New Years And Old Years In Romance

 The 2022 New Year will soon be upon us.

I thought it would be nice per nostalgia to show you how my 2010 New Year Blog Post began. 

Happy New Year, I hope the holidays were happy for everyone.

I have a great blog for you, it begins with the information on my next release, in February for All Romance E-books 28 Days of Heart series to benefit the American Heart Campaign. 

All Romance will release one title each day, for 28 days, during the month of February. They also will compile them into 5 anthologies and Charlain Harris is writing the foreword. All proceeds will benefit the American Heart Association. My 28 Days of Heart story is Timeless Voyage, it will be released 02/20/10, and here's the blurb. 

BLURB: Off the mist-shrouded coast of Ireland, a pagan lady-pirate, Anwen, captures the enemy, a Roman, Titus Rufius Kaeso. The Celtic warrior woman presses her hard iron dagger against Kaeso's throat, but her arm does not obey the will to slay him. From time out of mind, memories of fated lovers, druids, and sacrifice, stay her hand. Kaeso is also captivated by dreams of the woman he loved in a previous life, the mirror image of Anwen. But in this lifetime they are foes, Roman and Celt. Can Anwen and Kaeso steer their timeless voyage to a happy destiny or will they be robbed of love once more? 

QUOTE OF THE MONTH: "The ability of writers to imagine what is not the self, to familiarize the strange and mystify the familiar, is the test of their power." Toni Morrison 

WORDS OF THE MONTH: Lake Superior State University released the 35th annual List of Words Banished from the Queen's English for Mis-use, Over-use, and General Uselessness http://www.lssu.edu/banished/current.php

 

NEW REVIEW: Queen of Kings: 

Macha Mong Raud by Cornelia Amiri Reviewed by Penny Ash at Night Owl Romance Reviews "I found Queen of Kings well written and very close to the original legend. If you like the ancient Celtic world you'll enjoy this book." http://www.nightowlreviews.com/nightowlromance/reviews/Review.aspx?daoid=5429

Both books have been reprinted by me, long hence, with new covers.

A lot more than my covers have changed since 2010. Neither of the original publishers are still open. The only publisher I had that is still operating is Lyrical Press which sold and is now part of the Big 5. But the books are still here and so am I. I now have full rights for them and all my books and now I have over 40 published books. And, I'm still going strong and writing more at age 64. There is progression every year, which makes every year a good year, a happy year. I hope 2022 is a progressive year for all of you as well. After 2020, and 2021, the whole world deserves a wonderful year. 

Over the years the publishing industry and the Romance genre have changed so much. My first book came out in the New Year, January 2001 fromAwe Struck Ebooks.  The title then was - The Fox Prince. Here is the cover then, and here is the cover of its sequel—then titled—The Vixen Princess—when it first came out. 

When I wrote my first romance in 2000, The Fox Prince, it was contracted the same year. It was accepted by the first publisher I sent it to. The romance genre has changed so much. At that time all the heroines had to start out in the book as virgins. And also, dark scenes were out. I remember going to a panel at the Romantic. Times Convention in Houston, TX in 2000, and there a prominent New York agent said, "Now when righting historicals, a lot of sad things happened with native Americans and other dark things but you don't want to include any of that in your books. It's just too depressing for the readers and they don't read romance for that." - That's pretty close to what he said though I can't vouch for every word as it was 21 years ago. But now there are so many romances that are dark and the virgins are pretty much gone except for the clean and wholesome romances. 

Do you have any predictions for changes in the romance genre or the publishing industry in the coming year, 2022? Feel free to post them are anything else you want to comment on below. And here's wishing all my readers and fellow romance authors a Happy New Year from me, Cornelia Amiri 

All About The Solstice

 

It’s All About The Winter Solstice

It’s that mystical time of the year when the shortest day and the longest night fall in the Northern Hemisphere. In Welsh, they call it Alban Arthan (Light of Winter), but most English speakers refer to December 21st to 22nd as the Winter Solstice.

To the ancient Celts, this day signified the battle and defeat of the Holly King (ruling from Midsummer to Midwinter) by the Oak King (ruling from Midwinter to Midsummer). The Holly King, also seen as a wren bird, symbolized the old year and the shortened sun, while the Oak King, also seen as a robin, stood for the new year and growing sun.  The Celts would act out the battle of the Oak King defeating the Holly King during the Winter Solstice celebration. 

Wren hunts also signified the death of the Holly King. In Ireland, Wales, and the Isle of Man, Lá an Dreoilín, (Wren Day) was celebrated on December 26.  Wren-boys dressed in masks or straw suits, and usually rode a hobby horse covered in a sheet. Strings controlled the hobby horses, when pulled, their mouths closed, and their legs kicked. Wren-boys were led by a boy dressed as a male captain and a boy dressed as a female captain. These boys hunted and killed a wren as a tribute to the light for overcoming the dark. They’d lay the dead wren in a box decorated with evergreens on a pole and go from house to house asking for food and good cheer. The wren was buried at the end of the rounds. Nowadays they use a fake wren instead. 

