A Chat with Jack Heath, Author of Salem IV: Rebecca's Rising (Plus a Giveaway)

You all know that I love anything having to do with Witches or Salem (A town I lived in for many years and has a special place in my heart)

I am so happy to have Jack Heath here today to talk about the book he co-wrote with John Thompson called Salem IV.

1. Please start by telling us a little bit about yourself. 

I guess I’m a media guy at heart.  I have worked as a TV News reporter at stations in New England and host an afternoon talk radio show.  I live in New Hampshire and grew up North of Boston.  I have been fortunate to have covered some big stories in New England and done a lot of national reporting for the Presidential election cycles.

2. When did you know that you wanted to write professionally and how did you take the leap to get into the business? 

My wife reminds me that when we first met when I worked at WABI-TV in Bangor, Maine, my first TV job, that I talked about one day wanting to be an author.  I think it is good that my first book, Salem VI comes now, more in my head to tell.  I guess it comes down to story-telling for me.

3. Can you tell me a little bit about  your book and what inspired it?

Salem VI:  Rebecca’s Rising came to me on a family vacation a few years ago.  But it came to me really because of my growing up in the next town to Salem, Massachusetts.  Ever since I was a boy, I remember my father or grandparents telling me I was a direct descendant or Rebecca Nurse who was hanged in the Salem witch trials 320 years ago, and I was descended also from her accusers.  So, my media mind always thought it would be a cool novel if I used some real history and came up with my big twist, what if the Salem witch trials were not really what we know them to be?  What if the Judges were the witches and the accused were really God’s true children and what if it still going on today in Salem?

4. What do you hope that readers take way with them after reading your book? 

Some new thoughts and appreciation for the great, rich history of Salem and maybe, a new take on what really happened 320 years ago.  But most of all, I hope they enjoy it and find it to be an entertaining and suspenseful read.

5. I find it interesting to know what environment authors find most productive…Do you use a pen and paper or laptop? Quiet room at home or bustling café? Basically, what gets your creative juices flowing?

 For me it starts with a long walk or some exercise and mentally I chew on what I want to tell.  I do like to put some pen to paper before I get on my desktop.  I like the quiet office at our home and I am a creature of habit so I like to work first half of the day vs. at night.

6. What has been the toughest criticism given to you as an author? What has been the best compliment?

Okay, I know this will sound strange, but what scares me if people from day one of hearing about this book and the twist, and after reading it and the early reviews, most all seem to like it and lock in at the cemetery scene when the main character notices the Pentagram shape with some Putnam family grave stones.  Critics have said it flows well and is a fast read…so I’m hoping this holds but I knew when it first wrote it, that the story was creative and out there.

7. What book is currently on your nightstand? And who are some of your favorite authors?

I have a bunch, James Patterson, some old Robert Ludlum.  I like suspense and I also have some life books.  Oh, yeah, I dug up an old story on Bobby Orr, from 1970 when he was one of my early sports idols.

8. What do you like to do when you're not writing?

I like doing my radio show, it is a daily 3-6pm live show and that is a true zone for me.  I like hanging with my family and playing golf.  I also like the White Mountains of NH, so anytime I can run up there, I do.

9. Do you have any advice for aspiring writers?

Yes, know that writing your book, as best you can, is really the first step in a long hike.  Think out of the box and believe in your book.  Then do all you can to sell it so the right publisher and marketing folks buy into it and love it as much if not more than you do.  Then cross your fingers that the real critics dig it and most importantly, buy it.  Like anything worth having, this climb is not for the timid or thin-skinned.

10. What can we expect from you next?  

John Thompson and I have a 3-book contract with our publisher, so I am already starting to write Book 2 in the Salem Witch Trilogy.  John Andrews lives on to fight the spiritual forces at work from his ancestors and that is all I can tell you without spoiling it.

