My Books are now on ARe

I just received notice that both Night Visions and Talgorian Prophecy are now on sale at All Romance eBooks. You can still buy all of my books at Cerridwen Press but this is a great new outlet to gain readers. In case you didn't know, you can read Cerridwen Press books on your Amazon Kindle or Sony eReader!

When I came on to post I couldn't believe it's been three weeks since I last posted. I tell you what - summertime is crazy here! This past week I got so behind on everything. We're showing Klaske for the first time on the weekend of August 8 -9th so my trainer is putting in extra time with her and I'm out there learning because when Sarah goes back to school I'll continue to ride Klaske. If anyone in the Palm Beaches or Jacksonville needs an excellent trainer I highly recommend mine - her name is Sarah Murrell and she's absolutely great, is very knowledgable and truly cares about the horse performing at it's best. Then I had book edits come in and a slew of psychic readings. By Saturday afternoon I'd caught up but whew what a week!

Yesterday I woke up with the strangest impression. I felt like I needed to make something for three people. I don't know these people and yet this urge was so strong that I followed it through. I ended up making three pieces of jewelry knowing that the person they're for would find them. Each peice was made with white light, intention and love. I put them up on my psychic site A Psychic Haven if you want to see them. It was truly a case of me following my impressions as I've never made jewelry before.

Here's something to think about today: Don't take for granted the things closest to your heart. Cling to them as you would your life, for without them, life is meaningless.

I don't know who wrote that but it's so true. It's easy to take out our frustrations on those that we love the most or to take them for granted. Take a moment today to just cherish the people you love and let them know how much they mean to you.

Smiles,

Melissa

Something To Think About

I hope everyone had a great 4th if you celebrated. Here's something to think about today:

Don't dismiss your dreams, to be without dreams is to be without hope; to be without hope is to be without purpose.

That really says it all doesn't it? So hang on tight to those dreams and strive each day to manifest them in your life.

Smiles,

Melissa/Ariana

Two new contracts, books going to print, something to think about...

I can finally announce that I've signed two new contracts with The Lotus Circle for two titles in their To Go series. The first book is Handwriting Analysis To Go and the second is Color Power To Go. I'll have more information about these when I have a release date.

And I just found out that the anthology I'm in with fellow authors Eden Robins and Karen McCullough titled, Beneath A Christmas Moon, will be going to print sometime this summer. Talgorian Prophecy, my paranormal romantic suspense title released under my pen name, Ariana Dupre, is also scheduled for print this summer. I'm thrilled. I've been with Cerridwen Press a long time and this is the first time I'll have print books released. It's very exciting!

We've had storms here for days on end and I just heard that the second tropical storm of the season has formed. I hope it stays far away from South Florida!

Here's the "Something To Think About" for today:

Don't underestimate your worth by comparing yourself with others. It is because we are different that each of us is special.

Isn't that the truth? If we always try to keep up with someone else or are jealous because someone else has something that we want or if we think she's prettier, funnier, skinnier then we aren't doing anything but holding on to negative energies. We are each special in our own ways and we should each embrace our uniqueness.

Have a great 4th of July weekend if you're in the United States! If you're not in the U.S. I still wish you a wonderful and happy weekend.

Smiles,

Melissa /Ariana

Something To Think About

As I sit here in the midst of finishing up edits for one book, talking to my husband about construction work and trying to decide which illustrations I want to do today, I pulled some papers off of my organizer. Out falls a packet of inspirational sayings that I saw on the wall of a doctor's office (they gave me copies) that I'd intended to post here. So, right now, right this minute, that's what I'm doing before I get sidetracked on something else. I'm going to try to post one a day until they're all up here. Let's see how many days I'll forget. LOL

Today's Something To Think About:

If you had a band that credited your account each morning with $86,400, carried over no balance from day to day, allowing you to keep no cash in your account, canceling all unused funds at the end of each day, what would you do?

You have such a bank. It's called TIME.

Every morning, each person's account is credited with 86,400 seconds. Every night, each second not put toward a good purpose is cancelled. Time carries no blanace forward. Nor does time allow us to borrow against future allocations.

We can only live on today's deposit and invest our time toward the utmost health, happiness and success.

--cited in Leadershop When The Heat's On

What are you going to do with your time today? Me, I think I'm going to use a little of it to relax. Time goes by too quickly when you have ten thousand things to do on your plate. What will it hurt to just walk away from it all for a few minutes and enjoy the blessings in your life? It's not going to hurt at all and may even be better for you in the long run. Enjoy your time.

