In a post-apocalyptic world where humans are a rarity of by-gone years and the monsters we once thought nothing but legends are the majority, Pruðr, the foster-daughter of Munn and Lyna, is not so different from the other villagers, if you overlook her ability to see the dead and her strange ways. It doesn’t help when the Norns mark her as one of the legendary Valkyrja and she is accused of kin-mating with her cousin who may or may not actually be related to her. Add to that an attraction she cannot deny, memories that plague her dreams, and a killer that is stalking the Tribe, and life is becoming decided uncomfortable for her.

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She belonged here, not in the village, or even the encampment of the hunters. Here she was at home. Here she was dominate and confident. Here she was free.

He could see the difference in her. It was in the tilt of her head, in her demeanor, in every step she took, and in every move she made.

Keeping Mhari: Blood Bride Series - Coming September 2012

Escorts. Mistresses. Concubines. Courtesans. Brides. And wives. We are all of these and so much more. We are the most ancient of daemons. Emerging from primordial waters before life began. We are true immortals. We are Blood Brides, and we have four basic rules: #1, never fall in love; #2, never trust anyone with our secrets; #3, never create a permanent bond ; and #4, never lose your head.

William MacGregory didn’t come to Marcus’ compound looking for a Blood Bride. His orders were to accompany his half-brothers and bring them home again. Only he’s been duped by Simon, his family’s patriarch, and Marcus, who seem to think that he needs a woman in his life. Not bloody likely. The last woman to enter his life extracts a hefty price from him every year. But they’ve made sure he can’t refuse this woman by placing her life in his hands.

Mhari was born and raised in a lab for one purpose and one purpose only, to serve her master. But she is like no other Blood Bride. She isn’t bred into submissiveness. Through her veins runs ancient blood, the purest in the world. She is a fighter and her instincts tell her that William’s lethal arms is where she belongs. There’s only one problem: Martha.

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Slipping the blood red robe off her shoulders, Mhari moved towards the table. The door behind her opened and one of the few male caretakers entered with four more Blood Brides. Two were dressed in sapphire blue, one in emerald green, and the last in black.

“Marcus says to stop playing with the girls or he’ll chop your hands off. He has buyers waiting and he wants the girls certified and out there in thirty minutes.”

The Doctor paled and grumbled about impatient men, but he hurried his examinations. Mhari cringed inwardly as she climbed on the table and suffered through the indignity of his cold fingers kneading her breasts and probing her pussy. Regardless of Marcus’ threat, he still took longer than he needed to do the certification.

Mhari prayed to the gods of her ancestors that the buyer would choose her, because if she had to suffer through this degradation again, she’d shove the duck bills up his ass!

She blinked, shocked by the violence of her thoughts. It wasn’t like her. It wasn’t like any of the Blood Brides.

“Next,” he said again.

Leaping off the table, she stooped to pick up her robe before the nurse could. She sauntered over to Nyala as Tina took her place on the table. She exchanged looks with Nyala and laughed.

The sound was startling. It was also unexpected and new. She liked it.

Everyone was staring at her.

The door behind Mhari and Nyala opened. A man that they had seen a handful of times, but knew well entered. “Are they ready?” Marcus demanded.

“She laughed,” the nurse said, pointing an accusing finger at Mhari.

Marcus focused on her. His face was impassive, but his icy blue eyes bore into her, as if he could see into her soul and calculate her new value. “Did she?”

Fear turned her body to ice. Had she done something wrong? Was he going to send her off to the breeding compound?

He looked back at the doctor and nurse. “Any other developments I should be aware of?” he asked coldly.

The doctor’s throat constricted noticeably and he shook his head. “No, sir. She’s disease free and intact.”

“Then I suggest you finish your examinations quickly, or I will find a new doctor.” He turned toward her and pointed one very long finger at her. “You. With me.”

He turned and walked through the door without a backward glance. The perverse temptation to defy his command and see if he came back for her was overridden by self-preservation and years of training. Marcus held her future in his hands. Glancing back at her tranquil roommates and sisters, she smiled weakly before walking out the door. Would she ever see them again?

19. Cats ~ I have a revolving door for cats, mostly strays that come looking for food and stay. Our oldest is Kovo who has to be about 20+ years that my husband found as a feral stray in the shop. Patchey who was D’s ex’s cat but wanted nothing to do with moving from the ranch. Last year, we lost Little Miss Kitty who never came back from her summer forging in the meadow, Puss-in-Boots who had taken to living in the neighbors mouse-infested barn, and Shadow a feral kitten I’d found December 2009. And this year we gained Darkness.

18. British Columbia, Canada ~ For about thirteen months I lived out of the country of my birth and in various cities in Canada. I love the territory and hope to return for a visit one day.

17. Washington State ~ I’ve always been fond of the sate of my birth, especially the coast.

16. The Ocean ~ I was born in Washington State by the coast and I remember visiting my Grandparents on the San Juan Islands, three blocks from the water. I’ve always loved the brine scent of the ocean and the crash of the waves have always calmed me.

15. The Forest ~ For the same reason I love the ocean, I love the forest. I grew up with the evergreen lodge-pole pines. Nothing better than walking on the beach with the smell of pine and salty ocean filling your nose.

14. The Sunrise ~ I love the beauty found with the rising of the sun, when all is new and the light brings to life that which was hidden

13. The Sunset ~ I love when the spirits of the sky paint a masterpiece of color into the world as the darkness falls, lending an air of  mystery to the world.

12. Watching my daughters playing in the Summer, definitely not in the Winter. Ick, hate the cold!

11. Chocolate and others sweets ~ Love these treats so much, I can’t keep them in the house.

10. Ice Cream ~ Come on, who doesn’t love this cold, delectable treat!

9. Long walks in nature ~ Not much more I can add to this.

8. Coffee and Herbal Tea ~ I don’t think I could do without these. I love to experiment with different flavors and even creamers. Follow me Twitter to learn more of this love for coffee and tea.

7. Corsets, skirts, and stockings ~ It’s a little known fact that I love these three articles of clothes and would fill my wardrobe with them if they were practical items of dress on a ranch. Sadly, they are not and so I refrain for more practical clothing, reserving my favorites for special occasions.

6. Books ~ I’ve loved books since I was three-years-old and could look at the pictures and pretend to read the words I knew from memory.

5. Writing ~ For writers, this is self-explanatory. For all others, think of something you can’t do without, and this is what writing does for me. It’s something I enjoy and hate to do without. I think everyone else who knows me would think the same.

4. Sex ~ Enuf said!

3. My family ~ My parents and siblings were my first family and are in many ways my best of friends. I love my two sisters, two brothers, and my two parents.

2. My loving daughters, T and K, my angels

AND #1. My awesome husband!

What are some things that you love?

Eurydice has a difficult decision to make-choose a brief but perfect love, foretold to end in tragedy, or resign herself to a pleasant partnership that could potentially last forever. Not only does she find herself torn between two men, but also between a friend who would be hurt by one choice and gods who would be infuriated by the other. What’s a poor Naiad to do? You may think you know the tale of Orpheus and his lyre, but you’ve never heard it told like this, from the perspective of the woman who loved him, with an ending that will leave your heart singing.

I found myself liking this novella as the characters, though be warned it is an erotic romance so lots of sex in the ebooks 40k words. I found myself feeling bad for Eurydice and Melina in equal portions, and lastly my heart ached for the lovers when they were apart. Orpheus really loved Eurydice. If you’re looking for a mythological erotica this might be the book for you.

Buy from the Publisher Excessica

*Excessica is the brain-child of Selena Kitt who also happens to be the author and boast 100+ authors.