Within The Hollow Crown by Margaret Campbell Barnes (Terra's Review)

Synopsis

Set against the backdrop of a country racked by revolt and class warfare, Within the Hollow Crown showcases the true spirit of a king at the end of one of the most glorious dynasties, who wants both England's heart and crown. Perhaps one of the most misunderstood of all English monarchs, the son of the Black Prince and grandson of Edward III has been portrayed in a dim light by history. But Margaret Campbell Barnes gives readers a different portrait of Richard II. Although his peace-loving ways set him apart from the war-mongering medieval world around him, Richard proved himself a true king by standing down a peasant revolt and outwitting the political schemes of his enemies. Struggling to uphold the valiant Plantagent dynasty, Richard and his queen, Anne of Bohemia, nonetheless manage to create an exquisite partnership, described as "one of the tenderest idylls of romance ever written."

(Terra's Thoughts) This is a book that is a wonderfully meaty read that will pull you here, there and everywhere. A highly emotional story of injustice starting with a young boy King and taking you though the first twenty plus years of his reign as King of England. A story that will make you feel sorry for this young man born of privilege for he is not exempt from the cruelties of life as most of us would think.

Richard II takes reign as King of England at the young tender age of ten. His father having died the year before and his grandfather having only recently gone to his final resting place leaves Richard at the mercy of his Uncles and Parliament until he can finally come into his own and take control of England any way that he can.

Richard II grows under the tutelage of his Uncles and Parliament as well as under the watchful eye of his mother The Princess of Wales. He is considered a week child and all who watch him think his is of week will and will never be able to step into the shoes of the Kingship to govern the people of his beloved England. Let's just say that as Richard II grows he watches and learns. He is much brighter than what his Uncles and Parliament give him credit for.

As the years go by and Richard grows into a young man he is tested over and over again by those who would thwart him. He is ignored to the point of despair and when he does step up to the fight and calms his people, his Uncles are first to take the praise for a deed that was not of their doing.

Richard II marries and he and his Queen have to fight tooth and nail for each and every little thing. Our young King and Queen have much to go through and will suffer losses that will nearly be their undoing. Will the costs justify the means?

Luckily for both our hero and heroine are made of sterner stuff and it's not until close to the end of the book that we have to hope and pray for the King's sanity as he looses all those who are closest to him.

Paperback: 368 pages
Publisher: Sourcebooks Landmark (April 1, 2010)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1402239211
ISBN-13: 978-1402239212

A Certain Wolfish Charm by Lydia Dare (Terra's Review)

Synopsis

The rules of Regency Society can be beastly—especially when you're a werewolf. Simon Westfield, the Duke of Blackmoor has spent his entire life creating scandal and mayhem. It doesn't help his wolfish temper that since he's rich, powerful, and sinfully handsome, the town is willing to overlook his outrageous behavior. Lily Rutledge has a wild streak of her own. When she turns to Simon for help, he falls for her immediately. For Simon is drawn to the fearless Lily more powerfully than the moon...

(Terra's Thoughts) I usually save the were stories for the back of the pack as I have so many other loves but this one really stood out. I started reading wondering in the first few chapters about how well an author could pull off a were story in Regency England. I must say I was quite delighted to be immediately caught up in a story that pulled me in with such force to keep me entirely entertained from the beginning to the end and still wanting more. To be honest I can's wait for the stories dealing with the Duke's two younger brothers.

The Duke of Blackmoor is a temperamental lout if you ask me. How Lily comes to love this man without wanting to bop him off the head is remarkable and quite cute. Thank goodness for Lily having the patience of a saint and a mighty good stiff back to deal with a man that has the temperament of a teenager.

Oh I know I shouldn't pick on our poor Duke so much as he does have a pre-existing condition that would make even the strongest of us crabby. But I do have to say I think it is divine justice that our hero has to go though some inconvenient painful monthly changes of his own. Hopefully this will make him more sympathetic to the delicate female cycles.

The author has done a wonderful job with giving our hero a personality that we can love and hate equally. She also gives him a guilty conscience so that when he is very bad he knows he is bad and tries like the Devil to make amends in the most lovable of ways.

Our heroine is a true lady of the time but with much courage and compassion. Lily knows something is not right and will not stop until she uncovers what is being kept from her by her charge, the man she loves and all those others around her that must obey or be destroyed.

A delightful story that is a quick read will most assuredly have you wanting the rest of the series in short order.

Mass Market Paperback: 384 pages
Publisher: Sourcebooks Casablanca (April 6, 2010)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1402236948
ISBN-13: 978-1402236945

Congrat's To Last Week's Winners

*Mitzi H. ~ The Highlander's Sword by Amanda Forester

*skyla11377 ~ The Highlander's Sword by Amanda Forester

*Diana Owen-Emerson ~ The Scarlet Lion by Elizabeth Chadwick

*BUSY BEE ~ The Scarlet Lion by Elizabeth Chadwick

Please send your snail mail info to terraontop57 at yahoo dot com. Congrats to our winners and I hope you enjoy your prizes!

The Highlander's Sword by Amanda Forester (An Interview)

Thanks so much Amanda for taking the time to answers these questions and for being with us today as we celebrate your debut novel.

Terra ~ You have quite a few misunderstandings between Padyn and Aila in this book. Do you think that the majority of newlyweds also suffer from misunderstandings that can sometimes get in the way of the truth?

Amanda ~ Thanks for inviting me to chat with you! The alternate title to the book was, “The Importance of Communication in a Marriage to Avoid Gross Misunderstandings and all Manner of Ill Effects” but we decided on The Highlander’s Sword instead. [grins] I do believe in the importance of communication in a marriage. Unfortunately, Padyn and Aila enter into the marriage both woefully ill-equipped for creating a relationship and inclined to distrust each other. The process of communicating and trusting is part of their journey throughout the book.

Terra ~ Your hero Padyn is strong, stubborn and a very compassionate man so why pair him up with a heroine who is destined for the Nunnery and a marriage to the Church?

Amanda ~ Some of my greatest blessings have come when my expected life path took a sudden and unexpected turn. For Aila, part of her growth through the book is to look beyond what she has been told she wants her whole life to find who she really is, and what would make her truly happy in her life.

Terra ~ Of all your characters in the book who would you consider to be your favorite and why?

Amanda ~ I do love all my character children and I learn a lot from them as they face their challenges. The one character who was the most fun to write was Chaumont, a smart-mouthed French knight who helped to keep my hero from taking himself too seriously.

