CONTEST: One person will win a free copy of my holiday story, Devon Falls 1: Sticky Magic today. Comment to be entered.
******
The countdown has begun and the stores are packed with shoppers trying to get their last minute shoping done, even as the stores have less inventory to sell.

I am lucky to say I finished pretty much all my shopping now and just need ot get the goodies I am bringng to families houses Xmas eve and Christmas day ready. But if you are one of those who still need some gift ideas, then think about these suggestions:

1) E-gift certificates- Amazon and other stores has now offered e-gift cards to customers. Got that hard to buy for prelative or friend? Then grab an e-gift certificate and they can usse it for a variety of places. Heck you can even design one just for them. How cool is that?

2) Books and e-books. Books are a wonderful present to give as they can be enjoyed multiple times. I love giving books at Christmas, especially as I find out what many like to read and pick them up throughout the final months of the year- just have to make sure I don’t get the same one they already have.

3) Pamper gifts- I love getting and giving gift certificates to a spa or to havemy nails done. It is a relaxing thing for that busy woman in your life- be it mom, sister or significant other.

4) Bake something- Homemade cookies and candies are very popular right now as we all deal with the recession in some form. I know I gave the kids teachers a small box of cookies the kids helped make with me for a gift instead of buying them anything. It was gratefully received with smiles and hugs.

Those are just some of my ideas for that last minute shopping ideas. Do you have any ideas not mentioned here?

Raine Delight is excited to share her first Devon Falls Title; Sticky Magic (found in Babes in Toyland II anthology) is now available on its own with a brand new cover from Aspen Mountain Press

To celebrate this surprise release and to get in the mood for the holidays, Raine is having a New Release Contest.

The winner will receive a Gift Certificate to Aspen Mountain Press ($5.00) and a holiday Gift set with candles, Holiday CD and more to one lucky Winner.

The Contest runs from 12/7-12/18 with winner being announced on my loop and website/blog on December 19^th, 2009.

This is open to everyone.

What to do to win this great prize, Email me at rainedelight @ yahoo dot com with “HOLIDAY CONTEST” in subject line with your snail mail addy information in there. That’s it. Isn’t that easy?

GOOD LUCK!

My Five Day Halloween Contest is ended and my kids pulled aname from the hat. The winner will receive:

Copy of Haunting Magic (EBOOK)
Stuffed Werewolf Promo Pack
Del Fantasma Series Shot Glass
$15.00 Gift Card to Star Bucks
plus a variety of other goodies as well.

The WINNER IS…….Heidi SHafer-Wilson

{Tosses Confetti in the air}

CONGRATS. Heidi and thanks to all who entered. I have a holiday contest coming in Decemeber so keep an eye out for it.

HEIDI: I emailed you already.

Final Day of my Halloween Contest wek and we are talking Haunted Places. It wouldn’t be Halloween without talking spooky places where ghosts scare unsuspecting people.

Some of America’s Most Haunted Places are as follows:

Bell Witch Cave (located in Adams, Tennessee)
There is no greater ghost story in the history of American than that of the Bell Witch of Tennessee. It would require an entirely separate book to chronicle the strange haunting that occurred in Robertson County between 1817 and 1821 (and I have written one — see my book Season of the Witch for the complete account) but in short, the family of a local farmer named John Bell was plagued by a mysterious and violent spirit for nearly four years. The haunting involved spectral creatures, disembodied voices, unbelievable violence and even resulted in the death of John Bell — all at the hands of the infamous Bell Witch.

*****
Lincoln Theater (located in Decauter, Illinois)
The Lincoln Theater, located on North Main Street in downtown Decatur, is one of only two of the city’s grand theaters that remain standing today. It opened in 1916 with a large seating capacity and a sprawling stage. It was a labyrinth, and remains so today, with its mezzanine, high balcony, basements and sub-cellars. The theater holds many secrets, and according to some, many ghosts.

