Nancy Straight's Blog, page 3
June 2, 2012
Win an Advanced PB Copy of Blood Debt!!
The last contest I held went so well, I thought I’d try another one. Blood Debt will release on July 15 so I thought it might be fun to give away some advanced signed paperback copies. Here’s how it’ll work. You can have one entry for doing each of the below:
1. Add Blood Debt to your, “to-read” shelf on http://www.goodreads.com
2. “Like” my Facebook Author page: http://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Nanc...
3. Leave a comment on my Facebook Author page: http://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Nanc...
4. Send a tweet that reads: I want to win a PB Copy of BLOOD DEBT by @NancyStraight BEFORE it releases on July 15. Enter to win: http://www.authnancystraight.blogspot...
5. Follow me on twitter: @NancyStraight
6. Become a member of my blog at: http://www.authnancystraight.blogspot...
For each of the above, you’ll get one entry. If you do all six – I’ll give you ten entries. In the comments on the blog, insert a comment with either: (1) your email address, (2) your goodreads username or (3) your twitter ID telling me what you did. For example:
@NancyStraight I did 1, 3, 6 or
[email protected] I did all six
The contest will run beginning today through Jun 30. My 7 year old will select a winner EACH day from the entries submitted, beginning Jun 15 through Jun 30. Yes the sooner you enter, the better your chances!
Good Luck & Happy Reading!
1. Add Blood Debt to your, “to-read” shelf on http://www.goodreads.com
2. “Like” my Facebook Author page: http://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Nanc...
3. Leave a comment on my Facebook Author page: http://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Nanc...
4. Send a tweet that reads: I want to win a PB Copy of BLOOD DEBT by @NancyStraight BEFORE it releases on July 15. Enter to win: http://www.authnancystraight.blogspot...
5. Follow me on twitter: @NancyStraight
6. Become a member of my blog at: http://www.authnancystraight.blogspot...
For each of the above, you’ll get one entry. If you do all six – I’ll give you ten entries. In the comments on the blog, insert a comment with either: (1) your email address, (2) your goodreads username or (3) your twitter ID telling me what you did. For example:
@NancyStraight I did 1, 3, 6 or
[email protected] I did all six
The contest will run beginning today through Jun 30. My 7 year old will select a winner EACH day from the entries submitted, beginning Jun 15 through Jun 30. Yes the sooner you enter, the better your chances!
Good Luck & Happy Reading!
May 30, 2012
Blood Debt's Cover!!!
Thank you to Dreamscape Covers for once again, outdoing themselves. I absolutely love Blood Debt's cover and hope you all do, too!!! For any authors out there looking for a great designer, definitely give Danielle a shot!
I've published the first chapter of Blood Debt here at this link. http://www.goodreads.com/author_blog_...
Blood Debt's Release Date: Jul 15, 2012
Blood Debt's Synopsis:
Her whole life, it had just been the two of them. Before her mother’s last breath, she gave Camille the information she had craved her entire life: the identity of her father. Daring to contact him, Camille was welcomed by an entire family she never knew existed. But nothing comes without a price, as she discovers when her family claims a legendary heritage tracing back to a centaur touched by Zeus.
As she learns the secrets of her Centaur bloodline, she is drawn into a forbidden love with Drake. Her life may be the blood debt required to pay for her mother’s transgressions. The same person who once held her mother captive, and forced her into decades of hiding, now controls Camille. Her only chance is to seek a piece of her mother’s past that will win her freedom and the life she desperately wants.
May 20, 2012
Sneak Peek: Blood Debt's First Chapter
Hello! Today was the day I was supposed to unveil Blood Debt’s cover – I’m sorry to say that won’t be possible. Dreamscape Covers did such a great job with the Destiny Series that I wanted them to also do the Touched Series. Unfortunately, she’s a little backed up and Blood Debt’s cover won’t be ready for another couple weeks. *Sigh* I’m sure it will be fabulous and I should be able to post it around the first of June.
So rather than spin my wheels for a couple weeks and leave you all hanging, I thought I’d let you all have a sneak peek at the first chapter of Blood Debt. I hope you like it!!
Blood Debt: Chapter 1 (Scheduled release July 15, 2012)
Camille
I stared at the phone. I had his number. I had his name. Twenty-two years. . . after twenty-two stinking years of fantasizing about who he was, what he was like, where he was - you’d think I would have dialed by now. The thing is - nobody, anywhere, could live up to my expectations. I’d always envisioned this successful, educated, lead-singer, movie-star, rich, kind of father. It was great to think that he was this wonderful, benevolent man, who one day would swoop in and introduce himself, then whisk me away in a limo. Yeah, that never happened.
I can’t think of a time when I wasn’t dying to meet him. When I would ask my mom, she would always tell me, “Your father was a wonderful man. We had a few magical days together, and he left me with the most amazing gift to remember him by.” Sure, that’s what a ten year old wants to hear. She would never tell me his name, where he lived, or anything about him other than he didn’t live in California.
It didn’t matter how hard I pleaded, I think she preferred that he be a mystery. Who would have guessed all those times I said I would trade anything to meet him, I never thought I’d trade my rock, my anchor. . . my mom. Ten minutes before she took her last breath, she grabbed my hand and choked out, “Your father. . .lives in Charleston, SC. His name is William Strayer. He deserves to know you. Tell him . . . tell him I said, ‘Goodbye.’”
A few breaths later, she slipped away as death carried her to her final peace. I cried for weeks. No matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t process losing my mom and getting the information I’d been begging her for my whole life in the span of ten minutes. All those wagers I’d tried to make with God, to find out who he was: I’d told God I would trade anything - I never meant my mom. I’m not crazy enough to think that God had stolen my mom just so I could find out who my father was, but I had several weeks of erratic thoughts.