Smiles,

Melissa

Melissa....where are you??

Here I am! Good morning everyone. It’s been a while since I blogged. The kids are out of school for the summer and it’s pretty crazy around my house. I wanted to let everyone know what I’m up to so you guys don’t think I just fell off the face of the Earth. LOL

Pretty soon I’ll be able to announce the specifics for two new books. I’m itching to tell you all about them but I’m waiting to get my signed contracts back and then I can give you all of the juicy details. In the meantime, I have several other writing projects going on that I can tell you more about. First there are two metaphysical nonfiction books that are nearly finished but I’m not sure what publisher they’ll land at yet. When they’re released you can find them under my real name, Melissa Alvarez. One requires a lot of artwork that I need to provide so we’ll see what happens.

I’m currently in the midst of illustrating two children’s picture books that will be released in September by Adrema Press under my pen name Jara Jordan. They are It’s My Day, Jake! and Penelope Panda’s Shooting Star. Right now these books are planned to be released in both English and Spanish. I also have another book scheduled for release in October titled, Read With The Lights On! Spooky Stories For Kids. As Jara Jordan I’ve also got a young adult series and a middle readers series that are in the works. I’m going to seek agent representation on those two once I have a couple of books in each series completed.

O.M.G. - What happened to Ariana Dupre? Relax… Don’t worry… Ariana is still kickin’ it! Since it’s summer, I’m juggling my writing around illustrating, horses and family things. I’m giving Ariana a couple of months off. I do have more books planned for Ariana and I’ll go back to her books once the kids are back in school and I can think straight again. It would be very hard for me to leave the romantic suspense behind.

Also, look for a newly designed website sometime in the near future. I’m going to change it all up so everyone can find all my stuff in one place – if you like books by Ariana then your kids might like Jara’s books. If you're looking for enlightment then check out my metaphysical books. I’m planning to do the website redesign before September. Check it out at http://www.melissaa.com/ .

But Melissa – what about the radio shows?? Look for Celtic Seers in September (there's a lot happening in September isn't it?). Sally Painter and I are co-hosting the show and will discuss all sorts of metaphysical topics. The link is http://blogtalkradio.com/CelticSeers . I haven’t decided about my radio show yet. Did you guys enjoy it? Want to hear more of it? Comment here or send me an email and let me know what you think. It will definitely help my decision as to whether or not I start it back up again.

Right now I’m heading to the farm to feed the horses (we’ve got some of them up for sale if you want to buy one!) and then I’ll be back for the pool to tire the kids out, do some cleaning so my house doesn’t turn into a disaster, wash some clothes so my kids will stop complaining that they don’t have anything to wear (what they really mean is both of their two favorite outfits are dirty and they don’t want to wear any of the clean things hanging in their closets LOL), do some psychic readings that came in and then back to illustrating.

I hope you all are having a great summer! On June 26th my guest blogger is Marcia James. She’s talking about book promotion!

Smiles,

Melissa Alvarez/Ariana Dupre
Talgorian Prophecy On Sale Now
http://melissaa.com/ , http://aspsychichaven.com/

Bidding and Blogging!

Brenda Novak's Auction Is In Progress!

I was very happy to see that the bidding on the clairvoyant reading I donated to Brenda Novak's annual online auction was great for the first day! If anyone has ever wanted to win a detailed past life reading with me - go bid! Let's raise some money for diabetes research! Just click HERE and it will take you to the page I'm listed on. Look for my book cover of Night Visions to find my listing. It's loads of fun and for a wonderful cause!

I'm blogging on The Romance Studio Blog today. Come on over and leave a comment!

Smiles,

Melissa

Romantic Times BOOKreviews gives Talgorian Prophecy 4 Stars!

4 Stars - Hot
Romantic Suspense

Dupré's well plotted and exciting novel grabs the reader. At its center is a wonderful story about lovers reconnecting. This is surrounded by a suspenseful paranormal adventure with several twists that will continually surprise.

Summary: Megan Cassidy has a vision of her son Robbie's abduction. But although she's a renowned psychic, the police don't believe her. Megan knows that a serial killer is using Robbie to get to her, so she turns to her former fiancé Brody Phelps for help.