*********
Waverly Sanatorium (Lousiville, Kentucky)
One of the legends told of Waverly Hills involves a man in a white coat who has been seen walking in the kitchen and the smell of cooking food that sometimes wafts through the room. During their initial visit, they found the kitchen was a disaster, a ruin of broken windows, fallen plaster, broken tables and chairs and puddles of water and debris that resulted from a leaking roof. The cafeteria had not fared much better. It was also in ruins and the team quickly retreated. Before they could do so though, several of them reported the sounds of footsteps, a door swinging shut and the smell of fresh baked bread in the air. A quick search revealed that no one else was in the building and there was certainly no one cooking anything in the kitchen. They could come up with no logical explanation for what had occurred.
********
Alcatraz (San Franciso, California)
Alcatraz, which earned the nickname of the “Rock”, was the ultimate American prison. Bloodletters and badmen and assorted public enemies like Al Capone, Alvin Karpis and Machine-Gun Kelly and others, called this place the end of the line. For 29 years, the damp, fogged-in prison kept the country’s most notorious criminals put away from the rest of the world. The heavy mists, cold wind and water and the foghorns of the bay made Alcatraz the loneliest of the prisons.
********
Gettysburg Battlefield (Southern Pennsylvania)
Most Civil War enthusiasts would say the battle which was fought near the small Pennsylvania town in 1863 was the greatest battle of the war…. or at the very least, a turning point which led to the fall of the Confederacy. For ghost hunters, the mere mention of Gettysburg conjures up images of haunted buildings, strange battlefield encounters and restless ghosts.
**********
Link to more Haunted places in America: http://www.prairieghosts.com/mosthaunted.html

So many places have haunted houses and fields that I can not name them all or I would be here all day.

CONTEST TIME: What other place do you think should be on this list?
ANSWER ON THE BLOG PLEASE!

The contest week closes Oct. 31st, 2009 and winner to be announced on Nov. 1st on blog and readers loop.

Halloween is here and that means scary movie time. Now for myself, I hate scary movies. All the blood, guts and gore just freak me out and not in a good way either. Below I found a list of 13 scary Halloween Movies on DVD that are sure to scare you closer to your significant other.

13) Halloween directed by John Carpenter and spawning seven sequels.

12) Dawn of the Dead

11) The Omen- now this is a classic case of mixed up family with the dad being the devil and all.

10) Alien (the first movie). Creepy Sci Fi fun

9) Wes Craven’s Nightmare Before Elm Street
The Classic Evil Dead Series by Sam Ramai

7) An American Werewolf in London

6) Friday the 13th with young Kevin Bacon

5) Fright Night (Vampire movie at its best)

4) The Fly with Jeff Goldblum 

3) The Prince of Darkness- is about demons and zombies, flesh-eating bugs and psychotic down-and outs. A motley collection of science, religious and philosophy types join forces to investigate Satan’s Second Coming. Surrounded by all manner of beasties in a shadowy church, they are unnervingly advised to “Pray for death”.

2) The Ring

And Number one horror flick is……….

“Saw”, directed by James Wan and starring Cary Elwes, Danny Glover and Monica Potter. Fiendishly inventive and gory, Saw is one of the most alarming films you will ever see. It’s a mental and emotional rollercoaster ride full of blood and surprises, a bonafide horror classic for anyone who can endure it. Plus it has spawned SIX sequels to date.

Link to list is: http://www.prweb.com/releases/halloween/horror_movies/prweb3101444.htm

DAY 3 CONTEST: What Horror film would oyu add to this list?
Email me your answer at rainedelight (AT) gmail (DOT) com

Lynn Crain’s Blog (Contest ends TONIGHT)- http://lynncrain.blogspot.com/2009/10/interview-with-raine-delight.html

Bitten By Books Event:

Have you ever wondered what some of the characters from your favorite book have thought? Now you can. Raine Delight’s Muse interviews Damien Dracon from Fiery Magic and Rodrick Dracon from Haunting Magic.

RSVP For: 10/27 Character Interview, Chat and Contest with author Raine Delight. Event starts at 10:30 am CDT and runs all day and into the night. Contest runs until 11:59 pm CDT on 10/28.

Description: Join us with author Raine Delight for a character interview, chat and contest at http://bittenbybooks.com/. She will also be talking about her latest release Haunting Magic.
She will be giving away an amazing Wolfie Gift Package!

RSVP below and get 25 entries to the contest when you show up on the day of the event. If you don’t show up and mention your RSVP AND ask a question, you won’t be entered into the contest.
Check out Raine’s website here and get your questions ready for Tuesday.

http://authorrainedelight.com/

Be SURE to give your friends this link: http://bittenbybooks.com/?p= 11655 so they can RSVP too! Lets show Raine the love she deserves from her friends in the US and abroad!

What do you love about being an author? Is there anything you dislike?

I love living in the ‘other world’ the place where my characters live. I enjoy the escape when reading a good story, but writing one for me is true bliss.