Terra ~ With this being your debut book, how nervous are you about finally seeing your work in print at any given bookstore you might enter?

Amanda ~ Very! On one hand it’s wonderful to see my book in print, but much like giving birth to a child, it soon takes on a life of its own.

Terra ~ Aila’s mother seems the shrew of Scotland with her vile temper. What scenario would you say caused her to turn this way from a husband she must have at one time dearly loved?

Amanda ~ Ah, the dangers of pride. Aila’s mother was quite the beauty in her youth, and well she knows that it was her physical appearance that caused Laird Graham to marry her. When her appearance begins to be marred by arthritis that twists her hands into knobby claws, she retreats into her tower and sinks into bitterness, rather than face what she is sure to be the rejection of her husband.

Terra ~ What was your inspiration behind The Highlander’s Sword and did you have to do a lot of research to get your background historically correct? Have you visited Scotland and received some of your inspiration from being physically present in a place of such history and beauty?

Amanda ~ I have always loved history and have visited England, though never made it up to Scotland. I would so much love to visit someday! Until then I enjoy doing the research on medieval Scotland. The internet is now such an incredible resource, but I also seek out actual paper books (remember those antiquated things?). I particularly enjoy getting a feel for the medieval period by reading some of the writings of the times.

Terra ~ What’s next? Do you have a possible sequel in store for The Highlander’s Sword or are you working on a different subject and what are your long term plans at this point of the game?

Amanda ~ I am working on another Scottish medieval set about eight years later. Some of the same characters will be there along with some new ones, including an impetuous English countess! I hope to be able to continue writing historical novels. For the moment I’m happy hanging out in medieval Scotland, though someday I might like to take a trip to Regency England.

Terra ~ I know with Sourcebooks that the publisher has the say about the cover art. Is this how you envisioned the cover of the book or did you have some other hopes or ideas about how it should look. Personally, I think the cover is beyond Yummy!

Amanda ~ I confess… I was nervous about the cover. What would I do if I hated it? When I got the cover art from my publisher I chickened out and had my husband look at it first! When I finally got up the courage to look I was honestly quite relieved and very happy. I think it sets just the right tone for the book. I shouldn’t have worried though, I think Sourcebooks does a great job with their covers!

Terra ~ You’re at a book signing and you are asked to persuade the group waiting in line that this is a must read book, how would you answer the question and make the crowd absolutely want this book with a passion?

Amanda ~ If you are looking for a Scottish medieval romance that is fast-paced, has lots of action, with a little mystery and a bit of humor, try THE HIGHLANDER’S SWORD. Of course, being inherently shy I’m not sure I would actually have to courage to say that in front a group of people. This is why I’m a writer, my friends!

Terra ~ Can you give us a wee look at Amanda Forester the person and compare her to Amanda Forester the author? What are your differences between the two persona’s?

Amanda ~ Amanda Forester the person is much like a Hobbit, I always do what is expected and I never have any adventures (though I don’t have hairy feet – thank goodness!). Amanda Forester the author is willing to take risks, share stories, and go on the incredible journey of getting a book published!


THE HIGHLANDER’S SWORD BY AMANDA FORESTER—IN STORES MARCH 2010
A quiet, flame-haired beauty with secrets of her own...
Lady Aila Graham is destined for the convent, until her brother's death leaves her an heiress. Soon she is caught between hastily arranged marriage with a Highland warrior, the Abbot's insistence that she take her vows, the Scottish Laird who kidnaps her, and the traitor from within who betrays them all.

She's nothing he expected and everything he really needs...
Padyn MacLaren, a battled-hardened knight, returns home to the Highlands after years of fighting the English in France. MacLaren bears the physical scars of battle, but it is the deeper wounds of betrayal that have rocked his faith. Arriving with only a band of war-weary knights, MacLaren finds his land pillaged and his clan scattered. Determined to restore his clan, he sees Aila's fortune as the answer to his problems...but maybe it's the woman herself.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Amanda Forester holds a PhD in psychology and worked for many years in academia before discovering that writing historical romance novels was way more fun. She lives in the Pacific Northwest outside Tacoma, Washington with her husband, two energetic children, and one lazy dog. You can visit her at www.amandaforester.com.

Contest Time: Sourcebooks is graciously sponsoring a giveaway of 2 copies of The Highlander's Sword. 2 winners, US and Canada only! Winner's will be chosen at the end of the week.

Happy St. Patrick's Day Everyone

The Scarlet Lion by Elizabeth Chadwick (An Interview)

Thank you so much Elizabeth for not only taking the time out of your busy schedule to answers these questions but for your delightful and impressive work as an author of quality in the area of Historical England.

Thank you very much for asking me onto your blog. I always find answering interview questions interesting because they often throw out details that I wasn’t aware of myself until I thought about them.

Terra ~ The Greatest Knight was the beginning of the William Marshall story and now we have part two in the form of The Scarlet Lion. What drew you to this particular unknown hero?

Elizabeth ~ I’ve been writing the Middle Ages for many years now – since my teens (long time ago!) so I know the life and times pretty well. Any writer who has researched the 12th and 13th centuries cannot fail to come across the great William Marshal. What drew me to him was the incredible life he led. He crammed more into his 72 years than most of us today will manage to achieve in our own lifetimes. He came from a reasonably advantaged background it’s true, but he was a younger son without an inheritance and he had to make his own way in the world – and make it he did. He saved the life of Eleanor of Aquitaine when she was ambushed. He rode with her sons. He was a champion of the joust and widely traveled throughout Europe and the Middle East. He married a great heiress and he was involved in drafting the Magna Carta. In all, William Marshal served five kings of England. To the first one he was a hostage and a 6 year old pageboy, to the fifth, he was regent of the country until the child Henry III came of age. William’s growth during that fantastic life journey can be traced, and one can see from it that he kept his integrity intact throughout. That’s a rare and wonderful thing, and a story that just had to be told.

Terra ~ In The Scarlet Lion who would you say is your most devious of all characters? Who is your most beloved of all the characters and why?

Elizabeth ~ King John would definitely have to be the most devious. I think he had an excellent brain and when he wasn’t feeling threatened and when he was on steady ground, he was a fine sovereign. Unfortunately he tended to be paranoid, constantly thinking that folk were out to get him, and he behaved in such a way that it became a self-fulfilling prophecy. He trusted no-one. Very little was above board with John. Given a choice between taking a straight road and digging a tunnel, the tunnel won every time. His biographer W.L. Warren sums it up very well when he says that John had the “mental abilities of a great king, but the inclinations of a petty tyrant.”

