Tantalizing Tuesday

Please welcome a fabulous author and a dear friend, Rie McGaha, into the moonlight. Rie's newest book, Ancient Blood, was released yesterday, Monday, May 31st, and is the sequel to Blood Line, both released by Noble Romance Publishing. Other books written by Rie include, Cocked and Fully Loaded, Deadly Dreams, Grounded, My Soul to Keep, One Good Man, Two for Hire and Ghosts of Valentine's Past (a review will be posted here on June 5th for Ghosts of Valentine's Past). Rie has over 20 grandchildren, is a dog lover, even finds time to rescue them, while carving out more time to free lance edit, produce fantastic book trailers, manage a promotions business and be a review editor for The Pagan & The Pen. She's involved with several blogs and I'm sure she'd love for you to visit them all:

Sizzling Releases: http://sizzlingreleases.blogspot.com/

Author Offerings: http://authorofferings.blogspot.com/

An Authors Tale: http://anauthorstale.blogspot.com/


To learn more about Rie or her books, please visit her website: http://www.riemcgaha.com/

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Now, let's get to the good stuff...

GRACEN: When you stop to consider trends and traditions, June marks a time of beginnings (marriages, commencements). What about you, any weddings, anniversaries or graduations to attend this month?

RIE: Not this year, but next year my oldest grandson will graduate from high school.

GRACEN: While April 22nd marks Earth Day, June 5th is World Environment Day. What will you do to celebrate our environment?

RIE: I am big on garbage. I don’t just wait for certain dates on the calendar, whenever I see garbage on the roads around here, I stop and clean it up.


GRACEN: Speaking of the environment, do you strive to be more energy efficient or more environmentally conscious? How you accomplish this goal?

RIE: We are environmentally conscious, although it’s a way of life for us and not some bandwagon we’ve jumped on. We live in a very remote area and have solar power, bio toilets that turn human waste into compost for the garden, we compost instead of throwing stuff away, grow most of our own food, and don’t run to town for every little thing. Instead, we wait and go once a month or less.


GRACEN: What traits make the men in your life good father figures? Will you do anything special to celebrate these men? If so, what will it be?

RIE: My husband is a great father. He married me with 5 kids in tow, and had never been around children. He accepted them as his own and even though there were some of the normal problems for a man coming into the lives of pre-teens and teens, he was willing to deal with whatever happened. He’s always treated the kids as if they were his own and they all refer to him as their “dad” not step-dad. This year is going to be a really great Father’s Day because he is turning 50 and retiring, all about the same time as Father’s Day. The kids are all coming home with their kids and we’re having a family BBQ, going to the lake, taking the boat out, going for a motorcycle ride, and he is planning on taking the grandkids for a campout.


GRACEN: While the summer solstice occurs on June 21st, warmer weather usually arrives earlier than that, encouraging people to get out and enjoy the weather. What activities do you usually start in June?

RIE: Getting the motorcycle out and going riding. And this year is awesome because we will be touring the wineries of Oklahoma for my contribution to William Maltese’s Wine Diaries.


GRACEN: While people generally clean in spring, they need to do something with all the stuff the find they do not need. If it isn’t given away or donated, many people have rummage or estate sales. What about you, do you like to hit the rummage sales on a nice warm morning? Do you go alone or with someone else? Is it a family tradition?

RIE: I’m not big on rummage sales. Sometimes, if I happen to be out and see something that might be interesting, I’ll stop but in general, I don’t go looking for yard sales.


GRACEN: In many areas, private community schools tend to schedule festivals and bazaars as fundraisers throughout the summer. What about your area? What kind of festivals and bazaars can be found and when will they occur? Do you make appearances at them, or do you avoid them? If so, why?

RIE: We live in a very small community and schools rule around here with the ball games, fund raisers, etc all school year but in the summer we have the town home coming and the streets are blocked off. There’s a street dance, BBQ, arts and crafts booths, and a lot of things for the kids to do, like water balloon fights, and other activities to stay cool. We also have rodeos on the weekends, huge 4th of July picnic/bbq and fireworks. This is a very close knit area and everyone goes to everything!


