What was I Thinking?
by Danica Winters
It is inherent as an adult of the human race that you will
be held down by the weight of your memories, whether you are free of sin, or
identified by it. I’m a fiction writer,
and as such, I can manipulate my characters, twist their memories to motivate
them into situations and to take action in plot twists. When I’m done, I can smile proudly at the
mêlée I have caused in my little pseudo world.
However, as I walk away from these worlds and come back to reside in my
peanut-butter-and-jelly-centered land, I am constantly reminded that like my
fiction, real life is just as affected by memories.
We all have memories that change us, little moments in our
life that hold us back or help us to rise to the next level. The other day, I read an inspiration post
that read something like, ‘Night is the time when all the things I have done
wrong in my life come back to haunt me.’
I don’t know about my readers, but this is certainly the case for me. Now, I’m only an ax-murderer in my fiction,
so my sins are not as extreme as my characters, but I find that I am often
unrested when the alarm clock beeps.
How can a person/character free themselves of the memories
and faults which have occurred in the past?
How can we break free from the viscous cycle of ‘What was I thinking’?
I believe that there is a simple affirmation. We must forgive ourselves. We must let go of the past. We must respect and love ourselves as much as
an unencumbered new lover would. We all
make mistakes, we all make poor choices, and we all say hurtful things.
We must reach inside the fire that rages within us and pull
out the helpless, shivering soul that resides within us and nurture the best
aspects of our character. We will fail
again, we will make mistakes, but we must never forget to love ourselves (just
as our characters do).
If you are able to do this, you will be able to fall back
into whatever role you must play, and you will do so as a better person—I am a
better writer because I’m no longer as haunted by the mistakes and missteps of
my past. My hope is that you may you
move forward and like the characters of my romances, forgive those memories
that hold you back.
The Books
Curse of the Wolf
Blurb: For cursed, shape-shifting Veela,
Gloriana, following her heart and giving her body to sexy, tortured werewolf
Alexander means one thing-he will die and it will again be her fault.
Once only a man, Alexander finds himself scarred by the memories of his former life and the deceptions and lies that surround him. When a glimmer of light breaks the madness, he must let go of his misguided preconceptions and the hatred that consumes him.
On a mission for blood, they find unity in their desire for revenge, but are driven apart by their pasts. Traveling the darkest paths and fighting the very people they think they can trust, they draw closer to one another's hearts and further into danger.
Will the curse prove to be unstoppable... or is there hope in forbidden love?
Once only a man, Alexander finds himself scarred by the memories of his former life and the deceptions and lies that surround him. When a glimmer of light breaks the madness, he must let go of his misguided preconceptions and the hatred that consumes him.
On a mission for blood, they find unity in their desire for revenge, but are driven apart by their pasts. Traveling the darkest paths and fighting the very people they think they can trust, they draw closer to one another's hearts and further into danger.
Will the curse prove to be unstoppable... or is there hope in forbidden love?
CHAPTER ONE
In her human-like Veela
form, Gloriana Canis was at a distinct disadvantage. Her feet pounded against
the ground as she ran, she crashed through the underbrush, and tripped upon the
branches that reached up to snatch her legs. With a muffled growl, she paused
as she forced her body to shift into her more powerful wolfen shape.
Dashing after the intruders,
she silently passed beneath the low lying branches and bounded over the roots.
Her paws silently absorbed the sounds as the ground blurred beneath her. She saw
none of the pack that had invaded her territory, so she lifted her snout and
sniffed.
The scent of the gray
Werewolf was a mix of triumph, malice, and anger, but there were no traces of
fear.
He’s a fool. The
thieving Were should feel fear above anything else—because I soon will be upon
him.
When she found the beast,
she would tear at his soft flesh…the least vital parts first. Before she
finished, he would undoubtedly cry for mercy, but no matter how hard he cried,
or how desperately he pleaded, he would find none. The man had tried to
steal Baldur’s Vitam Aeternam, the ring of eternal life, from her. The ring
was the final memento of Baldur’s existence, of their fight for love against
all odds and the curse that had taken his life. The Were who attempted to take
it from her would have no easy death.
Deeper into the woods, the
scent of the gray alpha Were lessened and was replaced by the musky scent of
the brown beta she had seen circling the alpha.
Her strides grew more rapid.
She was close.
Weaving around a boulder,
her body collapsed as the ground gave way. Her paws clawed at the soft earth,
desperate to stop the fall, but the dirt crumbled beneath her touch. She yelped
in fear as she clawed, but it was too late. Her body flipped into the earth’s open
maw.
The stakes ripped into her
soft flesh. Hot, searing pain invaded her body.
Howling, she tried to leap,
struggle—anything to free her
body—but
the motions only drove the stakes deeper, worsening her agony.
