Living the Dream

Mystic Adventures is a series of books in the mild paranormal genre which include magic and reincarnation. By no means are they horror novels for those true aficionados out there. They have more Outlander in them than Carrie, Cujo, or Misery.

The first two books in the series are based on Native American myths.

Hello Again:

Based on a Sioux myth, the past and the present collide when a shaman, a green-eyed wolf, and a ghost decide it’s time to end a millennia old curse.

For Charley Winters love means loss and pain. She’s spent the last five years struggling with her grief. Existing, not living, dreaming of the man she lost. Drawn to Saskatchewan, she travels west take the job she’s always wanted, a Transportation Technology teacher in a high school. This is her chance to prove that a female mechanic can do the job as well as a male one, but Mother Nature has a different idea as a string of vicious tornadoes work their way through the area.

Since his near-death experience, Sergeant Bill Murdock of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police has dreamed of a gorgeous woman, the fantasies so real that they leave him breathless. He’s convinced she needs him as much as he needs her, but he has no idea where to find her. When he’s called to Fort Qu’Appelle to get a statement from the Nakoda chief about the problems they’ve been having with bikers, the last thing he expects is to rescue the woman of his dreams.

But getting her to accept him may not be as easy as he hopes. Can Charlie set aside her memories, release the man she loved, and find happiness in the arms of another?

Echoes of the Past

Native American stories don’t always take place in the past, but the past affects the present, and sometimes the future as well.

Born Mohawk, raised white, forensic pathologist, Michelle Thomas is trapped between two worlds—this one and the spirit world where the ghosts of those who’ve drowned speak to her. Haunted by crippling nightmares of her own drowning death and erotic dreams of a phantom lover, she strives to make sense of her life. When two suspicious deaths occur at the Lake of the Mountain Resort, she’s sent to investigate. She’ll face the greatest challenge of her career when her past and her present collide. One of these men is her future, but which one—the rich and powerful Mayor Ron Davies, or Tony Steele, the hydrology professor who may be responsible for his students’ deaths?

Charged by the spirits of her Mohawk ancestors to atone for her previous sins by protecting Lake of the Gods, can Michelle solve the murders, save the sacred waters, and fulfil her destiny?

Atonement

Although she was raised in an alleged haunted house by a Wiccan priestess, Anca Cole, a bartender with a degree in psychology, refuses to believe in magic, demons, ghosts, curses, or anything remotely supernatural. There’s a logical explanation for everything.
When her aunt has an accident, Anca rushes back to Salem, arriving home to realize that things aren’t what she expected. The family ghost exists and insists it’s time for Anca to accept and fulfill her destiny.
With help from Dr. Walt Tanner, the man who broke her heart, a couple of unusual cats, and an ancient parrot, Anca sets out to discover the truth about Cole Cottage and find the key to saving the future. This fight may have started more than three hundred and fifty years ago, but the war ends now.
Unless she and Walt can find what was lost, evil will prevail and destroy any chance they may have at a future together. Can their love overcome centuries of hatred, jealousy, envy, and greed, or will they be doomed to stay apart forever?

So if you’re looking for some mild shivers and a different kind of paranormal tale, why not check these out? They are all available on Amazon and free to read with your Kindle Unlimited Membership. Why not check out Book One today?

Yesterday was Thanksgiving Day in Canada. I have so much to be grateful for–my health, my family, and you, my friends and fans. Thank you for being part of my life. This week, our word is CURLY. I’m continuing with Listen to the Stones. Enjoy!

Grabbing her jacket from the closet and her purse, she locked the door and headed to the elevator once more.

She was halfway across the lobby when she saw that one of the two men she’d seen earlier had left. The one remaining, the man with the dark, curly hair turned to get the bartender’s attention. Marina froze. In profile, she could’ve sworn he was the same bearded man she’d seen at Heathrow airport, the one who’d claimed to know her, the one who’d been surprised to see her there, the one who’d made a grab for her. Fear pooled in her stomach as the idea that someone might not be happy she was coming to claim her inheritance filled her once more.

If this was the same man, how had he followed her here?

Gasping, she realized what had happened. He’d seen her get into Liam’s car at the airport. Hadn’t she noticed him at the taxi stand? He could’ve noted the license plate number and followed her to the hotel in London. He’d probably watched for a chance to get her alone, but Liam had never left her side.

