RJ Scott - Test Upgrade

Abernathy, K - from his book Shifter Law, 1654 - 2008

<div xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"><img alt="" src="http://images.postling.com/2/233/g_fullxfull.24494.jpg" style="float: left; height: 300px; margin-left: 10px; margin-right: 10px; width: 163px;" />Page 73 - Comment from K Abernathy in footnote to case law pertaining to Shifter/Human relations: It is not uncommon for a wolf and human to have sexual relations. This is without exception when the shifter is in human form. Indeed, subsection C carries penalties should a shifter in Wolf form have intercourse with a human. The Pennsylvania Settlement of 2000 is notorious for the application of this law. Authorities dealt with a group of shifters and humans who were offering this cross-species deviancy to those who could pay and breaking wolves to do so. It is said by many that this single chilling case led directly to the formation of the Wolf / Human police liaison team in 2007. <hr />Excerpt from Shattered Secrets by Diane Adams and RJ Scott The bull pen was quiet with Joe scowling at a computer screen and Nick straddling a chair turned backwards, grinning at his partner's distress. "How many times do I have to tell you? No porn at work," Rob offered as he leaned against his own desk. "Not porn," Joe muttered. He was clearly not rising to any teasing at the moment, which made whatever he was looking at important. Cop-attitude slid over Rob in an instant, and he straightened. He hadn’t been called in, but cases happened in the blink of an eye and maybe this was a new one. Murder possibly? "What have we got?" "An anniversary." Nick smirked, and Joe threw him a dirty look. "A forgotten anniversary." Rob relaxed. Not a job then, which was a relief. It looked like maybe the exhaustion from his rough night was going to remain hidden from prying eyes in paperwork duties. He had to get in the expected dig. "You forgot your anniversary? Shit, man, Mara is going to kill you." Nick chuckled. "She already has. This is our wolf-boy, post ear-bending." "What are you going to get her?" It was an innocent question, but Joe looked up at him, and the distress on his face made Rob wish he’d kept his mouth shut. Dan arrived at his desk, holding two coffees, called a hello and passed one to Rob, who gripped it gratefully. His partner certainly knew how to kick-start Rob's day. He sensed Dan was going to say something as he was looking at him curiously, and he cut it off at the pass. "Come on, tell us your ideas so far." "I don't know. Everything I get her is wrong now. It's like her hormones are perpetually screwed." Compassion washed over Rob. He would never know what it was like to have a hormonal, pregnant wife, but he could sympathize with the real distress on his friend's face. "I got her something for the baby for Christmas, this cute red T with a wolf pup and a slogan about mommy, but that was wrong ’cause it wasn’t actually for her, and did I think more of the baby than her? What kind of wolf am I to think his mate didn’t want a gift? Then, thinking on that, I got her this really expensive perfume for her birthday, but she just said it made her feel sick, and why couldn’t I think of the baby? I can't freaking win." He frantically pressed buttons on the scarred, dirty keyboard, as if the internet could solve all the problems in his life if he just hit the keys hard enough. <a href="https://spsilverpublishing.com/product_book_info/coming-soon-c-2/shattered-secrets-p-451">Published 27 August – pre order with Silver Publishing</a></div>

Abernathy, K - from his book *Shifter Law*, 1654 - 2008

Page 73 - Comment from K Abernathy in footnote to case law pertaining to Shifter/Human relations: It is not uncommon for a wolf and human to...

