New Release–Paranormal-Historical Romance–Magic In Her Eyes (The Gifted Book 1)

Fellow Wild Rose Press Author Donna Dalton is sharing her exciting new release, Magic In Her Eyes, and an interesting  bit about Victorian fashion.

Donna: I noticed my grandson’s trousers didn’t seem to hold up well under a little boy’s rough and tumble activities, especially the right knee. There was always a worn spot that eventually turned into a hole. I wondered about little boy’s clothes of the past. I discovered that up until 1870, boys wore long pants with shirts and suspenders, while the adult men wore knee breeches. Then, after the 1870’s, that style switched and boys started wearing knee breeches and grown men donned long pants.

Two little Victorian boys on a pony

Fabrics for boys were often cottons, wools, and some silk. From 1860 to 1880, boys from age four to seven wore skirted outfits that were simpler than the girls’ styles with more subdued colors and trimmings. From age seven to fourteen, boys wore the knee-length knickerbockers pants. Over the next thirty years, boys donned the popular knickers at younger and younger ages. The knickers were paired with short jackets over lace-collared blouses, belted tunics, or sailor tops for the younger boys. Older boys had tailored wool jackets, stiff-collared shirts, and four-in-hand ties. I imagine even with the breeches at knee-length, they still required mending.

Magic In Her Eyes

Blurb:

Meredith Talbot has a secret. In fact, she has nine secrets – her own and those of the eight orphans at Seaton House, a home for children. Each of them has a special talent that if exposed would get them labeled as witches. It is her responsibility to protect the children and their secrets and keep them safe from persecution. Marauding Indians force them into a nearby fort where their safety is threatened by fanatical townspeople and a captivating army officer who try to unmask the children’s extraordinary abilities.

Lieutenant Preston Booth has one goal – to serve and protect his country. The military is the only life he has ever known. It’s the only life he wants. When a child is abducted and Preston goes after the culprit, Meredith has a vision of what will happen to him.

Does she risk everything by exposing her gift? Or keep her secret and risk losing him forever?

Excerpts:

“Do you also have an aversion to being touched?”

Meredith looked up and met his taunting gaze. It was a challenge she couldn’t ignore. She hefted her chin. “Not if I have given permission to be touched.”

One corner of his mouth twitched. Surely that wasn’t a smile. From what she’d seen, the most his lips could manage were frowns.

He held out his hand. “May I help you into the wagon, Miss Talbot? In the name of expediency?”

Straw rustled behind her. One child hummed. Another thrummed on the wagon boards. The children were getting restless. She could contain herself long enough to be lifted onto the wagon.

“Very well. I give my permission.”

His hands curled around her waist. Heat seeped through her blouse and branded her skin. Her stomach started doing odd little summersaults like the ones she’d seen Chinese acrobats perform at a local fair. So much for containing herself.

His grip tightened, and he lifted her up and onto the wagon bed as if she weighed no more than a rag doll. His hands lingered a moment before he released her. Gray-brown eyes fused with hers. A strange connection churned between them like the rush crowding the air before a storm.~

What a fabulous cover, Donna, and the story sounds great!

***Magic in her Eyes is available from all online booksellers. In Kindle: https://www.amazon.com/Magic-Her-Eyes-Gifted-Book-ebook/dp/B072KZ2PGC/

BIO:

Donna lives in central Virginia with her husband, two sons, and a grandson. An avid reader of historical romances, Donna uses the rich history of the “Old Dominion” state for many of her story settings. She enjoys reading stories where characters overcome life’s challenges, where family is everything, and the power of love helps them succeed. You can visit her at:

http://www.donndalton.net

Facebook at DonnaDaltonbooks.

Twitter – https://twitter.com/DonnaDaltonBks

Goodreads – https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/1089939.Donna_Dalton

Big Happenings at The Wild Rose Press!

My recent releases and many other titles are reduced at The Wild Rose Press.

