my imagination loose, solely for my benefit. As a young stay at home mother, I decided to write to publish, having reached a place where I wanted to share my stories in the hopes of giving something to others.
Beverley: What gets your creative juices flowing?
Madelon: I create the story to entertain myself while going to sleep. When I sit down to write the book, the entire story is already in my mind. Ideas come to me constantly, and I write very fast – anywhere from 5,000 to 10,000 words a day. I must say I am most stimulated by being in nature, and form most of my stories around outdoor activities.
Beverley: Do you have a favorite cartoon character? Why?
Madelon: No. I don’t read cartoons. I find satire and wit more entertaining. I like British black humor for some reason, and just love Newfoundland jokes. I’m always entertained by Canadians making fun of Canadian commonalities.
Beverley: Who would you love most to meet 'in person' and why?
Madelon: I love the new Wonder Woman character and would like to meet her because I am in awe of anyone who works constantly to excel (like Olympic athletes or great musicians). Wonder Woman combines wisdom with innocence and is guided by strong values. She gives selflessly and believes love should outweigh all evil. She works to make that possible in the world. She is a wonderful role model. 
Beverley: If you had an unexpected free day what would you do with it?
Madelon: Kayak for miles downriver, swim, hike in the hills, cook over a campfire and kayak home as the sun sets over the water.
Beverley: What are you working on now?
Madelon: I just submitted Sinister Skies, the third romantic action suspense in my new Sisters in Peril trilogy. I am about to start writing a shorter category romance for a change of pace. I have a trilogy set in three locations in Canada next on my “to do” list.
I also plan to start posting Chronic Ripple, the sister book to my Chronic Challenge: Living Well With Chronic Disease book on my website, chapter by chapter. I think there are so many people out there with autoimmune disease that need support, and this addresses the people around those with the disease, whose lives are also changed by it.
I am fortunate to be able to write fulltime, and work in both fiction and nonfiction arenas. I am grateful to be able to touch the lives of others through words.

Blurb for Fatal Flight

When he finds Sky Stravinski, Adam Hamilton becomes enmeshed in a world of danger. Did he bring it with him, earning an enemy as chief engineer and test pilot, or find it along with her? Fulfilling his commitment means persuading Sky to meet the grandmother she never knew she had. Recovering from an airplane crash, torn between opposing forces, and caught up in the attacks on Sky, Adam fights for the fascinating pilot, determined to keep her safe, and win her love.

Everything Sky owns comes under attack, from her airplanes to her airfield and her life. Combatting a hidden enemy and Adam Hamilton’s intrusion, Sky feels trapped by circumstances outside her control. As her sponsor, he earns her trust. But Adam wants things Sky won’t give. Meeting her grandmother and developing a relationship with Adam will pull her back into their world of wealth and entitlement. Sky won’t become a rich man’s plaything again. Will the threats that bring them together convince Sky Adam deserves a place in her life?

Excerpt from Fatal Flight:

“You consider going to Max behind my back being upfront?”
“Max came to me. I was interested and after crunching the numbers, researching your top notch standing on the circuit and talking with my father, thought this was a great PR opportunity for our corporation. I didn’t know you were against the idea. My experience is that as soon as someone knows what I’m worth, they want something from me.”
“And you assumed I was sticking my hand in the pot.” She stopped at the entrance to the big tent, where oceans of food were served all day. “Okay, I see where you were coming from. Pax.” She offered her hand.
She took quiet satisfaction in the fact he looked like she’d turned him on his head. Good, keep him off balance, and he couldn’t do the same to her. He took her hand, his long fingers warm and dry, just the lightest of squeezes. He’d never used his size and strength to intimidate, she realized. He was a true alpha male, for only the strongest, fastest and smartest protected the vulnerable. A weaker male, took advantage of them.

Buy Links for Fatal Flight:

Amazon US | The Wild Rose Press | Amazon CA

You can find Madelon at:

Website: http://www.madelonasmid.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/madelonsmid
Twitter: https://twitter.com/madelonsmid
Blog: http://www.madelonasmid.com/my_blog/

Madelon will be giving away 1 ebook copy of Fatal Flight and 2 ebooks of the winners' choice from her backlist. Please use the Rafflecopter below to enter. Remember you may increase your chances of winning by visiting the other tour stops. You may find those locations here.

a Rafflecopter giveaway  http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/801c221b40/

My Last Week and an Excerpt

I decided today I’d post about my last week, and an excerpt from a WIP.
Last week EPIC, The Electronic Publishing Industry Coalition, voted to close after about twenty years.
Membership had dwindled and the board felt that EPIC was no longer relevant, which is sad. Today, with all the computer and electronic changes, you need to stay current with what electronically pubbed authors and companies need.

