I seriously regret that I wasn’t able to take part in this year’s Romance Divas E-book Challenge. I did last year. It was so much fun. I remember I felt like a real writer for the first time ever. I was up for about 32 hours straight. High on energy drinks and potato chips. Writing like the wind.
The story was surprisingly cohesive. It was a sexy little tale inspired by the setting of the movie: The Count of Monte Cristo. I imagined an island in the Frioul Archipelago, near the infamous prison, Chateau d’If. I tried to reason on what kind of man would live there. Of course it would be French nobility. A man of great wealth. Of little morals. And of course, that sort of man attracts thieves and gypsies and pirates and such. That’s how Mireio came into existence. A mysterious gypsy woman who had the gall to try and steal from him.
Things got really interesting at that point. I almost regret that the entire story didn’t take place in that time frame: off the coast of France, 1814. I could have really done a lot with that. It jumped forward to present day, and turned into a paranormal. The first I’d ever written!! 
Honestly, I really loved it. Unfortunately, it got more complex than it was supposed to and ended up being too darn long to finish in three days. It’s still online, I just don’t advertise it much because it’s incomplete.
However, with it being Read an E-book Week, I thought I’d give you guys a link in case you were bored and wanted to check it out. Don’t forget! It’s unedited and rough, so forgive the ickiness.
Click to fall into the world of Possession.
The reason this all came up is because despite not being able to participate in the 2nd annual E-book Challenge, I’ve decided I want to release a free read this year. I think it’s a great way to give readers a taste of your style and voice as a writer. It’s also a great way to show that you’re versatile and can play with different styles. My free read was really important to me, to prove I could do dark and sexy, while my book available with Freya’s Bower is more light and comedic. So all in all, I think it’s a positive experience for everyone!
I’ve added a little progress meter for the new free read. If I had to label it, I guess I’d say it’s a contemporary sci-fi romance. Or something like that. When it’s all done and ready I’ll most certainly be letting you guys know. Here’s a little taste for the curious:
I remember the day he left with startling clarity. It was a bright September morning, brighter than it had any right to be. He lay in my arms, the warmth of his body the only sign of reality in my dream world. The higher the sun lifted in the sky, the tighter he held me.
“Don’t leave me,” I whispered onto his chest, where my fingers drew slow, lazy circles onto his naked skin.
“You know I don’t want to,” he said, his voice rough with the morning, thick with emotion.
“Why can’t you stay?” I snuggled closer. Any space was too much space between us. I wanted to crawl under his skin. To make sure he never ever let me go.
“Because I can’t.” He breathed deep. Genuine sadness hung in every syllable. “There are severe consequences to those who break the vow of silence. I’ve already said too much, put my life and yours at risk.” He held me close. At that moment, I wasn’t afraid. I truly believed his strong arms would keep me safe. “Not arriving on schedule would set off major alarms.”
“We could hide,” I offered hopefully, too young, too naïve to know better. “Change our names; move far away where they can’t find us.”
He actually chuckled, low and rich, a delicious vibration beneath me. “That only works in movies,” he breathed into my hair.
“And fairytales,” I said softly. “Isn’t this our fairytale?”
So there it is.