I googled him. He was easy to find. He’d been in the same house, in the same job, for better than thirty years. Everything I found out about him on the internet pointed to an average guy, with an average life. He wasn’t a rock star. He wasn’t famous. He wasn’t dead.
I took one final breath, steadying myself. I had my phone in one hand and the slip of paper with all his information on my lap. I dialed the number, wondering what I was going to say to him. Before I could press “send,” I chickened out and went back to mom’s bedroom to go through more of her things. Peggy, my mom’s closest and only friend, had offered to come over and help me, but I was twenty-two. I shouldn’t need help with this. Even if Peggy was her best-friend, I knew mom wouldn’t want her going through her things. My mom had always been a private person.
Mom knew it was coming. It wasn’t a surprise or anything. She’d been sick for a long time. Her closet, that normally looked crammed with outfits from the last several decades, wasn’t as packed as the last time I’d seen it. Mom must have gone through some of her things before she died because the walk-in closet could actually be walked into.
Tucked in the far back corner, on a shelf, was a treasure box of sorts: a wooden box with the key inserted into the lock. Whatever was inside, Mom wanted me to see it. I found yellowing movie ticket stubs for a title I’d never heard of, an airline ticket from twenty eight years ago, and a tourist shot glass from the Crazy Horse Monument in South Dakota. It seemed an odd set of treasures for her to have hidden away. I looked at the old plane ticket: it was for an Angela Chiron - no one I knew. I gently closed the wooden box after I’d returned her “treasures,” to their resting place. As I stared at sequined sweaters, stretch pants, dress slacks and dresses, I found myself wanting to make that phone call far more than I wanted to go through my mom’s life.
William. Did he even know I existed? He probably had a family of his own. What would they think of me? It had always been just my mom and me. She didn’t have any family, at least other than me. Her parents died when she was young, and she’d been an only child. I think her final gift to me – my father’s identity - was her way of not leaving me so alone in the world.
I went back to the living room, sat on the sofa and put my feet up on the coffee table, almost begging Mom to walk in the room and tell me to get my feet off of it. A lonely tear rolled down my cheek. No one would be walking through the doorway to tell me to put my feet down. I hated the idea of being alone.
I took one more deep breath, picked up the slip of paper, and dialed his number again. This time my shaking fingers pushed “Send.”
A woman’s voice picked up the phone, “Hello.”
I stammered, terrified of this call, not sure what to say to the woman. “Uh . . . hi . . . is William there?”
“Who’s calling?”
“Camille.”
“Camille, is this a sales call?”
“Uh, no. Definitely, no. Is William home?”
“Just a minute.”
I could only assume that had been William’s wife. I wanted to hang up. I saw my hand shaking and prayed that I wouldn’t have full blown convulsions. I had practiced this phone call several times, but realized I should have written things down. My fear began crippling me, and I drew a blank. What would I say? ‘I’m your love child from twenty-three years ago and wanted to say hi.’ Not the best approach.
I heard a gruff voice come on the line, “Hello, this is Will.”
My voice didn’t work. My mouth opened but nothing came out.
“Hello, is anybody there?”
I cleared my throat, closed my eyes and answered, “Uh, yes. Hi, William. I’m Camille.”
A friendly voice responded, “Okay. Camille, who?”
“Right. I’m Angela Benning’s daughter.”
“Angela Benning? I’m still not making the connection. Are you sure you have the right William?”
“William Strayer from Charleston, South Carolina?”
“Yes.”
“You are the only one I found in information. Have you ever been to San Diego?”
“Well, yes. I travel there, but I don’t know an Angela Benning.”
“Not even one you knew twenty-three years ago?” Silence answered me back. I wasn’t sure if he had hung up the phone, if the connection had been dropped, or if he was too stunned to answer. “William, are you still there?”
“Yes. Yes, I’m still here. I did know an Angela in San Diego. She was a bartender in a hotel.”
“That’s right.”
“Camille, how old are you?”
I did have the right person and at least I didn’t have to draw the connection out for him with big purple crayons. “I’m twenty-two.”
More silence. This was a bad idea. I braced myself for him to deny he was my father, that I was some leech after him for money. His voice spoke softly, “Camille, I don’t know what to say. Your mother is an incredible woman.”
“Was.” I corrected, “She was an incredible woman.”
“I’m sorry, I didn’t know. What happened?” Sincerity was wrapped in his voice.
“She died of breast cancer a few weeks ago. Right before she died, she told me how I could contact you.”
“So, you’re my. . . I mean she wouldn’t have . . . if you weren’t mine.”
I could almost hear the wheels turning in his head. “Right. I don’t need anything. I just . . . I guess I wanted to talk to you.”
“Camille, you have to believe me, if I had known I would have . . . I didn’t know I had a daughter.”
“That’s okay, William. I knew I had a father – I mean from a biological perspective. But Mom would never tell me anything about you, well, not until the night she died.”
His voice sounded heavy, “Call me, Will, everyone does. So, she didn’t want you to contact me?”
“I guess not, well . . . she never told me anything about you. I never knew your name until the night she passed.”
I heard hopefulness in his voice I didn’t expect when he said, “When can I meet you?”
This was a question I wasn’t really prepared for. All those practice conversations had more to do with introducing myself and convincing him that I was his daughter. I thought I had prepared for every possible response. I never considered that he would want to meet me. “Uh, maybe the next time you come to California?”
