{Release Blog Tour} Guest Post: Apocalypse Survival by M.R. Merrick

I'm just going to tell you that this is one of the best, if not the best, guest posts I've ever had on the blog. Matt has a wonderful since of humor and is an astonishing storyteller. If you haven't read Exile, Shift, or Release, I suggest you do so immediately (Buy links at bottom of post)! Simply Amazing!!! Thanks to Val @ Stuck In Books for hosting this incredible tour and allowing Better Read Than Dead to be a part.

Rafflecopter Giveaway at bottom of page!

Apocalypse Survival by M.R. Merrick

An asteroid was heading for the earth; that’s how it all started. It was the beginning of the end and that giant rock had bastards setting off nukes in every direction. But the people didn’t die. Oh no. The radiation that shoulda wiped us all out just made things worse; mostly it turned everyone into mindless flesh eaters. Ironic thing was it was all for nothing; the asteroid missed.
You wanna know about the end of the world? Alright, I’ll tell ya. But you better pull up those panties first, boy. It ain’t pretty.
First, there was no power. That’s right. No fancy phones that talk to you, no video games, and no HDTV. Forget hot water. In fact, forget comfort all together. Running water: Gone. A clean bed to sleep in: Gone. A fan to keep you cool: Gone. You got a broken baseball bat or a knife, and—if you were really lucky—a pistol with a couple shots left.
Canned food was your friend—if you could find it—but most of the time you were sucking the guts from beetles and eatin’ rotten fruit. If you found a beer, you’d cut the guy next to you to make sure it was yours. And you didn’t sleep. You nodded off with one eye open and you kept your shoe laces tied tight. If anyone crossed paths with you and wanted a scuffle, it’d be the first thing they’d take.
So how’d I survive? I don’t even know. Let’s call it a helluva lotta luck.
I’d been traveling for months, maybe years. I lost track of time a few days after the bombs hit. It got hotter every day, and the sand was always blowing in your face. I spent all my waking hours moving from town to town, trying to find a place where I could set up shop. Fresh water and something that kept the flesh eaters out was all I needed. I nearly found it once too, but when I finally got settled in, something else showed up.
Flesh eaters aren’t the only thing you have to watch out for on the outside, because when the nukes struck, the world changed. All the continents moved around, ramming into one another while some of them just sank into the ocean. Yeah this world sure got messed up quick. Out there, it ain’t like it is in here, no sir.
I’d been walking for a while since my last meal, and dusty desert had turned into rotting forest, which had changed to crumbled mountains and then back to desert. I’d found a big ass knife, rusted to shit but it cut good enough, and I made a wicked whip out of a piece of driftwood and barbed wire. I didn’t need a gun; I’d gotten so good I could shear the head off a flesh eater from fifteen feet away.
After I’d walked long enough that my beard was to my chest, I came to a little town nestled back in a mountain district. Most of it seemed untouched compared to the rest of the world: the mountains were still standing, with snow decoratin’ the tops like a Christmas tree waitin’ to be cut down. Most of the houses were intact, cars were still parked on the street, and there was a pump at the back that brought fresh water up from a stream. My legs were skinny, scabbed, and shaking. I was weaker than ever, I was starving, but I had stumbled into paradise.
The place was abandoned so I took my pick of the properties. Found myself a real nice stretch of land on a quarter acre or so. There was just a small house on the back of the lot, but that’s all I needed, and it still had grass! It needed a good cut but it was lush and green, just like I’d remembered grass to be.
It took a few days to get set up, but when I was done, I had rigged up alarms and booby traps all over the town. I had plenty of supplies from the local hardware store that sat untouched, and I cooked a good few meals over an open fire. Aside from a bit of dust, their grocery store was practically brand new. Finally, I felt like I was going to get a good night’s sleep—the first I’d have had in who knows how many years. But then they came:  the other monsters.
Flesh eaters aren’t very smart. They’re brain dead and they always feast on the closest carcass they can find. Since I was the only one in town, I knew they’d smell me out quicker than the jiggle of a jackrabbit’s ass.
I had trip wires set up all over the town, ready to alert me of any intruders, but the alarms didn’t fire off. I hadn’t seen anything but flesh eaters for ages and I wasn’t ready for them. Not preparin’ for ‘em was just me being careless, but what cleared my traps was somethin’ I’d never seen before. I couldn’t have prepared for them.
My eyelids were falling fast and for the first time since before the end, I could feel a good sleep pulling me in. And with my luck, just as ol’ Mr. Sandman was about to tea bag me, a BANG sounded at the door. No more sleep for me.
The barbed wire dragged along the floor behind me and the driftwood handle was stuck in the back of my pants. My hand was sweating in the humid night’s air and I gripped the rusty blade like it was my only salvation—because it was.
The front door was open, creaking in the wind and hangin’ by only one hinge. I heard a strange beat humming along the wooden floor boards and it made my knuckle hairs stand on end. Sweat ran between my fingers, dripping down the handle of the blade. The floor boards creaked with each step until I finally stopped in the living room, stretching my senses to find my attacker.
THUD!
It sounded behind me and I nearly jumped outta my damn skin. I turned faster than a bat out of hell, but there was nothing there.
THUD!
I turned back around, ready to swing my blade, but it was too late. Two feet planted into my chest and sent me ass backwards across the room. My body crumbled into the wall and the drywall behind me cracked, covering me in a wash of white dust.
I sneered in pain and jumped to my feet, ready to face the son of a bitch that thought he could take me on, but the room was empty. It was just me and a flood of powder floating in the moonlight.
THUD!
This time when I turned, I was already swinging my blade. The feet smashed into me again, but I got him too. He cried in pain but it was rough like a horse with a high pitched squeal at the end. I rolled across the floor and came up on my feet.
The creature was lying across the ground, squirting blood and huffing something fierce. His body twitched like the carcass of a flesh eater after you threw it against an electric fence. But this wasn’t no flesh eater. I didn’t know what the hell it was.
I was careful not to get too close but as I walked across the room, I couldn’t believe what I was seeing. Damn thing had a dog-like face, big ass legs on the backside, a thick ratty tail and tiny little arms. Half of its left foot was lying on the floor beside it, and as I watched it squirm into the moonlight, I didn’t believe it: I’d just cut the foot off a god damn kangaroo.
I inched closed as it writhed along the ground. When its solid white eyes caught sight of me, it hissed. Four-inch fangs hung down from its snout and blood dripped from its mouth. I’d heard about these things from passersby once upon a time, but I never believed in ‘em. Vampire kangaroos? I’d seen a lot of shit in my life, but this was at the top of my WTF-o-meter.
My heart leaped in my throat as the creature lunged out, trying to wrap its grubby little paws around my ankle. I reacted with haste and brought my blade down on its head. Blood splattered over my face and all across my newly claimed floors. Lemme tell ya: I cursed something fierce after that.
THUD!
I swung my blade back behind me but I only cut through the air. The room was empty. I could hear the beast hopping along the porch outside. I pulled the whip from my pants and rushed out the door, hoping to have more room to work out in the yard.
When I leaped off the porch and turned around, three more of them were glaring at me, their eyes as white as moonlight and practically glowing. They hopped the railing and bounced towards me in a blur. I snapped the barbed wire across the air and watched as one of the heads split from its body. He fell limp to the ground and his head sloshed across the grass. The other two snarled and moved to either side of me, lashing out and thinkin’ they could best me.
I pivoted, keepin’ them each in my peripheral vision. As they inched closer, I side-stepped away to keep my distance, until they lunged at me in unison. Long fangs dripped black saliva and I somersaulted backwards at the last moment. They sunk their fangs into one another and screams barked from their snouts. I was already on my feet, ready to take advantage of the situation. The rusty blade cut through the air, slicing through one neck, and then the other.
When they hit the earth, dirt shot up from the ground all around them, leaving me strugglin’ to catch my breath. I was too old for this.
I waited a few minutes outside, making sure the coast was clear, but when I finally decided it was safe enough to go inside, something skittered across the underside of the roof.
Chills ran down my spine and I didn’t dare set another foot inside that house. I knew that sound. I’d faced it before and I sure as hell wasn’t ready to face it again. That sound meant a nest. A nest meant this place couldn’t be home. Not with those creatures here.
I didn’t wait for it to see me. I ran as fast as my scrawny legs would take me down to the hardware store where I’d already rigged up something real nice. With two propane tanks strapped to my back, I marched myself back up to the house, waiting for those suckers to make themselves known. A stainless steel handle was in my grip and a small flame flickered at the end of a long gray pipe. I was ready.
Skitter, skitter, skitter.
My finger hovered over the handle, but when the monstrosities started to appear, I knew this wouldn’t be enough. Dozens of spiders moved out from behind the house. Some broke through the shingles on the roof while others ran across the porch. Their mouths oozed something white and their fangs chittered together. These weren’t ordinary spiders; these were infected. They were the size of a big dog and mean as hell.
Beady eyes reflected the moonlight and when they kicked their legs, long hairs fluttered in the air. I was careful not to let ‘em touch me. Just being too close to the hair would give you a rash for a week.
Skitter, skitter, skitter.
I lit the night up in a stream of blue, orange, and red, casting the flame across the yard, but I didn’t dare get closer. I walked backwards as fast as I could and I saved every bit of propane I had. I didn’t have enough to kill ‘em all, but if any one of them got too close, I lit his ass up like a firework.
Green guts exploded over the yard and stained the siding of what I had hoped would be my new home. But they didn’t stop.  Dozens more kept on coming and I knew they were nesting somewhere close. I also knew from my last encounter with ‘em I wasn’t going anywhere near it. These things were babies compared to the queen. I needed to get out of here.
When I’d set some distance between me and them, I moved back to the hardware store. I had loads of weapons and traps set up, but it wouldn’t be enough. Not enough to kill all of ‘em and the queen.
When I’d explored the town earlier, I found myself an old truck that still started. I loaded it up with everything I could manage from food to weapons, and I hopped in and drove away.
I passed town after town, and even ran over a few flesh eaters along the way, but I didn’t dare stop.  I pushed that truck as far as it would go, until finally the gas was gone and the engine quit.
Never again did I settle in another town. Not for long. I didn’t get my hopes up and I didn’t sleep. I just tried to survive. That was until I met your lot and your daddy welcomed me to safety. And here I am, hiding behind these high stone walls and enjoying an ice-cold beer. Who’da thunk there’d be a part of the world that sat untouched from it all? You lucky sons of bitches have it made. I guess now I do too… If it wasn’t for you and your dad rescuing me from that pack of hairless, sparkling flying-monkeys, I’d be a goner. Those things looked like something out of that Twilight you were showing me.
So that’s it. It ain’t a pretty story but it’s a story nonetheless. That’s how I survived the apocalypse. Or at least that’s part of it. I don’t think your daddy would like me talking to you about the time I shot a stripper in the face after she and her zebra-man tried to eat my right arm. Hell, she wasn’t just a stripper, she was a giraffe shifter.
You know what, screw it. Do you wanna hear something really crazy? Let me tell ya…

