How Did I Get Here? This is NOT How I'd Planned My Life #Inspiration

 

Talking Heads "Once in a Lifetime" (Same as it ever was) 

There are moments when I'm consumed with the "how the hell did this become my life" feeling. I look around at my reality and it doesn't mesh with what I'd imagined it would be twenty years ago. 

Whose house is this? Who is that staring back at me from the mirror? Whose car is that in the driveway? 

Last night I was watching Good Wife and a scene from the program made me cry because it struck me with my own inner feelings and fears. Alicia, the main character, broke down saying that she didn't recognize her life--no one to trust, no joy, a routine that didn't suit her, grown children she no longer even knew if she liked, a job that she seemed to be failing at, trapped in a home she resented, and a love lost. Raw emotion. Intense honesty. 

Same as it ever was...

How did I get to this point in life? When I look at young moms with their little kids and handsome husbands, I feel a pang of envy. That used to be me, I think. I used to have all of that. I loved it--don't regret one minute. But then what happened? How did I get here, to this moment with everything unraveling and in tatters at my feet?

When I get sad about all the detours my life path has taken, when those moments of overwhelm strike me, I remember that this is all temporary. Every second is fleeting. People come and go like the ebb and flow of the ocean. What I think of as a great burden today will seem like nothing in ten years, maybe I won't even remember it. Every situation is fluid. Our lives are in perpetual change. 

Imagine yourself as an eighty year-old and write your current self a letter. Sit down, imagine being an elderly person and write yourself a letter starting with, "Don't worry..." Imagine being that eighty year-old looking back on life and being able to send you a note telling you about all the great things that are going to happen. Be a time traveler in your own life! Allow your future self to intervene, to give you that thumbs up, and tell you, "Hey, we make it and it was an amazing journey." You will see how far you have yet to go, that these setbacks can be overcome, and that you can master your future. 

No, this may not be where you want to be right now, but the moment is fleeting. You have time. Breathe. Put whatever stresses you have in your life into proper perspective. Even if they seem insurmountable and crippling...breathe.

Same as it ever was...

In the episode of the Good Wife, she ended the program laughing and realizing she had more friends than she'd assumed. She'd even kissed a really sexy guy--yes! Isn't that how things usually turn out? Right when you're about to say, "screw this", life reminds you of its greatness.

Write yourself that letter from the old you to the current you...imagine the greatness ahead.

Peace to you!
Amber Lea Easton
http://www.amberleaeaston.com 

Amber Lea Easton is a multi-published author of romantic thrillers, contemporary romance, women's fiction, and nonfiction. She also writes five different blogs, volunteers for children's literacy, and advocates for suicide awareness. In addition, she is a professional editor and mother of two extraordinary human beings. She currently lives in a small cabin high in the Rocky Mountains where she is completely aware of how lucky she is. To find out more about her books, please visit http://www.amberleaeaston.com. 

If We're Going To Die, Might as Well Die in Ecstasy #ScintillatingSunday #Romance

When the world is blowing up and the earth is crumbling beneath your feet, none of it matters as long as you have One True Thing. 

Excerpt of the upcoming romantic suspense novel, One True Thing,

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“You wanted me when you didn’t know who I was. We were just two people, strangers, without a past or a future. I knew you wanted to fuck me against that mural, beneath that tarp, I saw it in your eyes, thought about it all damn day. Then tonight there you were. You walked up those stairs like a predator, seeking me out, sweeping me away.”  

“You want to be swept away?” he asked.

“Desperately.”

Silky strands slipped from his fingers as her head moved across his chest and he surrendered as he had known he would. He carried her from the balcony to the bedroom and fell backward on the mattress with her velvet-encased body draped across him. 

“Damn dress.” She propped herself above him and grimaced. “Help me out of it?”

“With pleasure,” he whispered against her collarbone. 

