Happy Monday

Apologies for being quiet for so long.  It's been a difficult few weeks but I'm hoping to be more active in the future. I'm looking forward to getting the release date for my latest book - The Matchmaker's Mare.

I was recently featured on Literal Literary. If you haven't seen it, here's the link:

https://literalliterary.com/author-features/author-spotlight-hywela-lyn/

(Several other authors you may recognise and their features are really interesting  - if you visit drop a line in the comments, always apppreciated!)

Instead of my usual Welsh Legends, I'll be doing a piece on Welsh Halloween Customs on Thursday.

If you're going to a Halloween party, or Trick or Treating, have fun!

THE MATCHMAKER'S MARE 

Who knew a haunted cottage and a stray pony could bring two wounded hearts together

 

For insider news and subscriber-only info, subscribe to my occasional Newsletter. I promise not to spam and your in-box will only see an email from me every 3 or 4 months or so - unless of course I have something really Newsworthy to share!
I also promise that I never have and never will share your information or email address with anyone or any organisation.  http://madmimi.com/signups/196357/join

Haunted Open House Giveaway Blog Hop

I'm so happy to be part of this Blog Hop.  Who doesn't enjoy being a little bit frightened by ghostly tales of ghosts, vampires and things of the night?  A huge thanks to Nancy Gideon for organising this blog tour.

Leave a comment and follow this blog (if you're already following that's fine, just leave a comment) and I will draw one winner at the end of the 'hop' to win a $6 Amazon Gift Card(Or £5 if in the UK)

I thought I'd share with you some of the myths and legends of home homeland, Wales. Wales is a land legends and folklore, and has its fair share of ghosts.  Here are just a few tales of hauntings from various pars of the Principality.

 THE GHOST OF LLANDEGLA

 A small river runs close to the secluded village of Llandegla, and in this mountain stream under a huge stone lies a wicked Ghost. This is how he came to be there:

It  not is not known why Ffrith farm was troubled by a ghost, but when the servants were busily engaged in cheese making the Spirit would suddenly throw earth or sand into the milk, and thus spoil the curds. The dairy was also visited by the ghost, and there he played havoc with the milk and dishes. He sent the pans, one after the other, around the room, and dashed them to pieces. The terrible doings of the ghost was a topic of general conversation in those parts.

The farmer offered a reward of five pounds to anyone who would lay the Spirit. One Sunday afternoon,  an aged priest visited the farm yard, and in the presence of a crowd of spectators
exorcised the ghost, but without effect.

The farmer then sent for Griffiths, an Independent minister at Llanarmon, who enticed the ghost to
the barn. The ghost then changed its appearance to the form of a lion, but  could not touch Griffiths, because he stood in the centre of a circle, over which the lion could not pass. Griffiths tricked the ghost  into appearing in a less formidable shape, and it changed into a mastiff, but Griffiths demanded that it change to something smaller. At last, the ghost appeared as a fly, which was captured by Griffiths and secured in his tobacco box,  This box he buried under a large stone in the river, just below the bridge, near the Llandegla Mills, and there the Spirit is forced to remain until a certain tree, which grows by the bridge, reaches the height of the parapet. When this takes place, the Spirit shall have power to regain his liberty.  To prevent this tree from growing, the school children, even to this day, nip the upper branches to limit its upward growth.

THE GHOSTLY GIANT OF PONT-Y-GLYN

There is a picturesque glen between Corwen and Cerrig-y-Drudion, down which rushes a mountain stream, and over this stream is a bridge, called Pont-y-Glyn.  On the left hand side, a few yards from the bridge, on the Corwen side, is a yawning chasm, through which the river bounds.  Here people who have travelled by night affirm that they have seen ghosts—the ghosts of those who have been murdered in this secluded glen. A man who was a servant at Garth Meilio, said that one night, when he was returning home late from Corwen, he saw before him, seated on a heap of stones, a female dressed in Welsh costume.  He wished her good night, but she returned him no answer.  She, got up and grew to gigantic proportions as she continued down the road which she filled, so great were her increased dimensions. Other Spirits are said to have made their homes in the hills not far from Pont-y-Glyn.

THE GHOST OF TY FELIN

An exciseman, overtaken by night, went to a house called Ty Felin, (Yellow House) in the parish of Llanynys, and asked for lodgings.  Unfortunately the house was a very small one, containing only two bedrooms, and one of these was haunted; consequently no one dared sleep in it.  After a while, however, the stranger induced the master to allow him to sleep in this haunted room. He had not been there long before a ghost entered the room in the shape of a travelling Jew and walked around the
room.  The exciseman tried to catch him and gave chase, but he lost sight of the Jew in the yard.  He had scarcely entered the room, a second time, when he again saw the ghost.  He chased him once more and lost sight of him in the same place.  The third time he followed the ghost, he made a mark on the yard where the ghost vanished and went to rest, and was not disturbed again.

