Romancing the West Blog Hop

 

 

Welcome to the

 

Romancing the West Blog Hop

 

Why do we enjoy writing and reading about the west?  What is it about cowboys that is just plain irresistible?  Over thirty authors and bloggers tackle these and other questions by explaining why we love Romancing the West.

 

But that’s not all, as you enjoy some awesome blogs and find fantastic books, for every post you comment on with your email address, you will be entered for some amazing prizes.

***PLEASE LEAVE YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS TO QUALIFY***

Grand Prize:  A swag pack which includes books (both ebooks and paper).  Amazon gift card, custom made butterfly jewelry, book cards, magnets and much more all tucked away in a keepsake box.  (Available to US residents only.  Winner will be announced on February 26th at 10 PM EST).

What is it about those cowboys?

 

There is seriously just something about those men that just draws me in.  I can't help it.  It's like an addiction that I just can't kick.  Makes me wanna catch the next bus going west to any small one-horse town where everyone knows everyone and find a small diner to sit in and wait til one walks thru the door then beg him to take me home :)
 

So....so much for my secret fantasy lol.

I do like the idea of settling in the West though, having a ranch with horses, cows and cowboys a plenty.  It sounds so peaceful and down to earth.   Hey I'd even settle for a dude ranch for a couple weeks to start.,.just to get my feet wet.

 

What makes you fall in love with a cowboy?  Is it the way he wears his jeans?  Is it the way he rides his horse?  Is it the way he treats his woman?  You tell me what you think!

 

There is one particular cowboy I did kinda fell in love with, cockiness and all and I had to share him with the world. He's the hero of my current release...

 

 

 

 

Take Me Home, Cowboy 

Ally Kincaid returns to Freewill, Wyoming, to see her father after a two year absence. Anticipating a quiet family reunion, she finds herself butting heads with her father’s foreman instead. The man’s arrogance and sexy drawl push all her buttons, making her wonder what he’s hiding beneath his cowboy swagger.

Matt Gentry walked away from the past and shies from the future. No ties means no one gets hurt…until the boss’s daughter, a hot, green-eyed blonde, tempts him to break his own rules.

When tragedy strikes, will building tension and pride destroy their growing attraction or show them the way home?

Ally’s attention immediately flew to the newcomer in the room. How could she not? He was gorgeous. Not that she actually wanted to notice.  Ha! Who was she kidding? His hair was still damp where it curled slightly at the neckline of his T-shirt. The short sleeve tee was snug fitting and showed off his pectorals and tanned arm muscles. He grabbed his plate, made his way around the table, and leaned in close. Oh, his scent hit her—clean soap and pure male. Good God.
 
"Like what you see, princess?" he murmured.

Startled out of her trance, she stumbled for a quick, snide comment. "You wish, cowboy," she whispered back, and then turned back to her daddy, who was already halfway finished with his meal.

She was not about to let anyone see how rattled the foreman’s presence actually made her. She only hoped she hadn’t already given her odd interest in him away. Ignore him and he won't be any the wiser.  She would be sure to make this trip a short one, or she would be in trouble.
Jesse cleaned his plate and abruptly stood, placed his dishes in the sink, and made to leave the room.

"Looks like you kids get to do the dishes. I’m off to my study." Her dad kissed the top of her head and slapped his foreman on the back, then chuckled as he disappeared through the door.

"That rat!" she said. "He shoveled through his dinner on purpose."

"No worries, princess. I do the dishes every night anyway. You can go do whatever it is you do before bed. I’ll take care of the clean up before I head out to check the horses."

"Oh no you don’t. I won’t let you go running to Daddy tomorrow whining because I didn’t do my share, so I’ll wash. And why are you calling me ‘princess’?"

"It seemed fitting. Would you rather me go back to ma'am?""No, I would rather you use my name, thank you."

He only shrugged. He pushed his place setting aside, rose, and reached for the dessert and plates on the counter.  "Since we'll be working together, how about some dessert before we get busy?"