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Wikipedia: Pures v Pack, Riots 1979

<div xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"><a href="http://sheikyermami.com/wp-content/uploads/2007/10/paris_riots_day_9.jpg"><img alt="" src="http://sheikyermami.com/wp-content/uploads/2007/10/paris_riots_day_9.jpg" style="float: left; height: 219px; margin-left: 10px; margin-right: 10px; width: 317px;" /></a>From Wikipedia: Pures v Pack Riots 1979, fighting between local gangs and City Packs occurred in the Seachange district in Los Angeles. It lasted 153 hours and subsequently led to a 'pure flight' from the area. <hr />Excerpt from Shattered Secrets by Diane Adams and RJ Scott "Wolves are vulnerable during their first year of change, especially the females, but males too. The dangers of forced marking or breaking are heightened.” Breaking was the stuff of horror stories and nightmares. Just like humans could break dogs to their will, wolves could be broken as well. "I know what breaking is," Rob interrupted. It was a vicious ugly process, but the result was a person without self will, one who would do anything for a master. Jamie shivered inwardly and then continued. "During our first year of change, breaking can be accomplished with minimal effort, especially if the wolf is mated, or even what you call imprinted, first.” Rob put down his pen, flexing his fingers that had cramped from scribbling furiously. Eyes closed, his face strained, he pinched the bridge of his nose. "Imprint? Isn't that just another word for wolves mating?" "No. Our wolf side looks for a mate, or a mentor. Just another way that allows us to stay safe, emotionally or physically." "Yes, I know, wolves imprint on each other." Jamie hesitated. His conscience pricked at him to be honest, but his guilt stopped him at the last minute. "Yeah," he replied, dropping his gaze to the bacon on his plate. <a href="https://spsilverpublishing.com/product_book_info/coming-soon-c-2/shattered-secrets-p-451">Published 27 August – pre order with Silver Publishing</a></div>

Wikipedia: Pures v Pack, Riots 1979

From Wikipedia: Pures v Pack Riots 1979, fighting between local gangs and City Packs occurred in the Seachange district in Los Angeles. It l...

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Wolf Rights: 1973 - Congress passed the Wolf Rights Act. Section VI ofthe act prohibits establishment from refusing entry on the basis ofspecies

<div xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"><img alt="Shattered Secrets" src="http://www.rjscott.co.uk/blog/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/Shattered_Secrets-Adams_Scott400x600.jpg" style="float: left; height: 300px; margin-left: 10px; margin-right: 10px; width: 200px;" />Excerpt from Shattered Secrets by Diane Adams and RJ Scott The music was loud, and the lighting was bad. Silver Moon was a typical dance club, filled with too many sweaty bodies, too much loud talk and too many people desperate for a connection. Despite the crowd, Jamie Adamson drew attention as soon as he walked in the door. He ignored it; he knew how he looked and how to use it. Unfortunately for the masses, he was there for something, someone, specific. Jamie scanned the crowd, particularly the area around the bar. That’s where Jamie had met the guy he’d hooked up with the week before; Rob was a cop. Jamie knew it. A cop wasn’t his first choice for go-to sex, but damn the guy could fuck. Good enough for an encore, despite all the problems. Jamie wound through the crowd, avoiding groping hands with a charming smile and a wave at the bar. His intentions were to grab a Coke and cruise the rest of the place. Maybe he’d get lucky and Rob would turn up. Smirking, Jamie glanced out at the writhing bodies on the dance floor. He was probably going to get lucky whether Rob showed or not. Conversation ebbed and flowed around him, much of it about shifters, and most of it negative. Not a surprise considering that, despite its name, the Silver Moon was a pure club, meaning no wolves. Well, officially anyone could come to the club, because it was against the law to have a rule excluding wolves, but it was common knowledge the Silver Moon was where the lupophobic crowd hung out. Jamie paid no attention to the comments. There wasn’t a guy in that club he couldn’t take, even if they ganged up on him five to one. <a href="https://spsilverpublishing.com/product_book_info/coming-soon-c-2/shattered-secrets-p-451">Published 27 August - pre order with Silver Publishing</a></div>

Wolf Rights: 1973 - Congress passed the Wolf Rights Act. Section VI ofthe act prohibits establishment from refusing entry on the basis ofspecies

Excerpt from Shattered Secrets by Diane Adams and RJ Scott The music was loud, and the lighting was bad. Silver Moon was a typical dance clu...

