It’s been a long time since I’ve really been an outdoor
girl, but my roommates like to go hiking.
Recently I’ve been joining them, and while I think I may be done until
it cools off a bit, it’s wonderful for the creative juices. Every time, I come back with pictures, and
ideas, so I’m enjoying it thoroughly, in spite of the heat.
I find the connection with nature, combined with the photos I
get that I can’t get otherwise wonderful.
Locally, most of the wildlife consists of squirrels and rabbits, but
since I like taking pictures of squirrels and rabbits, that’s okay. When I travel, I do the same thing with the
wildlife wherever I am, and love every minute.
The other thing that I love is that I always come back with
ideas. I get ideas for blogs, ideas for the
revision in progress on book two of the Tales from Atlantis, ideas for jewelry
to be made, and ideas for places I’d like to see. I have always been a lover of nature, but I
tend to get caught up in all the things that I do that are inside, especially
in the summer, so I miss the connection with nature that I need to spark my
creativity and renew my batteries.
Currently, my characters have discovered something in Reaching for Beyond that I didn’t
anticipate, so some things that I thought would happen won’t and some that I
didn’t expect will. It should be a fun
ride, and I hope you will enjoy it.
Riley, Jason, and Cam will be working together again, and many of the
same characters from Digging Up the Past
will be in Reaching for Beyond.
Digging Up the Past
starts a series that delves into what happens when magic returns to the
earth. As you may know, the stones from
the Bimini Road have been removed, and magic has returned to earth. Ordinary humans who had magical ancestry have
reverted to whatever type of preternatural being is in their heritage. The odd part is that people from the same
family can develop into different types of beings. This is believed to be a testament to the natural
mixing of the races, so one lineage can have several different types of
preternatural beings in it.
Regardless of the blending of the races in the past, there are
still issues in today’s world. Riley’s
parents are unlikely ever to accept Cam in spite of the fact that they are
shape shifters, and he’s a werewolf. You
wouldn’t think that would be such a long reach, but, much like the everyday
world, a small difference can keep us miles apart.
For more information about Digging Up the Past, and the rest of the series, check out my website at www.sandibrackeen.com,
Excerpt: Digging Up the Past
My ragged Ford Escort, the color of
which can best be described as rust and green, was parked in front of the
house. When we reached the car, I opened the passenger door and tried to put
Keesha in. She wrapped her arms around me tighter and screamed louder. Finally,
I sat down in the seat and swung myself in with Keesha still attached. Holding
her close to me, we leaned over and I reached under the driver’s seat to
replace my gun. Once she stopped screaming again, I pulled out my cell phone,
dialed 911 and then called Keesha’s parents.
“Braden.” Keesha’s father answered
on the second ring.
“Dr. Braden, something’s happened
at the house!” I almost sobbed into the phone. “I’ve got Keesha with me, and
I’ve called the police, but I can’t find Mena. Angel was after something
upstairs, and I think I heard a gunshot!”
“Where are you now?”
“In my car! With the doors locked!”
I focused on sounding just a bit unsteady and very scared. I really was a bit
unsteady because my senses told me Mena was dead, but I was more pissed than
scared.
“Good. Stay there! Don’t go back in.
We’re on our way.” Dr. Braden disconnected without waiting for a reply.
My ability to make people believe I
am an innocent, and in this case, frightened, nineteen-year-old, was a large
part of the reason my partner and I had been assigned to this case. The tone of
Dr. Braden’s voice told me I was succeeding.
While we waited, with me rocking
and soothing Keesha, I worried. Worried about Mena, worried that the Bradens
would move to a safe house and I would no longer have a reason to be there,
worried that we wouldn’t catch the guy before he could hurt someone else,
worried that we wouldn’t find the spade before whoever had it used it.
Within moments, sirens screamed up
the street, and a sea of flashing lights surrounded the house. I climbed out of
the car, Keesha still clinging to me, as a police officer and the paramedics
approached me.
“Are you Riley Perez?” The officer
seemed very young, even to my twenty-six years.
“Yes, Officer.”
“What happened here?”
“I don’t know, really. I took the
dog to the park, and when we came back, Keesha was downstairs, screaming. The
dog went up the stairs after something, and I heard a gunshot, so I just
grabbed Keesha and brought her out here.”
“That was a smart move, Ms. Perez.
Are you and the child okay?”
“I am, and I think she is too. She
seems to be mostly scared.”
“Is anyone else in the house?”
“Keesha’s nanny is supposed to be
in there, but I didn’t see any sign of her before we got out of there.”
To find out more about Riley, Keesha, and the Bradens, visit
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