Hi everyone. We had our first snow sighting this week although rather than the storm predicted it turned out to be no more than a few flakes to enjoy. For those of you who received the brunt of the blizzard, take care and stay warm!
I’m posting a final snippet from Blood Stoned today. Thank you for all the wonderful feedback each week. Next week I’ll be sharing intro lines from Cur, my erotic western coming out next month.
A boulder the size of a small horse stood in my path, and for want of anything better to focus on, I slammed my hands on the slab of rock.
Leaning in with all my weight, I pressed my palms against the cool stone and attempted to cast out of me the malevolent power I’d harvested earlier.
“From me to thee,” I chanted in a hoarse whisper over and over again; from me to thee… from me to thee…from me to thee…
Like a tea kettle pouring boiling liquid, the vessel that was me, shaped the excess power and forced the dark magic out and into the stone. Time was of no consequence; had I been alone, I might have remained fixed to the rock long enough to lose my essence in it, leaving me no more than a pebble in the New Mexico landscape.
But—I wasn’t alone.
When Hunter growled, “Maggie, enough,” his harsh command jerked me back into this world.
On my palm lay a green rock marbled with streaks of dark red; I’d reduced the boulder to a bloodstone roughly the size of a silver dollar.
Blood Stoned will be out soon. Meanwhile if you haven’t read Maggie and Hunter’s first adventure, Cat Nip is available now.
Synopsis:
They call her Jinx, an unlucky witch with a reputation for casting erratic spells. But there’s more to Maggie Jenks than meets the eye. She’s a vessel of unfulfilled potential, doing her best to sidestep evil as she uses her gifts for good.
Avoiding temptation gets trickier for the little witch who can heal others with the touch of her hand. A shape-changing predator has her in his sights, watching her days, protecting her nights, and stalking her dreams.
The cat is out of the bag and here…
Great excerpt. I love the cover you had displayed. Did you do it yourself and the animations?
Juneta at Writer’s Gambit
Thank you. No, I can’t draw a stick figure let alone design a cover. The Cat Nip cover and animation are by Michael Hartshine of Booknibbles.com. He also designed my website and graphics.
He did a great job. I grabbed a copy of CatNip, can’t wait to read it. Beautiful cover.
Tweeted, G+’d, Liked on WP, and shared on FB.
Tried to Pin it, but Pinterest said the image was “invalid.”
That image, BTW, is beautiful! Well suited for this snippet.
Thanks much for the social media boosts. Idk what the rules are on Pinterest. I post my book covers etc there, but don’t visit often b/c I get lost in the images and never want to come out. 😀 The girl above is a stock image I bought from 123rf.com (http://www.123rf.com/). They have a nice variety in many sizes and are really affordable.
I got a little sleet this week but no snow.
I like your excerpt. Very intriguing. 🙂 I’ll be adding this to my “to-read” list on Goodreads. 🙂
Really intriguing snippet. Wonderfully written.
Great snippet! I love the way you write.
{{hugs}}
“From me to thee” I like that. I also like the overall atmosphere of this snippet.
The whole paragraph where you describe you forces her powers out was amazing. You definitely painted the scene. Great snippet.
Sounds like she’s getting control of her powers- sort of. It’s nice that Hunter has the ability to ground her. Very nice snippet.
Wonderful snippet. Can’t wait for the new book to be released. Enjoyed Catnip!!
I love the magic and the entire atmosphere in this 8. Well done! 😀
I had to catch my breath. What a powerful eight! Saved by The Man or she might have lost herself.
Whoa! And yipe! Great snippet, Gem. I once had a bloodstone bracelet, but it was used for purifying the blood, rather than housing malevolent energy. Nicely done. 🙂
Cool. Was this her magic working correctly, or was this a mistake? 🙂 You write such great characters, Gem!
She got it right this time! Nicely done, and I love both the cover and image.
That was some malevolence! And I’m glad Hunter was there to help her—sometimes I think Maggie has trouble with her own limits! 🙂
It snowed here just enough to make driving difficult. I hope the streets won’t be as slick tomorrow . . .
Completely drew me into the moment. I love the way you describe how magic works for her.
Fascinating scene, good thing Hunter was there! Really enjoyed the excerpt…I love these two characters!
Sounds like she got lost in her work. Excellent eight, it drew me right in.
Awesome! Can’t wait to read what you have for us next time!
This a perfectly paced scene. And I love that sense of wonder you evoke with the last lines.