Brody is the best tracker in West Virginia, and when she tells him who Robbie is, they head into the mountains searching for him. On their journey, they learn about the Talgorian Prophecy and its life-changing ramifications. But first they must rescue Robbie.

Reviewed by Sandra Garcia-Myers

Thank you Sandra!

Guest Blogger Ashlyn Chase

If you base your love story on real people, should you tell them?

Death by Delilah is based (loosely!) on my brother’s real life romance with his wife. I dedicated the book to her for making my brother a happy man. He’s gone now and we all miss him terribly, but thanks to her, he had twenty very happy years.

But she doesn’t like erotic romance, or comedy, and as a writer of erotic comedy, well, the story and their characters went though a bit of transformation. On the other hand, so did mine! Yes, I wrote myself into the book. I’m Gabby. The hero’s younger sister. I added a couple of characters too…in the form of two ghosts looking out for Delilah. But even meddling ghosts have challenges and policies to overcome when communicating with the living.

The conflict was real. He was a Naval Officer when they met. She was enlisted. The Navy regulations prevented them from dating and as far as marriage—forget it! They lived together off base and had to come up with a solution to their dilemma before they got caught…and they did!

My solution is more creative and somewhat different from the one they found—unless they didn’t tell me the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth—so help them! It’s well known that for a story to be interesting, even though you may love your characters, you have to torture them a bit. I sincerely hope they didn’t experience the torture I inflicted on Josh and Delilah!

Will I tell my sister-in-law about the book? I doubt it. Will I tell her I dedicated it to her? I don’t know. She probably won’t read it, anyway. She even unsubscribed from my mailing list! Oh well. I’d rather be down one fan than down a family member. What do you think? Should I tell her?

Speaking of my mailing list…I have a contest going on to celebrate the release of Death by Delilah for members only. It’s so easy and the prize is so cool, you’ll have to check it out! Would you like to be in the running for a large Coach designer inspired bag with the logo prominently displayed? All you need to do is be a member of my emailing list. That’s it. I’ll draw a winner from fans willing to put up with an occasional e-mail from me…how hard is that?

Death by Delilah releases Aril 11th from Ellora’s Cave. See all my Ellora’s Cave books here: http://www.ellorascave.com/AuthorsBooks.asp?AuthorCode=ACha
Sign up for my mailing list on the front page of my website. http://www.ashlynchase.com/

Guest Blogger Denise A. Agnew

WATCH OUT! THE HOT ZONE IS COMING!

No, I’m not talking about global warming, a great day spent on a tropical beach, or a heavy duty survival reality show where you’re stuck for weeks on end with hunky men who can make a raft out of palm trees and sunscreen out of an exotic combination of plant and herb. I’m talking about my series at Samhain Publishing http://www.samhainpublishing.com/.

My first story with Samhain Publishing was released in May 2007 and is called MALE CALL. At that time I didn’t have a notion of writing anything in a connected story or series. Bang! One day an idea just came to me. After writing the first story about an Army reservist overseas in Iraq falling in love with his pen pal back home, I knew I had to write about more men who experienced wartime and the women they would love. So, the HOT ZONE series was launched, and I haven’t looked back. All of these stories are set in the fictional small city of Clarksville, Wyoming. Let me give you preliminary blurbs on all the stories in the series.

In October 2007 the next novella came out and it’s called UNCONDITIONAL SURRENDER. She’s archaeology, he’s Special Ops, and both of them teeter on the edge of stepping into the HOT ZONE. She wants the adventure of a lifetime and isn’t willing to sacrifice it for any man.

Archaeologist Fredricka “Freddie” Bodine returns to her hometown for her twentieth high school reunion, unaware that her old crush, Keith Wallace, has blown back into town. A single memory is etched deeply on her brain—the high school prom where she shared an emotionally revealing dance with him. They’d both left town after graduation, feelings unresolved and teen angst firmly in place. All he wants is to keep the girl he loved and lost safe, even if she hates him for it. Keith doesn’t want her to travel to Los Diablos, a lawless area near ancient ruins that he’s visited during his Special Forces ops, and the place where his sister was killed years ago. As they grapple with family pressures and the exploding passion between them, their battle of wills may just lead them to the truth living in both their hearts.

