DCL Author Susan Blexfurd’s Publishing Journey
Check out the amazing article written about Susan:
Scroll down to “In Every Issue,” and click on “Funny Isn’t It?”
Check out the amazing article written about Susan:
Scroll down to “In Every Issue,” and click on “Funny Isn’t It?”
As Mr. Romance 1996, Mark Johnson is a well known face ever since in the romance industry.
Mark is the second oldest of 4, grow up in New York and left New York by the age of 28 to be come a stuntman in Florida.
After moving to Texas, Mark opened his own carpenter business, which he runs successful with the help of his best friend Ron Lord.
Mark is still involved in the romance industry, but having recorded a CD with his own songs in Nashville, he hopes now to break into the music industry too. Hopefully you will be able to buy his CD soon.
In January 2007, Mark flew over to England to help Pamela Seres to full fill her dream of filming a movie trailer for her movie script. Mark helped Pam in directing the trailer and also play one of the main characters in the trailer.
Mark loves all sorts of sport, but his favourite is ice hockey. And unusual for a man, he loves shopping and enjoys fashion.
Mark has a strong believe in god and faith.
www.thedarkcastlelords.com
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Best Publisher 2008 Nominee on the front page!
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Congrats Susan on another wonderful review!
http://bittenbybook s.com/?p= 1445
Twilight lovers here comes LOVE FANG by DCL Author Susan Blexrud with the sexy Dark Castle Lord Julian Fantechi!
Walking home from the Law Courts after tendering her resignation, she glanced idly at a newsstand she was passing. To her astonishment, there was a big photograph of Zale on the front page of the Daily News. There was also a smaller inset photograph of a dark woman. Apprehensive, she bought a copy.
Underneath Zale’s photograph, the paper trumpeted the news that Zale’s grandfather was announcing with great pleasure the betrothal of his beloved grandson to Penelope Ekonomides. The wedding would take place immediately. There was some blurb about them being childhood sweethearts. Livia knew that to be untrue, but there were the two photographs, the announcement of the betrothal and the wedding.
A dry sob escaped her. She had implored Zale not to underestimate his grandfather, and now she was proved right. While she and Zale were talking, his demented grandfather was arranging to force this marriage on Zale and that woman.
Dear God, please help me…
Her cell phone burred, but she did not hear it. When she got home — or what she had thought of as home until now, she reflected — the telephone was ringing. It stopped; Nell must’ve picked up. Soon she heard the click of the connection being broken. Moments later, she heard Nell’s footsteps on the parquet floor, coming nearer, entering the living room, a telephone message slip in her hand. When she saw Livia, she started.
“Ms. Hamilton, I didn’t know you were home this early. I’m so sorry. I told Mr. Giannis you were still at work. He asks you to call him the moment you get in. If you are concerned about his grandfather, please don’t be. He said everything was under control. He would come back tomorrow instead of Wednesday if you wished. There was nothing for you to worry about.”
“I’ll call him in a moment, Nell. Thank you.”
Nell nodded politely, leaving the room.
Livia thought, Call Zale back, listen to him explain why he’s going along temporarily with his grandfather’s insane machinations? No way.
She went to her walk-in, packing her things, leaving the designer clothes and all the sexy lingerie Zale had bought for her.
Trying not to cry, she went to his library and put the Daily News on his desk, taking off her engagement ring and placing it on top of his front-page photograph.
She dug her cell phone out of her purse, punching in the number of her sister Hilary in Ocean Breeze, Florida.
“Elliott.”
Her brother-in-law. Holding on to the last shreds of control, Livia whispered, “Adrian? Is Hilary there?”
“No, honey, she’s at the supermarket. Anything I can do?”
Livia shrugged despondently. “Adrian, something dreadful has happened and I need to leave New York right this minute. Would you guys be willing to have me stay for a few days? Only until I find a job and a small apartment to live in?”
“Of course you’re welcome to stay with us as long as you want. Livia… You want to find a job here? Is something wrong between you and Zale?”
Unable to hold her tears back any longer, Livia sobbed, “Oh yes, Adrian, so very wrong. His grandfather has forced him to marry some Greek heiress.”
It was a measure of Adrian’s astonishment that he remained totally quiet for some time. At last he found his voice. “Are you sure, Livia? I seem to recall you telling us he detests that woman his grandfather is always trying to force on him. And Zale is a strong man. He doesn’t seem the type to give in cravenly to an old man’s mania.”
Livia tried to control her sobs. “That’s what I thought too, but the text underneath his photo was explicit. So I thought I’d start driving south right now.”
“Are you sure you’re not too upset to drive? Hilary could fly up and drive you back?” Adrian sounded deeply concerned for her.
Livia shook her head, realizing belatedly that Adrian could not see it. She assured him, “I’ll be fine once I get started, Adrian. Please don’t worry. You’ll see me in a few days, then. I promise to stop driving long before I’m too exhausted to see straight.”
“You better,” said Adrian. “I’m quite fond of my sis-in-law, you know. Please, drive carefully. I want you to arrive here in one piece.”
“I will… Bye.” Livia disconnected.
She dragged her wheeled suitcase and an overnight tote to the front door, locking it carefully behind her. She put the key in the envelope she had ready, sliding it underneath the door for Nell to find and place on Zale’s desk.
She went to the elevator. One of the bodyguards got up from the security desk to help her. “Can we drive you anywhere, Ms. Hamilton?”
She shook her head, trying for a casual attitude. “No, thank you – just some things I have to take to my sister’s.”
“Mr. Giannis would want one of us to go with you, Ma’am,” said the bodyguard. His name was Chris, she suddenly remembered.
