In My Twilight Zone
March 26, 2023 by Neetu Malik in category Poet's Day by Neetu Malik tagged as caresses, Neetu Malik, setting sun, twillight, Warmth
In My Twilight Zone
Between sunset’s fiery streaks
slipping into the sea, and
the rising of the silver moon
is my twilight zone.
This is where I feel you–
in the crevices of my soul;
you fill the darkening hollows
in my twilight zone.
I feel your breath upon
my slowly crinkling skin–
balmy, tender caresses
in my twilight zone.
Your arms encircle,
wrap me in your warmth,
shield me from chills
in my twilight zone.
© Neetu Malik 2015—First Published in The Australia Times Poetry Magazine, Issue 321, October 2015.
Some of Neetu’s Books
Hunted
March 25, 2023 by Kidd Wadsworth in category Infused with Meaning by Kidd Wadsworth tagged as Adult fantasy, dragons, Hunted, kidd wadsworth, novelsPrologue
The dragon lay on a bed of cooling lava, the black cracked surface revealing, in thin meandering channels and small pools, the fiery red molten rock beneath. The heinous creature was stretched out on its belly, its four legs extended outward to each side. The dragon’s long snout also lay flat against the harsh, jagged rock, its mouth open, its black tongue extended and uncurled. If not for the horned spikes running down its back, its huge wings, its lethal, razor sharp tail and reeking breath, it might have been a pup flopped on a rug in front of a fire.
My adult fantasy novel, HUNTED, is complete. At the bottom of this prologue you’ll find a link where you can read the entire book for free. Enjoy!
Willing herself not to faint, Saoirse (Sur Sha) took a step forward, the cooling crust crunching under her booted feet. Countless hours spent watching her father came to her rescue. She lifted her chin and spoke, her voice unwavering and resolute. She was more a monarch in that moment than ever her father had been a lord. “I will come to you as we agreed,” she said. “But first repeat to me the oath you have taken.”
Its voice full of respect, the dragon spoke. “Saoirse Togair, this day, I vow, if you give yourself to me, I shall not kill Aonair or any Laoch. I shall not harm Alyse. I shall not kill your family. I shall treat the people of these lands with gentleness. I shall govern them well.”
“Saoirse!” A loud cry came to her across the water.
“Aonair?” She swiveled around to see him riding toward her across the sea; joy filled her soul. “Aonair!”
“He can’t save you,” rumbled the dragon.
“No,” she spoke without looking back at the beast. “But he’s here. I shall hold him and kiss him once more before I die.”
Boredom emanated from the dragon. “Why? Why torture yourself?” A long smoky sigh puffed out of its snout. “Why torture him? You don’t really want him to witness this, do you?”
The haughty lift to her chin returned. She was disdain. “How kind of you to show such concern for Aonair.”
Aonair’s huge warhorse made landfall and, with giant bounds, traversed the steep, northern side of the volcano’s cone. Seconds later, Aonair jumped from Rith’s back. For long precious moments, the lovers embraced, neither speaking. Saoirse, her eyes closed, tried to soak up every sensation: his warmth, his scent—which was hay and sweat and horse. The peace of his aura settled upon her comforting her even now, and in her ears sang his color sound, so hauntingly sad.
Remembering their one night she spoke, “You were happy once.”
“We can kill it together,” he whispered. “I brought the dragon claw.”
She found her courage in the love in his eyes. “No, Aonair. We can’t kill it. You, Alyse, even Fallon, you all tried. It’s impossible. No one can kill a dragon.” With her magic, she pulled free the claw tied on his back, disarming him. For a moment, the claw blinded her. Effortlessly, she wrapped it in magic and dropped it in the front pocket of her dress. “This was always my fight, not yours. But instead of facing the dragon, I ran.” With each word certainty curdled the already horrible dread which filled her belly. “I was hiding, don’t you see? I was hiding in your love.”
With her magic she bound him.
Confusion filled Aonair’s eyes. “No.” He struggled violently against the magical chains. “No!”
“You were willing to give your life to save me. But it’s me that . . .” Her regal facade cracked.
She stepped backward toward the beast, the newly cooled earth fissuring under her, opening pools of red molten muck, blocking her retreat. She walked backward, her eyes never leaving Aonair’s face, each step taking her farther from the man she loved and closer to the dragon and death.
Unbidden, the mage’s words came to her, “We cannot see love’s destination, before we travel love’s path.”
But I can see my destination. I’m going to die.
She couldn’t breathe. Her whole body shook. She took another step, and another.
Magic brought to her eyes the beauty of the world. Even here on the rim of a volcano, life glimmered a thousand shades of green in the sea and twinkled in the smoke filled air. And in the center of her gaze stood Aonair, his wondrous aura sparkling with love.
I don’t want to die.