Available Here:

 

Decadent  ~  Amazon  ~  B&N  ~  ARe

 

 

 

 

 

Giveaway !!!

 

Please leave a comment for your chance to win an ebook copy of any 1 title in the Western Escape line of Decadent Publishing.  Make sure you leave your email address so you can be contacted if you win !!

1. Sara Walter Ellwood	2. Shawnee Rodeo Series
3. Fun (and odd) facts about the wild west	4. dlindunauthor. blogspot. com/
5. Cyndis World	6. Margery Scott
7. Delynn Royer	8. Callies Comments
9. Kristina Knight, Romance Author	10. LBShire. com Western Romance Author
11. Mochas, Mysteries and More (US)	12. Zee Monodee
13. Romancing The West - Jacquie Rogers	14. Rosanne Bittner
15. Loralee Lillibridge	16. Website
17. ANDREADOWNING. COM	18. Cassandra Dean (Int)
19. A Passion for Romance	20. Celia Yeary--Romance and a little bit of Texas
21. Double D Ranch Tales	22. Lily Graison - Romance Author [INT]
23. Helens Heart	24. Western women: heroines of their own romances
25. SnifferWalk (Intl. )	26. Embrace Adventure
27. Susan Frances, Romantic Adventures	28. Stacey Joy Netzel - Author
29. NovelFriends	30. Romantic Suspense as Big as Montana!
31. Meg Mims - Double the Mystery/History	32. Cate Masters
33. Musings From the Keyboard	34. Jessica E. Subject
35. Literal Hotties Naughty Book Reviews	36. Book A Day Challenge (US)

Review: Soul Mates: Bewitched

Soul Mates: Bewitched

by

Elizabeth A. Lance

 

I swear I can't say enough about this series. When the first book came out, Soul Mates: Scent, I absolutely loved it. See my review here. I didn't want that book to end so I hoped for a second and when this one appeared, I jumped at the chance to read it. This is my new favorite YA series !!!

Ms. Lance has an unbelievable talent for creating strong dynamic characters and I had a blast following the journey of Antony and the lovely spitfire Jillian. The attraction between these two was evident from the first time they saw each other along with Tony's need to protect.  I love all the new power he is able to harness along with handling his Dream visions, his meditation visits with Anca and finding out what really happened with his father.

It was also great to see a huge role for Max in this book as well.  He was definitely my favorite in the first book and I love seeing how his life continues with his wife Anna and their growing family.  It is amazing the depth at which he is involved in not just fighting the Unseelie with Tony and the Guardians but also being able to handle his role as Prince of Light and Illusion and all that it entails.  

They all definitely found themselves in one or two sticky situations and the mystery and intrigue kept me hooked til the very end!

I'll say it again...this is my favorite  YA paranormal series !!  I'm desperately hoping it doesn't end here either.  Keeping my fingers crossed that Elizabeth continues to weave this wonderful tale of the Fae and shapeshifters :)

Again, I willingly recommend this book to all paranormal romance loves, YA or not.  

 I definitely give this book my 5 stars !!

 

Soul Mates: Bewitched

Elizabeth A. Lance

School is out for Tony Gunari, and now it’s time to grow up, to be what he was meant to be, a Sióga Feiceann -- a Fae assassin. After years of hiding what he truly was from his nearest and dearest friends, Tony has decided to travel to New York and discover the whole secret of his legacy including what really happened to his father. The Fae war is in full swing so Tony decides that while he’s at it; he’s going to kick a little Dark Fae butt.

Jillian O’Neal is a Sorceress, sent by her parents from Ireland to train with a man named Nico in New York. Her tough, sassy attitude sometimes gets her into trouble, but she could never have imagined the trouble meeting someone like Tony Gunari, a real Sióga Feiceann, was going to cause her especially when she realizes that her duty is to protect him at all costs.