“Camille, I’ve got a lot going on for the next month. Getting out to the west coast would be hard. Would you consider flying to South Carolina?”
My heart started doing cartwheels. Not only did I have a real father - he wanted to see me! Trying not to gush at his suggestion, “Um, maybe. I’ve got a bunch of stuff I’ve got to take care of. You know, estate stuff for Mom, and a job.”
“I could arrange for a lawyer to take care of that for you. Camille, I don’t want to put this off. I . . . I could make arrangements now. You could be on the red eye tonight.”
“Will, you don’t know anything about me. I’ve got a job. I can’t just get on a plane.”
“You’re my blood, Camille. Angela was a magical woman, I . . . I had no idea. If you can’t come to me, I’ll juggle some things around. I have to meet you.”
Huh, that’s the same thing mom had said about him. That he was “magical.” I had googled him a few days ago. I knew he was somehow involved with finance and investments and ran a firm in Charleston. Since my job was working at a department store as a cashier, reality was that it would be much easier for me to leave my job for a few days. As I looked around the apartment, there was too much of her here. Not that it was a bad thing, but given the last several months, it might be nice to have a change of scenery, for a few days.
I took a deep breath, “Okay, I can call into work and have someone cover my shifts. But I don’t have the cash for a plane ticket or motel or anything.”
“I’ll take care of it. How soon could you be on a plane?”
“I guess tonight, do you need to talk to your wife or anything?”
“Gretchen will be happy to have you as a guest. She’s always wanted a daughter as much as I have.” I felt a warm glow in my chest. The emptiness of losing my mom would stay with me forever, but I wasn’t alone. I had a father. We exchanged email addresses so we could coordinate the flight. I wondered if this was some sort of a dream. I had run a background investigation on him within days of finding out who he was.
All I really knew about him was: He paid his taxes, he owned several properties, he had never been arrested, and he hadn’t had a ticket or an accident in the last seven years.
I called my best friend in the world to let him know what had just happened. He was so excited for me that he was at my door within twenty minutes. Daniel was like the brother I never had. We looked enough alike that sometimes people assumed I was his sister. He had dark hair, kind of that in between length – it was short, but shaggy. His eyelashes were gorgeous, for a long time I teased him calling him “Maybeline Eyes,” and he had this way of looking at girls that made them all melt – well, all but me.
Daniel was on the surf team in high school and even got a scholarship to surf in college, so there was never a shortage of beach babes looking to hang out with him. We’d never been more than friends and I knew we both liked it that way. We each had a ready-made date for all the big social events, weddings, engagement parties, holiday parties, etc – but none of the romantic attachments that came with it.
Daniel gathered me in a large bear hug and swung me around. “You talked to him? He wants to meet you?”
“I did, he wasn’t freaked out about it or anything. He’s flying me to South Carolina, tonight, to meet him.”
Daniel’s enthusiasm diminished in front of me, “Tonight? Why the rush?”
I slapped his shoulder, “I’m his daughter. He wants to meet me.”
“Did he say why he never bothered to come see you?”
“I think my mom hid us from each other. He didn’t even know that I existed until I called.”
“Just like that, he wants you on a plane? What about a DNA test?”
“He didn’t ask for any proof. He said he remembered her.” I left out the part where he said she was magical – Daniel knew that’s what my mom said about him.
“That must have been some phone call. Are you sure he’s all right?”
“I’m not stupid. I did a background check.”
“That just means he’s never been caught.”
I punched Daniel’s arm a second time and he feigned pain. “I’m just saying, you don’t even know the guy. He could be a serial killer for all you know. There’s probably a reason your mom never let the two of you meet.”
“She told me who he was right before she died. She must have wanted me to find him.”
“Maybe. How about I go with you?”
“Um, I don’t know. I think this is something I have to do on my own, but keep your cell phone on you in case I need you.”
He frowned with his eyebrows furrowed, “I don’t like it. Something doesn’t feel right.”
“Stop worrying. I’ll be back on Sunday. If it gets weird, I’ll come back sooner.”
“If I don’t get a call every day, I’m getting on a plane.”
“Right, to fly to South Carolina and do what? I’ll be fine. He sounded nice.”
“You’ve wanted to meet this guy forever. Don’t get your hopes up. Angela was a smart lady. She must have kept you two apart for a reason.”
“Maybe she just didn’t want the hassle of sharing custody.” This was the lie I’d told myself when I was little. My mom never had boyfriends. She always told me her life was full, and she didn’t have room for one more person in it.
“Maybe, but maybe he’s a douche, and she didn’t want you to get hurt.”
My heart sunk. I didn’t have the strength to argue with him. I knew he was right. I knew mom hid his identity from me, but I didn’t care why.
Everyone needed family, no matter how weird they might be. I was willing to take a chance: one crazy father was better than nobody.
For the next fifteen hours, through two airports and the whole time I was in the air, Daniel’s words continued to echo in my mind, “She must have kept you two apart for a reason.” Why would she have kept us apart? Was she ashamed of him? What did he do that made her not want him in her life? She’d never, for as long as I could remember, had a boyfriend – had he done something to her?
So rather than spin my wheels for a couple weeks and leave you all hanging, I thought I’d let you all have a sneak peek at the first chapter of Blood Debt. I hope you like it!!
Blood Debt: Chapter 1 (Scheduled release July 15, 2012)
Camille
I stared at the phone. I had his number. I had his name. Twenty-two years. . . after twenty-two stinking years of fantasizing about who he was, what he was like, where he was - you’d think I would have dialed by now. The thing is - nobody, anywhere, could live up to my expectations. I’d always envisioned this successful, educated, lead-singer, movie-star, rich, kind of father. It was great to think that he was this wonderful, benevolent man, who one day would swoop in and introduce himself, then whisk me away in a limo. Yeah, that never happened.