He had to have followed her here to Inverness. Since most of the economy fare passengers had loaded from the rear of the plane, she hadn’t seen him, but he’d seen her.

He must’ve seen Neev pick her up and bring her here. Had he been waiting for her to return? Perhaps going out alone so close to dark wasn’t a good thing. Hadn’t Lenore quoted some statistics about women traveling alone disappearing? Even Aunt Flo had mentioned something similar.

Retracing her steps, she took the elevator to the floor below hers in case he was watching and walked up the last flight to her room. Once inside, she double-locked the door, and as an added precaution, shoved her two suitcases and a chair against it. No one was getting in there tonight, and since the windows didn’t open, she was as safe as she could be.

If she saw the man in the morning, she would tell Neev and they could go to the police. In the meantime, she would stay right where she was. It was a good thing she’d had a big afternoon tea because nothing would get her to open that door for anyone tonight.

That’s it. Stay safe, and don’t forget to check out the other Tuesday Tales.

This month, our question is one that I find hard to answer,

October 4 question: The topic of AI writing has been heavily debated across the world. According to various sources, generative AI will assist writers, not replace them. What are your thoughts?

Why do I find it hard to answer? I suppose it’s a combination of things. I grew up in a time where we dreamed of robots doing the things we hated, like cleaning the house, doing the laundry. There was Rosie on the Jetsons. Later on, there was R2D2 and C3PO. But then there was HAL in 2001, a Space Odyssey.

Sadly, we did get robots to do the things we used to do, but that cost us thousands of jobs. And then, we had Smartphones that stole hours from our lives. I’ve seen people sitting together, silently playing on their phones rather than engaging in meaningful conversation, and mothers propping up an iPad to entertain their toddlers rather than playing with them.

Recently, I’ve had a friend create a whole new series of covers for her books with an AI app. Will cover designers and models be next on the chopping block?

I will admit that I have not tried to write using AI, so I really don’t know how it works. A lot of work and time goes into each of my books. I research, write, edit, research some more, and repeat. I put my heart and soul into every story. I add a piece of myself and my life into them, too. How is an AI supposed to do that? Good grief! I’ve tried writing my books by dictating them and that was another disaster. Don’t even get me started on Grammar programs.

So, to answer the question, I can’t see how it can replace a writer; in fact i don’t even see how it will help. What it may do is flood the market with a whole bunch of cookie cutter books, but honestly, there are enough of those out there as it is.

What do you think? Check out other post

https://www.insecurewriterssupportgroup.com/p/iwsg-sign-up.html

Welcome to October and this week’s Tuesday Tales. In my part of the world, the trees had donned their majestic colours. Nights are cool, days are comfortable but shorter, and we all know winter is just around the corner. This week our word prompt is ICY. I’m continuing with Listen to the Stones. Enjoy.

After a twenty-six-hour flight that included a two-hour layover in Doha, Qatar, his senses were slow, dazed, not reacting fast enough, but one thing nagged at him. Why would the stones choose someone for him with no connection to them? Could she have Scottish ancestors? It was possible. The world was a much smaller place these days. Take the heir for instance. She’d been born on the Isle of Lewis but had left it as a child. This woman could’ve done the same. Only the stones knew the truth.

He watched her conversation with the agent and saw her pull out additional documents, but he was too far away to see what they were or hear what she was saying.

When the agent stamped her passport, she rushed off toward the baggage claim. He would catch up with her there. How hard could it be to find a woman wearing an orange shirt with her hair in a ponytail?

He hurried to get to the window and handed over his UK passport.

“Welcome back, Mr. Gillies. Where were you?” she asked.

“New Zealand.”

“Business or pleasure?”

“Business. I’m an archeologist. I was working on a Māori dig.”

He didn’t want to prolong this by explaining about the filming which he knew from experience generated a lot of questions. Still, she wouldn’t let him go until she was satisfied. After answering a few more of her queries, she stamped his passport.

“Sounds fascinating. Have a good day.”

“Thank you, and you as well.”

Grateful that she’d been so quick, he hurried toward the baggage pickup area and looked around for a woman in an orange sweatshirt and a ponytail. Seeing one, he hurried over to the carousel, noting that it was a flight from New York. American. He’d been right. He grabbed the woman’s shoulder and turned her to face him.

The stranger’s icy eyes froze him in place.

“I’m so sorry,” he apologized once more. “I thought you were someone else.”