When Tony meets Jillian he is instantly intrigued by the fireball throwing, Irish witch with a sassy attitude. Protecting her becomes his number one priority. Who knows…

With a bit of Irish luck they may just have a chance to save the world and fall in love…

 

Buy Link:   Amazon  

 

Excerpt:

“So, you know,” Nicolae sighed and sank into his black leather chair. “You know what you are.”

I stayed quiet for a moment; waiting to see if he would continue, give me a hint of why he hadn’t told me.

“I suppose it was inevitable. Your mother never could keep a secret, so-- I assume she is the one who told you?”

Now, that was a shock. As far as I knew, Mom was oblivious to the Fae and all the crap that had been going on for the past year. “No. Mom didn’t say a thing, Uncle Nicu.”

“Then, how did you find out?”

“My fault, I’m afraid,” Max said stepping forward. “I sort of exposed him to some Fae warriors.”

“You what? I should kill you! Do you know what you have done?” Nicolae jumped out of his chair and drew a silver dagger from a wrist sheath.

“Uncle! You don’t want to do that!” I shouted, but it was too late. Max had already gone on defensive mode and pulled one of his own swords from his hip…Veritas. They were hidden by Fae magic until they were needed and then, well, watch out. Max was deadly with them. I suppose I should be thankful he didn’t pull Aequitas as well.

“Antony, just who the hell did you bring to my club?”  Nicolae asked backing away from Max.

“Uncle, please put the dagger away. Max, back down, please.” I stood between them, hoping for some peace.

“Who. Is. He. Antony?” Nicolae sheathed his dagger, but continued to stand in a threatening manner.

“Tones…” Max cautioned me, but I knew my Uncle.

“Whoa! Just chill Uncle Nicu.  A lot has happened in the past year, and Max is a huge part of it, Dude. I’ll explain, but only if I have your word and stuff that you’ll sit down and listen. And you won’t try to kill Max.”

Nicolae glared at us, but he finally conceded and sat down in his chair. I glanced at Max and watched him sheath Veritas, which then vanished from his side.  He leaned against the wall near the door, and far from Nicolae, just in case Uncle Nicu got it in his head to go after him again.

“Okay… okay,” I said, not sure where to begin. “So, you know there’s a war going on out there, right Dude?”

Nicolae nodded. “Between the Light and Dark Fae, yes, I know. What does that have to do with you? Either of you?”

“Well, the Light Fae, as you call them, have a Faerie Mound in southern Indiana. Just a few blocks from school actually.”

Nicolae frowned. “I thought they were only in the major cities. What are they doing there?”

“For the most part they are, but the King of Light and Illusion needed a place where the Dark Fae would not think to look for him. Not that it matters now, they’ve known approximately where it is since last October,” Max said with a frown.

“Beside the point, Max.”

“Not really, Tones. The point is, we have a Faerie Mound back home, I found out that I’m related to the King of Light and Illusion and he sent warriors to protect me.  You saw them, and got exposed as a Sióga Feiceann. And then the Unseelie found us.”

“What?”

“Yeah, what Max said.” I sat down on the corner of Nicolae’s desk. At least he wasn’t jumping out of his seat trying to kill Max again. That was progress.

“So let me get this straight. You--” Nicolae pointed at Max, “--are related to the King of the Light Fae. And you--” Nicolae pointed at me, “--brought him to New York? Are you out of your ever lovin’ mind?”

 

About the Author:

Elizabeth A. Lance lives with her husband, Brandon, their two tweens, three sassy cats that think they own the house and two crazy German Sheppard-Husky mix puppies. She is the author of the Agents for the Crown Regency series as well as the Young Adult series, Soul Mates. She loves to hear from her fans and can be reached at

Facebook / Soul Mates: Scents Facebook

Author, author... #spotlight

...read all about it !!

The Naked Truth

by

Lacey Wolfe

It’s amazing what one can find in strip clubs…

Josh Carter gets the shock of a lifetime when he shows up at a place of ill repute for a business meeting and sees the one that got away gyrating on the stage. Abigail Reese—the girl with so much potential, the girl that took his heart along with his body one night long ago—what brought her to this level?

