Blog Archives
Return In Time – with me if you will.
I was over at Ariella Moon’s blog and saw - the most intriguing and brilliantly written classified ad ever!
Safety Not Guaranteed
“WANTED: Someone to go back in time with me. This is not a joke. You’ll get paid when we get back. Must bring your own weapons. Safety not guaranteed. I have only done this once before.”
I have to agree. What fricking great writing. “You’ll get paid when we get back.” Yeah, really, like how much. What’s the going rate for time-travel companions? Couldn’t that also read; IF we get back? And what about the idea that you have to bring your own weapons, but oh, by the way, Safety not guaranteed. If this isn’t a call for a macho, kick-ass, special ops kind of guy, I don’t know what is. Hey, forget the paycheck, baby, I’m here for the adventure. And it’s so reassuring to know the potential employer has done this only once before. Well, at least we know they’re still here to tell the tale and are interested in trying it again.
Okay, so I don’t have a special ops guy to offer up for the job, but allow me to take a moment to introduce my time-traveling friend, Teressa Ellers, an accomplished Relationship Coach.
After finishing her master’s in family counseling, Teressa accepts a primo job as a Relationship Coach at her local university counseling center to help struggling college students maneuver the emotional landscape of romantic relationships. Thankfully, this is before state wide budget cuts forces her out into private practice where the really big bucks are.
Her career path is on track but her personal life has taken a couple of hard hits. Isn’t this always the way? In the past year her father has passed away and she’s dumped her ‘so-called’ boyfriend. He didn’t do family and that was a big ole deal breaker for her.
Now she’s taking a rather whimsical retreat from her life in the hopes of getting away from it all and finding some real adventure on the remote Isle of Skye in Scotland, because Scotland is full of hotties and she’s heard Skye is a magical island full of myth and legends. Did I mention the hot warrior Scottish dudes? Ok, good.
Soon after arriving on Skye she’s swept back to the 13th century by a powerful fairy named Moezell. Yeah, I’m pretty sure any fairy that can sweep a person back in time is pretty darn powerful. Enough said.
This fairy and her half-human/half-fey cousin are in need of a match-maker to secure the happily ever after union between Duncan, the chief of the MacNicol clan, and Janet MacDonald, daughter of his sworn enemy. Ok, maybe not sworn enemy, but not a good friend either. Let’s just say there’s some ‘bad history’ between them and Teressa has her work cut out for her. Teressa, of course, takes the job. It’s the only way she can be assured of being sent back to her own time, and brother (or sister) let me tell you, this little lady has every intention of going back home. Hot dudes are no replacement for hot showers and toilet paper.
But, wouldn’t you know it, she faces a little kink in her plans. Duncan’s younger brother, Rory, has the hots for Teressa and he’s determined to discover if she’s “a mystery to unravel or a woman to be loved.” (his words, not mine! Okay, maybe they are mine.) He’s smitten with this slightly strange woman and is determined to woo her, believing she is the woman of his dreams. (wet dreams, I’m sure, but it’s all good.)
To learn more, find Return In Time at any of the major on-line booksellers – and tell them Rory sent you. He’s a babe.
Enjoy always, T
Deleted Scenes
You know how movie DVDs sometimes add Deleted Scenes as a bonus feature? Well, I was going through some of my older files and I found this deleted scene from Return In Time. It’s just a little glimpse into my favorite fairy, Moezell. And I thought it would be nice to share it with you. Hope you enjoy. . . Always, T
Unseen, Moezell stood there bedazzled, watching Rory’s display of raging grief over the disappearance of Teressa. Such a display of powerful emotion was a wonder to observe. It was impressive, this range of emotions humans were able to experience. To a fairy that could only watch and envy their ability, the depth of Rory’s pain was wondrous. She could readily appreciate his fitful state of mind and she was touched by his magnificent vulnerability. It was easy to understand why so many of the spirit folk had chosen to incarnate into the human world. The experience was amazing, so far removed from the eternal feeling of well-being existing in their world. Granted, there were many painful experiences to encounter in the physical world, but these humans had the one gift the fairies truly envied, the ability to feel both the pleasure and pain of love for one another.
There was very little she could do to help him through his suffering, but she could offer him comfort and hope. And of the two, hope was the greatest gift she could provide. The rest would be up to the soul of Roderick MacNicol to achieve. Moezell stepped through the veil of the unseen and revealed herself to Rory.
Alchemy of Intimacy.
I like to say I write paranormal, metaphysical, spiritual romance. So what the H* is; paranormal, metaphysical, spiritual romance? I think it can be anything I want it to be, but mostly I believe it’s about the Alchemy of Intimacy.
The dictionary definition of alchemy is; 1. a medieval chemical and speculative philosophy seeking to achieve the transmutation of base metals into gold – and the discovery of a means of indefinitely prolonging life, 2. any magical power or process of transmuting something common into something special.
I like the idea of speculative philosophy, at least I think so. I like the idea of changing something common into something special. I like the idea of having magical powers. Some of my favorite characters have magical powers.
I defiantly like the idea of transmuting romance into something special.
I believe romance writers use their creative powers to take every day love stories and transmute them into something special. They allow readers to believe they have reached across time and space to find a higher plain. Romance writers allow you to imagine everlasting love (HEA) and enjoy the journey along the way.
I also believe that some of the greatest risks are the risks not taken. Or, to put it another way, often the greatest risk is to take no risk at all. To play it safe and take no risks translates into dull, boring and a life not well lived, not fully experienced.
When we take risks we expand our experiences. I know what it feels like to sit in the comfort of my home and read an book about travel to Scotland, but how does it FEEL to actually take the necessary steps to board a plane and fly half-way across the world? What does it mean to land in a foreign country where people have a different culture, different food and drive on the other side of the road? It’s a risk, especially the driving part, but it’s also an experience rich with possibilities.
Take for instance the risk of falling in love. Now that’s a grand and glorious risk. It can contain the highest highs and the lowest lows. What else in our emotional experience presents as many opportunities for risk, success or failure?
I also believe that there are no bad romantic experiences and conversely, there are no good romantic experiences. Experiences just are. It’s our perception of them, and usually our expectations, that judges them to be bad or good. We expect romance to look and feel a certain way and when it falls short of our expectations, well that’s bad. When it fulfills our fantasies, I mean our expectations, it feels good – real good. Metaphysical, spiritual good.
I’m sure you could come up with a number of examples where the romantic risk you took, and the experience you had, was not at all what you expected. But maybe, just maybe, what may have seemed bad at the time, become oh so good when viewed through the rear-view lens of time. Like whoa, glad I dodged that bullet. That’s the nice thing about time. Time lets us look back and enjoy.
And for you, my dear friend, I do hope you . . . Enjoy always, T
