Welcome to The Book Nymph PR's June magazine issue. We w ork w i th authors, art ists, poets, and anyone that w ants to mak e thei r creative w ork s k now n to the w orld. Each month w e feature the cl ients w e represent as w el l as informative w ri t ing and publ ishing t ips. Thank you for your support in

reading and sharing our f ree magazine.

Cheers,

K enya Cooper

WELCOME

Book Trope Publ ishing Re-Releases Netherw orld: The Chronicles of K oa by, K .N. Lee

WRITTEN BY: KENYA COOPER

BookTrope Publishing re-releases the international bestselling fantasy series, The Chronicles of Koa.

Booktrope has pioneered an entirely new choice in book publishing. After picking up K.N. Lee for her upcoming novel, Her Haunted Shadow, they have also decided to re-publish her other books, The Chronicles of Koa series and the Eura Chronicles series, both of which have reached international bestselling status during their self published debuts.

Now you can f ind Netherworld on Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and www.knlee.com!

Demons, ghouls, vampires, and Syths? The Netherworld Division are an organization of angels and humans who are there to keep the escaped creatures from The Netherworld in check in this action-packed paranormal thril ler.

Introducing Koa Ryeo-won, a half-blood vampire with an enchanted sword, a membership to the most elite vampire castle in Europe, and the gif t of f l ight. If only she could manage to reclaim the lost memories of her years in The Netherworld, she might f inally be able to move forward.

A Netherworld serial kil ler, targeting litt le girls for the power they give him, threatens everything Koa has worked hard to protect. Not even Halston and his legendary inf inity gun can stop him, but Koa?s mother might be strong enough to do it? if only her curse can be broken. First stop, the Ivory Tower, where only the most notorious supernatural kil lers are kept. But even that won?t be enough. Koa must prepare herself to return to the place that nearly kil led her. The Netherworld.

Available on Amazon at mybook.to/netherworld

www.thebooknymphpr.com

Business is business. Even if you have to take one ail ing business and break it in to a few to make a prof it then that is what must be done.That was

exactly the way Roz thought. At t imes it was tough. But she was driven. She was a business woman through and through. She had no ties. And she could not sit stil l. She had a personal goal and she would push to achieve it.

Francois was happy with his life. His two sons and himself were rather happy the way they were. Until that Saturday morning when they met Roz. She was a ball of fun. At t imes hilarious but other times very serious. Francois and his family would come to know Roz and each and every one of her habits.

Roz let nothing and no one stand in her way. Francois soon realized that when he did try to stand in her way. But . . . business is business!

Available on Amazon

BUSINESS IS BUSINESS

5 Stars!

"A super read with lots of fun and many surprises! Roz is such a go-getter and the comments she makes really do put a smile on your face. She is not only a businesswoman but is able to take on any role. Throughout the book there are little twists and turns as you follow the path of Roz and her newly acquired business. I enjoyed the balance of business as well as home life. Home life that included Francois and his sons. A very enjoyable read! I highly recommend this novel!" -Amazon Customer Review

INTERVIEWMIA DYMOND

Where are you from?

I?m from the great state of Oklahoma!

What inspired you to write your first book?

I?ve had a great passion for reading since I was a teenager. Once I started reading contemporary romance novels, I was drawn to spin stories of my own.

Do you write full-time or part-time? How do you balance your writing life with your family/work life? I write full t ime and balance my writ ing life with my family/work life very carefully! I write during stolen moments during the day and then I schedule certain hours to write on weekends and at night.

By, Kenya Cooper

How did you come up with the title?

I came up with the tit le of my f irst book in the SEALs, Inc. series after attending an Aerosmith concert.

Is there a message in your novel that you want readers to grasp?

There is stil l real, true honest love in the world.

Are experiences based on someone you know, or events in your own life?

Yes, but I choose not to elaborate for my own safety!

What are your current projects?

I am currently working on Book 2 in my Alpha Four series, Tame Me.

If you had to do it all over again, would you change anything in your latest book?

No, other than expanding the story a bit.

Can you share a little of your current work with us?

