And now for something a little different…maybe. Here’s my sneak peek for Keeper of the Grove (Stewards War, book one) for this Sunday:
Stacy’s gaze went to Aaron’s, and butterflies dashed around in her stomach. A vision flashed before her of how his eyes might look glazed over in passion. “Maybe we should go.” She cleared her throat, stood and moved to the filing cabinet, changed her mind and went to the desk again. The fabled diary! She was beside herself with excitement. She’d have the diary. What a month this was turning out to be. “When can we meet him?” Aaron came forward and ran a finger over the calendar’s slots. “How about tomorrow morning?” “Yes.” She nodded emphatically. “Perfect. Nineish?” “Tomorrow it is.” He nodded and turned toward the door. The thrill of this discovery overwhelmed her. An urge to kiss him in thanks struck her hard in the chest. “Aaron?” He met her gaze, waiting. Her brain screamed, halt! She wanted to touch him at least. Her fingers twitched. She stepped back. She just couldn’t. “I’ll see you at nine.” He turned away with a knowing glint in his eyes. She was such a fool.
****
Synopsis:
Stacy Macken has one goal in mind: saving her renowned history center from greedy creditors. Losing it would be a catastrophe—one she doesn’t know how she’ll avoid.
Until Aaron Fielding arrives. To all human eyes, he is just like any man, but he reminds Stacy of one of the fae. He certainly enchants her like a fae lover would. But Stacy suspects there is more to this sexy fellow, with his tales of the Tuatha dé Danann, and magical warriors from Celtic legend who protect humanity from a wicked enemy seeking their destruction. Does his appearance mean the end of the world imminent?
Can she, a studious woman more intent on history books with no training in or love of war, possibly have anything to offer when a long-prophesied druidic battle explodes around her?
*** Previously published as Passion’s Sacred Dance by Juli D. Revezzo *** Bonus: Includes brand new flash fiction piece, “About A Warrior”
If you’d like to get a copy of this, (or its new novel in the Stewards War series), it’s available for sale or to borrow with Amazon Prime at …well, Amazon 🙂
What mysteries will Cait find in the palm of a teen’s hand?http://wp.me/p2NsIj-28f #newrelease in Antique Magic #paranormal @julidrevezzo [Tweet this!]
And, yes, my friends, your eyes do not deceive you, the new Antique Magic novel, MOURNING DOVE LOCKET, is here! 🙂 So what are Caitlin and company up to this time? Here’s a little taste of the book in 8 lines. A little set up, a teenaged girl has come up to Caitlin in a thrift store and offered her a gold locket, now she’s checking with the mother to make certain she has permission to offer it…or that’s the plan, anyway, until the teen opens her mouth:
Happy Thanksgiving, my friends. I hope you all have (or had) a lovely one. While we’re all eating and out shopping for Black Friday, I thought I would share with you an essay I wrote last year (slightly updated!) about unusual paranormal characters in Romance.
But before I do, I wanted to let you know that the ebook of Keeper of the Grove is on sale for $.99, today and tomorrow–for Black Friday. You can find it at Amazon .
Modern paranormal romance caters to women who want to dream a little more than the average reader. They crave the weird and just looking at the romance pages in Amazon or at the shelves in a bookstore, you’ll see publishers are catering to that wish list.
These days the main star of the genre, though, seems to have gelled down to two factions: Vampires and werewolves. As a reader of the genre, and as a lover of mythology, I’ve often wondered why that is. After all, the world’s mythologies offer so many different types of monsters (yes, I said the M word ;)) to choose from.
CAITLIN’S BOOK OF SHADOWS, is now free on Amazon ! So if you’ve been waiting to try it out, now’s the time to snag your copy!
If you got a different kind of ereader from Santa for Christmas, the story is also free at Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/320047 (I expect Barnes and Noble and Amazon UK will catch up eventually but for now the epub is available at Smashwords)
Synopsis:
Though their fame became legend, a rumor cropped up about the Fulmer family: Something terrifying stalked Caitlin and her beloved Trevor. Something the bits and pieces she left claimed she had to make sense of. When the curator of their collection finds Caitlin’s long forgotten diary, she wonders will it tell the whole tale? Will it tell why Caitlin seemed so determined to tell the difference between reality and nightmare? Why she thought herself a witch?
What will the holidays hold for Caitlin? Perhaps the answer lies between the lines of her story, one of lessons, struggles, and hopes for each new year.
Includes samples of The Artist’s Inheritance, Antique Magic Book One, and the second volume, Drawing Down the Shades (which are also both still on sale). **This is a side (or supplemental, if you will) story in the Antique Magic Series. And remember, book 3 is forthcoming!
Enjoy, and as always, reviews are welcome.
“I had a freaky encounter with this incredibly strange woman,right here in our courtyard.” Stacy waved a hand in the direction in question. “And you nearly beheaded her.”
“Did I?” He pondered the lost and found box absently. “That is some dream. I’m glad to see I made an impression.”
She frowned. “That wasn’t the dream.”
He set the box aside, folding his hands and giving her his full attention. “Wasn’t it?”