Though stripping is not what Abigail set out to do, it’s putting food on the table and a roof over her daughter’s head. But just how much can she reveal to Josh without risking it all?

When Josh causes Abigail to lose her job, she has two choices: come clean about her past and her situation or push him out of her life as quick as he came into it. It’s up to her…only she has to think of her little girl too.

 

Excerpt:

Abigail removed the yellow gloves and went in search of water to curve her thirst. Whenever she was stressed out, she cleaned. As she sipped the water, pride filled her that her place sparkled and smelled of lemon and bleach. Now to get herself clean.

Setting the bottle down on the counter, she began to lift her shirt up over her head.

Knock knock.

Abigail pulled the edge of her tank top back down. She glanced at the clock and thought it was early for the mail man to be here, but he might’ve been ahead of schedule today. Then again, she wasn’t expecting a package at the moment, so it probably wasn’t the mailman. She stood on her tiptoes and peeked through the peep hole. Josh. What was he doing here?

Opening the door, she said, “Hailey’s at school.”

He held an envelope in his hand. He couldn’t possibly have the DNA test results already. Then again, he had money, so anything was possible. “I’m here to see you. Can I come in?”

Abigail stepped back out of the way and let him enter.

“It smells good.” He glanced around.

“I was cleaning. I was just about to wash up before you showed up unexpected.”

He grinned. “I thought we could open this together.”

She eyed the white rectangle in his hand. “That’s for you. Not me. I know you’re the father. You were the last man I was with.”

“Before you found out you were pregnant?”

She laughed. “No, as in you’re the last man I’ve ever had sex with.”

“You don’t mean…”

“Oh, yeah, I mean it. I’m a single mother. I don’t have time to date.” He was quiet and she found it amusing. She could only imagine the thoughts running through his head. “Open it up.”

He set the envelope on the table next to him and closed the space between them. “It was five years ago that you and I were intimate. And in all this time, you’ve never gone to bed with another man?”

“You’re still on that?” Men.

His hand wrapped around her neck and he pulled her face to his. “Do you have any idea what it does to me to know I was the last one to touch you?”

She shook her head. “What does it mean to you?”

“How about I show you? Can I?”

She gazed at his lips and licked hers. Before she knew what was happening, she nodded and his mouth crushed against hers. He stole her breath when his tongue swooped in and met hers. She reached out and grabbed his shoulders, bringing her body closer to his.

Her body burst with pleasure, the same way she felt years ago. His arms wrapped around her and lifted her. Her legs intertwined with his waist. Josh spun her around, setting her on the same table the envelope was on.

He ended the kiss, but only to begin a trail on her cheek, to her chin, neck, and collarbone. “Oh God,” she murmured.

She arched into him as his tongue licked the top of her cleavage. Her core ached to be touched. She wanted this man badly. Instinct kicked in and she reached out, yanked a handful of his dress shirt, and smashed her lips to his. Her fingers began working his buttons. Once a few were undone, she slipped her hand inside his shirt and across his firm chest.

“You’re amazing,” he whispered before his thumb flicked over her nipple.

Abigail gasped and then went back to working on his shirt. Just as she reached the last button, she looked up at him and saw the passion in his eyes. But then she wondered what she was doing. Should she be doing this with him? She barely knew the man and for all she knew, when he returned home, she may hear from him again. She couldn’t risk it.

She pushed him away and hopped off the table.

“What’s wrong?” he asked.

“We can’t do this.”

He came up behind her. “We don’t have to do anything you don’t want to.”

Oh, she wanted to. And her soaking wet panties were all the confirmation she needed. But her heart couldn’t handle it.

“I think you should go.”

“What about the results?”

Abigail turned back toward him. “Like I said before, those are for you. I don’t need to see them.” She left the room for the shower she had originally set out for earlier.