Title: Exiled
Series: The Protector #1
Author: M.R. Merrick

Amazon     Smashwords     Barnes & Noble     Goodreads

Synopsis:

Chase Williams is a demon hunter in the Circle, or at least he was supposed to be. Failing to develop any elemental magic on his fifteenth birthday left him exiled in a world full of half-demons, and no hunters to protect him.

When Chase discovers the Circle's plan to unlock a portal and unleash pure-blood demons into the world, he vows to stop them. Knowing he can't do it alone however, he accepts help from Rayna, a sexy witch with an attitude and a secret.

As the pair attempt to stop the Circle, Chase realizes working with a demon is only half the battle. When they find themselves in the middle of the Circle's plan, it leaves one of them to decide what their friendship is worth, and the other's life depending on it.

Title: Shift
Series: The Protector #2
Author: M.R. Merrick

Amazon     Smashwords     Barnes & Noble     Goodreads

Synopsis:

Devastated by a terrible loss, Chase is trying to balance the life he’s been left with, a family he’s still getting to know, and power he never thought he’d have. He doesn’t understand why the Goddess has named him the Protector and granted him two gifts: the Mark, a tattoo that now covers his back, and the ring. But between getting interrogated by the Circle and psychic attacks from Riley, the Mark is the least of his concern. There’s a demon inside Rayna that’s fighting to be released, and it’s not her inner witch. It’s something else—a monster threatening to tear her apart.

As Chase struggles to control his magic, his enemies are closing in. Everyone has staked a claim on his ring, and destroying it may be his only chance to stop Riley. But Chase must decide if stopping him is worth risking the lives of everyone he cares about, or if protecting the ring will be enough to save his world.

Title: Release
Series: The Protector #3
Author: M.R. Merrick

Amazon     Smashwords     Barnes & Noble     Goodreads

Synopsis:

After uniting the shifters and calling in reinforcements, Chase has to face his toughest challenge yet: learning to control his emotions. But as tensions rise and his powers grow, controlling his emotions becomes the least of his problems.

Terrorized by a multi-shifter who is hell-bent on turning him, Chase questions just how far he’s willing to go to stop his father. Meanwhile, Tiki’s virtuous nature has placed him in the middle of Vincent’s past, leaving Chase to oppose a senate of vampires and defend a demon he hates.

