Books by Gracie C. McKeever

© 2004 Gracie C. McKeever

In This Issue:

Making The Rounds
Visit Awe-Struck E-Books' Spice Is Nice Page
EPPIE Winners 2004
What I'm Reading/Recommended Reads
Work-in-Progress
Fun Site
Poetry Corner
This Issue's Short Story Excerpt: "The Crush" by Joey Hill
This Issue's Newsletter Contest
Giveaways/Good Deals/Shameless Promotions
Odds and Ends

======================================================
On the writing front, work on INTIMATE SHADOWS is moving along nicely. I think I might make my deadline, or not miss it by very much. Meanwhile, the agent and publishing hunt continues for ETERNAL DESIGNS, BETWEEN DARKNESS AND DAYLIGHT, and IN PLAIN SIGHT.

Hope you are all seeing prosperity and success in your own lives and that good health and happiness are yours as you look forward to spring (baseball, Spring Break, and…just warmer weather! Phooey on Puxatawny (sp?) Phil, I say!!).

The pickin's are a little slim this ish (at least slimmer than I am used to), but hope that you enjoy this month's offerings. Oh, and people, let's get a little more enthusiastic for the Newsletter Contests, why doncha! We're talking FREE books here, no obligation required, and you don't have to mail back any of those Proof of Purchase seals in order to claim your prize either. So enter now, and enter often….and don't forget to tell a friend .
======================================================
<*><*><*><*><*><*><*><*><*><*><*><*><*><*><*><*><*><*>
AD: We have an excellent editing service for authors, literary agents and publishers. At BookInk.com you can trust that your manuscript is in good hands. BookInk.com manuscript editing service is both affordable and dependable. Check us out!

BookInk.com was formally known as Book Review.NU. New name; same great editing service!
www.bookink.com
<*><*><*><*><*><*><*><*><*><*><*><*><*><*><*><*><*><*><*

<*><*><*><*><*><*><*><*><*><*><*><*><*><*><*><*><*><*><
AD: Meet the authors that make Awe-Struck tick, read the interviews, the articles, the inspirational stories behind the books, and find out what Awe-Struck Awe-thors are up to. But most of all, sign up for the Awe-Struck Flash, Official Newsletter of Awe-Struck E-Books http://www.awe-struck.net, and get Awed! If you'd like to become a subscriber (and since it only comes out every other month, why not?), send a blank message to awestruckflash-subscribe@yahoogroups.com
<*><*><*><*><*><*><*><*><*><*><*><*><*><*><*><*><*><*><

~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*
MAKING THE ROUNDS: "A man who wants to save the world one child at a time…a young teen looking for acceptance and a savior wherever he can find them…and a woman who wants only to save them both. Somewhere between darkness and daylight they will all find and save each other." BETWEEN DARKNESS AND DAYLIGHT, paranormal psychic romance, and a NCWA (New Century Writer Award) 2003 Novel/Novella Finalist, by Gracie C. McKeever .
~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*

<*><*><*><*><*><*><*><*><*><*><*><*><*><*><*><*><*><*><*If you like your romances hot and with the bedroom door open, VISIT AWE-STRUCK E-BOOKS' SPICE IS NICE PAGE http://www.awe-struck.net/SPICE/spice_titles.html – Are you ready for a bit of harmless "SIN"? Try Awe-Struck's (S)pice (I)s (N)ice titles. Here you'll find links that will take you directly to the description and preview pages. These are great romances...And the authors added a bit of spice in the bedroom, on the beach, or any other place you might make love. The page features those romances that have VERY descriptive bedroom scenes. It doesn't matter if the romance is contemporary or historical or sci fi. What's important is that the love scenes are...well...spicy! FLAMES PAST is there. Check out the page to see what other of your favorite Awe-Struck titles are there.
<*><*><*><*><*><*><*><*><*><*><*><*><*><*><*><*><*><*><*

EPPIE WINNERS 2004:

The Electronically Published Internet Connection (EPIC) is proud to
announce the winners of the fifth annual EPPIE Awards. EPIC, the
premier professional organization for electronically published
authors, presented the awards at the March 13th gala dinner
concluding its annual EPICon conference in Oklahoma City.

This year's EPPIE winners represent the best works in a wide variety
of genres. Over 300 works were submitted in 23 categories. Works are
judged by a panel of electronically published authors drawn from
EPIC's membership. Valerie Hardin Melville spoke of the judging
process. "It was difficult to select a single winner from so many
excellent books. Epic gave me a wonderful opportunity to see what
quality writing is available in the electronic medium."

EPIC also presents a single Quasar award at the EPPIE Awards Dinner.
The Quasar, an award for cover art, is awarded to the artist
producing the finest e-book cover art in the competition year. Next
year EPIC plans to add a category for new artists in memory of
artist/novelist Ariana Overton.