GRACEN: The weather in June seems to be a great mix in almost every state, and most people tend to plan vacations in June. What about you, are you a June traveler? If so, where will you be going? If not, when do you prefer to travel and why? Where have you gone or will you be going this year?

RIE: As I said, this year June is booked, and in July we will be heading to Calif. to pick up three grandsons and bring them back to Oklahoma for a couple of weeks. While in Calif. we’ll visit more of, our kids and grandkids and then take the long way home stopping at some of the water parks and other places for the grandsons to cool off.


GRACEN: We’ve had our fun now, so let’s put the focus on your writing, Rie…While there are many genres to choose from, what specifically brought you to romance? Why this genre over the others?

RIE: I used to read a lot of romances by authors like Karen Marie Moning, Sherrilyn Kenyon, and many others, so that was a genre I was familiar with. When I decided to start writing for publication, I went with what I knew the best. This is not my favorite genre though, I really prefer writing non-romance in the suspense or paranormal genres.


GRACEN: Even though the popularity of the romance genre continues to grow, it’s still not always a highly respected genre. What, in your opinion, is the reason for the continued interest in the genre and for the lack of respect it receives?

RIE: I think the romance genre has actually gained a lot of momentum in both popularity and respect lately. I have seen several men reading Nora Roberts’ books while waiting in line or at the airports!


GRACEN: Earlier, we asked about what traits make the men in your life good father figures. Now, we want to know, have any of these men, or their traits, been inspiration for characters in your stories? If so, which men, what characters and/or traits and why?

RIE: Absolutely. My husband Nathan is my biggest fan and a lot of what I write in the hero comes from what I know about him. I always tell him he’s a really bad boy, but such a good man. To me, that’s a very attractive quality. To find a man who is still the little boy who likes to play, but the very protective man who will slay the dragons is my ideal man. I found him in my husband.


GRACEN: For a writer, inspiration can be found everywhere and in almost anyone, but sometimes specific people, places and events can inspire certain characters, personality traits, events or situations that happen in our stories. In your current story that we’re promoting here today, Ancient Blood, did any one particular person, place or event inspire you? If so who/what was it (were they), how did it/they inspire you and how is this inspiration reflected in your story?

RIE: Not so much in Ancient Blood. This is the sequel to Blood Line and the men were established in that story, so it’s just a matter of carrying the story line on into the sequel. However, in Comes An Outlaw (coming soon) the hero is based on a very dear friend I have known for nearly thirty years, so it really just depends on the story.


GRACEN: Without giving away anything pertinent to the story, tell us about the hero and heroine (s) of your story. What do they look like? How do they meet (or “did” if this is not the first book with these same characters)? What are their personalities – Are they comical cut-ups, are they serious or are they a mix of the two? Please give us a little bit of dialogue from the story that can illustrate this. (Not much, but just a few lines and from a different section than the main excerpt – Thanks!)

RIE: I tend to use my youngest son’s looks for my heroes. Cody is a United States Marine, with black hair, the bluest eyes and is just gorgeous, so it’s easy to describe him as the heroines lost love, Colin. Colin is described as being a bookworm, with the desire to travel and has a love of learning. Ganda is the heroine in this story and her looks are actually based on Catherine Zeta-Jones, who I think is one of the most beautiful women I’ve ever seen. Ganda is smart, loving, kind, but ruffle her feathers and she’s a bitch you don’t even want to mess with.


GRACEN: The main characters are usually great, but sometimes, secondary and tertiary characters are known to steal the scenes, even if the author did not intend this to happen. Who are the secondary/tertiary characters in your story and what do they look like? What’s unique about them? What is their relationship to the hero/heroine? Have any of these characters gone on to become scene-stealers? If so, who and how did they do it? Is there the possibility for them to get their own story? (Again, please give us a small bit of dialogue to illustrate this – thanks!)

RIE: Since this is the sequel to Blood Line where Josh and Jessie Kaine were the main characters, both are now secondary characters. They are young, in love, married right out of high school, and really enjoy throwing verbal jabs at one another. This is really insight into my relationship with my husband!