Trying to balance his friends, his enemies, and his inner demons, Chase is left searching for answers about the Mark, his destiny, and where he can find the next soul piece. Stopping Riley is his top priority, but as more obstacles arise, he finds himself doubting all the decisions he’s made - especially regarding Rayna.

One thing is for certain: Chase has finally realized that he doesn’t know anything. The light doesn’t always quell the darkness, the monsters don’t always stay in the shadows, and the past doesn’t always stay in the past - sometimes, the demons inside are the hardest to fight.

Grand Prize (3 Winners)

3x Signed paperbacks (Exiled, Shift, Release)
3x Signed 8x10 posters (Exiled, Shift, Release)
5x Bookmarks
1x Notebook (Winner’s choice of cover)
1x Magnet

Runner Up Prize Pack, Option 1 (5 Winners)

1x Signed paperback (Winner’s choice of Exiled, Shift, or Release) with signed poster

1x bookmark (Winner’s choice)

1x Magnet

Runner Up Prize Pack, Option 2

Runner Up Prize Pack, Option 3 (5 Winners)

Secondary Prize Pack A: E-book of Release (10 Winners)

Secondary Prize Pack B: 1 Bookmark (Winners Choice) & The Protector Magnet (10 Winners)

a Rafflecopter giveaway

{Guest Post and Giveaway} Kentucky Green by Terry Irene Blain

Today I have the pleasure of hosting Terry Irene Blain on Better Read Than Dead for the second time. Keep reading because we have lots of great material for you. Terry has written a guest post about her character names, the first chapter, and, wait for it...A GIVEAWAY! Fill out the RAFFLECOPTER at the bottom of this post.

Guest Post: Character Names

As with most of my novels, when I started to write Kentucky Green I had an idea of the time and
place for the setting as well as some vague plot ideas, but the hero and heroine became real to me
only when I found out, or gave them their names.

For my hero’s back-story (all the stuff you know about what made your character who and what
they are at the start of the book) I gave him a Scottish grandfather, so his last name is McKenzie.
As with so many Scottish immigrants that settled west of the Appalachians Mountains, the
grandfather moved to where the land reminded him of the hills of Scotland. Grandfather married
a Shawnee Indian woman, so Dan’s father was a half-breed and subject to the same racial
prejudices that Dan suffers throughout the book. Daniel Boone, who was our hero’s father’s
friend, was noted for being more open-minded and not caring about such things as parentage.
Boone treated Dan’s father well, thereby making Boone the obvious choice for the friend after
whom he’d name his son. That’s how the hero became Daniel Boone McKenzie.

Dan’s character is pragmatic and taciturn. (Note to self: No more heroes that are reluctant to do
dialogue!) Therefore I wanted a heroine who would ‘lighten him up’ and April is way more
optimistic than Dan. I know April as a name is not necessarily historically correct, but in my
mind her parents named her this as sort of an inside joke as she was conceived in the month of
April. (Hey, I’m making this story up so cut me a little historical slack).

Wyckford’s name comes from the street name of friend of mine – I liked the Wyck as sort of
indicating his role as the villain. Dan’s brother-in-law James ‘Scotty’ Murray came as a
derivation of James Stuart, 1st Earl of Moray (c. 1531 – 1570) that got corrupted into Murray
through the centuries. (What can I say? I’m a history teacher!)

Minor characters are easier. If they only need a name for a couple of pages, then they are often
the names of friends and neighbors. Schultz – the neighbors across the street. Dunlap – friends
who had sons in Boy Scouts with our sons. Matthew and Mark – two cousins of mine.

See, there is some truth in that bumper sticker that reads “Be Careful or You’ll End up in My
Next Novel.”

***I've always worried about that bumper sticker, but honestly, I love it!***

Title: Kentucky Green
Author: Terry Irene Blain

Blurb:

April Williamson’s heart calls her across the frontier, but only one man—a handsome army scout with a tormented past—can get her safely to freedom.


Synopsis:

Daniel McKenzie was an army scout—quiet, capable, handsome…and utterly unwilling to be the trail guide April Williamson needed to reach Kentucky. The Indian attack at Blue Licks was but one bitter taste of the American frontier, a massacre that had taken her father just as cholera had taken her mother. But April would not give up on her dream. At journey’s end was independence, and nothing would stand in her way.

The young widow was beautiful and determined, but the months of travel involved in her plan would be too hard. Without the general’s order Dan would have told any woman no, but April especially. His secret would destroy her—or she might destroy him. April’s kiss was like the country itself. Restless and sweet, it promised a love that denied every boundary and looked only to freedom and the future.

***Chapter 1***

Philadelphia, Spring 1794

April Williamson slowed her pace as she approached the Twelve Tankards Inn. Cool
morning sunlight bathed the wooden steps and wide front porch. To bolster her courage she
wore her most flattering gown, completed before Richard’s death had dressed her in
mourning. Enough time had passed to make the dark-green watered silk acceptable. She
shivered, more from apprehension than from the crisp morning.

Male voices drifted from the common room as she climbed the inn’s steps. On the
porch she paused. For inside, just through the inn’s open double doors, was the man who
could turn her dreams into reality. Please, don’t let me mishandle this. Please make Daniel
McKenzie agree to take me to Kentucky.

Swallowing her nervousness, she entered the inn. The dusky interior caused her to
hesitate just inside the doorway while her eyes adjusted.

Light streamed in from the open door behind her, throwing an elongated patch on the
wide planks of the pegged floor. A stone-flagged fireplace bearing a huge oak mantel
dominated the north wall. Solid oak tables and ladder-back chairs dotted the room which held
only two men and the lingering aroma of bacon and sausage. The men sat at one of the tables,
steaming cups of coffee before them.

The innkeeper’s message had given her just a name—Daniel McKenzie. But which one
was he? Her gaze went first to the taller man. With his dark hair and tanned complexion, he
didn’t appear particularly Scottish. She looked to the second man. Slightly older, he had the
fair skin and sandy-red hair which characterized so many Scotsmen.

While she hesitated, the dark-haired man rose, and with long booted strides started
across the common room toward the fireplace. Concluding the seated man must be Mr.
McKenzie, she moved toward the table with a determination she hoped camouflaged the
butterflies in her stomach.

April stopped before the table, heart beating in her throat. “Mr. McKenzie?” The
smaller man stood to acknowledge her presence and she said in a rush, “I understand your
company has a commission to carry supplies to General Wayne.”

The man nodded.

She hurried on, not giving him a chance to speak. “I would like to accompany you on
that trip.”

“No.” The flat reply came not from the man before her, but from the tall, dark man
standing by the fireplace. Startled, she twisted to look at him.

Lean and hard-looking, he stood tall enough to rest his arm easily across the high
mantel. His muscles bunched under his linen shirt as he brought his arm down. With easy
grace he strode across the room toward her.

A sinking, fluttery feeling intensified with his approach. A new and different feeling,
certainly not the apprehension she had felt up to now.