Behind her, the heat from the beast and its awful breath stinking of sulfur, told her she was but a step away from her death. Casting her voice upon the wind, she whispered, “I love you, Aonair,” and put her left foot on the tongue of the beast. A single tear wet her cheek. Shifting her weight, she put her right foot on its tongue.
Then as if it was a frog and she a fly, the dragon rolled up its tongue and swallowed her whole.
And Saoirse Togair, the last magical person, slid down the dragon’s throat and into the belly of the beast.
If you do want to read on the complete novel is available free on Royal Road at:
https://www.royalroad.com/fiction/59915/hunted/chapter/1023242/chapter-1-magic
Kidd has short stories in the following anthologies.
The Witch Whisperer: A Review by Veronica Jorge
March 22, 2023 by Veronica Jorge in category Book Reviews by Veronica Jorge, Write From the Heart by Veronica Jorge tagged as Barb Delong, book review, Keepers of Magic Series, The Witch Whisperer, Veronica Jorge
THE WITCH WHISPERER
Book 1 in the Keepers of Magic Series
BARB DELONG
The Wild Rose Press, 2023
ISBN 978-1-5092-4722-6
Willow Gladstone, one of the Elite witches with healing hands, strives for and is obsessed with being perfect. When her magic powers go awry: plates flying out of cupboards, silverware lifting off the table, and worse, she panics. As a witch living in a world of regular mortals, it’s her responsibility to keep her magic hidden and in check. If she can’t control her powers, the Bureau of Magic will incarcerate her in the secret witch society’s Haven, which she is sure is anything but.
Willow’s only option is to entrust herself into the hands of a recluse, living out a sentence on a secluded estate for his past misdeeds; Never Ravenwood, a man known as the Witch Whisperer, for his skill at fixing broken magic.
In Willow’s dire case, the cure for her broken magic is Bilbane, a special herb found only in the forbidden other-worldly realm of Tae-wan.
Willow and Never butt heads and match wits and unknowingly spark the unexpected yet much desired magic of love.
Never must decide if he should enter the magic portal into Tae-wan to obtain the Bilbane and heal Willow’s magic. Is his love for Willow strong and true enough to risk his life and the safety of their world? Willow questions what she wants most: the safety of the man she has fallen in love with, or the herb that can make her magic perfect?
What would you choose?
Enchantment, mayhem, danger, and love make The Witch Whisperer an entertaining and exciting read.
Veronica Jorge
See you next time on April 22nd!
Read an interview of Barb DeLong here.
Book Reviewed by Veronica Jorge
Kitty Bucholtz, March Featured Author
March 21, 2023 by Kitty Bucholtz in category Featured Author of the Month tagged as Featured author, Kitty Bucholtz, romantic comedy, Superheros, Write Now Workshop Podcast
March featured author Kitty Bucholtz is a writer, podcaster, and a book coach. She has combined her undergraduate degree in business, her years of experience in accounting and finance, and her graduate degree in creative writing to become a writer-turned-independent-publisher turned coach.
She writes romantic comedy and superhero urban fantasy, often with an inspirational element woven in. She loves to teach and offer advice to writers through her WRITE NOW! Workshop Podcast.
Kitty has also created the Finish Your Books Coaching Program. Find out more about either 1:1 Coaching or Group Coaching on Kitty’s website. http://kittybucholtz.com/
Besides Kitty’s Coaching Program and WRITE NOW! Workshop Podcast, you will find her here at A Slice of Orange on the 9th of each month writing It’s Worth It.
Books by Kitty Bucholtz
Worldbuilding: You’ve Got the Whole World in Your Hands
March 19, 2023 by marianne h donley in category Ages 2 Perfection Online Class, Online Classes, Writing tagged as Age 2 Perfection Online Class, Caridad Pineiro, Worldbuilding
Presented by: Caridad Pineiro
Date: April 22, 2023, Saturday, 9AM PDT, 10AM MT, 11AM CT, 12 Noon ET
Registration Closes: April 23, 2023
Pricing: A2P Member fee: $5
Non-A2P Member fee: $10
About the Workshop:
Whether you are writing a contemporary, paranormal, fantasy, or science fiction novel, the world in which you place your heroine is one that is different from the ordinary world of the reader. Because of this, it is essential that you establish the norms of your world and stick to them to create a sense of realism for the reader. In this workshop, Caridad will explore ways in which you can build your world and teach you why “You’ve got the whole world in your hands!”
About the Presenter:
Caridad Pineiro is a transplanted Long Island girl who has fallen in love with the Jersey Shore. When Caridad isn’t taking long strolls along the boardwalk, she’s also a NY Times and USA Today bestselling author with over a million romance novels sold worldwide. Caridad is passionate about writing and helping others explore and develop their skills as writers. She is a founding member of the Liberty States Fiction Writers and has presented workshops at the RT Book Club Convention, Romance Writers of America National Conference as well as various writing organizations throughout the country. You can connect with Caridad at www.caridad.com.