I can’t think of a time when I wasn’t dying to meet him. When I would ask my mom, she would always tell me, “Your father was a wonderful man. We had a few magical days together, and he left me with the most amazing gift to remember him by.” Sure, that’s what a ten year old wants to hear. She would never tell me his name, where he lived, or anything about him other than he didn’t live in California.
It didn’t matter how hard I pleaded, I think she preferred that he be a mystery. Who would have guessed all those times I said I would trade anything to meet him, I never thought I’d trade my rock, my anchor. . . my mom. Ten minutes before she took her last breath, she grabbed my hand and choked out, “Your father. . .lives in Charleston, SC. His name is William Strayer. He deserves to know you. Tell him . . . tell him I said, ‘Goodbye.’”
A few breaths later, she slipped away as death carried her to her final peace. I cried for weeks. No matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t process losing my mom and getting the information I’d been begging her for my whole life in the span of ten minutes. All those wagers I’d tried to make with God, to find out who he was: I’d told God I would trade anything - I never meant my mom. I’m not crazy enough to think that God had stolen my mom just so I could find out who my father was, but I had several weeks of erratic thoughts.
I googled him. He was easy to find. He’d been in the same house, in the same job, for better than thirty years. Everything I found out about him on the internet pointed to an average guy, with an average life. He wasn’t a rock star. He wasn’t famous. He wasn’t dead.
I took one final breath, steadying myself. I had my phone in one hand and the slip of paper with all his information on my lap. I dialed the number, wondering what I was going to say to him. Before I could press “send,” I chickened out and went back to mom’s bedroom to go through more of her things. Peggy, my mom’s closest and only friend, had offered to come over and help me, but I was twenty-two. I shouldn’t need help with this. Even if Peggy was her best-friend, I knew mom wouldn’t want her going through her things. My mom had always been a private person.
Mom knew it was coming. It wasn’t a surprise or anything. She’d been sick for a long time. Her closet, that normally looked crammed with outfits from the last several decades, wasn’t as packed as the last time I’d seen it. Mom must have gone through some of her things before she died because the walk-in closet could actually be walked into.
Tucked in the far back corner, on a shelf, was a treasure box of sorts: a wooden box with the key inserted into the lock. Whatever was inside, Mom wanted me to see it. I found yellowing movie ticket stubs for a title I’d never heard of, an airline ticket from twenty eight years ago, and a tourist shot glass from the Crazy Horse Monument in South Dakota. It seemed an odd set of treasures for her to have hidden away. I looked at the old plane ticket: it was for an Angela Chiron - no one I knew. I gently closed the wooden box after I’d returned her “treasures,” to their resting place. As I stared at sequined sweaters, stretch pants, dress slacks and dresses, I found myself wanting to make that phone call far more than I wanted to go through my mom’s life.
William. Did he even know I existed? He probably had a family of his own. What would they think of me? It had always been just my mom and me. She didn’t have any family, at least other than me. Her parents died when she was young, and she’d been an only child. I think her final gift to me – my father’s identity - was her way of not leaving me so alone in the world.
I went back to the living room, sat on the sofa and put my feet up on the coffee table, almost begging Mom to walk in the room and tell me to get my feet off of it. A lonely tear rolled down my cheek. No one would be walking through the doorway to tell me to put my feet down. I hated the idea of being alone.
I took one more deep breath, picked up the slip of paper, and dialed his number again. This time my shaking fingers pushed “Send.”
A woman’s voice picked up the phone, “Hello.”
I stammered, terrified of this call, not sure what to say to the woman. “Uh . . . hi . . . is William there?”
“Who’s calling?”
“Camille.”
“Camille, is this a sales call?”
“Uh, no. Definitely, no. Is William home?”
“Just a minute.”
I could only assume that had been William’s wife. I wanted to hang up. I saw my hand shaking and prayed that I wouldn’t have full blown convulsions. I had practiced this phone call several times, but realized I should have written things down. My fear began crippling me, and I drew a blank. What would I say? ‘I’m your love child from twenty-three years ago and wanted to say hi.’ Not the best approach.
I heard a gruff voice come on the line, “Hello, this is Will.”
My voice didn’t work. My mouth opened but nothing came out.
“Hello, is anybody there?”
I cleared my throat, closed my eyes and answered, “Uh, yes. Hi, William. I’m Camille.”
A friendly voice responded, “Okay. Camille, who?”
“Right. I’m Angela Benning’s daughter.”
“Angela Benning? I’m still not making the connection. Are you sure you have the right William?”
“William Strayer from Charleston, South Carolina?”
“Yes.”
“You are the only one I found in information. Have you ever been to San Diego?”
“Well, yes. I travel there, but I don’t know an Angela Benning.”
“Not even one you knew twenty-three years ago?” Silence answered me back. I wasn’t sure if he had hung up the phone, if the connection had been dropped, or if he was too stunned to answer. “William, are you still there?”
“Yes. Yes, I’m still here. I did know an Angela in San Diego. She was a bartender in a hotel.”
“That’s right.”
“Camille, how old are you?”
I did have the right person and at least I didn’t have to draw the connection out for him with big purple crayons. “I’m twenty-two.”
More silence. This was a bad idea. I braced myself for him to deny he was my father, that I was some leech after him for money. His voice spoke softly, “Camille, I don’t know what to say. Your mother is an incredible woman.”