His fingers moved to the discreet zipper at her side and — with his gaze never leaving hers — he slid it down.  She shrugged it off her left shoulder. As if unwrapping a Christmas gift, he wasted no time in sliding the rest from her lean, toned body. Velvet hissed down her torso and slipped from her legs. Clad only in strapless bra and panties with her hair falling in wild layers past her shoulders, she kicked the tangled material off her feet and flashed him a devilish smile.   

“You’re deadly.” But what a way to die.

From the back cover...

  

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One little lie leads to a whole lot of trouble.

Reclusive international resort developer, Dominic Piazza, needs a date to ward off his matchmaking parents. When he persuades the notorious Vanessa Warren to play his girlfriend for the night, he has no idea he's stepped into the crosshairs of kidnappers who will do anything—destroy everything—to get to her.

Power...it's a heady drug.

Vanessa Warren is America's favorite rebel. Daughter and granddaughter of US Presidents and sister to a future one, her family connections and notoriety are seen as leverage for manipulating the White House—if she's captured.

One true thing...

Trapped in a rapidly escalating international terror plot, Dominic and Vanessa's lie becomes the only real thing in the midst of betrayals, conspiracies, and murder. As their world falls apart, they suddenly only have each other to rely on against ruthless people who will stop at nothing to achieve their goal. Who can they trust? Who is behind the plot—her own family, a political rival of her family's, or a terrorist organization? How far will the kidnappers go—what will they be willing to sacrifice—to control the power of the White House? Is there anywhere in the world where they can find safety?

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His Kind of Cowgirl #RomanceNovels

Would he still love her…if he knew?

Tanner Hayes smashed Claire's life to pieces when he chose the rodeo over her ten years ago. And now he'd wrecked her truck! Fantastic. She'd lost her husband, the family ranch was mired in debt, her father was recuperating from a stroke and her son was being bullied. Why not throw a reckless bull rider into the mix?

All she'd wanted was a safe, stable life. But with Tanner back in town—and staying on her ranch—nothing was safe, or under control. Not the feelings she'd fought so hard to forget. Not the son she was determined to protect. And certainly not her long-held secret…

Everything happened at once and in slow motion.
A crushing jolt shuddered through the truck. Her wheels skidded sideways. She smacked against the window when her pickup rolled down an embankment, as if punched by something large and lethal. Glass rained deadly sharp. The earth tumbled around her, her truck in spin cycle. When a massive tree loomed, the Chevy slammed into it then stilled.
Winded and stunned, she hung upside-down in her lap belt, blood, metallic and warm, on her tongue, a rushing sound whistling in her ears. Her heartbeat changed and grew slow and rolling in darkness. Something hurt, a long way away. Then nothing.
“Ma’am. Ma’am. Are you all right?” A man’s voice shouted, rousing her. She tried turning her head but pain held it in place. When she opened her mouth, silent panic flew out.
“Hold on. I’m getting you out of there.”
Acrid smoke pierced her consciousness. She closed her eyes against the billowing grit.
This wasn’t happening. It was a dream. No. A nightmare.
A tugging motion jerked her right and left, followed by a ripping sound. Large hands halted her sudden fall.
“Got you.”
Her rescuer cradled her against his chest, his breaths heaving beneath her ear. After carrying her some distance, he lowered her slowly to the ground. Grass scraped against her stinging cheeks and she opened her eyes.
“What?” she croaked, then swiped at the trickle leaking from her mouth. A man wearing a cowboy hat hunched over her, his features blurred.
“You’ve been in an accident. We have. Our trucks collided in the intersection.”
“My truck!” She bolted upright and clutched the swirling ground.
An arm snaked around her back and eased her down. “I called the dispatcher. The fire department’s on the way.”
A wail sounded in the distance and Claire wanted to shriek with it.
Her special day. Her anniversary. Ruined. No. Demolished by this…this…
She squinted upward and focused. A dark swirl of hair brushed across the tall man’s forehead; a light scar zigzagged down his square jaw. Recognition zapped through her.
It couldn’t be…
“Tanner?”
“Hello, Claire.” His mouth went up, just a fraction—the same ready-for-anything smile that had once undone her.
She closed her eyes, heart thudding. Ten years since she’d vowed never to see him again…and now here he stood, two for two in wrecking her life.