He hurried away before she called security on him. Looking around the crowded room, his spirit plummeted. There wasn’t another orange sweatshirt anywhere.

It was true that he was tired, but he couldn’t have imagined her, could he? As a rule, he didn’t daydream, but given the way he felt, anything was possible. Sighing, he walked over to the carousel currently displaying the bags from his flight.

That’s it. Stay safe, and don’t forget to check out the other Tuesday Tales.

Here we are, the last week of September 2023. I can’t get over how quickly the seasons change. It’s officially fall, and I’m still waiting for summer. This week, our Tuesday Tales post features the word prompt, SWEET. I’m continuing with Listen to the Stones. Enjoy.

Thank goodness Fiona had messaged that a driver would meet her here and take her to the hotel. With two large bags, a carry-on, and her messenger bag, it would be difficult just to get through the airport let alone find a shuttle.

It had been cool on the plane, so wearing a sweatshirt had made sense, and she’d donned the I Love Pumpkin Spice shirt Lenore had given her as a going-away present. In Canada, come the first of September, there was pumpkin spice everywhere—coffee shops, bakeries, candle shops, and bars, got in on the scent of fall. Since she loved the sweet smell of cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and ginger, it was a match made in heaven, and pumpkin spice martinis were yummy.

Following the other passengers, she made her way to Immigration. The lines were slow and crowded with people from different nationalities, their voices blending into a hum, making it hard to understand what anyone was saying.

The line in front of her crawled forward. Directly before her, a family of four, most likely from India given their attire, included a toddler who demanded to be put down and a father equally determined not to do so. Beside him, an exhausted woman held the hand of a boy who seemed reluctant to move when his mother did. Twice, she’d had to stop abruptly when he’d balked. Behind her, the heavily bearded man in an Australian bush hat had managed to keep his distance from her, despite being propelled by the crowd following him. She heaved a sigh of relief when the family moved forward only to gasp in pain when the stranger stepped on her heel.

“I’m so sorry,” he said. “I thought you were with them.”

Turning, she shook her head. “No. I’m not. It’s okay. I’m amazed it hasn’t happened before. This place is a bit of a zoo. No harm done.”

He stared at her, his eyes lighting up in surprise and recognition. “You. Here. How is it possible?” He reached for her but she stepped away.

“I’m sorry,” she stammered, intimidated by the stranger’s attempt to touch her. “I’m sure we’ve never met. You must be mistaking me for someone else.” She shrugged. “They say we all have a twin someplace.”

Before he could answer, the customs agent called, “Next.”

Marina escaped from his earnest gaze as quickly as she could and presented her passport.

That’s it. Stay safe, and don’t forget to check out the other Tuesday Tales.

The Autumnal Equinox, otherwise known as the first day of fall, isn’t until September 23 this year, but fall is definitely in the air as the plants change and nights and mornings grow colder. Pumpkin spice takes over as the go-to flavor for everything, and the stores are full of Halloween decorations.

Welcome to this week’s Tuesday Tales and another snippet from Listen to the Stones. Our word prompt this week is SMART. Marina has just told her aunt and uncle that she’ll be leaving for the Isle of Lewis to claim her inheritance. To say he isn’t happy would be an understatement. Enjoy!

Uncle Marvin harrumphed. “That crafty old bastard. It figures. Even in death, he seems determined to make life miserable for you, almost as if he’s punishing you for existing. Eileen mentioned him when she came home. When your father died, everything he had went to his father, Iain Fraser. The man had been some kind of Scottish lord, but by then they were all impoverished, I’m sure. When he died unexpectedly, everything reverted to his brother, Angus. He gave her ten thousand pounds, what must’ve been most of the family fortune to leave Scotland and never come back. I’m surprised he’s even giving you a chance to have any of it but watch yourself. This could be some kind of scam on the part of the family to stick you with death taxes or something. You’ve always been a smart girl, Marina. If you sense that anything is off, anything at all, you get yourself back home as fast as you can. How much is it costing you to get there to collect this so-called inheritance?”

“Nothing. The death taxes as you call them have been paid. The solicitor sent me a credit card to cover the cost, and before you ask, he also sent me information so that I can access fifteen thousand pounds from the Bank of Scotland account in my name there.”

“Someone’s going to get the bill for that credit card. Be careful it isn’t you. For all you know, everything he claims you inherited could be nothing but a pack of lies. The place could be mortgaged to the hilt and nothing but a money pit. I don’t like it, not one damn bit, but I can tell from your voice that you’re determined to do this.”