Tight buckskin riding breeches fit his slender hips and strong thighs without a wrinkle
before disappearing into glossy top boots. Hair, dark as India ink, was brushed straight back
from his brow and tied at the nape of his neck with a plain queue ribbon. And his beautiful
eyes: a striking pale blue-gray with long lashes, framed by high cheekbones and thick, dark
eyebrows. She’d seen that particular shade of blue-gray before. But this wasn’t the time to try
and remember when.

He stopped before her. Under the intensity of his gaze, she instinctively took a small
step backward.

“No,” he repeated. “The McKenzie and Murray Trading Company transports army
supplies.” His rough-textured baritone held the faint drawl of the frontier. “We don’t take
passengers.”

Fear of failure made her words sharp. “I beg your pardon; I wasn’t speaking to you, but
to Mr. McKenzie.” She gestured to the man standing across the table.

“I’m McKenzie,” the dark-haired man replied. “This is my partner, James Murray.”
A heated flush of embarrassment crept up her cheeks. To think this was the man whose
help she so sorely needed. She didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. Mr. Murray saved her
from doing either.

“Pleased to meet ye,” James Murray said, pulling out one of the ladder-back chairs and
gesturing toward it. “Will ye no’ sit doon?” A hint of laughter flickered in his voice, but she
couldn’t tell whether he directed his amusement toward her or Daniel McKenzie.

With as much grace as possible, she took the proffered seat. In open amusement, James
Murray continued, “Dinna trouble yoursel’, lass. ’Tis common for strangers to mistake us one
for t’other. As ye ken, I am a Scotsman, ma’sel’. I answer to ‘Scotty’ as easily as James.”

Since he’d tried so hard to put her at ease, she smiled her thanks. She watched Mr.
McKenzie out of the corner of her eye. He, too, drew out a chair. To keep her hands
occupied, she tugged a lace handkerchief from her reticule. The neutral look on McKenzie’s
face became a frown.

“Now,” Mr. Murray continued, “tell us why a young lass would want to go to the Ohio
Territory?”

“In any case,” Mr. McKenzie interrupted, “we’re taking supplies only as far as
Cincinnati for transhipment to General Wayne. Then we’re going home to Oak Point in
Kentucky. I won’t return to Ohio until late summer.”

Oak Point! She smothered a gasp and let the sweet words in his faint fro

ntier drawl

wash over her. These traders lived in Oak Point. Her goal of home and independence. His
wonderful words deepened her longing and intensified her determination.

Perhaps fate was on her side. She struggled to keep her composure. She must convince
them to give her passage. Because looking at Dan McKenzie made it difficult to concentrate
and because she sensed Mr. Murray was more sympathetic, she kept her eyes directed to his
kind face.

“I seem to have started in the middle. Let me explain. My name is April Williamson
and I need transportation to Oak Point.”

Mr. Murray looked intrigued. April chanced a glance at Mr. McKenzie. If anything, his
frown had deepened. With a prickle of annoyance, she turned to him and asked, “Is
something wrong?”

“Where are your menfolk?” His voice held a tone of manufactured civility.

Meaning of course, where is the man who takes care of you? He would, of course,
expect a young woman to be attached to some man. A measure of her self-confidence
returned. She had the perfect, irrefutable answer. “I have no menfolk. My husband died last
November.”

With satisfaction she noted Mr. McKenzie’s surprise and discomfort. “I’ve inherited
property near Oak Point. I appreciate it’s unusual for your company to take passengers, but
there’s no other means of getting to Kentucky.”

“Aye,” Mr. Murray agreed, “but the trip is verra difficult. ’Tis too much for a visit.”
“It’s not just a visit,” she replied. “I plan to live there.”

“Don’t be silly,” McKenzie looked pointedly at her bonnet and the lace handkerchief
clutched in her hands. “You couldn’t survive.”

“Really?” she challenged. His peremptory dismissal stung. “I survived there for eight
years. I was born in Kentucky.”

McKenzie blinked and his gaze sharpened. A chill shivered up April’s back.

“Why did you leave?”

She drew a deep breath. “My mother and I came to Philadelphia in ’82,” she said,
smothering any emotion in her voice, “after Indians killed my father at Blue Licks.”
A strange look flashed across Mr. McKenzie’s face, the expression so fleeting she
couldn’t identify it.

She must convince McKenzie and Murray to help her. Going to Kentucky wasn’t just a
return to home. Kentucky was her hope of a new life, different from the one she’d been
obliged to live in Philadelphia. The compelling desire for freedom and the frontier came from
deep inside her. A desire that even her closest friends considered so extraordinary as to be
incomprehensible.

Why should these two strangers understand? A material reason would be easier for
them to accept. “The property I’ve inherited in Oak Point is my only asset. I’m determined to
reach Kentucky,” she said simply.

After a moment, McKenzie leaned forward in his chair, resting his forearms on the oak
table. One look at the closed expression on his face and her heart sank. Instinct told her if she
pushed for a definite answer now, it would be negative. The pale blue-gray eyes under their
dark brows also warned her this man, once an answer was given, would never change a “no”
to a “yes.”

She tried to think of some way to get the response she needed. Unable to give up hope,
she turned to the kindly face of the Scot. “Mr. Murray, is it me you object to, or do you refuse
all passengers?”

“Well... ah... ’tis... ah...”

“You have taken passengers to Kentucky before, haven’t you?”

“Aye.” The Scotsman glanced at his partner. “But nae a woman traveling on her own.”

With a small point scored in her favor, she decided to retreat for now. Using her best
smile and most reasonable voice, she said, “I see my query was unexpected. Please take a few
days to consider my request. I promise I won’t be any trouble on the trip.”

The look of patent disbelief on Mr. McKenzie’s face brought her close to panic again.
Desperate to keep the “no” in his eyes from coming to his lips, she impulsively leaned
forward and placed her hand on his.

“All I ask is that you think it over. Please consider helping me.”

His expression didn’t change. After a heartbeat, he looked down and her gaze followed.

The deep tan of his skin accentuated the soft ivory of hers. Touching him confused her. His
warmth imparted a feeling of comfort while at the same time caused her heart to thump at a
disconcerting pace. Unable to move, her hand rested on his large, work-roughened one.

She lifted her eyelashes and her gaze locked with his. The force of his blue-gray gaze
made her throat dry. She gently withdrew her hand and rose to her feet.

Both men stood.

“I apologize for interrupting.” She kept her voice calm. “All I ask is for you to consider
my request.”

Dan McKenzie sat back down in his chair. He stared for several long seconds at the
open inn door through which the young woman had disappeared. He’d noticed her earlier as
she paused just inside the doorway. Her dress, made of some material which changed color as
the sunlight struck it, had flickered hundreds of shades of green, like a breeze ruffling the
leaves on hillside trees back home.