Choosing a most beloved character is difficult because I am very fond of the main players. William and Isabelle will always occupy a very special place in my heart whatever I write, that’s a given. Of the other characters, I would probably have to say William’s eldest daughter Mahelt is a favorite. I have a novel coming out about her in May in the UK titled To Defy A King. The fact that I’ve chosen to write about her, tells me that she left an impression on me while writing The Scarlet Lion. For seven years she was her father’s only daughter and to him she was a little princess, while she adored him. She was also a tomboy with a spark about her. So although her role is not large in The Scarlet Lion, she called to me across the centuries.

Terra ~ Your eye for detail is astounding and doesn’t just draw the reader in but it actually pulls them in with force. How much research is involved to get the storyline to do this without over doing it?

Elizabeth ~ You can never do too much research, but the trick is not to info-dump it in the novel because that will put readers off straight away. You the writer need to know as much as possible because it then informs your writing and it flows in an organic way. The more you know, the better your people will be of their time and place and it will just come as naturally as breathing. The screenwriter Robert McKee says in his 10 commandments for writers that “Thou shalt know thy imaginary world as well thou knowest this one.” It’s great advice for a historical novelist. For example, a unit of money in the 12th century was called a mark, and it was worth thirteen shillings and fourpence. But it was a unit of weight and not an actual coin. The coins themselves were silver pennies of which there were approximately 160 to the mark. I recently read a novel where someone enclosed two marks inside a letter and obviously the writer knew that a mark was a monetary unit. What they didn’t know was that to put two of them in a letter would amount to 320 coins!

You could say it doesn’t matter. Most readers won’t know. But every time you get something wrong, you are taking a step away from the period and the people. While it’s impossible to get everything right (and I know I make mistakes), the more research you do, the better you can walk in the world of your time period and the deeper your audience will be drawn in. But it has to flow and be of the characters and not just stone walls of information dump.

Terra ~ I must admit that until I was given the opportunity to read The Greatest Knight that I was more into the fluff and quick romance. Your writing in book one and book two have actually given me a new craving for something more fulfilling. Could you give us a few pros and cons to the heavier reading and the benefits one could achieve from them?

Elizabeth ~ I fully understand your comments re fluff and heavier reading. As a reader not a writer, I tend to alternate between the two and then I have both balance and enjoyment!

With more textured mainstream historical a reader will get more of a flavour of life as it really was back in that period. As a con, not everyone wants the nitty-gritty of daily life and perhaps having to deal with some of the traumas that happened to actual historical characters. A reader might escape to a different world, but it isn’t always escapism, or the kind of escapism they would choose to see. However, especially with the Middle Ages, the reader might find it interesting to know more about the daily life and that it wasn’t all the dirt and mud and nasty smells so often promulgated by Hollywood and popular media. A reader would find out that it was us as we were back then, and gain a real sense of connection to the past. The lighter romances tend to keep the modern mindsets and are more like modern people in fancy dress set down in a fantasy Medieval setting – Shrek style :-) I hasten to add there’s nothing wrong with that and some readers prefer to read in that style and genre. Straight historicals tend to have a meatier more diverse content.

Terra ~ You have given the women some back bone for a time period that I would think women would have less of a say no matter what their status was in life. Am I wrong to assume that women way back then were so subservient? That their status in life was nothing more than brood mares and pretty baubles on a man’s arm when he went to court?

Elizabeth ~ Women had a certain amount of power. The final say was always difficult, but within their worlds some of them were very strong indeed, even as others knuckled under. This is where understanding the mindset comes in. In a way it’s a bit like some modern cultures where arranged marriages still take place. A daughter’s virtue is part of the wider family honour and the marriage itself is part of this honour. A medieval woman, brought up to the expectation of an arranged marriage would generally see it in terms of the family honour and as her role and her duty to fulfil. And there would be a certain amount of pride in fulfilling that duty. Once children came along, she could rule through them as a matriarch, especially the sons. That was where a woman’s power lay. If the husband died, then the woman’s power increased too. Widows had the greatest say of all. Basically as a daughter, she was at her lowest in the pecking order. As a childless wife too the status was not brilliant, but given motherhood and widowhood, she was on the up. Nuns of aristocratic breeding were powerful too.

Women were not actually that much at court beyond a few big events. That’s something I’ve discovered as I’ve gone along. The queen would have a few ladies and there were the women who serviced the court – prostitutes and washerwomen, but mostly baronial wives and daughters stayed at home. The queen did have some considerable power. Henry I used his first wife as a regent for England when he had to be absent in Normandy. Queens were seen as vastly important as peace-makers in disputes. Isabelle de Clare, William Marshal’s wife, was always present in his political counsels and she made her opinions known. I would say that women did have power back then, but it would depend on the individual woman, and it was power within the parameters of their rules. A man might go out and bluster in the world, but a canny woman would still rule the roost – just as long as she didn’t try to take on a man’s role herself. For more information, I can recommend the reference work The Lady in Medieval England 1000-1500 by Peter Coss.

Terra ~ William and Isabelle have instilled into all their children the manners of importance to those born of their station in life. Would the lower in line children of real families of high status during that time period actually think that any child beyond the third might possibly need such training? Would the female children of said families been granted learning’s the same as their brothers?

Elizabeth ~ Oh yes, most children in an aristocratic household would have received training to fit their status and roles in life. Daughters were always fitted out for marriage – which would include knowing how to play the hostess to important visitors and play the diplomat and peace-keeper behind the scenes. Most would be able to read, if not write and they would have known the rudiments of estate management at least, even if they had stewards to do the actual managing. Sons too were fitted out, either for a life in the military or the church. You couldn’t guarantee that your firstborn sons and daughters would survive into adulthood, so you educated them all. When Eleanor of Aquitaine died, only 2 of the 8 children she bore to Henry II were still alive, and these were children numbers 6 and 8. Girls were perhaps not always educated in as much detail as their brothers, but they were fitted for their place in society. Even when handed over to another family in marriage, it was acknowledged that they would represent their birth family in their new household, and there was an element of pride in such representation.

Terra ~ The royal line of succession produced such a variety of different personalities. Do you think it is really possible that there might have been men of such honor and code of ethics as William Marshall?