Tame Me is the story of Kat Abbott and Jace ?Chaos? Taylor, introduced in Book One, Treasure Me. Kat is a f iercely independent woman who might have just met her match in Sgt. Taylor.

Is there anything you find particularly challenging in your writing?

Description! Since I am a speed-reader, it is hard for me to ?slow down and smell the roses?!

Who designed the covers?

My covers are designed by Dara England, who is also an author.

Did you learn anything from writing your book and what was it?

You can?t please everyone all of the time.

Do you have any advice for other writers? Keep writ ing, no matter what and ignore anyone else?s negativity.

Do you have an agent or publisher? How did you go about finding one?

No, I do not have an agent. I am self-published on Smashwords. My books are also marketed on Amazon.com, iBooks, BarnesandNoble.com, and Kobo.com

If you could live anywhere, where would it be?

St. Thomas, USVI

If you could have any super power, what would it be?

I would be able to ?think? my book onto paper!

You can find out more about Mia Dymond on Amazon and Dymondintherough.com!

COMING SOON!

1.       Cof fee of Tea

Coffee! X 10

2.       Favorite Book

Litt le Women

3.       What is your ideal vacat ion?

Either NYC completely unscheduled or the beach (also completely unscheduled because who wants an agenda at the beach)

4.       Favorite character f rom any of your books?

Omg...I can't pick, right? It 's choosing a favorite kid. For my narrators, they always represent a current state of mind for me morphed into a f ictional character so they each hold a special spot in my head and heart. And the love interests are made to match these narrators.

5.       Which actor would you pick to play that character in the movie?

For Jason Brody, I think the actor who plays (played?) Jake on GLEE would be perfect. For Annie, I think Gabriella Wilde from the movie Endless Love is a great f it. So long as she can run fast :)

QUICK FIREWITH JULIE CROSS Julie Cross is the International Bestselling

author of the Tempest series, a young adult science f iction trilogy which includes Tempest, Vortex, and the f inal installment, Timestorm (St. Martin's Press).

She's also the author of Letters to Nowhere (8/13), a mature young adult romance set in the world of elite gymnastics, as well as several forthcoming young adult and new adult novels with publishers like Entangled, Sourcebooks, HarperCollins, and St. Martin's Press/Thomas Dunne Books.

AUTHOR FEATUREADAM DREECE

For 25 years, Adam wrote short stories that he only shared with friends and family. Like many people, he put his career f irst, and writ ing second. In 2009 when his appendix nearly kil led him, he found himself struck with horrif ic abdominal pain that seemed never ending. Fif teen months later, after a surgery to explore for, and remove, scar tissue reduced the pain to a manageable, chronic level, he started writ ing a memoir. Nearly six months later, once again back at work but this time with writ ing always having a place in his life, he found himself hit with sudden, severe asthma. It was as if a switch had been f l ipped, and Adam found himself once again trying to f igure out which way was up.

Two years later, with the memoir going through editing, Adam decided it needed to sit a while. The challenges he?d faced had made him more driven, more focused, more appreciative of the time that he had. With the support of his wife, on November 28th, 2013 he made a plan to be a full t ime author in f ive years. On January 4th, he started writ ing a story at the request of his daughter that became book 1 of The Yellow Hoods.

Adam lives with his amazing wife and three awesome kids. He?s very active on Twitter, and loves engaging with fellow readers and writers. He regularly helps fellow writ ings.

He lives in Calgary, Alberta.

Book 1 - Along Came a Wolf at Amazon, Amazon.ca, Kobo, Smashwords, The Yellow Hoods Store

Book 2 - Breadcrumb Trail at Amazon, Amazon,.ca, Kobo,

The Book Nymph PR Reviews:The Legend of Dern Blackhammer by, Lawrence Boarer-PitchfordSynopsis

The city state of Moore conducts a cold war of espionage to further their interests. The average cit izen enjoys the theater, a carriage ride, or a walk in the park, all the while evil strives to undo the status quo. Ford must lay hands on an ancient relic that could spell the doom of his city and possibly the world. The problem? Raven Hill, an ambitious mage has eyes for the relic and all the power it will imbue him with. Ford races against t ime, the elements and fate to keep the single most powerful magical device he knows from fall ing into the hands of a mad man. If he fails, Ford?s beloved city of Moore, the race of elves, dwarves, and men will bow down to one man who wishes to be a god.