He straightened in his chair, seeing her in his mind’s eye. Her face resembled a square
more than an oval because of that firm chin. But her mouth looked soft. Between the low
light and her bonnet brim he hadn’t got a good look at her eyes and he wondered what color
they were. But even in the dim light, her hair gleamed like polished mahogany.

She put him in mind of a porcelain figurine on the mantel in a rich man’s parlor. Nice
to look at but of no practical value. On the frontier, practicality measured everyone and
everything. He knew firsthand what the harsh life on the frontier could do to a woman.
A chuckle jerked Dan back to the present. He turned to the grinning face of his partner.

“Well?” Scotty questioned.

“Well, what?”

“We could take her. ’Tis nae beyond the realm of possibility.”

Dan didn’t bother to reply, but reached for his coffee. He stared into the cup, then with
a resigned sigh looked up. “Yeah, reckon we could. But we won’t. She and her lace
handkerchief should stay here.” He pushed the cup away. “Life’s hard enough for women
used to living out there. The frontier would chew her up and spit her out.”

“I’m nae so sure,” Scotty countered. “I admit she’s a right wee lassie, but she’s got
courage enough to want to go. And she was no afraid of ye, rude as ye were.”

Dan snorted. “She would be if she knew what I am.” At Scotty’s puzzled look, Dan
explained, “Any girl whose pa was killed by Indians might not want to travel with a halfbreed.”
Scotty started to speak, but Dan motioned him silent. “Maybe in Scotland I’d only be a
quarter Indian, but here the son of a half-breed is still a ‘breed.’” Dan accepted what he was.
Funny how Scotty never quite grasped the idea.

“Ach, nae wonder ye looked peculiar when the lassie mentioned Blue Licks.”

Blue Licks! Dan controlled a shudder as the words again knifed across an old wound.

He changed the subject. “Next you’ll tell me she wouldn’t be any problem on the trip.”
“I couldna’ say that,” Scotty replied with a laugh. “Don’t ye go a’ telling my Mary I
said so, but woman ha’ been trouble for man since Adam met Eve.”

~ * ~

“Now, April, you cannot go traipsing off to Kentucky. It’s not suitable, my dear, not at
all suitable.” Mrs. Browne’s voice brought April’s head up from her embroidery.

She’d been wool-gathering, her mind still on the morning’s interview with McKenzie
and Murray. The eight ladies seated in the Browne parlor suspended their conversation and
awaited April’s reaction to their hostess’s pronouncement.

“I’m not ‘traipsing off to Kentucky.’” April paused a moment to ensure her voice
remained respectful. “I intend to live on the property I’ve inherited. Since my parents were
among the first settlers in Kentucky and I was born there, I’ll be going home.”

Mrs. Browne glared at her over the rim of her china teacup. “Utter nonsense! Your dear
mother is turning over in her grave. That wilderness wasn’t a proper place for a widow with
an eight-year-old daughter. Nor is it a place for a twenty-year-old girl, widow or no.” She put
her cup and saucer on the table next to her Queen Anne chair.

Not surprised Mrs. Browne already knew of her plans, April bowed her head over her
embroidery. She suspected it hadn’t taken more than a few hours for word to get around
she’d met army contractors this morning, asking for passage to Kentucky.

She smiled to herself, thinking how apoplectic Mrs. Browne would be if she only knew
about the letter April had written weeks ago. A letter to her husband’s old friend, Anthony
Wayne, who as general of the army, now had authority over the western territories.

“You don’t need to go running off to Kentucky.” Elizabeth Jefferies’s faded blue eyes
twinkled in her wrinkled face. “There are plenty of men here in Philadelphia. Get married
again.”

“That’s always your advice,” April replied, biting back a smile at the older woman’s
suggestion. Why, she wondered, would she want to subjugate herself again? When a woman
married, she lost her legal identity. All her property and her decisions given over to another’s
authority. Still, she couldn’t help but smile at enthusiastic Widow Jefferies. “You’ve
suggested marriage four times already.”

“It’s good advice,” the widow countered. “I put my third husband in the ground last fall
with the yellow fever, same as you did your Richard. If an old lady like me is ready for
another husband, you should be, too.” Under cover of the conversation, the spry old woman
leaned over and patted April’s hand. “Get a young man this time, one who’ll treat you like a
wife, instead of a daughter.”

April glanced sideways, wondering if Elizabeth guessed the truth of her marriage.
“Thank you for your advice,” she said politely, “but I plan to remain a widow and keep my
freedom to do as I please.” For the first time she was the one making decisions affecting her
life. She was free. She meant to keep her freedom and she meant to go home to Kentucky.

In Philadelphia her only choices were to marry again or live on the charity of friends. In
either case she’d become dependent upon others, obliged to live her life as they directed. But
in Kentucky she had land—her own land. The start of a new life beckoned. Ever since she’d
written to General Wayne, the thought of going to Kentucky made her spirit come alive. No
matter the difficulties involved in travel, in spite of her fear of Indians, she was going home.

She glanced around the parlor of Mrs. Browne’s spacious two-story house. What a
contrast with her memory of Kentucky. She recalled the single-room log cabin, the clearing
in which it stood, the path to the spring, the barn and the hayloft. She vaguely remembered
the cabin-raising, playing with other children while the men heaved the logs into place and
the women quilted before setting out dinner. And later, the quiet as she snuggled under her
quilt in the attic, contentedly drifting off to sleep to the murmur of her parents’ conversation.
Beautiful and expensive furnishings filled the Browne parlor but laughter and love had
filled the cabin in Kentucky.

The clatter of teacups drew her attention as tea and small cakes were served.

Needlework aside, a lively discussion ensued. Since they lived in the capital city, politics
were as much a topic of discussion for the group, as babies and home remedies.

One lady commented to the group in general. “My Robert said a lawyer from Kentucky
went around to all the Representatives last week, saying how bad the situation is in the West.
This lawyer claims with the British backing them, the Indians are unbeatable.” With a
condescending look, the lady turned toward April and said, “Maybe you ought to reconsider
your trip.”

“That’s right,” Martha Allen exclaimed. “What about Indians? Aren’t you afraid?

Remember?” she said, her face serious, “I was with you last summer when the Indian

delegation from the Six Nations rode in for the Peace Conference. You went positively pale.”

She remembered. Feathers, beads, and buckskin fringes dancing, the Indian delegation
rode bold as can be down the Philadelphia street. While others stared in curiosity, terrible
memories had frozen her to the spot. She’d been four the winter of ’78 when during the war,
the Indians, supplied with British arms and ammunition, besieged the three small forts in
Kentucky. She’d hidden her face in her mother’s lap trying to block out the yelling, the
screams of pain, the bang of gunfire.