“Thanks, Chris, but I think he just meant for you to guard the penthouse, and me when I’m in it. Mr. Giannis should be back in a few days.”
The elevator arrived, and Chris stepped back. “As you wish.”
“Thank you, Chris. You have an uneventful time.”
“That’s how we prefer things, Ma’am. Good bye.”
Livia stepped into the elevator. The doors closed. She leaned against the wall, dizzy and almost sick with unhappiness. Well, now she knew how a broken heart felt.
Zale – how could you do this to me… To us?
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Darkest Blessings,
www.thedarkcastlelo rds.com
__._,_.___
I thought my bones had melded to my chair. A good stout chair it was—oak—and it rocked, but I was done with rocking. They had taken my children away and so I sat, immobile in the half-winter cold of early April, feeling close to my mother who had died in that chamber. I had not eaten and barely taken water or wine for a fortnight. The drapes were drawn, a small fire rustled on the hearth, and I think I would have gone to Mother presently except for a resounding crash at my door. It was so loud that I was recalled, much against my will.
Light flooded through the opening. Hilgi’s tread was heavy upon the stone floor; he was a big man. He looked just as I had seen him some months earlier. He still wore the circlet of a Northern prince, the gold armbands of a Chieftain’s son, and his Havacian battle axe strapped to his chest. His furious expression was the same, as well. So he had looked the day he clove our mutual enemy King Edred of Tumagia in twain with that axe or its twin.
“What have they done to you?” he asked in Omani. It was the only language we had in common. But I did not care to speak on that day and I was the Queen and could do as I liked, so I kept silence.
“What have they not done to you?” he demanded again, wrenching open the drapes. I flinched as he sank into a knee-bend beside my chair, taking my chin firmly in
his big hand and looking into my face. “When did you last eat, Tia? You look like death!”
I made no reply and he backhanded me. I blinked.
“That’s the first one,” he said. “Every time you ignore me, you’ll get another.” I was more shocked than hurt and the hot seep of rage began to fill me like water soaking through a sponge. “Bad enough I was beaten by King Edred and a slave dealer in Omana…but you?”
“That’s better.” Tipping me forward to wrap the quilt from my bed around me, he lifted me, effortlessly. The world spun when he changed my position and I clutched him in panic as he bore me from that chamber, pausing only to kick my chair across the room so hard I could hear the solid oak splinter like kindling.
“That was a perfectly good chair,” I objected.
“I’ll make you another.”
In the hallway, Alcinic guards were deep in conversation with some of Hilgi’s Ancient Order fighters–men feared throughout the world for their habit of cutting out their enemies’ hearts still beating.
“No crying, little Tia,” Hilgi said softly. “If you want your men to live, be silent.”
I was weak from starvation, grief and near-madness and it took me a few moments to realize that Hilgi and his men had not come from the last fighting in Tumagia to pay honor to my dead husband. They had come for me.
“Andun is not going to let you take me,” I hissed, not too dazed to protect my men. Those guards at Landsfel would not stand a chance against Hilgi’s fighters. Havacians followed no rules except their own, despite loudly demanding justice in whatever courts there were, but our men viewed them as allies. Some of them had fought alongside Havacians in the recent war. But the Ancient Order fighters were Hilgi’s, body and soul, and would knife my unsuspecting men without a second’s hesitation.
“You have three children by a man your cousin hated,” Hilgi said softly. “Two of them stand between him and the throne. Your precious Andun may have killed Sergius, he will certainly kill his daughters and he would be glad to see the last of you.”
I was shocked speechless because Andun had told me Tumagis had killed Sergius and his men. I had seen the fatal arrows. Of course, those would have been easy enough to get. We had fought the enemy for several years. The place was littered with their weapons and their bones.
“You have my children?” I asked weakly.
“Agnar does.” Well, at least he had put his most trusted captain to that task. “Make no disturbance. I do not want them troubled by what they would see.” I knew what that was and kept my mouth shut as he bore me quickly past some uneasy guards.
“My Lady?” one called. I roused.
“Keep to your post!” I responded firmly.
Hilgi was a personal friend and ally, I was holding onto him for dear life and they had received no orders from Andun. My guards also knew–as I did not–that some of the Omani troops remaining in my country were disloyal to my husband. If they had killed him, they would come after me and my children next. Omanis were accomplished assassins.
All I did know was that the light hurt my eyes, my heart was skipping beats and Hilgi was making good speed to the beach. I turned my face to his chest.
“I promised Sergius as my brother to protect you if he was killed,” he said. “And you must be gotten out of Alcinia.”
It had the ring of truth to it. I knew his father King Maruk had already been old when Hilgi was born. When the Empirate of Omana sent my husband to Havacia on his first command, I supposed it was natural that Hilgi took to a dashing young officer. And when Sergius compounded matters by marrying Arianya, Hilgi’s sister, the die was cast. They had indeed become close as brothers and though I knew Hilgi could lie as nimbly as a mountain goat jumps, Sergius had warned me repeatedly that I could never trust Andun but could rely upon Hilgi.
That is why the Prince of Havacia carried me like a doll into pounding surf to one of the oiled leather skiffs Havacians used for passengers. Other craft would not attempt to come past the offshore island called Lady’s Weeping for its habit of causing wrecks, but the red and white striped sails of King Maruk’s fleet bobbed there on a fierce undertow and men took me speedily to Hilgi’s ship, the Boar’s Head. Ships of the Ancient Order–their macabre prows carved in the shape of gods and demons–surrounded it, but only skeleton crews were aboard. The other men who had sailed with Hilgi held my soldiers at swords’ point while their Prince absconded with me.
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