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'On the spot' Interview with Pia Veleno

<div xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"><img alt="" src="http://images.postling.com/b/bd0/g_fullxfull.23836.jpg" style="float: right; height: 300px; margin: 10px; width: 200px;" />RJ: Hi Pia! Welcome to the first of my ‘on the spot’ interactive interviews... what does it feel like to be a guinea pig? PV: I’m not sure. Shouldn’t I get some carrots and fresh shavings to nest in? Will you cuddle me first? RJ: Cuddling is not included in the interview. The carrots are in the post. ROFL... I am nervous about this first foray into interviewing... but we can see how it goes! So... ready for question one? RJ: How many books do you have published now?? PV: Oh, good, starting with an easy question. My fourth book was just released August 16th... if we count short stories. RJ: Count all stories! Tell me a bit more about them... PV: Well, let’s see. The first three were all paranormal -- angels and demons, that is -- Fallen, Bound By Love, and Man Whore. This newest one, Make You Sweat, is my first contemporary novel. Now I’m torn between the two sub-genres. They’re both fun to write and explore. RJ: Can you give us a synopsis of your new book? PV: (Shh... don’t tell, but I’m copying it right off of Loose Id’s website) ;-) Ready for change, Tyler Pierce has the whole summer ahead of him when he flies to Sand Piper Beach to turn over a new leaf. Sun, swimming, exercise, he’ll return home a new man, sexy and buff. Best of all, several states away from home and college, no one but his dad knows him, so he can muddle through the challenges of getting fit without friends laughing at him. During his first visit to the fitness center, Tyler meets the sculpted and toned Cody Dawson, fitness instructor and sexy gay man. Not only does Cody help Tyler learn how to use the strength training equipment, but he crashes through Tyler’s fantasies and lures him into bed. Just a passing fling, Tyler decides. Cody, after all, could get any number of better looking men without even trying. Besides, the summer doesn’t last forever and, too soon, Tyler will return to campus leaving Cody to the ex who wants him back. A summer fling can grow into something more, but it’s up to Tyler to recognize if it’s true love or just heated summer lust. RJ: Oh I like the look of that one. Will there be any scenes of an intensely hot and sweaty nature in a gym on any sort of equipment? PV: Of course. That’s what a gym is for... Oh, you mean of the “other” kind of hot and sweaty? LOL, I’m not going to spoil that fun for you, but the title is appropriate. ;-) <img alt="" src="http://images.postling.com/9/997/g_fullxfull.23835.jpg" style="float: left; height: 300px; margin: 10px; width: 200px;" />RJ: Working out in a gym is kind of intense anyway and involves one hell of a lot of dedication (I normally last about … lets see … a week? ROFL...) so how did you get inside your guy’s head? Do you spend a lot of time in the gym? PV: I spend more time at the gym in the winter when I can’t get outdoors to run. (Oh, yes, there is running in this one too). I got into Tyler’s head more from the self-conscious aspect of this story’s theme. Tyler isn’t all that comfortable with his body, or what he has to do to improve it. I just started running road races last year, and I tend to be at the back of the pack. Sometimes it’s hard to remember that I’m there to beat my own time, and no one else’s. RJ: Surely the view is better from behind anyway? PV: LOL Sometimes. But the runners in the best shape are running the course much faster, so I don’t see them much past the starting line. RJ: Running *shivers at the horror of exercise whilst admiring you wholly!*. So this new book is M/M. Do you mostly write MM, or do you cross into MF at all? PV: I used to throw a girl into the mix once in a while, but the more I write M/M the more I avoid female characters. I don’t like the way my girls come across on the page, and throwing two men at each other has many more interesting angles to explore. (And I don’t mean positions!) RJ: I wasn’t going to say anything... ROFL... So what is it about two men together that gets your *writing* juices flowing? PV: LOL, writing juices huh? That’s a question I hear often (though not in those terms exactly ;) ) but I don’t have a precise answer. Part of it, I think, is that I never quite relinquished the tomboy attitude. I also don’t believe in gender stereotypes. Lace isn’t just for women, and muscles aren’t required to be manly. RJ: Well there is something about a man.......... PV: Oh, yes, there is something... and then add a second man