Also, it’s been almost a year since I had my “new” website designed. It was designed by a company and never felt comfortable. Changes were hard to make and I never felt it was user friendly. I’ve decided to have a new website designed. One I’m more comfortable with and hopefully some I can connect with. And right after I decided that they sent me a 23 page document of their new policies.

So if anyone had suggestions for a web designer I’d love to hear them.

 

And I’m back working on a new book, sort of. I started it awhile ago but I’m editing and rewriting part of it. It’s Sara’s Story from The Foundation series.

Here are the first few lines from the Prologue.
         18 months earlier
            Was he alive? The office had only said he’d had a heart attack. Her breaths came in short, shallow bursts at the thought. 
            The taxi jerked to a stop in front of the hospital emergency entrance.
            Sara fumbled through her purse, counting out a meager number of dollar bills. Gordon didn’t allow her to have a credit card and he only allowed her to have a small amount of cash.
            She didn’t have enough money to pay the taxi.
             “I’m so sorry. I left home without any cash. I...I ... Would you take a check?” Tears spilled over and trickled down her flushed cheeks.
            The driver spun around, threw his arm over the seat, a short stubby finger on his other hand waved at the sign over the rearview mirror. “Look lady, it says right there - No Checks.”
            “I know, I know. I’m sorry. My husband’s had a heart attack and I ... I don’t know what to do.” Sara ran her fingers over her hair, scrunching the tight bun at her neck.
            The driver shook his head. “Aw shit. Go ahead, lady. Write the check.”
            Sara pulled the crumpled check Gordon let her carry for emergencies out of her purse. As she touched the check a vision of Gordon floated in front of her.
            She stopped, trying to erase the image. She only saw the ghosts of dead people.
            Could he really be dead?
             “Gordon?” she whispered.
             “Lady, are you writing a check or not?”
             “Yes, sorry.” Sara proceeded to scribble her signature on the bottom of the check. “Please, fill it in, and give yourself a generous tip. Thank you.” She clutched her worn, cracked purse to her chest, slid out of the cab and scurried through the emergency room doors.
            What if he was dead? She didn’t have any money. Gordon did all the finances and never shared anything with her. How would she manage? She’d managed twenty years ago. Could she do it again? But he couldn’t be dead. Gordon would never allow that to happen.
            His face flitted in front of her again, fixed in an angry glare.
            He had to be dead or she wouldn’t be seeing him, but he was angry. He didn’t want to be dead.
            Shuffling toward the reception desk, she kept glancing over her shoulder, searching for some sign of Gordon, listening for his voice, waiting for him to yell at her. She couldn’t believe he was really dead, even though she could see him. Clinging to the edge of the transition counter, she kept her head down, chewing on her lower lip, waiting to be noticed.

Any comments on the first few lines? Or on a web designer? I'd love to hear from you.

Story, Character or Setting First?

Our latest group blog is how do you establish a story, its characters, and setting?

A great topic, but Wow! How do I do all this? I’m not sure. I think it varies with stories. In Hunted, my first book in the series I was staying at the Empress Hotel in Victoria, BC. I was looking down from the mezzanine into the lobby with fancy floors and imagined a cowboy striding across the lobby, spurs and all with a woman watching from between the pillars. My mind started to work on a plot – why was she there? Why was she hiding to watch him? The plot seemed to come quickly – old sweethearts, witness protection, son he didn’t know about. I love Montana so I decided he’d take her back to his ranch in Montana.

So I started with setting, beginning characters and almost plot together. Then I developed each one, moved the setting to Montana, and developed the plot to kill her. and then the characters.

The second one in the series, Missing, was a little different. It was a stand-alone book set in New York. But I started with a female character who wanted to win her father’s approval and became a doctor but it didn’t work and then she wanted to escape. The rest of the plot didn’t work and then I thought – she could escape to Montana and grow, become stronger and more confident. So she became the heroine in the second book. The hero is one of the brothers, the town became more developed; so character, plot and then setting.