Karen Rock is an award-winning YA and adult contemporary romance author. She holds a master's degree in English and was an ELA instructor before becoming a full-time writer. Currently she writes for Harlequin Blaze and Harlequin Heartwarming. Her novel, A LEAGUE OF HER OWN, won the 2015 National Excellence in Romance Fiction award in contemporary romance series and the 2015 Bookseller's Best award for contemporary romance, long.

Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/karenrock5

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Writing Powerful and Believable Paranormal Characters #AmWriting

 Writing Powerful Paranormal Characters 

A guest post by Paranormal Romance Author Dakota Skye

There's something incredibly freeing about writing paranormal stories where the imagination knows no bounds. Our characters can morph into another species, shoot fire from their palms, control the wind, read minds, and so much more. Despite the fantastical elements of a paranormal story, it's still important that the reader believe the characters are possible and are still able to relate to them. Whether writing about magicians, witches, wizards, mermen/mermaids, psychics, or any other character that is magical and mystical, there are a few traits to keep in mind.

Create a personality profile, just like you would with any other character, but remember that your paranormal character is larger than life, too. Witches, wizards, and demigods, for instance, need to convey a sense of power. Below are a list of personality traits to incorporate into your paranormal character--no need to use them all, but these are some to consider:

1. Intelligence. Supernatural powers require an above average intellect, critical thinking, critical analysis, and the ability to make difficult, fast decisions.
2. Excellent memory--for rituals, spells, ingredient lists, and things of that nature. 
3. Creativity. Those in the supernatural world need to adapt quickly to new situations, be open-minded to the unexpected. 
4. Self-disciplined and focused. A supernatural being or those with magical powers need to be able to shut out distractions, even under difficult circumstances. They must also be able to resist temptations that we mere mortals wouldn't.
5. Patience. (especially true of witches) Magic requires endless practice and repetition and the impatient drop out long before they become masters. 
6. Highly trained. Talent is not enough--an inclination toward the mystical is just that...an inclination and nothing more. Wizards, witches, demigods who wield the power of the Universe---are all trained how to manage their supernatural gifts. 
7. Specialized. Not all supernatural beings are created equally---all have specialties that they've honed through practice combined with passion. Perhaps one can control the weather while another can manifest great wealth. Think of it like the medical field where doctors ultimately choose an area of concentration. 
8. Musical. Many forms of magic or supernatural practices involve drumming or chanting or another form of musical communication. Think of your character...can you apply this somehow? 
9. Spiritual. Most forms of magic are linked to religious beliefs and most myths are also linked to a higher form of power. Even an atheist will often engage in a form of meditation. 
10. Well-organized and methodical. Supernatural characters always have more information than most or have ingredients on hand to whip up a magical concoction at a moment's notice. In comedic situations, of course, the disorganized witch creates disaster...but there is always a wizard or more skilled witch present to save the day. 
11. Introverted. Whether it's because of their powers or their need to practice/study the craft, most supernatural and magical beings prefer solitude. After a night or a day in noisy places or with too many people, your character needs to retreat to solitude to recharge his/her energy. Even for the most gregarious and outgoing supernatural beings, there is usually a degree of retreat needed to reconnect with their power. 
12. Ethical, except for your evil antagonist, of course. With supernatural power, comes the weight of moral judgement as to when to unleash it for the sake of the greater good or justice. These ethics may be connected to their spiritual connection or individual conscience. Modern magical ethics of "harm none" or "don't interfere with someone's free will" often come into play. This can be a powerful source of internal conflict with your hero/heroine as they debate on using their powers and the impact that choice could have on a broader scale. 
13. Sharp senses. Supernatural and magical beings are in tune with the world around them, far beyond the senses of a regular human being. They can detect changes in energy, have excellent hearing, and keen eyesight. Their abilities have been fine tuned through intense training and years of awareness. But don't overdo this; for instance, don't make a psychic who can hear the dead also read the minds of the living because it provides little challenge and will ultimately create a boring story. Every character must have a limit to what they can do, even those with supernatural abilities. Remember that the reader must also relate and believe your character and that perfection is boring.
14. Day job. Most supernatural characters interact with mortals every day--not only to pay the rent, but also to appear normal and make them connect to a community. 
15. Pets. Most supernatural or magical characters have a pet of some kind. This doesn't need to be conventional. In my novel, Impact Zone, the merman has a pet sea lion. 

