Free Today-Love Charm for Carlotta

Love Charm for Carlotta is free today, Sunday May 14. This is a short story (60 pages on Amazon) and here is the blurb:


Carlotta doesn't believe in love charms. Especially not when the bad boy hockey player from her past suddenly re-appears in her life. But the small town island atmosphere of Martha's Vineyard conspires against her when she tries to escape him. Is it the love charm working, or something else? Do people change, or will she be courting heartbreak again if she succumbs to her high school sweetheart?

Excerpt:

Carlotta kneaded the bread fiercely, reminding herself that she'd practically killed herself to eliminate the impulsivity she was born with. She would never repeat the mistakes of her youth. She no longer bolted headlong into ill-conceived temptations.

Except for that craziness last weekend when her friends Ashley and Genevieve had talked her into casting a spell with that—

She froze again.

The love charm.

A blue silk packet made up of a lock of her curly black hair, a ground-up silver bean her friends had given her, and one of the overblown blue flowers from the hydrangea bush at the corner of her yard. She didn't believe in charms and spells, but she'd tossed the silk-enclosed bundle into the moat at the deCordova benefit. The Venetian-themed ball provided such a romantic setting, and when she'd seen the moat – yes, impulse had overtaken her and she'd made a wish and thrown the charm. As she'd expected, no one interesting had approached her that night, and she'd returned to the Vineyard, the love charm forgotten.

Now the memory swept into her kitchen, in a sparkle of remembered hope. She shook her head to dislodge it.

If that damned charm had brought Jace Burton back into her peaceful life like a boomerang from hell, she'd find herself a voodoo witch and hex the lot of them—Ashley, Genevieve, and Jace himself.

She'd tossed that rotten heartthrob-without-a-heart from her life a dozen years ago, and he was never coming back.

A loud rap on the front door signaled that Jace didn't realize he'd been banned from her life.

Her hands clenched in the stretchy dough as if the bread could trap her and save her from moving.

She forced herself to begin kneading again. Maybe if she focused on the work she loved, she could press out this compulsion that ordered her to walk into the living room, approach the door, and open it wide.

In welcome.

She had to resist that instinct because she could never welcome his re-entry into her life.

She'd moved past that tumultuous time when Jace was the center of her existence. She never wanted to go back to it.

"Carlotta!" His deep voice boomed through the house and she heard his self-assurance, his zest for life, and the poignant memories of her first love—all wrapped up in one word—her name.

And twining through the memories was the sharp, bitter, edge of pain, a pointed needle scraping through her flesh.

"Carlotta! Let me in." A brief pause. "Please."

A spring breeze, fresh with the scent of the sea, blew the white, dotted Swiss curtains at the kitchen window. She welcomed the clean May wind, praying it would cool the heat that washed over her body every time she heard his voice.

"I know you're in there, Carlotta." He wasn't angry, but rather amused. He didn't think she could withstand him.

"Do you still leave the door unlocked?" he hollered.

She stiffened. Of course the door was unlocked. She'd never gotten out of the habit, even though she knew it was foolish to be so careless, even on the Vineyard.

She had a key now, which her parents never had, but she forgot about it more often than not.

"I know the door is unlocked, Carlotta, because I know you," he called out. "I'm going to open it now."

She couldn't hear the handle turn from in here, but she could imagine it. She could picture him walking in, his tall figure dwarfing the low-ceilinged living room, his boots loud on the hardwood floor.

She should retreat, escape. Her eyes darted to the back door—

Too late.

Available free here:

http://amzn.com/B00AHJN4ZW

Love Charms-Do They Work?

I'd like to believe in charms. How about you?

Or look at it another way. Do you believe in the power of positive thinking?

If you do, then you can see how a love charm might work IF you believe in it. You cast your charm. Then you see your target. Maybe you relax a bit, smile at him, you act more confident because you are more confident. You're using magic. How can he resist?

I'd like to believe in magic. I do believe there many things out there in the universe, and right here on this planet, that we simply don't understand yet. People who lived a thousand years ago would have thought it was "magical" to speak to someone in another town through a telephone. Electricity? Magical. Music coming out of a box with no singers or instruments nearby? Magic. Why shouldn't extrasensory perception exist? We just can't explain how it works yet.

There are many things to be learned and developed which we simply don't understand yet.

So I've written a series of romance short stories based on the concept of a love charm. The first one, Love Charm for Ashley, is available now.

Here's an excerpt:

Ashley clutched her love charm to her breast as the evening cruise ship pitched under a full moon. She’d followed the directions for the spell carefully, as any good teacher would. Lilac and rose petals, oil of lavender, a snip of her own hair and the spell was finished. All wrapped up in a sachet of pink silk and hope.