In Wales, both the Holly King and wrens were associated with the Welsh god Bran. Holly and Ivy are also linked to Bran. For the Winter Solstice, Yule logs were brightly decorated with holly and ivy.  Ale or mead was sprinkled over the log before it was lit. It was kept slowly, yet steadily burning for 12 days in the fireplace. To pass the light on from one year to the next, the ancient Celts kept part of the unburned log safely to one side to use for lighting the next year’s Yule log. Also, they stashed the log’s ashes away until spring, at which time they mixed them with seeds, and scattered them on the fields, spreading the blessing contained in the Yule log over the land.

Mistletoe and oak were sacred to the ancient Celts. As an evergreen plant, Mistletoe symbolized continued life over the dark cold winter. That is why druids picked it from oak trees five days after the new moon following the Winter Solstice. One druid climbed the tree and cut the mistletoe with a sickle, while others held an open sheet beneath him to catch the sacred plant since it was taboo to let it touch the ground. The druids handed out sprigs of mistletoe to tribesmen who hung them over entranceways for protection. Mistletoe is also believed to be an aphrodisiac, so this might be where the holiday tradition of ‘kissing under the mistletoe’ originated.

And last but not least, a highlight of the Winter Solstice was a grand feast. The Celts’ livelihood depended on what they could raise, grow, or hunt. So, the long, cold days of winter were hard on them. Since they didn’t have enough grain to feed all the cattle during winter, many were slaughtered at this time. This meant fresh meat for the winter solstice feast. Also, ale and mead brewed during the year fermented by this time and were ready for drinking.

We can draw on these ancient traditions and create our own modern Winter Solstice adventures and celebrations for our families and friends. Some simple ideas are:

• Bake a yule log cake 
• Serve your family dinner by candlelight
• Wake up early on the longest day of the year to watch the sunrise
• Take a moment to reflect on what the sun means to you and what that sun gives to us
• Decorate your home with greenery and light with your choice of a Christmas tree, evergreen branches, pinecones, holly berries, mistletoe berries, or candles
• Serve up a warm solstice drink: wassail or mulled wine or hot apple cider
• Make a Wreath
• Bake round shortbread Solstice Cookies in the shape of the sun. Or other great Solstice treats like Yule Kinship cookies or Christmas cookies

Or read a Winter Solstice book. 

In the Bear and the Druidess, Cornelia takes her readers back to a Celtic Iron Age celebration of the Winter Solstice. 

Winter is Coming and So Is The Shifter Bear God

The Bear and the Druidess

My Celtic Winter Solstice novella, The Bear and the Druidess is the third book in my Druidry and the Beast series. It’s available where ebooks are sold.

Here’s the blurb:

Sometimes a secret must be revealed to move from the winter of love into its spring.

Romans stole all the winter grain from Druidess Bronwen’s tribe. Now, pursued by Romans, she ducks into a cave to hide. There she finds a handsome warrior who offers to help. He ignites a fiery spark of attraction within her but she can tell he’s keeping something from her.

The prayers of a beautiful druidess he can’t resist lead the Bear God Artaois into the cave where Bronwen is hiding. He pretends to be asleep until she finds him.

Artaois (Art) is determined to spend the longest night of the year with her. But Bronwen doesn’t realize he’s a god. He keeps his secret from her and even though he can transform into a bear, he only reveals himself in human form.

With the Winter Solstice upon them, can Artaois (Art) find a way to save her tribe from starvation? And, when Bronwen finally discovers his secret, will she leave the romance building between them out in the cold.

So, what is the Winter Solstice, you may ask. You know it's the longest night of the year. But, why and how did the ancient Celts celebrate it?

Well, it’s December 21st to 22nd, when the shortest day and the longest night of the year fall in the Northern Hemisphere. In Welsh they call the Winter Solstice  Alban Arthan (Light of Winter).

To the ancient Celts this day signified the battle and defeat of the Holly King (ruling from Midsummer to Midwinter) by the Oak King (ruling from Midwinter to Midsummer). The Holly King, also seen as a wren bird, symbolized the old year and the shortened sun, while the Oak King, also seen as a robin, stood for the new year and growing sun. The Celts would act out the battle of the Oak King defeating the Holly King during the Winter Solstice celebration.

They also had wren hunts, signifying the death of the Holly King. In Ireland, Wales, and the Isle of Man, Lá an Dreoilín, (Wren Day) was celebrated December 26. Wrenboys dressed in masks or straw suits, usually had a hobby horse covered in a sheet, and it had strings which could close their mouths and make their legs kick. Wren boys were led by a captain and a boy who dressed as a female captain. These boys hunted and killed a wren as tribute to the light for overcoming the dark. They’d set the dead wren in a box decorated with evergreens on a pole and go from house to house asking for food and good cheer. The wren was buried at the end of the rounds. Nowadays, they use a fake wren instead. Both the Holly King and wrens are associated with the Welsh god Bran.