The EPPIE award dinner is the highlight of EPIC's annual conference:
EPICon. In a field where the vast majority of work is done over the
internet, EPICon provides an opportunity to meet new friends and old
acquaintances alike. A series of speakers, panels, and workshops,
many drawn from EPIC's membership, cover every aspect of the
electronic publishing industry. There's a book-signing event provides
enhanced publicity for the independent publishers that form the
backbone of the electronic publishing movement.

EPICon 2004's official host, TL Schafer, reports on the
experience: "Hosting this year's EPICon was stressful, busy and
joyous. By consigning with Full Circle Books, we've offered a
multitude of authors the chance to be featured at our book-signing."
Ms. Schafer further reflects, "Personally, I've made invaluable
friends and contacts in the business world and would do it again in a
heartbeat!"

For further information about EPIC, the EPPIEs, or to arrange
interviews with the winners please contact Betty Kasischke at
AnneKas@aol.com.

The 2004 EPPIEs go to:

Action/Adventure – The Mayan Glyph by Larry Baxter

Anthology – Cosmic Sculpture by Terri Branson

Children – My Sister the Ghost #1 Twin Again by Linda Joy
Singleton

Contemporary Romance – Summer Heat – by J.A. Clarke

Erotica/Erotic Romance – Holding the Cards by Joey Hill

Fantasy – Dayspring Destiny by Jeanine Berry

Fantasy/Paranormal Romance – Just Believe By Anne Manning

Historical – Challenge the Wind by Debra Tash

Historical Romance – The Hungry Heart by Elise Dee Beraru

Horror – Dance With the Dragon by E.F. Watkins

Inspirational – All We Want For Christmas by Polly Bolack

Mystery – Triple Threat by Elizabeth Dearl

Non-fiction Philosophy – Aniko: The Stranger Who Loved Me
by Dr. Bob Rich, M.Sc., Ph. D.

Non-Fiction Self Help – Millennium Moms; Cooking On The Run
by Jamie Gardiner

Poetry – Brush Country by Barri Bryan

Romance Suspense – Judging Ellie by Catherine Snodgrass and
Bryndis Rubin

Science Fiction – The Friends by Rick Sutcliffe

Single Title/Mainstream – E-Ville by K.T. Morgan

Thriller – A Flash of Emerald by J.M. Taylor

Western – Shiloh by Dusty Rhodes

Young Adult – McClellan's Bluff by Mary Trimble

Patricia Lucas White Service Award – Elise Dee Beraru

Quasar-Sometime, Somewhere Cover Artist: JoLynne Hansen

~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*
FLAMES PAST by Gracie C. McKeever — ISBN (e) 1-58749-121-4 (p) 1-58749-257-7 — Contemporary Paranormal Romance available and can be purchased from Awe-Struck E-Books, Inc. http://www.awe-struck.net in download and diskette: html, pdf, Palmpilot, REB 1100, Softbook, Hiebook, eBookman, Distributed internationally through online booksellers…Now Available in Trade Paperback! Visit Earthling Press http://www.earthling-press.com Awe-Struck's print subsidiary for titles in PRINT. Also available at Booksurge.com, B&N, Powells, eBookad.com, Fictionwise.com… Price: $4.50 Usual, non-sale price (download) $8.75 (disk, price includes S&H), $13.95 (trade paperback) – RT 2002 Award Nominee – Best Small Press Paranormal and an Awe-Struck Spice Is Nice title.
~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*

MIND LIKE WATER E-Book Directory: eBooks: free ebook directory and marketing ">http://www.mindlikewater.com">eBooks: free ebook directory and marketing

~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*
MAKING THE ROUNDS: "Death is only the beginning when a psychotherapist is reincarnated as a client's estranged and murdered husband…ETERNAL DESIGNS is the result", paranormal reincarnation romance, and a NCWA (New Century Writer Award) 2002 Novel/Novella Finalist, by Gracie C. McKeever
Author Note: Manuscript currently under editorial review at Five Star Publications, a division of Thompson/Gale Group (http://www.galegroup.com) that does fiction titles in library-edition hardcovers. Cross your fingers for me…
~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*

<*><*><*><*><*><*><*><*><*><*><*><*><*><*><*><*><*><*><*
AD: There's always a sale or a special going on at Awe-Struck. For all your gift-giving needs, Awe-Struck brings you gift certificates! Order a 3-book gift certificate for $12, a 5-book certificate for $18, or (a super bargain) an 8-book gift certificate for $28. The recipient can choose from all of Awe-Struck's 90-plus titles, in any download format. And you get an attractive gift certificate to print out and present to the recipient. And don't forget the ever-popular Pik-a-Paks -- http://www.awe-struck.net
<*><*><*><*><*><*><*><*><*><*><*><*><*><*><*><*><*><*><*