INTO THE LION’S HEART:

Love Letters Line

Blurb: As the French Revolution rages, the English nobility offer sanctuary to many a refugee. Captain Dalton Evans arrives in Dover to meet a distant cousin, expecting to see a spoiled aristocrat. Instead, he’s conquered by the simplicity of his new charge. And his best friend Thomas Archer isn’t immune to her artless charm, either.

Cecile Beaumont didn’t choose to travel across the Channel. And she certainly didn’t expect that impersonating her own mistress would introduce her to a most mesmerizing man. Now she must play out the masquerade, or risk life, freedom – and her heart.~

“A brilliant historical romance by Beth Trissel.  You can feel her passion in the story, very well written and characters that you can feel.   Into the lions heart will take you through a journey of love, and enough surprises to keep you hanging on.  If you love a beautiful historical romance you will enjoy this story!” by Wanda at Romance Writers Reviews

SOMEWHERE THE BELLS RING:

Blurb: Caught with pot in her dorm room, Bailey Randolph is exiled to a relative’s ancestral home in Virginia to straighten herself out. Banishment to Maple Hill is dismal, until a ghost appears requesting her help. Bailey is frightened but intrigued. Then her girlhood crush, Eric Burke, arrives and suddenly Maple Hill isn’t so bad.

To Eric, wounded in Vietnam, his military career shattered, this homecoming feels no less like exile. But when he finds Bailey at Maple Hill, her fairy-like beauty gives him reason to hope–until she tells him about the ghost haunting the house. Then he wonders if her one experiment with pot has made her crazy.

As Bailey and Eric draw closer, he agrees to help her find a long-forgotten Christmas gift the ghost wants. But will the magic of Christmas be enough to make Eric believe–in Bailey and the ghost–before the Christmas bells ring?~

“I fell in love with Ms. Trissel’s characters and look forward to the next delightful story ready with Kleenex box in hand. A must read for every romance fan.”

~ Robin at Romancing the Book Reviews

SOMEWHERE MY LOVE:

Blurb: Star-crossed lovers have a rare chance to reclaim the love cruelly denied them in the past, but can they grasp this brief window in time before it is too late? Newly arrived at Foxleigh, the gracious old Wentworth home in Virginia, British born Julia Morrow is excited at the prospect of a summer working as a guide in the stately house and herb garden. She quickly discovers the historic plantation holds far more. She becomes obsessed with the portrait of handsome Cole Wentworth, killed in a quarrel over the lovely English lady, Julia Maury, two hundred years ago.

Then she meets his double, William, the only remaining Wentworth heir. Somehow, Julia must persuade Will that their fates are entwined with those of Cole Wentworth and Julia Maury, and that the man who killed his ancestor has returned to enact the deadly cycle again, or she will lose him twice. The blade is about to fall.~

As I read Somewhere My Love, I recalled the feelings I experienced the first time I read Daphne DuMaurier’s Rebecca long ago. Using deliciously eerie elements similar to that gothic romance, Beth Trissel has captured the haunting dangers, thrilling suspense and innocent passions that evoke the same tingly anticipation and heartfelt romance I so enjoyed then, and still do now.
~ Joysann, Publishers Weekly

*These stories are available in various ebook formats to suit any ereader, pc, iphone, or electronic reading device at The Wild Rose Press.

Sweet Saturday Sample From Time Travel Romance Somewhere My Lass (#2)

I would rate this story PG13.

Blurb: Neil MacKenzie’s well-ordered life turns to chaos when Mora Campbell shows up claiming he’s her fiancé from 1602 Scotland. Her avowal that she was chased to the future by clan chieftain, Red MacDonald, is utter nonsense, and Neil must convince her that she is just addled from a blow to her head–or so he believes until the MacDonald himself shows up wanting blood.

Mora knows the Neil of the future is truly her beloved Niall who disappeared from the past. Although her kinsmen believe he’s dead, and she is now destined to marry Niall’s brother, she’s convinced that if she and Neil return to the past, all will be right. The only problem is how to get back to 1602 before it’s too late.