For the Winter Solstice, ancient Celts decorated Yule logs with holly and ivy, which are linked to the God Bran. Usually, they sprinkled ale or mead over the log before they lit it. They kept it slowly, yet steadily burning for 12 days in the fireplace before extinguishing it. To pass the light on from one year to the next, they kept part of the unburned log safely to one side and used it to light next year’s Yule log. Also, they stashed the log’s ashes away until spring, at which time they mixed them with seeds and scattered them on the fields, spreading the blessing contained in the Yule log over the land.

Mistletoe and oak were sacred to the ancient Celts. As an evergreen plant, Mistletoe symbolized continued life over the cold dark winter which is why druids picked it from oak trees five days after the new moon following the Winter Solstice. One druid climbed the tree and cut the mistletoe with a sickle, while others held an open a sheet beneath him to catch the sacred plant since it was taboo to let it touch the ground. The druids handed out sprigs of mistletoe to tribesmen who hung them over entranceways for protection. Mistletoe is also believed to be an aphrodisiac, so this might be where the holiday tradition of ‘kissing under the mistletoe’ originated.

The Celts livelihood depended on what they could raise, grow, or hunt. So, the long, cold days of winter were hard one them. Since they didn’t have enough grain to feed all the cattle during winter, many were slaughtered at this time. This meant fresh meat for the winter solstice feast. Also, ale and mead brewed during the year fermented by this time and were and ready for drinking.

Happy Thanksgiving and Welcome to Winter

 My newest release is a short memoir. 

Romance Author, Cornelia Amiri, chronicles her comedy-drama experiences of the pandemic, hip replacement surgery, and moving into a 55+ community. 

All of which turned March 2020 to March 2021 into a period of chaos, uncertainty, and … laughter—that she covers in chapters such as:

• The Fire Watcher
• The Zombie Parade
• The Great Toilet Paper Fire

Can Cornelia avoid covid-19 with highly sociable neighbors, who refuse to take any precautions? Will she overcome the crazy obstacles in her path and finally get her hip replacement surgeries? And, moreover, what does her cat think of

all of this?

HERE ARE TWO ESSAYS FROM THE BOOK:

THE GREAT TOILET PAPER FIRE 

We need toilet paper. None of the stores have any. When you find some, you hoard it. Looks like I’m going to run out of it soon. On my last three orders, the stores I use didn’t have any.

A major grocery chain in Texas is offering free deliveries to the elderly during the pandemic. Seniors only have to pay a $10 tip to the driver. Except a charity is covering the tip, so it’s actually a totally free delivery for us. But, since my email is entered wrong in their system, I have to order by phone instead of online.

I tell the volunteer order-taker, “I know they probably won’t have it but put down toilet paper. Any size—any kind is fine.”

“Toilet paper is hard right now.” She stretches out some of her vowels with the soft back of the mouth sounds of a Texas drawl. “Did ya hear what happened to that eighteen-wheeler on its way to Houston?”

“No, I don’t watch the news much right now.”

“A diesel truck hauling toilet paper to Houston caught fire on the highway.” Her voice lifted in excitement. “All the toilet paper went up in flames.”

“My god, you can’t make stuff like that up.” And. Another thing missing on my bingo card. My mind spun with dizziness as I was hit by shock, amusement, and horror all at the same time. What if the toilet paper meant for the store near me was on that truck?

About four hours later, my groceries arrive. A warm swirling feeling rises in my chest. Sitting among all the plastic bags is a big package of twelve double-size rolls of toilet paper. I gasp and squeal like a kid finding a bike under the tree on Christmas day. I guess a truck that didn’t burn up reached the store. And just in time… I was down to my last roll.

 On April 1, 2020, a big-rig truck carrying toilet paper crashed and caught on fire in Dallas County. Thousands of rolls of toilet paper burned up. This is true. It was not an April Fools prank, though that is the day it happened. On April 1, 2020, there were 1,021 deaths in the US from Coronavirus, just on this day.

 

I CAUSED THE TEXAS FREEZE 

 I hear knocking and open my door to see Raggedy Ann or should I say Raggedy Kathy, my neighbor. 

Her hands are on her hips. “The apartment on the first floor that is directly underneath yours is leaking through the ceiling.”

“That’s terrible.” What else am I supposed to say? And the first floor is not directly beneath the third. The second floor is in between first and third. Two-year-old kids can count to three after all. Everyone can, except my neighbor, Kathy, apparently. “The pipes probably broke due to the freeze. Did they call maintenance?”

Her face looks wider and shorter, with jaw jutting, nostrils flaring, eyes squinting, and brows pulled together. “You need to stop whatever you’re doing,” she says in a rumbling bulldozer tone. “You flooded his apartment. Stop it.”