“It could also be exactly what it seems to be, a wonderful gift from a man who regretted what he did thirty years ago,” Aunt Flo added. “Marvin still blames your mother’s death on that place, and finding out that the family had money that could’ve made her life easier is hard to swallow.  When do you leave?” “On September 21. I’m flying to London and staying there for a couple of days and then on to Edinburgh for a couple of nights before going to Inverness. I’ll arrive in Stornoway on the twenty-ninth. The lawyer, Mr. MacDonald will meet me at the airport and take me to Fraser Hall.

That’s it. Stay safe, and don’t forget to check out the other Tuesday Tales.

Is he who she thinks he is?
Is she trustworthy?
Nothing is as it seems when romance and suspense tangle.

Get ready for a scintillating collection of romantic suspense stories of different sub-genres for avid readers everywhere. From psychiatrists to psychics, liars, lawyers, Vampires, Wiccans and ghosts, human trafficking, drug rings, and haunted homes, this set is packed with adventure and trills of all heat levels. Enjoy a heart-throbbing, fist-clenching Romantic Suspense collection brimming with both new and classic works by International, New York Times. and USA Today Bestselling Authors from The Authors’ Billboard.

Mimi Barbour – Special Agent Walker: What would you do if you saw a teenager get off the bus in front of school with a rifle barrel sticking out from his backpack? New York Times and USA Today Bestselling Author

Rachelle Ayala – Knowing Vera: Caught between a web of family secrets and a deranged adversary, Vera and Zach must depend on each other for survival. Love blossoms, but the truth explodes everything Vera knows about herself. Will she close her heart forever or risk it all for a shot at happily-ever-after. USA Today Bestselling Author

Rebecca York – Night Moves: Although Emma had set out to save her sister, she soon discovered that her own life was at risk–because she had run straight into the arms of a vampire. New York Times and USA Today Bestselling Author

Taylor Lee – Big Girls Don’t Cry: Taking down an international drug ring? Solving a vicious murder? All in a day’s work for the sexy special agent. Capturing an irresistible woman as tough as she is beautiful? Now that’s another story! USA Today Bestselling Author

J. L. Campbell –- Phantasm: Mario is determined to win Josette, but fears that her dead husband will succeed in luring her to the other side if he doesn’t stake his claim on her. International Bestselling Author

Patricia Rosemoor – Rescuing the Virgin: ICE agent Quinlan McKenna Farrell’s failure to bring down a human trafficking ring in Texas haunts him until Luz Delgado, an American trying to save her brother, is taken off the streets and sold to Quin as a virgin. New York Times and USA Today Bestselling Author

Susan Jean Ricci – Critter Crew: A lady with a debatable past and a middle-aged cop prematurely retired due to his fear of firearms discover how a hornet attack, a runaway ostrich, and a miserable cases of poison ivy offer them another stab at happiness. USA Today Bestselling Author

Susanne Matthews – Atonement: With help from Dr. Walt Tanner, the man who broke her heart, a couple of unusual cats, and an ancient parrot, Anca sets out to discover the truth about Cole Cottage and find the key to saving the future. International Bestselling Author

Alyssa Bailey – Saving Oakley: Just as the psychiatrist and attorney’s relationship develops into a commitment to spend their lives together, Oakley disappears. Frantic, Ryker turns to his best friend Jac and his operatives to help him find and save Oakley before it’s too late. USA Today Bestselling Author

There’s something for everyone in this newest romantic suspense set. Get yours today. Also available in Kindle Unlimited!

https://mybook.to/UProtectors

Second week of September already! We had hot weather last week and it looks like we’re in for rain this week. Our Tuesday Tales prompt today is SILLY. I’m continuing with Listen to the Stones.

How quickly things change, and this time, the change had been for the better. In the two weeks since Marina had learned of her uncle’s bequest, preparations had moved at lightning speed. In less than a month, she would be on a plane bound for England, and from there she would travel to Inverness and then to the Isle of Lewis.

She used tape to seal the bubble wrap in which she’d enclosed the last of her mother’s dishes. There had only been two place settings of the Wedgewood china, but she and her mother had used them for meals at Christmas, New Year’s, Easter, and birthdays. Now that she’d made up her mind to go home, the only thing left to do was to pack up her apartment. Originally, she’d struggled with the decision to ship all of her worldly good or to leave them here in storage. Her friend Lenore had offered to keep the stuff in her basement, assuring her that once her year was up, she would be only too happy to return to Harrisville.