The Lantern of Dern Blackhammer is an epic fantasy with all of the expected factors of the genre, magic, dif ferent races, a quest for an important item, and an evil being that seeks to rule the world. While many of these factors may seem formulaic, it is the development of the stories characters that brings this book to life. Epic does not begin to explain BoarerPitchford?s world. From the beginning you will f ind some fantastical races that you are used to, such as elves and dwarves, but then you are introduced to entirely new beings that can shapeshif t and do incredible things.

The characters in this novel are what makes this story glow in the midst of countless attempts to create a story off of the famed Dungeons and Dragons type scenario. While each character starts off in their own world, with their own struggles and personal battles, they are inevitably brought together to form a rag tag band of brothers that stem from commoners to princes.

The meat of the book will catapult you into countless realms. The quest is simple, to f ind The Lantern of Dern Blackhammer, but it will not be an easy feat. Rich settings, banter, and obstacles add to the beauty of this book.

Available on Amazon

AVAILABLE ON AMAZON & BARNES & NOBLE

POWER SHIFTWRITTEN BY: CALINDA B.

A mystery hovers around the Haunted Bear Glacier near the remote town of Charming, Alaska. Town manager Chia Petit is determined to solve it. There's nothing she loves better than a good Alaska adventure--when she's not obsessed by her sexual needs or her obedience to rules, that is. Hindered by her annoying practical joker vampire roommate, helped by her happy-go-lucky dog shape shif ter best friend, Chia has more than a few challenges ahead.

Saddled with six stupid ghosts - the demons of past transgressions - as her constant companions, keeping the town of Charming safe and law-abiding should be her only worries. Not so. When Hung Durand, ultra-sexy bounty hunter and shape shif ter extraordinaire comes to town, with romance on his mind, all bets are off . His tantalizing presence makes her adherence to rules vaporize as she contemplates shameless, naughty acts with the outlaw.

The sharpshooting gal is prepared for bloody battle, the likes of which neither Hung nor Red Mountainbear, a blowhard, money-grubbing conservative from Fairbanks, has ever experienced. Her mission is to keep the peaceful, shape shif ter refuge out of the clutches of those that would just as soon destroy it as they would mine it to fatten their wallets. Will Chia lose her town to those with dollar signs clouding their judgment, or will her undeniable, wanton attraction to Hung distract her efforts? Or, worse yet, will her vampire roommate take his crazy pranks too far, resulting in her untimely death? Find out in this humorous, Alaska paranormal adventure. .

Q. What makes this urban fantasy unique? A. Possessing a love of adventure myself , I love to craft stories of being in the wilderness and facing the challenges that inevitably occur in the great outdoors. I decided to write an urban fantasy series about a remote town called Charming, Alaska. The town is populated by f ishermen, hunters, and quirky town folk, as well as a wide variety of shape shif ters and a vampire or two. The Charming, Alaska adventure romance series is a great blend of adventure, suspense and tantalizing romance, with the added fun of paranormal fantasy. I've added my own quirky preferences making this an enjoyable, exciting read.

Q. So, do you plan on writ ing more Charming, Alaska adventures? A. Yes! Init ial feedback from this f irst book has been overwhelmingly positive! I'l l def initely tell more tales of adventure and romance in Alaska.

Jenna Galicki is a strong advocate for LGBT rights and marriage equality. She volunteers with God's Love We Deliver, delivering meals to people with HIV and AIDS and other life threatening illnesses. She actively raises money and participates in AIDS Walk New York and is a proud sponsor of Children International.

She lives in Long Island, NY with her husband and three dogs. She's a Rottweiler enthusiast and an avid music buff. Elaborate stories and fictional characters are her constant companions. When she's not hunched over a computer, you can find her front row at a rock concert.

www.jennagalicki.com

JENNA GALICKI

Death's firm grip settled on my arm. When I spun around, the serious look on his face caused my internal alarms to

sound.

