Blurb:
In the deep south of Doltree,
Georgia, not everything is what is seems. Long accustomed to life as an
outcast, the beautiful and demure Annaleah Grace has learned to stand apart
from the crowd with dignity. Being the daughter of a white witch and a white
witch herself, living in a town of devout Christians, has earned her more than
a few raised eyebrows.
When she meets the handsome, yet snarky, Professor Bainbridge with whom she will be teaching at the local University, everything in her life abruptly changes. Something about him seems intimately familiar to her in a way she can’t totally identify. Even though he’s brusque and intimidating, Annaleah is drawn by his otherworldly eyes and foreign mannerisms.
With the help of angels, both Holy and fallen, she discovers just how unique she truly is. Dreams become a meeting place between this reality and the next, and Professor Sebastian Bainbridge’s true identity is revealed.
When her dreams begin to be more than dreams and she wakes up with Georgia red clay she walked through during a nightmare still wet on her feet, Annaleah knows something intense and powerful is going on, and that somehow, Professor Bainbridge is part of it. She is determined to embrace the profound destiny that awaits her and the Professor, even if that means taking up a sword to fight the Devil himself.
Excerpt:
Sebastian caught Annaleah neatly
in his arms, and encircled her in his wings, holding her so close she felt she
could melt right into him and together they would burn as one being. Tears came
to her then, spilling down her cheeks and falling onto her breasts, a silver
light coming from them as they fell. Sebastian opened his wings then and placed
a finger under her chin, tilting her head up to look into his mirror eyes. As
she saw herself in them, glowing and alive and beautiful, it felt so very
right. Sebastian wiped the tears from her eyes, slowly, gently and with great
care. His eyes never left hers as he bent his head down, until right before the
moment when he caught her lips with his, and everything in the world ceased to
exist but their kiss. In that sacred, glorious moment, as their lips pressed
together, she was pierced to her heart with all-consuming adoration, and from
behind her she felt a great motion, as if she had moved something with a great
weight on her back. Confused, and a bit shocked, she broke the kiss, turning to
see what was happening behind her.
Sebastian laughed despite her
apparent confusion and said, "Oh Annaleah my darling, did you
forget?"
Feeling a bit betrayed by his
laughter when he could plainly see her distress, Annaleah asked, "Did I
forget what?"
At this Sebastian outstretched
his magnificent wings to their full height and length, blocking out the sky and
the moon hanging therein.
"Your wings Annaleah; you
forgot you had wings."
Halloween is by far my favorite
time of the year. The crisp chill of the Autumn air, the last hurrah of the
leaves, changing into a myriad of hues, before they let go of life and cascade
to the ground in a symphony of colors. It’s the smell of fires being lit in
hearths, the scent drifting over the horizon, and settling into the dark sky.
It’s the contagious excitement of children, their imaginations stirring the
energy around them, their enthusiasm contagious.
I love the decorations, the
hollow eyed skeletons, and the red eyed spiders dangling in their webs. I love
to see the joy in my daughter’s face as she draws the face on her pumpkin for
her father to carve. I share my daughter’s excitement at picking out the
perfect costume. This year she is going to be a vampire. She has her red and
black velvet Victorian gothic outfit all ready to go, custom fitted teeth and
all.
I am a fan of all things horror,
and I have been since I was about six years old. There is just something amazing
about a jolt of fear striking in your heart, all the while knowing that no
matter the level of terror you feel, you are perfectly safe. I enjoy the
adrenaline, and the journey through the emotions a good scary story or movie
can take you on.
Of course, Halloween is the
celebration of that. It is the one day of the year you can be whoever or
whatever you want, no questions asked. Do you want to be a zombie, theatrical
makeup and all? Go for it, it sounds like a great idea to me. Want to dress up
as a giant bottle of ketchup? Cool, that’s a go in my book too. It’s a day to
open our mind up and use the powers of our imagination. Have you always wanted
to be a matador? Guess what, on Halloween, you can be! Just for a day, you can
be anything.
It is also said that this is the
one day of the year that the veil between the living world and that of the dead
is at its thinnest. Fancy doing a séance, do you? This would be a good time to
hold one. (As long as you research and know what you’re doing. In anything you
do that has an element of danger in it, you want to do your research and
protect yourself. Delving into the paranormal is absolutely one of these times
when you want to do that.)
Halloween is also related to a
sacred pagan Holiday called Samhain (Pronounced Sahw-when.) This is the day
when the Horned Lorde, the consort of the Goddess and Great Lady, and the protector
of the woods and wild things, goes into the ground and hibernates until the
spring, signifying the end of the year. Like the tale of Demeter and
Persephone, the earth mournes their Lorde; flowers die, leaves change colors
and wither on the ground. This is when the last of the Harvest is taken in, and
the dark half of the year begins.
Whatever you do, and however you
celebrate this time of year, I wish you a happy day and a spook-tactular night!
And so I will leave you with a
treat, in hopes of you having a safe, happy, and delicious Halloween.
Heather’s Haunted Brownies
You will need:
1 package of Ghiradeli double
chocolate brownie mix
12 Reeses peanut butter cups
chopped
2 cups Rice crispie cereal
2 cups semi sweet chocolate chips
(get the quality kind, it makes a difference.)
1 tbs butter
1 ¼ cup creamy peanut butter
2 tsp vanilla extract
½ tsp kosher salt
2 cups mini marshmallows
Bake brownies according to
package directions in a 9 x 9 inch pan
lined with pam sprayed foil.
During the last 5 minutes of
baking, remove the pan from the oven and sprinkle the chopped Reeses over the
warm brownies. Return to the oven for the last 5 minutes of baking.
As soon as you pull out the
brownies, spread the peanut butter cups out evenly with a spatula until smooth.
Let the brownies cool as you take
out a medium sized bowl to combine the peanut butter, chocolate chips and
butter. Heat for 20 seconds in the microwave.
Once out of the microwave, add
the marshmallows. Stir well.
Return the mixture to the
microwave and heat in 20 second intervals, stirring at each interval, until the
mixture is melted and smooth.
Stir in vanilla, salt and cereal
until it is all evenly combined.
Pour over the brownies and
smooth.
Chill in the fridge until they
set, about 2 hours
Cut into squares and serve.
WARNING: These brownies can be
VERY addictive! Enjoy, and you’re welcome ;-)
Heather M. Walker
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during the tour.
Fantastic brownie recipe! I'll definitely be trying it out :D
ReplyDeleteThank you smooch for having me here. Victoria, they are one of my favorite recipes. i truly hope you enjoy it <3
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