 

Buy Links:    Amazon     All Romance eBooks    Barnes & Noble

 

About the Author:

 

Lacey Wolfe has always had a passion for words, whether it's getting lost in a book or writing her own.  From the time she was a child she would slip away to write short stories about people she knew and fantasies she wished would happen.  It has always been her dream to be a published author and with her two children now of school age, she finally has the time to work on makingher dream come true.

 

Lacey lives in Georgia with her husband, son and daughter, their six cats and one black lab who rules the house.

 

Author Links:     Her Site      Twitter    Facebook

Author, author..... #giveaway

Life in Suitcases

 by

Melissa Kendall

 

 

After a tragedy changes the course of Elise Morgan's life leaving her without a family and in foster care, she meets Anthony Scott.  It doesn't take long for them to become fast friends and they do everything together.  When Elise manages to get a scholarship to college and Anthony doesn't, they find themselves separated.  As the years pass, they lose touch. 

Feeling restless with her life, Elise sets about trying to find what is missing inher life.  After breaking up with her boyfriend, she takes a trip home hoping to find a sense of peace.  One hug reveals that what Elise thought she was missing wasn't a place or a thing, it was a person.

Can she find true love with the one man she thought she might never see again?

 

 

Excerpt:

At thirteen, I was too old for most people to consider adopting. No matter how hard Mary looked, she couldn’t find me a foster home. I went from having everything to having nothing. My parents weren’t well off. They were just your average middle-income family with a mortgage. Once the house was sold and all the debts were paid, I wasn’t left with much. There was just enough money to buy a second-hand car when I was old enough and two suitcases full of personal possessions, including a few photo albums. That was all my thirteen years of life added up to: two suitcases.

 

My first few weeks at Abbott’s were probably the worst of my life. I spent my days  just going through the motions at school. At night, I would cry in bed until sleep finally claimed me. After about three weeks of feeling as if I was drowning in a never-ending pit of despair, I met Anthony. I felt the bed dip behind me one night as I was lying on my side and sobbing particularly hard. I was so upset I didn’t immediately register that it meant someone was lying with me. Then I felt an arm wrap around me and heard a soothing voice in my ear telling me everything was going to be okay.

 

When I woke up the following morning, I rolled over to see just who had climbed into bed with me. A skinny boy with short brown hair grinned at me.

 

“Anthony Scott.” He held his hand out.

 

“Elise Morgan,” I replied. “Thanks for last night.”

 

“Ain’t nothing.”

 

We talked for a little while longer, getting to know one another. Anthony was the same age as me, but had been at Abbott’s since he was six. His parents were drug addicts, which caused his removal from their care. After telling him how sorry I was that had happened, I explained my story. It was still so hard to talk about, but I got through it and only cried a little bit.

After that day, Anthony and I were inseparable. We were the best of friends. We did everything together. When I tried ballet, he did too, no matter how much teasing he got from the other boys. When he took up guitar, so did I, even though I sucked at it. Barely a day went by that we didn’t see or speak to each other at least a hundred times. I doubt I would have survived my teenage years if it weren’t for my best friend.

Though the days were fairly easy to survive, the nights were always tough. Curled up in bed alone, the reality would hit the hardest. Memories of families lost and dreams of what could have been plagued each of our thoughts. We spent many a night in each other’s beds providing comfort. Those were always the nights I slept best.

 

For five years, it was Anthony and me against the world.

 

All that changed senior year. Anthony and I had both been working toward Cornell. We were in all the same AP classes and had the same GPA. We both applied for scholarships, knowing that was the only way we’d ever get to go to college. When I got a scholarship and he didn’t, reality came crashing down around us. I told him I wasn’t going without him, that it had been our dream. Anthony, always the strong one, told me I needed to go follow my dreams, that I deserved to go to Cornell, and he wasn’t going to let me waste my one chance to get the hell out of San Francisco.

 

After graduation, we agreed to have one last hoorah over the summer before heading off on our separate paths. We had the best time. We found a little apartment in the city. It was really only big enough for one person, but since it would just be Anthony’s apartment come fall, I didn’t mind it being a bit cramped.