"Raven, when was the last time you were sent to Heaven during a retrieval?" His voice was strained and taut.

I pulled from his grasp and took a quick step back, contemplating the odd question. It wasn't unusual for me to visit Heaven, or Hell for that matter; it was part of my job.

"Earlier today, why?"

His jaw clenched, then he and Holli disappeared. Wow. Guess I won't be getting an answer.

I shook my head and took to the sky, finally heading home for the night. As I neared my apartment, I saw Garrett

rushing up to the main door of my building. I adjusted my trajectory and touched down gently behind him.

"Hey! Fancy meeting you here."

"Actually, it's not fancy at all.? His intensity shook me. ?I need to talk to you."

"What's wrong?"

"Let's get inside." He ushered me into the building and up the stairs to my apartment with the urgency of an

undercover spy on a mission.

I flipped the lock. He unceremoniously pushed me inside, slammed the door, spun me around, and pressed my back

against it.

"What are you doing?" I demanded.

?I need to check for something." He brushed the hair away from my ears then turned my head from side to side. This is awkward. "Garrett, seriously, what the hell is this about?"

"Not Hell."

"What?"

"Hold still." The edge of panic in his voice had my heart racing. He continued to run his thumb over the smooth skin

behind my ears and down each side of my neck. "Oh my God, he was right," Garrett breathed.

I'd had enough. I shoved him off with enough force to push him away from me. "What are you talking about?"

"You've been marked, Raven."

I stared at Garrett like he was an idiot, but it was I who was completely clueless. "Marked? By what? What do you

mean?"

"I mean..." He grabbed my arm and pulled me to the mirror hanging next to the front door.

"...Heaven has marked you.?

Will she be your Grim Reaper or your Saving Grace? Raven can breathe life into you, or siphon the life from

you...the choice is yours. They say your life f lashes before your eyes when you

die. But what you didn't know...your last thoughts determine whether Raven becomes your grim reaper or

your saving grace. Death has a sinister plan, but his favorite female reaper has been given a new power that will combat his secret

mission. The only issue...she hasn't discovered it yet. Will Raven put the pieces together in time, or will

Purgatory be destroyed forever?

Available on Amazon

An Exclusive Excerpt from T ish T hawer's

"Raven's Breath!"

WRITING CHALLENGE PROMPT BY: KENYA COOPER WWW.WRITELIKEAWIZARD.COM

In 2000 words or less, write about a girl , or boy, with the power to hear everyone's

thoughts. How do they ut i l ize such a power...or is i t a curse?

The Author: Col leen M. Albert

Chasing Destiny

I never told anyone about the voices in my head. I knew early on that such a statement would get me a fast t icket to the mental health clinic in our small town of Destiny, North Carolina? population 3,332. We used to have 3,333 residents, a nice round number if you ask me, before Esther Moynihan took a spill at the Sip n' Save and never recovered from a broken tailbone. I mean, how embarrassing for poor Esther's family. Who dies of complications from a broken ass? I wish I was joking, but truly, they were all thinking it. I could hear every one of them at the funeral, their voices buzzing inside my head like a swarm of angry bees: "Damn, Aunt Esther, could you be any more embarrassing?" "How much longer can this take? She didn't even have any friends." "I wonder if I'll still get that golden brooch of hers." "Her ass. Really? Who dies of a broken ass?"

I was bored and sad from all of the comments at

Miss Esther's funeral. I would've excused myself right then and headed to the shady woods behind the town's only church, had I not heard the last thought, coming from a pretty blonde at the front of the room. She sat hunched over, her shoulders drooping and shaking with a ferocity I was sure even dear old Esther could feel from her casket. The girl 's thickly laced southern accent sped through my consciousness, f ighting for shelf space with

hundreds of others in the room. Though the girl was small in stature, her voice was direct when she

thought, "I know you can hear me."