“The sight of Indians riding through Philadelphia scared lots of people,” she countered.
What Martha didn’t know was since making the decision to return to Kentucky, April’s
childhood nightmares had returned. Several times in the last six months she’d awakened sick
and shaking, having been chased through her dreams by screaming, half-naked Indians. But
everyone knew Indians no longer roamed freely over Kentucky since the army was pushing
them out of the Ohio Territory. She might be afraid, but she wouldn’t let old fears prevent her
from pursuing her future.

“Whatever will you do in Kentucky?” Martha kept her voice low, glancing in Mrs.
Browne’s direction.

“I can make a decent living as a seamstress,” April replied. “And I’ll have my
property.”

Sheltered by the small talk that rose around her, April sat and stitched and planned. She
put on a determined face and carried on as though she knew she would succeed.
Of course the reply to her letter to General Wayne would come, or she would convince
McKenzie and Murray to take her. And if not, then she’d have to think of some other way.
She was going home to Kentucky.

~ * ~

Dan McKenzie arrived at the inn late for supper. He hung his black broad-brimmed hat
on the last empty peg by the door. Across the crowded room, he spied Scotty seated near the
fireplace and maneuvered his way to his brother-in-law’s table.

With minimum conversation the partners turned their attention to pot roast, potatoes,
carrots, and turnips in a thick, dark gravy, followed by apple pie. Hunger satisfied, Dan
pushed the empty plate away. “Everything will be ready by next week.” He leaned forward to
be heard over the hub-bub of voices enveloping them. “Payne had a good selection of horses,
but he’s upped the price this year. He knows we’ll sell the horses to the army at Pittsburgh.”
“’Tis expected. I’ll nae fret as long as we can make a profit.”

“We’ll make a profit, but we’ll earn every penny of it. I saw Colonel Barker and we’re
set with the army supplies. You satisfied with the merchandise for the store?”

“There’ll be nae problem.” Scotty related arrangements made for the wide variety of
goods and supplies for the McKenzie and Murray store in Oak Point. He took a sip of coffee and then,

glancing about the room, said, “I picked up information on our other problem.”

“What problem?” Dan asked, instantly suspicious of the self-satisfied look on the
Scotsman’s face.

“The wee lassie.”

Author Bio:

Terry Irene Blain

Bio: Terry Irene Blain was lucky enough to grow up in a large Mid-western family with a rich oral tradition. As a child she heard stories of ancestors’ adventures with Indians, wildlife, weather and frontier life in general, so she naturally gravitated to the study of history and completed a BA and MA then taught the subject at the college level. Married to a sailor, now retired, she’s had the chance to live in various parts of the U.S. and has traveled to Hong Kong, Australia, England and Scotland.

“My degrees and my teaching experience make me a natural to write historical romance. Writing historical romance gives me the opportunity to pass on stories of who we are and where we come from while exploring the relationship between men and women. What could be more exciting than that?”

NOW FOR WHAT YOU'VE ALL BEEN WAITING FOR!

THE GIVEAWAY!

FILL OUT THE RAFFLECOPTER, BE SURE TO LEAVE YOUR NAME AND EMAIL SO IF YOU WIN, WE'LL KNOW HOW TO NOTIFY YOU!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

{Giveaway & Guest Post} Soul Sisters by Janiera Eldridge

*Be sure to leave a comment. One lucky winner will win an e-book of Soul Sisters!

Title: Soul Sisters
Author: Janiera Eldridge
Self-published

Synopsis:

Soul Sisters is an urban fantasy novel about African-American twin sisters Ani and Dana who have a rather unique secret: one sister is human while the other is a vampire. While the sisters have lived peacefully with each other for many years one fateful night will change both their lives forever. When a drunken man tries to attack Dana (the human sister) Ani (the vampire sister) protects her sister with all of her ferocious power.

However, when the vampire’s leader Donovan finds out about the public display he calls for the sisters to be assassinated for disobedience. Ani and Dana now are in for the fight of their lives to protect each other as well as the lives of their dedicated friends who have joined them on their mission for survival. If Dana and Ani can make it through this time of uncertainty, Ani can take her new place as vampire queen. Soul Sisters is expected to be a trilogy; The book also features a multicultural cast of characters that brings a new edge of chic to the vampire world.

****************************************************************************

Guest Post: My Favorite Vampire Books/Movie

A huge thank you for having me on Better Read Than Dead! As a lot of my friends already know I LOVE vampires. I really don’t get hung up on whether they sparkle (still not sure why it bothers people so much considering vamps aren’t real) or don’t burn in the sunlight. I just really love a good vampire tale. I’ve read a ton of vampire books (we could be here all day talking about that) but I also have some vampire films I love too. Here are my favorite ones!

This movie was one of the first vampire movies I ever saw. I loved how dark and gothic this telling was. While I felt for Louis, I soon grew tired of his moping around about what actually seems like a petty kick butt life. Lestate wasn’t always the best vampire but I loved his aristocratic nature (I always seem to root for the bad guy). As I work on my own vampire series Soul Sisters, Interview with a Vampire is still one of my biggest inspirations. I’ve watched this movie a million times and it never gets old.

I really don’t pay attention to the negativity surrounding the Twilight saga. It seems like recently it has become the popular thing to hate Twilight, well I’m not hopping on the band wagon. I love the Twilight (books & movies) and ignore negativity about it. I loved how Stephanie Meyers regenerated the vampire world. It makes me laugh when people say “vampires don’t sparkle!” They’re not even real so I guess they can do just about anything. I love it because it is a wonderful love story with some really cool twists. The movie & books also got me reading and writing again so I’ll always appreciate the book and movie for that.




Fright Night movie. The original movie was great but this one gave it a more serious edge. The special effects were awesome. A lot of the characters were relatable and fun.  Did I mention Colin Farrell was totally hot in it? I wish this movie would have gotten more play as I think it was extremely well done.

Abraham Lincoln Vampire Hunter is my new favorite vampire film and I was so sad more people didn’t get it. It was so ridiculous it was amazing. I pre-ordered 3D tickets and it was totally worth the money. I mean blood and vampires in my face? Yes please! I read the book and fell in love with it right away. No, you’re never expected to take it seriously. Once you accept that the rest is nail biting suspense and vampire fun. Even if you don’t pay the steep movie ticket price to see it (in 3D it is amazing though), I really recommend you watch it on DVD. This history/fiction mash up is smartly woven together and unforgettable.

So there you have it, these are the vampire films I could easily watch again and again! What are some vampire films you can’t get enough of? ***Leave a comment answering this question to enter a giveaway for an e-book of Soul Sisters.***

************************************************************************

Janiera enjoys feeding her  book addiction when she not writing. She is also a book blogger at Beauty and Books where she mixes being a book nerd with keeping things chic. When not reading or writing she is freelance writing in the entertainment industry. Soul Sisters is her debut novel.