“Was.” I corrected, “She was an incredible woman.”
“I’m sorry, I didn’t know. What happened?” Sincerity was wrapped in his voice.
“She died of breast cancer a few weeks ago. Right before she died, she told me how I could contact you.”
“So, you’re my. . . I mean she wouldn’t have . . . if you weren’t mine.”
I could almost hear the wheels turning in his head. “Right. I don’t need anything. I just . . . I guess I wanted to talk to you.”
“Camille, you have to believe me, if I had known I would have . . . I didn’t know I had a daughter.”
“That’s okay, William. I knew I had a father – I mean from a biological perspective. But Mom would never tell me anything about you, well, not until the night she died.”
His voice sounded heavy, “Call me, Will, everyone does. So, she didn’t want you to contact me?”
“I guess not, well . . . she never told me anything about you. I never knew your name until the night she passed.”
I heard hopefulness in his voice I didn’t expect when he said, “When can I meet you?”
This was a question I wasn’t really prepared for. All those practice conversations had more to do with introducing myself and convincing him that I was his daughter. I thought I had prepared for every possible response. I never considered that he would want to meet me. “Uh, maybe the next time you come to California?”
“Camille, I’ve got a lot going on for the next month. Getting out to the west coast would be hard. Would you consider flying to South Carolina?”
My heart started doing cartwheels. Not only did I have a real father - he wanted to see me! Trying not to gush at his suggestion, “Um, maybe. I’ve got a bunch of stuff I’ve got to take care of. You know, estate stuff for Mom, and a job.”
“I could arrange for a lawyer to take care of that for you. Camille, I don’t want to put this off. I . . . I could make arrangements now. You could be on the red eye tonight.”
“Will, you don’t know anything about me. I’ve got a job. I can’t just get on a plane.”
“You’re my blood, Camille. Angela was a magical woman, I . . . I had no idea. If you can’t come to me, I’ll juggle some things around. I have to meet you.”
Huh, that’s the same thing mom had said about him. That he was “magical.” I had googled him a few days ago. I knew he was somehow involved with finance and investments and ran a firm in Charleston. Since my job was working at a department store as a cashier, reality was that it would be much easier for me to leave my job for a few days. As I looked around the apartment, there was too much of her here. Not that it was a bad thing, but given the last several months, it might be nice to have a change of scenery, for a few days.
I took a deep breath, “Okay, I can call into work and have someone cover my shifts. But I don’t have the cash for a plane ticket or motel or anything.”
“I’ll take care of it. How soon could you be on a plane?”
“I guess tonight, do you need to talk to your wife or anything?”
“Gretchen will be happy to have you as a guest. She’s always wanted a daughter as much as I have.” I felt a warm glow in my chest. The emptiness of losing my mom would stay with me forever, but I wasn’t alone. I had a father. We exchanged email addresses so we could coordinate the flight. I wondered if this was some sort of a dream. I had run a background investigation on him within days of finding out who he was.
All I really knew about him was: He paid his taxes, he owned several properties, he had never been arrested, and he hadn’t had a ticket or an accident in the last seven years.
I called my best friend in the world to let him know what had just happened. He was so excited for me that he was at my door within twenty minutes. Daniel was like the brother I never had. We looked enough alike that sometimes people assumed I was his sister. He had dark hair, kind of that in between length – it was short, but shaggy. His eyelashes were gorgeous, for a long time I teased him calling him “Maybeline Eyes,” and he had this way of looking at girls that made them all melt – well, all but me.
Daniel was on the surf team in high school and even got a scholarship to surf in college, so there was never a shortage of beach babes looking to hang out with him. We’d never been more than friends and I knew we both liked it that way. We each had a ready-made date for all the big social events, weddings, engagement parties, holiday parties, etc – but none of the romantic attachments that came with it.
Daniel gathered me in a large bear hug and swung me around. “You talked to him? He wants to meet you?”
“I did, he wasn’t freaked out about it or anything. He’s flying me to South Carolina, tonight, to meet him.”
Daniel’s enthusiasm diminished in front of me, “Tonight? Why the rush?”
I slapped his shoulder, “I’m his daughter. He wants to meet me.”
“Did he say why he never bothered to come see you?”
“I think my mom hid us from each other. He didn’t even know that I existed until I called.”
“Just like that, he wants you on a plane? What about a DNA test?”
“He didn’t ask for any proof. He said he remembered her.” I left out the part where he said she was magical – Daniel knew that’s what my mom said about him.
“That must have been some phone call. Are you sure he’s all right?”
“I’m not stupid. I did a background check.”
“That just means he’s never been caught.”
I punched Daniel’s arm a second time and he feigned pain. “I’m just saying, you don’t even know the guy. He could be a serial killer for all you know. There’s probably a reason your mom never let the two of you meet.”
“She told me who he was right before she died. She must have wanted me to find him.”
“Maybe. How about I go with you?”
“Um, I don’t know. I think this is something I have to do on my own, but keep your cell phone on you in case I need you.”
He frowned with his eyebrows furrowed, “I don’t like it. Something doesn’t feel right.”
“Stop worrying. I’ll be back on Sunday. If it gets weird, I’ll come back sooner.”
“If I don’t get a call every day, I’m getting on a plane.”
“Right, to fly to South Carolina and do what? I’ll be fine. He sounded nice.”
“You’ve wanted to meet this guy forever. Don’t get your hopes up. Angela was a smart lady. She must have kept you two apart for a reason.”
“Maybe she just didn’t want the hassle of sharing custody.” This was the lie I’d told myself when I was little. My mom never had boyfriends. She always told me her life was full, and she didn’t have room for one more person in it.
