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Thursday, July 30, 2009

Excerpt - On the Silver Edge of Time by Ciara Gold

Blurb:

An eclipse yields a powerful force, an energy harnessed by those with magic in their souls. When the moon slips between the Earth and the Sun, a mighty wizard evokes the elements of nature. With ancient, Celtic incantations, he sends a mighty Viking jarl soaring through time to bring home his destiny.

Erik Lotharsson is sent decades into the future to find the mate his people have chosen. He has no idea the journey he travels will be one of heart and soul. Nor can he imagine the trials he must face in taming a modern woman to his point of view.

Keelin Haverland has experienced dreams of a Viking lover for several years and fixates her attention on an acquaintance with a striking resemblance to her dream lover. She soon discovers her dreams are of another, of a man who claims to be from the past. The magic of an eclipse transports her to another time where modern conveniences no longer exist, and love is but a heartbeat away.

Excerpt One:


Settling both hands upon her shoulders, he studied her delicate features. Her eyes regarded him with a naïve innocence that belied her vast experience. Had he not seen the holocaust, he would have never suspected the depth of passion within her supple body.


“You still fear me?”


Keelin shook her head in a negative manner.


“You do not lie well, Keelin. You shake beneath my fingers.”


“You have turned my world upside-down. Why wouldn’t I fear you?”


He stepped closer and her skin paled, yet he could not stop himself from wanting her. Some unnamed emotion vibrated between them, feeding her anxiety. He should just let her go, but then…


“Please remove your hands. Whatever you have in mind, I’m not game. Not now. I won’t be your bed-slave. I’ve seen how it is for some of your women here, and I won’t become like them.”


“You assume much.” He dropped his hands. “I have not yet asked it of you.”


“You didn’t have to.” She twisted her hands. “Malmury indicated I would eventually have to serve you in this regard.”


“Ah. And now you dread this arrangement.” He studied the tic on the side of her neck.


“Can you blame me?” Her voice held a trace of vulnerability. Guilt for his part in her mistreatment gnawed at his insides. The feeling unsettled his stomach. Emotional stress over petty matters was not something he dealt well with.


“Cease your worries. The green hair is like a splash of cold water on my lusty thoughts.” When first he met Keelin, he’d been repulsed by her green tresses and her sarcastic manner. The journey through time forced a different response. Even now, the memory of her naked form pressed so close to his had the power to heat his blood. The image

thickened in his mind, but he tamped down the desire to crush her to him.


“Well, you’re wrong on one account. When the dye wears off, my hair will be blonde, similar in coloring to your own. So, what now, chief?”


He smiled. Her unusual way with words amused him and lightened his mood. “I know not. With Fintan no longer here to teach you our language, you will not be allowed to come here. Until you have accepted your new home, I trust you not with such freedom.”


“Ooh, mustn’t let the dog off its leash. And where would I go? I have no friends, no money, and no resources. Your people fear me like the plague. You might as well just put me in a cage.”


She sounded so despondent Erik felt a certain amount of empathy. She had a point. He recalled his own journey through time and the lack of freedom he’d suffered with Sank.


“What do you mean about my people fearing you?”


She stared at her toes. “I caused a bit of a stir.”


“Explain ‘stir.’”


“I saved a young boy from a dragon attack. Now the people think I brought the dragon to the keep in the first place.”


He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. Dísa’s words haunted him. Keelin is yours by my prophecy. She was meant to be your wife, not your thrall. You show little respect for my powers by making her a slave. Mark my words. What you do here will divide the people.

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