Travel the World through Reading and Writing

Download your FREE copy of It’s Complicated (A Redcliffe Short Story) and meet the werewolves of Cornwall, England.  Click here. 

 

Summer time means reading time! 😎

 

Download your FREE copy of It’s Complicated (A Redcliffe Short Story) and meet the werewolves of Cornwall, England.  Click here. 

Guest Author and FREE #ASMSG Books

Today I welcome fellow ASMSG author Carolynne Raymond to my blog, where she will introduce you to her sci-fi/adventure/fantasy novel, A Life Cycle Reborn. Read on for your link to a FREE copy of the book that you can read on holiday (I will be doing just that!). The coupon code expires on 1st September, so download it now!

Synopsis

Robin has found love, a rewarding career and she is at a point where the sky is the limit, however something is missing. Robin knows that she should be happy. She feels that she needs a change and ends up getting one in the most unusual way, her death… Take a journey from one average life to one that has been long lost, known in the heart but forgotten in the mind. This is Robin’s tale of uncovering a forgotten world in a passed life.

Excerpt

This scene comes from Chapter 9 at the point Robin’s husband, Kyle wakes in the hospital after being in a car accident.

A week has passed, and my old body, Robin has been laid to rest. Family and friends have come to give their condolences and things have started to quiet down since all of the ceremonies have finished. My parents are still taking time off, and my parent-in-laws, Liz and Roger are still in town looking after Kyle, our home and Smarty, the dog.

My soul is with Kyle for the moment. He is resting in his hospital bed, and I can honestly say that he looks much better than when he had first arrived a week ago. He is alone, only I am here watching over him. Touching his hand; I know that he is ready to wake. He slowly opens his handsome blue eyes to an empty hospital room. Daylight fills the room, and he can hear the soft rumbling sounds of the machines behind him and the activity in the hallways. He slowly looks around the room, a little confused and then slowly looks down at the hand that I am holding and sees the IV in his skin. It all comes back to him.

I can’t talk to him now, for I am nothing, and I know that he can’t see me, only I know full well what is going on in his head. He wants answers. Carefully he sits up in his bed, his eyes have adjusted to the light, and he looks about the room. This isn’t a private room, and there is another bed separated by a curtain. For the moment the bed is unoccupied, but Kyle can’t tell because the curtain pulled out; he can only see the wheels at the bottom of the bed and the bottom of that bed’s night stand.

He whispers, “Robin, are you there?” He waits a moment. My soul hurts for him. “Robin, are you awake?” He says a little louder. I touch his cheek and kiss his face, but he doesn’t feel, or see me. His curiosity is urging him up; Kyle was never one to sit still. He rolls back the sheets and moves the bed rail down swinging his legs over the edge of the bed. Just then a nurse comes in to check on him.

She says, “Great to see that you are awake, I am just going to check your IV, and we will have the doctor here to check on you shortly.”

Kyle asks her, “Where is my wife?” The nurse knows what has happened and she can’t give him the courtesy to say it. She tinkers with his IV and fails to bring herself to look him in the eye.

“The doctor will be with you shortly.” She repeats like a robot. Kyle knows something isn’t right and begins to get cross with her.

Kyle demands, “Is she in this hospital?”

The nurse murmurs, “I am sorry I can’t say.” She makes with haste to the door and that’s when Kyle’s temper makes its appearance. He sits up and rips the tape from his arms which is holding the IV line in place, unhooks it from his hand and arm, and then he unhooks the things monitoring his heart. Beeping noises start sounding, and the nurse turns, rushing back to him, “You can’t do that sir.” She pleads and tries to reconnect him, but Kyle isn’t having any of it.

He snaps at the nurse, “If you aren’t going to tell me I will find someone who will.” He starts to get up, and she is gently trying to ease him back into bed. Despite the fact that he is still recovering, his strength is more than she can manage, and he is wining this match.

