17 October 2009

WISHES and EVE up for an award!

Strangely, it's NOT one of the two I was talking about the other day. Two other awards are about to announce finalists, and I'm hopping around in excitement about it. Why is it that I can enter a contest and be completely unaffected about it, until the week I know finalists or winners will be announced? Then I'm a nervous wreck.

Anyway, back to this contest. THREE WISHES and THE TEMPTATION OF EVE (both from my Urban Grimms collection) are up for Whipped Cream's book of the week. First time I've been up for it, and a two-fer, at that. Both took 5 cherries in their reviews. So far, WISHES is doing better in the voting than EVE is, but I like WISHES better, as well, so that doesn't surprise me.

If you've read either of these stories and would like to vote, the link is here. If you'd like more information about them...

http://whippedcream2.blogspot...com/2009/10/temptation-of-eve-..by-brenna-lyons.html?zx=..d4e2230aec45621

"The Temptation of Eve is a thrill ride of a book. From the first page I was sucked in and couldn't put it down. I loved every word! I really enjoyed the twists and turns this book took as Ms Lyons wove her story. I recommend this great read, and look forward to seeing more from this talented author."
Reviewed by Snowdrop for Whipped Cream Reviews- 5 Cherries!

http://whippedcream2.blogspot...com/2009/10/three-wishes-by-..brenna-lyons.html?zx=..583b8947744e796

"Another wonderful read from Ms Lyons! I absolutely loved the godfathers. Their wit and humor are fantastic; add in their caring attitude toward the main characters and these three take the cake. The end of this book is wonderfully satisfying and, just like the fairy tales of old, it has a lesson."
Reviewed by Snowdrop for Whipped Cream Reviews 5 cherries!

Also from the collection...

"This action-packed short was the perfect “waiting room” escape. As an Italian, I found myself laughing out loud at Mama. She was so convincing, I could almost smell the lasagna."

CATCH ME, IF YOU CAN- Reviewed by Jaded for Bitten by Books 3.5 Tombstones!

ONCE UPON A TIME...TODAY!
Once upon a time, the Brothers Grimm wrote a collection or ten of morality and cautionary tales. They weren't the sanitized versions so popular today. In fact, if you were telling a child the Grimm's tales, it was to scare him straight. It's time to take the magic and mystery...and the horrific elements back. Urban Grimms are not the bedtime stories your mother told you. Full of erotic romance, dark fantasy...and good old sarcasm, there's a little something for every grown-up fairy tale lover.
"Catch Me, If You Can"
A retelling of the classic Grimm's tale "The Hare and The Hedgehog." When Angelo Maretti's twin sister is killed by 'family rivals,' the retribution backfires in the form of a mobster who wants to kill Angelo as well. His foe is the last of the culprits left alive, and he will die, God willing...but not by way of a gun. To avoid a war, all of the guilty have to die without a sign of interference by the Marettis.
HEA-yes, VIOLENCE-high, LANGUAGE-moderate, SEX-erotic
Cover art courtesy of Samuel Pray (artist) and Under The Moon!
"Three Wishes"
A retelling of the classic Grimm's tale "Three Little Men In The Wood." Ellie D'Arcy just wants to graduate college and move out of her home to escape her stepmother and stepsister. Her inheritance can wait until she reaches 25, as long as she's free. But, there's another inheritance she is due at 21, one she never knew was coming. What happens when a 21st Century woman is given three wishes by fairy godfathers? Simply put, havoc ensues, because the fae have a sense of humor the likes of which you've never seen before. They also have tempers.
HEA-yes, VIOLENCE-moderate-high, LANGUAGE-moderate, SEX-erotic
Cover art courtesy of Samuel Pray (artist) and Under The Moon!
"The Temptation of Eve"
A retelling of the classic Grimm's tale "Snake Leaves." It's Eve's wedding day to Raul, but something has gone seriously awry. Following a veiled warning from her brother-in-law Roman, the prodigal son who has returned for the wedding, and a drugged wedding night she can barely recall, Eve's life is set on edge. Which brother is lying? Which is protecting her, and which is dangerous to her? Or...are they both?
HEA-yes, VIOLENCE-high, LANGUAGE-explicit, SEX-erotic
Cover art courtesy of Samuel Pray (artist) and Under The Moon!