I love the people who give me feedback on my books. The many friends I’ve met in this business especially those in RWA. The best thing though is when a Publisher sends a contract!

The most dislikeable thing would be the submission process, the wait and the awful feeling of  possibly being rejected.

How do you balance your personal and writing time?

 I like to write at night when there are no distractions, so I have all day to do other things.

Do you tend to base your characters on real people or are they totally from your imagination?

 I wish… no my characters are all from my imagination. Funny, one day I ran into a gorgeous man who so resembled my current hero that I stopped dead and ogled him. He came over to see me and asked if something was wrong. He said I looked as if I’d seen a ghost. When I explained (no doubt red faced and stuttering) he was very nice and told me he was a model.

What do you have coming in 2010? Any releases coming up you want to shout out about?

September 09 my M/M Historical Forbidden will be included in an anthology with Noble Romance. I have a contract with Noble Romance for  my  sexy shape shifter Pride Brothers Series, the  first one , Purrfect Seduction will be out this year with the second,  My Purrfect Alphas close behind and more to follow every two months or so publisher permitting of course.

If you could meet any mythical being, who would it be and why?

The Tooth Fairy and ask her why she never left money under my pillow.

If we looked on your bookshelves, what would we see? Any favorite authors there?

So many…thousands of books. Diana Gabaldon, Terry Brooks, Carol Burg, Karen Robards, Nora Roberts.

Halloween is here……do you have any traditions you like to do for the holiday? Dress up? Hand out candy? go to haunted houses? Tell us your favorite Halloween Traditions.

In Australia we don’t celebrate Halloween as you do. I leave my Jack –o-Lantern and a candle burning all night to keep the bad spirits away…. not that I’m superstitious you understand J

You get to meet a paranormal Creature of your choice with no safeguards, what would you choose and why?

In Purrfect Seduction I introduce the Faerie King Nox. He is a seven foot tall, stunningly handsome male with black silver tipped gossamer wings. He is a very naughty, erotically sexy faerie. I would love to meet him to see if he is really as naughty as he seems.

Thank you very much for having me today.

Find HC Brown at Noble Romance Publishing (www.nobleromance.com)

Sneak peek  Excerpt from Betrothed to the Enemy, a Historical Erotic Romance published by Noble Romance:

Angela’s heart raced as he scattered sweet kisses along her chin. His hot tongue licked her earlobe before he slowly nibbled her bottom lip. He lifted his head, his eyes locked on hers and he kissed her deeply, intensely. His warm, heady scent filled her nostrils, sending delightful vibrations fluttering deep in her belly. Angela felt no fear, no regrets when he removed her cloak. Her body responded instinctively to his touch. She arched her back and pushed her aching breasts toward him. She writhed in forbidden ecstasy as he cupped them with warm hands and circled his calloused thumbs over her sensitive nipples. He tormented, he teased, and he bent his head and licked a circle around one hard bud and then the other, drawing wet circles on her linen shift. His breath was so hot that when he lifted his head they cooled unbearably, rising to hard tight peaks.

She let out a short gasp as a warm hand ran up her leg, lifting her shift in the process. He clasped her bare bottom, easing her up onto his leather-clad thigh. She squirmed in pleasure as her legs parted and her slick, wet folds met his hard, cold knee. He took her mouth again, and as their tongues danced, he rocked her gently back and forth along his strong muscular thigh. Angela swooned at the exquisite sensations flooding her body, delighting in the forbidden heat strumming through her most intimate parts. Damien growled deep in his chest as he lifted her into his arms. He carried her across the room and lowered her onto the mat before the fire. He pulled her shift up and over her head, tossing it to the floor, and then stood back to admire her nakedness. Angela felt suddenly embarrassed and heat flooded her cheeks as Damien smiled.

“You are so beautiful, milady. I will keep this image in my mind forever,” he said as he began to remove his tunic and breeches. Moments later, he was as naked as she was.

     Damien could only stand before her motionless. His prowess with women deserted him as he absorbed her splendor. Doubt flooded his mind and he stilled like a statue. She held his gaze, her eyes filled with trust. How could he think to deflower her? Was his mind inflamed with fever? This was the first woman who had ever mattered to him. He owed her his love, not a covering like a common whore.

But when Angela’s gaze travelled down to his achingly hard cock then back up to his face, all his misgivings fled. He nearly spilled his seed as their eyes locked and her teeth closed seductively on her bottom lip.