“Maybe, but maybe he’s a douche, and she didn’t want you to get hurt.”
My heart sunk. I didn’t have the strength to argue with him. I knew he was right. I knew mom hid his identity from me, but I didn’t care why.
Everyone needed family, no matter how weird they might be. I was willing to take a chance: one crazy father was better than nobody.
For the next fifteen hours, through two airports and the whole time I was in the air, Daniel’s words continued to echo in my mind, “She must have kept you two apart for a reason.” Why would she have kept us apart? Was she ashamed of him? What did he do that made her not want him in her life? She’d never, for as long as I could remember, had a boyfriend – had he done something to her?
May 12, 2012
A funny thing happened . . .
As I’m patiently waiting for the “Blood Debt” book cover to be finalized, I thought I’d share a funny post. This happened to me a while ago.
I should start this with: I am a magnet for crazy. Funning things happen to me all the time. This has nothing to do with being an author, book reviews, publishing, or anything of the sort. I hope you enjoy this!
Like all moms, it was the end of the week and I was exhausted. I was watching television with my husband in our bedroom and had dozed off. It was still pretty early in the evening, so the lights were on, but when I’m tired I don’t need dark to sleep. I was in the middle of a dream when I realized I couldn’t breathe. I startled myself awake and pulled myself out of my dream only to realize: I was now awake and I still couldn’t breathe. I looked at my husband while I was gasping for air; he was watching me with a strange look, but did nothing to help me.
My hands instinctively went to my neck and I realized the t-shirt I was wearing was tight against my neck, so with both hands, I yanked the neck of my t-shirt as hard as I could. I got air! But in the same instant I felt claws dig into my back.
Okay, I read a ton of Paranormal Romance, Paranormal Thrillers and Urban Fantasy books, so at this point my mind is racing through about 300 plots - trying to identify what beast I was up against! I couldn’t get a word out but knew my husband could see the pleading for help in my eyes. I let go of the neck of my t-shirt and the claws eased on my back, but once again, I didn’t have air.
After watching this cycle a couple times, my husband simply said, “Flash is stuck.”
“Flash,” is my very cute Jack Russell Terrier. He burrows under the covers at night because he gets cold. He had somehow burrowed under the back of my t-shirt and was trying to climb out through the neck of my shirt! Needless to say, a person’s neck and a pudgy JRT do not both fit through a crew neck t-shirt.
We both got a good laugh out of it, and I was thrilled to see that I wasn’t under attack from some sort of paranormal beast!
Happy Reading!
Twitter: @nancystraight
Authnancystraight.blogspot.com
I should start this with: I am a magnet for crazy. Funning things happen to me all the time. This has nothing to do with being an author, book reviews, publishing, or anything of the sort. I hope you enjoy this!
Like all moms, it was the end of the week and I was exhausted. I was watching television with my husband in our bedroom and had dozed off. It was still pretty early in the evening, so the lights were on, but when I’m tired I don’t need dark to sleep. I was in the middle of a dream when I realized I couldn’t breathe. I startled myself awake and pulled myself out of my dream only to realize: I was now awake and I still couldn’t breathe. I looked at my husband while I was gasping for air; he was watching me with a strange look, but did nothing to help me.
My hands instinctively went to my neck and I realized the t-shirt I was wearing was tight against my neck, so with both hands, I yanked the neck of my t-shirt as hard as I could. I got air! But in the same instant I felt claws dig into my back.
Okay, I read a ton of Paranormal Romance, Paranormal Thrillers and Urban Fantasy books, so at this point my mind is racing through about 300 plots - trying to identify what beast I was up against! I couldn’t get a word out but knew my husband could see the pleading for help in my eyes. I let go of the neck of my t-shirt and the claws eased on my back, but once again, I didn’t have air.
After watching this cycle a couple times, my husband simply said, “Flash is stuck.”
“Flash,” is my very cute Jack Russell Terrier. He burrows under the covers at night because he gets cold. He had somehow burrowed under the back of my t-shirt and was trying to climb out through the neck of my shirt! Needless to say, a person’s neck and a pudgy JRT do not both fit through a crew neck t-shirt.
We both got a good laugh out of it, and I was thrilled to see that I wasn’t under attack from some sort of paranormal beast!
Happy Reading!
Twitter: @nancystraight
Authnancystraight.blogspot.com
May 1, 2012
And the winner is . . .
Let me start by saying – I was COMPLETELY blown away by the number of people that entered the contest and the amazing titles you suggested. Picking a title for a book is akin to naming a child and you can ask my husband – that was no easy ordeal either!
Before I share with you the winners, please know that I am forever grateful to each and every one of you that offered to help me! I’ve been trying to not get crazy excited over the next series, as this is just the first book in a series that will have four (five if I get long-winded) – but I need to tell you all – YOU ARE THE BEST FRIENDS and FANS any author could ever hope for!!
“Thank you,” will never be adequate.
For everyone that participated: As soon as I push the “publish” button (sometime in July-Sep), I will message each one of you a coupon so that you can download a FREE copy as my thanks to you.
Now for the winners:
Gothic Angel - Book Title Submission: BLOOD DEBT
Bridget Howard – Series Title Submission: TOUCHED
Dreamscape Covers is again working their magic for me. I’ll give you all a sneak peak of the cover around May 20 (sooner if the cover is ready quicker). Okay, I can’t help it, *SQUEAL!!!*
Happy Reading!