April 1 Samhain is releasing PRIVATE MANEUVERS. Sometimes a woman craves, sometimes a man wants… When the two collide, its guarantee to pitch them straight into the danger lurking within the HOT ZONE. Marisa Clyde wants nothing to do with the soldier who is acting as a temporary bouncer in her uncle’s tavern. Stoic and over six feet of smoldering masculinity, the hunk helped rescue her during a tour gone bad in Mexico. During those few short moments after she first met him, the tension between them screamed off the charts. A devastating hurt in the past blocks her willingness to surrender to him. If she can wait him out now, he’ll only be in town a month and then he’s out of her life. Jake Sullivan watches Marisa like a hawk, well aware his need to protect is messing with his mind and making him care for Marisa way more than he should. Priding himself on clinical detachment in the game between man and woman, he figures once he’s slept with her, she’ll be out of his system for good. But that’s before he experiences her on a deeper level and learns she just might be in danger again.

In May Samhain releases CLOSE QUARTERS. When all hell breaks loose, sometimes you just need someone to cover you. Neena Williamson struggles to keep her high-pressure job from overwhelming her, and she thinks the demons of her past have long since disappeared. One night, she sees a man wearing the most hideous Hawaiian shirt on earth and vows he’d never fit her image of a hot bod for a local charity’s new hot male calendar. Then the evening erupts in violence, and he proves that first impressions can be dead wrong. Sometimes having a simple cup of coffee can turn into a complicated situation…Mitch Gilroy hides in plain sight, enjoying his low-key handyman job. His former life isn’t open for discussion, and Clarksville, Wyoming is the perfect place to find peace. Then a gunman forces his hand, and Mitch must remember everything he’s tried so hard to forget. Thrown together, Neena and Mitch quickly discover how tangled their emotions can become, and only by working together can they banish the monsters that haunt them and heal a lifetime of regrets.

There should be at least one more story in the HOT ZONE series. Stay tuned to my web page at http://www.deniseagnew.com/ and www.myspace.com/deniseagnew for all the news on this series and my other series and stand alone novels.

Hope you enjoyed a little sneak peek into what’s coming from the HOT ZONE. With these novellas I tried to convey a sense of homecoming and what that can mean to someone who has survived a dangerous situation. Plus, I wanted the character’s pasts to catch up with them in some way, to have them stretch and grow and discover it is possible to find love even when you least expect it. What types of stories make your blood race? Do you like stories set in dangerous situations, or do you prefer the more mundane and often more realistic home fire settings?

Wow - what a review! I'm THRILLED!!

5 Cup Review! I'm so happy with this review. Thank you, Wateena, you made my day! Check out that last paragraph everyone!

Melissa/Ariana


TALGORIAN PROPHECY
ARIANA DUPRE
ISBN# 978-14199-141-64
February 14 2008
Cerridwen Presshttp://www.cerridwenpress.com/
E-Book$6.49
194 Pages
Paranormal Romantic Suspense
Rating: 5 Cups

Megan Cassidy is a psychic who is fast becoming famous. Megan has a six-year-old son whom she keeps secret from the media. Seven years ago Megan fell in love with Brody Phelps and became engaged, but when a bad prediction leads to Brody’s hatred she left and never looked back. But now a psycho serial killer named the as the “Mangler” has her son Robbie, and there is only one tracker who knew those mountains and that is Brody Phelps.

Brody Phelps is Chief at the Flatrock Creek Ranger and Police station. Years ago, Brody made a promise to himself to help find the lost, especially the children. Now Megan comes back wanting him to help find her kidnapped son, Brody did not know if he could let his heart go through that pain again. But the “Mangler” has followed her to Flatrock and Brody knows he could not turn his back on Megan this time.

Megan explained to Brody about the visions she is having and what she was seeing, and although skeptic, Brody decides to follow her leads. Megan soon takes them on the route to the Talgor Ridge, where old myths and legends were told of the Talgorian Mountains. And as they start the hunt, both Megan and Brody enter into a whole new world neither knew existed and the myths of the mountains were true. The fight for Megan’s son becomes entwined with a fight against evil. Megan soon learns exactly who and what she is. Fighting together Brody and Megan become closer than ever, but Megan has already seen her death and knows there is no future for them ever.

Ms. Dupre has created a mind blowing tale that grabs you right from the start, throwing you into a maelstrom of action and keeping you on the edge of your seat all the time. With superb ingenuity the author pens a breath taking adventure with some astounding characters and sensual romance. Without missing a beat the author takes you from a normal hunt into a spectacular paranormal world where you learn the key to what is happening. This is one of those stories that at the end the reader feeling like they had just run a marathon. To sum all of it up would be to say one phenomenal read.