11. Do any animals share your life? Please tell us about them.

Tow Boston Terriers run the house.  Dutchess is an older one, kind of spoiled and quiet whereas Bruin (named after my Stanley Cup Boston Bruins) is crazy and loves to play non-stop.  If I am writing at my computer and ignoring her, she will find a ball of baseball hat of mine and come throw at me with her mouth or try to jump into my lap to get between me and the keyboard.   I don’t think she’s a big fan of the book yet.

And now for a little bit of fun:)  This or That? 

Coffee or Tea?   Coffee, 1-1/2 cup per morning.  No more caffeine.

Sweet or Salty?   Salty.

Beach or Lake?   Beach.

Winter or Summer?  Winter for skiing.

Cats or Dogs?   Definitely dogs.

Zombies or Vampires?   Zombies.

Country or City?  Country.

Shower or Bath?   Showers.

Morning or Evening?  Morning.

M&Ms or Skittles?  M&M’s.

Trains or Planes?  Planes.

Comedy or Drama?  Drama.

Title: Author of Salem IV: Rebecca's Rising
Series:  Salem VI Trilogy #1

Author:  Jack Heath and John Thompson

Reading level: Adult

Genre:  Fiction/historical/paranormal

Size: 336 pages

E-Book Release Date: July 19th 2012

Hardcover Release Date: September 28th 2012

Publisher: Pressque Publishing

Find It: Goodreads | Amazon

Having stepped off the fast track of primetime network television news, John Andrews has chosen a quieter life as editor of Salem News, a small paper in a quiet New England town. Life is perfect until Andrews’ wife is killed in a tragic accident. After several years of trying to numb the pain with alcohol, Andrews is visited by the spirit of a long dead ancestor who opens a door to a shocking family history. After he experiences a surreal glimpse into the past, Andrews must confront the question of whether he is losing his mind or whether for several hundred years his ancestors have been engaged in a secret battle with a coven that worships Satan. Fueled by the need to understand whether his wife's death was really an accident or something far more sinister, Andrews, along with his beautiful assistant editor, risk everything to discover a truth so horrifying it threatens to destroy everything and everyone he knows and loves. 

Jack Heath

Jack Heath is the host of NH Today, New Hampshire’s only live afternoon radio talk show, and cohost of Sport Legends of New England with Bob Lobel, which can be seen throughout New England on Comcast Spotlight. A direct descendant of Rebecca Nurse, the last person to be tried and hanged during the Salem Witch Trials, and Ann R. Putnam, one of her accusers, his first novel, Salem VI, is an altogether modern take on Arthur Miller’s The Crucible.

Jack's Website: http://www.jackheathradio.com

John Thompson

John Thompson spent twenty-five years as an investment banker in New York before retiring to write full time. He is the author of the Brent Lucas trilogy, The Girl from Felony Bay, and coauthor of Salem VI. He lives with his wife and daughter and divides his time between Charleston, South Carolina and Hawley, Pennsylvania.

John's Website: http://www.booksbyjohnthompson.com/

Connect with the Authors: Salem Witch Trilogy | Twitter | Facebook

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Teaser Tuesdays - Destiny by Laura DeLuca

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following: 

• Grab your current read & Open to a random page
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS!
• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

Title: Destiny
Author: Laura DeLuca
Reading level: Young Adult

Genre:  Paranormal

Size: 278 pages

Release Date: January 10th 2011
Publisher: Free Focus Publishing

Find the Book: Goodreads | Amazon | BN | The Book Depository

Gabriella is a witch. The problem is, she doesn’t remember. She repressed the memories of her powers years ago when her mother was murdered. Now, the warlock who was responsible for her mother’s death has set his sights on Gabriella. He is determined to use her fear to turn her to the dark side of magick…even if it kills her. Her mother’s spirit is reaching out to warn her, but even that she pushes away. Desperate to save her daughter, the spirit finds another witch–one that just happens to be in love with Gabriella. Darron is more than willing to help but the two young witches will have way more to battle than just an evil warlock. There are overbearing jocks and petty rich girls who get tempers flaring and often set Gabrielle and Darron at odds.