My head jerked up at the sound of her voice, my eyes meeting hers as she turned and gazed from beneath the longest, palest eyelashes I ever saw. My heart slammed into my chest. I clutched the musty, old hymnal that I snatched up just moments before. Surely, I'm headed straight to hell for the lusty images I conjured up when our eyes met. For God's sake, I'm at a funeral!

       She laughed and wiggled her f ingers at me, ever so slightly so that only I would notice. Had she heard me? Impossible. I'm the only one in town with this freaky ability. I snorted. Curse, is more like it.

  The wisp of a girl silently raised two f ingers in the air, before dragging them through hair so pale I'd almost call it buttery white? if I was the type of guy who gave two shits about hair color. But I didn't. I couldn't afford to. I rose from the pew, slinking out of the church and into the bril l iant glare of sunlight that lay forgotten from within the cocoon of doom I'd just escaped.

"Don't go far, okay? Now that you know my secret, I may have to kill ya," she giggled. I spun around, but she wasn't behind me.

        "What the fuck?" This time, I muttered the words aloud. I'm seriously losing it. There isn't a single girl in this town whom I don't know. She must be an out of town relative of Miss Esther's.

        "Sort of," she answered. "I can hear you just as clearly as you can hear me. So, can you wait for me, please?"

         "Why would I wait if you just threatened to kill me?" I retorted. It occurred to me that I might be getting punked. But then I remembered that the conversation was going on inside my head, so that option was pretty much out. "Seriously, you're freaking me out. I've gotta go." I slammed the heel of my palm into my forehead, not believing that I was now answering the voices inside my head. This is exactly why I don't tell anyone. It's a one way ticket to Mental Health. I dashed off at full speed toward the lake. It wasn't the f irst t ime I ran to escape the voices in my head.

***

I was lying on the soft, t ickling blades of grass that l ined the river's edge. They were a delicate juxtaposition of something so f ine and sharp it could slice through your skin if rubbed the wrong way, but so soft and pliable you wanted to give in and repose against the raw, earthy carpet. Even though my eyes were closed, I knew I wasn't alone.

I could hear the girl 's vibrations a mile away as she approached me. Then half a mile. Gaining speed, she ran the last quarter mile and stood over me, effectively blocking the sun from further warming my face.

           "What do you want?" I asked aloud. I dared to peek from beneath my eyelids that were almost fully closed into long, half-moon slits.

           "Why are you pushing me away? Afraid to be the only one with super powers?"

           I sat upright and opened my eyes fully now. I grunted. "What do you know about super powers? Where's your belt, Wonder Woman?"

           "I don't need a belt when I can do this," she thought back. I couldn't help but gape at this sassy, l itt le pixy of a girl who had no qualms about giving it back to me. She smiled, and I cursed myself for having these thoughts.

           Stop it. She can hear you, Rico Suave. I smacked my forehead again. Stupid, stupid.

           She burst into a full, hearty laugh this time? her timbre an octave lower and scratchier than I would've imagined, ending with an uncontrolled snort that caused her to clap her hand over her mouth.

           "So, I'l l ask you one last t ime, whaddya want? You know my secret, so what?" I circled my arms around my knees and glared at her.

           "It 's not a secret, Drew, we can all do it."

           "What do you mean, we? And how do you know my name?"

           She glanced at me with one eyebrow cocked, a slight smirk riding one corner of her bold, purple-painted lips. "You really don't know, do you?"

           "Know what? That I'm a freak? That I can hear every frigging voice in town whether I want to or not? That I know about the mayor who's cheating on his wife with a bank teller? That I can correctly answer every question on a test just by listening to the smartest kids in class? Or how about the one where I tried to ask a girl out, but she..." I stopped myself . My chest was heaving, adrenaline coursing through me as I lashed out at this poor girl. "Sorry, I'm not usually l ike this. Who are you and why can you hear me?"

           "Let's start with the easy question. I'm Leila, Esther's niece. Do you know she only went by Mrs. Moynihan to ward off suitors?" When I shook my head no, she continued. "Yeah, she was pretty foxy back in her day. But she had this strange gif t too. She was afraid to let anyone in too close, so she said she was a widow. Secluded herself inside her small home in the woods, where she was able to escape some of the madness we all inherit from hearing too much, too often, too loudly." She glanced at me for confirmation, but she already knew the answer without it leaving my lips.