Wateena
Reviewer for Coffee Time Romance
Reviewer for Karen Find Out About New Books

Free tarot readings this Friday on The Reader's Round Table

Please join me on Friday when my guest is Charlotte Hubbard. She'll be doing free tarot readings during the show. To call in and ask a quesiton just dial 347-215-8473 or ask during the show in the chat room.Also, my latest release, Talgorian Prophecy, just got it's first review! I'm really excited about it.

"Talgorian Prophecy is filled with suspense, love, and fantasy. The plot will keep readers on the edge of their seat. The emotions in this story run deep, I was wiping tears several times before I finished reading Talgorian Prophecy. The characters are well-defined. Megan is a strong character willing to fight to the death for her child. Brody is a wonderful character, although at times I wanted to yell at him for his stubbornness. Fans of suspense, romance and fantasy will love this one."

Reviewed by Ann Boling for ReviewYourBook.com

Talk to you Friday!

Smiles,

Melissa Alvarez
http://melissaa.com
http://apsychichaven.com

This Friday on The Reader's Round Table

My guest on The Reader's Round Table this week is author Delilah Devlin. Come on over to http://blogtalkradio.com/MelissaAlvarez at 11:00 AM Eastern Time to listen to the show, ask questions via chat or call in! The number to call into the show is 347-215-8473. I hope to talk to you Friday! And as always at the end of the show I'll give a free psychic reading to a caller or to a question posted in chat.

Smiles,

Melissa

Calling All Guest Bloggers!

Would you like to guest blog here? I'd love to have you join me to discuss your books, publishing and things of a metaphysical nature. Just scroll down to the bottom of the page and check out the calendar. Let me know what date you'd like to be a guest blogger (one person per day please - Monday - Friday) and I'll put you on the calendar.

I am scheduling guest bloggers on the same dates as The Reader's Round Table (RRT on the calendar) because they are two separate things.

Smiles,

Melissa

My website is updated!

After a very long period of time of just adding things to my homepage, I've spent a lot of time getting the site organized again. You'll find lots of new things to do over there. I'm really interested to see how well this new book video I did for Talgorian Prophecy turned out. That's why I've put up a poll so readers can vote on it. I'm going to add one here to the blog too because I've never used that poll service before and I'm not sure how well it works. So, here's the video:

I'm also blogging on the Cerridwen Author's Blog today.

Smiles,

Melissa

New Release! Talgorian Prophecy by Ariana Dupre

Well, I've finally decided to get serious about blogging. My index page on my website is getting cluttered with all of my news lately so I'm redesigning the site and blogging. What's my news this time? A new release that I'm very excited about! I'm even doing a feature show with Carole Bellacera to talk about both of our releases tomorrow after my regular show at http://blogtalkradio.com/MelissaAlvarez . During the first half of the show I'll have authors Sloan McBride and Susan Kearney on as guests.

Now back to my newest release. Today (Valentine's Day) is the release date for my new paranormal romantic suspense, Talgorian Prophecy from Cerridwen Press so I thought I’d share an excerpt with you. But first, here’s the blurb:

Megan Cassidy, a world-renowned psychic seer, must fight a serial killer to save her six-year-old son Robbie. But she can’t do it alone. She needs help from the best tracker and Ranger in West Virginia, her ex-fiancé, Brody Phelps.

In a psychic vision, Megan sees her own death during a battle with the murderer that the police have dubbed The Mountain Mangler. She soon discovers that the Mangler is also psychic and looking for a challenge that the first six victims couldn’t meet.

While Brody and Megan search the mountains for the Mangler and Robbie, Megan is drawn to Talgor Ridge where they are told an unbelievable story from a Talgorian Elder. When they discover their destinies are intertwined with the immortal Talgorians, Brody and Megan must each follow their hearts to fulfill the first Talgorian Prophecy. Acceptance is the only way to save Robbie, and the Talgorians, from total destruction.

EXCERPT - TALGORIAN PROPHECY (not final edit)

“Okay, Megan,” Brody nodded toward the lounge area, “sit down and tell me why you’re here.”

