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