I’m speechless as my ears catch up with my brain. I swallow hard and open my mouth. “That’s impossible. The pipes are frozen. No one in the building has water. The toilets aren’t flushing --”

Her bulldozer voice runs over my words, interrupting my attempt to talk sense to a crazy person. “No one’s toilet is, Cor-neil-yuk.”

“Right. So, there is no way I could flood anyone’s apartment now. There is no running water to leak anywhere. And even if his leak was caused by the apartment above his, it would be the one on the second floor, not the third. It’s one, two, three.”

“I said the first-floor apartment, Cornelia. I said the first floor.”

"But I’m on the third floor. You said directly beneath me.”

“Yes, that’s right. This apartment is directly above his.”

“Listen, he needs to call maintenance. I don’t know much about repair stuff, but the handyman might have to go to his apartment and open up the area of the ceiling that’s under the pipes beneath the second-floor apartment and fix it. I’m sure the whole thing is unknown to the resident who really is directly above him. As far as my apartment, there is no mildew or any signs of a leak in my apartment at all. I don’t have anything to do with his pipes bursting. I didn’t cause the snow and the ice. I certainly cannot be blamed for bursting pipes.”

“If I have to kill you to stop you, I will.”

“Stop me from doing what?”

She throws her arms into the air. “From flooding his apartment.”

“I’m alone, no way to get out, fire alarms are going off in all the apartments and the hallway and I smell a burning smell. And you come to threaten me and make up a vicious lie about me.”

“The alarms stopped. And the smell was burning wood which is why the alarms went off. Because I know.”

“Then go find out who is burning wood in their apartment because no one here has a fireplace. And go to the second floor and see if that lady caused the flooding. After all, it’s impossible for me to have done it. And leave me alone.” I slam the door, leaving her in the hallway.

Kathy is one of those founding residents. This is the only apartment complex I know of that has such a thing. They moved in when the complex was under construction, and they seem to think they are owners. But they are not, there’re residents like me and everyone else here. They don’t follow apartment rules, like wearing masks, and they make their own rules.

Also, needless to say, neither Kathy’s harassment are the Texas Freeze were on my 2021 Bingo card.

From February 14 to February 20, in 2021, Texas was hit with a major power crisis resulting from three severe winter storms. More than 4.5 million homes and businesses were left without power. Some for several days. At least 210 people were killed directly or indirectly. Some estimates of connected deaths are as high as 702. Regarding Covid-19, on February 16, it was reported that The Texas Freeze halted Texas’ urgent and critical Covid-19 vaccination efforts—delaying the delivery of hundreds of thousands of doses that were scheduled to arrive and preventing about 1 million injections by hundreds of providers that week.

TO READ MORE - CLICK HERE AND CLICK ON LOOK INSIDE  ON THE AMAZON BOOK PAGE

Samhain and Shifters

 My Halloween novella is called The Wolf and the Druidess. A Celtic take on werewolf tales. It’s set at Samhain and the hero is the Celtic god Gwydion, who shapeshifts into a wolf. It is also the first novella in the series Druidry and the Beast.

The Wolf and the Druidess

A god leaves the Otherworld and even risks his life … for love.

In days of old, deep in the dark woods, Druidess Seren discovers a wolf shapeshifting into the bare, muscular body of God Gwydion. Her wicked thoughts turn from the Samhain feast to feasting on Gwydion’s yummy goodies. Can their new found love survive the ultimate long-distance relationship of a god in the otherworld and a woman on earth? Is the love Seren and Gwydion share strong enough to overcome the social barrier between an immortal god and a mortal woman? Will the warning of danger from beyond the grave destroy the sensual magic brewing between the wolf and the druidess?

Excerpt:

They came to a stop at the top of the hill, standing before the roaring bonfire. As the onlookers gathered around, Gwydion slipped off the druid robe and yanked the blue tunic over his head then let them both fall to the ground. He blazed like the fire he stood before and his heart pounded. Sliding his long fingers to the gold clasp at his belt, he unfastened it, then climbed out of his braies and kicked them to the side. The crowd cheered, but he had no cares for what they thought, he saw nothing but the woman before him. Scrying her in the sacred salmon pond, he’d watched her from afar, and now he would have what he long desired. Seren. With his eyes locked on her, he waited for her to disrobe and bare her body to him.

His gaze devoured her as the gold-speckled druid garment swished around her bare legs as her lithe feet kicked to and fro in a fast pace around the fire. As she slipped off the robe, it hit the dirt. Moving to the rhythmic beat of the drum, she unraveled the knot of her hemp belt and her plaid skirt dropped to the ground. Seren hoisted her tunic over her head and threw it down.

Hurrahs rang out as they danced, circling the fire. Gwydion’s heart raced to the rhythmic beat of the bodhran as he jumped and kicked his feet in fast movements.

Here is the Blurb for the boxset Druidry and the Beast:

Five hot, shapeshifter gods and five passionate druidesses save the tribes of Ancient Britain.