~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*
MAKING THE ROUNDS: Two women who shouldn't have died, but did. Both women now on the trail of two men – one an abusive, cheating husband-turned-killer, the other a rival bounty hunter whom will not be bested by any woman. Each will have their revenge, but at what expense? IN PLAIN SIGHT, paranormal reincarnation/ghost romance by Gracie C. McKeever
~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~

~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*
DANCING IN THE DARK by Gracie C. McKeever — ISBN –1-928670-76-8 — Contemporary Romance available from Awe-Struck's Ennoble Line and can be purchased from http://www.awe-struck.net in download and diskette: html, pdf, Palmpilot, REB 1100, Softbook, Hiebook, eBookman, Distributed internationally through online booksellers. Price: $4.50 Usual, non-sale price (download) $8.75 (disk, price includes S&H)
~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*

WHAT I'M READING/RECOMMENDED READS: You may see a common thread through this issue's pickin's, a certain online erotica publisher being paramount. Okay, you busted me. And by now, I'm sure you know how much I love Ellora's Cave. Although I've recently discovered another online erotic publisher that's running a close second: Liquid Silver Books, I've only highlighted the EC (and former EC in one instance) books here for your pleasure. Hope you enjoy these as much as I did!

A STRANGER'S DESIRE by Kimbery Raye: After the murder of his wife – a woman strong enough to love the damaged orphan boy he had been and the tortured man he'd become – centuries past, Cain no longer has the will to live. He becomes a destroyer. In death, he continues destroying, but in a different way for Cain has been collected by the Evil One and forced into service as an incubus, a sexual demon who preys on the dreams and desires of women in the night before he takes their souls. Sophie Alexander is a chemist in a million-dollar cosmetic firm where conspiracy theories and corporate espionage is an everyday occurrence. She has every reason to live, but has given it all up, selling her soul to the Evil One for the right reason: the love of her terminally ill god child. Sophie is elusive and different from any other woman Cain has known, and when he invades her dreams the game changes for them both. Cain has suddenly found someone willing to risk it all for love, even her soul. The initial premise pulled me in, but the author's voice didn't grab me as much as I'd hoped. The story was slow-paced and sluggish throughout. The characterization saves the book, however, like the story, the consummation between h/h was slow in coming, and not as explosive as the drawn-out build-up towards it warranted. Neither did the climax blow me away as much as I was expecting it to. But if you can get past the slow beginning and middle, the final revelation of the villain, and Cain's and Sophie's HEA, was almost worth the wait.

HOLDING THE CARDS by Joey Hill: Take a pair of homosexual and heterosexual male friends and a hetero Fem-Dom, mix, stir vigorously on an all-but-deserted tropical paradise, and you have the winning formula for this emotionally complex and sensitively done BDSM erotica. Lauren is a pediatrician in her "vanilla" life with a penchant for the Dom/sub lifestyle, and has been burned badly in "the game", by a sub-in-Dom's-clothing. She's off for a couple weeks vacation ostensibly to stay at the house of a friend for some much needed down time, but in truth to lick her emotional wounds. She finds not only solace, but soulmates in Josh and Marcus, friends of her friend who are staying on the island and who maintain and repair the vacation homes of some of the rich owners. Josh is a famous gifted artist incognito and a sub whose been damaged in a D/s relationship gone awry, and has been licking his wounds for the last two years. Not until he comes across Lauren, half-naked and stranded in the top of a tree after she's been locked out of her house, does he begin to come back around to the world of the living. This was a wonderful, multi-layered, character driven story about true friendship and learning how to give and receive the ultimate gift of love: trust. Check this award-winning title out at www.ellorascave.com

NATURAL LAW by Joey Hill: Excellent book! I read Ms. Hill's last one, HOLDING THE CARDS back in January, got hooked and have been counting the days until NL's release this March. For me, it was well-worth the wait: A serial killer is on the loose, and she's targeting male subs of the underground, BDSM scene. She uses the scene to gain her quarries' trust, getting them into sexually compromising positions before putting a bullet in the back of their heads, and exposing their secret life-style to their loved-ones as the final humiliation. Homicide Detective Mackenzie Nighthorse, a burgeoning sub, and, paradoxical all alpha-male has taken the case personal, and goes undercover in The Zone to stalk his prey. He finds much more than he bargained for in new Female Dom, Violet. Fast-paced story, engaging action and suspense, great twists and turns leading to an explosive, edge-of-your-seat climax. The h/h have great chemistry, inside the "scene" and out, with emotionally, as well as physically intense D/s love scenes. As you can see, I can't say enough good things about this book. If you're into D/s, BDSM erotica (and I know we all aren't, but the complex, multidimensional characterization alone is a lure for me, and this went for the h/h as well as the villainess), this is a must-read also available from www.ellorascave.com

