Yay!! It's Here!!

THURSDAY FEBRUARY 13th MARKS THE RELEASE OF

Braedric's Bane, Book IV in The Golden Key Chronicles!

Find out more about the final installment in this epic fantasy romance!

 

Advance praise for Braedric's Bane:

 

5 STARS from Comet Babes Books! Amazing 4th book. What more can you ask from a fantasy series--time travelling, costumes and even a fight. Add the sexy hero and it has everything you could want in a book!

 

5 STARS from ! An epic fantasy, adventure and romance with a dash of comedy rolled into one fabulous book. I literally read it in one sitting.

 

To escape the clutches of the evil Wizard Gaelleod, Rowena and Caedmon flee to the future. With her memories in tact and the help of her dear friends, Rowena is confident they can uncover the clues behind her connection to the key.



Yet Violet's dire prophecy does more than detail their history. Caedmon's worst fears are confirmed. Though they must return to his realm, everything he loves stands to be ripped from his grasp.



Join Caedmon and Rowena as they embark on an epic battle to protect the Austiere Kingdom and fight to safeguard their love in Braedric's Bane, Book IV of The Golden Key Chronicles.  

 

Available February 13th on AMAZON and AMAZONUK!

 

Praise for The Golden Key Chronicles:

57 FIVE STAR REVIEWS on Goodreads

42 FIVE STAR REVIEWS on Amazon US/UK

 

 

Like the best fairy tales, Rowena’s Key captures the imagination and the heart with a bonus undercurrent of spicy romance. 5 Stars on Amazon

 

AJ, why do you have to write the most wonderful heroes? Aaaahhhh!!! Now I'm hooked and begrudgingly wait for Book 2. I can't believe this is happening! 5 Stars on Amazon

 

Crazy good! A total fan of the first book, the second did not disappoint at all. I swear I could smell leather while reading this book I was sooooo into it. 5 Stars on Amazon

 

I liked Rowena in Rowena's Key. Candra's Freedom just made me fall in love with her! Fierce and headstrong, she is everything a heroine should be. 5 Stars on Goodreads

 

I absolutely adored the first two in this series, with Rowena’s Key being one of my favorite romance reads of 2013, so I had high hopes (read: desperate cravings) for Caedmon’s Curse – it did not disappoint! 5 Stars on Goodreads

 

Honestly, if there were more than 5 stars, I would give them to Caedmon's Curse and the whole Golden Key Chronicles. So well written, the story flows seamlessly from one danger to the next. The romance between Caedmon and Rowena is sexy, honest, and fresh. 5 Stars on Goodreads

 

AJ is a multi-published, award-winning author who lives in the middle of a
cornfield in NW Indiana. Her loving husband, two beautiful children and a bevy
of spoiled pets have agreed to stay and, in exchange for three rations per day
and laundry service, tolerate her lunacy. While she spend most days happily
ensconced in crafting romance across a multitude of genres, an underground coup
has been percolating. The dogs just informed her the cat is secretly vying for
dictatorship.

 

/ / 

 

 

Procrastinating...

There's hoards of things I should be doing today –absolute hoards. But I've got a head cold, haven't slept well in two days and I've completely succumbed to a terminal case of couch-potato-lazy-itis. 

So rather than risk doing anything productive, I’ve been wandering through the photo files on my laptop. In case there are any fellow couch-potato-lazy-itis sufferers, I thought I’d share some of my favorites. 

THE WAIT IS FINALLY OVER!!

I'M THRILLED TO ANNOUNCE JANUARY 9TH

MARKS THE RELEASE OF BOOK III

IN THE GOLDEN KEY CHRONICLES...

CAEDMON'S CURSE

The two years Prince Caedmon suffered in the dungeons of Seviere's keep left him with more than just lash marks lacing his back. He now retains the secret behind the key, and is the only one who understands it's grim connection to his beloved Rowena. Torn between telling her the truth and risking their future, he agrees to join her perilous quest. But their enemies to the north are not the only menace determined to see them fail and, to prove his love, he must conquer the demons of his past.