Excerpt from THREE WISHES

Ellie pushed through the door into the restroom, her mind in turmoil. She had to get the necklace off and find a way to hide it, but she couldn't seem to figure out the lock without a mirror.

At the sink, she turned the chain until the lock faced the reflective metal surface. Twisting the chain to rotate it only heightened her confusion. There were no seams, no markings save a small symbol that was probably a maker's mark, no loops or thumb catches. It appeared to be a solid block of metal, fusing the ends of the sturdy chain together.

But, that was impossible. Angus had put it on her. It had to open.

You can never take it off.

Had Angus said that? Ellie was certain he had. He hadn't said 'you shouldn't' or 'you must not' or even 'you will not.'

You can never take it off.

"That's crazy." Ellie leaned closer to the mirror, pulling and prodding at the block. It felt as solid as it looked. Whatever the trick to it, it wasn't coming off.

Cursing under her breath, she trudged down the hall. She glanced at her watch, wincing that she'd missed the 3:10 train to work. There would be no time to eat before she started work, unless she settled for a burger at the campus café and took the 3:40.

It wasn't exactly high cuisine, but it would do...and it was cheap. A burger, chips and a soda would run her just shy of eight dollars.

Ellie fished her purse out of her backpack, frowning at the weight. It was thick, stuffed so full it bulged in her hand.

"They wouldn't," she breathed. How would they?

"Problem, honey?" the cashier asked.

Her cheeks burning, Ellie mumbled out a 'no' and opened the purse, making sure she shielded the contents from view. She thumbed past the hundreds and fifties, praying that wasn't all she had, nearly sighing in relief at the first twenty. At least one of those was really hers, so she snagged it and paid, stuffing the change into her jeans' pocket.

Ellie dropped the purse back in her backpack, accepted her food and walked away. She knew she'd waste half of it now that her stomach was tied in knots.

It was back to the restroom. Ellie sat in the stall, tearing her backpack apart, looking for a place to hide the wad of money.

"You had to give me two things to hide?" she complained in a whisper.

Hiding the money was essential, even moreso than keeping the necklace under wraps. The money had to be returned to Marcus intact. The necklace was secondary. Worst case scenario, she'd keep it on her neck for the next twenty-four hours.

It's not like I can remove it, anyway. If I can't remove it, it's unlikely anyone else can, either.

That still left her with the problem of hiding... Ellie counted it, her mouth going dry.

A thousand dollars? That was like waving a red flag before Tina and Maria. Even if it didn't mysteriously disappear, just the sight of the money would spur Tina into raising her rent, on the off chance that it was Ellie's money.

But, where could she hide it? Ellie handled one thing after another, rejecting stuffing individual bills in between the pages of her notebook, trying to roll them small enough to stuff her tampon box with them, and so on. Her gaze skated over her laptop then returned.

Of course! Tina and Maria were computer illiterate, save e-mail and forums, and her laptop was only set-up for the college's wireless network. It was the one thing they'd never consider touching.

Ellie pulled the money from her purse, folding a few bills at a time and making a thin layer of them on the keyboard. She shut it, searching for telltale edges and smiling at the results.

The laptop stashed in her backpack, Ellie scooped up her purse...and stopped in dismay. It was full and heavy.

"No," she pleaded. "No, no, no. This has to be a nightmare."

She pulled another stack of bills out of the purse, her heart sinking as it filled again.

"Pocket change," she grumbled. "A spell for pocket change. A five would have sufficed. Twenty wouldn't have been unreasonable." Now what?

At a loss, Ellie laid the second set of bills in the laptop and forced it shut. There would be no more hiding them there. And, if I take more out of the purse, it's going to fill. She didn't question that. She returned the laptop to her backpack with numb fingers.

They're fairies. God help me, they're fairies, and they cast spells. What do I do now? She had a necklace that she couldn't take off and an endless pocketful of cash.

Ellie pushed away the thought that she also had a soulmate out there somewhere, burning a path to her door.

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