Hope that she suddenly didn’t want to throw into the cold black waters of Boston Harbor. Because if the spell didn’t work, and actually, she was not the kind of person who could believe in charms and spells; well, if it didn’t work, then what would she do next? Pushing thirty, no man in sight, and a long string of lackluster boyfriends in the rear-view mirror.

“Do it, Ashley!” Brenna, her roommate and cheerleader approached with the wavy gait of a drunken sailor. The empty wine glass in her hand bore testament to Brenna’s conviction that Saturday night was for carousing.

“Careful, Brenna.” Ashley automatically held out a hand. “Don’t get too close to the railing.”

“You’ve got everything the spell called for. A full moon.” Brenna gestured to the sky. “A body of water.” She flung one arm toward the harbor and her wine glass flew out of her hand and disappeared under a slapping wave. “Whoops!” Brenna giggled.

“I don’t know, Brenna.” Ashley followed the trajectory of the wine glass with a dispirited eye. No man would emerge out of those lobster-crawling depths. But the directions had been clear. Toss the charm into a body of water under the light of a full moon. Ashley looked back at Brenna. “How is this spell going to bring me a good man?”

“Who knows? What’ve you got to lose?” Brenna grabbed the packet and, before Ashley could blink, she’d thrown it overboard. The pale silk bobbed for one second in the moonlight, and then sank, like Ashley’s heart.

“I didn’t make my wish, Brenna!”

“No problemo.” Brenna giggled again. “I made one for you.”

“That’s grand, Brenna.” Ashley tried hard to stifle the sarcasm.

“No, I mean it.” Brenna grabbed her arm. “I wished for my brother to come for a visit and give you a fab…a fab.u.lush weekend.”

“You think he’ll come all the way from the Middle East just to show me a good time?” Ashley tried to speak lightly, though disappointment clogged her throat like a trapped wishbone.

“Home for some reason. I forget.” Brenna waved a hand, as if she might conjure him from the sea. “Ya know, he’s a lady-killer.”

“Yeah. I’ve heard you say that.” Ashley spoke dryly. Like she needed a lady-killer. Of course, Brenna's brother lived in Florida, so it wasn’t likely he was in the neighborhood. But it would be just her luck, that he’d show up and make her the focus of his attention for the nanosecond he stayed in town.

She had a knack for attracting the kind of men who didn’t stick around and Brenna’s brother, if only half her stories could be believed, was exactly that type of guy. A different woman every night. Gone on a moment’s notice when the Army needed him in some far-flung corner of the globe. A secretive job in the Special Forces, which, of course, is why women fell all over themselves to bask in his reflected macho glory.

No thanks. Not for her. She wanted someone steadfast and true. Someone who’d hold her tight all night long, someone who’d smile at her in the morning.

“Come on, Brenna.” Ashley held onto her friend as the big ship docked at Rowes Wharf. “Time for you to get home.”

“Home?” Brenna stumbled on the gangplank, then looked up at Ashley. “How much have I had to drink?”

“Too much if you have to ask,” Ashley answered. “Are you expecting to meet someone? Because there’s a man out on the dock waving at you.”

“Brenna!” A tall, rangy man dressed, despite the cool temperature, in only blue jeans and a black t-shirt, held open his arms. His grin lit up the night, and Ashley felt an ugly pang of jealousy pierce her. She stomped off the boat, looking for a cab. Wouldn’t you know? Her spell brought in a man for Brenna.

The man now had one arm looped around Brenna and was grinning down at her with unmistakable affection. But Ashley knew she wouldn’t be able to leave her tipsy friend without checking him out. Sighing, she walked over to join them.

“Ashley!” Brenna’s eyes telegraphed a message of excitement. “Look who’s here!”

“Who?” Ashley couldn’t help looking at the man, and their gazes locked as he smiled at her.

“I’m Glen.” He held out his hand and, reluctantly, Ashley responded. She forced herself to break contact with his eyes, but then her gaze got caught on his wide shoulders, moved down to admire his muscular arms, and progressed directly to his strong forearms. It was only when she reached the sight of their hands clasped together that she realized she’d been holding onto him for too long.

And her entire body buzzed from that one point of contact.

“Hey,” he said softly, leaning down to speak close to her ear. “You’re shivering.”

Somehow he was clasping her hand now, instead of shaking it, and he tried to pull her closer to his warmth.

She had to resist. “Brenna—” she gasped. It was too awkward to try to explain that she’d never take a man from her best friend, even if he were the most appealing man she’d ever seen.

But he must have understood. Suddenly, he laughed. “Brenna is my sister,” he said.

“Oh!” Excitement fizzed within her. He wasn’t taken, at least not by Brenna. Also, that’s why he’d somehow seemed familiar. Though she hadn’t recognized him in the dark, she’d seen pictures of him and heard so many stories from Brenna that she felt like she knew him. Not that her knowledge brought any comfort in its wake. One thing she knew for sure was that he was a here-today, gone-tomorrow type of guy.