     He discovered he could not blink as she casually reached behind her head to release a cascade of hair that tumbled like black silk across the floor. Her large, ivory breasts with their enticingly erect rose-pink nipples mesmerized him. His gaze drifted across her pure white skin to her softly rounded belly. His mouth went dry as he glimpsed the stark triangle of damp, dark curls nestled between her open thighs. She was beautiful and in this moment she was his and his alone.

He was lost.

Kneeling carefully between her legs, he leaned over her, supporting himself on his forearms. He kissed a slow, wet trail up her belly to the valley between her breasts. He kissed each white mound then lazily circled his tongue around each pink bud before gently suckling one and then the other. Angela began mewing and arching her back as he continued to torment her nipples, raking them with his teeth until they stood up, deep red and erect.

“Sir Damien, please. . . it is too good. I fear I cannot stand such pleasure,” she gasped.

Damien rose above her and kissed the tip of her nose.

“Do you want me to stop, my sweet angel?” He brushed a lock of damp hair from her flushed face and tenderly kissed her neck.

Angela shook her head. “No, please continue.”

Damien chuckled and lashed his tongue across her sensitive nipples. Dear Lord, she tasted like honey, so sweet. He fought for control, desperate to ensure his lovemaking remain gentle for her first time. Consumed with lust, he longed to bury himself deep within her and ride her hard to completion. He slipped his hand down to her quivering belly and let it rest there a while before slipping his fingers between her open thighs. He felt her tense at his touch.

“Oh sweet angel,” he whispered, “relax and allow yourself to enjoy.”

She was so very wet and his fingers glistened with her moisture as he tenderly probed her folds. Slipping a finger inside, he prodded gently. So hot, so tight. He found her pearl with his thumb, and circled it slowly. He wanted so to taste her, to drink her virgin honey, to suck her swollen pearl until she screamed out his name in passion. Her small hands slid down his back and held him tightly, her breath coming in short pants. He continued swirling his fingers and suckling her tender buds until she cried out and arched against him, trembling in ecstatic completion. He muffled her cries of pleasure with a kiss. He was well pleased when she pushed her hands through his hair and returned his kiss with passion.

“I want to taste you, to feel you tremble against my mouth,” he said as he grasped her rounded bottom with both hands and lifted her soaking folds to his lips.

He felt her tense for a second before her fingers twirled in his hair and she moaned her approval. He drove his tongue deep inside, probing and swirling as she writhed in his hands. She tasted so sweet, and her nectar ran down his chin as he lapped. He found her hard pearl and sucked, holding her firmly until her whole body shuddered to conclusion.

https://www.nobleromance.com/ItemDisplay.aspx?i=47

CONTEST: One Lucky person will win a copy of Bethrothed to the Enemy or Forbidden Love.

Halloween Fun for Free

I have to say with today’s economy, I am always looking for ways to do things with the kids that cost little or even better, free. When I saw the latest Women’s World Magazine, I was thrilled to see how I can log on the internet for Free Halloween Fun. (Magazine date: 10/26/2009-on stands now).

If you like watching fright movies then check out the following links for those horror classics like Night of the Living Dead, The Crawling Hand and The Hitchhiker at- MyEmbraq.com/video and at Hulu.com/channels/Horror-and-Suspense

Love Spooky Stories? Then check out these links for adults and younger kids that will scare you with spooky ghosts, frightful zombies and more at AmericanFolklore.net/Halloween.html and for younger kids- the less eerie Halloween-themed stories at Apples4theTeacher.com/holidays/Halloween/kids-short-stories

Want to create creepy snacks for a party? Then check out how to make Coffin Cake, Bloody Fingers, Jack O’ Lantern Pizza, and other easy to make recipes at Halloween-Online.com/recipes/index.html

Like playing games or to use as kid fun at a local event? Check out this site for ghoulish games that you can print out such as word finds, crossword puzzles and more at HallwoeenGames101.com

Do you like to dress your pet up? Then check out these websites where the pets are dressed up in cute costumes dressed-up-dogs@ipets.com/dog_costumes.html and Dogs.about.com/od/funphotos-ig/Halloween-costumes.com Like Cats? Then check these frightful felines in their costumes at i-pets.com/cat_costumes.html and at Cats.about.com/od/catpictures/ig/Halloween-cats

It doesn’t have to cost a lot to have a frightful Halloween celebration and there is even more out there on the internet waiting for you to explore.

*Source of links: Woman’s World Magazine, date- 10/26/09*

CONTEST QUESTION: What is your favorite Activity to do during Halloween?