Excerpt:

Josh shined his flashlight up the stairs and called out to Jessie and Ganda. “Come on down and bring the equipment!”

Jessie looked at Ganda and rolled her eyes, as she hoisted her pack onto her back and grabbed Josh’s as well. “You’d think they were leading an expedition,” she said as she started down the stairs. Ganda chuckled as she followed.

“I heard that,” Josh said with a wry grin as Jessie descended the stairwell and joined him and Garan in the dark space below.

“I meant for you too,” Jess said with a laugh.

Ganda shined the beam of her flashlight around and found they were in a small room approximately twelve by twelve feet square. The walls were etched with carvings and paintings that had to date back at least four thousand years, perhaps longer. As they each took a wall to examine them for doorways and clues, Ganda found another painting that closely resembled the original on the Colonnade floor above them.

“Garan,” she said softly. “Look at this one.”

Garan examined the wall closely and walked slowly down its length following the designs. “I think this is a warning,” he said. “It’s been a long time since I’ve seen anything like this, but as I recall, it says something like “beware the night, beware the beast of the night, beware the . . . hmmm, I’m not sure on this last part but it looks like blood, or feeding on blood or something like that.”

“Beware the beast who feeds on the blood of man. Beware the beast who consumes the flesh of man. Beware,” Ganda said as she followed Garan along the wall.

“Sounds like someone had a run in with a werewolf,” Jessie said.

“Or that a werewolf lies behind this wall and someone put this warning here to keep anyone from trying to free the beast beyond,” Garan said. “Get the sonar.”

“Ganda, are you okay?” Jess asked as the two men set about their task.

“I’m fine. I just felt goose bumps run over my body as I read that. It’s almost as if I can feel Colin.”

“Is he there?”

“I don’t know,” Ganda said with a shrug. “I think I can feel him, but then I wonder if it’s my mind playing tricks on me again. I spent so many years mourning him, I’m afraid to trust my feelings anymore.”

Jessie placed an arm around Ganda’s shoulders and hugged her. “Don’t worry. This is an emotional thing for you. It has to be difficult to deal with.”

“Thank you. I’m fine now.” Ganda inhaled deeply and slowly released the breath. She closed her eyes and placed one hand against the wall. A low hum came from somewhere deep inside of her, barely audible to those around her.

Garan stopped what he was doing and looked at Josh. He placed a finger over his lips and shook his head once from side to side. Josh stilled, as did Jessie and the trio watched as Ganda continued to hum.

Placing her other hand flat against the wall, Ganda began to emanate a glow that began at the top of her head and swirled around her body until it reached her toes. Then the glow swelled and brightened until the others had to shield their eyes from the intensity. Ganda hummed louder and began to chant in a language no one could understand. She began to levitate, rising off the floor a few inches as she hovered in the air. Suddenly, a wind kicked up and Ganda’s hair whipped around her and then just as suddenly, the wind was gone and Ganda stood firmly on the ground.

“Wow,” Jessie muttered.

“Yeah, wow!” Josh agreed.

Garan smiled at both of them. “This would be the first time you actually saw any of Ganda’s power, isn’t it?” Josh and Jessie both nodded mutely. Garan chuckled. “You should see her when she’s angry. Fire falls from the sky.”

BUY LINKS:
https://www.nobleromance.com/BrowseListing.aspx?author=8

BLURB:

Half witch and half wolf, Ganda is like no other being on earth, but more than 3,000 years ago the love of her life, Colin, was killed and since then she's remained an old black woman in the swamps of Louisiana. That was until Joshua and Jessie Kaine showed up and brought her back to life. Now on a mission to put her past to rest, Ganda visits the land of her birth and the land of Colin's death--Egypt. What she finds there isn't the answer she's looking for, but a mystery that will change her entire future.


EXCERPT:

At precisely seven that evening, Willard knocked on the door. He’d dressed himself in a black suit and tie and combed his wispy strands of black hair over his balding head. His round belly notwithstanding, Willard thought he looked very dapper indeed. Ganda nearly laughed out loud when she saw him. She wasn’t sure what century he’d lived in prior to being made a wolf, but he certainly hadn’t learned a thing about fashion in all the years since.

