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…the published writings of a dreamer
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And time to get your erotica on! What better way to warm a cold winter’s night than checking out this collection of sizzling stories by some of your favorite LoveYouDivine authors! ^__^ You can find my story – Love and Mink – in there as well!
Check it out in the Free Reads section!
And have yourself a very Merry Christmas!
When I write and post or send my works out there for others to read, I sometimes tend to forget that there is a whole wide world out there beyond this little ‘bubble’ I create within my mind. There’s always the notion or idea that only a few people actually read this stuff, and these few people are ‘friends’ or ‘names’ you’re familiar with.
And so, when you stumble across a ‘random’ email one day from a ‘fan’ from all the way from the other end of the planet – talking about how much your story means to them….it’s almost shocking. What’s even more amazing is that some of them go as far as creating fan pages or websites devoted to you.
Me? Who am I?
I think all those accolades are for the big stars like Stephen King or J.K Rowling or that woman who wrote those ‘vampire’ books…and definitely not for the casual (barely struggling to get by) writer like yours truly. Thanks to school and work, I barely have enough these days to even churn out a simple story, and in a way I feel like I am cheating them. 
So believe me when I say that I truly do appreciate my fans or small budding fan base – in more ways than one. 
You are all the reason I enjoy this ‘job’ called writing, and I hope I can continue to do so for as long as you continue to enjoy it. ^_^
Special shoutout to Bella who created a fan page for me here: KiyaSama@GoodReads.com
Thank you so very much!
Scarcely therefore, had the reflective Franz walked a hundred steps beneath the interior porticoes of the ruin, than he abandoned Albert to the guides, and to escape a mechanical survey of the wonders by which he was surrounded, ascended a half-dilapidated staircase. Here, leaving the others to follow their monotonous round, he seated himself at the foot of the column, immediately opposite a large chasm, which permitted him to enjoy an undisturbed view of the dimensions of this majestic ruin.
Franz remained hidden in the shadows for nearly a quarter of an hour…from whence his eyes followed Albert and his guides…when all at once his ear caught the sound resembling that of a stone rolling down the staircase opposite the one by which he had ascended…
The stranger thus presenting himself was probably a person, who like Franz, preferred the enjoyment of solitude and his own thoughts to the frivolous gabble of the guides…
In ten minutes after the parting of the strangers, Franz was on the road to the Hotel de Londres, listening with indifference to the learned dissertation delivered by Albert…
Franz longed to be at home, and able, undisturbedly, to ponder all that had occurred…and though Franz had been unable to distinguish his features, the tones of his voice had made too powerful an impression on him the first time he had heard them for him ever again to forget them…
- Alexandre Dumas (The Count of Monte Cristo)
Ah, the passage/section that started it all.
I must confess that I am not the biggest fan of historical fiction especially of the romantic kind. You wouldn’t catch me willingly walking into a library or bookstore with the intent to browse through the genre, and the only reason I got into it was due to having literature assignments to complete either in high school or college.
So what was it about The Count of Monte Cristo that stuck with me all these years? Simple, really.
Revenge.
Such a powerful theme, don’t you think?
As a young girl, I absorbed the story of Edmond Dantes like a sponge; crying at his plight and wishing that young man’s life had taken a turn for the better. Oh, how I hated his enemies and wished instant death upon them. Hence, when he ‘returned’ to pay them back ten times over…oh, how sweet it was. What was so wonderful about the revenge was that it took years of planning; a careful destruction of those people who kept him away from the woman he loved out of nothing more than jealousy.
And yet…at the end of it all…one had to wonder if the Count was truly…happy. Does revenge bring happiness? That in itself is a loaded question and requires a whole other essay to complete.
However, this particular short story I wrote isn’t just about Edmond Dantes, or rather The Count, but more about a relationship I allowed my over active imagination to conjure up between him and Franz d’Epinay. Even though Franz could be considered a ‘supporting actor’ amongst the myriad of characters in Dumas’s epic saga, I found myself identifying more with ‘the dreamer’. Albert was supposed to be the star of the show, and yet Franz stood out to me for his gentle manners yet determination to see the right, to question the impossible, and to seek the truth beneath the surface. His history alone is one muddled with corruption and sadness; tragic you could almost say – thanks to his father – and yet he rose above that to make a name for himself.
In fact, I think it is almost safe to say that Franz reminded me of The Count when he was Edmond Dantes. And I believe that the Count saw himself in Franz in whatever conversations they had, and admired Franz for his convictions and sometimes brutal honesty.