There is more to the story than Gabrielle and Darron could even imagine. There are terrible secrets to be revealed, battles to be waged, and lives will be lost. Only after Gabrielle and Darron both come to terms with who they really are, and open themselves up to the true meaning of magick, can they have any hope of fulfilling their destiny.

...She woke up.
  Gabrielle had to cover her mouth to muffle a scream.  Sweat was dripping from her forehead, and her heart was pounding.  But her bed was soft and warm and dreams are easily forgotten.  Before long she fell back into a dreamless sleep, and allowed herself to forget all over again.   ~~pg 57

Cover Reveal: Rue by Miranda Kavi

Title: Rua

Author: Miranda Kavi

Reading Level: Young Adult

Release Date: September 3rd 2012

A girl with an unknown destiny.

A boy from a hidden world.

When Celeste starts at a new school in a small, Kansas town, she hears whispering voices, has vivid nightmares, and swarms of blackbirds follow her every move. She is oddly drawn to aloof Rylan, the other new student who has his own secrets.

The exact moment she turns seventeen, she wakes to a bedroom full of strange creatures, purple light emanating from her hands, and Rylan breaking in through her bedroom window.

He knows what she is . . .

Intriguing and deeply romantic, RUA is page-turning YA novel with a supernatural twist. 

Miranda Kavi is a YA and Urban Fantasy author. She has worked as an attorney, an executive recruiter, and an assistant in a biological anthropology lab. She loves scary movies, museums, and is hopelessly addicted to chocolate. She lives in the Houston area with her husband and daughter.

Find the Author: Website | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads

I THINK IT IS GORGEOUS!! 

What do you think??

Book Review: Skylark by Meagan Spooner

Title: Skylark
Series:  Skylark #1

Author:  Meagan Spooner
Reading level: Young Adult

Genre:  Fantasy

Size: 344 pages

Release Date: August 1st 2012

Publisher: Carolrhoda Lab

Source: Publisher at BEA
Find It: Goodreads | Amazon | BN | The Book Depository

The din of the clockwork was loudest in the old sewers, a great whirring and clanking  of gears as the artificial sun warmed up.

Vis in Magia, In Vita Vi.

In magic there is power, and in power, life.

Sixteen year-old Lark Ainsley has never seen the sky.

Her world ends at the edge of the vast domed barrier of energy enclosing all that’s left of humanity. For two hundred years the city has sustained this barrier by harvesting its children's innate magical energy when they reach adolescence. When it’s Lark’s turn to be harvested, she finds herself trapped in a nightmarish web of experiments and learns she is something out of legend itself: a Renewable, able to regenerate her own power after it’s been stripped.

Forced to flee the only home she knows to avoid life as a human battery, Lark must fight her way through the terrible wilderness beyond the edge of the world. With the city’s clockwork creations close on her heels and a strange wild boy stalking her in the countryside, she must move quickly if she is to have any hope of survival. She’s heard the stories that somewhere to the west are others like her, hidden in secret – but can she stay alive long enough to find them?

Skylark kept me spellbound from the moment I read the first paragraph.  We jump right into the action as Lark sneaks through the abandoned underground sewer system to her school to find out if this is the time that she'll finally be selected to be harvested.  The pace of the novel never slows but rather continuously feeds the reader information and mystery in equal doses. What exactly is going on in the Institute? What is the world outside of the Wall really like? Who can Lark trust? And is there really an Iron Wood?  

We puzzle through and solve all of these mysteries along with Lark, our incredibly strong willed and plucky heroine.  I love how strong she is while still acting her emotional age. I also loved the conflicts inherent in the character of Oren, the "wild" boy she meets who takes her under his wing.  He is such an amazingly compelling and complex character despite the little we actually "learn" about him.  The secondary characters are also well drawn and intriguing...the perfect foils for Lark and Oren. And I can't forget to mention Nix, the modified Pixie who travels with Lark and appears to not only be rapidly developing it's own personality but to be struggling internally between following its programming or following its conscience.  I kind of love this little bot.

