Title: Your Vileness Author: R.R. Orange Genre: Young Adult Fantasy Romance
Amandine Klinghoffer is a daring young detective working on her first independent case in the fabled kingdom of Glamwein.
Was there a murder in the royal palace? And if so, who stands to benefit from plaguing the prince with ghosts?
Prince Ivan, the lazy, cowardly, good-for-nothing embarrassment of the realm is hiding something.
He would rather profess his undying love for Amandine than give her any useful information. He is obviously using romance to distract her from finding the truth.
As Amandine investigates with Ivan’s “help” she begins to suspect a plot that threatens the fate of the entire kingdom and its magical beings.
The staircase terminated in a heavy wooden door that concealed whatever lay ahead. It looked like an ordinary door, but she sensed foreboding and gloom as if they were etched into its wooden panels.
Amandine pushed it open.
A rush of cool air caressed her face, bringing the scents of burnt sugar, oranges and gingerbread treats the spectators were enjoying below. She stood in a broad, open-aired gallery just below the belfry—the rope dangled down through an opening in the ceiling, and she could have reached for it to ring the bell.
Without wasting another moment, Amandine drew the pistol from her left pocket and fired a bolt of energy behind and above her. The crackle of electricity was brief, but as she turned around and beheld the octopus-like limbs of the Strangler writhe wildly and fade into nothingness, the piercing scream of the ghost went on for quite a while until it too faded along with any traces of its physical existence.
“In broad daylight,” she muttered, “the nerve of it.”
Then she remembered someone else had quite a nerve.
“You knew this was here,” she stated, facing Prince Ivan, who stared at her with his big blue eyes, dumbfounded.
“That was impressive,” he finally said, his charming smile returning.
“You led me here on purpose,” she continued.
Stranglers were not dangerous and technically, being incorporeal, could not really strangle anyone. They did like to wrap their tentacles around a human victim, instilling a sense of dread, misery and damp coldness. No one had ever died from it, but some people had been known to faint from sheer terror.
“Damn, Klinghoffer,” Ivan said, evidently forgetting his resolve not to swear and walking into the dark corner where the spectre had been moments ago, “You destroyed it without a trace.”
“I should hope so. The electrical charges in this weapon are strong enough to unbind the faint energy keeping ghosts in our physical world. And it’s Mademoiselle Klinghoffer to you. Actually, I don’t even feel like speaking with you after you lured me here, hoping to embarrass me.”
“Just another test of your skill,” Ivan said, looking completely unconcerned by her anger.
Her face moved of its own volition into a cynical smile. “Your surprise at my success tells me you expected me to fail.”
“But how did you know where to aim?” he asked, ignoring the accusation, “You fired the shot without even turning around.”
She shrugged, trying not to be softened by his admiration for her skill. “After a while, you develop a sense for these things.”
Amandine did not feel hurt exactly but perhaps slightly saddened by the fact that he was just as predictable as her schoolmates had been. Even his ruse of luring her into a haunted church proved fairly weak and pathetic.
“I wonder what sort of thing died to create that?” he asked.
“It’s not one thing but two or three people whose fates were intertwined in unfortunate ways. If they’re unlucky enough to die at the same time or in fairly close succession, the resulting ghost is a Strangler.” Amandine explained. “Anyway, I shall make my way to the royal palace now. I don’t suppose you actually brought me up here to see the Fairy News.”
“Of course I did. Come on!”
He made to take hold of her hand, but Amandine dodged his grasp. She had little interest in being led about by this royal manipulator. He looked hurt, or pretended to.
“Oh, come now,” he coaxed, “haven’t you ever heard of letting bygones be bygones?”
“A very Glamweinian sentiment,” she remarked, standing aloof and folding her arms close to her body.
“True, we don’t like to hold on to grudges. We like to say, ‘if you look back, you get a smack.’ Isn’t it a wonderful tradition?”
“Sounds a little violent,” Amandine said, “I think it’s wise to look back and learn from your mistakes, especially when the most recent incident only happened a few seconds ago.”
Ivan kneeled down on the grey stones, opening his arms dramatically.
“I beg your forgiveness, fair Klinghoffer,” he said in a solemn voice, his lips quivering as he suppressed a grin, “and I promise, no more pranks while I show you the Fairy News.”
“All right,” Amandine said coldly, “Please rise up. You’re being ridiculous.”
He leapt up and rushed to the edge of the gallery where a tall arch framed his dapper figure. “It’s already started!”