The balance of the present and future are in peril if she marries another, and the Neil of the present will cease to exist. An ancient relic and a few good friends in the future help pave the way back to the past, but will Mora and Neil be too late to save a love that began centuries before?~

SECOND EXCERPT FROM SOMEWHERE MY LASS: (I posted the first excerpt in this Sweet Saturday Sample)

How in the name of— Stunned beyond oaths, Neil gaped down at the slender young woman dressed in an outlandish Scottish costume.

Hair the color of a flaming sunset spilled down over the red and blue tartan plaid draped around her like a shawl. A circular brass brooch heavily engraved by some skilled craftsman held the edges together. A full green skirt covered the rest of her, a hint of petticoats beneath.  

Good God. She looked straight out of the Old Country.

In profound disbelief, he knelt beside her and laid his hand on her shoulder. He wasn’t hallucinating. She was real enough, warm against his hand. Stranger still, the peaty scent of turf smoke emanated from her. And some perfume he couldn’t place, but inherently knew.

Moss rose, maybe? The rich meld of fragrances carried him back, but to where? Baffled, he shook her gently. “Miss?”
She gave a soft moan.
“Are you hurt?” he asked.

She turned toward him, fluttering a dark fringe of auburn lashes. Another moan issued from between what surely were petal soft lips. He frowned at the ugly bruise marring her forehead.

Had that maniac done this to her? The rest of her smooth skin was pale except for the sprinkle of freckles on her nose—not too long with a pert tilt, Neil noted, along with an absence of any other immediate injuries. Thank God he hadn’t been too late to help this young woman. Perhaps he’d frightened off her attacker, the coward. Although he had no idea where the killer had gone.

Neil remained on his guard. He mustn’t take anything for granted. The only certainty—a violent criminal was on the loose. Difficult to keep watching over his shoulder, though, with the inexplicable stranger commanding his attention.

Intrigued, despite the gruesome circumstances of their meeting, Neil locked his gaze on her once again. Vivid blue eyes, cast with a purplish hue, opened wide. Unusual color and deeply stirring. She blinked and stared up at him as if he’d materialized out of the mist. But it was she who’d mysteriously come upon him with such wonder and beauty.

His already pounding heart skipped a beat for an entirely different reason now. He looked long into her eyes…for a moment he forgot the grisly murder, forgot everything.  There was a timeless quality in those violet depths; the term “window to the soul” took on a whole new meaning. And it seemed to him that he’d seen these eyes before… Impossible. 

He came back to himself. Mastering the tremor threatening his speech, he said, “You were knocked out, but you’ll be all right.”
She shook her head, wincing. “None of us will. The MacDonald comes,” she warned in a Scottish brogue.

The hair on the back of Neil’s neck bristled.  And so it begins, a voice inside him said.~

*Above Pic of The Door to Nowhere, or so Neil thinks.

SOMEWHERE MY LASS is available in digital download at: The Wild Rose Press, Amazon Kindle, Barnes & Noble and other online booksellers.

To Visit Other Participating Authors in Sweet Saturday Samples:

 http://sweetsatsample.wordpress.com/

Sweet Saturday Sample from Time Travel Romance Somewhere My Lass

An ancient relic, a medieval crypt, a mad Highlander at their throats and time fast running out.  Mystery, suspense, romance…SOMEWHERE MY LASS

A Suspenseful Scottish Time Travel Romance Novella~

BLURB:  Neil MacKenzie’s well-ordered life turns to chaos when Mora Campbell shows up claiming he’s her fiancé from 1602 Scotland. Her avowal that she was chased to the future by clan chieftain, Red MacDonald, is utter nonsense, and Neil must convince her that she is just addled from a blow to her head–or so he believes until the MacDonald himself shows up wanting blood.

