Taranis, the Celtic god of Thunder, has spent an eternity longing for the touch of a single mortal woman. He has followed her through incarnations, but always his powers were too much for her to bear.
Tara is a deaf woman, struggling to fit in the hearing world. She hides a gentle heart behind a tough exterior. Will she let down her defenses when a handsome mute tries to win her heart?
And even if she does, can Taranis’ love come without a death sentence?
Excerpt:
Taranis watched Tara climb onto her moped. She ran her
fingers through her short black hair before pulling on her helmet. Mortals
would never have been able to see so clearly, but even from across the street
he could make out every detail of the art that was etched across her muscular
yet feminine arms. They were drenched in color from the corner of her shoulder
to the tips of her elbows. On one arm he saw a frog and a crow alongside the
Puerto Rican flag, which was the heritage she had chosen in this new life.
There was even a flamenco dancer adorned in a pink and green gown, forever
frozen in her graceful dance. The other arm displayed a garden of colorful
flowers— roses and lilies in blue, black and orange. Taranis imagined the
fragrance of those flowers would be more intoxicating than any within the earth
because they were drenched in her natural scent. He also noticed that mixed in
among the tattoos that spoke of her Latino heritage; there was also a Celtic
tribal band wrapped around her left ankle. Taranis knew it was a sign that a
part of her was still drawn to the life she had lived before—the life he had
been a brief but traumatic part of.
Taranis pushed the negative memories away. This was a new
era. A new world. One where anything was possible. There were times when the
magic of technology seemed to dwarf the powers of the gods themselves. First
sign language and then computers with their artificial voices had made it much
easier for Taranis to blend in among the mortals. Taranis especially loved the
women of the twenty-first century. They were so bold and fearless, unafraid of
demanding equality from their male counterparts. Tara was a prime example of
that feminist drive. It seemed in each life time, she grew even stronger and
more durable. He admired her strength and perseverance, but he also saw the sad
and lonely woman she hid beneath the tough and snarky façade.
For two years he had watched her, yearned for her, but he
was biding his time and building her trust. He had interacted with her in his
human guise. Yet, he hadn’t given into the temptation to pursue anything more
than a casual friendship, even though her smile insinuated she was open to
more. He knew it was fear that restrained him. Each time he thought about
romantic innuendos, he remembered Calista lying dead in his arms with blood
dripping down her pale neck. Still, he hungered for Tara with a passion unlike
anything he had ever known. He had waited centuries for her to return to him
after his failure with Calista. He was sure that in this new world where their
paths had finally crossed again, he would find a way to make her love him. He
didn’t want to risk her life, but Taranis had a secret hope. He believed the
very characteristic that she considered her greatest flaw would be the one
thing that ensured their happiness in this life and all that followed.
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A few words from the author...
Short stories have never been my forte. Just like in real
life, I am a little long-winded. When my
publisher announced they were doing an anthology called For the Love of the Gods, I didn’t really plan to participate.
Then while I was standing in the shower, I was struck with inspiration. But I
can’t take full credit for it and neither can my muse. Thunderstruck only
exists because of my friend, editor, and fellow author, Tara Chevrestt. She is
not only the person who my main character is based on. She’s also the beautiful
model on the cover of the e-book!
It’s no surprise that Tara is an inspiration to many. She is an amazing writer, a no-nonsense
editor, and an active feminist. She has a spunk and fire few people can claim
and she’s never afraid to tell things how they are. Tara is also deaf, and while she’s faced a lot
of discrimination because of her lack of hearing, she’s never let that stop her
from getting what she wanted. More importantly, she doesn’t let it stop her
from being happy with who she is, imperfections and all. This was the image I wanted to convey when I
wrote Thunderstruck. Tara’s colorful vocabulary and the fact that she can kick
some serious butt are only a small part of the story. The most important lesson
I wanted people to take away with them is that, like Tara, we should all
embrace who we are, including the imperfections that make us unique.
Tara’s motto is “Strong is Sexy” and she proves those words
every single day. My fictional Tara could never do justice to the real lady,
especially not in only thirty-five pages, but it gives you a little piece of
the fire that drives a strong woman forward.
Get to know Tara and you’ll have no trouble believing she could capture
the love of a god.
Laura is giving away an
eCopy of Thunderstruck during her tour.
For a chance to win
please fill out the Rafflecopter below.
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