She entered the room. An overstuffed brown couch with two matching chairs, a plank coffee table and end tables added a sense of coziness to the police station. She sat on the couch clutching the purse against her abdomen.

What was Brody thinking? Had he wondered about Robbie’s father? Or what her life was like now? Maybe he felt indifferent about seeing her again. She took a deep breath to calm her nerves.

Brody lowered all six foot two inches of his toned physique into a chair. She let her gaze move over his broad chest and down strong arms as the shirtsleeves tightened around muscles bunching beneath the fabric. A utility belt holding a two-way radio and other items clung to his narrow waist. Man, he sure fills out that Ranger uniform.

Her heartbeat increased watching him settle into the chair. She fought the urge to go to him, bury her head against his neck and let him comfort her. It was all she could do to keep her seat. She wanted to lean on him, to feel his strength protecting her. She hadn’t realized seeing him again would be this difficult.

Years ago he had wanted her love and she’d willingly given it. She remembered the time he’d playfully tickled her at the community barbecue, chasing her into the forest until they’d both tumbled onto the grass and into each other’s arms. The day he’d asked her to marry him had been the happiest of her life, a joy eclipsed only by Robbie’s birth. Brody had been her most trusted confidant until that fateful morning when the accident ripped their world apart.
She’d tried to get over Brody by dating other men but none had compared. She’d even convinced herself she didn’t need a man in her life and Robbie’s love was enough. Now she realized she’d only kidded herself. A love like theirs was rare. For a moment she allowed herself to wish for love again.

Brody watched her.

Instead of the baby-faced teenager who caused her to spin out of control, the man staring at her with such intensity was a stranger. His features were more sculpted and laugh lines creased the outer corners of his eyes. She knew she’d never be able to deny her feelings, even after all this time or the pain she’d experienced when he’d broken her heart. How much had he changed after his parents’ deaths?

She searched for any softness in his eyes, an unclenching of his jaw, anything to indicate he’d forgiven her. She saw nothing to offer even a shred of hope.

Not that she’d expected forgiveness.

“I’m waiting, Megan.”

She stared at Brody and twisted the purse strap. “It started eight months ago. A girl was kidnapped and two weeks later her mother was taken. They found both of them murdered in the Allegheny Mountains about twenty miles north of Clarkston. Two months later, a man and his teenage son disappeared. When, again two months later, a woman and her daughter were abducted, the Clarkston police realized they had a serial killer on their hands. They called in the State Police but neither department is saying much. The victims are always a parent and child, with the parent having some type of psychic ability and the killer cuts an X across their chest and decapitates them.”

“The Mountain Mangler?” Brody crossed his arms over his chest.

“You’ve heard of him?”

“Archer wanted me on the search and rescue team with this case but you know that don’t you? You came back to Flatrock Creek to see me because…”

“Yeah, I knew Archer wanted you on the team.” She rubbed her face with her hands. “Brody, you’re the best Forest Ranger in West Virginia and a trained police officer. You’ve been tracking these mountains your whole life. You know this area better than anyone and have proven it by finding eight missing people. If anyone can find Robbie, it’s you.”

“Have you been keeping tabs on me, Megan?” His eyes narrowed and the muscles in his jaw twitched.

Megan jerked her gaze from him. Heat rose into her cheeks under his scrutiny. She couldn’t admit that was exactly what she’d done. “I saw you on television when you found the Anderson boy in the Allegheny’s.”

She met his stare but his expression remained cold. “You were quite a hero.”

“This is out of my jurisdiction.”

“Not as a Ranger.”

“What does Robbie’s father say about your coming to me?”

“I’m not married so there isn’t anyone else to consider. Please help me.”

Brody stood and paced over to the desk.

Megan waited. She knew better than to pressure him. And because this concerned her, it wouldn’t be anything less than monumental for him to agree.

He turned to face her. Indecision and something else flitted in his eyes. Images from their youth flashed through her mind, the accident, his anger.

Crap. I’m reading him. Megan tried to break the connection by imagining a brick wall between them. It didn’t work. She looked away and thought of the serial killer taking Robbie. Anger took over and broke her psychic link to Brody.

“I’m sorry, Megan.” He frowned. “I’m going out of town tomorrow. I can give you the names of other Rangers who are good trackers. I hope you find your son.”