Mora knows the Neil of the future is truly her beloved Niall who disappeared from the past. Although her kinsmen believe he’s dead, and she is now destined to marry Niall’s brother, she’s convinced that if she and Neil return to the past, all will be right. The only problem is how to get back to 1602 before it’s too late. The balance of the present and future are in peril if she marries another, and the Neil of the present will cease to exist. An ancient relic and a few good friends in the future help pave the way back to the past, but will Mora and Neil be too late to save a love that began centuries before?~

Excerpt:

“You are a beauty.” His words were a hoarse whisper.

The rise and fall of her chest betrayed a deep inhalation of breath. A flicker of reproach lit her eyes.
“I dinna think ye took heed of me at all.”

He winced at the well-deserved jab. “About before, I’m sorry I left you so suddenly. But there’s no earthly way I could fail to notice you. I’d have to be deaf, dumb, and blind and even then…”

The tension in her face eased and then the hurt returned. “Oh, aye? How could ye forget all ye knew?”

He remained as he was, threading that wealth of hair through his fingers. Again, the rational part of him argued, “Is it possible you’re imagining you knew me before?”

She balked, a mutinous glint in her eyes. “Nae.”

He slid his hand to the finely crafted silver chain at her throat and coaxed the coverlets further down.

A slight gasp escaped her lips. He muted any outward response to the thrill running through him.

The scooped neckline of her nightgown revealed the tops of white breasts sprinkled with freckles. Above this heart-hammering sight hung the crucifix. “I gave this to you?” he managed to ask without betraying the swell of emotion surging inside him.

“At our betrothal.” ~

“Ms. Trissel masterfully blended the past and the present in order to create a lovely romance that spans centuries.” ~Poinsettia, Long and Short Reviews

SOMEWHERE MY LASS has a sensual rating, and I would term it PG13.  The novella is available in various e-book formats at The Wild Rose Press, Amazon kindle, Nookbook, and other online booksellers.

**Visit other authors participating in Sweet Saturday Samples.

The History and Romance Behind ‘Scarborough Fair’~

“Are you going to Scarborough Fair?
Parsley, sage, rosemary, and thyme
Remember me to one who lives there
She once was a true love of mine.” ~Scarborough Fair / Canticle by Simon & Garfunkel, based on an old English ballad, possibly based on an even older Scottish one. (Image source and link given below)

*I always wondered about this song and after much research have discovered that the meaning of the song and refrain has been much debated.  One theory from this herb lore site:

“The herbs parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme, recurring in the second line of each stanza, make up for a key motive in the song. Although meaningless to most people today, these herbs spoke to the imagination of medieval people as much as red roses do to us today. Without any connotation necessary, they symbolize virtues the singer wishes his true love and himself to have, in order to make it possible for her to come back again.”

A theory from this site: Nantucket Today: “The four herbs highlighted in the song symbolize a complex love riddle compiled by a spurned lover. The “one who lives there” was supposed to figure it out. In the days of Scarborough Faire, herbs were prized primarily for medicinal value as well as their ability to ward off foul odors and dye cloth. Many herbs were assigned multiple meanings related to the various ills or problems they were supposed to cure. The love riddle in this case was designed to woo the lady back through the hidden meanings of parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme.”

I have no personal theory but found all of this interesting.  According to good old Wikipedia: The ballad tells the tale of a young man, who tells the listener to ask his former lover to perform for him a series of impossible tasks, such as making him a shirt without a seam and then washing it in a dry well, adding that if she completes these tasks he will take her back. Often the song is sung as a duet, with the woman then giving her lover a series of equally impossible tasks, promising to give him his seamless shirt once he has finished.

As the versions of the ballad known under the title “Scarborough Fair” are usually limited to the exchange of these impossible tasks, many suggestions concerning the plot have been proposed, including the hypothesis that it is a song about the Plague. In fact, “Scarborough Fair” appears to derive from an older (and now obscure) Scottish ballad, The Elfin Knight (Child Ballad #2) which has been traced at least as far back as 1670 and may well be earlier. In this ballad, an elf threatens to abduct a young woman to be his lover unless she can perform an impossible task (“For thou must shape a sark to me / Without any cut or heme, quoth he”); she responds with a list of tasks that he must first perform (“I have an aiker of good ley-land / Which lyeth low by yon sea-strand”).