 

So what develops first, or all together, depends on what brilliant thought hits me and I start to mull it over and think about it.

I’m really curious about how the other authors do it. Off to find out.
Please join me in checking out the following authors:
Skye Taylor http://www.skye-writer.com/blogging_by_the_sea
Dr. Bob https://wp.me/p3Xihq-1eg
A.J. Maguire  http://ajmaguire.wordpress.com/
Marci Baun  http://www.marcibaun.com/blog/
Margaret Fieland http://margaretfieland.wordpress.com
Connie Vines http://mizging.blogspot.com/

Judy Copek http://lynx-sis.blogspot.com/ 
Rhobin L Courtright http://www.rhobinleecourtright.com

Meet Zrinka Jelic and Dario

Zrinka Jelic lives in Ontario, Canada. A member of the Romance Writers of America and its chapters Fantasy, Futuristic & Paranormal and Kiss of Death, as well as Savvy Authors, she writes contemporary fiction--which leans toward the paranormal--and adds a pinch of history. Her characters come from all walks of life, and although she prefers red, romance comes in many colors. Given Jelic's love for her native Croatia and the Adriatic Sea, her characters usually find themselves dealing with a fair amount of sunshine, but that's about the only break they get.

Character Interview

Beverley:  What’s your name?

Dario: Dario Vitez
Beverley:  Where did you grow up?
Dario: Zadar, Croatia a town by the sea
Beverley:  During what time period does your story take place?
Dario: Though the story was set in today’s time, there’s a lot of reminiscing on the good old 80’s.
Beverley: What’s your story/back story? Why would someone come up with a story about you?
Dario: My story is that my whole life I only loved one woman, Irena, no other came close to her. But I was poor back then in high school and her parents didn’t want their daughter to be thrown into poverty. So they married her off to a rich man who didn’t and couldn’t love her. Now she’s back in my town and my life, after fourteen years and she’s brought along a teenage daughter. I worked hard to pull myself out of the poverty. I can give her what I couldn’t when we were teenagers. Only, her husband is after her and I must protect her and my child.
Beverley:  What’s your goal in this story?
Dario: To save the woman I love and my daughter who I just learned of, from the dangerous man who would stop at nothing to get to them.
Beverley:  What conflicts are you facing?
Dario: Having to stay one step ahead of the killer and his cronies.
Beverley:  Do you have a plan for resolving them?
Dario: Hiding and running away has proved ineffective. The only and sure way is to face our enemy and hopefully gain some powerful allies to help us.
Beverley:  Is there anything else you’d like us to know about you?
Dario: I’m a gourmet chef and can whip out a mean flambé.

Blurb for Dangerous Benevolence:

Dario Vitez crawled from the brink of poverty and made a name for himself as a wealthy, successful restaurateur. Love is the only thing missing from his life. He’s never found a woman who could compare to his childhood sweetheart, Irena Novak—who was forced into a marriage of convenience and lives half a world away.

Irena has secrets—dangerous secrets. She reappears in Dario’s life, on the run from her murderous husband, who will do anything to silence his wife. When Dario discovers the danger she’s in, he vows to protect her. But her psychotic husband is drawing closer by the day. If Dario loses Irena again, this time it might be forever.

Excerpt for Dangerous Benevolence:

The lovers at the secluded table of Mezzaluna, holding hands, gazing into each other’s eyes re-opened Dario’s barely healed wounds and forced him to seek solace in his office. The full-length mirror he passed in the foyer reflected a well-dressed, successful restaurateur, but he knew better than to believe the illusion. The clanging of dishes and murmurs of the restaurant staff muffled through the wall. 

He dropped into the leather chair. The unopened bottle of the Frangelico on his desk taunted him. Combing his hand through his hair a few times, he tried to remember the sweet, nutty taste of the liquor on his tongue. His mouth salivated at the thought. If he popped the corked and took a sip, he wouldn’t be able to stop until he consumed the last drop. He shifted his focus at the gypsy stone on the table. Fourteen years later and he still couldn’t part with the damn thing. Now it was nothing but a paperweight for the restaurant’s stack of bills, and a constant reminder of his pain. The only keepsake him and Irena had shared…or half of it. Did she still have the other half? So much for the gypsy’s prediction. If there was a rewind button on the life he would’ve pressed it long ago. He straightened, leaning against the backrest, the coldness of the leather seeping through his thin cotton shirt. Better get his thoughts back on the job. Damn bills won’t pay themselves.