“Good evening,” Ganda said with a smile as she opened the door for him.

Willard nearly swallowed his tongue when he saw her. She wasn’t just beautiful, she was exquisite and he knew why Amcor had pursued her for so many long years. He knew why any man would risk all that he owned to have her, would give her anything her heart desired if she would cast her attentions his way but for a moment. He took a deep breath and swallowed hard. “Good evening,” he said with some effort.

“You’re very prompt, Willard. Shall we go?” He simply nodded as she picked up her small bag and went to the door.

The restaurant was plushly decorated and dimly lit for romantic effect. They were led to a small table in a dark corner of the room and the maitre` de held the chair while Ganda sat. He lingered just a little longer than necessary while his eyes roamed over her body, and he didn’t even try to disguise the lust that darkened his eyes. Ganda smiled, amused with the man’s reaction and with the thoughts she read from him. She gave him a sly smile. Willard didn’t miss the look on the man’s face either and cleared his throat rather loudly until he had the man’s attention.

“Perhaps we could have a bottle of wine?” Willard gave the man a hard look and the man quickly looked away from Ganda and hurried to bring the wine.

Ganda chuckled softly and said, “I have forgotten how easily the male of the species is swayed by a feminine smile.”

“Any man would be swayed by you, Ganda. You’re a very beautiful woman.”

“Is that why you brought me here, Willard? To wine and dine and seduce me?” Ganda shot him a wicked grin and sat back in her chair as the wine steward opened the bottle Willard ordered and poured a swallow into his wine glass. He swirled the pale liquid, inhaled the aroma, and lifted the glass to his lips. He nodded slightly and the waiter filled Ganda’s glass first, then Willard’s. He set the bottle back into the bucket near the table and bowed curtly before leaving them alone once again.

“No,” Willard continued the conversation, “but if I thought a little wine and dinner would seduce you, believe me, I would give it a try.” He hoped to sound light and not reveal the tightness he was feeling in his loins.

A wolf’s senses are keen, his urges intense; his sense of smell, sense of taste, sense of hearing more keen than any animal. His eyesight so much better than ever as a mere mortal, and his sexual drive was sometimes so powerful as to be overwhelming. Tonight, even as a man, Willard’s wolf senses were raging as he looked at Ganda. She was a feast for the eyes, the most beautiful woman he’d ever seen. In fact, she was a feast for all of his senses, as her scent wafted on the air, her voice like music to his ears, and both man and beast desired her with an intensity he’d never before known. His mouth had gone dry and the wine did little to help. He inhaled slowly and deeply, using all of his willpower to control his urges. It helped only minimally.

The waiter took their order, steaks ordered rare for both of them. Ganda regarded Willard carefully, sipped her wine slowly, kept the conversation light, and skirted around the real reason for this dinner. Her expression never changed as she sensed Garan’s arrival. Waiting for a lull in the conversation, she politely excused herself from the table to go to the ladies room.

Willard stood as she rose and she could feel his eyes on her rear as she walked away, so she slowed her pace slightly and swayed her hips a little more than necessary just for effect. Pausing at the hallway, she glanced over her shoulder and shot him a cool smile; he quickly looked away knowing he’d been drooling as he watched her walk away.

BUY LINKS: https://www.nobleromance.com/BrowseListing.aspx?author=8

SUPERNATURAL SUNDAY

Please help me welcome author, Rie McGaha! It's a pleasure and an honor to have you with us today, Rie!

I had the pleaure of meeting Rie through our publisher, Noble Romance Publishing, and she recently celebrated the birth of her 25th grandchild. When I learned that she had 12 children and 25 grandchildren, my first thought was how exciting her holidays must be and how loud! LOL Rie has lived all over the United States, but now resides in Oklahoma with her husband and rescues abused and neglected animals, many of which have become permanent family members. She is the author of Blood Line, Ancient Blood, Two for Hire, Caleb, Arion, and Deadly Dreams, and has a western anthology, Cocked and Fully Loaded, releasing soon. These are just a few of the books Rie has available. Visit Rie's website to learn more about Rie and her books.