Elizabeth ~ I certainly do. William was exceptional, but as with any society down the ages, there are always those who stand out, and many more who strive to be the best they can in terms of integrity and moral values. William was not an entire paragon, but his flaws make him all the more heroic for his ability to rise above them when the chips were down. When researching him in various sources, some more complimentary than others, I could see that he always tried to do make sure that what was best for the country always involved a path that was best for himself too if possible. Occasionally he sailed close to the wind when trying to preserve his lands and interests, but he never crossed the line. His peers liked and respected him. It is telling that the only man the country would unite behind in 1216 was William Marshal. That says it all.

Terra ~ The Royal House was quite fickle in those days and to gain favor would have cost much and dearly. What might a King of quality have given and asked for from those he felt worthy of notice?

Elizabeth ~ Kings would give lands often in the form of heiresses to favorites– thus William Marshal was given Isabelle de Clare in marriage by Richard the Lionheart because Richard wanted to raise William to high status. William had to pay a thousand marks out of Isabelle’s estates for the privilege. Kings would also give lucrative wardships to men they favored. Generally the wardship would have to be paid for, but if the warden was prudent, he could make good money for it. Kings gave gifts of money. Their favorites became sheriffs for fixed terms – although these men had to buy their way into the position in the first place. In the Church, kings would expect their favored clerics to become bishops and Archbishops. Sometimes it didn’t work out that way and squabbles between church and state ensued. Favored men were expected to provide the King with military backing, advice and loyalty against all comers. Again, expectations were not always fulfilled, although William Marshal obeyed the brief to the letter.

Terra ~ If you were given the choice to wear the fashion of today or high ladies fashion from the time period of your book, which would you choose and why?

Elizabeth ~ I’d wear modern clothes – no doubt about it! I would love to get out a medieval dressing up box and have a try on of the real high status garments of embroidered and gem-set silk. It would be fantastic to know how they really felt to wear and to walk in. I’d also like to try on male garb and peasant gear just to get an idea, but modern clothes, for women anyway, are so much more practical. Just imagine a medieval heroine if she had the freedom of a pair of jeans! Then again, her shoes would probably be more comfortable. Some things are gained and some are lost. I re-enact with an early medieval society, so I own some replica artifacts and have a slight idea of what it feels like. I can tell you that wimples and veils are a complete nuisance (well to me as a modern woman they are!)

Terra ~ Can you give us a glimpse into what might be coming in the future with your writings?

Elizabeth ~ Sourcebooks is publishing For The King’s Favor in the autumn. This first appeared in the UK as The Time of Singing. It is linked to the Marshal novels in that it’s about the Bigod family into which William’s daughter Mahelt married. It’s the story of one of the mistresses of King Henry II called Ida de Tosney, and what happened to her when she was no longer Henry’s paramour. Another novel To Defy A King, will be coming to the USA in 2011 and is published in the UK in May of 2010. It’s about Mahelt’s marriage into the Bigod family and the background to the Magna Carta. I’m currently working on a novel about Empress Matilda and her young stepmother, Adeliza of Louvain.



THE SCARLET LION BY ELIZABETH CHADWICK—IN STORES MARCH 2010
A page-turning novel of honor, intrigue, treachery, and love, continuing the story of England's greatest knight of the Middle Ages, William Marshal. Bestselling author Elizabeth Chadwick, "an author who makes historical fiction come gloriously alive" (The Times of London), is known as a writer of uncommon historical integrity and accuracy.

By 1197 William Marshal's prowess with a sword and loyalty with his heart have been rewarded by the hand in marriage of Isabelle de Clare—heiress to great estates— and their brood is growing. But their contentment and security is shattered when King Richard dies. Forced down a precarious path by the royal injustices of the vindictive King John, the Marshals teeter on a razor-thin line of honor that threatens to tear apart the very heart of their family.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Elizabeth Chadwick (UK) is the author of 17 historical novels, including The Greatest Knight, Lords of the White Castle, Shadows and Strongholds, A Place Beyond Courage, the Winter Mantle, and the Falcons of Montabard, four of which have been shortlisted for the Romantic Novelists’ Awards. She won a Betty Trask Award for The Wild Hunt, her first novel. For more information please visit http://www.elizabethchadwick.com/, http://livingthehistoryelizabethchadwick.blogspot.com/ and follower her on Twitter http://twitter.com/Chadwickauthor!



Contest Time: Sourcebooks is graciously sponsoring a giveaway of 2 copies of The Scarlet Lion. 2 winners, US and Canada only! Winner's will be chosen at the end of the week.

Congrat's To This Week's Winner

*ScorpJen1121 ~ Most Eagerly Yours by Allison Chase

Please send your snail mail info to terraontop57 at yahoo dot com. Congrats to our winner and I hope you enjoy your prize!

Most Eagerly Yours by Allison Chase

Thanks so much Allison for being with us today for this interview. I must say that your book should please a large multitude of readers. Anyone who likes historical romance, mystery, intrigue or the Victorian time period is going to be in Heaven with this delicious read.

Terra ~ You have a few characters besides the hero and heroine that people could actually fall in love or hate. Which character would you say you love the most and which do you hate the most?

Allison ~ It’s so hard to choose, because I try to make my secondary characters interesting people, with an outstanding trait that sets each apart. I think you’ve got to admire Beatrice for her devil-may-care attitude; Melinda is the motherly type that will always set you straight when you need it. I’ll talk more about George Fitzclarence in a minute, but he’s a bundle of contradictions that, in the end, make him an endearing kind of ne’er-do-well. And then there are Laurel’s sisters. They only appear briefly in this story, but in my mind I know who they are with all their strengths and vulnerabilities, and I can’t wait to tell their stories (Ivy’s will be out in December with OUTRAGEOUSLY YOURS). So like any mom, I guess I love all my “children.”

Terra ~ Your cover art is absolutely beautiful and does indeed fit one scene in the book perfectly. At least I think so. Do you have any say into the cover art?

Allison ~ The cover of MOST EAGERLY YOURS combines two different scenes – an early one where Laurel, the heroine, is wearing a yellow gown and meets the hero for the first time, and then a later scene where they meet again in Bath, on a balcony outside the Assembly Rooms. But throughout the story, that yellow dress becomes a code between them for “I know you’ve got secrets and you aren’t going to tell me what they are, but I’m going to try to trust you anyway.”

With all my books so far, I’ve been blessed by the cover gods! The art department at NAL is phenomenal in getting the details right and capturing the essence of the story. My input comes in the form of providing those details, but otherwise I’m not consulted until they’re ready to show me the finished product. It’s more like “here –what do you think?” So far they have blown me away.