and... *sigh* RJ: Can you share an excerpt of the book for us? Just a couple of paragraphs to let people see what the book is like? PV: Excerpt! Yes, I can do that. <hr />Tyler sat down at a machine near the door. He studied the design for a moment before putting his arms against the gunmetal gray pads. When he pushed, they didn’t move. He glanced at stack to his right. The pin held eighty pounds. If he’d been alone, he would’ve laughed to blow off the stupid feeling creeping up his spine. Instead, with a quick glance at the men to make sure they still ignored him, Tyler fought past the flush rising up his neck and moved the pin up to thirty. He pressed the pads together. Come on, come on, come on. They wiggled; the black stack shifted upward an inch and then dropped with a solid thwack. The little black blocks with their numbers etched in multiples of ten mocked his weak muscles. The trio of weight lifters glanced in his direction, their voices quieter and indecipherable as they exchanged a few words. Two laughed, and then the third punched them both, refocusing their attention on their workout. Tyler’s cheeks warmed, and he gritted his teeth. Tyler considered changing the pin again, but thanks to the muscle heads in the corner, he felt plenty self-conscious already. Across the room a treadmill stopped. Tyler had been so intimidated by the lifters casually tossing around metal weighing as much as he did, he hadn’t noticed the noise of the treadmill’s motor until it fell silent. Tyler glanced up. His mouth fell open when he recognized the runner he’d been drooling over in the elevator yesterday. He made sweatpants and a T-shirt look damn sexy. Sun-speckled auburn hair trimmed military short did little to keep sweat from dripping down the sides of his face. His tee clung to cut muscles along broad chest and shoulders but stopped short of his narrow waist. He threw his head back, drinking deeply from a plastic sports bottle. Tyler watched his throat bob with each swallow until the man lowered his drink and looked straight at him. Snapping his mouth shut and swallowing the lust in his throat, Tyler looked away. He licked his lips. Eyes glued to his sneakers, Tyler squeezed the pads together. The stack climbed a shaky half inch and then slipped from his control, slamming down to its mates. “Can I help?” Tyler flinched at the voice. Not at the sound — he could listen to that rich, friendly voice caress his ears all afternoon — but the proximity startled him. He glanced up into soft brown eyes, suddenly so much closer and looking right at him, and then quickly dropped his gaze, stuttering as his mind raced faster than his tongue could spit out the words. “If you raise your seat a couple of notches,” the runner said, “you’ll have better leverage.” Tyler lifted his gaze upward, inch by inch, crawling up the powerful, muscular legs of a long-distance runner; narrow hips and a waist that didn’t see much junk food; chest muscles under a sticky, wet shirt looking like a plastic toy in their hardened perfection; large hands drying themselves on a white towel; and that jaw, square and stubbled enough to tickle the stomach or thighs when at play. Oh God, you can leverage me anytime you want. “W-what?” Tyler pictured the man as he’d seen him in the elevator yesterday — shirtless. He stole Tyler’s voice in just the same way today. “Let me show you.” The man waved Tyler away from the machine. Tyler dutifully bowed to the authoritative air of the handsome stranger, waiting patiently to one side as he tugged on the seat, lifting it upward until it clicked into the next position. “Try that.” <hr />RJ: I seriously love the sound of this! Do you have a cover I can post as well? PV: Thanks RJ! I did have fun with these two guys. The cover is the source of strange squealing sounds residents of New England might have heard last week. I requested this artist, but didn’t expect to get her. PL Nunn does great yaoi style cover art for some of my favorite authors, and I’m honored to have her work representing Make You Sweat. RJ: Nice one! So tell me about a typical writing experience for you? Do you sketch a story out, write notes etc, or do you write on the fly? PV: Yes, and yes, and yes. LOL, no really. I’ll start with a little nugget of something, and writing about it, or him, and then once I’ve figured out the characters and their issues I’ll stop and sketch out a rough synopsis to make sure it actually is going somewhere besides the bedroom (or restroom, or back room, or...) I don’t always follow that map, but it does help me rein in wilder characters to some degree. RJ: Or gym equipment... PV: LOL, okay, I have to warn you. The equipment