To enter, email me at rainedelight (AT) gmail (DOT) com to enter. Any answers left in comments WILL NOT be counted.

Are all Sequels Equal?

In my current release Miss Taken, Tabitha Stuart has an adventure of a lifetime over a two day period. While the story does have a very satisfying ending, there’s still plenty of room to bring the characters back for a sequel.

So, how does an author decide if they should leave the story to stand alone or bring it back as a sequel or series?

I’ve considered bringing back the characters from Miss Taken but haven’t taken the plunge yet. Although, I’m a huge fan of series books I think that some of them go on for far too long. The quality can seem to fade from the books after the author has to come up with fresh new adventures for the same characters over and over again.

On the flip side, there have been many books that I’ve been absorbed in until the very last page and then am still left wondering, what happened to those characters? Destined to never to find out when the author doesn’t continue the story in another book.

Some of my favorite series are the Stephanie Plum Series by Janet Evanovich, the Dark Hunter series by Sherrilyn Kenyon, and the Grant County series by Karin Slaughter…just to name a few. All of these series have six or more books in them and they still continue on.

I’ve been a faithful follower of all three since the beginning but in the past couple of years I’ve stopped reading two of these series. Now, I won’t say which two but I will say that I quit because I felt like the author’s passion for the stories was beginning to wane.

I could feel it as the series grew older and I no longer counted down the days until the next release. Have you had a similar experience with a series that you enjoyed?

Sometimes I wonder, when is enough…enough? The same is true of television series. I can’t tell you how many shows that I’ve loved only to have the network pull it way before its time. Then again, some shows plug on and on and you couldn’t pay me to watch them.

As avid readers, do you consider yourself a fan of series books? Which ones are your favorites and which ones have you dropped?

I’m gathering opinions on series novels today and trying to decide if I should revisit one or more of my own books. Share your thoughts and feelings on series books today and be eligible to win a prize pack from me which includes: a hanging photo frame and a promo goodie bundle!

Thank you to Raine for the wonderful opportunity to blog with you all today. I look forward to reading your thoughts and comments. Be sure to check out my current June “Summer is Hot” contest now in progress on my website at www.kerrinelson.com Also stay tuned for my first paranormal release entitled Soul Searcher due out from Whispers Publishing on September 18th!

Sneak Peek into Miss Taken by Kerri Nelson:

http://www.whispershome.com/book_pages/miss_taken.html

Tabby was dreaming. She knew she was dreaming but she couldn’t make herself wake up. She dreamt that she was in a straitjacket and the harder she struggled to free herself, the tighter her restraints became.

She shook her head from side to side and realized that something was over her mouth. It was gagging her and she suddenly felt as if she couldn’t breathe. She fought the urge to panic and began to cough frantically. Her tongue protruded from her lips and she felt something rough and unnatural there. What was going on?

As her eyes opened and tried to focus, she saw blurry images of unfamiliar furniture and she had the chilling sensation that she was in a strange place and that someone was watching her.

Suddenly it came back to her in a flash. She remembered leaving work and her missing car. She remembered the black Mercedes and then…and then she remembered nothing.

Where was she? How had she gotten here? Who had grabbed her out of her office parking deck and what were they going to do to her?

She felt panicked again and her stomach rolled with nausea. Her eyes darted around the dim room and then she saw him. She saw a beautiful man sitting in a chair across the room from her. He watched her with a mixture of curiosity and something else. What was it? If Tabby hadn’t been such a social recluse the last few years she would have been more certain but still she thought he looked at her with lust.

She blinked her eyes rapidly to help clear the remaining fog that seemed to be blocking her vision. She tried to reach up and rub her eyes and realized her arms were bound behind her back. She looked down to see that she was still wearing her work clothes, which felt like only a small relief when she saw that her ankles were also bound to the legs of the chair.

She shook her head from side to side and felt tears begin to well up in her eyes.

“Settle down now.” She heard the smooth voice of the mystery man.

Something about his voice did seem to calm her slightly but those words weren’t enough to stop the tears from spilling over her eyes and down her cheek.
* * * *
He rose slowly from his chair and reached out to her with just one finger. She felt herself automatically flinch as his hand reached for her. He stopped his hand in midair and her dark green eyes looked up at him with what she knew was a look of pure fear.

He seemed to consider her look and then said softly, “I won’t hurt you. I promise.”