Before Kyle wins his battle with the nurse his mother, Liz, and father, Roger walk in; Liz gasps and runs over to him, “Kyle” she says, and it is enough to distract him for a moment and the poor nurse re-hooks him back up to the IV and heart monitor and gently lifts his feet back into the bed and makes her exit. Liz goes over to him and starts to sob and hugs him as Roger stands behind her waiting for his turn. Liz looks up at him knowing that he is off, “Why are you angry? The nurses are only here to help you; you have to let them do their job.”

“Yes Mom, I know, but the least she can do is answer me, and tell me what is going on when I ask. I know that she knows and I don’t understand what the point in keeping it from me is? That is what pisses me off, I am a grown man.” Kyle is still fuming despite the arrival of his parents.

Roger speaks up, knowing that no matter what the approach, it won’t be easy, “Kyle, I am not going to beat around the bush, Robin didn’t make it, I’m sorry.” Kyle looks at him and then back to his mother whose eyes have turned red; a tear streaming down her cheek. Whatever Kyle was going to say has left his mind, he has no words and just stares at the two of them in disbelief. Liz shakes her head and gazes down, a couple of tears leave her cheek and absorb into Kyle’s bed sheets. Roger puts the bed rail down, sits on his bed and says, “I wish I had better news.”

“This can’t be.” Kyle says, but he knows deep down that this is the truth. The details of the crash come back to him. He knows. The three of them are quiet, and after a few moments have passed, Kyle gets the courage and asks, “When can I see her?”

Roger answers, “You have been in the hospital for a week; they have already laid her to rest.” Kyle’s anger turns to frustration, and he hangs his head down, trying to hide his tears.

Instruction to Get the Free e-book

1)    Click here to take you to Smashwords 

2)    Click the yellow “Buy” button at the upper-right

3)    In the “Coupon Code” box, type REW50

4)    Click “Apply Coupon” (MAKE SURE THE PRICE DROPS TO $0.00)

5)    Click the yellow “Checkout” button

6)    On the “Thank You” page, click on the book title

7)    Click the yellow button with the appropriate format for your eReader!

About the Author

Hello,

Thank you for reading this post. I love to read Fiction, mainly, Fantasy, Romance & Sci-Fi.

I have written and published a couple of books which are, “A Life Cycle Reborn” which is a Sci-Fi novel and "Newbie Author - This Chick's Journey to becoming a Self-Published Author" which is a Journal of my experience on what I did to self-publish my first book.

In my spare time I love to fiddle in photography, painting, gardening and playing video games. I enjoy being creative and it is an escape for me.

You can follow my progress on Facebook 

Thank you, Carolynne! That excerpt really sent chills down my back, and I will admit it brought a tear to my eye. I am sure this is a story that will resonate with many readers, and I look forward to seeing your feedback. I am off to load up my Kindle for my summer holiday now, toodle-oo! 

Join my tribe today, and I will send you a fabulous FREE book to get you started… (be warned, my vampires do not sparkle, and my wolves will bite!) 

Join the #RecordBreakers Summer Reading Challenge at your Local Library

One thing I find about our libraries is that they do a lot to support and encourage children to read and revere books. I mean, it was Cheadle library in Staffordshire that set me on my path all those years ago, back in the 1980s and 90s… Those were the days when I would take out six books every weekend and read them voraciously as soon as I got home. The process of choosing the books was wonderful. My Mum encouraged me to take my time, read every title, and sample a few pages here and there. She was very patient, which is more than I can say for my younger brother (he is not a reader!)

Anyway, now I have the pleasure of taking my own children to the library, and both my girls are voracious book lovers, just like their mother. Neither of them can read properly yet, both being preschoolers, but they recognise shapes of letters, and my elder daughter can read and write her own name, and can recognise most letters of the alphabet. Last year we signed up for the Mythical Maze reading challenge, which we completed, and my daughter was rewarded with a certificate and a medal. Once again we have signed our pledge, and this year we included the youngest, who isn’t quite 2, but enjoys her books.

Do you want to be a part of the #RecordBreakers Summer Reading Challenge? Get down to your local library and sign up. Most libraries have their own Facebook pages and Twitter feeds now, so really you have no excuse. Let’s see how many more horizons we can broaden in the literary world…