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GRACEN: Do you have any favorite Thanksgiving movie or program that you enjoy watching every year? If more than one, tell us all of them!

RIE: When the kids were small we used to watch the Macy’s parade, but since they’ve all grown up and moved out, we don’t really do anything.


GRACEN: What, if any, Thanksgiving traditions (decorating, gathering with friends and family for a meal, etc.) do you have?

RIE: We didn’t have much extra money when the kids were little, so I always tried to make the holidays special in whatever way I could. I saw a magazine cover at the doctor office and it featured Tuxedo Turkey, so that year I made a little tuxedo with pie dough, cut out the vest, bow tie, buttons and pockets, colored the pieces with food coloring and arranged the tux on the turkey the last ten minutes of baking, and viola! Tuxedo Turkey! That was about 15 years ago and we’ve had Tuxedo Turkey every Thanksgiving since.


GRACEN: What was your most memorable Thanksgiving and why?

RIE: My first grandchild, Mathew (now almost 17) was 10 months old on his first Thanksgiving and we had the table all set and were about ready to sit down to eat when I walked into the dining room to find Mat had climbed up on the table and was on his hands and knees eating the turkey face first. It was the cutest thing!


GRACEN: Which do you choose: white or dark turkey, white potatoes or yams, green beans or corn, bread rolls or crescent rolls?

RIE: I am definitely a dark meat person, the thighs are mine! I like both types of potatoes, corn all the way, and I make my own dinner rolls!


GRACEN: What, in your opinion, was the oddest food served at a Thanksgiving dinner you’ve attended?

RIE: Tofurkey! I’m not against tofu or vegetarians, I used to be a vegetarian, but tofurkey is just wrong!


GRACEN: Tell us 3 things you are thankful for this year, please.

RIE: My two granddaughters Isabell and Meagan were born this year.
My son Cody was discharged from the Marine Corps.
And my son Michael had testicular cancer, but the latest tests show the treatments worked and he is cancer free!


GRACEN: Just for fun, if you could be among any of the original members of that first Thanksgiving, who would it be, the Pilgrims or the Wampanoag (Native Americans)? Why?

RIE: The Wampanoags because I would just love to have been here to see this country before the white man screwed it up!


GRACEN: Considering that feast, what do you think that first harvest celebration meal would be?

RIE: Probably a lot of game meat, corn, vegetables and bread. Maybe the Pilgrim women made cakes or pies or something too, but I imagine the fare was really very simple considering the time period.


Now, let’s get to your writing:

GRACEN: Why erotic fantasy/paranormal/suspense? What’s the draw?

RIE: I didn’t start out writing erotic fiction, I started out writing straight romance with paranormal or suspense settings. When I got my first contract with Noble Romance Publishing for Deadly Dreams Jill liked the story but it wasn’t erotic, so she tutored me in adding the erotic element and since then I’ve had several titles published with Noble. However, I am now trying to get back into mainstream romance. I’m old and just can’t write any new erotica!


GRACEN: If you could describe your writing with a word or phrase, what would it be? What do you want readers to take with them when they've finished reading your story?

RIE: My tagline is …fantasy that keeps you up, and I think that pretty much sums up what I write. I don’t know that I want the readers to take anything in particular with them after reading one of my books. I think the main reason people read erotic romance is to transport themselves from reality to a place of fun and romance for an hour or so. If I can give people a break from the stress in their lives, that’s a pretty good thing.


GRACEN: Have you ever written Thanksgiving into your stories? Why or why not?

RIE: I have a book that’s out with another publisher right now that has a bit of Thanksgiving written into the story line. It’s called Cross The Line and is my personal favorite.

I don’t really write holiday themed stories because I feel as if it confines the story line. Some people do really well with themes, but I’m not one of them, although I am writing a short for a Valentine’s Day anthology, so we’ll see how that goes!


GRACEN: Who decides what you write about, you or your muse? What kind of influence do you have over your story, or is the muse always the one basting the turkey?

RIE: I like to think it’s all me, but the fact is if the voices in my head aren’t talking, I don’t do much writing! Sometimes they can take my characters in different directions than I had planned and sometimes that’s okay, other times it’s just a pain! But the trick is to know when to rein in the voices and when to let them run.