“No, the dream consisted of you whisking me away on some wild trip through the lights. I can’t account for what happened between then and six the next morning.”
“I’m not stupid, Aaron. I remember what went on last evening.” She waved a hand as if batting the problem away….
***
“I shouldn’t rattle on at you like this. I’m sorry to trouble you.”
His eyes twinkled and Stacy gulped. “It’s no trouble,” he said. If possible, his voice got even deeper with an edge of desire to it that curled her toes pleasantly. “I must say you’re pretty enough to be forgiven just about anything.”
No trouble? Her brain, and her honor, headed south every second he stood across from her. If they lived in the sixteenth century, she’d consider begging her father
to make a marriage contract with Aaron Fielding.
Oh, dear….so what happened to poor Stacy to bring on this wild dream? You’ll have to read to find out! If you’d like to try it, Keeper of the Grove* is available at Amazon (for paperback and Kindle).
To see more Sneak Peek Sunday authors see the Sneak Peek Sunday site here.
Since it’s close to Halloween, I’ve decided to chat about what scares me. My girls find it frustrating that very little scares me. They are forever trying to jump from darkened corners, hide things in my bed, or dream up other diabolical ways to make mom scream.
Silly girls.
To be honest, there are only two things I’m afraid of–werewolves and butterflies. My fear of butterflies will always remain a mystery, but I can trace my fear of werewolves back to one Halloween when I was six-years-old.
I had decided, as kids do, to pick the most impossible costume for my mom to sew. I wanted to be Snow White—complete with the huge skirt, laced bodice, and puffy sleeves. To my mom’s credit, she did a brilliant job sewing it together. So brilliant, in fact, that she refused to let me wear the dress until Halloween night. She was afraid I would ruin it.
Halloween night finally arrived, and off I went in full costume, my mom and dad in tow. I was never afraid of the dark, so when we came to one house that happened to have all the lights off, it didn’t occur to me that it was a set-up.
With pillow case in hand, I gathered my Snow White skirts and ran up the walkway, completely focused on my task at hand. The last thing on my mind, were the bushes on either side of the door. Bushes large enough to hide a teenager, dressed up as a werewolf, and completely focused on Halloween festivities of his own.
Out he jumped, and off I ran, screaming at the top of my lungs. I guess I must have snagged my skirt on a bush, because I remember hearing it rip and my mom screaming something of her own.
But, I was sure it was the werewolf—making a grab with the intent of dragging me back to his lair. So sure, in fact, that I continued to run.
My mom was mortified.
The teenager was mortified.
I was oblivious and kept running until my dad finally caught up with me.
From that point, all I remember was being dragged back to the house where the werewolf lived. I don’t remember the teenager removing his mask, I don’t remember him apologizing profusely, I don’t remember the fact that he dumped his whole stash of candy into my pillow case (so my parents tell me). I pretty much just blanked out.
And so a fear is born. I can’t watch werewolf movies before bed, else I have nightmares. I write scary stuff about ghosts, demons, and things that go bump in the night, but I won’t touch the subject of werewolves with a ten-foot sword. My girls think it’s great fun to don one of those rubber werewolf masks in the Halloween stores and chase me around with it. We laugh, but inside, that little six-year-old girl is screaming.
And candy is the farthest thing from her mind.
Thank you for having me as a guest, Night Mistress!
Mistress: Oh my! That’s just terrible, Clarissa. Most of the werewolves I know are rather cuddly, once you give them the right puppy chow. At least it provided fodder for some intriguing stories, yes? Why don’t you tell us a little about your novel, BETWEEN?
BETWEEN
by Clarissa Johal
How far would you go to redeem yourself?
As a young girl, Lucinda was able to see spirits, a gift that didn’t come without its problems. Now, a dedicated young veterinarian, she is committed to the idea that every life can be saved.
After a devastating accident, Lucinda tries to escape her past by moving to a small town. There, she meets a newcomer and feels an immediate connection with him. But there is another mysterious stranger to the small town, one that stirs within her a mixture of unease and desire.
As Lucinda is drawn into a bitter tug-a-war from the forces around her, she is likewise pulled into a dangerous twist of past and present events. Forced to make difficult choices, she finds that the two men are locked in not only a battle for her life…but a battle for their salvation.
Sounds wonderful, Clarissa! A spooky tale for a Halloween night for sure. Thank you for joining us.
Clarissa: And thank you for the tea. *sniffs tea suspiciously* I’m actually a coffee drinker. Forgive me if I set it aside for now…
Mistress: No, there’s nothing wrong with the tea, dear. I’ll see about getting you some coffee, though… 😉
Author Clarissa Johl
Bio:
Clarissa Johal has worked as a veterinary assistant, zoo-keeper aide and vegetarian chef. Writing has always been her passion. When she’s not listening to the ghosts in her head, she’s dancing or taking photographs of gargoyles. She shares her life with her husband, two daughters and every stray animal that darkens the doorstep. One day, she expects that a wayward troll will wander into her yard, but that hasn’t happened yet.
For instance, in Victorian mythology you’ll find a nasty fella called 
Juli D. Revezzo, author of the Antique Magic series and more 