Today’s your last chance to grab my ebook…free!
#free #ebook for you, or the bookworm in your life. #WhenLyricMetLimerick, special promo price of 0.00. Download here.
— Dawn V Cahill,Author (@dvcahill) December 22, 2015
Today’s the last day When Lyric Met Limerick is absolutely free on Amazon. Go back in time to where it all started…a cloudy May day at Seattle’s Pikes Place Market, when Howard saw Luna for the first time…
Listen…do you want to know a secret?
Okay, now I can finally tell you all the secret I’ve had to keep under my hat for a month. My soon-to-be-published debut novel, Sapphire Secrets, placed in the finals in the ACFW First Impressions contest, Romantic Suspense category! The winners were announced today, and alas, I didn’t win, but I’m still so honored to be among the top finishers.
Stay tuned for updates on my journey to publication.
~DVC~
Sapphire Secrets – Excerpt from Scene I
(Cue spooky soundtrack)
As if the graveyard at midnight wasn’t eerie enough, Livy’s dad boomed out his annual recitation of Edgar Allan Poe.
“At midnight, in the month of June, I stand beneath the mystic moon—”
Tonight’s mystic moon glimmered around a cloud, through the tops of evergreens, trying in vain to cast a beam into the mild June night and Brighton Cemetery.
“Like ghosts the shadows rise and fall—”
Livy clutched a handful of flowers to her chest and focused on keeping her breath steady and even. Her feet snapped twigs as she and her twin, DeeDee, followed Dad’s flashlight arc along a row of oaks.
His baritone voice pierced the night. “My love, she sleeps! Oh may her sleep, as it is lasting, so be deep—”
A heavy wind sighed overhead. Branches creaked under the weight of the night. Livy dare not reach over and clasp her twin’s hand. If she did, her shaky grip would betray her. Gravel crunched behind her as the groundskeeper trailed them.
“Some sepulcher, remote, alone—”
Most people would never guess famed rocker Declan Decker quoted Edgar Allan Poe. Tonight he was plain old Dad, Howard McCreary, come to pay his respects on the twentieth anniversary of his late wife’s sudden passing.
“Oh to think, poor child of sin, It was the dead who groaned within.”
She ground her teeth to keep from telling him to shut up, he was spooking her. He’d only say twenty-six was far too old to let a midnight cemetery spook her. Still, at each nocturnal visit to Mom’s grave, a secret phobia gripped her. Coimetrophobia. Fear of cemeteries. Each year, she feigned indifference to the waving shadows and moaning wind. She forced herself to stroll with nonchalant strides like her no-nonsense twin.
Copyright @2015 ~DVC~
Sapphire Secrets – Excerpt 2
It’s Happy Hour! To celebrate, I’m offering this appetizer to you. It’s an excerpt from chapter 2 of Sapphire Secrets, my debut novel, designed to whet your appetite for more….
A stark white banner stretched across the flat building, reflecting enough sunlight to attract the attention of every neighbor. DeeDee tugged on the lower left corner, achieving perfect symmetry. Welcome To Saffire School Of Dance, blared its message in eye-catching red letters. Last night, DeeDee had added In Honor Of Our Mother, Luna Raquelle, against Livy’s wishes.
“Why not?” DeeDee thought she and Livy were on the same wavelength. But Livy’s strenuous objection to proclaiming Mom’s name stymied her.
Livy’s excuse? “People will ask questions.”
“We don’t owe them any explanations.” As usual, DeeDee overrode her twin, and the phrase stayed.
The nearby boulevard hummed with vehicles. DeeDee crossed her fingers in hopes some of them were headed to Saffire’s grand opening. She and Livy had set up signs, advertised in newspapers, and spread the word on social media. A topnotch techie fashioned them a fancy website. Now, they waited in the September sunshine for their first guests.
DeeDee shivered as a rare sensation rocketed her pulse. She needed to dial down the excite-o-meter. Emotion equaled weakness. At her right stood Livy, all boho-chic in her peacock-print tunic and teal ankle boots, her hair bunched atop her head like a rooster tail. “Why are you so tense?”
Livy shot her a look. “I’m not tense.”
“Yes, you are. You’re frowning, and your ponytail is shaking.”