“What? You must be kidding!” She wouldn’t settle for a Ranger who wasn’t a natural tracker and didn’t have the intuitive ability, instincts and dogged determination that Brody had. “This is unacceptable. Couldn’t you cancel your trip?” Megan rubbed her temple. “You still resent me, don’t you? I did not kill your parents.”

“I don’t want to talk about it.”

“No.” Megan stood. “We will talk about it.”

She moved to stand in front of him, in case he decided to walk out on her—again. “My son’s life is in danger. He may die. What about your promise to Arial? When she was murdered you swore you’d always find a way to help a child in danger.”

“There’s too much in our past. You’ll be better off with someone who doesn’t have our history.”

“I don’t want any other Ranger. I want you. You’re the best. You’ve got an instinct about this sort of thing—intuitiveness—even if you don’t agree. Please, Brody. I haven’t bothered you in all these years. The one time I ask for your professional expertise, not for myself but for my child—how can you refuse?”

“Because I have other commitments. I can recommend Ranger Thompson in Calgory. He’s an excellent tracker.” Brody reached for a pen and wrote something on a notepad. He ripped the page from the pad and held it out to her. “Here’s his number. Tell him I referred you.” He tossed the pen on the desk.

Dark brooding eyes bore into her. “Dammit Brody, Robbie needs you.” Her anger swelled.
Brody turned away. When Detective Archer asked him to work this case it had been a hard decision to choose his cousin’s wedding over work. He’d let her complaints influence him.
Now Megan needed him.

He wanted to be there for her, he really did but the risk to his heart was too great. Megan had torn his world apart once. He couldn’t let history repeat itself. Not now, not ever again. “You only want to use me for my tracking skills just like everyone else. You only came to me because I know these mountains. You said so yourself.”

Tracking was his job and he loved it. He didn’t mind being used for work but with Megan it was different. He’d always hoped if he ever saw her again it wouldn’t be work related.
“Brody, there’s something—”

He threw up his hands. “I don’t want to know, Megan. Whatever it is, it won’t influence my decision. For once, why don’t you accept you’ve made a mistake?”

“A mistake?” Megan stared into his eyes as she stepped toward him. So these were his true feelings. “I’m not too proud to admit when I’m wrong. But there’s not a psychic on this planet who is right one hundred percent of the time.”

For a moment he watched her. Megan hoped he was reconsidering his decision. Maybe he’d change his mind and search for Robbie.

“I know you’re under a lot of stress. I’m not going to put myself in a position to be hurt by your visions again.” He took her hand and pressed the piece of paper with the phone number into her palm. “I’m sorry.”

“I don’t want your sympathy, Brody.” Megan backed toward the door, crushing the paper in her fist. “You told me how you felt seven years ago. I should have believed you. I don’t know why I ever thought you would feel differently now. I’ll handle this situation like every other one in my life—alone.”

Megan jerked the front door open and slammed it behind her. She ran down the steps, fumbling with her keys. They slipped through her fingers, clattering onto the sidewalk. She scooped them up but dropped them again.

Anger boiled in her stomach, mixing with the ever-present fear. Tears clouded her vision. She snatched up the keys. Her heart beat so furiously she thought a heart attack was imminent. She paused to take a deep breath while visualizing her heartbeat decreasing. Once the rapid pounding and her breathing slowed, she continued down the porch.

And stopped dead in her tracks a few feet away from the car.

Her gaze narrowed on the child-sized, blue baseball cap lying on the Mustang’s dashboard. The letters NY were stitched above the brim.

Oh God! Panic tore at her, catching her breath and shattering her. She ran to the driver’s side door and leaned into the car for a better look.

Robbie, in capital letters, was embroidered in white above the adjustable clasp.

The killer’s here!

“Give me my son!” Megan screamed and spun around, looking for him. “Damn it, show yourself, coward! Give Robbie back to me!”

Fear rose along her spine. The Mangler had followed her to Flatrock Creek! It was too soon. This meant his MO had changed. He wasn’t waiting to come after her, which meant he could have already harmed Robbie.

Megan halted her frantic circling. Only a few feet separated the station from the trees. The Mangler must have disappeared into the forest.

She willed herself to slip into a semi-trance and tapped into the psychic part of herself. She stood immobile, allowing her physical vision to go out of focus as she searched the woods behind the buildings across the street psychically, setting her mind free. In her third eye she moved quickly through the trees, watching them speed by in a colorful blur in her peripheral vision while she focused on the clear view directly in front of her. She searched everywhere for any trace of the killer’s darkness or the sight of him fleeing through the forest.

