Fantasy and Romance–the Perfect Combination
Hi! I’m *lizzie, and I’m addicted to fantasy. When I was little, I spent time in my own little, made up worlds. Then, in the sixth grade, our teacher read The Hobbit to us. And A Wrinkle in Time. And Tales of King Arthur. Oh, I’m sure she read us other books, but those I don’t remember. I credit Lord of the Rings with my survival in college. Then I discovered the dragons of Pern. (I know, technically the Pern tales are Science Fiction, but the lines are blurry. I love the blur.) And…and…and…the list goes on. But romance? Eh, that was my mother’s love, so of course it wasn’t mine. Until I worked a night shift in a nursing home, and there wasn’t much to read but romances.
I was hooked. Then I realized the epic fantasy I had been writing for years (can you say Tolkien knock-off?) actually had a fair amount of romance. Once I focused on the romance, the stories in my mind really took off. The characters had a deeper purpose. Their troubles took them in new, and much more interesting directions. I’d found my niche.
Fast forward to today. While I write in other genres as well, fantasy romance is still my first love. With a little fey magic, my first book,By Keltic Design, turned into a six book series. More tales continue to follow. Want to know more? I’m having a contest for new subscribers to my newsletter–News from the Starr. Sign up for my randomly periodic newsletter here for a chance to win ebook copies of the entire Double Keltic Triad. That’s seven full novels! If you’re already on the newsletter list, let me know in the comments and I’ll add your name to the hat.
To tempt you further, here’s the blurb and an excerpt from the first of the Double Keltic Triad, By Keltic Design. By the way, this book is free at all retailers!
~ * ~
In the fey Otherworld, a half-faerie child is born. To protect him from evil’s crusade to scour impurities from the faerie race, he is abandoned in the human world, never to know of his magical heritage. Now the boy is a man rooted in reality, and fantasy is merely foolishness from an undisciplined imagination.
Successful businessman, Jaye Zeroun prides himself on his realistic, but lonely, view of life. Until Allyn Keely, Celtic artist and friend of Faerie knots her way around his heart, filling his life with fantastic tales he refuses to believe.
Allyn finally finds a man to love but first she must help him discover his heritage and destiny in the Otherworld. She’s fully human, older than Jaye, and once he returns to his fey family, he could never love her.
When danger threatens Allyn, Jaye is forced to either accept the reality of a deadly, magical battle or lose the very things he never planned for in his life–family and a love beyond his wildest imaginings.
~ * ~
Jaye registered for a couple of seminars at the insistence of the couple he had helped during the night. Before the first was scheduled to begin, he visited the sales room and chuckled under his breath at some of the strange items convention goers were buying. He couldn’t believe all the booths selling alien masks and fantasy weaponry.
Making his way around the room, he stopped here and there to examine an object or chat with one of the participants. A strange, continual pull tugged him toward one far corner of the room. Trying to shake the feeling off as an overactive imagination, he turned away. But before long he would find himself heading in that direction again. He fought the impulse, slipped his hands into his jeans pockets, and pretended interest in the tiny pewter figurines on the table in front of him.
Finally, unable to defy the pull any longer, he stomped to the small corner table and glared down at the display. A collage of hand-drawn Celtic designs covered the surface of the table–the swirls and spirals of the patterns flowing from one design to the next. Jaye relaxed and smiled, his inner artist appreciating the effectiveness of the display. Perhaps it was a good thing he had come to this end of the room after all.
Occasionally tracing a plastic covered design with one long finger, he slowly scanned the display. All at once, a design at the furthest corner of the table popped into sharp focus and seized his attention. He snatched up the ink drawing, peered at it closely and gasped.
“Something you like?” A soft female voice asked.
“Where did you get this design?”
“It’s one of my own. As is every design on my table.”
“That can’t be.” Jaye rubbed absently at a sudden itch on his leg. “It’s exactly like a tattoo I just had done.” Jaye looked up. A pair of deep violet eyes watched his hand as he rubbed his thigh. Embarrassed, he jerked his hand away, using it instead to gesture at the drawing. “I drew this design for the tattoo myself.”
Light brows lowered in speculation and the woman lifted a delicate hand to nibble on her thumbnail. She sighed, looked at her thumb and brushed the end of her red-gold ponytail back over her shoulder. Twinkles of humor lit her eyes when her gaze met Jaye’s. A jolt of recognition spun deep into his belly before fading quickly away. He wondered at the amazing eye colors achieved with contacts. The drawing vibrated when she reached out and touched it lightly.
“I’m sure they may be similar, if you used the basics of Celtic design. But exactly the same?” She cocked her head and looked at him.
Jaye shook the drawing at her. “It is exact. I’ll show you.” Dropping the drawing, his hand slapped to his thigh. A sheepish grin crossed his lips and he looked around, suddenly conscious of the milling crowds edging toward the far doors.
She laughed; her tinkling giggle made him smile. “Umm, not now.” She giggled again. “I’m signed up for a seminar anyway. I’ve got to go. The room will be closing, too.” She came from behind the table and walked away. Jaye watched the sway of her long floral skirt and the bounce of her hair, his lips stretching further into a silly grin. Denying the rise of emotion, he shook his head to clear it.
“Wait. I want to buy this.” Jaye held the drawing out to her when she turned back. “How much?”
Crossing her arms, she closed one eye in thought before lifting her shoulders in a graceful shrug. With a quick wave of one hand she turned away. “It’s yours.”
“No. Wait. I really want…”
The skirt swirled around her legs when she turned to face him again and jammed small fists against her hips. “I said it’s yours. Since you say it’s the same as your tattoo, then the drawing should be yours also.” She waved away the proffered artwork.
“Now,’ she paused, and then continued, spacing each word as if explaining to a wayward child, “I have a seminar to lead. You undoubtedly have somewhere to go.” One eyebrow lifted in speculation.
Jaye held the picture to his chest for a brief moment then moved forward. “Since you’re giving me presents, I’m Jaye Zeroun.” A faint floral scent filled his nostrils and he inhaled deeply when he passed her. “Coming?”
Accustomed to having his name recognized, Jaye didn’t think further about the slight narrowing of her eyes at his name. She fell into step beside him. “I’m Allyn. Allyn Keely.”
~ * ~
This is me and where you can find me online. Stop by and chat anytime!
*lizzie always made up games and stories to keep her company, so, a witch lived in Grampa’s weather research station and was only held at bay by waving a certain weed. An ancient road grader morphed into boat a carrying wild adventurers to islands filled with sheep that turned into lions and cannibals. Now, filled with fantasy and love, the stories of her imagination have found their way into the mundane world. And when *lizzie has to return to that mundane life, she’s *the Lunch Lady* at a private school. Author and lunch lady~~what a combination!
*lizzie adores hearing what you think about her tales of romance with a sparkling twist. You can visit her blog at http://starrwords.blogspot.com, her website at www.lizziestarr.com or contact her at:[email protected]
http://starrwords.blogspot.com