“That’s the wind, you dork.” Livy, pretending their tiff hadn’t happened, plastered on a smile and peered at the street. “I think someone’s coming.” They turned and went inside to watch through tall, narrow windows flanking the front door.
Four months ago, this one-story space had been a hollow cobwebbed shell. But thanks to Dad and his megabucks, new drywall divided the 4,000-plus square feet into three studios, a small office, restrooms, and a storage closet. The hallway walls gleamed pale yellow above teal wainscoting, offsetting the rich cherry-red enamel below.
Her mother’s spirit was here. In DeeDee’s imagination, Mom floated along the crimson hallway. She danced in midair, beaming.
“Look, Deeds. A whole family just pulled up.” Livy propped the door as a car parked at the curb. “In a Mercedes. Mom, Dad, two daughters.”
Craning while the family emerged, DeeDee said, “We need something special to give our first visitors.”
The four hesitated in the doorway. She smiled and approached them. “Welcome. I’m DeeDee. This is Livy. Since you’re our first guests, you’re automatically eligible for a fifty percent discount on any of our fall classes. Congratulations.”
The woman entered first. “That’s very generous.” Glamour exuded from every plane of her flawless face, every seam of her designer clothing. “I’m Roxanne Shropshire. This is my husband, Will, and our two daughters, Amity and Katrina.”
The others stepped inside. The husband angled his body away from his wife and refused to look at her. Strained lines marred his handsome face. Maybe they’d been fighting.
DeeDee leaned forward, braced her hands on her thighs, and looked the daughters in the eyes. “And how old are you two?”
“Ten.”
“Thirteen.”
“What kind of dance would you like to learn?” asked Livy.
“Hip-hop.” Amity, the thirteen-year-old, clasped her hands above her head and shimmied. “I can move like Iggy Azalea.”
“I want to take Tap.” Katrina’s saddle shoes shuffled, the toes bouncing with an energy of their own.
Roxanne’s gaze swiveled from floor to ceiling. “This is beautiful.”
The dad breathed deep. “Smells like fresh paint.”
“Why don’t we show you around?” Livy led the way.
“Wow, killer.” Amity pranced along the hall ahead of them, peeking inside every door. Soft music wafted from each studio’s state-of-the-art sound system. Mirrors and shiny barres hugged the walls, reflecting fresh-waxed oak floors.
Roxanne plied them with questions—had they taught dance before? No, but they were lifelong dancers and daughters of a professional dancer. Did they offer evening and weekend classes? They did. How much were the fees? One hundred dollars per month.
“What a nice way to honor your mother. Her name sounds familiar.” Her voice took on a coaxing, intimate quality. The tone of someone fishing for information she wasn’t entitled to.
DeeDee wasn’t biting. “It’s unlikely you’ve heard of her.”
She felt, more than saw, her sister’s outraged glance before Livy segued them back to business.
“Our teaching approach is a little different from the norm.” Livy’s measured tones smoothed over her discomfort.
“We call it the three Ps—”
“Precision, Posture, and Presentation.”
“Dance enriches kids’ lives in so many ways.” DeeDee spread an arm wide. “We want kids to have fun, but dance is so much more.”
Roxanne arched a brow. “You take a holistic approach, then?”
“You could call it that.” DeeDee nodded. “Dancing is good for the body and the soul. Did you know kids who learn dance at a young age grow up to be better students?”
Roxanne’s accusatory gaze rested on her husband’s face. “There, you see, Will? If you hadn’t been so stubborn, Max might not have dropped out of school.”
Will’s face flamed mottled scarlet as though she’d slapped him. Recoiling, he made his getaway toward the door. “Daddy!” the younger daughter screamed, taking off after him.
Tension hung heavy in the air like a low, thick cloud cover. “My fifteen-year-old son is a dropout. Thanks to his stepdad who made him quit his extracurricular activities.” Roxanne dabbed the corner of her eye. Her gaze raked Will’s retreating back like malevolent claws.
“I’m sorry to hear that.” DeeDee waited for Roxanne to face her, then resumed the speech she’d spent hours perfecting. “We believe in encouraging students to work hard in school and be the best they can be in all areas of life.”
Livy clasped her hands in front of her like a wise swami and stepped closer. “Our motto is, ‘Dance like the whole world is watching,’ which we believe applies to anything we do in life.”