Can these couples overcome the surmountable odds of a romance between mortals and immortals being anything more than a Celtic fire festival tryst? As the wheel of the year, flaming like searing desire both on Earth and the Otherworld, turns with the seasons from:

Samhain with God Gwydion, a wolf shapeshifter, and druidess Seren, as the sensual magic brewing between them, could be destroyed by a warning of danger from beyond the grave

Beltane with God Dewey, a dragon shapeshifter, and druidess Nona, dealing with whatever evil the jealous chief might unleash on them.

The Winter Solstice with God Artaois, a bear shapeshifter, and Druidess Bronwen, fighting to save her tribe from starvation

The Summer Solstice with Epon, a unicorn shapeshifter, and druidess Maelona, as he battles the Romans to save her tribe

Lughnasa with God Lleu, a lynx shapeshifter and Druidess Wendolen as he tries to overcome the Romans and she tries to overcome her tribes' mistrust of Lleu.

The five-book novella series box-set is on sale now for October for 99¢.

Happy Samhain/Halloween and Happy Reading. 

Romance and Adventure Await With Kindle Vella

If you like serialized stories, check out Amazon's new platform for readers—Kindle Vella. They break brand new, previously unpublished novels down to episodes up to 5000 words. Then, release one episode at a time. 

The first few episodes are free. You pay for the rest with tokens. The token price is based on the word count of the episodes—it’s set at one token per 100 words. But Amazon is generously giving a large number of tokens free to readers.  They also offer several bundle options for purchasing tokens. Readers can also use features such as faves and thumbs up. 

There are plenty of romances of all types on kindle vella. 

Here's a link https://www.amazon.com/kindle-vella/category/21364104011

And here's my Space Opera RomCom

https://www.amazon.com/kindle-vella/story/B09FTCJ567

 

Rare Finds

Dr. Robbie McGreggor’s job as a civilian Xenoarchaeologist aboard the starship Celestial is discovering remains of long-lost extraterrestrial civilizations. Chosen to visit a planet not yet explored, he is stunned to encounter an alien culture that resembles deities from earth mythology. There he encounters his rarest find, Niamh, a passionate Irish Goddess. The Scottish Archeologist and the Space Goddess travel together on a path of adventure, danger, and romance throughout the galaxy.

For more Amazon print and ebooks of mine, please visit https://www.amazon.com/Cornelia-Amiri/e/B002BLFENY/ref=aufs_dp_fta_dsk

Take a Far Out Time Travel Trip - Aug 2021 to Aug 1969

Need a break from August 2021 - Covid's new surges and everything else - take a ride back on a 1960 Volkswagon van time-travel machine to August of 1969 with - Back To The One I Love by Cornelia Amiri.

On August 1969,  a mind-blowing Aquarian Exposition—3 Days of Peace & Music took place at Max Yasgur's dairy farm in Bethel, New York. It turned out to be one of the biggest and grooviest rock festivals ever, and an iconic cultural and historical event. The concert was far-out with thirty-two acts including Joan Baez, Santana, the Grateful Dead, Janis Joplin, Sly and the Family Stone, The Who, Jefferson Airplane, Joe Cocker, Jonny Winter, The Band, Blood, Sweat, and Tears, Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young, and Jimi Hendrix with what was probably the most memorable performance of the festival—his profound rendition of “The Star-Spangled Banner”.

Food was in short supply at Woodstock because the promoters only expected about 50,000, but around 400,000 showed up—which also created the largest traffic jam in the history of the Catskills, forcing State police to close the New York State Thruway’s Exit 104. Plus, on the second day of the festival, a downpour transformed the grounds of Max Yasgur’s dairy farm into a sea of mud.

Yasgur’s former farm, the site where all of this took place, has been remembered by the opening of both the Bethel Woods Center for the Arts and the Museum at Bethel Woods on the grounds and was also added to the National Register of Historic Places.

I am a babyboomer but I was only 12 in 1969—too young to hitchhike to Woodstock, unfortunately. However I always wanted to go, so by writing about it, I got to go, at least mentally, and I get to take all you wonderful readers along with me as well as two of my favorite characters, Cash and Keith.

Here's the blurb:

The thrilling adventure of first love and self-discovery is just as groovy the second time around.

A free-spirited, baby boomer couple, Cash and Keith, find their marriage of forty-five years unraveling amid apathy, boredom, and retirement. Cash feels Keith is no longer attracted to her and he’s consumed with a couch-potato life of streaming The Orville and Game of Throne episodes all day long. Trying to hang on to their marriage and rekindle the romance they lost along the way they turn to a counselor. The therapist uses an unorthodox magical method of a time-traveling Volkswagen van to cast them back into the garden…four days of Eden at Woodstock….the epic music festival… where they first fell in love.?Will the freedom of Woodstock lure Keith and Cash to push their individual boundaries and seek new lovers? Or can Déjà Vu and grooving to music….truly lead them to rediscover the peace, love, and harmony they once shared?