The world building is perhaps Spooner's greatest accomplishment. After some initial confusion, perhaps one chapter, it all started coming together for me and as fantastic as it was...it was also completely believable which is the sign of a great storyteller. An amazingly fleshed out world in the dome, leads to an immensely rich and large experience out in the wilds...and then the twists and turns keep it all fresh and exciting....until we finally arrive at that moment where we really can't believe our eyes.  How did we miss that?? 

This book is amazingly original and not afraid to cross genre boundaries.  Is it Fantasy? Science Fiction? Steampunk? Paranormal?  Post-Apocalyptic? Dystpopian? " Zombie"?  Yes!  I love that Meagan Spooner doesn't pigeonhole herself...she fearlessly incorporates the best of all of these genres and surprisingly...IT WORKS! She takes the best of them all and reworks them in the most original way to fit her paradigm.

I wouldn't hesitate to recommend this original and breathtaking book to anyone...Teen or Adult...there is something in Skylark for everyone!

Cover Reveal & Giveaway: Colonization: Paradise 21 by Aubrie Dionne

Title: Colonization: Paradise 21

Author: Aubrie Dionne
Reading Level: Young Adult

Genre: Science Fiction

Publisher: Inkspell Publishing
Release Date: November 7th 2012

Find the Book: Goodreads

Finding a new home has never been so dangerous.


Andromeda has spent all seventeen years of her life aboard a deep space transport vessel destined for a paradise planet. Her safe cocoon is about to break open as Paradise 21 looms only one month away, and she must take the aptitude tests to determine her role on the new world and her computer assigned lifemate. As a great-granddaughter of the Commander of the ship, she wants to live up to her family name. But, her forbidden love for her childhood friend, Sirius, distracts her and she fails the tests. The results place her in a menial role in the new colony and pair her with Corvus, “the oaf”.

But when Andromeda steps foot on Paradise 21, her predestined future is the least of her worries. Alien ghosts from a failed colonization warn her of a deadly threat to her colony. And when Sirius's ship crashes on the far ridge in an attempt to investigate, she journeys to rescue him with Corvus.

Andromeda now must convince the authorities of the imminent danger to protect her new home. What she didn't expect was a battle of her own feelings for Sirius and Corvus.

Can she save the colony and discover her true love? 

Aubrie Dionne writes science fiction fantasy with romantic elements. Her writings have appeared in Mindflights, Niteblade, Silver Blade, Emerald Tales, Hazard Cat, Moon Drenched Fables, A Fly in Amber, and Aurora Wolf. Her books are published by Inkspell Publishing, Entangled Publishing, Lyrical Press, and Gypsy Shadow Publishing. She’s also a professional flutist in New England.

Find the Author: Website | Twitter | Blog

Giveaway! – Open for US and UK only.

We have a very cool keyring as a giveaway. J

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Added to the Bookshelf - 7/29/12

Sharing the books & bookish goodies that I've bought, borrowed, won, or been gifted and have added to my bookshelves over the past week!
(Inspired by Mailbox Monday, IMM, and the like)

Title: Imperfect Bliss

Author: Susan Fales-Hill
Format:  Hardcover
Find It: Goodreads 
Source: Atria/Simon & Schuster for review