Paranormal stories are made extraordinary by being unique so use as many of the fifteen characteristics in your character as YOU deem appropriate; however, always remember that the reader must relate to and believe in your hero/heroine to keep them engaged.

Keep being sensational!
Dakota Skye
http://www.authordakotaskye.com

Author Dakota Skye is an erotic paranormal author fascinated with all things other-worldly and fantastic. She has seven paranormal romance novels and short story collections out in the world with four more novels slated for publication in 2016. Find details for all of her books at http://www.authordakotasky.com and follow her Facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/AuthorDakotaSkye 

Getting Tough on Fake Friends and Saying YES to Respect

Loving and Respecting Yourself Enough to Say, "I will not tolerate anyone who disrespects me or doesn't appreciate my unique self."

One of my biggest personal flaws is cultivating one-sided relationships that end up hurting me. I attract narcissists who, at the end of the day, don't have my back. For the longest time, I have allowed people who treat me like an afterthought to cycle through me life at their leisure. But I'm not blaming them--I accept that I've allowed this behavior in the past with my eyes wide open and with the attitude of just letting it go.

But the letting it go hasn't served me well--it's only benefited them. As they show up only when they need me, I am left alone in the 'in between' when maybe I need a friend to just spend time with or share a laugh. If it's not on their time table, then they don't have the time. Period.

Or, worse, they're the first to backstab and throw me under the bus based on conjecture or rumor--zero facts. Is that a friend I really need to mourn the loss of? No. Yet, I still find myself missing someone who was really only a placeholder for someone more authentic, filler in the void of loneliness that caused me to settle for less than what I deserved.

I think we all go through periods in life when we know we are compromising our standards simply to avoid being alone. After being widowed, I had a gaping hole in my life where my best friend had existed. I floundered, brought people close who hadn't earned access to the inner circle, assumed a confidante type relationship too soon, and ended up burned and often hurt.

It's taken me a lot of time to realize that self-love isn't just about exercising or eating right or getting a facial every now and then. Respecting oneself also means having standards for the people who get close enough to hurt you--do you really trust them--can you--have they earned it?

Do you know they won't leave your house to gossip and tear you down? Do you know they aren't just using you for your expertise or help and that, once they get it, they won't disappear for months? Do you believe that they care about your heart enough that they would never intentionally stomp on it? Do you feel that they know your true heart and would go to the mat defending you in your absence? If not, then they need to stay in the "acquaintance zone" until (and if) they prove themselves worthy of your friendship. 

Why is this so hard for me to implement? It seems easy enough on the surface. I can recite it to myself repeatedly, but then when someone shows back up in my life after an extended absence, I'm too willing to take them back into the fold. Guess what? They disappear again, usually more hurtful than before, and it's simply a cycle I can no longer accept.

Perhaps the death of my husband made me co-dependent in some ways--maybe I needed human connection so much that I reached out to anyone who was there and willing to step in. I'm the first to admit that only-parenting while building a career is damn hard--and lonely. Perhaps that need to feel connected to someone blurred the boundaries. I was too eager to pick up the checks for dinner and buy concert tickets back then--only to be told years later when finances became stretched that people my age should be better off.