R.R. Orange has a Master’s Degree in Creative Writing. She has worked as an English and Creative Writing instructor, a marketing writer, and a dog walker. Although she loves dogs, she is not a dognapper, unlike some of her characters.
Fun fact: she is also fluent in Russian, French, and intermediate in Portuguese.
Title: Merry Ex-Mas Author: Elizabeth Janette Genre: Contemporary Christmas Romance
It’s been ten years since Delaney Silverman last stepped foot on the Silver Bells Christmas Tree farm her family owns and operates, but when her father dies, she has no choice. Even if it means mending fences with her estranged mother. The last thing this reformed wild-child-turned-Manhattan-marketing-pro has in mind, though, is a second chance at first love. But after life brings her face to face with the sexy, ex-fiancé neighbor boy, she realizes he’s everything she never knew she needed. Travis Harper knows two things to be true: 1. It’s time to adopt his foster daughter and build a custom home life for themselves, and 2. Laney Silverman is the last woman he’d ever trust with their hearts, even if she is everything he’s ever wanted. Especially since she has a bad habit of walking away from him. Will twelve days be enough to give two former lovers a Merry Ex-Mas?
She peered up at him, watching him approach with wariness in her eyes. He hated to admit it, but the caution was justified.
“Dance with me? For old time’s sake?” The smile he offered was intended to be charming and disarming. Or at least that’s what he hoped he portrayed rather than the ball of nerves that tumbled around inside.
When she finally rewarded him with a shy smile and placed her hand in his, part of him wanted to leap for joy. The other part clanged with warning bells, sensing impending doom. He ignored the alarms and led her to the dance floor. What could be the harm in one dance between old friends?
The moment he gathered her in his embrace, arm resting on his shoulders, hand in his, he knew he’d made a grave mistake. No matter how scorched she left him, one touch would never be enough.
Not with her. Not for him. He knew that now. But gracefully extricating himself from the situation would be difficult. All eyes were on them as they swayed in time to the melody.
“I’m sorry. About what I said yesterday. It was uncalled for.” He offered a rueful smile, forcing his eyes to stay trained on hers, and not dip lower to the smooth skin of her elegant neck and exposed shoulders. To ignore the thrum of her pulse that jumped when he tightened his hold on her or brushed his hand across the small of her back. The one that matched the beat of his own heart, pulse for pulse. And he absolutely did not heed the call when his lips ached to taste hers.
Born to parents who loved to read, it’s no surprise Elizabeth Janette’s lifelong love of literacy led her to become both a teacher and a writer. In fact, writing about getting RIF’d from her teaching job in the 2008 recession is what led her to publish an essay about the experience. From then on, she was hooked. Now days, when she’s not teaching sassy 5th graders, Elizabeth Janette writes romance that both sizzles and thrills. And when she’s not teaching or writing, she works for her local chapter of the National Writing Project teaching teachers how to teach writing. Visit www.elizabethjanette.com to connect and sign up for her newsletter.
Years ago, Flora fled the quiet Scottish island where she grew up — and she hasn’t looked back. What would she have done on Mure? It’s a place where everyone has known her all her life, where no one will let her forget the past. In bright, bustling London, she can be anonymous, ambitious… and hopelessly in love with her boss.
But when fate brings Flora back to the island, she’s suddenly swept once more into life with her brothers — all strapping, loud, and seemingly incapable of basic housework — and her father. Yet even amid the chaos of their reunion, Flora discovers a passion for cooking — and find herself restoring dusty little pink-fronted shop on the harbour: a café by the sea.
But with the seasons changing, Flora must come to terms with past mistakes — and work out exactly where her future lies…
What starts as a story of a small-town girl who moves to the city and then comes home again, quickly became a much larger story about the island of Mure, its people, and the changes that are about to come. Mure is an island – very remote – and very set in its ways. Life has slowed down and fallen behind what most of us would consider modern, but Mure doesn’t really care. The people, for the most part, like it that way.
But change is on its way in the form of a rich American. And the small-town girl that’s just returned home – her job is to convince the island that this change is the best thing for everyone. To add a layer of romance, Flora is in love with her boss and is hoping this job will somehow bring them closer together. Her boss is a little different, and I enjoyed some of his unique outlooks on how things worked.
As Flora begins to settle in to life on the island, she discovers a new joy – the joy of sharing good food with friends and family. Her perspective begins to shift and her priorities realign. It was wonderful going on this journey with her and discovering what life on a remote island might really be like. Following the lives and the residents and watching as they go about their lives and adjust to times may not sound like the most exciting story – but it is far more than I expected and I loved every page.