stays... clean? RJ: OMG... I was drinking tea... *wipes screen* PV: And the cat is now ticked off that I laughed too loud and woke her. RJ: So... this new book is with Loose Id... you are also published with Silver... which of your books is with which publisher and do you have links? PV: Loose Id only has this one, but I have two others that I think would fit them if I ever get around to finishing them. Make You Sweat can be found here: <a href="http://www.loose-id.com/Make-You-Sweat.aspx">http://www.loose-id.com/Make-You-Sweat.aspx</a> My three from Silver can be found here (as well as a fourth due out on Halloween): <a href="http://www.bit.ly/piavelenoSP">www.bit.ly/piavelenoSP</a> RJ: Do you have to fit writing around full time *non writery* work? PV: Sadly yes, but my “Job That Pays The Bills” is cyclic. I can have long spans of nothing to do but be available should a client need me, so I work writing time in during those periods. It’s not foolproof, and I have to be quick with the minimize button when writing at work, but it does help. RJ: Congrats on the Halloween book as well, can you tell us a bit about that? PV: It’s more of a bittersweet kind of story -- a horror/ghost story with an underlying relationship, so not straight up erotic romance as I’ve been writing. RJ: Was that difficult to do? PV: Strangely no. I want to write more horror, and I’ve struggled to get there, but this ghost wanted his story told. I let him tell it, but I’m not sure I could do it again as easily. RJ: Is there a type of book you would like to write that you struggle to think what to write? Historical? Comedy??? PV: Funny you should mention comedy. If I set out to write humor, I fail miserably, but when I tried sarcasm in a work report to get out of a certain task, everyone thought it was hilarious and insisted I continue to write up those reports. Honestly though, I’d love to brush up on the horror, or maybe experiment with sci-fi, but the world building (or monster building) intimidates me. RJ: Tell me about it, Fire was like that... :-( Anyway...last few things... tell me about Pia Veleno (without copying and pasting your bio! Yes, i can see you doing that as i ask... rofl) PV: ROFL, you caught me. I was pulling up my GoodReads profile even as you typed that. Let’s see... about Pia. Well, I’d much rather talk about my boys than myself, but i know you won’t let me get away with changing the subject! I’m a reader (but not as much as I’d like), a runner (though I’m off my feet recovering from injury), a dancer (but only when no one is looking), and a hopeless introvert (can we make online plans for next Saturday so I can avoid the big pool party?) RJ: An introvert? Well that is not something i would have said about you, but then again, I am a hopeless introvert too... I think it may be common with a lot of writers! And yes, this Saturday, I’ll be at a BBQ at my sisters, come on over (course England is a bit far!) RJ: Last question, and this is about your new book, Make You Sweat. Your two characters. Can you sum them up briefly? Just to remind us of who they are! PV: You might have me at “briefly”... Tyler Pierce is taking a break from college before his senior year to “buff up” while none of his friends are around to laugh at him for trying. He wants to look like the hot guys he watches on the beach, but he’s a twink with a lot of work to do to get there. Cody Dawson is a certified fitness instructor who works out at his condo facility when he’s not working for his paycheck. He helps Tyler with his first strength training session, and then offers to help him out around the beach town too. While Tyler’s figuring out who he wants to be, Cody is enjoying who Tyler already is. RJ: Oh that is a COOL strapline... did you just think of that? PV: Actually, yes. *quickly scribbles it down for use again later* RJ: Well it is AWESOME tweet length... rofl... PV: Indeed, it is a good tweet length. You’re always planning ahead, aren’t you. :) RJ: Erm... yes... rofl... <hr /> <img alt="" src="http://images.postling.com/f/fc4/g_400xN.23838.jpg" style="float: right; height: 150px; margin: 10px; width: 200px;" />Thank you Pia for taking the time to come on over and chat. I wish you every success with your new book and look forward to chatting to you again... xx Thanks RJ, it was fun being your experiment today. I’ll admit it now, I was a bit nervous (you know, that introvert thing). I have a couple of more guest visits in the blog world, and I hope your wonderful readers will drop by and hang out there too. I’ll post a list on my blog this weekend: http://piaveleno.com Thank you for reading, dear Readers. Have a great Happily Ever After. Ciao, Pia</div>