 

We did everything we ever wanted to do together that summer. We visited museums and art galleries, rode the cable cars, and spent hours upon hours running around Fisherman’s Wharf. We even went to the beach and the zoo.

 

All the while, our separation loomed. It was constantly present in our thoughts, as if we knew it was going to be our last summer together. We were heading in two different directions come September and might never see one another again.

 

On a sunny day in the middle of August, I packed my two suitcases and a duffle bag into the back of the beat-up truck I purchased with the money left from Mom and Dad’s estate.

 

There, in front of Anthony’s apartment building, I said good-bye to my best friend and the closest thing I had to family. Hugging him tightly, I resisted as best I could the tears threatening to fall.

We said I love you and promised to stay in touch and visit when we could. With a kiss on the cheek and yet another hug, he told me to go spread my wings and become the beautiful butterfly he had always known me to be.

 

 

About The Author:

Melissa is a 37 year-old stay at home mum and part-time Software Support Consultant. She lives in Perth Western Australia the most isolated capital city in the world. 

She’s always loved to read and write and spent most of her teens scribbling poetry and short stories on any scrap of paper she could get her hands on. Over the years as daily life pressures got in the way she lost the passion for it. After her son was born, she discovered online books and her interest in writing was rekindled. It has been a large part of her life ever since.

 
Buy Links:    Amazon Barnes&Noble

Author Links:   Site    Twitter

  

Giveaway:

Melissa is giving away a digital copy of Life in Siutcases. To enter to win just fill out the Raffllecopter below. 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Book Blitz: Knocking Down Heaven's Door

Knocking Down Heaven’s Door

Zillah Anderson

Remember when everyone else thought they knew you? Remember when everyone else thought they knew better?

Layla’s a small-town teen trying to be herself and is misinterpreted at every turn. She’s not popular  because her dad’s a minister and her interests never seem to match those around her. She’s learned to keep to herself and her music – big mistake. When her love of classic rock makes her parents wonder if she’s “getting ideas” she finds herself shipped off to church camp. There she’s faced with horrible food and her day is planned out by the millisecond. To make matters worse her bunkmate is the cheery, tow-the-line sort and Donna, her nemesis, is at the same camp and is determined to make things hard for her. The only thing Layla has left to cling to is her music, but when her interests and character are challenged will her faith in herself and her shaky trust in something more be strong enough to see her through?

 Buy Links: No Boundaries Press / Amazon / Barnes & Noble

 

Excerpt:

After getting checked in, I headed out to my cabin to dump my gear before orientation. No, cabin was an optimistic word. I can still see that building in my head: an enormous brown wooden structure that looked more like a workhouse or a barrack than a happy little camp house. Like the main buildings my home away from home could have used a coat of paint and some insecticide. It was amazing that the wooden structure hadn’t rotted away from being stuck back in the damp forest so long.

The inside of my cell didn’t give me a reason to be any more optimistic. Besides the obligatory sections of bunk beds there were wooden chests of drawers and a couple wobbly tables and chairs. It was all very Berenstain Bears meets Camp Crystal Lake. Still, it wasn’t like I had a choice in the matter. All I could really do was make the best of it and wait things out.

Common sense ruled that most of the beds in the room were occupied, or else they’d grown their own bedding out of boredom. Sighing, I dragged my stuff to the one empty lower bunk and began to make myself at home. I was so wrapped up in self-pity that I was only interested in getting my bed made so I could escape the humid, musty-smelling place.

“Wow, you’re new aren’t you?” a perky voice chirped. I jumped hard enough to slam my head into the rickety bunk above mine.

“Wild observation,” I hissed through the throbbing in my skull. A girl the size of my forearm slid gracefully off the top bunk and dropped to the floor without a sound. I’d been in high school long enough to be an expert profiler and there was no doubt in my mind that she was a cheerleader. The summer just kept getting better.