Buy Links:

Amazon  CreateSpace (Paperback)


Connect With Janiera at:
Beauty and Books (Blog)
Twitter  Facebook  Pinterest  Goodreads

Make your own slideshow at Animoto.

{Guest Post} Horror Defies Me by Pixie Lynn Whitfield

Title: Darkness Comes This Way
Author: Pixie Lynn Whitfield
Publisher: Self
Release Date: May 15, 2012

Website│Facebook│Twitter│Goodreads

Amazon│Barnes&Noble

Blurb:

Zarah Duncan is a Guardian. It’s an elite job that protects humans and the untainted vampires from the real monsters: those lost to the bloodlust. Rogues infest the city. Missing humans, unsolved cases…Zarah knows what the real cause is and she’s been trained since childhood to destroy them.

But she has a haunting past that catches up one day. Zarah was Rogue once, and until her, no one else has ever cured from the poisoned state of mind before. She’s been labeled a miracle, and the mystery only builds. She gets the awful feeling there’s more to it than just a lucky magical come-back. There are deep, dark secrets being kept. Maybe her boss Nathanial knows something? When she gets paired with a partner, Draven Kinsley, it only adds more difficulty. He hates her and swears that with a single look, she’ll poison him. To make matters worse, her Rogue brother has to show up, and he brings with him a shocking announcement. What Zarah learns from him rocks her entire world upside down. She not only begins to question who and what she is anymore, but it can possibly change the Vampire race forever.

The scary part: someone else knows too…and they’ll do anything to get her special blood, spelling disaster for the humans that Guardians have secretly been protecting for decades.

Vampires, fallen angels, war, betrayal, and romance fill this Paranormal/Urban Fantasy debut, the first book to a high-action trilogy

Horror Defines Me 

By Pixie Lynn Whitfield

I wasn’t a normal kid. I’ve probably said this a few times, and it’s true. Sure, I loved cartoons and dolls and my middle grade books when I was younger, but I had a secret passion underneath all of that. I loved the dark things. I loved scary stories and movies that made me jump. I love my brother for telling me about the “Bogey Man”. I loved the quirky and strange. And I loved all things vampires and the supernatural. I liked watching human horror, too. You know, the kind of horror where you just go “damn, humans can be the worst kind of monsters” and forget the mythical ones.

The first time I watched a horror film was probably around the age of seven or eight. It was Nightmare on Elm Street. Hey, if I was going to start, I was going to start big was what I’d figured. It’s still one of my favorite series. I started reading Stephen King and Anne Rice around the age of ten or shortly thereafter. It gave me nightmares. I still hate clowns to this day. Do not put me near a clown. I’m serious.

This is what I love about horror though. The impact it makes. The fear it can strike. My favorite kind of horror would be the more realistic style, though it tends to not affect me as much as it seems to with everyone else around me. Blair Witch Project and Paranormal Activity are two I can name that scared the pants off everyone I knew, while I sat there completely unfazed (and mostly bored by PA).

As a child, did any of you ever read Goosebumps or any of R.L. Stine’s work? That was perhaps my first “foray” into the young horror genre when I was in elementary school. After devouring those books non-stop for weeks in first and second grade, I wanted more. I craved more of the mystery they gave me, the adrenaline of connecting with a character and feeling their fear during the action. My reading level was advanced, and that’s when a teacher suggested I move up to older books (if my mother didn’t care, and she didn’t) because when I was that age, there weren’t many teen books. Usually it went from middle-school level (ages 8-11) right into adult. Harry Potter did come out when I was around fourteen or so, though, and I believe that’s what sparked the YA genre to finally grow (I read HP when it was out, too, but I didn’t really read much YA until after I was twenty years old). I’ll always attribute the start of my love of horror to R.L. Stine and Stephen King. Others that I admire and adore came later, but they’re still inspiring as well: Richard Matheson, Edgar Allan Poe, and Anne Rice.

As an adult, I don’t watch or read much in the horror genre anymore. It seemed to be something I went through a lot more as a kid and a teen. On occasion, I write horror short stories, but I feel like I’m losing my desire in that area the older I get. I do have a current project in the works that is a stand-alone YA Dystopian Horror, and slowly, but surely, I think I may be finding my place again--at least long enough to write this one novel.

The thing about horror that I’m thankful for though is that it’s taught me a lot as far as world-building and character development, no matter the genre I’m writing in. Paranormal isn’t far off from having some horror elements, and sometimes I have to take what I learned from that. It’s the emotion that really drives me.

Last touches:

Favorite horror(related) movies: Saw, Sleepy Hollow, Nightmare on Elm Street (the original!), I Am Legend, Zombieland, and Resident Evil.

Recommended horror(related) books: Let Me In (Jon Lindqvuist), The Immortal Rules (Julie Kagawa--and I’d count this as a Dystopian Horror I think), It (Stephen King), Bedbugs (Ben H. Winters), and Dead of Night (Jonathan Maberry)

Thanks so much for having me on your blog, Kristin!


***No, thank you Pixie for including me in your book tour. I'll have a review posted soon, I promise. I, however, am knee deep in the writing process at the moment and have been horrible about getting reviews done. I do apologize! Pixie...I absolutely love Stephen King, Anne Rice, and Edgar Allen Poe. They are some amazing horror authors. (I used to read Stephen King when I was 10 or 11, I don't remember exactly, but I share your nightmare horrors.)

{Guest Post & Giveaway} Spellbound Trilogy by Nikki Jefford

Title: Entangled
Author: Nikki Jefford
Series: Spellbound #1
Publisher: Self
February 20, 2012

Website│Facebook│Twitter│Goodreads

Amazon

(Entangled will be available on July 15, 2012 at Barnes & Noble)

Synopsis:

Two months after dying Graylee Perez wakes up in her twin sister Charlene’s body. As a witch, can anyone blame her mother for attempting to bring her back to life? Now Gray’s stuck sharing her sister’s body every 24 hours.

The race is on for Gray to find a way back inside her own body before Charlene purges her from existence.

Guest Post: Meet the Cast and Giveaway

Thanks to Kristin for the chance to introduce the characters of the Spellbound Trilogy here at Better Read Than Dead. Unfortunately, Graylee Perez is dead. But luckily her mother’s a witch with connections… which leads to a resurrection spell gone wrong.

Imagine if you were stuck inside your sister’s body and only a few people knew it was you. This is particularly problematic when your sis’s slimy boyfriend tries to grope you or you’re stuck hanging out with her snobbish friends.

Maybe Gray was better off dead...

Meet the Cast of Spellbound

Graylee Perez: Confident, quirky, and funny. Special ability: Invisibility.
Charlene Perez: The twin villain readers “love to hate.”  Special abilities: Floating, snapping in and out of clothes.