Terra ~ Our hero and heroine both have their fair share of secrets as well as childhood trama. Is it safe to say that is where their instant attraction stems from because this is not the classic case of opposites attract.

Allison ~ I never do anything the easy way. In a romance its much easier to create romantic conflict when the hero and heroine have two opposing sets of life experiences, but it was actually so much fun to have conflict arise from the similarities between them – similarities neither felt at liberty to reveal. Some of their conflict arises from inconveniently getting in each other’s way as they go about their missions. But it also stems from their own, inner struggles. Aidan is afraid to lose his heart after witnessing how love destroyed his father. And Laurel has always put the welfare of others ahead of herself, and believes she must continue to do so, even at the expense of her own happiness.

Terra ~ Which scene in the book is your favorite and why?

Allison ~ One of the most romantic interludes occurs at the ruins of Greys Abbey in the Cotswolds. Aidan and Laurel have made love outdoors beneath a starlit sky, and afterwards Aidan “commands the earth to sing and the sky to dance,” and waltzes with Laurel beneath the night sky. There’s so much sadness in that scene as the two of them come to grips with the realization that their lives are pulling them in separate directions, but as Laurel realizes, “He might not be able to offer her a happily ever after, but he’d already given her more than she had ever imagined.”

I almost deleted that scene during my revisions, because while it was nice enough, I wasn’t sure it moved the story forward. In the end, though, I found I just couldn’t nix it. So I moved it and gave it more meaning than it originally had, and I’m really glad I did.

Terra ~ Queen Victoria doesn’t get much of a part in this book, will she more involved in upcoming books or will it basically be about the Sutherland sisters?

Allison ~ Each of these books will really belong to the sisters and respective heroes. I’m fascinated with Victoria’s story – the forgotten little princess growing up friendless and under her mother’s intense scrutiny in shabby apartments in Kensington Palace – but as a fiction writer I want to focus on my fictional characters. They’re where I can really express my creativity. Victoria is a catalyst for the action and a motivating factor in keeping my heroines focused on their job – no matter how tempted to drop everything and jump into the hero’s arms!


Terra ~ Our hero and heroine have very strong parts in this book and their secrets to what they are doing are somewhat the same. How hard was it to keep the two from crossing over into each others storyline before the right time presented itself?

Allison ~ I do sometimes wrestle with that very thing. It’s always good to have the hero and heroine meet and begin interacting as soon as possible, but I had to be careful not to rush things in MOST EAGERLY YOURS. This book sets up the circumstances for the next three as well, so there were certain details that needed to be established before Laurel’s mission took off. Of course, she and Aidan do inadvertently meet early on…which creates huge problems for Laurel later and is partly responsible for Aidan becoming so instantly intrigued by the mysterious “Mrs. Sanderson” when he meets her again Bath nearly a year later.

Terra ~ You last two books were paranormals, was it hard for you to switch gears to go to a historical romance that could also be classified as a cozy mystery?

Allison ~ To be honest, it took me by surprise when my publisher suggested switching away from paranormals. While that genre is doing gangbusters in terms of contemporary romance, they’ve found it somewhat lagging when it came to historicals, except for a few notable exceptions.

Then again, I’ve always included mystery elements in my stories, and the Blackheath Moor books were no exception. I always say I’m a bit of a closet mystery writer. While the romance always takes precedence, I love puzzles and mysteries and am always pulled in that direction in terms of external plot. And you’ll still find touches of “dark hero” and gothic themes in the new books as well, as well as the powerful emotions that carried the Blackheath Moor books.

Terra ~ What are your plans for this series? Will you be doing a book for each of the sisters? Since you have piqued my interest in Laurel’s and her sisters past so much, will there be a separate book that will explain all that or will it perchance possibly be incorporated into one of the sisters books?

Allison ~ I do indeed plan to write a book for each sister. Ivy’s story, OUTRAGEOUSLY YOURS, is next, and will take her to Cambridge University where she must win the trust of a man reputed to be a bit of a mad scientist, and steal back something that belongs to the queen. It was TONS of fun to write, and I even learned a bit of Victorian physics along the way. Ivy’s story gives us a couple more clues into the sisters’ past, just enough to keep us guessing. Holly’s story will take us deeper, and the final story, Willow’s, will finally reveal the truth of who these ladies really are –but not without much danger and angst first!

Terra ~ I love the contrast you have given to Fitz and how he seems to be the center of focus. Was it hard to try and make him look like the bumbling fool/dastardly villian? It’s almost like he has some sort of dual personality and you never know which side will come out. I actually found myself like Laurel in my opinion of him.

Allison ~ Fitz, of course, was George Fitzclarence, the real life eldest son of William IV and his mistress, actress Dorothea Jordan. He was also, therefore, Victoria’s first cousin. The basics of Fitz as I wrote him are true – his frustration at having been born illegitimate haunted him all his life, until he finally took his own life in about 1841. He seemed such a sad character, and when I tried to find out more about him, I didn’t have much success. In my own mind he became a very complex individual: his own worst enemy, not quite royal but not common either, kind of a failure, but not without his redeeming and endearing qualities. He was almost the perfect counterbalance to Aidan’s James Bond-like confidence and skills.

Terra ~ Your description of Bath is really elegant. How much research did you do to make sure you had a place that would be perfectly believable both during the Victorian period as well as the Roman occupation period?

Allison ~ Tons! I’ve been to England but not Bath, so I knew I had to make up for that by exploring every aspect I could. I found numerous books at the library, did a lot of research on the internet, looked through some past copies of British Heritage Magazine, even borrowed a friend’s travel log from a few years back – whatever I could get my hands on. A detailed map helped immensely with the basic layout of the streets and the river, and I can’t tell you how long it took me to figure out the Weir, which adjusts the river levels. At one point I went on Google Earth for satellite images. All the photos I’d seen of places like the Royal Crescent and King’s Circus showed only the fronts. Well, I needed to know about the backs of those buildings, too.

Little by little I pieced together the incredible history and development of the city, and along the way fell in love with it. I learned much more than I needed, but Bath is such a fascinating place, you could spend years studying it. I’m really hoping to get there one of these years soon.

Thank you so much for having me here at Yankee Romance today, and for helping me celebrate the release of MOST EAGERLY YOURS. To make it even more fun, I’ll be randomly choosing from among everyone who comments, and the winner will receive a copy of the book!

Hugs,
Allison


Raised on their uncle's country estate, the four orphaned Sutherland sisters formed a close friendship with the young Princess Victoria. Shortly before her coronation as queen, Victoria asks the sisters to serve her in matters requiring the utmost discretion.