Tell us about your latest book. What inspired it? Is this a series and if so, how many books are you planning? If not, do you plan to have any spin-off’s from secondary characters in the future?

My new release is Book 1 of 5 in The Amoveo Series. I have always adored paranormal romance and I loved the idea of creating an entirely new species, which was my goal with this particular series. Each book highlights a different couple and each new couple is introduced in the previous book. I wanted the books to be stand alones as well, so that if somone picked up Book 3 they could still follow it and hopefully want to get the rest of the series.

What element of writing in your genre is hardest for you? Easiest?

The hardest part of writing paranomal romance is to be really original. The paranormal romance genre is so hot right now and the market is flooded, which is why I decided to do my shifter series first. I love vampires, and am working on a vamp series now, but given the Twilight phenomenom I thought it would be better to hold off on that for now.
The easiest part is the idea generation and character creation. That’s definitely the most fun too!

Do you have any pet peeves as a writer? As a reader?

My biggest pet peeve as a writer is not having the time to write as much as I want. I don’t know if that really qualifies as a pet peeve…but it sure does stink. As a reader I always feel cheated if the author doesn’t include a preview of their upcoming books. Therefore I will be including a sneak peek of Book 2: An Amoveo Heart in the print version of Book 1: The Amoveo Legacy.

If you could ask readers in your genre one question, what would it be and why?

I’d want to know what they find most attractive in a hero and a heroine. I think the more insight an author can have into that the better they’ll be able to keep attracting readers book after book.

What do you think is most important in the relationship between the main characters?

I think the most important aspects are an intense attraction, a sense of humor and a not getting to things too quickly. I like there to be a bit of a dance between them before things get really spicy.

How long does it take for you to create, write and submit to your editor a finished book?

Well since The Amoveo Legacy was my first book….I’d say 6 months. However, now I’m working on Book 2 and am under a tighter deadline…so let’s say 3 months. LOL!

If one of your books was made into a movie, who do you think would capture your characters perfectly?

Great question!!! For Malcolm I’d love to see Thomas Jane he’s sexy and rugged. Love him. For Samantha…my sister Kate! She’s an actress here in NY and fits the role perfectly!

Anything in the pipeline for 2009? Can we get a sneak look into upcoming projects?

I am writing Book 2: An Amoveo Heart and story development is ongoing for Books 3 & 4. I am also working on a vampire series which is kind of like a Sex in the City but with vampire chicks.

For fun: If you could meet any character you want, who would it be & what would you do?

Hahha! Well….if I could meet one of my own characters Malcolm or Dante would be at the top of the list. As for what we would do………..I’ll never tell

Excerpt from “The Amoveo Legacy”

Suddenly, Sam got the eerie feeling of being watched and knew she was no longer alone in her revelries. She froze and clutched her robe closed. She swallowed hard, afraid to open her eyes. Sam cursed silently at her silliness and slowly cracked one eye open. There was no one in her room, the door was still closed. I’m being ridiculous. Just as she let out a sigh of relief, she heard a clicking noise behind her. She slowly turned around and her body froze at the sight before her. Perched on her window sill was the exact same bird she’d seen in her dream and identical to the one she’d drawn on her canvas. Samantha stood there with wide eyes, uncertain what to do. “Holy crap,” she whispered.

The giant bird puffed up, bronze feathers glinting in the light. It shook its head as though displeased with her response.

“Sorry. Nice, birdie,” she said through a strained, almost hysterical giggle.

The giant creature didn’t move.

It just sat there staring at her, silently watching her with glowing yellow eyes. Sam didn’t know what to do so she stared back. Eventually her artist’s eye began to study the specimen before her. Her fear soon became replaced by curiosity. It was a mammoth bird of prey, an eagle, she thought, but reminded herself she’d have to look it up later. Its feathers shone with bright streaks in varying hues of browns and bronzes. They glinted brightly in golden flashes with even the slightest movement. She eyed its large taloned feet and sharp, hooked beak. Sam shuddered at the damage they could likely do.

The eyes were the same piercing yellow she remembered from her dream. They didn’t move from her face. As she stared into the eyes of her feathered visitor, she got the oddest sense of familiarity. She felt like it was intentionally sitting there so she could study it, like some kind of bizarre introduction. Feeling an unusual bravery, Sam slowly reached out to touch it.

CONTEST INFORMATION:

Sara is having a contest running now through June 10th on Bitten By Books to win an 8 GB I-Touch http://bittenbybooks.com/?p=7829