As the song spread, it was adapted, modified, and rewritten to the point that dozens of versions existed by the end of the 18th century, although only a few are typically sung nowadays. The references to “Scarborough Fair” and the refrain “parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme” date to nineteenth century versions, and the refrain may have been borrowed from the ballad Riddles Wisely Expounded, (Child Ballad #1), which has a similar plot.

Meaning of the Refrain:

Much thought has gone into attempts to explain the refrain “parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme“, although, as this is found only in relatively recent versions, there may not be much to explain. The oldest versions of “The Elfin Knight” (circa 1650) contain the refrain “my plaid away, my plaid away, the wind shall not blow my plaid away” (or variations thereof), which may reflect the original emphasis on the lady’s chastity. Slightly younger versions often contain one of a group of related refrains:

• Sober and grave grows merry in time
• Every rose grows merry with time
• There’s never a rose grows fairer with time

These are usually paired with “Once she was a true love of mine” or some variant. “Parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme” may simply be an alternate rhyming refrain to the original. Folksong scholar Märta Ramsten states that folksong refrains containing enumerations of herbs — spices and medical herbs — occur in many languages.  Parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme may also refer to the pagan belief, that when together, can be a love charm.

From: http://www.songfacts.com/detail.php?id=1175

Scarborough is a small town on the coast of England. “Scarborough Fair” was a popular gathering in Medieval times, attracting traders and entertainers from all over the country. The fair lasted 45 days and started every August 15th. In the 1600s, mineral waters were found in Scarborough and it became a resort town. Today, Scarborough is a quiet town with a rich history.

In Medieval England, this became a popular folk song as Bards would sing it when they traveled from town to town. The author of the song is unknown, and many different versions exist. The traditional version has many more lyrics.

The lyrics are about a man trying to attain his true love. In Medieval times, the herbs mentioned in the song represented virtues that were important to the lyrics. Parsley was comfort, sage was strength, rosemary was love, and thyme was courage.~

***The wonderful image above of Scarborough Fair is from a charming children’s site that features the song and others at: Diddlily Dee Dot’s Dreamland~

Somewhere My Lass Out On Kindle Now~

For those of you with Kindles, my light paranormal romance Somewhere My Lass is available in Kindle at Amazon now.

Neil MacKenzie’s well ordered life turns to chaos when Mora Campbell shows up claiming he’s her fiance from 1602 Scotland. Her avowal that she was chased to the future by clan chieftain, Red MacDonald, is utter nonsense, and Neil must convince her that she is just addled from a blow to her head–or so he believes until the MacDonald himself shows up wanting blood.

Mora knows the Neil of the future is truly her beloved Niall who disappeared from the past. Although her kinsmen believe he’s dead, and she is now destined to marry Niall’s brother, she’s convinced that if she and Neil return to the past, all will be right. The only problem is how to get back to 1602 before it’s too late.

The balance of the present and future are in peril if she marries another, and the Neil of the present will cease to exist. An ancient relic and a few good friends in the future help pave the way back to the past, but will Mora and Neil be too late to save a love that began centuries before?

“Beth, I loved “Somewhere my Lass!” What a lovely story, I stayed up until 1:30 am reading it. Eye drops for me today. lol You did say you are doing another one right? Oh, and Neil is wonderful! ;)”

~Note from a happy reader

A Blog Award and Contest (Inspired by Denise Alicea)

This week I (Beth) was nominated via The Pen & Muse Blog for the Creative Writer Blogger Award.  Thanks to Denise Alicea  for the great nomination!  Wooo hooo.  I’ve also had some nominations from several other bloggers whom I will endeavor to credit here.  Be sure to visit Denise’s blog for the chance to win a swell prize!

This award requires me to tell some lies and have you try to guess which one is correct. If you win, I will give away a Free download of my upcoming release, Somewhere My Lass, when it comes out on May 26th!  Be sure and leave me a contact email with your guess.