“I’m Missy; I’ve been coming here ever since I was nine,” she added then beamed a smile any dentist or orthodontist would probably be tempted to frame. I was tempted to ask if she wanted a medal for the accomplishment but held my tongue. I’d been around youth group enough to know that if there was something to count attendance for, there were pins and badges to commemorate it. Sure enough, on the crisp white polo shirt she sported was a small gold pin with a series of added bars to show off each year she’d returned to the asylum.

“I’m Layla,” I managed as I gracefully slammed my stuff onto the bottom bunk in an effort to encourage her to leave me alone.

“Isn’t that Hebrew for something?” she asked with a tilt of the head that was probably meant to show off her blonde locks. It just made her look like a curious Labrador retriever.

“Dunno. I think my parents’ gave me the name because they were listening to Derek and the Dominoes when I was conceived,” I said as I busied myself tucking clothes away and dutifully slid my Bible under my pillow. It was an outright lie, but it was worth seeing Missy’s baffled expression. Having an unusual name meant you got tired of explaining it really quick. I’d already come to the conclusion that as soon as I was old enough to get a tattoo I would get my name, its pronunciation, and its meaning inked someplace really visible so I’d never have to have that conversation ever again.

“Are you planning on wearing that to the orientation?” she asked in an attempt to change the subject, and nodded to my Led Zeppelin shirt. As she stared her expression grew dubious. I wasn’t a size zero blonde cheerleader, but I wasn’t anything to sneeze at. Still, it seemed she was more interested in the strange, presumably satanic writing scrawled across my chest than my chest itself. At least I hoped so.

“Sure, what’s wrong with it?” I asked, my raised eyebrows practically daring her to say it. In those days, I had fun antagonizing girls like Missy. They were all for preaching peace and acceptance and knew they should lead by example. Despite that philosophy, quite often the synapses just didn’t connect the saying to the doing, especially once Sunday was over.

“Well, it’s just that…we don’t really wear stuff like that here. What’s ‘Stairway to Heaven,’ anyway?”

“You’ve never heard of that?” I blanched and slid my bag under the bed. “Oh, wow, Missy; you’ve never heard that song? I mean, it’s ‘Stairway to Heaven!’ It’s like one of the best Christian rock songs ever, all about God’s forgiveness and salvation and stuff! You have to climb the Stairway to Heaven if you’re gonna be saved, right?”

I could see her ticking through her mental Bible retention in the silence that followed. Luckily, most Sunday school lessons focus on the same ten to twelve stories over and over again. It was one advantage of being a pastor’s kid – I could do far more than hold my own in a fight over the Bible, though I hated to get into those types of arguments. No one ever won and it wasn’t about the book or spirituality, itself, but about proving that you were right. No thank you. “Yeah, I think I remember reading that somewhere. I’ll have to go looking for that song…though Led Zeppelin doesn’t really sound like a Christian group.”

I shook my head in pity. “C’mon Missy, you’re forgetting where it talks about the absence of faith causing one to descend from salvation with the strength of a zeppelin crafted from lead,” I went on, more and more amazed when she nodded somberly. That was the trouble with all the new, watered-down translations; for all I knew there was a verse that had been retranslated as such.

“You’re so right, Layla. You’re so, so right,” Missy nodded and placed one of her perfectly-manicured hands on my shoulder. She looked like she was nearly in tears, moved as she was. “I’m so glad you’re my bunkmate.” I followed her numbly towards Harmony Hall.

About the Author:

Never one to run from uncomfortable or unusual subject matter, Zillah Anderson is an author of the speculative, the dark, and the sexy– and sometimes all three at once. She is the author of The Inheritance and the young adult title Knocking Down Heaven’s Door with No Boundaries Press, the erotic short Power Chord with Rebel Ink Press, and has also had her work included in the Wicked East Press Anthology Halloween Frights vol. III. She resides in the Midwest, loves all things crafty and nerdy, and writes while she bides her time for her true purpose: total world domination.

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