Jane Austen meets the Bachelorette in this twenty-first-century comedy of manners about a suburban family, their four eligible daughters, and what happens when reality TV comes to town.With her acclaimed first novel, One Flight Up, author Susan Fales-Hill is on a roll, already leaving her chick-lit predecessors “in the dust,” as the New York Post put it. Now, in Imperfect Bliss, she offers up a hilarious take on genteel family life with a cast of irresistibly eccentric characters.     Meet the Harcourts of Chevy Chase, Maryland. A respectable middle class, middle-aged, mixed-race couple, Harold and Forsythia have four eminently marriageable daughters—or so their mother believes. Forsythia named her girls after Windsor royals in the hopes that one day each would find her true prince. But princes are far from the mind of their second-born daughter, Elizabeth (AKA Bliss), who, in the aftermath of a messy divorce, has moved back home and thrown herself into earning her Ph.D. All that changes when aBachelorette-style reality television show called The Virgin takes Bliss’s younger sister, Diana, as its star. Though she fights it at first, Bliss can’t help but be drawn into the romantic drama that ensues, forcing her to reconsider everything she thought she knew about love, her family, and herself.

Title: The Next Best Thing
Author: Jennifer Weiner
Format: Hardcover
Find It: Goodreads 
Source: Atria/Simon & Schuster for review

At twenty-three, Ruth Saunders headed west with her seventy-year-old grandma in tow, hoping to be hired as a television writer. Four years later, she’s hit the jackpot when she gets The Call: the sitcom she wrote, The Next Best Thing, has gotten the green light, and Ruthie’s going to be the show-runner. But her dreams of Hollywood happiness are threatened by demanding actors, number-crunching executives, an unrequited crush on a boss, and her grandmother’s impending nuptials. 

Set against the fascinating backdrop of Los Angeles show business culture, with an insider’s ear and eye for writer’s rooms, bad behavior backstage and set politics, Jennifer Weiner’s new novel is a rollicking ride on the Hollywood rollercoaster and a heartfelt story about what it’s like for a young woman to love, and lose, in the land where dreams come true.

Title: Outpost (Razorland #2)

Author: Ann Aguirre
Format: ARC
Find It: Goodreads 

Deuce’s whole world has changed. Down below, she was considered an adult. Now, topside in a town called Salvation, she’s a brat in need of training in the eyes of the townsfolk. She doesn’t fit in with the other girls: Deuce only knows how to fight.

To make matters worse, her Hunter partner, Fade, keeps Deuce at a distance. Her feelings for Fade haven’t changed, but he seems not to want her around anymore. Confused and lonely, she starts looking for a way out.

Deuce signs up to serve in the summer patrols—those who make sure the planters can work the fields without danger. It should be routine, but things have been changing on the surface, just as they did below ground. The Freaks have grown smarter. They’re watching. Waiting. Planning. The monsters don’t intend to let Salvation survive, and it may take a girl like Deuce to turn back the tide.

Title: Bookended by Beauty Queens

Author: Victoria Marshall
Format: SIGNED Paperback
Find It: Goodreads 

When the going gets tough, Ella Mae LaFaye bakes pies. So when she catches her husband cheating in New York, she heads back home to Havenwood, Georgia, where she can drown her sorrows in fresh fruit filling and flakey crust. But her pies aren't just delicious. They're having magical effects on the people who eat them--and the public is hungry for more. Discovering her hidden talent for enchantment, Ella Mae makes her own wish come true by opening the Charmed Pie Shoppe. But with her old nemesis Loralyn Gaynor making trouble, and her old crush Hugh Dylan making nice, she has more than pie on her plate. and when Loralyn's fiance is found dead--killed with Ella Mae's rolling pin--it'll take all her sweet magic to clear her name.



Title: Murder on the Mind (Jeff Resnick Mystery #1)
Author: L.L. Bartlett

Format: E-Book
Find It: Goodreads 


Jeff Resnick hardly knew his well-heeled half-brother. But after suffering a fractured skull in a vicious mugging, he reluctantly accepts the fact that he has a long and brutal recovery to face—and his closest of kin can provide him with the time and place to do it.