They are to become her secret servants...

Laurel, the eldest, is the first to be called. The Queen is threatened by her jealous cousin, George Fitzclarence, who is known for speaking treason. She asks Laurel to pose as a wealthy widow and use her charms to win George's trust, then find out what he is really plotting. Laurel is prepared for the risks of acting a part, but she encounters an unexpected and formidable obstacle in the Earl of Barenforth--George's friend and a notorious rake, whom Victoria has warned her to avoid...

An undercover agent for the Home Office, Aidan Phillips, Earl of Barensforth, is on the trail of a financial hoax involving alchemy, murder...and George Fitzclarence. When a lovely young widow wanders into his path and turns his well-laid plans on end, he senses she is hiding something. Aidan is no stranger to seduction, or to the wiles of beautiful women. And he intends employing wiles of his own to uncover the lady's secrets...

Congrat's To Last Week's Winner

*Pamk ~ and Falling, Fly by Skyler White

Please send your snail mail info to terraontop57 at yahoo dot com. Congrats to our winner and I hope you enjoy your prize!

and Falling, fly by Skyler White

Thank you Skyler for being with us today and for taking time out of your busy schedule to do this interview. You have quite the different concept for a storyline and your prose made the story a delightfully refreshing read.

Thank you so much, I'm thrilled you enjoyed it!

Terra ~ Our heroine Olivia is a damned soul, a fallen Angel, a vampire who is longing for peace that she may never find. How did you come to tie the fallen Angel, a cast out from God as a vampire?

Skyler ~ Olivia's vampirism comes from the kind of angel she is – or was. She's the fallen angel of desire. Because she's fallen, she's out-of-touch with her true nature. She can't feel desire, but everyone who sees her wants her. I wanted to explore what happens when the sexiest thing a woman can hear is “I want you.” I think there is an impulse in our world that turns women away from what they want for themselves and towards what others want them to be, and I wanted to experiment with that. If you're not in touch with your own desires, you can only be passive. You would have no access to your own power, and would have to feed on the vitality of others, and what's that if not a vampire?

Terra ~ Dominic our hero is cursed to be reborn over and over again. Each reborn life remembering all the previous loves, lives, children, heartache and ever so much more. How could any mortal possibly deal with all these memories without going stark raving mad? Do you really think there is such a concept of reincarnation and that mayhap some of our dreams and moments of déjà vu might actually have some truth to what some may consider a mental illness?

Skyler ~ I don't know. I'm squarely between Olivia's explanation and Dominic's, and I have a lot of respect for both the power of neurochemistry and story. Honestly, I've quit trying to figure out “The Answer”. My brain just isn't that big. Dreams and déjà vu might be neurological blips – we know sleep is vital in memory creation – or they might be glimpses of what has been or could be. I don't think it matters, actually, which is the “right” answer. I'll use either, depending on the situation. I think “The Truth” is probably closer to what Dominic believes, but I can't hold that many pieces separately, so I build a composite picture, a symbol, and interact with that. I think of it like detail on a map. Maps are symbolic of the landscape rather than photo-realistic, useful for what they leave out as much as for what they include.

Terra ~ How difficult was it for you to write our heroine in the first person POV and our hero in the third person POV, and what made you decide to write the storyline this way?

Skyler ~ It wasn't difficult at all to write Olivia in first person/present and Dominic in third person/past. It felt very natural. What was hard was sticking to my guns. There're a lot of “Thou Shalt Not's” in an unpublished writer's world, and for a while, I tried very hard to be obedient. I moved Olivia's sections into third person for a while. But then I moved them back. I had to just go with what felt right and hoped I could get away with it.

Terra ~ Your concept of Hell is quite interesting. We all know that only the bad will go there or at least that is what has been instilled in us since we were old enough to understand. Why would the cursed, damned and reborn go there to find peace and a bliss in ignorance when their very nature gives them the ability to go into the mortal world to cause chaos and unrest? I would think they would be more inclined to cause trouble than to find peace.

Skyler ~ Ooh, that's an interesting question; let me try to pick it apart. For me, there's a difference between bad people and the cursed, damned and misbegotten. A person is bad because of the things that they do. Being cursed or damned is a function of who (or what) they are. A person who is damned can still be good. It's just much harder for them. But whether they do good or evil, Hell is home. Or home is Hell. And I think everyone seeks peace, or happiness. What you're willing to do to get it makes you good or evil.

Terra ~ Why pick Ireland as the backdrop for our Hotel Hell and the doorway to the Garden of Eden?

Skyler ~ Ireland is my genetic origin, so that's why the stories (‘and Falling, Fly’ and its follow-up, ‘In Dreams Begin’) started there. I’ve now traveled there twice to do research for these books. But I have schemes and plans! Eventually I'd like to write an American story, and our “underworld” won't be literally underground, but down unmarked roads. As for Eden, it's our symbolic origin of everything, so everywhere leads back there.

Terra ~ This is your first book and one I might add was quite an interesting storyline. What are your plans for future books and will there be a sequel to this one? You have wet my taste buds and I am longing for more just to see how much more it may progress.

Skyler ~ I'm glad you're intrigued! My next book, ‘In Dreams Begin’, comes out in December, and while it isn't a sequel, it does continue and expand the story-world of ‘and Falling, Fly’. In it, Laura Armstrong, a contemporary graphic artist, wakes up on her wedding night channeled into the body of Victorian revolutionary and legendary Irish beauty, Maud Gonne. Maud's friend, Ida Jameson, the whiskey heiress, introduces Laura to fellow amateur occultist and poet, WB Yeats. The two fall immediately in love but must navigate not only time- and body-shifts, but the Victorian vs. Modern stances on romance, art, religion, beauty and fidelity.

Terra ~ Who would you say was your favorite character in ‘and Falling, Fly’, and your least favorite, and why?

Skyler ~ That's like picking between your children – I love them all, even the really wicked ones! Alyx was a lot of fun to write, and Sylvia is pretty heartless, but honestly, each of them serves a different function and I couldn't play the same game without them all.

Terra ~ Your book is not a light and fluffy read like most others of the genre, it is more like a literary work of art that makes you slow down and ponder the ideals of what the storyline has to say. Was your intention to make people take the time to stop, think and wonder about the possibility of your ideas having some credence?