Raj McKenna: Bad boy with a good heart. This year’s YA heartthrob. Special abilities: Reading auras, healing, and freezing people in place.

Mrs. Perez: No sacrifice is too great when it comes to her daughters. Special ability: Turning sharp objects into spatulas.

Nolan Knapp: Mr. Nice Guy or wolf in sheep’s clothing? Special ability: Making things shrink.

Ryan Phillips: Charlene’s minion. Special ability: Blocking magic.

Adrian Hedrick Montez: Sexy, crafty, dangerous. Special ability: Body transfers.

Blake Foster: Run of the mill jock who wouldn’t know a witch if she hit him upside the head with a broomstick.

Nab your free copy of Entangled this week during amazon promo days (May 23, 24, & 27) and get to know the characters better. Book two, Duplicity, releases this week. And don’t miss the Cover Reveal of book three, Enchantment, at designer Najla Qamber’s review site: Unputdownable Books on June 7th.

Enter to win the SPELLBOUND SWAG PACK (International)

• Evil Eye Amulet and Bracelet: In Duplicity, Gray wears an evil eye pendant, also known as a nazar, to protect herself from a spell that’s causing havoc over the witches and warlocks in her coven. The evil eye (a Turkish amulet) is used for both luck and protection against envy.
• Two Headed Quarter: Two Grays are better than none and two heads are better than one, especially when flipping over who gets to choose which movie to watch with a trick coin. Adrian returns in Duplicity and opens a magic shop.
• Entangled bookmark

Links to Nikki's blog and twitter are at the top of this post, easy for you to find!

Check out these amazing videos: 

Entangled...

And Duplicity...

Thank you to Nikki Jefford, author extraordinaire, for allowing me to take part in this Blog Tour! It's been a blast!

{Blog Tour and Giveaway} Meeting Destiny by Nancy Straight

Welcome to the Meeting Destiny Blog Tour and Giveaway. Did you see the banner? How awesome is that? Nancy Straight, the author, has been kind enough to write a guest post about destiny...I really like her insight; I hope you do to!

*******Nancy's Thoughts on Fate and Destiny*******

I believe people are in our lives for a reason, whether they are friends, family, spouses or acquaintances.  I am very fortunate to have known people all over the world, each person I’ve met has had an impact on me, even if I didn’t understand the impact at the time.

My aunt Linda was always that really cool Aunt that I only saw a couple times a year growing up.  Other than Christmas and family events we almost never spoke.  When I wrote Meeting Destiny I sent her a copy as a Christmas present.  She had been an English teacher and creative writing instructor her whole life and I thought she might get a kick out of it.  After receiving the book, she volunteered to become my editor.  She is the reason that readers aren’t subjected to my poor grammar!  This wasn’t anything that I had planned, but destiny was on my side.

My husband and I grew up in the mid-west, several hundred miles away from each other.  We met in 1991 after we had both joined the Marine Corps.  Although our first meeting in Virginia Beach, VA wasn’t that remarkable, we knew each other.  In 1993 we were both in Waikiki, HI, we didn’t meet each other but years later we realized that we were both there the same time.  In 1994 we again met in El Toro, CA – again, no crazy love-at-first-sight but we re-introduced ourselves to each other.  In 1995 we were stationed together at Camp Pendleton, CA.  None of these encounters yielded anything more than just a friendly familiarity, but in 1996 we decided to go on our first date.  We have been together ever since.  Destiny is sometimes a series of strange coincidences that are meaningless at the time but all strung together are something one can’t discount.

My advice to anyone is look closely at your relationships.  I bet you’ll find people that have made an extraordinary impact on you and you may have not even realized.  Or maybe that friend that you’ve lost touch with reappeared years later – there is a reason for that reappearance.

************************************************

Now...my review on Meeting Destiny

Title: Meeting Destiny

Series: Destiny #1

Author: Nancy Straight

Links

Goodreads   Amazon   Barnes and Noble   

Synopsis:

Lauren is visited in her dreams for years by a stranger claiming to be her destiny. Destiny becomes reality when paths cross during a failed robbery attempt. Lauren and the stranger experience chemistry like no other and now her doubt over her long time relationship with her high school sweetheart is not her only secret…someone else knows about her keen intuition and sixth sense.A mysterious clairvoyant seeks Lauren out and tells her not only of her life now but what the future may hold. Soon Lauren is in the middle of a murder investigation and a questionable friendship with the key suspect. Law enforcement, friends and family are concerned for Lauren but unfortunately they are unaware of the true danger…Sinister forces are at work and will stop at nothing to destroy Lauren’s abilities.

I love books revolving around fate and destiny, so when I was asked to be a part of the blog tour for a book called Meeting Destiny, how could I refuse? After actually reading the book, I know I couldn't have made a better decision...I was destined to read Ms. Straight's novel...so to speak.

Lauren is a young lady who works in a diner and is month's away from graduating college. She's comfortable in her present life with a boyfriend she's known all her life and a great best friend. Who knew everything would change for her in the span of a single shift at the diner? Honestly... Lauren has suspicions that she is meant for something bigger. She'd been having dreams about her destiny for several years. It wasn't until a frightening incident during a shift at the diner, that she realized her life was tied to a green-eyed paramedic.

Now...many people will say there is an "insta-love" in Meeting Destiny and there is. But...what would you expect from a book about destiny? At first, I thought Lauren might have seemed a little pushy but truly, she was the one who understood her mission, and she had to make Max understand his. She accepted what needed to be done and refused to deviate from her path. Convincing Max to believe and trust in her is only part of the many tasks she must accomplish.

Several things about this novel stood out to me in ways others don't. First...Ms. Straight added action into the romance. Lauren, though some might find it annoying, was unwaveringly true to her path and herself. I don't want to lead you to believe that everything comes easy to Lauren, because that would be far, far from the truth. Lauren visibly struggles in her relationship with both Max and Seth. She finds her "sixth sense" difficult to explain to others, even those closest to het. But...throughout it all she remained strong and relentless.

I read Meeting Destiny in one sitting, taking only a couple of hours. It's a quick read that sucks you in from the first page and keeps you engaged until the very last sentence. And, well...there's a cliffhanger that will make you run on over to your bookstore of choice and download Destiny's Revenge and Destiny's Wrath, just like I did.

Did I mention the giveaway? This one's really cool. Every stop on the tour is giving away a SIGNED copy of Meeting Destiny. Wow!...Right? US Only...Ends April 30th.

How do you enter? 

Well, I personally believe I was put on this Earth for some reason. I don't have a guess what that reason is and realize I won't until I am meant to. I also like to believe there is a person out there that is the other half to my whole. 

What do you think about destiny and fate? Tell me in the comments and include your email address.