Excerpt:

Cash’s mind was in a haze, floating with the music, moving her body freely?bouncing, jiggling, dancing her heart out.

Keith clapped with Cash as Jimi Hendrix picked the strings and worked the frets as he played “The Star Spangled Banner.”

In his hands, the inanimate object, the sleek, white electric Stratocaster, came to life, with jolts of electricity like Frankenstein’s monster.

This was no confused, lonely monster Hendrix created, Cash thought. This is raw, spiritual beauty.

“The notes are ‘The Star Spangled Banner’ mixed with truth and distortion, fear and hope, chaos and order, all fighting each other. It sounds like bombs and guns, screams of pain, and the whirl of army helicopters, all from the strings of his guitar,” Keith said.

“The national anthem has never been played like that before him or since him,” Cash said, with an edge of awe to her voice.

“He’s telling a story of freedom fighting to break through prejudices, lies, and cover-ups just by the way he’s playing the song,” Keith added.

“He’s incredible.” Goosebumps prickled on Cash’s arms when Jimi Hendrix laid the guitar on the stage and picked it as he ritually set it on fire, letting hype and lies go up in smoke and flames.

Tears formed in the corners of her eyes. “It’s the most incredible thing I’ve ever seen,” she said in an emptily charged, broken whisper.

Keith gulped hard. “It blows my mind.” He slapped his palms together, clapping with Cash, a long time after Hendrix left the stage.

“And we saw it twice, together.” She slipped her arm around Keith’s waist.

“How special are we?” He slid his arm around her shoulder and pulled her tight to him.

*~*~*

You can find more on Back To the One I Love here and Peace, Love, Music here.

Fun Facts and Ways to Celebrate Lughnassa

 

August 1st is Lughnassa, the harvest festival of the ancient Celts, later celebrated as Lammas by the early Christian Saxons. Lughnassa is named after the Irish sun god, Lugh. In Wales, he’s called Lleu.

Sunshine helps nurture the grain until it ripens. Then it’s reaped, prepared, and baked as fresh bread. In the ancient Celtic belief system, Lugh transmitted his power of the sun into the grain, and with the harvesting of the grain, the god was sacrificed.

Nowadays, we get any food we want from the grocery store year-round, so it’s nice to use Lughnassa as an opportunity to connect for a moment to nature and its cycle of seasons. For example:

If you like to cook—include fresh apples, pears, corn, or home-baked bread in one of your meals for the day.

For nature lovers and those that like to get away—take a walk through the woods. In a big city, you can visit an arboretum or a local nature center.

Or if you’re an arts and crafts person—it’s a great time to make corn dollies.

And for romance readers, The Lynx and the Druidess, the final book in my novella series, Druidry And The Beast, is a Lughnassa story.  Click Here

Blurb:

Loving a god has its advantages

Lleu, the radiant sun god, crosses between worlds to the Silures village for the fierce and stunning druidess, Wendolyn —a woman worth battling for. He longs to celebrate Lughnasa, the festival that honors him, with her.

Wendolyn is captivated by the striking stranger the moment he wanders into her village. Furthermore, she wants him with a fervor, burning her from within. However, he’s hiding his true identity. When he vows to save her tribe from the Romans marching toward them, everyone, including her dead father in a dream, says he is a coward who has run off.

Lleu is determined to win the love of druidess Wendolyn even if it means fighting the Roman army single-handed—by shapeshifting into his lynx body.

Will her tribe survive the Romans? And, can Wendolyn and Lleu’s relationship survive her tribe’s mistrust of him?

Excerpt:

With her heart hammering, Wyndolen stared with wonder at Lleu’s luscious nude body. She only glanced away long enough to pull a white robe, speckled with gold, out of the chest in the corner. She tugged it on, then fastened a plaid cloak over it with a round silver broach and latched her gaze onto Lleu again while he slipped his clothes back on.

They left the roundhouse and walked hand in hand to Cynfor’s home.

She called out to the woodmaker, “It is time.”

 Cynfor stepped out, clutching an iron rod and the wheel of the year coated with gooey tar.  As the three walked together to the center of the village, men, women, and children gathered around the druidess, muttering, “Lleu,” and “coward.”

Scanning the angry faces in the crowd, Wyndolen sighed. If only they knew the truth about him. But she couldn’t blame them, she was as guilty as they were. She hadn’t recognized he was a god, even after he’d told her. No, he had to show her his magic spear and reveal his dazzling aura. Now the others needed to learn the truth.  Tonight, at his festival, she would announce who he really was. But first she had to prepare her tribesmen for the news, to lessen their shock.

She held her palm upward toward the crowd and cleared her throat. “Hear me, I have a surprise for all of you. The presence of the god Lleu is here. You do not see him as he is in the guise of one of us. So, take care of how you treat each other, lest you offend the deity.”

