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Happy Sunday, Readers!
Back in 2015, my professional writing career began when Ellora’s Cave published my first book, the then titled, Do Geek Girl’s Dream of Electric Sweeties? (Now titled Geek Girl’s Romance). Before Ellora’s Cave shut their doors forever, I went on to publish Bareback Christmas (Now Horse Mountain Heat) and two short stories. The first was Riding in the New Year, which continued the story from Bareback Christmas. The second, Destiny and Desire, was published in the currently unavailable anthology, Captured and Captivated.
Destiny and Desire was born out of my love of all things Amazons. I’m fond of the strong, capable women of Greek Mythology found in and based on the accounts of Strabo and Herodotus as well as the campy portrayals found in television shows like Hercules and the Legendary Journeys and Xena. And who doesn’t love Wonder Woman – one of the most famous Amazon-based characters in the world?
Modern historians and researchers, such as Adrienne Mayor, tend to debunk the myths of bikini clad, Greek females wielding swords and spears and most believe the women who captured the attention of Herodotus and Strabo were most likely women of the Steppe, expert horse riders who could hit a moving target with bow and arrow at full gallop. So much about the ancient Scythian culture and their nomadic way of life fascinates me: their ornate jewelry and the way they decked out their horses the way people today pimp their rides but nothing more so than their battle-ready women. Destiny and Desire’s Commander Xia and her warriors were those types of feisty, liberated horsewomen. I loosely based the origin of my female warriors in Destiny and Desire on a tale Herodotus recounts of Amazons being captured off the coast of Scythia and forced into a ship. Those poor sailors had no idea what was coming for them!
Once the rights to Destiny and Desire were returned to me, I renamed the story Fevered Dream and everyone who signs up for my newsletter gets a free copy along with periodic updates about my new releases, sales and discounts.
Blurb:
Forget lovely slave girls captured by the Roman Infantry, or the village ingénue carried away by the barbarian hordes, and saddle up for the story of real Amazons. Four fierce, hard-riding horsewomen of the Steppe happen upon a sexy landowner. Commander Xia and her warriors are in need of release and distraction, and D’Jwan must please them all if he is to find his true destiny.
Teaser:
The sound of hooves pounded the grass as Xia’s hunting party road back toward where they had planned to make camp for the evening. Dusk had hastened their return but smoke coming from the ruins of a nearby temple kept them on horseback for a bit longer. Xia was curious to see who visited the temple of the old goddess. Her riders kept bows handy as they approached the decrepit and usually undisturbed temple, pulling reins to soften trotting steps.
Scouting ahead, Scyleia got the first look, lifting one finger to signal the number within the temple. Xia galloped forward, her bow pulled, ready to loose an arrow until she saw Scyleia’s second signal, informing the rest of the group there was no threat.
“Who dares disturb this sacred place that we have claimed as our own?” Xia asked.
Laughing, Scyleia shook her head. “He is nothing and no one. Look at his clothing; a man in a dress.”
“A fucking dirt lover,” Kepes added, spitting to emphasize her disdain for anyone who would prefer a life hobbled to a patch of dirt to dig in, rather than the freedom of a saddle.
Xia dismounted. Her leather and fawn-skin boots protected her feet as she crossed a path of broken stones and rubble, standing on them for a better look at the man twitching and shaking by the fire. His eyes were wide open yet he was not conscious and neither was he with them on this plane of existence. She eyed the muscular thighs and calves visible beneath his man dress.
“Even still, he’s pretty to look at,” Xia commented.” She raised an eyebrow as she looked over her shoulder at the horsewomen accompanying her.
Her three companions answered with knowing smiles and mild laughter.
Turning around, Xia pointed a ways into the distance. “Micah and Scyleia, you set up camp over there. Kepes and I are going to have some fun with this one but we’ll cut you in soon enough.”
Micah’s nostrils flared and her dark, almond-shaped eyes cut to the side as she voiced her distaste. “Look”—she pointed out the mule grazing nearby—“he probably can’t even ride.”
Xia smiled, baring her teeth. “Probably not but perhaps he can be ridden.”
***
Things get really interesting from there. Be sure to sign up for my newsletter below and get your free Fevered Dream e-book.