UNDEAD AND UNWED by MaryJanice Davidson: I read the Ellora's Cave e-book, however this title has been picked up and an expanded version is now available from NY publisher Berkley. In any version, this is a hilarious book with a new spin on the vampire tale and an irreverent wry heroine for the new millennium. Elizabeth Call-me-Betsy Taylor wakes up in a coffin just before her funeral after being struck down by a car and killed while chasing her ungrateful cat. When she sees the dime-store get-up in which she was about to be interred for all eternity, she realizes who is the culprit and is ready to kick some evil, Manolo Blanick-stealing-stepmother ass! Fashion emergencies aside, Betsy has some other serious problems with which to deal, specifically how she's supposed to convince a group of new-age vampire followers that she is not their prophesied queen and wants nothing to do with them, not to mention she has a serious aversion to blood. This is a funny, sexy, action-packed romp, Sex And The City meets Underworld. Give it a look-see at Amazon.com or your local bookstore.

More interesting titles for you next issue!

<*><*><*><*><*><*><*><*><*><*><*><*><*><*><*><*><*><*><*
AD: NovelBooks Inc. features one of its authors every week, and that author provides a short story or novel excerpt which is then offered free to readers. Check out the site EVERY WEEK for a new story (and a different featured author) http://www.novelbooksinc.com NBI – "Fiction with an Attitude!"
<*><*><*><*><*><*><*><*><*><*><*><*><*><*><*><*><*><*><*

~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*
WORK-IN-PROGRESS: After causing the death of a fellow Sapphiran and finally cast out for repeated transgressions against the ways of his clan, an arrogant and brash young centaur turns what started as a punishment into a chance for redemption when he meets and falls for a resourceful and clairvoyant woman who has foreseen his arrival in her dreams. But will a certain Black Elf let nature take its course to allow the lovers to be together? INTIMATE SHADOWS, fantasy/paranormal romance, by Gracie C. McKeever
~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*

FUN SITE: "When you have nothing better to do" http://www.bored.com – Links to the most interesting sites on the web. You can waste hours and hours of time here (when solitaire just won't do). I spent several minutes at dancingbush.com alone.

POETRY CORNER:

"Princess of Broken"
by Valerie Hardin
(Previously appeared in WriteCharm)

Many remember the beautiful princes
With coal black hair and blood red lips
Or a tormented ash girl with hair the color of
What about the pretty princesses who are chubby with doll like eyes
Or the princess in Africa who are adore for their brains and beauty
Or the princess who went across the ocean so her children and there children
Would have a better light
What about those cursed?
The fairies forgotten guests to the baby’s christening
Who curse the small girl with an ugly face
Like her own
At 16 tired of being her
She falls a falls into sleep
For no reason
Other than not being in loved
The whole castle sleeps too
Princes find her and laugh
One wanted to kill the frozen
But another felt sorry for her
And Just wept for her
Tears woke her up
Another 10 years awake
Though pretty now
She hides in castles
Waiting till that day
He’ll arrive and see
One day he did
Love bloomed
For cursed ones like the Ugly step sisters
Can find kindness
Within
Be loved and loving

~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~
PS. It's Like MiracleGrow for Your Kid's Brain
My Grandmother's Wedding by Valerie Hardin
Eppie Finalist 2003
http://www.store.yahoo.com/streetsaint/
http://www.writers-exchange.com/epublishing/
Gargoyle's Tears by JV Harlee
http://tarbuttonpress.com/
~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*

~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*
MILES TO GO by Gracie C. McKeever — ISBN 1-58749-025-0 — a Byte^Me teen novel available from Awe-Struck E-Books, Inc. http://www.awe-struck.net in download and diskette: html, pdf, Palmpilot, REB 1100, Softbook, Hiebook, eBookman, Distributed internationally through online booksellers. Price: $4.50 Usual, non-sale price (download) $8.75 (disk, price includes S&H)
~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*

THIS ISSUE'S SHORT STORY EXCERPT: "THE CRUSH" by Joey Hill

The Crush
by Joey W. Hill
Copyright 2003

Being in his arms was like being home, after having been away for a very long time. Though she had never actually felt his embrace, she knew it. He had strong arms and he smelled wonderful, a soap with a trace of lemon, and a male scent of aftershave. His jewel blue eyes were steady, serious, and yet there was so much more there. Laughter, thoughtfulness, desire.