Buy Link for Dangerous Benevolence:

Smart URL http://smarturl.it/r9za0k 

Check Out Sci-Fi Romances with Nia Mars

Nia Mars - Books. Reading. Writing. Playing with the dog. That's my life, in a nutshell. I love discovering new authors and new trends. Hello Reverse Harem novels!!!! Where have you been all my life? I love everything sci-fi, paranormal, and fantasy. I eat enough chocolate that at this point, I'm probably made of chocolate. OK, chocolate and coffee.

WARRANTY: Your satisfaction is very important to me. If you have a complaint, please write it on a box of 50-piece Assorted Godiva Chocolate Truffles, and mail it to my office. I promise to personally see to all complaints.

Beverley: Which genre or genres do you write or prefer to write? And why?

Nia: I love the sci-fi romance genre, just because it’s fresh and imaginative. I love thinking about what the future will look like. In reality, I won’t be around a hundred years from now, but I can experience the future through books.
Beverley: Who influenced you the most in deciding to become a writer?
Nia: I was always a big reader. I’d rather read than do just about anything else. I’m not sure if I was influenced by one author in particular, but both adventure books and romance books were definitely an early influence. I just ate them up.
Beverley: What gets your creative juices flowing?
Nia: Reading other authors. When I read a great book with great writing, it inspires me to no end. It makes me want to do better, work harder, become a better writer.
Beverley: Do you have a favorite cartoon character? Why?
Nia: Sponge Bob Square Pants. LOL I don’t know what that says about me. I think I like him because he’s honest and never mean. I’m so tired of the hate online. It’s exhausting.
Beverley: Who would you love most to meet 'in person' and why?
Nia: My grandmother who had died before I was born. Everyone in the family says I look exactly like her and take after her in many ways. I would love to talk to her.
Beverley: If you had an unexpected free day what would you do with it?
Nia: Read! I probably have 200 unread books on my Kindle. LOL I can’t resist buying books. I swear my finger clicks the one-click button by itself. If I love an author, I will buy her books, even if I know it’ll be a while before I can get to it.
Beverley: What are you working on now?
Nia: I’m outlining 3 different series: one fantasy romance, one sci-fi romance, and one contemporary romance. I’m trying to decide which one to write first.

Buy Links for The Oath Forger

Kindle: https://amzn.to/2J1LjbA
Kobo: https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ ebook/oath-forger-book-1
Nook: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/oath-forger-nia-mars/ 1127934596?ean=2940158812217
Google: https://play.google.com/store/books/details/Nia_Mars_Oath_ Forger_Book_1?id=sspKDwAAQBAJ
iBooks: https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/oath-forger-book-1/ id1347422464?ls=1&mt=11
Goodreads Series Link: https://www.goodreads.com/series/226815-oath-forger

                       Oath Forger #1 Amazon Buy Link

 

                       Oath Forger #2 Amazon Buy Link

                      Oath Forger #3 Amazon Buy Link

 

                       Oath Forger #4 Amazon Buy Link

You can find Nia at

Website https://niamars.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/niamarsauthor
Twitter: @niamars_author
Goodreads Series Link: https://www.goodreads.com/series/226815-oath-forger

Meet Tony-Paul de Vissage and His Latest Book

A writer of French Huguenot extraction, one of Tony-Paul de Vissage's first movie memories is of being six years old, viewing the old Universal horror flick, Dracula's Daughter on television, and being scared sleepless—and he’s now paying back his very permissive parents by writing about the Undead. 

TP currently has 22 novels published with Class Act Books.  His novel The Night Man Cometh was voted one of the Top Ten horror novels of 2011 by the Preditors & editors Readers Poll for that year, and in 2013, the first entry in his Second Species series, Shadow Lord, was awarded the same honor for that year. The Last Vampire Standing was placed second as Best Paranormal Romance of  2012 by the Paranormal Romance Guild.