GRACEN: Have you ever based a character on a real-life person? If so, why? Was it simply to immortalize them or was there more to it than that? If you can, tell us the name of that person, please! We’re all curious here!

RIE: I just received a contract from Champagne Books for a novel called Closure and a good portion of it is actually based on my own life, although I am not about to tell anyone which parts are real and which are fiction! But in general my characters can have elements of their personalities based on people I know, or their looks can be based on people I know or on celebrities. For instance, in Blood Line Joshua is totally based on my husband, Nathan and Ganda’s looks, as a young woman, is based on Catherine Zeta-Jones.


GRACEN: What character did you have the most fun creating and why?

RIE: In Closure, the serial killer is a woman and that was a ton of fun because I made my husband act out the murder scenes just to make sure they could actually be done!


GRACEN: If you had the opportunity to meet just one of your characters in real life, who would it be and why? Which of your characters would you never want to meet under any circumstance and why?

RIE: I would love to meet any of the heroes in my books. They’re all wonderfully, caring, romantic, macho men who knows how to please a woman and enjoys doing it!

As far as not wanting to meet one of them, that would be Lucius McKenna from Deadly Dreams. He’s down right scary!

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BLOOD LINE BUY LINK

ANCIENT BLOOD BUY LINK

ANCIENT BLOOD BLURB:

Half witch and half wolf, Ganda is like no other being on earth, but more than 3,000 years ago the love of her life, Colin, was killed and since then she's remained an old black woman in the swamps of Louisiana. That was until Joshua and Jessie Kaine showed up and brought her back to life. Now on a mission to put her past to rest, Ganda visits the land of her birth and the land of Colin's death--Egypt. What she finds there isn't the answer she's looking for, but a mystery that will change her entire future.


ANCIENT BLOOD EXCERPT:

Ancient Blood by Rie McGaha (coming Dec. 7 from Noble Romance Publishing, the sequel to Blood Line)

Amenemhat traveled under the cover of darkness, knowing the danger he would face if recognized, and knew it would surely end his life. The people would welcome no consort of the crown. They were hungry, their children were dying, and they had little will left to help themselves, but they would have no problem killing the right-hand man of the dynasty they blamed for their deplorable lives.

After traveling most of the night, he reached Thebes by early morning light. Exhausted as he entered the temple to pray and be fortified, he stood before the altar of Amun, and Amenemhat felt a shiver run over his flesh and knew he was not alone. Slipping the knife from his waistband, he held it hidden in the folds of his robes. He turned slowly, and then involuntarily sucked a breath into his lungs at the sight he beheld.

The woman was ethereal in her beauty. Dark, thick hair fell to her knees in glorious, shining waves. With eyes as black as night, she peered at him from beneath heavy lashes. The faintest blush against alabaster skin highlighted her cheeks. Red and full, her perfect mouth nearly curved into a smile, but not quite. Her gown appeared to shine like silver, held beneath her firm, full breasts with a girdle of braided gold. The long sleeves fell like bells past her wrists, covering her hands as they lay loosely at her sides. Standing with bare feet, she observed him as if he was the intruder. The knife in his hand clattered on the marble floor.

"Who are you?" He asked in a barely audible whisper. Licking his lips, he tried to overcome the complete way she had caused his brain to all but cease functioning.

With one slow step toward him, she extended one hand in front of her as if she would touch him. He felt his breath catch in his lungs as she crossed the distance between them without seeming to have moved at all.

"You may call me Ganda."

Her voice was as close to music as he'd ever heard. And then she was beside him, laying her hand gently on his arm.

"You have nothing to fear, Amenemhat," she assured him softly.

He swallowed hard, forced himself to take a long, slow breath. His skin was on fire beneath her touch. His blood felt as if it were about to boil. Barely able to hold a coherent thought in his head, he stared at her, inhaled deeply, and let the breath out slowly. Finally, he was able to speak. "Why are you here in this sanctuary? How do you know me?" He hoped his voice sounded steadier to her than it did to him, though she appeared not to notice his nervousness.