Franz is beautiful; and I do not mean his physical characteristics alone. His personality is attractive, and as soon as I was done with the book (which I have read ad nauseum), I knew I had to pen something about him in some shape or form. Franz became my muse, and his reluctant admiration and fascination for the Count conjured up the three stories starting with ‘Haunting at the Colosseum’.
The inspiration for the story stemmed from the chapter/passages pasted above, and it was my way to wonder how and if such a situation were possible…just how would those two men react when they confront each other passionately.
I am wary of using the word ‘romantic’ to describe their relationship, but I would consider it more as an exploration of hidden desires and secrets that Franz is willing to discover at the hands of an older man who has seen the depths of despair and darkness.
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Rated M for Mature/Graphic Adult Content
The Haunting at the Colosseum – NOW AVAILABLE - @ loveyoudivine | AllRomance Books
Read EXCERPT
The Favor – NOW AVAILABLE - @ loveyoudivine | AllRomance Books
Read EXCERPT
Arabian Nights – NOW AVAILABLE - @ loveyoudivine | AllRomance Books
Read EXCERPT
WTL = Witness in Love (in case you are going ‘huh’?)
Naturally, like any author who gets to see their work finally make it in print, I am over the moon about this opportunity, and have to really thank the good folks at loveyoudivine for making this dream come true.
However, this is more than just getting my words on paper and ink, but thinking of all the long hours spent penning this tale that means so much to me. ‘Witness’ was written during my first year in Nursing School. Let me repeat that in case it did not get through *lol* It was written during the first year of Nursing School!. Why do I emphasize this? Because for those who have been through that realize how extremely difficult it is to get your thoughts around anything that does not involve care plans. Oh my.
But, I think it is safe to say that this book saved me in more ways than one. On the nights when I needed to de-compress from all the stress and toil of my classes and clinicals, sitting down and typing up the world of Ryan and Lena, made me feel good. I could allow myself to get lost in their situation, and for a few precious minutes at a time, I was in control of their destinies.
It could be so easy to read the summary and assume that either 1) I am about to shove my religion down the reader’s throat or 2) this is going to be a novel about the cliched rich woman meets poor boy and so on and so forth. And I won’t blame you for thinking that.
For starters, yours truly did not grow up as a Jehovah Witness, and I must confess I was one of those people who grew up learning to ‘avoid’ them whenever they came to your door. However, as I grew older, and began to learn the subtle act of ‘tolerance’, I came to realize that they were ‘humans’ just like us…only they believe in something a little different than you do. Isn’t that the way it is with all religions? We might disagree on theologies and beliefs, but at least we all agree that there is something higher than ourselves that we look to when we need strength and guidance.
In a way, ‘Witness to Love’ all boils down to that; seeking and finding that one thing that will be your strength and guide when you feel like absolutely nothing is going right. Or in this instance, a woman who believed she had everything under control.
There is drama, there is romance, but beneath that I wanted to explore just how these two people from different ends of the spectrum can come together despite the odds thrown against them. Falling and being in love is difficult, and when you have external forces; including making some really tough choices when it comes to your faith, your belief system, what society thinks should be done, and the harshness of society’s reality…it really makes for a complex situation.
So as you pick up this novel and begin to read about its characters, I hope you come to discover a few things about yourself as well. What would you do if you were faced with such tough choices? What decisions would you make? And what do they bode for the long run?
Ryan, Lena, and just about every character in this novel are my labors of love, and I sincerely hope that they become just as endearing to you long after the last line has been read. ^___^
P.S: Please feel free to leave comments or send me questions! I love hearing from readers.
Genre: Contemporary, Romance, Drama, Interracial
SUMMARY:
Lena Hallowell is rich, beautiful and the mother of two adorable twins. Unfortunately, motherhood is not her strongest forte, and after a bitter divorce, she retreats into a world where work is her driving force. With no time for romance or such trivial emotions, how will she deal with the young man, with strong religious beliefs, who seems intent on showing her just how good life can be again?
Coming thru Loveyoudivine and NOW AVAILABLE – in PRINT and e-book format! I’m very proud of this one since it’s going to be my unofficial first book coming out in print format and it was definitely a labor of love during its creation. ^_^
READ FIRST CHAPTER TEASER HERE
PURCHASE BOOK HERE @loveyoudivine.com
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Book 1: NOW AVAILABLE!
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Book 2: NOW AVAILABLE!
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Book 3: NOW AVAILABLE! |
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