Author Interview
Beverley: Which genre or genres do you write or prefer to write? And why?
Tony-Paul: I usually write horror, mostly about vampires. I’ve always liked the appeal of vampires. My Authors Bio explains the reason for that. I guess I was a weird little kid, watching late night horror shows, then having to sleep with a nightlight afterward. I remember my dad once said to me, “I suppose there’s an odd one in every family and you’re the one in ours.”
Thanks, Pop.
Beverley: Who influenced you the most in deciding to become a writer?
Tony-Paul: I had some very good teachers.  My seventh grade teacher encouraged everyone in our class to write. We’d compose short stories, then read them aloud to the class.  She didn’t restrict the subjects, so there were many horror stories as well as westerns and animal stories.
In college, I had two very good instructors, Dr. Wilson Snipes and Dr. May McMillan. One taught Shakespeare and the other Romanticism and they gave me a great literary background full of imagination and plenty of questions and answers about why characters acted the way they did.
Beverley: What gets your creative juices flowing?
Tony-Paul: Anything…a word, a phrase, the fact I didn’t like the ending of a movie or a TV show… I’ll decide to write my own version and make it end the way I want it to, or I’ll take a phrase I’ve heard and expound on it because it’s given me an idea.  I once wrote a novel based on a fragment of a dream.
Beverley: Do you have a favorite cartoon character? Why?
Tony-Paul: Shrek’s friend Puss in Boots. He’s just so cool. I love that line where Fiona realizes Shrek’s been transformed into someone else and she mistakes Puss for him and says, “Shrek?” and he answers, “For you, I could be.” I’ve got all the DVDs Puss is I, including Puss in Boots and the Three Diablos.
Beverley: Who would you love most to meet 'in person' and why?
Tony-Paul: I haven’t the foggiest. I’ve sometimes fantasized about meeting various “celebrities” but I always ask myself, “What would I say to him/her?” I imagine they get tired of all that gushing and “Oh, I love your last film/TV series/book,” so I’d try to be cool and talk to them about something other than their chosen profession.  Actually, I’d probably be so tongue-tied I’d simply stand there like a dunce and not say a thing.
I did that with Gene Roddenberry once. I was sitting on a bench at the back entrance to a lecture room and this guy came dashing up the stairs, heading for that door.  I looked up. His eyes met mine, and he nodded and said, “Hello.” I managed a “Hello,” he opened the door and disappeared inside, and I missed my Big Chance to say something profound. Didn’t even get his autograph.  I’ve often wondered what would’ve happened if I’d stopped him and asked for it. Would he have said, “I’m late and don’t have time?” or “For a fan? Anything!”
Beverley: If you had an unexpected free day what would you do with it?
Tony-Paul: If it were summer,  I’d get my lazy self into gear, go to a nearby park and photograph the flowers. If it’s winter, I’d settle down with a good book, or watch a movie I’ve DVR’d.
Beverley: What are you working on now?
Tony-Paul: For three years now, I’ve been struggling with a sequel to The Last Vampire Standing, which was published in 2012. So far, I have 2 chapters and 5 fragments.  Maybe in another three years, I’ll get it done. J

