Today my offering on the blog hop is Past Betrayals, Past Loves a reincarnation novel. Join me here and also give the other great authors here http://mfrwbookhooks.blogspot.com
BLURB:
A curse sends Astrid on a journey to ancient lands. She meets deceit and betrayal searching for true love and to break the curse. The search begins in Egypt. When she touches an ancient Egyptian necklace she is hurtled through time into the turbulent life of another woman. She discovers the words spoken in anger holding her spirit captive. Seven more times she finds a piece of jewelry and returns to a distant past. In each of these lives she encounters and falls in love with a man who seems to be someone recently met in her present as do the enemy man and woman.
The heat between Astrid and Duncan is instant and becomes incandescent. Her dislike of two characters grows. Eight realms await her. Eight chances break the curse holding her spellbound and to end the cycle of past betrayals and find love. Eight chances to foil the evil man and woman who follow her and Duncan from era to era.
EXCERPT:
"I
stopped at the hospital." A sigh escaped. "I can't believe he had a
stroke. He's always been so healthy."
Clive
clasped her hands. "He's tough. Before long, he'll be back cluttering the
place."
"Hope
not. You've achieved wonders here." She tried to free her hands. He tugged
her closer. "The apartment looks like a magpie's nest."
"Good
description." He brushed her lips with his.
Astrid
shook her head. She wanted to wipe her mouth. Would he start another pursuit
this summer? "Let's stick to business. I like the arrangement of the
stock."
"A
suggestion from a new customer. Rich playboy type, but he has good taste.
Garrett and your dad connected. Act like they've known each other for
ages."
She
crossed her arms on her chest. "Why were you and Dad arguing?"
He
groaned. "Guess you talked to nosy Sarah. Was more like a heated
discussion about displaying two new pieces he recently found. Bought this
sealed box at a sale. Odd assortment."
"How
odd?"
He
laughed. "Nothing bad. Mostly a collection of Victorian jewelry and these
two pieces. He wanted to research them before they were offered for sale. I
wanted to price them immediately. You know how hard it is to date the things we
acquire."
She
nodded. "So where are they?"
"Most
of the jewelry is in the vault and I can't get to them."
"I--"
She cut off her response. She knew the code for the vault and would see what he
meant in the morning.
He
took her arm. "I'll show you the two pieces I kept out and introduce you
to Paula Winters. She's photographing a number of our best pieces for a
catalogue we're launching."
"Another
suggestion from Dad's new friend?"
"In
a way." He entered the Egyptian area. "Astrid, Paula Winters. Astrid
is Lloyd's daughter. She's here for the summer, then it's back upstate."
Astrid
didn't contradict him. Her plans weren't his business.
The
woman turned. "Teacher?" She gazed at Clive.
"School
nurse." Astrid read admiration in Paula's eyes. Did Clive return the
interest? He usually went for petite and curvy. Paula was slim, almost boyish.
The blunt cut of her shoulder-length auburn hair reminded Astrid of styles
she'd seen on ancient Egyptian women.
Paula's
crooked grin warmed Astrid. "Glad to finally meet you. Your dad talks a
lot about you."
"Don't
believe everything he's said. What are you photographing today?" Astrid
asked.
"Starting
with the Egyptian collection. The new pieces are stunning. Clive thinks it's a
good idea to have a visual record of the things in the shop."
Astrid
turned to Clive. "Then there is a problem."
"I
told you several pieces were missing."
"Thieves?"
"I
hope not, but this has been going on since right after Easter."
Astrid
frowned. Why hadn't Dad mentioned the problem? She edged toward the stand where
a necklace and crown were displayed on a black velvet cloth. Where had she seen
these pieces before? The necklace resembled a wide collar. Semi-circles of a
pale gold metal were inlaid with lapis. From the last row, carnelians dangled.
The headband of the same metal had flowers of inlaid lapis with carnelian
centers.
"Are
these the items you and Dad argued about?"
Clive
nodded. "He wanted to put them in the vault."
"Why
have you displayed them?"
"One,
I can't open the vault and two, they're too attractive to hide."
Astrid
brushed a finger over one of the dangles. Sadness washed over her. As though
under a spell, she lifted the necklace. Waves of dizziness rocked her.
* * *
*
Seshat
stood at the entrance to her workroom built against the wall of the villa. She
stared into the garden. Though chaos ruled the Two Lands, in this house at a
distance from Thebes ,
only echoes of the troubles were heard. How fortunate that her father, Nomarch
Sehetep, had distanced himself from the politics of both halves of the divided
land.
She
heard her younger sister giggle and watched her run toward the workroom.
"What have you done now?"
"Spied
on Father," Tiy said.
Seshat
shook her head. Tiy hovered between childhood and womanhood. She delighted in
mischief. Seshat left the doorway and reached for the tallies of the recent
harvest.
"Don't
you want to know what I heard and what I saw?" Tiy's warm brown eyes
sparkled with mischief.
"Tell
me."
"We
have guests. From Thebes .
Oh, Seshat, they are the most handsome men I have ever seen. They seek father's
support. One of them wants the Double Crown. Maybe he will choose you as his
wife and ignore Nefru."
Seshat
sighed. If she were chosen, Nefru, daughter of their father's dead first wife,
would be furious. Though Seshat's mother had been a princess of a past dynasty,
Nefru denied the claim. Seshat sighed. Anyone seeking Sehetep's support would
choose the oldest daughter. Since no sons had been born to the house, Nefru's spouse
would claim the nome when Sehetep left this world.
"We're
to eat the evening meal with them," Tiy said. "Nefru stamped her foot
when she heard. When these men see you, they won't look at her."
MY PLACES:
http://wwweclecticwriter.blogspot.com
http://bookswelove.net/authors/walters-janet-lane-romance-fantasy-suspense-medical/
An amazing cover, Janet, and a very intriguing premise!
ReplyDeleteI love this cover
ReplyDeleteThere few pains more hurtful than betrayal.
ReplyDeleteWhat they said! Wonderfully complicated!
ReplyDeleteWow! I love time travel (and I write it, too) and this sounds like 8 adventures in one! Will put on my "must read" list.
ReplyDeleteLove the cover and the concept - time travel is tough to write. This was great.
ReplyDeletelove the cover. the story sounds intriguing.
ReplyDeleteThis novel intrigues me. I shall read and review it. Only for the record, I wrote a novel about a heroine who was reborn seven times before she was reunited with her true love. When I have time, I will rewrite it and hope that it will be published.
ReplyDeleteAll the best,
Rosemary
www.rosemarymorris.co.uk
Yes, great cover, Janet. Sounds like a great story. I find reincarnation fascinating.
ReplyDeleteLinda McLaughlin / Lyndi Lamont