Join Caedmon and Rowena as they rediscover a love bound by fate, and struggle to unravel the significance behind Caedmon's Curse, Book III in The Golden Key Chronicles.  

 

The Golden Key Chronicles Release Schedule:

Rowena's Key, November 7, 2013

Candra's Freedom, December 12, 2013

Caedmon's Curse, January 9, 2014

Braedric's Bane, February 13, 2014

 

Find your copy at: Amazon / AmazonUK

~ * ~

Rowena sprang to her feet.
Someone was coming. And based upon the thundering hoof beats and thrashing
branches tearing through the forest behind her, whoever it was cared little for
masking their approach.

 

Dammit. All night and late into the next evening she'd ridden as if the devil himself had pursued her. She'd purposely stayed off the roads, traveling the old tracks instead, and even stopped several times to set false trails. Not until Helios approached the western horizon and she'd discovered this small clearing inside a copse of thick evergreens had she happily made camp. Her body ached with exhaustion, but her fatigue was a small price in return for the confidence that she'd finally put enough distance between her and the realm of Austiere. Surrounded on all sides by dense trees, the hidden location ensured the smoke from her fire would remain concealed. No one would be able to get close without providing plenty of warning.

 

The dull pummel of incoming hooves increased and she gritted her teeth, kicked some dirt over her small well-made fire and rushed for the nearest fir. A flick of her hand and Dart took wing, disappearing into the forest just above where she'd used a small wire wicket to tether Belial. Whoever was coming had better have their affairs in order. They were about to be on a first-name basis with the nine.

 

The bark prickled and dug into
her palms as she swung hands to feet up the branches, ascending to mid-tree
height before she crouched on a sturdy branch on the balls of her feet.

 

Exhibiting all the grace of an enraged bull, a hooded rider crashed into her camp. The horse's dancing halt disrupted her bedroll, flinging dirt all over her plated dinner. Jerk. The intruder had to be male, what with this presumed sense of entitlement, thinking nothing of ruining her perfectly arranged camp, soiling her property. She eased two silver blades from the sides of her leather pants and fisted the slender handles in her grip.

 

Hello, stranger.
Care to dance?

 

In a fluid movement which contradicted his initial appearance, the rider leapt off his horse and knelt before her sputtering fire. The sides of his cloak billowed past his shoulders. Thick muscle pulled his leather pants taut around his thighs. And those arms...the black vambraces...the leather cords encircling his biceps.

 

She slumped. Well, for the sweet
love of Helios. Exactly how far did she have to travel to get away from the
man?

 

Prince Caedmon pinched a bit of
ash between his thumb and first two fingers, rubbed them together and lifted
them to his nose. Rowena squinted past the branches as he rounded the fire and approached
her saddlebags. He squatted to rifle the contents, his back facing her, his
hood hiding his profile from view. She scowled. Most likely, his intent was to
drag her kicking and screaming back to the castle. But she wasn’t about to sit
idly by while he got his grubby mitts all over her supplies.

 

She sheathed her blades and swung silently to the ground. Motions steady and even, carefully shifting her weight, she reclaimed her knives as she side-stepped twigs and piles of dusty leaves. For all her caution, her concerns were unwarranted. The bog ox was so preoccupied with searching her belongings, she could've easily stomped all over the place without distracting him.

 

A soundless bounce on the tips of
her boots and she pounced, knees straddling his wide back, crossed blades
pressed along the thin skin under his jaw. “I’m officially pissed off,” she
hissed in his ear. “And if you plan to see tomorrow, you’ll do exactly as I
say.”

 

The next instant she was flying
backward through the air. Her teeth clattered on impact and her blades
scattered as she landed on her rump in the dirt. She shook her head to regain
her bearings.

 

How in the hell had he dislodged
her so quickly? And which hurt worse? Her bruised ass or her pride? She quickly
scrambled to her feet.

 

Tendons flexed and every muscle in his arms bulged as Prince Caedmon tore the cloak off his shoulders and chucked the garment aside. A silver chime hummed through the air as he unsheathed his sword the fro the scabbard at his back and fisted the hilt in his hand. Anger smoldered in the depths of his chocolate-brown eyes, but if that fierce glare was meant to make her shriek and scamper into the woods, the man and his stubborn male pride had another think coming. 