The next day, the exciseman got up early and went away, but, before long, he returned to Ty Felin accompanied by a policeman, whom he requested to dig in the place where his mark was.  This was done and underneath a superficial covering, a deep well was discovered, and in it a corpse.

Under interrogation, the tenant of the house, confessed that a travelling Jew, selling jewelry and such items, once lodged with him, and that he had murdered him and cast his body in the well.

BLACK DOGS AND ARTHUR'S SEAT
In Welsh mythology and folklore, Cŵn Annwn" hounds of Annwn") were the spectral hounds of Annwn, the otherworld of Welsh myth. They were associated with a form of the Wild Hunt, presided over by Gwynn ap Nudd. Christians came to dub these mythical creatures as "The Hounds of Hell" or "Dogs of Hell" and theorised they were therefore owned by Satan. However, the Annwn of medieval Welsh tradition is an otherworldly paradise and not a hell, or abode of dead souls.

They were associated with migrating geese, supposedly because their honking in the night is reminiscent of barking dogs

The Cŵn Annwn also came to be regarded as the escorts of souls on their journey to the Otherworld.
The hounds are sometimes accompanied by a fearsome hag called Mallt-y-Nos, "Matilda of the Night". An alternative name in Welsh folklore is Cŵn Mamau ("Hounds of the Mothers").

Hunting grounds for the Cŵn Annwn are said to include the mountain of  Cadair Idris, where it is believed "the howling of these huge dogs foretold death to anyone who heard them.The locals claim  that the mountain is haunted, and that anyone who spends the night on top of Cadair Idris will wake up either a madman or a poet. Different legends surround the mountain and one of the earliest claims that the giant Idris lived there. Three large stones rest at the foot of the mountain, and legend says that Idris got angry once and kicked them, sending them rolling down the mountainside.

Other Welsh legends state, however, that King  Arthur made his kingdom there, hence the name Cadair Idris: or the Seat of Idris.(Arthur)

Pwll-y-Wrach, the Witches Pool.

There is a pool hidden from the road among a copse on the top of Flint Mountain, in Flint North Wales. The pool is so small that travellers from Flint to Northop would not give it a second glance. But this was not always so. In days gone by Flint Mountain was a bare and desolate place and the pool was known as Pwll-y-Wrach, the Hag's Pool or the Witches Pool, the place where the ellyllon (as the Welsh call goblins) would congregate, and thus a place where humans would stay well clear of, especially after dark.

In 1852 John Roberts a farm labourer paid an unexpected visit to Pwll-y-Wrach. It was a cold winter's  morning and John was setting out to work when he found a youth blocking his path. With a harmless gesture he made to pass the youth but all of a sudden a force propelled him through the air. He landed face down above Pwll-y-Wrach, and the force held him there despite John's best efforts to free himself. He struggled for what seemed a lifetime, but in fact was just a few short minutes, until at the sound of a cock crow he was released. The ellyll, still disguised as a youth, stood astride him and warned. " When the cuckoo sings its first note on Flint Mountain I shall come again to fetch you". John got to his feet and stumbled back home, shaken but otherwise unhurt.

The following May, John Roberts died. He had been repairing a wall at Pen-y-glyn on Flint Mountain when it collapsed and crushed him. A lady who witnessed the accident said a cuckoo had come to land on a nearby tree just as it happened. And as the body of John Roberts was being returned to his home the cuckoo  followed, singing from tree to tree all the way to the front door.

  And  since I am looking forward to the release of 'Beloved Enemy', the third in the Destiny Trilogy, I thought I'd be indulgent and share an excerpt from my the first book in the trilogy,  'Starquest', which I think has a really 'spooky' feel to it, although it's SF romance rather than witches or vampires! My heroine is stranded on an uninhabited planet with her companion who has been badly wounded. She keeps guard during the night, watching over him and trying to tend to his wounds, but has a feeling they are not alone. 

Then tiny, dancing pinpoints of light appear... 


EXCERPT FROM STARQUEST  

After a while I decided it was just marsh gas, but as I watched I became aware that the 'flames' were orderly. They moved in groups of threes and fours, gliding in straight lines and then circling to retrace their steps in what seemed to be a methodical fashion, as no Will o' the Wisp ever did. I began to feel I was in the presence of something malevolent...evil. Then I heard the voices. Strange, unearthly voices, which had nothing to do with flesh and blood. 

