I'm hosting Jadie Jones, author of MOONLIT, the first book in a YA fantasy trilogy. Jadie has some exclusive content that goes with her post and book, so keep reading!
We are also running a Facebook event tomorrow, Saturday, June 21 from 10 am - 10 pm Eastern time. I'll be online during the 6 pm hour to chat and answer questions, so be sure to stop by!
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Hi everyone! I'm thrilled to be a part of this event, and even more excited to share a scene I wrote exclusively for the EuphorYA scavenger hunt. I'm currently working on book #3 in the Moonlit trilogy, which is told from multiple points of view. For the scavenger hunt, I rewrote the moment Tanzy meets Lucas for the first time, which appears in Moonlit (book #1 in the trilogy), from Lucas's perspective. Lucas has been keeping watch over Tanzy for years, unbeknownst to our leading lady, but has never approached her before now. It was a little overwhelming to step inside his mind and take a tour... I'm usually focused on his many other attributes... but I digress... (and if you want to digress too, check out the inspiration board for Lucas's character on my Pinterest page - or Tanzy's inspiration board for the fellas.)
Anyways, here you have it - Boy meets Girl, through the opposite pair of eyes.
P.S. Don't forget to read all the way to the bottom for two giveaway opportunities (including PayPal cash) and the full EuphorYA schedule.
Boy meets Girl – from Lucas’s POV
Tanzy’s truck is in the driveway. She’s stayed at Wildwood this late before, typically when the veterinarian’s truck has made an appearance earlier the same day. Still, something's not right. The farm has had more than its fair share of unexpected visitors today. None of them were human, much less a large-animal vet.
Uneasiness makes a home in my chest. I step forward, the toe of my boot skirting the edge of the shadows, and search the air for two primary scents: Tanzy’s, and Asher’s, an Unseen creature who will lead her to grave again the moment he has an opportunity. I will not gift him a single moment to do so; I cannot watch her die a second time.
The faint smell of her rides my breath, a combination of weathered cedar and fresh alfalfa warmed by the sun. She’s in the barn somewhere. Do I dare approach? What if she sees me? I’ve never been so close to her new incarnation before. Then again, neither has Asher. She’s not safe here. Not tonight.I ignore every hesitation blaring within, and stride across the dark parking lot. The first door on the right is closed – it always is at night – but the light on the other side is still on, illuminating the narrow gap between the door and the concrete floor. There’s a note from Dana stuck to the wood with a tack. She says animal control found something, which they didn’t, and tells Tanzy to ride Hopewell, which she shouldn’t. A surge of protectiveness rolls through me. No, Tanzy shouldn’t ride tonight.
I use a deep breath to steady myself. Her earthy scent is stronger here. My hand is fast on the door handle. The slight pressure sends the door inward, and there she is, sleeping on a beat-up couch. Her small hands are curled to fists beneath her chin. Her eyes are crushed closed, her jaw tensing and shifting with a bad dream. She rolls over, and her dark hair fans across the balled-up sweatshirt she’s using for a pillow. Then she cries out, fear and anger rolled into a single note. I can’t stand the thought of hearing it again. I have to wake her up.
I lean into the doorway a little further and clear my throat. “Pardon me.” It seems like an innocuous thing to say.
Her expression bursts to waking and she gasps an inhale. She sees she’s not alone, and her lips part, a flash of paralysis holding her for a millisecond before she bolts upright and tugs her jacket straight. Her shaking hands shoot to her hair, and she hastily ties it back.
“I’m sorry. Are you with animal control?” she asks, keeping her gaze low. I don’t know how to respond, standing this close to her too overwhelming to strategize through. In her vortex, I’m a compass with no recognition of North. I want to comfort her, to hold her until the trembles reside. At the same time, I want to have never opened that door. Here she is, in the flesh, speaking to me, her voice a familiar melody, even if this new body gives her a different sound. It’s so strange, to know so much and yet so little about this girl, this young woman, whose soul I have loved for a thousand years, but who, in this incarnation, has known of my existence for roughly five seconds.
She looks up, blinking, and I realize I haven’t offered an answer, and that perhaps it’s been a touch longer than five seconds.
Her eyes narrow, and then wander my face, pausing on the two scars claiming most of my cheek. Hope ignites within me. Could some piece of her remember me? Has my voice or the scars or my name triggered an ancient memory? She looks at me, through me, her amber eyes flecked with gold, and in this moment I see the soul of my beloved peering back at me, wholly unaware. “Can I help you, Lucas?” she asks, hugging her arms across her front.
I realize how far I’ve leaned into the office, how strange I must seem to her, and straighten through my spine. I don’t have a single explanation for being at her farm at this hour, and I can’t lie to her, not when we’re face to face. I can’t tell her the whole truth, either.
“Actually, I was just checking on you,” I offer.
“Why?” she demands, a flush of pink touching her cheeks. Her flash-burn temper makes me smile. Tanzy doesn’t physically resemble her first incarnation much, but clearly some of her personality transcended hundreds of years.
“I understand you’ve had a rather interesting day,” I say, pressing to see how much she’ll tell me… and if she’ll trust me quickly.
She doesn’t. Panic opens her face and yanks her shoulders straight. She fidgets in her low seat, her hands returning to her hair.
“Well, the manager is in the pasture with the other Animal Control officers and she’s probably who you’ll need to see,” she says, and plasters on an awkward smile. She clearly has no idea what time it is or how long she’s slept. I decide against mentioning it. Hopefully once she realizes it on her own, she’ll be unnerved enough to decide
against riding, and see herself home.