 

She notched up her chin and met him scowl for scowl. Not for one second would she let him intimidate her. No constructs governed the ways of the forest. Out here, survival was the only decree, and if risking injury was the price for her freedom, she was happy to end this test of will come what may.  

 

“It’s time you learned a thing or
two, my love.”

 

Ha! Could he be any more condescending? On a
click and whirr, her wrist blades snapped home and she hugged her chest, widening
her legs into her warrior’s stance. “Too bad Denmar’s not here to save your
ass. It’s high time we settle our differences once and for all.”

 

~ * ~

 

AJ is a multi-published, award-winning author who lives in the middle of a
cornfield in NW Indiana. Her loving husband, two beautiful children and a bevy
of spoiled pets have agreed to stay and, in exchange for three rations per day
and laundry service, tolerate her lunacy. While she spends most days happily
ensconced in crafting romance across a multitude of genres, an underground coup
has been percolating. The dogs just informed her the cat is secretly vying for
dictatorship.

 

Website:  http://ajnuest.com

Blog:  http://ajbooks.blogspot.com

Email:  Facebook Page:  Twitter:  @AJNuest

 

 

A Dragon's wish for ye...

May yer home be blessed with comfort.

May yer health be strong and sure.

May ye know the joy of good friends.

And love that is always true.

A blessed season to ye all and a prosperous new year. 

~~Fergus~~

Sometimes I lose my way...

Do you believe it is never acceptable to put yourself first? Do you feel guilty if you don’t jam forty-eight hours of tasks into a six hour period? Do you force a brave smile and try to meet everyone else’s expectations even though you’re so exhausted you’d rather curl up in a corner and wish the world away?

If any of the above describes you, perhaps you’ve just lost your way.

I’ve come to realize life is much like making your way through a treacherous swamp. Sometimes what looks to be the safest patch of green grass turns out to be a sinkhole and before you know it, you’re up to your nose hairs in despair.

Despair is dangerously toxic. Complete loss of hope is fatal.

After surviving an abusive childhood, I still struggle to navigate this swamp. Even now, heavily armed with a supportive spouse and wonderful children, despair sometimes creeps in and poisons me. Hope leaves me and I wonder if my parents had a point. Maybe the world would have been better off without me. Maybe I was the greatest mistake they ever made.

Then just when my head is about to disappear below the surface, a firm gentle hand nudges me onto safe solid ground. Be it God, fate or my guardian angel smacking me on the back of the head to get my attention, I’m pulled free of the soul-sucking quagmire, given a good shake to ensure I’m listening and settled back on the path. I’m always left with the distinct impression that I have work yet to do. And to successfully complete that work, I must do as follows:

Take care of my body. I know it sounds simple but to a sedentary desk diva who lives on coffee, junk food and maybe one healthy meal a day, this was a big step. I’m happy to say I’m a month into my membership at a local Curves (women’s only gym) and three weeks into a nutritionally balanced diet. I feel more energized than I have in a very long time. It’s amazing what the right food and exercising with good friends can also do for the mind. Please don’t tell my doctor. He’ll just do the I-told-you-so dance. The jokes on him though. The healthier I get, the less he sees me.

When I leave the day job and go home, I leave work at work. My workload cares less if I live or die. Why should I grant it the power to kill me?

Give myself permission to be flexible. It’s okay if I don’t write every day and churn out a novel every three months. I started writing to escape stress and leave something behind once I’m gone. I’m thrilled to have four books published and a fifth under contract. I adore my readers and appreciate their kind words and support more than they’ll ever know. So, it’s okay to let the stories ease into “being”. Stories can’t be forced. Quality over quantity.

Be still and listen. Sometimes the answers can’t make their way through all the day to day chaos clogging up my mind. I disappear into the woods, breathe deep and listen.

Realize what really matters. What happens if the house isn’t spotless every single day? What happens if all the clothes aren’t washed and the sink is currently housing a day’s worth of dishes? What happens if I don’t take care of all these things before I collapse into bed? You know what happens? Nothing. They’ll get done eventually. I love exploring old cemeteries and reading the epitaphs. I can’t remember a single one that said: In loving memory of her clean house, starched clothes and spotless china.

