Happy Valentine’s Day, everyone. I know it’s likely that most of us aren’t celebrating the way we’d wish to. Someone pointed out to me that St Valentine is also the patron saint of plague, so he seems to have all bases covered today.
Today is also a reminder that Beaten Track’s Anthology “Love Unlocked” celebrates its fourth Book Birthday. Has it really been four years? It seems to have flown by.
“Locked in the Moment”, included in the anthology, was my first published book. I’d written and shared stories before that, but this was the first that I could actually hold in my hand. So you can imagine that it holds a special place in my heart.
I thought I’d share a snippet to mark it’s fourth anniversary. The entire anthology is amazing. Why not give it all some love.
Available from Beaten Track, Smashwords and all the other usual places. The links can be found below.
Before I share a snippet, here is the blurb.
Due to a misunderstanding, the troll that lives underneath one of the most romantic bridges in Paris inadvertently unlocks every single padlock lovers have left there over the years. L’Authoritié de Fée Folklorique are up in arms. He has no idea what all the fuss is about.
The noise was driving him mad. He just wanted a bit of peace and quiet.
A spell is cast, leaving the troll in a bit of a predicament. He is charged with the seemingly impossible task of fixing the locks before the spell can be reversed and he is allowed to return to his home. There are other complications, the least of which is the insistence and persistence of a fairy who is determined to help him against the wishes of his own people.
Now the troll has a dilemma. What is more important to him? The only home he has known for two thousand years, or a fairy he has just met?
And now here is a snippet
I’m always discreet. Humans tend to freak out when they see a seven-foot-tall, black hairy troll walking about in the open, so I keep to the shadows, but a bloke has to eat. No one ever sees me, except the fairy on guard, that is.
“Bonjour, Monsieur Troll.” My eyes are assaulted by a mess of flaming auburn curls and pink, flushed cheeks. My fairy stalker.
He’s tiny, compared to me. He’s probably small by human standards as well, but I wouldn’t know. I just know that he’s small, annoying and perched on one of the bridge posts, grinning at me smugly. His tiny legs are crossed at the ankles while he casually eats pink-coloured ice cream with a spoon. It’s the middle of the bloody night. Where did he get ice cream?
This one’s pretty determined. I’ve seen him around before. He doesn’t just sit and watch; he tries to bloody speak to me as well. All I ever do is grunt at him, but he never seems to give up and he always sounds so bloody cheerful. Bloody fairies.
“How are you this fine evening, Monsieur?” His very blue eyes regard me with interest.
Ha! The only interest he has in me is whether or not I’m up to no good. This time, I’m up here to do something about the noise. He doesn’t know that, though. Let him try and stop me.
“Is there anything I can help you with, Monsieur Troll?” He just won’t give up.
“Nuffing, fanks.” I grunt and then turn my back. He’ll get the message.
He doesn’t get the message.
“Ah, but I am forgetting my manners.” He rolls his sparkling eyes that are framed by thick auburn lashes. “Allow me to introduce myself. Je m’appelle Lucien.” And now he’s speaking to me in French. This is going to be interesting. “Would you like some of my ice cream?”
Locked in the Moment and all the other stories from the Love Unlocked Anthology are available to buy separately or all together in the anthology. Link below:
Locked in the Moment, Love Unlocked
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Dawn Sister 