Skyler ~ It was my hope that ‘and Falling, Fly’ would find an audience of folks who enjoy asking questions. I like light and fluffy books. I like to laugh (shoot, I think ‘and Falling, Fly’ is very funny in spots), but I like to work too. I like to engage with what I'm reading, so I wanted to write a muscular book, something readers could interact with and connect to. I set out the ideas that I like to dance with, and hope the book serves as an invitation to the ball.

Terra ~ I don't usually judge a book by its cover just for the fact that cover most times will not agree totally with the story within. Your cover however is a perfect match to Olivia and her story. How do you feel the publisher did with making the cover artwork match your character and her story?

Skyler ~ I know! I love it. I feel like I got so lucky with my cover. Illustrator Craig White, who illustrates many amazing covers in the paranormal world, did an amazing job, and Berkley's team – the art director and Leis Pederson, my editor – really captured the book conceptually. I blogged about it here. The stone wings just totally rock my world. That's who Olivia is, an angel with wings that won't lift her up.

Terra ~ Now that your book has made it to publication, how does it feel?

Skyler ~ It feels amazing! I'm incredibly gratified to find that other people understand and connect to the world of ‘and Falling, Fly’. I wasn't sure they would, (and certainly not everyone does), but when the book does hit home with a reader, it seems to make an impact. When readers respond to me, tell me what they've seen and contribute their own views and insights, the sense of connection is remarkable. It's de-isolating. It's a little scary to have so much of your interior soul landscape open to the public, but so far at least, everyone who's hiked around in it has either left without a trace or contributed something to it. I feel very, very lucky.

Skyler White is author of dark fantasy novels ‘and Falling, Fly’ (Berkley, March 2010) and ‘In Dreams Begin’ (Berkley, March 2010).She lives in Austin, TX.
http://www.skylerwhite.com

Make sure and leave a comment or question for Skyler as she will provide a signed & personalized copy of her book to one winner chosen at random later this week. Don't forget the email addy's also.


and Falling, fly
Excerpt

Chapter 1
What You See

The angel of desire is damned – at least that’s what my tattoo says. Okay, if I’m honest, it just says “dam,” with “ned” still only outlined in purple stencil. But twenty-first century angel that I am, I don’t give a fig for honesty. I want speed. If Ed doesn’t hurry, no lie I can invent will explain what he’ll start to see.
He begins the “N” and glances up from the black halo of letters whose half-circle crowns my pubic mound. “So Olivia, you wanna tell me the story?”

Tattooists are the new priests for the fucked-up and the thrown away. They speak the language of symbol, and administer penance in tiny metallic lashes. They hear confession; and Ed wants mine. Or he thinks he does. And for a minute, amidst the jumbled iconography of Celtic and tribal patterns, the pick-your-own pantheon of Saints Teresa and Betty Boop, I want to tell this handsome neuvo-cleric, bent in genuflection over my crotch, everything I am.

“It’s my birthday,” I say instead.

“Yeah? Happy birthday.” He bows back over the “N,” the electric drill buzz of his pen my only indication that the needle has started again. “You just break up with some guy?”

“No, but give it a couple of hours.”

He laughs, but it’s my birthday and my boyfriend has something special and secretive planned – a dark omen. Men can never resist giving me what they want for my birthday, and so I’ve slept alone that night every year since at least the shift from the Julian calendar. Probably longer.

“Wanna tell me about it?”

“It’s not a story you want to hear,” I tell him.

“You can’t surprise me, girl. I’ve seen it all.” Crouched like a cobbler, Ed hovers inches above my low-rider briefs. I like the way this new style of underwear exposes the unblemished white of my belly for him. I like that it conceals what would freak out even this New York City pierce-and-brand style veteran of the skin artist’s trade.

“My body misrepresents me,” I say.

The whir of the needle stops as Ed’s dark eyes take a slow tour. “I don’t see how.”

No, how could he? He smells of clove cigarettes and filth, and against the fabric of my unbuttoned jeans, my hips begin to swell. So Eddie likes his girls a little plump, eh? With a nervous clearing of his skinny throat, he returns to his work, but it’s too late. Already, my tits are filling, pushing against the fine lace of my bra, growing under my T-shirt. My hair darkens a fraction. Ed won’t notice I’ve changed. He’ll just wonder why he didn’t realize before how gorgeous this rockabilly birthday girl is. I shove my hair back from my face, inventorying the way it now falls like Bettie Page bangs. It’s okay, unless it slows him down. I can’t risk that.

“Four down, two to go,” he grins up at me. “You doing okay?”

“I’m fine.”

His conscientious, gloved fingers avoid the white cotton framed by my jeans zipper and belt, but he rests his wrist against the inside of my now-plump thigh. His sunken eyes glance up over the heightened rise of my breasts, and his habitual dabs wipe blood that no longer wells from the finished “D.” If he notices, he will worry. “Do the last two letters,” I whisper, injecting sexy into my voice to hurry him.

I can’t hate him. He is too young and can’t help the way his dominatrix fetish molds my breasts into Wonder Woman cones. I can hate them, though. Just once, on my birthday, I would like to keep my native form. Ed works steadily on my “E,” humming along to the music grinding from the tattoo parlor’s massive speakers. The word “parlor,” with its vague overtones of powdery old ladies and prostitutes, comforts me somehow. I’m grateful for it. Tonight is likely to go badly. I’m meeting my boyfriend of seven months for dinner, and trying not to hope.

To him, I am beautiful and pure, saving myself for marriage and motherhood. He sees me as a virginal holdover from a more romantic age. He has spent entire nights simply kissing me. But he’s genuine twenty-first century and only faking patience. Tonight he is likely to dispose of pretense and ruin everything with a nineteenth-century idea. I catch myself twisting the hair-fine chain around my wrist, grating the brass key against the lock it can’t reach. I still my restless fingers and swallow a growl.

“I think you’ve got a killer body.” Ed has finished the “E.”

I give him a slow, midnight smile. “You’re about half right,” I tell him.

His needle stops again. “You’re sick, aren’t you? You’ve got cancer or something, you know, down there?” It’s cute, the way compassion wars with disappointment on the poorly mown field of his face.

“No. I’m perfectly healthy,” I tell him. “In fact, I don’t think I’ll ever die.”

It’s the most truthful thing to pass my hellfire-red lips in years. “I’m just …”

“Screwed?”

I laugh. “Not ever.” My, what an honesty streak I’m on.

“I could, you know,” Eddie shrugs, “help you out with that if you want?”

“I’m sure you could.” Better. Back to lying. “Don’t stop.”