Above all –watch for others who may have lost their way. Maybe I can help guide them to solid ground. After all, sometimes even a simple smile can light up a dreary swamp.

A few OTHER laws of nature...

Forget Newton and Galileo. Here are a few of the real laws of nature:

1. Law of Mechanical Repair - After your hands are fully coated with grease, your nose itches and you need to pee.

2. Law of Gravity - Any tool, nut, bolt, or screw dropped, rolls to the least accessible corner.

3. Law of Probability- The probability of being watched is directly proportional to the stupidity of what you are currently doing.

4. Law of Random Numbers - If you dial a wrong number, you never get a busy signal and someone always answers.

5. Supermarket Law - As soon as you get in the smallest line, the cashier calls for help.

6. Variation Law - If you change lines (or traffic lanes), the one you were in will always move faster than the one you are in now

7. Law of the Bath - When the body is fully immersed in water, the phone rings.

8. Law of Close Encounters - The probability of meeting someone you know increases dramatically when you are with someone you don't want to be seen with.

9. Law of the Result - When you try to prove to someone that a machine won't work, it will.

10. Law of Biomechanics - The severity of the itch is inversely proportional to the reach.

11. Law of the Theater.- At any event, the people whose seats are farthest from the aisle, always arrive last. They are the ones who leave their seats several times for food, beer, or the toilet and who leave early before the end of the performance. The folks in the aisle seats come early, never move once, have long gangly legs or big bellies and stay to the bitter end of the performance. (I can say this because I’m an ‘aisle seat’ kinda person.)

12. The Coffee Law - As soon as you sit down to a cup of hot coffee, your spouse will ask you to do something which will last until the coffee is cold.

13. Murphy's Law of Lockers - If there are only 2 people in a locker room, they will have adjacent lockers.

14. Law of Physical Surfaces - The chances of an open-faced jam sandwich landing face down on a floor, are directly correlated to the newness and cost of the carpet or rug.

15. Law of Logical Argument- Anything is possible if you don't know what you are talking about

16. Law of Physical Appearance - If the clothes fit, they're ugly.

17. Law of Public Speaking - A closed mouth gathers no feet.

18. Law of Commercial Marketing -As soon as you find a product that you really like, they stop making it.

19. Doctors' Law- If you don't feel well, make an appointment to go to the doctor, by the time you get there you'll feel better.. But don't make an appointment, and you'll stay sick.

A friend emailed these "laws" to me. Got any you'd like to add? ;-) 

No kilts? What?

A warrior’s wardrobe

By Juli D. Revezzo

If you’ve read romance and historical romance for any length of time you’ll undoubtedly run across a few clichés. Sometimes, they’re so expected you just know what you’re going to get. The happy ending, the vampire falling in love with the drip of a girl. There’s also the thing about Braveheart. Every other historical novel set anywhere in or near Scotland seems to have a guy in a kilt. So much so, fans of the genre have a joke about it (what does a Scot wear under his kilt?)

Well, I’m a stickler for accuracy, and so in researching my debut paranormal romance novel, PASSION’S SACRED DANCE, which features Irish Celts, I went looking for their mode of dress.  I found to my surprise that, according to the historical sources, the ancient Celts didn’t wear kilts. Traditionally the men wore tunics—called a leine—and thews, which are basically just trousers. Even the Scots didn’t adopt the Kilt until the 1590s according to one source I read and the Celts adopted it even later than that. Yep, sorry, ladies. Historically, the Kilt wasn’t part of a Celt’s wardrobe.

It seems to make sense. I mean, who wants to run around a battlefield in a skirt? Something that could easily get snagged in your chariot’s wheels?  

On the other hand, there was this separate group among the continental Celts (that is, those that stayed on the Continent of Europe) called the Gaesatae. These men had a distinct ritual dress for their war preparations. The Gaesatae would shed all their clothes and march into battle stark naked. Yep. Not. A. Stitch between them and the sky.

