Guest Promo (CXXIX) #Eggcerpt Exchange Lisa Ann

R.O.S.E 

Riders of Sins Eternal

                                                             by  Lisa Ann

Blurb:

Riders of Sins Eternal have only one law: Always pay your debts.

Alexandra Scott was in the wrong place at the wrong time. Striving to become a reporter in the fast paced world of journalism, she can’t believe it when she becomes the ‘breaking news’ after a night out with her best friend.

Garrick Donovan had come to terms with the deal he had made over a century ago, he had been able to get his revenge and nothing would make him regret that. While out cruising, he comes across a bunch of hoods attacking a young woman, something he can’t ignore.

Alexandra finds herself immersed in a world of dark secrets that could destroy both her and Garrick. It is now up to her to decide if what she and Garrick may have is worth the consequences or to get out while she still has time.

Buy link:Amazon.com

Excerpt:

He hadn’t noticed that the woman was now out of the car, hunched down by her door, memorizing everything that was happening. Unfortunately, Happy had.

“Guess we’re going to get messy,” Happy answered, his voice high-pitched with nerves. Pulling her by the hair, he held her in front of him like a shield. Garrick wanted to double over laughing but kept his focus on rescuing the woman, clearing his throat instead.

Happy smiled when he mistook Garrick’s cough as nervousness. Alexandra struggled against his grip but Happy just laughed and held her tighter by both arms. “Oh, a fighter, I like that in the bedroom,” Happy whispered into her ear as he licked the side of her face.

Alexandra’s stomach rolled with disgust. She raised her knees into her chest and pushed her feet back as hard as she could; her three inch heels made contact and the howl that escaped his mouth was beyond satisfying to Garrick. Losing his grip, Alexandra spun around and punched him square in the nose.

Garrick wanted to stop and applaud but it would have to wait; he was engaged in his own battle. Taking on the two remaining men, he had decided to put away his gun. One of the men laughed at the move and pulled out a switchblade before lunging at Garrick.

With one swift move, Garrick side-swiped the man, grabbing his arm and twisting it behind his back, making him drop the knife. Raising his leg, he delivered a kick directly to the last man’s chest, knocking all the air out of him before turning around and delivering a head butt to the man he was holding that should have knocked them both out cold.

Free from her predicament, Alexandra rushed back to her car and frantically searched for her cell phone.

I’m in the biggest story of the night and I can’t reach my cell phone because I have hands the damn size of Sasquatch! Damn you, Dad!

She continued to curse her father’s name until she finally fished the phone from between the console and seat.

Garrick had subdued the other men and now had Happy, blood pouring from his nose, pinned against the back of her sedan when he heard the distinctive click.

You’ve got to be kidding me. He sighed. I stop to do one good thing, he thought as he gave Happy a left hook to the temple, watching as the man crumpled at his feet.

Another click sounded, then another and another. Alexandra didn’t want to miss one shot. Leaning over to get a close up of one of the men’s faces, she jumped when Garrick grabbed her hand.

A bolt of electricity passed between them as he held her hand, wrestling the phone away. Their eyes met for a brief second before he took it from her grasp.

Character Interview: Garrick Donovan

Interviewer: Belonging to a motorcycle club (MC), I take it that you have a nickname the guys like to call you?

GD: {Grumbles} I got one, but they know better than to use it.

Interviewer: Oh, well, okay. What do you do for a living?

GD: I’m a soul collector

Interviewer: Not a man of many words are you?

GD: {just stares}

Interviewer: Ok. What’s your birthday?

GD: {Shrugs} Not exactly sure, they didn’t keep great records back then. If I had to guess, September 1849.

Interviewer shuffles question cards: Do you have a fear or nightmare that plagues you?

GD: {Sits up straight} As a matter of fact, I do. Recycling scares the shit out of me.

Interviewer: {puzzled} Why does recycling scare you? It’s good for the planet!

GD: {shaking his head} No, this recycling is when I die.

Interviewer wanting to get the heck of there: So is not getting recycled your most important goal?

GD: Not anymore. Protecting the woman I love is.

Author Information:

Lisa Arrington works as an Information Security Associate by day and Writer by night. Lisa attended a local technical college and received an associate degree in Computer Networking which she put right to use. Lisa lives in Southern Arizona with her two sons and when not writing she can be found curled up on her favorite chair with Kindle in hand, reviewing books for her blog. Or chauffeuring the boys around town for basketball games or playing candy crush soda on her phone. She loves the color blue, can’t get enough cherry cheesecake ice cream or junior mints and will forever be in a power-struggle over the big screen TV with her youngest child.

Webpage: http://lisaawritesreads.com/

Email: lisaawrites@gmail.com

Twitter: @lisaawrites

Mysterious Romania (XXIII) Old Women’s Days-Babele

                                             

Romanians have a lot of customs and traditions linked to spring, especially to the month of March. Beside the lovely Martisor tradition, on 1st March, there’s also an interesting one linked to the first nine days of this month. It dates back to ancient times and I think it’s unique.

Our ancestors were aware that the first days of March are too cold, or too warm. Typical spring weather. They called these first nine days of changing weather - Old Women’s Days aka Babele.

From 1st to 9th March people have to choose one day, or better said an old woman, which will reveal their true nature. If the weather is nice on that day, the person is a kind-hearted one. If the weather is rainy, cold it means the person is unkind and peevish.

Old Women’s Days finish on 9th March when the weather already gets milder and sunnier.

Where does this belief come from?  The ethnographers say that the myth is one of the most important myths in Romania, that of Dochia.

If we take into consideration that the old Roman calendar started on 1st March, then old lady Dochia is the embodiment of the old year that is ending and must die at the beginning of March. Dochia’s death on 9th March is considered a border between the cold and the warm season.

There are numerous legends regarding old lady Dochia. One of them claims Dochia is an old woman who daily scourges her young daughter-in-law. Once, on 1st March, Dochia sends her to wash black wool until it gets white. The daughter-in-law goes to the river and washes the wool until her fingers start bleeding but the wool stays black. An angel takes pity on the poor young woman. The angel gives her a white flower and tells her to touch the black wool with it and the wool will turn white. Seeing her daughter-in-law with the flower in her hand, Dochia thinks spring has come and goes up the mountain with the sheep.

She puts on nine thick sheepskins to keep her warm. But while climbing the mountain the weather gets either too warm, or too cold, it rains and her sheepskins turn wet and heavy. Dochia takes them off, one by one, until she is dressed only with her shirt. Frost comes and Dochia freezes, being turned into stone, together with her sheep, as remembrance for what happens to mean people.

So, the days between 1st and 9th March represent the time when Dochia fulfills her destiny, climbing the mountain, together with her sheep, to die for rebirth. The instability of weather during this time is due to her freakish character.

We still keep the tradition in my family. Sometimes it’s funny how my husband tries to check the weather forecast ahead to be able to pick a sunnier day. Sometimes it fits, other times it doesn’t. We have a lot of fun on this topic.

Another thing I should mention in connection with the day of 9^th March, when Dochia dies. On this day women bake a sort of small cakes having the shape of number 8. They are called mucenici/martyrs. It’s dough and sprinkled with grind nuts and honey on top. They represent the spirit of wheat brought as sacrifice to a solar deity. I think this meaning was lost along the time and is considered more as a remembrance of the dead people in one’s family.

Another more exotic custom on 9^th March, especially in the countryside, says that men should drink 40 or 44 glasses of wine. This is a reminiscent of the ancient Bacchic celebrations. This too, has lost the ancient meaning. I wonder if men have any idea where the custom originated. One thing is clear - they have an excuse to drink.