“I didn’t.” But now he has. The electric needle hangs above the fork of my legs, immobile. His confusion peers across my newly fleshy belly, over the twin tit pyramids. I have screwed up again. I force a giggle.

“Are you high?” Ed touches the machine to me without breaking his gaze. I wince. He grins. “You’re high, aren’t you?”

The needle jabs again. Again I pretend it hurts me, and Ed’s black, Brylcreemed head bows over my pubis once more. He shares that with the ancient priests, at least – the pleasure he takes in my pain.

“You never told me why you wanted the tat.” Ed’s long, artist’s fingers rub ointment into my belly, oblivious to the lack of inflammation around his freshly-drawn lines. “Damned,” he reads aloud. His fingers dip below the elastic of my panties, spreading the slick protective gel to unmarked skin. “What did you say, your body betrayed you?”

“Something like that.”

“What, it go cheat on your boyfriend without you?” He winks, carefully taping gauze over his work. His fingers are smooth as his lines, but I don’t answer him.

“What’s his name?”

“Adam.”

“He’s a lucky guy.”

If Ed takes any longer taping my bandage, or running my credit card, or explaining my wound care instruction sheet, I run a very real risk of tearing his face off.

“And you’ve got some good anti-bacterial soap at home?”

“Yes.”

“You’ve got my phone number there. I put it on the sheet, so if you have any trouble – any questions – you call me, okay?”

I leave him at the cash register and walk, with as much poise as an impatient immortal can wrangle, to the electric blue bathroom, where I yank up my shirt and peel down the right corner of Ed’s meticulous bandage.

The letters are already fading. I sit on the toilet lid and stare at the dirty floor.

I get the same tattoo every February fourteenth. It’s my little birthday joke on myself, but today it just isn’t funny. Not with the dread of what Adam will do. Not with my breasts inflated to a size they haven’t been since the days when my brother Jack walked the London streets. In those days, a lady could stretch a courtship over a year, and be thanked for the privilege. A few months of kissing Adam, and the darling expects me to say “yes” tonight. Ten minutes of kissing Ed, and the ass would expect a different acquiescence. All I want is a tattoo – a bad girl brand on my perfect body to mark me with what I truly am. I check it again. The first “D” is gone.

“Eddie,” I call out the bathroom door, “Can you come back here a second?”

I put my alabaster hands on the stained basin of the sink and stare into the mirror above it. I wait for Ed’s reflection to show me my face in the silvered glass. He slouches in. I scowl at the pinup parody of myself and slip behind him to lock the door. I lean against the flimsy wood.

“Does it hurt?” he asks.

“Yes,” I lie. My perfect body can’t feel pleasure or pain, can’t transmit any sensation more acute than simple pressure. But my other senses are keen, and his masculine smell rises over the clove.

His hands take my waist – do they tremble just a little, tough guy? A choked prayer of desire escapes his tight throat, and I put my scarlet lips against his. I let him kiss me, lipstick messy between us for elongating seconds before I bite into his mouth.

I don’t mean to do it, but the subtle razor surfaces of my teeth and tongue erupt, grazing the insides of his mouth, making cuts too small for him to feel. It doesn’t take much to feed me, microscopic globules of blood from the tiny surface cuts my quilled teeth make in his lips and against his gums. I suck on his mouth and he shudders against me. He’s hungry too.

In his blood I taste only tedious, arcane desires, but am tempted by the whisper of the dreams that feeding full-tooth would bring. Still, I don’t strike. It’s not his fault. He worked diligently to give me what I asked for – a word for my flesh, a name for my body. But if his inky blood is all I can get of what I want, I’ll swallow what I can.

He grapples at the zipper of my jeans, and I recoil from the danger of his callused fingers finding my tattoo gone. He mutters something about hurting me and slides his innocent hands over my body, away from the bandage, to tug on my shirt. I pull it over my head for him. I will give him anything he wants with my sandcastle tits – I can’t feel them – just let me keep feasting on his stained and smoky mouth.

His delicate hands run up my back, the only ugly part of my body, and close over my breasts, grinding roughly, but my tongue laps at his gaping mouth. He would take me right here, if I let him, rough against the too-blue door. Sex is naked in the twenty-first century, naked as Ed’s need, and it fucks its angels fast and hungry in the nasty bathrooms where kids who find they can’t take the needle come to puke their humiliated guts out. If I could, I would let him, because “yes” is easier than “no” these days, and I’m not a cock-tease or a good girl. But I cannot, because of what I really am.

“Damned …” Ed’s fingertips graze the dressing again.

I remember to pretend it hurts me, and his cock throbs against my fat thigh. All the letters are gone, but desire still whimpers to him, and he brings his mouth down hard over mine again. I press his thin hand against the bandage. Why have I never thought of this before? Pain is easier to fake than pleasure. Could this – finally – be the loophole? Could it be suffering that frees me, instead of love?

“Look at you,” he whistles.

“Behold, the damned!” I make a comic little flourish and shimmy my tits.

He groans. “You don’t really believe that, do you?”

“Yeah, and I need you to, okay?”

“You’re kind of messed up, you know?”

Ed, Eddie, Pontius Edward – he will ask the questions, he will drive the tiny, electric nails into my flesh, but all the time, he’s washing his hands. He doesn’t want to know, doesn’t want to be involved. He’s curious, not concerned; a voyeur not an actor, and I scent fear beneath the cloves.

He can’t save me, the fucker. If I kiss him again, I will taste his hesitation. I lick my lips for lingering flecks, and he pushes his hair back with fingers that say “hate” across the knuckles. I smile into his innocent eyes and pull on my shirt. “You’re blocking the door,” I tell him.

“What the fuck? You think you’re leaving?”

I grip his earlobe between my forefinger and thumb. He scrambles, panting mutely away from the door as I bring my quilled fingernails together.

I leave him with his new piercing bleeding softly, already cobbling the story he’ll tell about the crazy chick he made out with in the bathroom on Valentine’s Day after he tattooed her “damned.” As his story ages, we will have had sex back there.

My breasts are already flattening by the time the tattoo parlor door slams behind me, shrinking toward the twenty-first century ideal of full and firm, but more athletic than sensual. At least I won’t be hungry when I meet Adam for dinner tonight.

I have been a fool. Ed could never have been my salvation. Just another fig. Adam, however, might be. If only tonight goes differently than my birthdays always do, if only I don’t have to leave Adam like I left Ed in the blue bathroom – blindly wanting me. They can’t help it. They all want me. I am the angel of desire.

Desire is an angel in hell.