Can you imagine seeing your enemy walk out on the battlefield with a little more than just a flag flying? >;) Interesting image, huh? One must be quite bold to do that.

Unfortunately, the weather at the time PASSION’S SACRED DANCE takes place was a bit too cold for such attire. However, my heroine Stacy does get an eyeful of the hero Aaron from time to time. Would you like a peek?

Excerpt:

She drummed her fingers on her desk. On the other hand, could she afford not to see it? Sheer curiosity if nothing else would kill her. “Do you know why he brought the diary to your attention, and not to mine directly?”

Aaron shrugged. “I guess because I teach his son.”

He waved a hand. “Stick fighting, you know. Martial arts.”

Made sense. “Still…” she sat back in the chair and crossed her arms, “I don’t know.”

“As you wish.” He tapped the letter. “He can give it to the university. I’m sure they’ll be interested.”

She picked up the note and hugged the stationery protectively. “No, no. I’ll go.”

Her gaze went to his, 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.

****

Stacy Macken would be the death of him, Aaron thought, as he tugged off his boots and jeans. They’d parted a good hour ago, but he still couldn’t get rid of the sensation of having her close or the sheer need to kiss her.

Didn’t she realize how crazy she was driving him?

A cold shower was definitely in order.

Aaron closed the bathroom door behind him, twisted the white porcelain shower knob marked “C”.

As the water burst from the faucet, he heard it—the soft melody of his ringtone. Sighing, he turned the water off and sprinted into his bedroom, snatching his phone from the bedside table. The display shone bright with a name that darkened his mood. Laurco Çubiry.

Aaron frowned. What the blazes does he need?

What’s going on here and what does an Irishman wear under his kilt? I really can’t say. You’ll have to look into it yourself! I do know what some of them wear into battle though—and in the shower. ;)

Blurb:

Battling mounting debt, Stacy Macken is determined not to lose her historic art gallery. When Aaron Fielding appears and offers to help, she fights to keep the attraction sizzling between them from clouding her judgment. He may be her savior in disguise--but can she trust him?

Aaron intrigues her with tales of the Tuatha dé Danann, sworn warriors who protect humanity from the monsters seeking their destruction. If Aaron can prove what he claims, she would give up anything to help--even the gallery he claims is sacred ground. But with her property set to stage the next epic battle, she needs answers. An old family diary will confirm the ancient legend is true, if only they can find it in time.

If the battle is lost, the enemy will take control of Earth for the next five hundred years. Stacy and Aaron's budding love might only complicate things.

If you’d like to check Passion’s Sacred Dance out, it’s available at Amazon: http://amzn.to/18Tw0K6

About Juli D. Revezzo:

Juli D. Revezzo has long been in love with writing, a love built by devouring everything from the Arthurian legends, to the works of Michael Moorcock, and the classics and has a soft spot for classic the “Goths” of the 19th century. Her short fiction has been published in Dark Things II: Cat Crimes, The Scribing Ibis, Eternal Haunted Summer, Twisted Dreams Magazine and Luna Station Quarterly. She also has an article and book review or two out there. But her heart lies in the storytelling. She is a member of Independent Authors Network and Magic Appreciation Tour. Passion’s Sacred Dance is her first paranormal romance novel.

You can find out more about her at her homepage: http://julidrevezzo.com/

Blog: http://julidrevezzo.com/blog

Like her on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/JD-Revezzo/233193150037011

Follow her on Author’s Den http://www.authorsden.com/visit/author.asp?AuthorID=167318

Google+: https://plus.google.com/u/0/111476709039805267272/posts

On Good Reads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5782712.Juli_D_Revezzo

Shelfari: http://www.shelfari.com/authors/a1002694572/Juli-D-Revezzo/

On twitter: @julidrevezzo

*notes: The women wore dresses, and long tunics, as well as the unisex cloak.

Works cited: The Celts by Nora Chadwick

http://www.authenticireland.com/ireland-clothing/

http://housebarra.com/EP/ep04/15celtclothes.html

Celtic Dress of the 16th Century: http://jan.ucc.nau.edu/~wew/celt-clothing/