She dropped the invisible wall she kept around her own emotions, making her vulnerable to others’ feelings. She tried to connect with the killer’s emotions. Apprehension and uncertainty immediately enveloped her, jerking her back into the ranger station and Brody. She imagined a wall around him to keep his emotions at bay. She’d deal with him later.

Megan traveled back into the forest, searching for any other negative emotions that might belong to the killer. If he were nearby, she’d be able to sense him.

Nothing! She turned and performed the same search in the forest behind the station. Projecting her mind forward again, she found an eagle feasting on a kill in a clearing, while a rabbit hid beneath a nearby bush—he’d narrowly escaped being the bird’s breakfast. A little farther away, a large black and gold iguana peered at her from the top of a boulder. Her mind sped past the animals but the feeling of being watched caused her to backtrack in her mind’s eye to the iguana’s rock. The odd colored reptile had disappeared. How did an iguana get out of its natural tropical habitat and into the Allegheny Mountains anyway? It probably escaped from the pet owner’s cage. Megan scanned past the rock and further into the forest.

Megan’s frustration melded with fear in her mind. How had the killer disappeared without a trace? At every turn she hit a dead end. It was as if he’d somehow blocked her psychic attempts to find him. She’d sensed this before, from other psychics. She did it herself to keep other psychics from reading her. If the Mangler could block her that meant…

The mental connection severed. She slipped from the semi-trance to full consciousness. Refocusing her vision she examined the cap.

She fought the deep knowing filled with unthinkable possibilities. Was the killer psychic too? Moisture beaded her forehead, her body started to shake. The taste of bile filled her mouth, her stomach pitched and rolled. She pushed the feelings back down. She wouldn’t throw up.
Megan slid down the side of the car and collapsed on the gravel beside the wheel. She covered her face with her hand. It was wet from tears. When did I cry?

The weight of the past hours—worrying about Robbie, arguing with the police and facing Brody had been tough. The Mangler had followed her, changing his MO. The possibility of a psychic killer—it was overwhelming. She grabbed her knees. She couldn’t take anymore. What had she done to deserve such a horrible fate? Pain and loss took control of her emotions. Tears poured down her face. She couldn’t hold back anymore.

“My baby, my poor baby,” she cried, rocking her body like she rocked him to sleep. “Someone, please, anyone! Help me find my son!”

~~~~~~~~~~ End Excerpt ~~~~~~~~

I hope you enjoy Talgorian Prophecy as much as I enjoyed writing it. To get your own copy please visit the book's page at Cerridwen Press. I'm working on the book video and will post it when completed.

Happy Valentine’s Day!

Smiles,

Melissa Alvarez/Ariana Dupre
Beneath A Christmas Moon On Sale Now
Visit my website, get a clairvoyant reading
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Writerspace Chat and other news

Join me at Writerspace Tuesday night, January 16, 2007. I'll be there with other Cerridwen Press authors promoting our releases. I'm giving away a digital copy of Night Visions when it is released this Thursday (January 18th). Visit Cerridwen Press to get your copy!

I've just updated my website to include the RWA conference I'm attending in February. I'm looking forward to traveling down to Miami and meeting fellow authors, agents and editors. If you're attending the Fun In The Sun Conference hosted by the Florida Romance Writers RWA Chapter send me and email.

I've also set up a new page at AuthorsDen.com where readers can connect with me. While doing this I realized that I really need to take a new picture. LOL My hair isn't that light anymore. The Florida sun was drying it out so I darkened it and it's much longer now. I think I'll try to have another one taken this week.

I've been working hard on Flatrock Creek and am happy to say that I'm down to the final chapters. I went through it during the past week to jot down all story questions so that I make sure I don't leave my readers hanging at the end. I polished as I went so the majority of the book is ready for submission. My goal is to complete it this week and get it out to the requesting editor early next week. Then, I can reopen my clairvoyant site to all of my clients who have also been patiently waiting for me to finish this book. Next on the agenda I have two projects going on at the same time - finishing Enchanted Visions for submission to Cerridwen Press and writing an anthology submission.

Today I'm taking a break from writing. We're off to the South Florida Fair. It's a yearly event that we take our kids too and I'm looking forward to fun games, rides and the cotton candy. ;-)

Until next time,

Smiles,

Melissa