“Don’t be silly! Of course you’ll come back. Think of it, Marina. You’ll be an heiress. You can open your own restaurant.”

But Marina didn’t want to impose. Besides, as much as Lenore was certain she’d get homesick and return, she wasn’t quite so sure. Lately, her dreams had been filled with images of heather growing wild all over, no doubt because of what her mother had once said, as well as white and black-faced sheep, and huge Scottish Highland cattle. She’d been reading about the Isle of Lewis and Harris, the two islands connected, and she’d learned everything she could about Harris tweed.

It was true that the weather wouldn’t be what she was used to. Harrisville was located near Leamington in southwestern Ontario where the climate was mild enough to grow peaches and other fruit. At one time, tobacco had been the main crop, but over the years that had changed to tomatoes and other vegetables.

While there wouldn’t be snow on Lewis, it wouldn’t ever get truly hot either. It would be like fall weather year round with one exception. She would finally get to see both the Aurora Borealis and the midnight sun. How cool would that be?

That’s it. Stay safe, and don’t forget to check out the other Tuesday Tales.

Congratulations to all of the authors who’ve made the IWSG the success that it is these last 12 years. Your hard work is appreciated.

This month’s question is: The IWSG celebrates 12 years today! When did you discover the IWSG, how do you connect, and how has it helped you?

I connected with the IWSG during one of the A to Z activities a few years back. I participate in that each year and have learned many things about writing in general. I’ve even picked up a few friends along the way. What has stayed with me and lifted me up when things weren’t going well was knowing that I wasn’t the only one struggling to find readers and make a name for myself. Sometimes a few words of support made all the difference.

Another thing that being part of the IWSG group has done is give me the courage to take the path less taken, to write what I want to write, even if it doesn’t fit in Amazon’s perfect and limited little boxes.

So thank you to those who co-host each month and those who read the various posts. Here’s hoping the group goes on for at least another 12 years!

As always, check out the other posts here: https://www.insecurewriterssupportgroup.com/p/iwsg-sign-up.html

Welcome to September. Years ago, for me, that meant a return to the classroom. Now, it’s just the last few weeks of summer. This week, the authors from Tuesday Tales have another word prompt for their scenes. I’m continuing with Listen to the Stones. As always, my cover artist has provided me with an inspiring cover. Enjoy this snippet and your first look at our hero.

Nathan chuckled. “I’m not surprised. The man might’ve been a good businessman, but he was as foolish and stubborn as they come. He and his brother had a falling out over a woman some seventy years ago. He might be the eldest and the Fraser heir, but she chose his younger brother. The men never spoke again. But as to the great-niece, Angus might not have displayed the photographs, but his estranged brother, Iain had a son, Hugh Fraser. The young man, a reporter, was killed during The Troubles in Northern Ireland, just a few weeks after his daughter was born. He never got around to marrying the mother of his child. The woman stayed on the island for three years looking after Iain who’d suffered a stroke and was paralyzed. When the man died in his sleep, Angus wanted nothing to do with her or her bastard child whom he denied could be a Fraser. She packed up her three-year-old and went back to Canada. She never came back.”

“I wouldn’t have taken him to be such a small-minded man,” Jerome mused.

“It seems the old man mellowed with age,” Nathan added. “Ewen MacDonald and I are friends, so when I approached him about buying the land, he shared more than he would’ve with a stranger. When he was diagnosed with lung cancer last spring, Angus tried to reach out to the girl, but Eileen Harrington died four years ago from complications with COVID. The old man made a new will leaving everything to the grand-niece he hadn’t seen in more than thirty years. I hate it when stuff like this comes across my desk. It’s both petty and tragic.”

Jerome shook his head. “Aye, tragic in more ways than one.”

He’d hoped to be settled in Fraser Hall before winter and to take his time studying the stones—after all, he might be a successful writer, but he was still an archeologist. Those particular stones were on Fraser land, and while he could probably get permission from the historic society responsible for preserving all historic sites in Scotland, he wanted to do this on his own, not be required to publish papers and report to bureaucrats. His interest in the stones had nothing to do with their age, mineral content, layout, or purpose. It was all about the power they possessed.

That’s it. Stay safe, and don’t forget to check out the other Tuesday Tales.