“And you are?” Glen broke into her thoughts.

“Ashley.” She refused to be drawn into his orbit.

“You’re Brenna’s roommate?" He raised his brows. "That’s great.”

She knew better than to ask, but the word came out anyway. “Why?”

He gave her an irresistible grin that she recognized from the photos. All white teeth and wicked curves. “That means I’ll be spending the night with you.”

But Link: http://amzn.com/B009RZ8YXY

So, tell us, what do you believe in that we don't understand yet?

Smoke and Mirrors

Once in a while it's fun to revisit one of my favorite stories that's been out for a while. Since this week's theme was magic, I thought I'd share the cover and blurb - ok, and maybe a short excerpt, from my Ellora's Cave novella, Smoke and Mirrors. The story of Alex, a magician, and Gabriella has always been one I loved, reunited lovers with a secret or two between them.

Love is nothing but an illusion.

Heiress Gabriella Winslow learned that lesson years ago when her magician boyfriend abandoned her, sick and alone, hundreds of miles from home. In the years that followed, she’s tried to forget him and the erotic bondage games they used to play. But the life she’s made for herself since then still leaves her restless and yearning for something more.

Now a successful illusionist, Alexander Black has returned to settle an old score. And to seduce Gabriella. With a blindfold and handcuffs and blood red roses, he entices his former lover and magician’s assistant back to his Las Vegas penthouse. Alex is an expert at smoke and mirrors. If all goes according to plan, she’ll never even know she’s his prisoner.

"...Ms. Moore creates scenes that are as spine-tinglingly erotic as they are romantic, and I definitely felt the heat level rise in the room as I read. I Joyfully Recommend Smoke and Mirrors. It’s an enchanting, entertaining reunion romance filled with lust, love, and inventive uses for scarves. Simply magic!"
--- Shayna, Joyfully Reviewed

"...Smoke and Mirrors is an erotic foray into obsession, bondage and exhibitionism. The setting, a limo and a magician's lair, along and the rags-to-riches premise are interesting backdrops for this quick erotic adventure."
--- Vee, Night Owl Reviews

Excerpt:
Alex absently rubbed Gabriella’s tiny feet and pondered his next move. He’d always prided himself on his ability to seduce the audience. But this was Gabriella. And he wasn’t sure how to proceed. This might be his only chance.

If he made the wrong move, she’d slip through his fingers like an illusion gone terribly wrong.

He was sorry he’d scared her tonight, but his body hardened again as he pictured the panic that had overtaken her earlier, the way her body had strained against her bonds. Her chest had heaved as she twisted and turned, her breasts nearly spilling out of that tiny excuse for a dress. And when her skirt had ridden up her shapely thighs, giving him a peek at her lacy panties, he’d almost come in his trousers right then.

Those had been his favorite illusions. The ones where Gabriella would be bound and perhaps blindfolded or gagged as well. And then she would struggle for the appropriate amount of time before they’d play out the rest of the illusion. Most men attended the performances just to see Gabriella struggle. Oh, they’d never admit it out loud, but Alex knew it was true. A few more months and they would have hit it big, he was certain of that. They’d been a dynamite combination.

And he’d been just as certain his career would take a nosedive without her. But Gabriella had taught him his trademark seductive moves during their time together. The sexually stimulating moves on stage that drew the women in. That still drew them in. And they brought their spouses or boyfriends. More and more each year.

And now he was about to open his own theater in Las Vegas. He was going to stop traveling and settle down. At least, that had been his plan.

Gabriella stirred beside him. “Remember curling up like this in the van?” she asked sleepily.

Alex’s fingers froze and he dropped her foot into his lap. “The van?” Rusty and noisy and leaking oil like a sieve. Alex stared at Gabriella. Was that actually a smile on her face?

She nodded. “I’d wrap up in a blanket and stretch out in the back just like this and you’d rub my feet. It was like we were the only two people in the world. Remember?”

“I remember.” Bitterness churned in his stomach. He’d like to forget they’d ever been so poor that they’d sometimes had to sleep in his old beat up van. Like to forget there was a time he hadn’t even been able to bring in enough money to pay for a burger and fries. He’d vowed a long time ago that he’d never be in a situation like that again.

“It felt like this. Warm and cozy.” Her voice was so soft now he could barely hear it. She was nearly asleep. “And when I breathed in the air, it smelled like you.”

“No,” he whispered after a moment, when her breathing had become slow and regular. “It smelled like you.”

Smoke and Mirrors is still available if you'd like to enjoy a sexy story of reunited lovers and the magic they make together.

Natasha
www.natashamoore.com