'On the spot' Interview with Pia Veleno

RJ: Hi Pia! Welcome to the first of my ‘on the spot’ interactive interviews... what does it feel like to be a guinea pig? PV: I’m not sure...

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Six Sentence Sunday

Six Sentence Sunday

Love is in the hallways A small glimpse into book 2 in my Young Adult *Love* series about Cam and Luke. Due out 3 September on Amaz...

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New Art for Eoin, and a round up of News...

<div xmlns='http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml'>	<img alt="EOIN" src="http://images.postling.com/8/892/g_fullxfull.23106.jpg" style="width: 400px; height: 600px; margin-left: 10px; margin-right: 10px; float: left;"/>EOIN (The Fire Trilogy Book 3)	Available 17 September from Silver Publishing	I have new art for Eoin, the third and final book in *The Fire Trilogy* due out with Silver Publishing 17 September...	It is utterly gorgeous and I love the shadow of the man imprisoned for his Fire... perfect... and look at Eoin's amber eyes... melts...	Thank you Reese, you rock.	Watch this space for buy links on Silver...<hr/>	SHATTERED SECRETS (In The Shadow Of The Wolf - Book 1) 	Available 27 August from Silver Publishing	Only thirteen days left to the publishing date for *Shattered Secrets*, book one in a series of books based around a wolf/human cop liaison team. The series is called *In The Shadow Of The Wolf*.	Blurb:	Jamie is human, and he's also a wolf.	Rob Tarrant is head of a special police task force specializing in wolf/human cases.  He has no problem with wolves in general, but having a human/wolf relationship is not on his to-do list. When he meets a young man named Jamie at a club, he embarks on the hottest one-night stand of his life. He finds out that young man is a wolf shifter, and his world is turned upside down. 	 	When a case involving kidnappings of young werewolves lands on Rob's desk, the ugly specter of the werewolf sex trade is brought front and center. With Jamie seemingly at the heart of it all, can Rob keep his young lover alive?	More news to follow including excerpts.<hr/>	COWBOY CHRISTMAS (Heart of Texas sequel)	Available 19 November from Silver Publishing	A Christmas Book from RJ Scott - When Riley's past comes back to haunt him it is Jack who is his bedrock. But as family secrets unfold can 'Jack and Riley' weather the storm?	Watch this space...<hr/>	GUARDING MORGAN (A Sanctuary Story)	Available 15 October from Silver Publishing	Blurb:	Morgan Drake witnesses a murder in an alleyway. He is the only person who can give evidence in prosecuting the cop responsible for the crime. When the FBI safe house where he is being protected is compromised he follows the instructions of his agent in charge and runs. 	 	Nik Valentino is ex FBI and works for Sanctuary, a Foundation that offers witness protection and support to those in need. 	 	Morgan's FBI handler sends him to Nik and to Sanctuary for safety. Neither Morgan nor Nik could imagine that two weeks alone in a cabin in the woods, could start something more. 	 	Something way more than just staying trying to keep Morgan safe. <hr/>	LOVE IS IN THE HALLWAYS	Available 3 September	It is the first day back at school after the best night of Luke's life. He has a boyfriend, the football captain Cameron Anders and everything is just as he wanted.	So why is he so damned scared? 	 </div>

New Art for Eoin, and a round up of News...