He pressed his lips to hers, covered her mouth with gentle pressure. One hand came up to cup her face, to stroke her throat and jawline, which made her feel fluttery, feminine. The kiss deepened and her knees weakened, so she had to hold onto him for balance. He smiled against her lips, murmuring to her, and an aching need spread through her chest and stomach.

It took her by surprise, because she didn't expect it to be so potent. The touch of his lips gave her a sensation like the first kiss of a true love, where everything tingled, from lips to toes, the body tightening, the heart squeezed in a relentless, gentle fist. Only she knew now what she hadn't known as an adolescent, or even as a young woman. Don't pull back too soon. Let it spin out until the whole soul is laughing from the joyous feel of that mouth, and those hands holding you close.

There had to be a heaven, if there were such moments as this, and if there weren't, this was a heck of a consolation prize.

Never let it end. Please.

Resa Davenport opened her eyes and her damp palms a moment before the fifth period bell rang, her internal clock set to rouse her from her short meditation before her last class of the day.

Her thoughts certainly were not meditative. She wasn't napping either, unless daydreaming was a subcategory of napping.

"You're losing your mind, Resa," she muttered. She rose, opened her supply closet to check her appearance in the full-length mirror there.

She'd shed her blazer in the quiet privacy of her classroom, though there was nothing inappropriate for a high school teacher in the white silk blouse and A-line pale pink skirt that stopped just above the knee and had a modest slit in the back.

She was expected to dress up a bit this week, because it was teacher evaluation week for her hall. The principal would be visiting each teacher's class for a period, to give his personal evaluation of his or her performance.

However, as an honest woman, she knew the combination of fragile feminine colors, the faint outline of bra and lace beneath the blouse's soft folds and the smooth snug line of the skirt were sexy to a man, and that's why she had worn them.

Today, because the dream had clung to her when her morning alarm had gone off, she had made another impulsive decision. Beneath the clothes, she wore a white fantasy. A white lace demi-cup bra, silken thigh highs with lace tops and garters, and a pair of bikini underwear that were swatches of sheer gauze connected with a trio of satin straps over each hip bone. She didn't expect anyone to see them, but they allowed her mind to drift back to the fantasy of that dream each time she moved and felt the slide of the garments against her skin.

She had taken special care with her fine gold hair, putting it up in a twist on her head and holding it in place with a pearl edged comb that bared her neck. She shrugged into the matching pink blazer, made sure she didn't catch her silver hoops, and rearranged the dainty silver cross on its chain around her neck.

She moved to open her classroom door when she saw waiting silhouettes, and had to suppress disappointment when all she saw were the faces of her students. He wasn't going to come today. He'd probably come on a day she wore one of her denim jumpers and comfortable clogs that fairly screamed "dowdy".

She covered her reaction with a smile and a greeting for her early arrivals and went to the board, lifting the screen hook from the chalk tray.

"Good morning, Mrs. Davenport."

Her fingers fumbled the handle and the hook slid from the tray and clattered to the floor.

Principal Tom Brent stooped, picked up the hook and placed it back in her hand, his fingers warm against her palm.

He smiled and reached over her head, using his six-foot height instead of a hook to catch the eyelet of the screen and lower it for her. "Surely you, Southwest High School's two-time Teacher of the Year, aren't nervous about me sitting in on your class. I'm expecting to learn as much as your students today."

She had worn the clothes she wore today to acknowledge that she still had needs and desires, and wanted to feel desired. The dream had reminded her of that, and here he was, the object of her desires, the unknowing center of her dream, and she felt as giddy as one of her students.

She smiled back, and it was easy to do. She had known Tom Brent since fifth grade. She had run with a close knit group of a half-dozen girls, and the young Tom Brent had fallen in with their group. He had been a creative boy fascinated by film and writing, inspired by Spielberg and Lucas, who scribbled Douglas Adam-esque stories between class periods in junior high school for the girls to devour under their desks during class.

It had been inevitable that at least one of the group would fall for him, because he had been gorgeous. A full head of dark, silky hair, and eyes of a warm sapphire. Not just a shadow of what was hinted at in romance novels, but the real, vibrant hue. He had a comfortable, sensual ease with girls that most boys lacked and many men never acquired. A girl savored his casual touches, just like she had the brush of his fingers as he put a screen hook back in her palm.

Resa shook her head at herself and moved behind the desk to open her roll book. Tom took a seat in the guest chair at the back of the room. He laid his tooled binder on the work table next to him, and opened up his coat to withdraw his pen from the pocket of his white dress shirt. He straightened his tie, a dark blue silk with a print of Luke Skywalker fighting Darth Vader. It was a gift from one of the students, she was sure, for they were all aware of his passion for the original Star Wars trilogy.