“You’re welcome to wait in the lobby by the wash racks. It’s right down the hall. Can’t miss it,” she adds, her eyes moving to the door in suggestion. The distance she wants has the opposite effect. It’s been a thousand years since I held her in my arms and tasted her. She was mine, once. Could she be again? No. She’s safest this way, hidden from the truth, hidden from who I really am, and who she really is. Tanzy can go on working with horses and helping maintain the old farm, and I will continue keeping watch over her from the woods that line the pasture. She has the best chance of surviving if we never see each other again.
“And I’m fine, thanks. Never better,” she adds, her voice shattering my thoughts. I am dazed in the aftermath, and catch myself staring openly at her. I’ve waited so long to find her, wanted nothing more than to make amends for failing her all those years ago.
A feathery, fast sound draws my attention to the barn aisle, and my pulse skyrockets. A large rat scampers from a row of tack trunks into an open stall. I scan the rest of the perimeter to be sure, but nothing else moves.
I return my gaze to Tanzy, and grin at the sight of her studying my boots, which are caked with mud from today’s patrol. She raises an eyebrow, and the corner of her mouth draws up, too. I think I just won some points.
“Be seeing you,” I murmur, our old parting words resurfacing in her presence. And there it is: a spark of recognition, which sets her face aglow. My heart swells, but chilly dread is quick to squeeze it down. Will this foolish encounter alter her chance for survival? Furious with myself, I step back and pull the door shut before I cause any more harm.
Moonlit, Book #1, and Windswept, Book #2, are written from Tanzy's perspective, and are now available for Kindle. Moonlit is available in print where ever books are sold, and Windswept will be released in print on July 8th. Check out covers and blurbs below! Thank you so much for taking part of the EuphorYA scavenger hunt, and good luck!
Moonlit, Book #1 in the Moonlit Trilogy: Eighteen-year-old Tanzy Hightower knows horses, has grown up with them on Wildwood Farm. She also knows not to venture beyond the trees that line the pasture. Things happen out there that can't be explained. Or undone. Worse, no one but she and the horses can see what lurks in the shadows of the woods. When a moonlit ride turns into a terrifying chase, Tanzy is left to question everything, from the freak accident that killed her father to the very blood in her veins. Broken and confused, she turns to Lucas, a scarred, beautiful stranger, and to Vanessa, a charming new friend who has everything Tanzy doesn't. But why do they seem to know more about her than she knows herself?Click here to go to Moonlit's listing on Amazon.
Windswept, Book #2 in the Moonlit Trilogy: Tanzy's journey continues in Windswept, the second installment of the Moonlit Trilogy...Tanzy Hightower is the key in an ancient prophecy pivotal to the existence of all beings, both Seen and Unseen. Unseen who have waited a millennium for her birth are relentless in their efforts to see the prophecy fulfilled--whether for good or evil, depending on which side of the conflict one stands. Others have sworn an oath to end Tanzy's existence, permanently. Already, Tanzy's body has been compromised by her enemies, her veins now home to the blood of a wild horse whose instincts are becoming impossible to control. While Tanzy's Unseen enemies work to draw her out of a remote safe house, her friends beg her to stay in hiding. Tanzy is torn, wanting to reunite with Lucas, who has loved her since her first incarnation, yet unsure whether fulfilling the ancient prophecy will protect those she loves or destroy them.
Windswept is newly released for Kindle on Amazon, is available at a very special introductory price for a limited time! Click here to go to Windswept's Kindle listing on Amazon.
Georgia native Jadie Jones first began working for a horse farm at twelve years old, her love of horses matched only by her love of books. She went on to acquire a B.A. in equine business management, and worked for competitive horse farms along the east coast. The need to write followed wherever she went.Jadie Jones currently lives with her family in the foothills of north Georgia. When she's not working on the next installment of the Moonlit trilogy, she is either in the saddle or exploring the great outdoors with her daughter. Learn more on her website: www.JadieJones.com.
Now then - the hunt is continues! Here's the schedule for the EuphorYA Scavenger Hunt. Each blog stop features exclusive content from one of our authors as well as a giveaway. Collect the blue colored words to make the daily secret phrases. Then enter for your chance to win the Grand Prize Giveaway--$75 Amazon / Nook gift card (first prize only), books and swag (first, second and third prizes).
Day One Stops, Friday, June 20 - Blue Phrase
Anna Silver | Chloe Jacob's World | Elana Johnson | Books By Intisar | Ali Cross
Day Two Stops, Saturday, June 21 - Red Phrase
Elisabeth Wheatley | T.L. Shreffler | RaShelle Workman | Kelly Walker | Hannah L. Clark | Christy Dorrity
Day Three Stops, Sunday, June 22 - Pink Phrase
Rhiannon Hart | Natasha Hanova | Tracy E. Banghart | KaitlynDeann | Jadie Jones
Who wants to enter a giveaway or two?! Here's what's up for grabs for my personal giveaway: a Moonlit swag pack, a copy of Moonlit and Windswept (you can choose between an eBook or print copy for both) and $25 in Paypal cash (value in US dollars - contest open internationally).
Enter via Rafflecopter: a Rafflecopter giveaway
And don't forget to enter for a chance to win the EuphorYA Scavenger Hunt Grand Prize giveaway on Rafflecopter: a Rafflecopter giveaway.
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