Their expressions shifted from anger to shame as they were now all on their best behavior.

Taking graceful steps, she led all her tribesmen, chief, and Lleu to a cliff. Their chief proudly carried a blazing firebrand, and Cynfor held the sacred wheel with reverent hands. Everyone grew quiet and gazed down the mountain slope.

Wyndolen announced, “We have gathered this Lughnasa to observe the Wheel of the Year as it turns.” She raised her arms to the sky and smiled at Lleu as she chanted, “The sun burns, yet winter nears. The season turns. Summer comes to an end. Sun and earth, life to death the wheel turns, Lughnasa, Lughnasa.”

She took the torque from Corio, handed it to Lleu, and he lit the wheel of year aflame. Cynfor handed Wyndolen the iron rod. Then, the sun god, Lleu, ran beside her, on the other side of the flaming wheel, as she used the rod to roll it down that part of the mountain slope.

She chanted, “God of the sun, the wheel has turned, the yearly end of your reign has come.”

Smoke rose, as flames ate the wood. The wheel reached its end at the foot of the slope and crumbled into ash and burning fragments. The crowd stopped in their tracks and circled the symbol of the dying Lleu.

Happy Lughnassa to everyone!

Sweet or Sexy

Do you prefer your romances sweet or sexy? I recently created sweet versions of two of my Historical fantasy erotica romance novellas set in ancient Ireland. 

Here are the sexy versions:

The first is Timeless Voyage. 

This iron-age tale of a Celtic Warrior-Woman-Pirate and her tall, muscular, handsome Roman captive is set against the backdrop of romantic beaches and the hill of Tara with characters such as pirates, an arch druid, and the High King of Ireland. In their first life, Anwen and Kaeso's love came to a tragic end. In this life will their love end in a wedding or a druid sacrifice?

Here's the Blurb:

Neither centuries that have come and gone nor the seas between us can keep us apart.

As the Celtic pirate, Anwen, presses her hard iron dagger against the Roman's throat, memories of fated lovers, druids and sacrifice, stay her hand.

Kaeso is captivated by dreams of the woman he loved in a previous life, the mirror image of Anwen. In this lifetime they are foes, Roman and Celt. Can Anwen and Kaeso steer their timeless voyage to a happy destiny or will they be robbed of love once more?

Excerpt:
She clutched the dagger tighter. "I am Anwen, a druid novice of Ynys Mon."

His full lips parted and he let out a sharp laugh. "The old governor slew the druids of Ynys Mon. They are all dead."

"I survived." She tilted her chin high.

"Good fortune then." He flashed a row of white teeth as he grinned. "And now you hold a cargo of wine and fish sauce." The Roman's smile vanished and his eyes grew wide and moist. "Take it all. Just leave me my ship and crew. They are worth nothing to you."

"I think not." She took a deep breath. "Your voyage ends here." Clutching the blade hard, she flicked her wrist to stab him but her arm hung heavy. Startled and shocked, she swallowed. Jerking her head toward her crew, she yelled, "Breccan, Casnar, Orna, tie up the prisoner."

"What say you?" Starn the Stout balked at her order.

Her captive's extraordinary eyes, fathomless as the sea, drew her to him. How could a Roman be so handsome.

The second one is, Queen of Kings

It is about Macha Mong Ruadh, (Macha of the Red Braid) the only woman listed as a High King of Ireland. Upon the death of Cimbaeth, she, as the daughter of Aedh Ruadh, took her place on the throne as sole ruler. Geoffrey Geoffrey Keating dates her reign from 468 to 461 BC. The Annals of the Four Masters from 661 to 654 BC.  

Here's the Blurb.

As wild and beautiful as the land she rules, all men lust for her, warriors and kings bow to her might and magic, but one champion comes forth to gift her with a white bull and true love… but can the handsome stranger best her skills and win her heart?

Excerpt:

Macha let out a cackle. “Crow goddess, my patron, great Morrigan, I summon flight from my foes.” She threw her head back. “I shall return to feed on them, as is my due.” Fiery heat blazed through her skin, tingling with magical energy. Twirling a bright auburn braid with her fingers, she transformed it to a midnight hue. All form and texture changed before her. She ruffled the soft feathers cresting her head; they were so dark and beautiful.

Macha watched Cimbaeth’s eyes grow wide in shock. Dithorba gasped.

A shivery thrill spiraled through her. Now that they knew of her magic, the kings would fear what else she might do. She let out a raspy cackle. Clenching her teeth, moaning, the prickling sensation grew to a piercing pain. Quivering, feathers sprouted out of her flesh. Skin and bones stretching, twisting, leaving her small, compressed. Her teeth and tongue vanished. Snapping her beak open, she cawed at the two kings,whose faces grew ashen.