I own my mistakes. I take full responsibility for my actions--then and now as I say, "no more." It's time for me to respect myself more by demanding a higher quality of relationship in my life.

I'm not perfect. I'm flawed. My life is chaotic. I work a lot. I always give people the benefit of the doubt and trust too easily. I like getting wild and letting loose because the weight of the world is always on my shoulders. Money is tight because I'm a single mom with a college student and another one about to go. But, more importantly, I'm a good friend who is honest and has integrity. If people can't see that, if they don't automatically believe that after knowing me, then they aren't my friend and perhaps never wanted to be. That's been the hardest part for me to accept---that maybe, yes, they were never as invested in the friendship as I was and I simply wanted to believe it was a deep connection so I didn't feel so alone.

That's the part that makes me doubt my judgment and my heart.

But no more. My life isn't a revolving door for people to show up, shit on me, and leave only to return as if nothing ever happened because good ol' Amber will just 'go with it.' I look at all I've accomplished and all that I've survived and think, "I deserve to be treated better. No more settling. No more disrespect."

I own all the good, too, you see. I own the scars, the drive, the battles, the heartbreak, the creativity, the successes, the failures, the triumphs, the joy, the adventures, and all the love I've cultivated between my kids and me. I'm giving myself respect--which is true self-love. 

If your personal relationships aren't allowing you the freedom to express yourself or embrace your successes, then it's time to rethink the people you've allowed into that inner circle. That inner sanctum should be a safe place for you to fall, a place of support and celebration. Even if it's a party of one at times--don't compromise your standards.

Wishing you all green lights and happy days...
Amber Lea Easton
http://www.amberleaesaton.com

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Amber Lea Easton is a multi-published author of romantic thrillers, contemporary romance, women's fiction, and nonfiction. She also writes five different blogs, volunteers for children's literacy, and advocates for suicide awareness. In addition, she is a professional editor and mother of two extraordinary human beings. She currently lives in a small cabin high in the Rocky Mountains where she is completely aware of how lucky she is. To find out more about her books, please visit http://www.amberleaeaston.com. 

A Reckless, Selfless, Dangerous Love #ScintillatingSunday #RomanticSuspense

Welcome to the Scintillating Sunday Romance Blog Hop where multiple authors share eight paragraphs of their work that they find 'scintillating.' Today we're looking at the epic romantic suspense novel, Reckless Endangerment, about a wounded US Marine and the wife who's fighting to bring him all the way home... 

**Free downloadable Prequel available in PDF form here**

Excerpt...

“You need to leave. You don’t owe me anything,” he said without looking at her face.

She caught her lower lip between her teeth and studied his bent head before answering, “This isn’t about owing you anything.”

He met her gaze then, annoyance flashing in the brown depths.  But there was something else there, too—pain so intense she took a step back. 

“What is wrong with you?” he asked. “Just because I’m in this chair doesn’t mean that you can bully me.”

“Am I bullying you?” She grinned at the idea.  He’d always been the badass Marine with more arrogance than necessary. Her independence clashed with his attitude more often than not, but that had been a good thing. Maybe...just maybe...he’d missed it. “I brought you fast food and alcohol. We even had a fight.  I think you like that I’m here. I’m livening things up.”

He grabbed her hand before she could snag another fry. He squeezed her fingers so hard she thought her bones would snap.

“Look at me.  I’m not the man you married. I’m not even a Marine anymore. Look. At. Me."

She only saw the man she loved who stared back with desperation in his eyes. She saw his hair thicker and longer than she’d ever seen it before and liked it. She saw his teeth sink into his lower lip and wanted them sinking into her skin. She only saw Michael...her Michael...and she'd do whatever it took to make him see it, too.

From the back cover...

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Sometimes heroes fall and take their loved ones down with them.

Colonel Michael Cedars and reporter Hope Shane fell in love in a warzone, but then the world blew up and splintered their lives in two.