"Take the male," they hissed, "while he yet lives. Before the life-force within him dies and is of no use to us." 

"Wait. The female is stronger," came another voice. "Stay until she sleeps. Then will be our chance, and we can take them both." 

 I reached for my blaster, by now fully charged, and fired a steady beam in the direction of the 'flames.' When I laid down the gun there was nothing, only the darkness. Had the voices been in my imagination, or was it a dream? But I knew I had not slept. Trying to recall the experience, as I record this, I realise they did not speak in words at all. Yet I had understood... I've always loved the night, the beauty of the darkened, star-filled skies. Here, however, on this forsaken and perilous planet, it is menacing, with the sense of something lurking, lying in wait.

ALL MY BOOKS ARE AVAILABLE FROM AMAZON

VISIT THE OTHER BLOGS TAKING PART:

1. Nancy Gideon. . . Romance by Any Other Name (INT)	2. Cross My Heart Writings & Reviews (INT)
3. Diane Burton - Adventure and Romance	4. Rohn Federbush
5. Patricia Kiyono: Creative Hodgepodge (US Only)	6. A Blue Million Books
7. Romance that's 'Out Of This World' (You are here! :) )	8. M. J. Schiller, Romance Author
9. 3Partners in Shopping, Nana, Mommy, &, Sissy, Too!	10. Deal Sharing Aunt
11. Live To Read ~Krystal (USA/CAN)	12. Leigh Anderson Romance
13. Lora Lee (INT)	14. Tricia Drammeh's Blog

Today is the Release Date for Spooktacular Anthology

Falling in love can be terrifying.
Eight tales of spooky romance brought to you just in time for Halloween.

• Where Angels Tread by Christy Thomas
• Do You Believe in Ghosts by Anne Higa
• Bewitching Gypsy by Linda Carroll-Bradd
• If This Be Madness by Echo Shea
• Encantado by Havva Murat
• Garden of Souls by Michelle Ziegler
• Spooky Hollow Café by Lisa A. Adams
• Ghost of a Chance by Lily Carlyle

Spooktacular Seductions
A Halloween Anthology
Romance
By Various Authors
Release Date: October 31, 2014

Where Angels Tread by Christy Thomas

Blurb: Loralei takes extreme measures to prove her cheating husband has forsaken their bows by seeking confirmation from a fortune-teller. The truth revealed is that she’s been unfaithful in a six hundred year old spiritual marriage.

Samael, the Angel of Death must assist a young girl’s soul in ascending to heaven. An unexpected encounter with his estranged wife distracts him and the precious soul is lost.

Working together to save the endangered soul, they find the price to reach her is higher than they both anticipate.

Do You Believe in Ghosts by Anne Higa

Blurb: Jeff Austin-LeGrange has been fleeing from the remnants of his dark and haunted childhood his entire life. The past always catches up to us, and his is no exception.

Alice Hopkins, Jeff's high school sweetheart, has tried to forget him and tried to move on. You never forget your first love.

When Jeff's mother dies and Alice's father falls ill, the two are forced to confront their mutual history and their deepest desires. One thing is sure: neither of their lives will ever be the same again. Perhaps, the past can be overcome. Perhaps, it is not too late to believe in miracles. Perhaps, more than one couple will be reunited this Fall.

Who can say? With a little magic, anything is possible.

Bewitching Gypsy by Linda Carroll-Bradd

Blurb: Fiona Mikolas is an outcast, branded by her fiery red hair and a purple birth mark—both signs of the devil. Two years earlier, she survived an influenza outbreak that claimed her peddler husband, Gregos, and her baby son, Tito. Now she lives a solitary life, traveling a circuit of southern states in America and selling healing potions. Until the night of All Hallow’s Eve, when her lonely life is changed by the arrival of two strangers in her camp.

Beaten and robbed, rancher Hagan Fletcher stumbles toward the light of a campfire in south Texas, intent on finding a way to retrieve his stolen stallion. When he awakens, he’s forgotten his name and how he came to be in the company of an exotic beauty. Fiona’s ways are a mystery but when her quick-thinking saves his life again, he looks deeper beneath the surface to who she really is.

If This Be Madness by Echo Shea

Blurb: Don’t let me go…

Those are words that break her. When the person you love most is gone, how do you let go?

And, more importantly, who will you be once you do?