Shaky, she flapped her large wings, fighting to gain balance on short, thin legs with claws where feet had been. Her heart hammered faster than any human’s. Beating her wings hard—more rapidly than arms could move—she bobbed up and down until she soared off the ground. She was free once again. Blessing the dark goddess, Macha swooped down at the two kings, who ducked. Circling them seven times, her croaks pierced the air. She throbbed with breathless pleasure, feeding off the fright glistening in their eyes. Cawing loudly and flapping with all her might, she—now a crow—flew away from the cowering kings.

Both of these sexy romances are available in individual ebooks. Now, here are the sweet versions. 

My sweet version of both novellas are bundled  in an ebook titled, Queen of Clubs: Irish Romance Fantasies: The Sweet Versions

So you choose which versions you want to read of my Irish Historical Fantasy Romances—sweet or sexy. 

Please let me know:

If you are a reader, will you like to see more sweet versions of my sexy romances?  

If you are a romance author, have you written both sweet and sexy versions of any of your romances? 

Feel free to comment below. 

New Romances and Mysteries

Hello readers,

We've made it out of the Covid crisis and we have a new president and I have a new hip so life is good. I have some new releases of sorts. I wrote a contemporary mystery short story in 2008, Dead End Job, that was republished in an anthology called Chosen, last month. I  also have a bundled sweet versions, no sex in these, of two Irish novellas I wrote, Queen of Kings and Timeless Voyage. The individual ebooks of those titles are the sizzling versions with hot love scenes.

Two friends of mine have new releases. Julie D'Arcy's latest fantasy romance is called Time of the Wolf and P.J. MacLayne's final book in her Harmony Dupree series, The Ranger's Dog Tags was just released. I've read both books and loved them, and I've included them in this newsletter. 

NEW RELEASE THE QUEEN OF CLUBS A BUNDLE OF SWEET VERSIONS OF QUEEN OF KINGS & TIMELESS VOYAGE

The Sweet Versions of Two Irish Fantasy Novellas: QUEEN OF KINGS and TIMELESS VOYAGE. In Queen of Kings: As wild and beautiful as the land she rules All men lust for her, warriors and kings bow to her might and magic, but one champion comes forth to gift her with a white bull and true love… but can the handsome stranger best her skills and win her heart?   In Timeless Voyage: Neither centuries that have come and gone nor the seas between us can keep us apart. As the Celtic pirate, Anwen, presses her hard iron dagger against the Roman's throat, memories of fated lovers, druids and sacrifice, stay her hand. Kaeso is captivated by dreams of the woman he loved in a previous life, the mirror image of Anwen. In this lifetime they are foes, Roman and Celt. Can Anwen and Kaeso steer their timeless voyage to a happy destiny or will they be robbed of love once more? GET IT NOW NEW RELEASE OF CHOSEN BY THE WRITERS: An Anthology of Favorite Texas Mysteries INCLUDING  DEAD END JOB BY CORNELIA AMIRI  Mysteries selected by the writers as their favorites from nine previous short story anthologies: Dead and Breakfast, A Death in Texas, A Box of Texas Chocolates. Twisted Tales of Texas Landmarks, Texas Underground, Deadly Diversions, Denizens of the Dark, Menu for Mayhem, and Every Beast Has a Secret. GET IT NOW NEW HARMONY DUPREE  MYSTERY ROMANCE LAST IN THE SERIES THE RANGER'S DOG TAGS: Book 6 (Oak Grove Mysteries) It isn't the first time Eli Hennessey has disappeared. Is it the last? Eli Hennessey has vanished. His house in Oak Grove is in flames, his cell phone is out of commission, and friends in Florida can't find him. It's up to Harmony Duprie to track down her missing lover before her life shatters and his ends. Harmony's first discovery: Eli tricked her into signing paperwork putting her in charge of his company. Had he planned his disappearance? The answers won't be found in Oak Grove. Harmony hightails it to Florida in search of Eli and the truth. The Ranger's Dog Tags, Book 6 of the Harmony Duprie Mysteries, is the final book of the series. GET IT NOW NEW RELEASE FROM JULIE D'ARCY Time of the Wolf (The Tarlisian Sagas)  Sent by the Mage Brekan, Keilah, outlawed Princess of Carrum Bahl travels back in time to seek out Radin Hawk, the reincarnation of an ancient warrior king. She is not prepared for the strong feelings she has for him or the feeling of familiarity. Radin is always game for a good fight, but when the battle risks the woman who reminds him of his lost love he is not sure the price is worth it. But how can he leave her undefended to return to his own time? They follow Brekan on his quest to defeat Anya the Sorceress Queen and right an ancient wrong. But wonder what he is hiding. Can they trust their feelings and each other or are they just pawns in a larger game? QUEEN OF KINGS SEXY VERSION    MORE TIMELESS VOYAGE SEXY VERSION MORE GET IT NOW This email was sent to celticromancequeen@gmail.com why did I get this?    unsubscribe from this list    update subscription preferences Cornelia Amiri/Maeve Alpin · 6111 Winsome Ln #6 · Houston, TX 77057 · USA ReplyForward