Coming home again isn't always easy.

A Marine accustomed to giving orders, Michael struggles to find his role in civilian life. Wounded, he faces new battles as he learns to walk again, struggles with wartime ghosts, and questions his abilities as a husband.

Love worth fighting for.

Hope doesn't give up—not on the man she loves and not on her pursuit of justice. An investigative reporter, she's hot on the trail of a human trafficking ring. Danger intensifies as she gets closer to the truth, but the human traffickers know her weakness.

Will Michael become her Achilles Heel? Is he still the hero she married or has he become a liability that could get them both killed? 

Read it now....

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Adrenaline Rush of #Romance, Suspense and Nail-biting Action in Duplicity #MySexySaturday

He's sexy and he knows it...and he's never been one to run from trouble. 

She's way over her head, trapped on an island, and her only hope is a boat captain who's dangerous in his own right. 

An excerpt of Duplicity, a romantic suspense novel, where no one is as they seem. 

"Do you have anything stronger than beer? I feel like getting drunk," she said so softly he wondered if she'd said anything at all. "I know you don't know me and probably think I'm some kind of criminal, but I found out some horrible things today about people I trusted and, even though I know what's right, it's much more complicated than that." 

He chewed his fish without looking at her while weighing what she'd confessed. "I'm just a boat captain who—"

"Spike said you're a lot more than that," she whispered.

He finished his beer before releasing a long sigh. "I'm no one's hero, if that's what you're thinking. I'm just the local dive master who runs a one-boat operation with his long time buddy. No more, no less. I don't want to hear your secrets or save you if you fall overboard." 

"So you'd let me drown?" Her thigh bumped his beneath the table as she faced him. The sea breeze tossed her hair across her face like a veil. She arched an eyebrow, smile growing.

"Most likely." He shrugged and moved away from the table. "You paid me in cash, after all, so there's no real evidence you were ever on board, no liability on my part."

Her laughter behind him stirred something in his chest that made him curse as he opened the liquor cabinet. Oh, she was trouble with a capital T, but not because of what she'd left on the island. He took a swig straight from the bottle before grabbing two glasses and a couple of sodas. Fifty thousand US Dollars wouldn't be enough to compensate for the kind of trouble he suspected he was about to unleash. Oh, what the hell? He'd been a bit bored lately.

From the back cover...

Nothing bad happens in paradise...or does it?

Lexi Dubois is in trouble. On Grand Cayman for business, she discovers the company she's been working for is funding a human trafficking ring—and the money trail leads back to her. Scared for her life, she charters a boat for a week to hide from the men on the small island who want her dead and to buy time to find enough evidence to take them down. The last thing she expects—or wants—is a torrid affair with the hot captain and dive master.

Larry Gibbon has been running a charter dive boat operation in Grand Cayman for years. He's seen it all—and done his share of creating havoc. But when a mysterious woman charters his boat for a week—alone—he has no idea what trouble she's bringing aboard.

The ocean is vast and unforgiving, but will Larry's knowledge of the Cayman Islands and Lexi's relentless determination to survive be enough to save them?

**The Wanderlust Series consists of stand-alone adventure romance novels. Occasionally, characters from previous novels may make a cameo, but each story truly does stand on its own merits.

Escape to Grand Cayman with the sexy scoundrel Captain Larry at the helm! 

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Is It True That Love Never Dies? I think so #Paranormal #TrueStories

Love never dies. What does that mean? Before my husband's death, we'd never experienced paranormal activity at our home. In fact, it would be fair to say that I was a skeptic. Ghost? C'mon. Get real.

Be careful what you ask for--things got real, real fast after he died. Almost immediately after his death, my phone would ring with static at the other end. I would be away from home and see that the caller I.D. was that of my home office. A chill would come over me and I'd quickly disconnect. Either someone had broken into my house or someone--something--was calling me from the other end.