           "She's a smart lady. Maybe I'l l try that when I graduate. Get as far away from Destiny as I can."

           "But don't you see? Destiny is just a state of mind. It doesn't matter where you live. It doesn't matter how far you run. Your ability will always be there. The only dif ference is no one can see your anguish when you're alone in the woods. But who wants to be alone?" She lowered her gaze and drew small circles in the grass with the toe of her gray Chucks.

           She knelt in front of me, lif t ing her orchid-laced eyes to meet mine. Time stopped as I tried to decipher where the purple ended and where the duskiest of the periwinkle began. A jolt of heat shot straight to my belly, causing my cheeks to redden. I cursed again, knowing they would look splotchy, and glanced off into the woods in an effort to look uninterested.

"I'm like you, Drew," she sighed, trying to catch my gaze again. When I refused to look back, she moved her hands in closer to my knees, using them to gesture as she spoke. "I was like you. I was lost. I fought my way through life every day. I slammed books into my head to quiet the voices. I played music too loudly to drown the sounds that threatened my sanity. I never met someone else like me? someone who understood." She glanced down at our hands, which were now lightly touching. Sparks shot through my arms and went straight to my loins this time. I may be a freak who can hear voices, but I'm stil l a sixteen-year-old boy.

           Leila's face f lushed as red as mine when she glanced at our f ingertips. I thought she'd pull away after the last stupid thought that raced through my mind. Instead, she laced our f ingers and helped pull me to a standing position. My heart hammered against my chest when she stepped closer so we were toe-to-toe. Our breathes mingled and our lips parted, but we weren't touching. I'd never been so physically close to a girl before, let alone a girl l ike Leila. I wanted to lower my head that fraction of an inch until I could feel the heat of her mouth melting into mine.

           "Drew," she whispered. I swung my eyes from her dark, smooth lips to the icy kaleidoscope within her eyes. "The reason I can hear your thoughts is because you're like me. We're in limbo." The way she furrowed her brows and squinted her eyes just a fraction, told on me that I wasn't quite tracking. "Limbo, Drew. It 's when you've died, but your soul hasn't crossed over yet. You should be dead, but you're not for some reason. I'm in limbo too. We're all given choices here. I made mine when I chose to come to you as your guide. But every choice comes with a payment. So, now, you need to make yours."

           I wasn't sure whether to be more scared about her ability to hear my thoughts, or the kooky story she was asking me to buy. "Leila, clearly, I'm not dead. I just saw you at your aunt's funeral. You can see me now. So clearly..." Oh. Well, that sucks.

           I'm in limbo, Drew. We all have choices here. They're hard, but they're worth fighting for. I've been sent to deliver yours. Are you ready?

Am I ready? How does one go from believing himself to be alive to making a life or death decision in the matter of minutes? I ran my hand over my wild crop of dirt-colored curls, only they weren't there. My head was as smooth as the day I was born. "What? "

           "You lost them after the accident. They had to shave to get inside your head and relieve the pressure." She frowned. "I know it 's a lot to take in, but you don't have a lot of t ime to decide, Drew. You are balancing on the precipice of consciousness and need to decide which way to lean? toward life or death."

          I rolled my eyes at the drama in her voice. "Fine," I said.

"Lay it on me, O' Mighty One."

         "This is serious, Drew. You feel our connection, right?"

I stopped smiling, and nodded. I knew the moment I spotted her at the funeral that my soul recognized hers. I felt a deep sense of belonging and acceptance that I have never felt before. Soul mates f lashed through my mind before I could think to f ilter it. I glanced up at Leila who was blushing prettily again.

Yes, Drew...soul mates.

       We stood in silence for what seemed like hours, but I knew our fates balanced on our swiftness.

       "Tell me what decision I can make that will keep us together, Leila," I begged.