"I…” she hesitated and looked over her shoulder at a man Amenemhat hadn’t even noticed. She smiled again, and corrected herself. "We, that is, have heard your prayers."

The man that joined her looked altogether normal, yet not quite, as Amenemhat looked him over. He was tall, but no taller than Amenemhat himself, and he had black hair, with eyes as blue as a summer sky. It was in the way he carried himself, Amenemhat decided. The man just appeared so much larger than life. He was definitely human, but he was also something more than that. Something sleeker, wilder, more defined than an ordinary man.

"I'm Colin," the man said with a smirk, as if he knew exactly what Amenemhat had been thinking.

Amenemhat cleared his throat, but it didn't help, his mouth was so dry his tongue was glued to the roof. He cleared his throat again but no sound came out. When the woman looked directly at him it seemed as if he could no longer control himself. His mind failed to function, as well as his mouth. Something about her made him want to touch her, to bow before her, to worship her body, and to promise her anything she might ask of him.

Finally, Amenemhat was able to pull himself together and managed to croak, "I don't understand how you came to be in this place. It is sacred. Only the king, the priests, and myself, are allowed in this sanctuary."

The man and woman looked at one another, joined their hands and smiled into each other's eyes. There was nothing Amenemhat could mistake in the look that passed between them. The woman belonged to this strange man, and Amenemhat thought he heard the word mine whispered on the air when the two joined hands. He took a step back. It was fear and respect, awe that he felt now.

Neither of these beings were simply normal human beings. He knew it in the depths of his soul, though he couldn’t have said what it was he thought they might be. The woman looked him in the eye again and he felt his stomach muscles quiver, his blood seemed to explode within him, and he couldn’t breathe. Falling prostrate before them, he pressed his fists to his eyes. He didn't see the look the man gave the woman, or the smiles that passed between them.

The man shrugged and said, "Arise,” with so much authority Amenemhat immediately obeyed.

"How may I serve you, my lord?"

Again Colin smiled but caught the look Ganda sent him and quickly sobered. "We aren't here to be served, but rather to help you. We heard your prayers, we've seen the devastation in your country, and we want to help all of you."

Amenemhat looked warily from one to the other now. Speaking of his country sobered him. "Help? In what way would you be able to help? We are all but finished here! The war has raged since before I was born, before my king was born, and none of his predecessors were able to end the civil war here in Egypt. How can you help?"

"We are able to see beyond what you see. And able to succeed in areas that a…well, that a man such as yourself is unable to," the woman said.

Amenemhat could have listened to her all day so sweet was her voice, and so warm was her touch, and so very seductive. He would have done anything to have a long, slow taste of her, of that mouth, and to be able to feel that body beneath his. Everything that was male within him reacted to her. She was the most beautiful, desirable woman he’d ever seen in his life. He had never felt such hot desire licking through him, had never felt such raw lust pricking every nerve in his body.

This woman was snatched from his fantasies. One he had dreamed of but knew could never really exist. The gods had simply not been able to create such perfection. Yet, here she stood with all that glorious hair falling around her. It was all he could do not to reach out and wrap his hands in it. Her dark eyes were like pools with endless depths and he was sure she could see right into his very thoughts, his mind and soul.

He could imagine kissing those lips, sucking that full bottom lip into his mouth. Her breasts, so full and high, he could see her nipples in his mind’s eye all puckered and pink. Licking his lips, he felt the heat of his desire for her coursing through his blood. He knew he had never wanted a woman the way he wanted this one, and he would never touch another woman without thinking of this one, then he caught the look the man was giving him.

"She belongs to me, and if you want to continue drawing breath in this life, I suggest you keep those thoughts out of your head," Colin said softly with a smile that belied the edge of danger hanging from his words.

Amenemhat's mouth fell open. Falling flat on his face, he lay prostrate before them once more. This time, however, he begged for forgiveness and pleaded for his life. They must truly be gods Amenemhat thought vaguely, since they could read his mind!

Colin almost laughed out loud. Not a god at all, but what could it hurt if everyone thought he was? Egypt was going to be fun!