A chaste kiss on the cheek leads to the discovery of a lifetime.
Even though Eilam has always been part of her world, Amy
never thought of him as more than a mother's friend. One night, after rehearsal
for the town's Christmas Pageant, Eilam reveals that not only is there more to
him than Amy had ever imagined, but that together they could be the next
chapter in a story that has played out in her family for over 2000 years.
While struggling to cope with the death of her mother and
the responsibility of being in charge of the biggest even of the year, Amy must
decide whether her future lies with her estranged boyfriend Troy or the
enigmatic Eilam.
Guest Post by Ivy:
I've been writing for Breathless Press now for three years
which also means that I've been "Ivy" for three years.
Moments ago I was discussing a topic for this post with our
AMAZING marketing guru Jo (let's give a hand to Jo please! She's incredible and
I think many of us would be lost without her) and she asked me if I'd ever
cosplayed any of my characters or used any costumes while writing. My answer is
no, no I have not. However, a few months back, I was looking to revamp my
profile picture and decided that a live action version of Ivy would be fun to
create. My husband, who is an amazing artist, agreed to draw Ivy to my
specifications, but what did I want her to look like? When I imaged her
appearance I immediately pictured a dark haired, sultry woman who is comfortable
in very little, and a bit mysterious. This is pretty much the opposite of me.
I'm blondish red, have glasses, wear many, many cloths, and I'm not so much
mysterious as you pretty much know what's going on with me because I'm not that
great at hiding how I feel.
Anyway, when it came to creating the live action Ivy, I
embraced the fun. I kept clothes on, but I found a short black wig, learned how
to do cat eye makeup, and lost the glasses. Those who know me had trouble
recognizing the picture as me which was perfect. I'm still keeping Ivy on the
down low for many and was hoping the picture wasn't a give - a -way.
What surprised me about the Ivy photo shoot was how much I
enjoyed being her. I love acting and creating characters, but this time it was
different because as I put on the wig and struck a pose I realized that I've
been Ivy for a lot longer than three years. Ivy is not just my pen name, but
the woman I'd like to release from time to time. Dark haired, sexy, mysterious!
I've often wished I could hide my emotions, look good with black hair and
sexy…well, that's subjective, but sexiness is often confidence and to me Ivy
has that in spades.
At the same time, I like who I am. I'm kind, I make people
laugh (sometimes on purpose!), I'm helpful, and most days, I'm fairly confident
in who I am. So while Ivy is part of me, she's not the side I'll show a lot of
people in real life. I'm happy to keep her existing in my mind and on the page.
She gives me some extra dimensions to play in and it's good to know she's
there.
Even if she really doesn't like pants.
Thanks very much Brantwijn for
having me on today! And thanks to those of you who have stopped by. Be sure to
stop by my blog Ivy B Misbehavin' on December 12/14 for a chance to win a copy
of my latest holiday story, The Art of
Falling Forever.
You can also find me at these
places.
Email:
ivybmisbehavin@gmail.com
Happy Holidays and Happy Reading,
Ivy Bateman
Excerpt
The doorbell chimed, causing Amy to nearly jump out
of her skin. She glanced at the clock. It was almost five, which meant that it
could only be Eilam and he was now the last person she wanted to see. Tracy
demanding she explain her new attitude, Troy begging her to take him
back—either scenario would have been preferable to what waited for her on the
other side of her front door.
The bell chimed again, followed by insistent
knocking. "Amara, I know you're in there. If you don't open the door I
will be forced to break it down which, as I'm sure you've figured out, would
blow my cover."
Amy smiled a little. He somehow knew that she'd
discovered the truth. She remembered his voice on the phone, his suspicious
tone. He must have guessed or known she would soon be on a path of discovery.
But how? She touched her cheek. Of course, the kiss.
"Please let me in. There's so much you need to
know."
Amy pushed herself to standing, taking the box of
secrets with her. She placed it on the table in the living room and then went
to the front door. She opened it, slowly and cautiously, blocking Eilam's
immediate entry with her body.
"Amara, please don't be afraid."
"Why not? You give me so much to be afraid of,
being a shapeshifter, or whatever it is you are, who haunts the women in my
family. I think you should go."
"No, I'm not going to go. Not until you've
given me a chance to explain myself. I don't mean to be firm with you, but
please let me in."
Amy looked at his beaten fedora, his crinkled coat,
his bright blue eyes, and his wispy white eyebrows. There was nothing malicious
in his demeanor and yet he was changed. He seemed older in a 'seen a lot of
time' kind of way, and stronger too. She couldn't help feeling he was now a
stranger, but Amy had to trust her mother would not let her be in the presence
of a madman.
.jpg&container=blogger&gadget=a&rewriteMime=image%2F*)
Love the cover!
ReplyDelete