 

She shook her head, tears brimming against those pale, sweeping lashes. "The decision I've been sent to give you is this: You can live, and go back to earth. You will f ind great love there. You'll have kids and grandkids, and you'll l ive well into your golden years..." she paused, choking to get the rest of her words out.

           "But?" I asked, afraid to hear her next thought.

           "But, it won't be with me. Our souls will be separated forever. Whomever you marry, you'll be tithed to eternally. But the voices and thoughts you can hear now? they'll be gone. You'll never need to worry again about this gif t we've been given." She broke down into a full, sloppy cry. I brushed a f inger along her cheek and instinctively leaned in to kiss away her pain. The moment our lips met, I knew I would pick option number two no matter what the cost. A heat, unlike any I've ever felt, coursed through my body, sparking every nerve until they ignited as if on f ire. In the distance, I could hear a faint beeping sound. Leila pulled away, regret and fear lacing her eyes as she held up two f ingers for the second time today.

          "You're losing time, Drew, and the ability to choose. After this, He makes the choice for you. Option number two: You die. You leave your life, your family, and Destiny. But I l ive. I l ive and you die." She hiccupped, no longer caring about the messy tears streaking her face. "I l ive in this l ife without you, and without my ability to hear other people's thoughts. Every life after this one, I'l l be curse free, but you'll never be able to escape it. We won't be together in this l ifetime, Drew, or l ikely in any other. Star crossed lovers," she laughed, but it was born from pain and not from humor.

           "But why? Why would he make us choose like this?"

           "Because any love worth f ighting for takes courage, right, Drew?" She shrugged her shoulders and lif ted her hands, palms up? marrying her sarcastic tone with her helpless gesture. "We will know the dull ache of love, but our hearts will never be satisf ied. We'll go through all of our l ifetimes knowing we haven't found the one. We'll never know who we're searching for, but we'll always be chasing our destinies. God, Drew," she said, running a hand through her long, wavy hair. A clip with a white and a pink feather peeked discretely beneath her curls. "This is a shit decision. There's no winning here. Just let me die. You've lived this long without me. You can simply wake and have it all...just with someone else. I won't take that from you."

           I glanced down at Leila. Pretty, petite, heated Leila. Freckles ran across the bridge of her nose. They were pale but warm, like the rest of her. The voices in my head were quiet for the f irst t ime in my entire life. An inexplicable elation rushed over me. I could have this all of the time. No more voices. No more torment. Just me, and my thoughts. Just me.  

          No Leila.    

         No Leila.

           No Leila.

***

           I heard the beeping once again, this time more loudly. I looked around, searching, panicked. Leila? Leila! I screamed. I couldn't hear anything and the thought froze me. Had I chosen life? I couldn't hear a single thing. Just golden, painful silence. No! I didn't mean to choose life. I didn't mean it!

           A bright l ight f lared over me, riding my body like waves. When I woke, once again, I was at the edge of the riverbank. The rush of water f il led my head with a noisy cacophony that left me trembling. How had I gotten here?

           A memory of milky blond hair and purplish-blue eyes f lashed before me. I looked down at the ground and saw two feathers lying beside each other. I heard her, before I could see her.

"Today's the day. I'm finally going to give myself to him!"

It felt all wrong. I glanced up and saw a leggy brunette walking toward me, f lashing crystal white, perfectly straight teeth behind cotton candy glossed lips. Love was the force that arched those lips into a perfect crescent smile, plumping her high cheeks with rosy pink expectations.

Wait! I can hear her. I can hear her!

I glanced down at the two feathers in my hand? one pink and one white? unsure of their meaning or why they caused a dark cloud of discontent in my heart. The name Leila skipped across my mind before I could stop it. I had no more of a clue who Leila was than the reason for the feathers in my hand. But something deep and primitive told me I would f ind the answers one day, even if I didn't l ike them.

No, this brunette Barbie doll headed toward me was not my destiny. For once in my life, I was grateful for the grief and anger I knew I would hear inside my head when I walked away from her, in search of a girl made of l ight and feathers.

    For More On Colleen M. Albert:  

The Grammar Babe

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