He crossed his ankle over his knee and stretched his arm out over the ledge of the back bulletin board, giving her a wink.

Oh, Good Lord, he looked so appealing back there. She could still smell the lingering scent of his aftershave. His lustrous dark hair had receded, so at thirty-five he kept it cropped short, instead of falling into that ridiculous habit balding men had of growing a pony tail. This style emphasized the strong structure of his face and those amazing blue eyes, only now he gazed out of them through wire rimmed glasses.

He looked as good, no, better, than he had as a boy. Life had tested him and stamped character on his face. He had the confidence and contentment with himself he had lacked as a student.

It had been a hard road for him. She knew, because she had been there for most of it.

Tom's looks and unique interests had attracted him his share of the school's prettiest girls, but it was Resa's group of friends that drew him. In eighth grade, he had dated Kencha Bryant, now an equestrian rider who trained Olympic champions. That had lasted two months, a long time for junior high students. He had flirted off and on with Kim Wellesley and Sarah Hollingsworth, now an accomplished doctor and professional model-turned-nurse, respectively, through four grades. They shared the secret of being deeply in love with him during most of those four years. Kim and Sarah managed to stay friends through that, likely because he had never chosen either of them.

Then, in tenth grade, Julie Regan had caught his eye. The most dynamic and determined of the group, Julie was now a chemical engineer and patent attorney. They had dated through high school and college. When Julie's mother contracted terminal cancer, they'd come to one of those weak moments where two people made a mistake for all the right reasons. They'd married, and it had been a five-year disaster.

Despite his looks and diverse interests, which implied a dynamic personality, Tom Brent was the son of a lifetime FBI man and a quietly religious mother. At heart, he was their son, a conservative, service-oriented man who enjoyed simple pleasures. A a day watching Mystery Science Theater while doing paperwork, reading the latest Harry Potter book, or mowing his yard and drinking a beer on his porch. If he had become a minister, the Sunday school teacher would have been a good match for him. As a principal…Resa's finger tightened convulsively on her pen, and her check mark next to Debbie Winslow's name acquired a wild tail.

Julie was an adrenaline junky and high-powered career woman. She went cave diving and jumped out of airplanes to relax. When she made a decision, she made it decisively and did not look back. The divorce, when it happened, had been quick and brutal, and left Tom reeling on his heels, cut out of her life as decisively as a dissection exercise.

Resa had been there for him, listening, caught helplessly between two friends she cared about, but Julie had not seemed to need her the way he had. When Tom recovered, he picked up his teaching degree and got his feet back under him. Four years later, it was his shoulder Resa leaned against when her husband died. An overfondness for southern food, an aversion to exercise, and a family history of heart problems had taken his life before he reached forty. He had been her best friend since they married at twenty-one, right out of college.

When she met him, she thought she wanted to be an exotic and unattached person, but with him she discovered her desire to be adventurous and uncommitted was simply a fear of being rejected. What she wanted was quiet happiness, an anchor, someone with whom to share her life, who provided love as a guaranteed promise, along with support and friendship. He was the man who had made her feel beautiful for the first time in her life.

When he was gone, Tom had stepped into that void of support and friendship. Now that she was ready to love again, it made sense that it was to him her compass was pointing, but it terrified her.

While all of the other six girls had mooned over Tom or dated him, she had only entertained feelings for him once, in ninth grade. The last of their six, Veronica Strawson, who had never before shown interest in him, had asked him to the Sadie Hawkins dance. Tom had come running down the hall, grabbed Resa around the waist and whirled her around in that joyous melodrama to which teenagers were so amusingly oblivious.

"She asked me, she asked me," he exclaimed, those amazing blue eyes delighted, the handsome mouth spread in a smile, and Resa had been overwhelmed by that potent charm to which he had always been so oblivious, the touch of his hands at her waist.

Of course, the one date was it, for Veronica had found out immediately what Julie took eight years to find out, that she had nothing in common with the boy who had all the visible qualities of a heroic and dashing prince, but the heart of a quiet warrior-scholar.

It had not been a long-lived infatuation for Resa, either. She knew he was not for her, so she pushed up her glasses, shrugged, and went on being his friend.

She had gotten married, loved and lost a good man. Three years of friendship had gone by since then, and then, one night, the dream had come.

She knew who Tom Brent was, a man who loved bad sci-fi movies and hanging out on his back deck at sunset, discussing student problems with her as they tossed a salad. A man who went running by her house every morning and threw her paper from her driveway to her porch with unerring accuracy.

She had not dated since her husband’s passing. Their love had been deep and sure, a slow moving river. What she wanted was something she knew had a chance of providing her the same spiritual and emotional nourishment. The dating scene with its experimental nature and games had no appeal for her. Tom did, but the risks were far greater. So she had stayed silent, and would likely always stay silent, letting the dreams fulfill her needs.