Roxanne offered a watery smile, her gaze darting between the door and DeeDee. “That sounds wonderful.” Clutching her wallet, she followed DeeDee into the office. “Did your mother pass recently?”
“We lost her when we were kids.”
“Oh, how sad. Was it cancer?”
“No.” She met Livy’s gaze, her sister’s eyes saying, I told you so. Maybe Livy had a point. Did they really want people asking how Mom died?
Puppy Love Part II – Who is Murf?
“A cute furball with eyes,” is how Livy describes her new puppy, Murf.
If MURF were an acronym, what would it stand for? Give me your best shot in the comments. To start off, here’s my best shot:
My U R Fluffy!
And now, time for excerpt #3 from Sapphire Secrets, when the reader meets Murf for the first time:
The last class of the day had ended. The half-light of dusk slowly faded outside Saffire’s office window. Livy, munching a sandwich, peered at the crate next to her where her new puppy curled up like a snowball. His whiffling snores assured her he was fast asleep. Her heart swelled.
“I can’t believe how many parents don’t stay and watch their kids’ classes,” DeeDee huffed. “They must think we’re a babysitting service.”
“One hundred bucks a month is a pretty expensive babysitter,” Livy replied, still eyeing the crate. She swung her soft-shoed feet to the top of the desk. “But Will isn’t like that. I can tell he’s engaged in what’s going on with Amity.”
“When it comes to dads, he’s one of the good ones.”
“Speaking of Will—” Livy paused for dramatic effect. “He and Roxanne finally split up.”
“The source of that goofy grin on your face.”
“No, the goofy grin is due to cute little Murf. Not Will.”
“Yeah, right.”
“But Will’s cute too, isn’t he?”
DeeDee fixed her with a knowing smile and bit into her own sandwich.
“Then again, so is Kinzie and Lacie’s dad,” said Livy. “Maybe if you give him a little encouragement, he’d ask you out.”
“Scott ‘Mr. Hotness’ Lorenzo?”
“He is the epitome of hot. He’s got a quiet intensity about him like he’s pondering how to solve the world’s problems.” Livy snickered. “And a cute Southern accent.”
“He seems a little uptight.” DeeDee tossed her sandwich wrapper in the recycling bin.
“I read his vibe as intense.” Livy wiped her fingers. “Not uptight.”
“Whatev.”
“Anyway, keep your paws off Will.” Livy kept her tone light but firm. “I’ve got dibs.”
A plaintive whimper drifted toward her. The six-week-old puppy had awakened and was sniffing around for food.
“Ah, Murf.” She stepped to the crate and picked up the fluffy white bundle, snuggling him next to her cheek. She’d bought the tiny Samoyed from a breeder last week, and soon he would be ready to stay home alone. Until then, he’d scarcely left her side.
She kissed his soft head, nestled him back in his crate, and then refilled his food bowl. Between bites, the pup yelped in the same manner he did when DeeDee’s big yellow tabby took a swipe at him, as she so often did at home. Livy stroked his back with her finger. “Don’t cry, baby boy. Miss Piggy isn’t here. I know you hate her killer paws, but on the inside she’s a very sweet kitty.”
Murf searched her face with opaque black eyes, clearly unconvinced.
Copyright @2015 by DVC
Meet Sapphire Secrets’ Cast of Characters!
When you read a good book, do you ever try to figure out which celebrities should play your favorite characters? I know I do. Right now, I’m reading a book that, if it were a movie, Jennifer Lawrence and Chris Pratt would be perfect in the leads. (See my earlier post for a description of Catch of A Lifetime.)
Then I read fellow author K.M.Weiland’s post, Meet Storming’s Cast of Characters, and thought, hey, I’ve been carrying my characters’ alter egos in my head for months. So I decided to give it a whirl.
Here you go…my own cast of characters.
~DVC~
A new Christmas Romance to stuff your stocking with…
Dear Readers,
I know some of you out there love Christian romance novels, or know someone who does. Who doesn’t like a good love story? My author pal Marian Merritt is visiting today to tell us all about her new release,
THE CHRISTMAS BELLS OF CAVAZZALE
Welcome, Marian. Can you tell us about your book?