Now, Jeff is haunted by unexplained visions of a heinous crime—a banker, stalked, killed, and eviscerated like a ten-point buck. When Matt Sumner’s murder is discovered, a still-recovering Jeff realizes this was what he had seen. Jeff must not only convince himself of his new-found psychic ability, but also his skeptical brother Richard Alpert. Since Sumner was Richard’s banker, both brothers have a stake in finding out what happened. With Richard’s reluctant help, Jeff’s investigation leads him to Sumner’s belligerent family and hard-nosed business associates, none of whom want him snooping around.

When Jeff discovers a second victim, he knows he must relentlessly chase his quarry even if it means risking his brother’s life.

Title: My Familiar Stranger (The Order of the Black Swan #1)

Author: Victoria Danann
Format: E-Book
Find It: Goodreads 


A secret society, hot guys, and vampires come together for a once in a lifetime adventure and a once in a lifetime opportunity proving that true love can find you in the strangest places, even far, far from home.

Minutes ahead of inevitable assassination, Elora Laiken is forcibly transported to an alternate dimension similar, but not identical, to her own.

Of course a girl could suffer worse problems than having gorgeous suitors. Perhaps more importantly, in the midst of an epidemic of vampire related abductions, can she stay alive long enough to choose between an honor debt, true love, or the breathlessness of single-minded passion?

That's all for me for the past week!

What new goodies have arrived on your doorstep?

Leave me a link in the comments and I'll come check out your post!

(I'm linking up to: Mailbox Monday, The Sunday Post, Showcase Sunday, & Stacking the Shelves)

Spotlight on Hacienda Moon by KaSonndra Leigh

Title: Hacienda Moon

Author: KaSonndra Leigh
Reading Level: Adult
Genre: Gothic Romance

Release Date:  July 28th 2012

Find It:  Goodreads 

Love, obsession, and betrayal, the most powerful human emotions, are spun together in this gothic novel. Tandie Harrison is a police medium who has just suffered a divorce after losing both her psychic visions and her daughter in a car accident. When she leaves New York City to start a new life near her hometown, she moves into the alluring plantation house, Chelby Rose, and falls for its charismatic caretaker, Eric Fontalvo. Their burgeoning affair ignites a centuries old curse, ensnaring them in a web of danger, deceit, and intrigue. Soon Tandie learns that in placid Bolivia, the worlds of the living and the dead are dangerously connected.

Hacienda Moon is a seductive tale of one woman’s journey to confront the demons of her past and find the courage to face her future. It is a mesmerizing novel that explores the deepest depths of human nature, and the characters will hold and haunt you long after you have read the final chapter.

Eric Fontalvo began Tandie's renovations the following Monday. He arrived with an armory of tools and gadgets, setting to work with a tape measure as quietly as he did the first time he came by. Tandie’s curiosity was killing her. She wanted to know more about why this handsome stranger appeared in her novel and her dreams.

After spending Saturday night with Saul, a man who seemed to be handling quite a few issues himself, she craved something normal. One thing Frieda was right about: there wasn’t a shortage of eye candy in her life at the moment.

Dressed in ripped jean shorts, an old tee-shirt, and a blue bandana that would scream gang-girl if she were ever spotted in public, Tandie walked outside. The outfit wasn't too New Yorker, and it had just enough grit to compliment any job a contractor might need for her to do. On the first day she arrived at Chelby Rose, she’d promised herself that she would put her own personal touches on any renovations.

“Um, Ms. Harrison, what are you doing?” Eric’s face bore an amused smirk underneath his smile. He also had a slight accent covered up by his well-spoken English.

At first, the accent in his voice sounded somewhat southern. But after listening to the next few sentences, Tandie thought it sounded more Puerto Rican or South Columbian.

“Isn’t that obvious? I’m going to paint. Do you have issues with that?” Tandie asked, slightly annoyed by his smirk.

“Course not. It's your place. I just thought you’d—want to be writing.” He flipped a strand of hair away from his face. Tandie wondered if he was going to move the one beside it too.