Twitter: @nancystraight
Blog: authnancystraight.blogspot.com
Before I share with you the winners, please know that I am forever grateful to each and every one of you that offered to help me! I’ve been trying to not get crazy excited over the next series, as this is just the first book in a series that will have four (five if I get long-winded) – but I need to tell you all – YOU ARE THE BEST FRIENDS and FANS any author could ever hope for!!
“Thank you,” will never be adequate.
For everyone that participated: As soon as I push the “publish” button (sometime in July-Sep), I will message each one of you a coupon so that you can download a FREE copy as my thanks to you.
Now for the winners:
Gothic Angel - Book Title Submission: BLOOD DEBT
Bridget Howard – Series Title Submission: TOUCHED
Dreamscape Covers is again working their magic for me. I’ll give you all a sneak peak of the cover around May 20 (sooner if the cover is ready quicker). Okay, I can’t help it, *SQUEAL!!!*
Happy Reading!
Twitter: @nancystraight
Blog: authnancystraight.blogspot.com
April 15, 2012
Contest: Choose a Title for my New Series
The first draft on my next novel is finished! Yay!! I’m excited about the new series; based on my outlines this series will have four books.
I thought it might be fun to let my fans and friends help me choose a title for it. I anticipate a release date as early as July or as late as Sep this year.
I’ve never tried running a contest before, so hopefully a whole bunch of you like this idea!
Here is the contest: In the comments section on the blog, recommend a title for the book and/or a title for the series. You can recommend more than one of each. I’ll choose the title(s) on May 1.
What does the winner receive?
Everyone that submits an entry will receive a free e-book copy in the format of their choice for their e-reader when it is published.
The person who submits the title I choose for the book will win: (1) In the acknowledgement section at the front of the book, I’ll include a thank you and your name. (2) I will also send you a signed paperback copy when it is available in print. There may be two winners (e.g. one person submits a title for the book and a second that chooses a title for the series).
Here is the book’s synopsis:
Her whole life, it had just been the two of them. Before her mother’s last breath, she gave Camille the information she had craved her entire life: the identity of her father. Daring to contact him, Camille was welcomed by an entire family she never knew existed. But nothing comes without a price, as she discovers when her family claims a legendary heritage tracing back to a centaur touched by Zeus.
As she learns the secrets of her Centaur bloodline, she is drawn into a forbidden love with Drake. Her life may be the blood debt required to pay for her mother’s transgressions. The same person who once held her mother captive, and forced her into decades of hiding, now controls Camille. Her only chance is to seek a piece of her mother’s past that will win her freedom and the life she desperately wants.
I can’t wait to hear what you come up with!
Happy Reading!
Nancy Straight
Twitter: @nancystraight
Blog: authnancystraight.blogspot.com
I thought it might be fun to let my fans and friends help me choose a title for it. I anticipate a release date as early as July or as late as Sep this year.
I’ve never tried running a contest before, so hopefully a whole bunch of you like this idea!
Here is the contest: In the comments section on the blog, recommend a title for the book and/or a title for the series. You can recommend more than one of each. I’ll choose the title(s) on May 1.
What does the winner receive?
Everyone that submits an entry will receive a free e-book copy in the format of their choice for their e-reader when it is published.
The person who submits the title I choose for the book will win: (1) In the acknowledgement section at the front of the book, I’ll include a thank you and your name. (2) I will also send you a signed paperback copy when it is available in print. There may be two winners (e.g. one person submits a title for the book and a second that chooses a title for the series).
Here is the book’s synopsis:
Her whole life, it had just been the two of them. Before her mother’s last breath, she gave Camille the information she had craved her entire life: the identity of her father. Daring to contact him, Camille was welcomed by an entire family she never knew existed. But nothing comes without a price, as she discovers when her family claims a legendary heritage tracing back to a centaur touched by Zeus.
As she learns the secrets of her Centaur bloodline, she is drawn into a forbidden love with Drake. Her life may be the blood debt required to pay for her mother’s transgressions. The same person who once held her mother captive, and forced her into decades of hiding, now controls Camille. Her only chance is to seek a piece of her mother’s past that will win her freedom and the life she desperately wants.
I can’t wait to hear what you come up with!
Happy Reading!
Nancy Straight
Twitter: @nancystraight
Blog: authnancystraight.blogspot.com
March 19, 2012
Meeting Destiny is FREE!!
Happy Monday! Many of you know that I put the Destiny Series in Amazon's KDP Select Program for 90 days. One of the requirements for this program was that it be sold exclusively on Amazon. Although I think it's a great idea, my 90 day commitment is now over and I have opted to not re-enroll. So what does that mean to you?
Yes - Meeting Destiny, Destiny's Revenge and Destiny's Wrath are available at Smashwords.com now, and other major e-book retailers soon. The series should hit all the major book stores again by the 1st of April.
As a special thank you to everyone that has recommended the Destiny Series to your friends, I've reduced the price on Meeting Destiny to FREE on Smashwords.com. When it replicates to all the other book stores - it will be FREE there, too! Thank you so much for all your support!
Link to download Meeting Destiny for FREE from Smashwords.com https://www.smashwords.com/books/view...
Happy Reading!
Nancy
Yes - Meeting Destiny, Destiny's Revenge and Destiny's Wrath are available at Smashwords.com now, and other major e-book retailers soon. The series should hit all the major book stores again by the 1st of April.
As a special thank you to everyone that has recommended the Destiny Series to your friends, I've reduced the price on Meeting Destiny to FREE on Smashwords.com. When it replicates to all the other book stores - it will be FREE there, too! Thank you so much for all your support!
Link to download Meeting Destiny for FREE from Smashwords.com https://www.smashwords.com/books/view...
Happy Reading!