OK, here goes, which is the fact out of all the fiction?

1) I am appearing on the next Dancing With the Stars.

2) I never exaggerate.

3) I like to go sky diving.

4) I hate dark chocolate.

5) I love balloons.

6) I’m an armchair adventurer.

7) I don’t have enough dogs.

And now, I am passing this award onto some excellent bloggers!

Caroline Clemmons because we are mutual admirers of each others blogs and she’s such a sweetheart (and she gave me a blog award).

Becky Clark because she’s my friend and has a super blog and I have to snag her before someone else does!

Cate Masters, all around super to everyone lady, who happens to have a great blog (and I think she gave me this award once but I can’t remember 🙂

Autumn Jordon:  She always has something worth reading on her blog(s) and she’s a real pal.

CJ Redwine:  How could I not choose her?  You have to read her blog, she’s informative and so funny!

Mona Risk:  A lovely lady who always has something worthwhile to share (she’s also a world traveler with intriguing tales and pics from her recent adventures).

And I’m still pondering on whom to choose for number seven.  There are just far too many fascinating bloggers….

My winners are the two who guessed correctly. 🙂  Victoria and Stacey.

Spotlight On Daughter of the Wind~

Autumn, 1784: A tragic secret from Karin McNeal’s past haunts the young Scots-Irish woman who longs to know more of her mother’s death and the mysterious father no one will name. The elusive voices she hears in the wind hint at the dramatic changes soon to unfold in her life among the Scot’s settled in the mist-shrouded Alleghenies. Jack McCray, a wounded stranger who staggers through the door on the eve of her twentieth birthday and anniversary of her mother’s death, holds the key to unlocking the past. Will she let this handsome frontiersman lead her to the truth and into his arms, or seek the shelter of her fiercely possessive grandfather? Is it only her imagination or does something, or someone, wait beyond the brooding ridges—for her?

****

I loved the plot of this story, oh and the setting was wonderful. I just can’t believe how much detail the author went into without being boring about it. Ms. Trissel is great at creating believable and loveable characters. She’s also great at giving us a happily ever after…kind of a bittersweet ending…No, I can’t tell why, you’ll just have to read the book for yourself to figure that out. I just love book covers, usually they are the first things I notice about a book. If the cover can draw my attention than I’ll normally read the book.

The cover for Daughter of the Wind is absolutely gorgeous. Whoever the cover artist is did a wonderful job. And to me the book stood out as well. It was a great read and one any romantic suspense or Beth Trissel fan should read. Beth Trissel is a new author for me and one I will be looking for in the future as well.

Rating: 4.5 Smacks
Heat Level: Sweet
Reviewer: Ruby Lee, Reviewer for Mistress Bella Reviews

****

Gentle, protected Karin McNeal stood on the porch while her birthday celebration continued inside. The voices in the wind were calling again, and Karin hoped that she would finally be able to decipher them. She leaned forward eagerly, so close to solving the puzzle, when her grandfather burst out the front door and summoned her back inside. Karin obeyed instantly, as a proper woman of the 1780s would, and rejoined the festivities. The dancing, drinking, and feasting continued but everything ceased when someone pounded on the door. A man, bleeding from a shoulder wound, came staggering in the door.

Though the McNeals did not know him, they began caring for him and were shocked when he looked at Karin’s step-grandmother and said, “Hi, Mama.” Sarah’s son Jack had been taken by the Shawnee many years before when he was only eight, and Sarah was thrilled to be reunited with her oldest son. Jack’s reappearance caused some rumblings in the settlement, but since the McNeals were a prominent family, they expected no trouble from the settlers. Within the family, however, Jack and Karin’s attraction to one another was creating a rift.

Jack McCray had been sent to bring Karin to her father, a Shawnee chief who had adopted him after he and Karin’s mother were abducted. Jack had a bargain with Shequenor: once Jack delivered Karin to Shequenor, he would keep the chief’s stallion. Jack was certain he could easily fulfill the bargain…until he met Karin. Their instant attraction both stunned and confused him. Jack was determined to do everything in his power to keep Karin safe, even if that meant fighting against the settlement, the McNeals, and Shequenor’s magical powers.