When Charleston Charly Maynard loses her job just weeks after her fiancé calls off the wedding, she decides to visit the cottage in the quaint village of Cavazzale, Italy she’s inherited from her grandmother. She’s hoping the time there will help her to decide what to do about her future. When she meets André Lagneaux, a handsome man from Bayou Country, who is visiting his brother in Cavazzale, Charly ignores the attraction. After all, she’s not looking for romance.
When André Lagneaux’s parents set up a family trip to Italy, André is eager to spend Christmas with his brother and godchild. Meeting the beautiful American woman at the airport adds to his excitement. He’d love to get to know her, but her cool demeanor tells him she’s not interested. Will she let down her guard and allow them to get to know one another? When Charly finds a prayer in her nonna’s diary that makes her realize God may have His own plan for her future, she must learn to trust. But, what if His plan includes the dark-haired Cajun?
Marian is visiting all the way from Texas!
Marian Pellegrin Merritt writes stories that blend her love of the mountains with her deep Southern roots. Her tagline, Where the Bayous Meets the Mountains, grew from both loves.
She is a member of American Christian Fiction Writers and Women’s Fiction Writers Association.
This Louisiana native writes her Christmas romances and Southern women’s fiction with a Louisiana/Colorado connection from the Texas home she shares with her husband and a very spoiled Labradoodle.
Connect with her through Website, Blog, Facebook, Twitter
Marian P. Merritt’s Readers Group
Buy links to Marian’s Books: http://www.marianmerritt.com/#!/cnec
Tweets & FB Posts
Colorado girl, Louisiana guy—Love in Cavazzale Italy. http://www.marianmerritt.com/#!the-christmas-bells-of-cavazzale/c1j7i #CR4U
Where the Bayous Meet the Mountains – In Italy http://www.marianmerritt.com/#!the-christmas-bells-of-cavazzale/c1j7i #CR4U #christianfic
@marianpmerritt Colorado/Louisiana in Italy! http://www.marianmerritt.com/#!the-christmas-bells-of-cavazzale/c1j7i #CR4U
Homosexuality: A Look at Slavery
I’ve heard people claim the Bible endorses slavery. I hope this article will put that claim to rest, finally.
Often when Christians are discussing a sensitive Scriptural topic, which has become a national or even global issue, we must work our way through arguments made from popular opinion and not real critical thought. The David and Jonathan argument was this type of discussion and there are a few more general assumptions that I wish to consider in this article.
In this article, we will look at the argument that if the Bible is wrong about one thing it can be wrong about homosexuality.
The argument states that the Bible supports slavery and the people of God practiced slavery. Today society as a whole has rejected the practice of slavery. The result is that since the Bible was wrong on slavery, it could also be wrong about homosexuality. This argument seems to be fairly straightforward but it is based on a lack of understanding.
A proper understanding of Biblical slavery…
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Sin And Hope
Another mass shooting. This one also here in Southern California. More people died senselessly. More hospitalized. Oh, and Merry Christmas.
The thing is, sin is pervasive. Sin infects our world, our culture, our society, and yes, our lives.
And the facts are in: no one is perfect. No one! We can cluck our tongues and feel great sympathy for the poor people who are now grieving, who have been traumatized, who will no longer feel safe even when they go to work. But the truth is, the problem isn’t out there. It isn’t because of terrorists or guns or anger or mental illness.
It’s because of sin. We are a sinful people and no amount of education or tolerance or empathy can heal our broken souls. There’s only one hope we have and His name is Jesus.
Beauty and The Beast: a metaphor for NPD.
If only love could truly turn a narcissist into a handsome prince! Unfortunately, I’ve never known of a real-life example, except for one…God’s love for King Nebuchadnezzar in the Bible. See my post How Many Narcissists Does It Take To Change A Lightbulb?
A few days ago, I was thinking about the wonderful 1991 Disney animated movie, “Beauty and The Beast.” I was always moved by the Transformation scene at the end when the evil spell on the Beast and his castle is finally lifted after he nearly dies and Belle finally declares her love for him. In my opinion, it’s one of the best moments in animated movie history. That scene has haunted me for a long, long time and the other day, I felt inspired to watch it again, and was as–or even more moved by it–than the first time I saw it. And this time I knew why–the entire story of the Beast in this movie is a metaphor for a man suffering from NPD–who healed from it.
As the movie opens, we are shown a series of stained-glass images telling the story of how the Beast became that way…
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Dawn V. Cahill - Hot Topic Christian Fiction 