Nancy
February 23, 2012
Destiny Series Update & New Blog
The Destiny Series E-books are now exclusively on Amazon! Meeting Destiny has been enrolled in the Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP) Select program. One of the requirements to participate in Amazon's KDP Select is that the e-book enrolled, must be sold exclusively on Amazon.
Thanks to all of you that have read and reviewed the Destiny Series and for helping me to spread the word. I'm still blown away by the number of you that have taken the time to write reviews, send me tweets and emails. It's seriously an adrenaline rush to hear from you!
A week ago I did a 5-day giveaway on Amazon and was shocked when Meeting Destiny was downloaded over 22,000 times! It wouldn't have been possible without such awesome fans - so a heartfelt "Thank You" to all!
For anyone without Kindles, Meeting Destiny, Destiny's Revenge and Destiny's Wrath are available in paperback, from all major book stores.
Because so many of you have helped spread the word for me on the Destiny Series I wanted to see what I could do to help other Indie Authors and the readers that want to find them. I started a new blog: authnancystraight.blogspot.com It's a place where I've set aside pages for favorite book bloggers, author interviews, book recommendations and where I can post updates more frequently.
Many thanks!
Twitter: @nancystraight
Blog: authnancystraight.blogspot.com
Thanks to all of you that have read and reviewed the Destiny Series and for helping me to spread the word. I'm still blown away by the number of you that have taken the time to write reviews, send me tweets and emails. It's seriously an adrenaline rush to hear from you!
A week ago I did a 5-day giveaway on Amazon and was shocked when Meeting Destiny was downloaded over 22,000 times! It wouldn't have been possible without such awesome fans - so a heartfelt "Thank You" to all!
For anyone without Kindles, Meeting Destiny, Destiny's Revenge and Destiny's Wrath are available in paperback, from all major book stores.
Because so many of you have helped spread the word for me on the Destiny Series I wanted to see what I could do to help other Indie Authors and the readers that want to find them. I started a new blog: authnancystraight.blogspot.com It's a place where I've set aside pages for favorite book bloggers, author interviews, book recommendations and where I can post updates more frequently.
Many thanks!
Twitter: @nancystraight
Blog: authnancystraight.blogspot.com
January 24, 2012
Destiny's Wrath has released!
I know, I know, I said 1/30/12, but I thought I'd surprise you! Today is the day!
Destiny’s Wrath has been released on Amazon & Smashwords. It normally takes about a week for it to replicate to Barnes & Noble and the Apple Store. For anyone with an i-Pad or a Nook that doesn’t want to wait, you can get it through Smashwords in the format for your reader.
This is the last book in the Destiny Series. I have to confess that I will miss Max and Lauren. The ending brings real closure to both why they were destined to be together and how strong their love for each other is. I hope you love it as much as I do.
Link on Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Destinys-Wrath-...
Link on Smashwords: http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/...
Thanks again to all of you for your support, kind words and fabulous reviews. I couldn’t have accomplished this without you!
Destiny’s Wrath has been released on Amazon & Smashwords. It normally takes about a week for it to replicate to Barnes & Noble and the Apple Store. For anyone with an i-Pad or a Nook that doesn’t want to wait, you can get it through Smashwords in the format for your reader.
This is the last book in the Destiny Series. I have to confess that I will miss Max and Lauren. The ending brings real closure to both why they were destined to be together and how strong their love for each other is. I hope you love it as much as I do.
Link on Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Destinys-Wrath-...
Link on Smashwords: http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/...
Thanks again to all of you for your support, kind words and fabulous reviews. I couldn’t have accomplished this without you!
January 20, 2012
The Destiny's Wrath Cover
I'm sooooo EXCITED! 10 days until Destiny's Wrath releases!!!
Ready for the big unveil? The book’s synopsis is:
In the final installment of the Destiny Series, Lauren and Max still yearn for their normal life together. Although finally united, they’re unable to enjoy their bliss when they learn nine people have been viciously murdered. The murderer is a young man who saved Max’s life months earlier. Lauren and Max must decide how to help the young man and destroy the evil that resides within him. The only thing the Council and the Cabinet can agree on is: Lauren and Max need to stay away. Lauren and Max worry that this time the evil may consume them both. Nobody involved saw the power of Destiny’s Wrath until it was upon them.
If you haven’t noticed yet, Destiny’s Revenge got its new cover yesterday. Dreamscape covers did a fabulous job, again! Any authors out their looking for a great design, I highly recommend their custom work!
Thanks to everyone that has recommended the Destiny Series to your Friends!! It’s an adrenaline rush to get your reviews, notes and tweets!
Many thanks!
Nancy Straight
@NancyStraight
Ready for the big unveil? The book’s synopsis is:
In the final installment of the Destiny Series, Lauren and Max still yearn for their normal life together. Although finally united, they’re unable to enjoy their bliss when they learn nine people have been viciously murdered. The murderer is a young man who saved Max’s life months earlier. Lauren and Max must decide how to help the young man and destroy the evil that resides within him. The only thing the Council and the Cabinet can agree on is: Lauren and Max need to stay away. Lauren and Max worry that this time the evil may consume them both. Nobody involved saw the power of Destiny’s Wrath until it was upon them.
If you haven’t noticed yet, Destiny’s Revenge got its new cover yesterday. Dreamscape covers did a fabulous job, again! Any authors out their looking for a great design, I highly recommend their custom work!
Thanks to everyone that has recommended the Destiny Series to your Friends!! It’s an adrenaline rush to get your reviews, notes and tweets!
Many thanks!
Nancy Straight
@NancyStraight