EOIN (The Fire Trilogy Book 3) Available 17 September from Silver Publishing I have new art for Eoin, the third and final book in...

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The Fitzwarren Inheritance - Trilogy, Final book released today...

<div xmlns='http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml'>	<img alt="Fitzwarren Inheritance" src="http://www.rjscott.co.uk/blog/wp-content/uploads/2011/07/FI.jpg" style="width: 621px; height: 374px;"/>	The Fitzwarren Inheritance Trilogy has reached its culmination with today’s release of Sue Brown’s gripping finale, The Lord’s Tale! Sue has gathered up the threads from the Psychic’s Tale and The Soldier’s Tale, and woven them into a highly charged conclusion, confronting Jonathan Curtess and his four hundred year old curse head-on.	Run, don’t walk to Silver Publishing’s site to snatch it up! Read the enthralling drama as it heads for the inevitable collision between Jonathan Curtess’s curse and those fighting to break its malicious hold on the Fitzwarrens.<hr/>	Blurb: Surrounded by the tragedy of his family’s history, the last thing Phil expects is to be  picked up by a gorgeous guy twenty feet up a climbing wall. What scares him even more is the way Lee fits into his life, the final piece to break the Fitzwarren curse.<hr/>	Excerpt:	From a book written in 1899 –The History of Steeple Westford by the Rev. Horace Simpkins–	So in the autumn of the year 1644, Jonathan Curtess cursed Belvedere Fitzwarren, saying, “I curse you and your children’s children, that you shall all live out your allotted years, and that those years shall be filled with grief and loss and betrayal, even as you have betrayed and bereaved me.”	Chapter 1	Phil could hear the rain beating down on the church roof as he waited for the bride to arrive. Inside the small church, the atmosphere was slightly damp and clammy as guests found somewhere to store their sopping umbrellas and attempted to brush raindrops off their finery. It was typical of the Fitzwarren luck that after weeks of fine weather there was torrential rain on his sister’s wedding day.	He looked over at Will, the groom, standing alone in the front row. Psycho soldier hadn’t bothered to make an appearance as his best man then. Despite the way Phil’s friend Sean and Will stood up for the man, there was something about Daniel that Phil didn’t like. He was unpredictable, and the fact he was tied in with this curse just made him even more dangerous in Phil’s opinion, especially walking around with a knife tucked under his clothing. Why the hell Sean was bumping uglies with the man, Phil had no idea. The groom looked kind of down though. Daniel was Will’s best friend, and it was natural he would want Daniel beside him on his special day.	His thoughts turned to his young nephew, fighting for his life in hospital. Each day was a roller-coaster ride for the premature baby, but the young heir to the Fitzwarrens clung on tenaciously. His mum, still recovering from her head injury and the shock of the premature birth, sat by his incubator. Charlie and Carol had both insisted that the wedding go ahead as planned, and Charlie was there, doing his best to wear a smile for his sister’s wedding.	The doors to the church opened, and everyone turned to catch their first glimpse of the bride, only to discover Daniel limping down the aisle. Phil sighed as he saw the matching grins of Will and Sean. Who was he to argue with his best friend and his future brother-in-law? He’d be keeping an eye on that knife, though.	The doors opened again, and his sister was there, looking stunning in her wedding dress of ivory and crimson, the silk skirt pooling gracefully to the stone floor of the church. She paused in the doorway as her bridesmaids arranged themselves behind her. Somehow she had escaped looking like a drowned rat; her hair was swept up into chignon and the crimson roses in her hair matched the ones in her bouquet, the blooms from a corner of the castle grounds.	As Diana reached the altar, Will smiled down at her and took her hand. The love on their faces took Phil’s breath away, and he was swept with a wave of happiness and envy for his big sister. As the elderly vicar conducted the service, the noise of the rain thrumming down on the roof abated, and soon the wedding party emerged from the church to blink as the late afternoon sunshine bathed the church grounds.	 	