I found this book fascinating. The descriptions of the settlement made it easy to imagine, and the characters were believable and well developed. The reaction of the McNeals to Jack’s war record – fighting for the wrong side – was exactly how I would expect a family, proud of their own service, to feel. The family’s attitude towards the Shawnee was also realistic for the period. Though Karin was presented as a well-bred, gently raised young woman, she demonstrated her strength of character when Jack was threatened. I can definitely recommend this book, especially for historical fiction fans and all true romantics.

This is a great story, and I am looking forward to reading more from Beth Trissel.

Mary, Reviewer for Bitten By Books~

****

Daughter Of The Wind by Beth Trissel

Publisher: The Wild Rose Press

Genre: Fantasy / Historical
Length: Full (258 pages)
Heat: Spicy
Rating: 4.5 Books
Reviewed by Camellia, Long and Short Reviews

This fabulous historical fantasy story doesn’t hesitate from word one. It sweeps the reader into an emotional whirlwind that disrupts life in the McNeal clan, a well-to-do family that is well established in the Allegheny Mountains in 1784. The haunting, sometime scary, happenings bring about breathtaking moments that make Daughter Of The Wind a true page-turner.

Karin, the much loved and protected granddaughter of the McNeal clan, knows she is different, not just because of her olive skin, black hair, and blue-grey eyes, but because she hears voices in the wind—voices that touch her soul. When Jack McCray appears, she feels a connection with him. “His eyes scorched her like a strong wind” and her emotions are a “cauldron of confusion”. When they are near each other “an emotion as explosive as gunpowder and contagious as fever” pulsates. She feels he is the inviting summons she hears in the wind.

Jack McCray, Sarah McNeal’s son taken away by Shawnees at age eight, returns a well-honed frontiersman. Bent on accomplishing a mission for his adoptive brother Shequenor, he runs afoul of the McNeal men. Jack, a magnetic character that knows himself for what he is, accepts what has been and reaches out to grasp what can be for the future. Beth Trissel creates a memorable character as flaws are acknowledged and greatness is shown to make him worthy of the naïve but gifted Karin with the mysterious parentage.

The secondary characters are well developed and some have strong influences on the hero and heroine’s lives. John McNeal, Shequenor, and Neeley are especially notable. Their insight and faithfulness to their beliefs are remarkable and so ably shown with Ms. Trissel’s alluring style of writing. She invites the reader into a world of fantasy and makes it so believable it is spellbinding.

After reading Daughter Of The Wind, I will probably find myself listening when the wind howls around the eaves or whispers through the live oak leaves to discover whether it is voices I hear.

****

DAUGHTER OF THE WIND is available in print and digital download

At The Wild Rose Press:

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At Barnes&Noble:

At: All Romance E-books

A Little Romance~

The First Kiss from light paranormal romance novel Somewhere My Love~

~Will blew the layer of dust from an ornate wooden box inlaid with ivory and lifted the lid. Inside were brass workings like the mechanism of a clock. He wound a small gold key in the back until it would wind no more, and released it. The wheels and cogs turned and wonderful music flowed forth, the beautiful strains of a Viennese waltz, The Blue Danube.

Julia clapped her hands. “A music box.”

He bowed. “May I have this dance, sweet Julia?”

She gazed up into his velvet brown eyes, and he gazed back. She managed a nod and he drew her into his arms. Around the attic he waltzed with her secure in his lead. Everything fell away except this moment while the haunting melody played on, taking her back to that faintly remembered place. She didn’t even stumble, not once. It was as if some inner memory guided her in the steps, even though ballroom dancing hadn’t been a part of her lessons.

The music picked up and he swung her around and around. Her dress swirled as he circled. With each turn, he was Will—then Cole, Will—then Cole, both men in rapid succession, separate and yet the same. Her heart pounded from far more than the whirling dance.