Blurb for Dark God Descending:
All grad student James Tucker Upchurch wanted was to earn summer credit on an archaeological dig to Central America…and to marry his fiancée.
All Semris wanted was to escape the monotony of a millennia-old life, and the burdens the son of the Mayan God of Death, have placed upon him.
For five thousand years, the misplaced Dark Lords of Hell have been trapped in ourworld, ruling the Mayan city of Nikte-Uaxac. While civilizations rise and fall, they and their subjects remain unchanged, until Twenty-first Century intruders appear, stealing from them their most precious possession, the Emperor himself…
Tuck never expected to lose his girl to a demon nor to be given immortality, and Semris never thought he’d experience mortal love, but when the current world meets a more ancient one, everything and everyone they know will be changed.
Forever.
Excerpt for Dark God Descending:
    Tuck walked over to the cage. As far as he could tell, Semris hadn’t moved.
    Did that last shot kill him?
    When he saw the slow rise and fall of the bare chest, he felt abrupt relief. He also saw the golden amulet, recognizing it as the twin of the one that had started all this unpleasantness in the first place.
    The fruit hadn’t been touched, was rapidly darkening, the sweet, overripe smell permeating the cellar, attracting flies. How the Hell had they gotten in here, anyway? Several big bluebottles were buzzing around inside the cell, hovering over the peaches, a couple crawling along the edges of the plate. One was floating in the water glass, wings fluttering and making little splashes.
     Tuck knelt and opened the little flap, reaching inside to remove the glass. It happened. so fast he didn’t even realize Semris had moved until he felt the iron grip upon his wrist, saw the fangs drop and the dark head covering his hand.
    He screamed as twin razor slashes struck through his wrist...knowing no one could hear, struggled desperately to get away. Frantic, disbelieving thoughts whirling through his mind.
    Oh, God, this is why he didn’t eat the fruit. He’s a vampire! Sweet Jesus, he’s going to kill me! Help someone, help me! Why should they? I didn’t help him.
    The pain went away, his arm numb from wrist to fingertips. He knelt on the floor, watching the pale body crouched so near he could have reached out and touched his shoulder...his bare, wingless shoulder. Where did his wings go? What happened to them? All he could do was watch those shoulders heave with the strength of each deep swallow, feeling his life ebb away, and a vague surprise that it didn’t hurt at all.
    Eyes rolling up, Tuck gave a little sigh and collapsed against the bars. He was barely conscious as he saw Semris raise his head and release his arm. In spite of being only slightly aware, he felt a stab of surprise as the quiet voice whispered, “Gracias. Gracias por su sangre.”
    He’s thanking me? Thanking me for letting him kill me?
    With an effort, he made himself withdraw his wounded arm, cradling it against his chest with his other hand. Forcing his eyes open, he stared at his wrist, fighting the wave of blackness floating before his eyes. There was no bloody ripped-away flesh as he’d imagined, only four deep punctures. Two of the five little veins had been pierced, but the wounds were clean and already clotting. Tuck forced himself to take a deep breath, then let it out, and repeated the procedure.
    Keep breathing! Don’t pass out. He might decide to have a second helping.
    “I took too much. I am sorry. I was too hungry.”
    There was such concern in Semris’ voice that Tuck found himself replying, “That’s all right. I-if I’d known, I… Oh, God, what am I saying?” He fell silent, feeling a bout of hysteria galloping toward him.
    Something was thrust into his hand. One of the peaches. Semris’ hand, between the bars, holding it out to him.
    “Aqui. Come. Pronto.”
    So he took the peach and bit into it, choking slightly as the rich, sweet juice slid down his throat, but forced himself to keep chewing and swallowing. As the fruit sugar hit his stomach, he began to feel better.
    “That was good.” With a sigh, he tossed the peach pit aside.
    Through the bars, hands helped him to his feet. He leaned against the door, hanging onto it to keep his balance as dizziness flooded back. He looked up, meeting Semris’ green eyes, startled at the concern in them.
    “Again, I am sorry. It has been so long since I have had the living wine.”
    Living wine…what a beautiful way to describe it.  Tuck still felt a little groggy, wondered if he was now under the vampire thrall. He decided to find out.
    “Am I your minion now?”
    “Why would you think that?” Semris sounded genuinely puzzled.
    “Well, you’ve taken my blood. Generally, when a vampire—”
    “Vampiro! Donde?” Semris looked around quickly, arms crossing over his throat in a protective gesture.
    “You.” Tuck answered, feeling he’d made a mistake. “Aren’t you a vampire?”
    “Of course not!” The answer was disdainful that Tuck might mistake him for such a vile creature. “I am a Dark Lord. Un demonio.” The pale chin lifted proudly. “Los vampiros are creatures accursed.”
    Tuck thought that over. “And you’re not?”
    “No.” Semris shook his head, the dark hair swinging. “I am not.”
    Tuck realized he must be feeling better, to be able to marvel at the absurdity of this conversation.

Buy Links for Dark God Descending

Paperback from the Publisher’s website: http://classactbooks.com/cat-romance/cat-romance-paranormal/dark-god-descending-10-detail

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Dark-God-Descending-Tony-Paul-Vissage-ebook/dp/B00GRL7GL2/
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Dark-God-Descending-Tony-Paul-Vissage-ebook/dp/B00GRL7GL2/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1480693746&sr=8-1&keywords=dark+god+descending
Barnes & Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/dark-god-descending-tony-paul-de-vissage/1124987279?ean=2940153795195
Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/674095

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