A fire burned deep in her
flank and she caught the scent of blood on the stakes that now were wedged in
her flesh. Hydra blood.
The venom pumped through her
veins, she could taste the acrid poison in her mouth. Slowly her vision began
to fade. She was forced to find refuge from the pain inside of her mind.
My dearest Goddess, Epione,
do not let the curse of the loving Veela take me. I promise that if you let me
live, I will find Baldur’s killer and make him pay. Please, please do not
deliver my soul to the underworld. I must complete my task.
She could feel the sun
rising in the distance. Would this morning be her last?
A light illuminated the
grave-like pit.
Expecting a torch-bearing
lampade to lead her to the underworld, she was surprised when a tall man
appeared with a flashlight in his hand. He stood at the edge of the pit, his
other hand on his hip and a scowl on his face.
She growled, but as the
rumble escaped her, it was replaced with a yelp.
The thief had returned to
finish her.
He reached down to her and
said something, but it sounded as if he was talking through water. When he
spoke again, she heard him say, “Shifter, I’m Alex…” but the rest of his words
were lost in the muffling pain circulating through her body.
She tried to pull away from
his touch, but her paws felt like lead weights and she struggled to move.
The
pain radiated from the stakes in her flesh. Unable to fight the poison any
longer, her eyes closed. Her mind went black.
Barnes and Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/curse-of-the-wolf-danica-winters/1110736449?ean=2940014410502
Ravenous Romance: http://www.ravenousromance.com/fantastica/curse-of-the-wolf.php
Bookstrand: http://www.bookstrand.com/curse-of-the-wolf
(and will soon be available in over
10 other locations)
The Devil's Angel
Blurb: Even
though Sarah Dawes is only dressed like an angel, acting like a saint isn't easy.
Especially not at her sex toy company's Halloween party, where hedonistic
desire is the name of the game and the Devil is her partner.
Playing with dangerous pleasures, she follows him to Hell, where he shows her he is more than the monster society has deemed him, and he offers her a chance to become his queen. Should she stay at his side, where her days will be filled with pain, but her nights with pleasure? Or, should she return to earth and the dream of a man who may or may not even know her last name?
Playing with dangerous pleasures, she follows him to Hell, where he shows her he is more than the monster society has deemed him, and he offers her a chance to become his queen. Should she stay at his side, where her days will be filled with pain, but her nights with pleasure? Or, should she return to earth and the dream of a man who may or may not even know her last name?
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/The-Devils-Angel-ebook/dp/B007RZJF3E/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1336784542&sr=8-2
Barnes and Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-devils-angel-danica-winters/1110162483?ean=2940014509640
Silver Publishing: https://spsilverpublishing.com/product_book_info/new-release-c-1/products_id/771/?zenid=0e68a633f40824a828ca99c4d445298c
Bookstrand:
http://www.bookstrand.com/the-devils-angel
The Christmas Miracle (BTGN Holiday Short Story Award-winner)
Blurb: Christie
has defined herself by her wheelchair and has created a world filled with ‘I
can’t’. When she meets her marathon
running, salsa dancing neighbor, Marcus, he tries to show her that there is
more to life than self-imposed limits and other peoples’ judgments.
Will Christie open her heart and her mind to her sexy
neighbor, or will the pain of her past keep her a prisoner in her own life?
Barnes and Noble: (Currently off
of B&N for KDP Promotion, but will return to B&N after 90 days after
publisher’s promotion) http://www.barnesandnoble.com/s/danica-winters?keyword=danica+winters&store=allproducts
The Author
Danica Winters is an Amazon best-selling romance author
based in Montana. She is known for writing award-winning books that grip
readers with their ability to drive emotion through suspense and often a touch
of magic. She is a member of Romance Writers of America, Montana Romance
Writers, and Greater Seattle Romance Writers. She is a contributor to
magazines, websites, and news organizations. She enjoys spending time with
friends and family, the outdoors, and the bliss brought by the printed word.
Connect with Danica!
Facebook: www.Facebook.com/DanicaWinters
Twitter: www.Twitter.com/DanicaWinters
Pinterest: www.Pinterest.com/MsDanicaWinters
Amazon Author Page: http://www.amazon.com/Danica-Winters/e/B006GDN8GI/ref=ntt_athr_dp_pel_1
Barnes and Noble Page: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/s/danica-winters?keyword=danica+winters&store=allproducts
Silver Publishing: https://spsilverpublishing.com/product_book_info/new-release-c-1/products_id/771/?zenid=b2ffc821b35a7c332c9e5c30636ce838
I think it's only by the fire of past mistakes that we are burnished into better humans. I can definitely see it in you, Danica.
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