I told a few people about this only to see their eyes widen. I could almost hear their thoughts, "Oh, she's so consumed with grief she's imagining phone calls from 'the other side.' It didn't matter that I could show them proof on my caller ID. So I started keeping the experiences to myself, even though my curiosity had definitely been ignited.

Then things intensified when I cleaned out the closet to remove Sean's clothes--it disturbed me seeing them there as if waiting for him to walk in and get dressed. So I boxed things up and gave some away.

But then the unexplained activity started feeling aggressive or more insistent. I'd see a shadow figure that looked exactly like my late husband's upper torso looming at the edge of the bed. There would be knocks on the window with no one there. The dogs would growl at...nothing. I'd wake up all tucked in beneath my covers as if someone lovingly wanted to keep me warm. I would have vivid dreams where he'd sit and talk with me about the day just like he used to do…and when I woke up, my skin would tingle where I felt he'd touched me.

Fuses kept being blown with no explanation. Not just minor ones either, but major high voltage ones that controlled our water pump for the well. It happened again and again...no one could find a reason why. It was as if the energy in the house had gone wild with no explanation.

Ghosts became a fascination for me. I started watching paranormal investigations on television, reading whatever I could on the subject, and eventually met with a psychic who validated the experiences I'd had in my home.

Again, despite the personal experiences with the unexplained, I was skeptical and somewhat guarded with the psychic. I didn't give her any background information on me at all and went to the appointment with hope on one hand and a "what the hell am I doing now" attitude in the other.

One of the first things she said to me was, "He left energy behind, trapped energy that's causing fuses to blow." 

I froze. Seriously?

Then she smiles and says, "He's a bit of a smartass, isn't he? Your husband? He didn't mean to kill himself. He's sorry. He didn't want to leave you or the kids. He wasn't thinking right." 

At this point I start crying. I hadn't told her about the fuses, the weird calls, the knocks, the shadows, none of it. I hadn't even told her that I was widowed.

"He likes it when you talk to him in the closet," she said.

I talked to him when I was in there putting away clothes...

"He wants you to know he loves you and that he checks in with you when he can. He wants you to be happy."

I left that appointment shaking and silent. I still wasn't sure about any of it--but at this point I wasn't a published author yet and it wasn't so easy to google my life story. So how did she know?

What did I know? What do any of us really know about the after life and what happens? I'd heard my husband's last breath--watched the light go from his eyes. The moment is burned into my mind. I'd felt the change of energy in the house and in my soul.

I truly believe that love never dies. It transcends time, perhaps becomes another energy that surrounds those of us who survive. Death is not the end of our existence, merely a transition. My curiosity has only grown since these experiences. The paranormal activity in the house has subsided for the most part--compared to those first days and months after his death, it is quiet here now. Peaceful.

I went to a different psychic again last year at a psychic fair for different reasons, even wore my wedding rings because, in the back of my mind, I know there are true psychics and some who are most likely con artists. Again, I said the bare minimum about my life, just sat down in the chair and grinned, and the first thing she says is, "Your husband is sitting next to you. He's really proud of you...and he wants you to know you are exactly where you are supposed to be, doing exactly what you are supposed to be doing." 

Explain that? I hadn't even voiced my question or said one word beyond, "hello."

Cue the XFiles music...

Have you ever had a paranormal experience with a loved one who has passed on? I'd love to hear about it.

Something to think about...
Amber Lea Easton
http://www.amberleaeaston.com

 

Amber Lea Easton is a multi-published author of romantic thrillers, contemporary romance, women's fiction, and nonfiction. She also writes five different blogs, volunteers for children's literacy, and advocates for suicide awareness. In addition, she is a professional editor and mother of two extraordinary human beings. She currently lives in a small cabin high in the Rocky Mountains where she is completely aware of how lucky she is. To find out more about her books, please visit http://www.amberleaeaston.com. 