“That's exactly why I need to be out here. I need inspiration.” Tandie pranced over to the two five-gallon paint buckets Eric had lined up along the front porch. She pulled out her paintbrushes and counted them. One of the six that came in the pack was gone. “Crap. One is missing.”

He cleared his throat before speaking. “Far be it from me to keep a lady from her mission, Ms. Harrison. But, you’re going to paint with those?”

“What’s wrong with my paintbrushes?” Tandie asked, glancing down at her hands. She took her time picking them out at the hardware store.

“Not a thing if you’re doing a paint-by-number job, that is.” A grin was creeping across his face. “Those are touch-up paint brushes. As in, you paint little tiny sections with them. Not the best thing for covering 200-square-feet of siding.” Tandie frowned and glanced at her brushes. They were super small compared to the ones he had laid out on the ground. They glanced back at each other. He burst out laughing, and so did Tandie.

“Well why didn’t you say something before now?”

“Sorry, Ms. Harrison,” he said and tried to straighten out his face.

“And please, lay off all the Ms. Harrisons. I mean, that sounds so grandmotherly,” Tandie said. He gave her a tight smile and then turned his head toward his toolbox.

“All right, Tandie it is. At least let me help you with those.” He grabbed the buckets much to Tandie’s relief and set them down on the porch. “Painting can be trickier than it looks. The house has to be sanded first.”

Tandie was determined to not let him see her squirm in her moment of renovation stupidity. Translation, she was completely dependent on this contractor. Plus, there was something about this guy that made her feel like it was all right to be somewhat needy. “I appreciate your offer, but I suspect painting doesn’t come anywhere close to writer’s block.”

He set down two more of the heavy buckets after moving them out of the sun, wiped his face with the back of his hand, and glanced at Tandie with his intense chameleon-eyed gaze. Yeah sure, it was no secret that she had strange two-toned eyes, but Eric's did amazing things. The pupils changed colors depending on the way and type of light that hit them.

“Somehow, I believe you can handle some pretty fierce writing issues.” His voice came out low and raspy and the tee shirt he wore stuck to his abs, all six glorious packs of them. Perfect wasn't a word that came anywhere close to describing Eric Fontalvo.

“Thank you for that vote of confidence, Mr. Contractor.”

"Ooh, I get it. You can use old-fashioned greetings on me, but not the other way around," he said with a smile spreading across his heart-shaped mouth.

Tandie shrugged. "It doesn't count for work titles, only when you use someone's last name."

Eric smirked and made a small laugh. "How convenient." He bent down, picked up his tool belt, and then stood up, leaving a small amount of space between their faces. He was ruggedly handsome in a subtle way minus the cockiness that made Saul Chelby so popular with females. But even with Saul's confidence and rich boy looks, this guy held his ground with ease.

"What's so convenient?" Tandie asked.

"That I'm stuck with an assistant who makes words and rules up for a living." Moving around Tandie, he said, "I'm heading inside to take a look at those pipes. I’m sorry that you got all dressed up in those shorts for no reason." He strolled toward the house, leaving Tandie outside.

"Okay. Maybe I gave you too much praise, a little too early," she whispered to herself and headed toward the house.

KaSonndra Leigh was born in Charlotte, North Carolina. She now lives in the City of Alchemy and Medicine, North Carolina. She likes to write about people doing fantastical things in magical worlds. Her two sons have made her promise to write a boy book next.

She holds the MFA in creative writing, and loves to play CLUE,
Monopoly (the Indiana Jones version), and Pandora's Box (good writer's block therapy). She lives in an L-shaped house with a garden dedicated to her grandmother. It has a secret library complete with fairies, Venetian plastered walls, and a desk made out of clear blue glass.

Favorite TV Show: Xena Warrior Princess

Favorite Movie: The Matrix

Favorite Music: Sarah Brightman

Favorite Book:  The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova

Favorite Food: Italiano

Connect with the Author: Blog | Website | Twitter | Facebook