"Good morning, class," she said. Tom's expression settled into the serious mien expected of a principal. She wanted to devour him in several tasty bites. Instead, she turned her attention to her slide show on European art.

"I hope you're ready for your test today. I'm going to show a series of thirty slides. Number your paper from one to thirty. For each slide, I want you to write down the style of art being displayed.

"When we've done the visual portion, there are ten essay questions on the board. Complete those and then we'll go over the answers and review about ten minutes of the material for tomorrow's lesson. Marie, please get the lights."

She started the slide, and the class settled down. As a professional she knew there was no better class for Tom to be evaluating. Her gaze coursed over them, watching them study the slide. She saw expressions of immediate recognition, thoughtful study, and some uncertainty. A little panic as she switched to a slide she had not reviewed with them.

"Remember, if it's not a print you recognize from the lesson, study it. Think about the elements of the different periods we discussed." She slid off her stool and went to the screen, interjecting her hand into the play of light and color. She pointed at some of the sculpture's elements in the picture, saying nothing else. However, she saw faces clear as the deductive reasoning skills kicked in, something that always gave her a charge because it told her they were thinking, not just remembering.

She flipped to the next slide using the hand control and went back to the stool, sliding back onto it, shifting her hips to settle herself.

"Mr. Brent looked at her ass," Sheila Griggs whispered to Martha Nordwick in the front row of the seats just behind Resa.

"He did not," Mark McLaurin muttered. He sat behind Sheila.

"He did, too. You looked, too."

"She's got a better ass than you, lardbutt," Mark hissed.

Resa turned around, put a finger to her lips. She tried to assume a nonchalant look that said she hadn't heard the conversation, but she was glad for the dim light that hid the color on her cheeks. Had Tom looked at her?

Oh, don't be so juvenile, she chided herself. She would not look at him. She couldn't. Of course, she could glance at him as part of her sweep of that corner of the room.

She met his gaze and found them warm and amused. Was it because he had heard what they said, or because he had done what they said, or because he had seen her reaction? He was, after all, a good enough friend to know her body signals for embarrassment. That was the problem. He knew her too well, and that was what she craved. A man's familiarity with her. No, not just any man. Her obsession with that dream had decisively moved it from the realm of loneliness and into desire for a specific target. She wanted him.

~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*
Want to see if Resa’s dream comes true? Visit the author’s website at www.storywitch.com and click on the short story link to find out how to obtain the rest of the tale. Joey W. Hill is an author of mainstream romance, epic/contemporary fantasy and erotic romance. She loves stories that bring together magic and love, and is delighted to hear from readers.
~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*

~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*
NEW LIFE INCOGNITA by Gracie C. McKeever — ISBN (disk) 1-55316-061-4 (Rocket) 1-55316-939-5 — New Age Paranormal Urban Romance available and can be purchased from LTDBooks http://www.ltdbooks.com in download and diskette: Palmpilot, Rocket eBook, Gemstar REB 1100 and 1200 and Franklin eBookman. Price: $5.00 (download) $6.00 (disk). Also Available from Amazon and distributed internationally through other major online booksellers.
~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*

THIS ISSUE'S NEWSLETTER CONTEST: This month I'm continuing in the woo-woo vein and up for grabs March/April 2004 are two books again (paperback, "good" condition/"as is") with time travel and paranormal elements: RAZZLE DAZZLE, by Lisa Hendrix. Very enjoyable New Age book with a couple of meddlesome witches who mean well in supporting roles. Also my first experience and exposure to Feng Shui. The other title is THE VERY THOUGHT OF YOU, by Lynn Kurland, a medieval time travel romance, another enjoyable read, and my first exposure to this author. You know the drill, but just in case you don't…To enter for your chance to win, just send an e-mail with your name, address and e-mail address to g_mac10@yahoo.com with "Two Woo Woo" in the subject line. Contest runs until April 20, 2004. One entry per e-mail address, and per person. Refer a friend, however, (who e-mails me with his/her request to subscribe and naming you as their referral), to the newsletter before the deadline, and you get an additional entry. The more friends you refer, the more times you're entered. (Referred friend will automatically be entered in the current newsletter contest once). Winner will be notified by e-mail, and mailing address will be confirmed. In the event chosen contestant does not respond within seven (7) days, another name will be drawn. I reserve the right to publish winners name on my webpage(s) and in my newsletter.

January/February 2004 contest winner of two Deb Stover paranormal/TT titles – ALMOST AN ANGEL and ANOTHER DAWN was: Lisa Lambrecht of Sodus, MI.

Congratulations Lisa, and hope you enjoy your prizes!