* * * *	 	Phil held two pints up high as he negotiated the crowd in the bar of the Red Lion. He handed one over to his brother, Charlie, who took the full glass gratefully.	“God, I’m glad that’s over,” Charlie said, wiping his top lip.	“Hell yes,” Phil agreed, loosening his tie. “Do you think we can get out of this get-up now?” He waved vaguely at their suits.	“Probably not,” Charlie told him. “Is Di out of her meringue yet?”	Phil peered around the bar to where the bride and groom were sitting, Di’s feet in Will’s lap. “Not yet, but her shoes are off. Isn’t that enough?” Charlie just gave him a look, and Phil sighed. There wasn’t a hope in hell Diana would agree to them losing the monkey suits. The couple hadn’t had enough money for a formal “do”, but she was going to make the men suffer as long as she could. He smiled as he thought of his tomboy sister, dressed like a lady for the whole day.	“Anyway, I promised Carol I’d come in the suit,” Charlie said, pulling a face. “She wanted to feel part of the proceedings even if she couldn’t be here.”	“You’d better stop knocking that back then,” Phil said, indicating the pint of beer that Charlie was already half-way through.	 	Charlie held up his glass, regarding the dark amber liquid mournfully. “Doesn’t seem right somehow. I can’t remember the last time I stayed sober at a wedding.” He paused for a minute. “I can’t remember the last time I went to a wedding.”	“Yours probably. Just be thankful you don’t have to make a speech, big brother.” Phil grinned at the shudder that ran though his painfully shy older brother at the thought of trying to speak in public, even in front of friends and family. There really wasn’t anyone here that he didn’t know. Di, like her brothers, tended to socialise in the village.	“I told Di that if she wanted speeches she could make you do it. She said if there was anything to say, she could say it herself.”	 	Phil laughed, the laughter tailing off as he caught sight of Daniel and Sean vanishing into the snug with that psychic and his boyfriend. There was something going on there. Those four were getting very cosy all of a sudden. Charlie followed his gaze.	“I wonder what that’s all about,” his brother mused.	“I have no idea. Don’t you think since Mark came on the scene our little curse has got a lot more crowded?” Phil asked, aware he sounded waspish.	Waving at the barman for another round, Charlie looked at him. “Another?” At Phil’s nod, he held up two fingers and then said, “What do you mean?”	Phil waited until they both had drinks before he carried on. “Well, one minute it’s just the Fitzwarrens’ curse, and the three of us knowing everything is going to go tits up, and the next some stranger waltzes in claiming to be a psychic and a descendent of Curtesses, saying he’s broken the first part of the curse. Then Psycho gets pally with Sean, and the next thing we know another bit of the story is slotting into place.”	There was such a long pause before Charlie answered that Phil looked up. “What bothers you most? Mark’s revelations or Sean and Daniel hooking up?”	“You think I’m jealous?” Phil asked incredulously.	“You’re not? Just a little? Sean has been your best friend for years, and now that he’s hooked up with Daniel, he hasn’t been around as much.”	Damn, his brother was too shrewd.<hr/>	BUY LINKS	Click <a href="https://silverpublishing.info/product_book_info/coming-soon-c-2/the-lord-s-tale-p-332" target="_blank">HERE</a> to buy The Lord’s Tale	 	and <a href="https://silverpublishing.info/product_book_info/new-release-c-1/the-psychic-s-tale-p-286" target="_blank">HERE</a> to buy the first in the Trilogy – The Psychic’s Tale 	and <a href="https://silverpublishing.info/product_book_info/the-soldier-s-tale-p-297" target="_blank">HERE</a> to buy the second – The Soldier’s Tale</div>

The Fitzwarren Inheritance - Trilogy, Final book released today...

The Fitzwarren Inheritance Trilogy has reached its culmination with today’s release of Sue Brown’s gripping finale, The Lord’s Ta...

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