All She Wants is One True Thing #RomanticSuspense

Enjoy the peek inside the new release, One True Thing, a romantic thriller that will have you squirming in your seat from the heat between the characters and the danger pressing down on them from all sides.

An excerpt....

"Don't you want to...talk or something?" he asked. 

"About my feelings?" Her lips twisted. "It sucks. It hurts like hell. It pisses me off. There. I talked about my feelings. We good now?" 

He'd never met anyone like her. Vanessa Warren was definitely a one-of-a kind. She sauntered to him, almost like a predator about to go in for the kill, stood on her tiptoes until her breath caressed his chin, and whispered, "Make me believe in something good, something better than a lie." 

He grabbed her ass and lifted her up until they were eye-to-eye. Hair licked with fire slipped across his face when she leaned over him, all color and warmth. He wanted this, wanted her. This is why he had come, to feel this again, this agony of desire that he had suppressed for years. 

Fingers twisted in the strands of hair that teased him. He crushed her to him, ravaging her mouth like a dying man grasping at life. Tongues clashed. Teeth nipped.  And he fell past a point he had never thought to cross, not that he cared, not that it mattered. In his mind, he could see the lights of the city, blurring with speed and spinning beneath them. 

God, she felt good.  Intoxicating. Her lips nibbled across his neck.  

“I shouldn’t want you so much, but I do. I can’t stop myself,” she whispered.  

“Why do you want me?” He curled his fingers into her hair and pulled her up to his face. “Tell me.”

“You wanted me when you didn’t know who I was. We were just two people, strangers, without a past or a future. I knew you wanted to fuck me against that mural, beneath that tarp, I saw it in your eyes, thought about it all damn day. Then tonight there you were. You walked up those stairs like a predator, seeking me out, sweeping me away.”  

“You want to be swept away?”  

“Desperately.”

Silky strands slipped from his fingers as her head moved across his chest and he surrendered as he had known he would. He carried her from the balcony to the bedroom and fell backward on the mattress with her velvet-encased body draped across him. 

“Damn dress.” She propped herself above him and grimaced. “Help me out of it?”

“With pleasure,” he whispered against her neck. 

His fingers moved to the discreet zipper at her side and — with his gaze never leaving hers — he slid it down.  She shrugged it off her left shoulder. As if unwrapping a Christmas gift, he wasted no time in sliding the rest from her lean, toned body. Velvet hissed down her torso and slipped from her legs. Clad only in strapless bra and panties with her hair falling in wild layers past her shoulders, she kicked the tangled material off her feet and flashed him a devilish smile.   

“You’re deadly.” But what a way to die.

 

Off came the bra. She grinned like the seductress she was and tossed it away.  “I’ll be gentle.”

“Don’t lie to me anymore.” His hands covered her breasts, claiming them.  “Game’s over.”

“Wrong, Nic. It’s just getting started.” She pushed his shirt from his shoulders and breathed against his neck.  

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From the back cover...

One little lie leads to a whole lot of trouble.

Reclusive international resort developer, Dominic Piazza, needs a date to ward off his matchmaking parents. When he persuades the notorious Vanessa Warren to play his girlfriend for the night, he has no idea he's stepped into the crosshairs of kidnappers who will do anything—destroy everything—to get to her.

Power...it's a heady drug.

Vanessa Warren is America's favorite rebel. Daughter and granddaughter of US Presidents and sister to a future one, her family connections and notoriety are seen as leverage for manipulating the White House—if she's captured.

One true thing...

Trapped in a rapidly escalating international terror plot, Dominic and Vanessa's lie becomes the only real thing in the midst of betrayals, conspiracies, and murder. As their world falls apart, they suddenly only have each other to rely on against ruthless people who will stop at nothing to achieve their goal. Who can they trust? Who is behind the plot—her own family, a political rival of her family's, or a terrorist organization? How far will the kidnappers go—what will they be willing to sacrifice—to control the power of the White House? Is there anywhere in the world where they can find safety?

 

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