GIVEAWAYS/GOOD DEALS/SHAMELESS PROMOTIONS:
FREE BOOK offers from Road to Romance: http://roadtoromance.dhs.org/freestories.htm
The Free Stories Feature has been updated and given it's own page. It used to be on the contest page. These are author stories and are linked to their sites, where you can either download them or read them online. Lot's of free reading here! Follow the links offered with each.

"SHADOW OF LOVE" Paranormal Romance – FREE Novel Download from Awe-Struck E-Books
http://awe-struck.net/FREENVLTTE/freeshoflve.html

"Read SHROUDED HEARTS by Cass Andre at NO CHARGE!
Bestselling, award-winning author, Cass Andre, has just released SHROUDED HEARTS, the sequel to VEILED HEARTS. If you thought Luke had woman troubles, wait until you see what Reed has put up with! Download SHROUDED HEARTS at www.booksbycass.com/shrouded.html
(formats available: doc, rtf, lit, html, kml, rb, pdf and a printable file)"

Do you like to read a chapter of a book before you buy it? Stop by Readers Read™ http://www.readersread.com/excerpts/ to read excerpts and first chapters from the newest books. Check back frequently.

Visit NovelBooks, Inc. Cyber Shops at http://www.cafepress.com/nbi where you'll find official NBI gear, perfect for showing off to your friends or wearing out and about. Also Check out the DESERT DREAMS shop here http://www.cafeshops.com/nbi_gcm_dd to purchase a slew of different products—from tees and totes, to mousepads and mugs – featuring your favorite NBI book cover . Keep an eye out for new products and specials. And if you haven't so far been lucky enough to win one of the DESERT DREAMS prizes up for grabs in my previous contests, well then you might have to break down and BUY the gear. Did I mention, affordable gifts, just in time for…ANY time?

If you haven't checked it out yet, zip on over to Earthling Press http://www.earthling-press.com, your source of fine books in print. EP is an imprint of Awe-Struck E-Books, Inc. and brings to you the same great stories—and great giveaways and sales—from your favorite Awe-Struck Awe-thors…only in print! "Earthling Press—books from your home planet."

Stay informed about lots of your favorite writers in one monthly newsletter, and consider subscribing to Writerspace-News, where you'll be kept up-to-date on Janelle Denison, Jayne Ann Krentz, Elizabeth Lowell, Stella Cameron, Rachel Gibson, Susan Elizabeth Phillips, Geralyn Dawson, Susan Wiggs, Diana Palmer, Marilyn Pappano and more. To subscribe, visit http://www.writerspace.com/news.html

Want to find out: What Science Fiction Romance is, anyway, and why does Science Fiction Romance deserve its own newsletter and website? Wellllll…you guessed it, another newsletter. But, if you're really into the genre and want to keep abreast of what's coming out and going on with your favorite sfr authors, then this newsletter IS a must (I know, that's what they all say).

The newsletter, which hosts the yearly SAPPHIRE AWARDS for the best works in the genre, has been in publication since 1993/1994 and has had an active website since 1996. They publish monthly in both email and paper formats. For subscriptions to the email newsletter, simply visit the site http://www.sfronline.com/
enter your email address where indicated. For subscriptions by mail, SASEs are required, so contact the editor, Jody Wallace, at editor@sfronline.com.

And along the same lines, try THE DREAM WEAVER – "For those who believe in the magic of dreams".
It's easier than ever to read the Dream Weaver online! www.earthlycharms.com/dreamweaver.htm
Or send a blank email: DreamWeaverNewsletter-subscribe@yahoogroups.com to subscribe and be automatically entered in the bi-monthly drawings.

ODDS AND ENDS:
Visit Gracie's Gallery http://hometown.aol.com/gwiz10/myhomepage/index.html and learn a little more about Gracie C. McKeever and her books. Peruse the links of interest for writers and readers. Enjoy the available articles, poems, short stories, novelettes and free book excerpts, and…Happy Reading!

Please feel free to share this newsletter (in its entirety and/or including the proper credits when/where necessary) with a friend or two...or a hundred! Encourage them to sign up. Or they can just drop me an e-mail expressing their wish to subscribe to the newsletter and I'll sign them up. Want to preview the newsletter and see if it's to your liking? Check out past issues of Gracie's Gazette at
http://www.authorsden.com/visit/viewnewsletter.asp?AuthorID=623

If you've ever read any of my books and enjoyed them (I hope, I hope, I hope), why not consider hopping on over to BarnesandNoble.com, Amazon.com, or Fictionwise.com and writing a reader review. I'd be ever so grateful!

Thanks for subscribing and see you next issue!

GCM—
"To give anything less than your best is to sacrifice the gift." –Steve Prefontaine