The music faded and Will slowly stopped revolving. They stood, his arms circled at her back and waist, eyes locked on each other.

His brow furrowed. “Julia, you look as if you’ve seen a ghost.”

She ran the tip of her tongue over her lips. “You may be the ghost.”

He tightened his mouth in an impatient line. “Don’t try to make me into Cole again.”

“Will, listen to me. I know it sounds crazy, but I think somehow you already are.”

He dropped his hands, turning away. “Only because you insist I am.”

She grabbed his arm. “No. It’s what I saw while we danced. You must believe me.”

“Believing doesn’t make it any easier,” he said flatly.

“That’s because you think I’m misled.”

He swiveled his head at her. Exasperation flared in his eyes. “There’s a simple reason for my laboring under that assumption. You are.”

“Don’t be angry. I hate that I’ve spoiled such a lovely moment.”

“You’ve a talent for that.” He turned and strode across the floor. His footsteps echoed on the boards with a hollow sound, just as her heart would beat if he left.

She ran behind him and reached out, catching his plush shoulder. “Consider me balmy, if you must, but don’t walk away. Please Will.”

He stayed as he was. “What do you want me to do, Julia?”

“I don’t know.” She wasn’t strong enough to turn him and dashed in front instead, grasping his upper arms and twisting the fabric in her fingers. “Something—anything.”

He smiled faintly. “Never say those words to a man.”

Cupping her face between his hands, he bent his head and closed his lips over hers in an all consuming kiss…so swiftly she hardly knew what had happened. Even if he hadn’t cupped her cheeks, she wouldn’t have moved. The compelling press of his mouth bound her in place.

If possible, Julia’s heart thudded even faster than it had before. The surging pulse drummed through her entire being, reverberating in places she didn’t even know she had. From what she could remember of her dream with Cole, her feelings had been poignant but tender. The sensations coursing through her now weren’t entirely that. An exhilarating passion was sweeping her up in a shocking tide.

“Who am I now?” Will whispered against her mouth.

She loosened her grip on his jacket in speechless surprise, too breathless to tell him she didn’t care.~

****

Star-crossed lovers, flashbacks to early 18th century Virginia, ghostly, murder mystery, light paranormal romance, Gothic flavors…SOMEWHERE MY LOVE~

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“As I read Somewhere My Love, I recalled the feelings I experienced the first time I read Daphne DuMaurier’s Rebecca long ago. Using deliciously eerie elements similar to that gothic romance, Beth Trissel has captured the haunting dangers, thrilling suspense and innocent passions that evoke the same tingly anticipation and heartfelt romance I so enjoyed then, and still do now.” ~ Joysann, Publishers Weekly

For more on my work please visit: www.bethtrissel.com

A New Contract From The Wild Rose Press!

Senior Faery Rose editor Amanda Barnett is highly enthusiastic about my light paranormal romance, Somewhere My Lass, a unique suspenseful Scottish time travel.  It was definitely one of the most challenging and yet exciting stories I’ve ever written.   More on this upcoming release as events unfold.  Somewhere My Lass is the next story in my ‘Somewhere’ series.  Needless to say, I am vastly pleased and relieved at the happy completion of this latest work.

For those of you who haven’t read Book One, Somewhere My Love, chop chop.  Now that story came to me like a gift and what a gift.  I’d love to share it with everyone but can’t afford to.  Somewhere my love is available in both digital download and print at: The Wild Rose Press and all the major and some not so major online booksellers.   Your local bookseller can order it in.  So can your library.

“As I read Somewhere My Love, I recalled the feelings I experienced the first time I read Daphne DuMaurier’s Rebecca long ago. Using deliciously eerie elements similar to that gothic romance, Beth Trissel has captured the haunting dangers, thrilling suspense and innocent passions that evoke the same tingly anticipation and heartfelt romance I so enjoyed then, and still do now.”
~ Joysann, Publishers Weekly