Encantado by Havva Murat

Blurb: Spending Friday night in an abandoned amusement park sounded like an awesome idea to motherless, teenage track star, Remy Bordeaux—empty rides with no queues, and time alone with his best friend’s alluring sister, Rafaela, was sure to make for a memorable night.

But Friday night at Six Flags became memorable for all the wrong reasons when the park turned out to not be so abandoned after all. Rafaela goes missing after getting cozy with Remy, and everyone thinks that Remy is responsible, even his best friend.

It will take another trespassing trip to Six Flags for the truth of Rafaela’s disappearance to be revealed and for the riddle of Remy’s birth to be unraveled.

Garden of Souls by Michelle Ziegler
Blurb: Something, or someone, pulled Miranda to purchase the old carriage house. It was a great deal, most likely because of the cemetery or the unexpected resident, Thomas. The ghost she finds within the sanctuary of her new home should have scared her. Instead she finds herself falling in love with him.

Now, a few days from Halloween, Thomas continues to push her to live her life. He wants one night though; the one night of magic for the dead. Torn by her love for Thomas and her need for reality and human contact, Miranda takes a chance with Sean. Someone who’s alive. The guilt is eating away at her. Sean’s nice and he hasn’t run off yet, pushed away by her craziness. Miranda knows she can’t split herself.

Choosing her heart’s desire doesn’t seem possible, but living and loving another seems like a life riddled with pain.

Spooky Hollow Café by Lisa A. Adams

Blurb: Aggie Pierce owns a quaint little spot, the Spooky Hollow Cafe'. Tourist come from all over the nation to her confections diner for the entertainment. Real live interacting ghosts make appearances once a day, you just don't know when.

But, when a ghost's crush becomes an obsession, just how far will a hero have to go to save Aggie's life?

Ghost of a Chance by Lily Carlyle

Blurb: After years of having her college boyfriend Sean as an ex with benefits, Julie believes he is finally, irrevocably out of her life. Forever. And it breaks her heart.

Until one night he shows up at the neighborhood hangout—with a mysterious job, luxurious car, and fabulous digs. Not to mention a new determination to woo Julie.

Even as her mind says no, her heart—and other parts of her body—is saying yes, yes, yes!

Halloween Earrings Giveaway - free entry contest

My friend Echo is running a fantastic contest to win a pair of earrings (as shown with her able assisant, Bob) just in time for the Halloween festivities.  To enter, all you have to do is complete the Rafflecopter form below:

HTML code: a Rafflecopter giveaway

Trick Or Treat Halloween Blog Hop

For the Snarkology Blog post click HERE
 or see post below

Whoops! Sorry folks, my little dog is ill and I've been so worried about it, I clean forgot about the Blog Hop today.

Thanks to author Francine Howarth for organizing this spooky event. I'm also taking party in the Snarkology Paranormal Blog Hop, so why not take a look at the post below as well if you fancy winning EVEN MORE PRIZES!


Anyway. on to 'Trick Or Treat''. I'm promoting my Greek Muse novella 'Dancing With Fate' for Halloween this year.  Here is a different excerpt to the one on my SNARKOLOGY post.  This novella was first published as part of the Wild Rose Press's 'Song Of The Muses' series and when I regained my Rights to the story I self published it and it is available from Smashwords, or as a Kindle or Paperback edition on Amazon.

BLURB
When Terpsichore, the Greek Muse of Dance, is assigned to revisit 5th Century Wales, and help the people regain their love of dancing, her task seems simple enough. She is unaware there is a hidden agenda. Before she can return to Olympus her path crosses that of the mysterious Myrddin, and her heart is lost.

But Myrddin is promised to another. His mind is set on the dangerous task that lies before him, and the woman he has sworn to save. Nevertheless, he cannot deny the growing attraction between him and the beautiful stranger he meets along the way.

Terpsichore and Myrddin face a deadly force that threatens to part them forever. She seems destined to lose the only man she has ever truly loved. Finally, when all seems lost, in desperation she finds herself DANCING WITH FATE.

EXCERPT

She peered into the shadows at the side of the throne. They were there. Klotho, the youngest, fair hair piled on top of her head, spun the thread of life. Lakhesis, middle-aged but still comely, measured the thread with her rod, and decreed the quality of each life. The most fearsome of all, the ancient Atropos, cut the thread with her shears. Each snip meant a mortal met his death. Terpsichore drew a deep breath. Please. Let me not be too late, let his thread be still uncut.

Atropos looked up, sheers poised. “‘Tis one of the young muses, Terpsichore. If you come seeking Zeus, you are too late. He is not here.”

“Thank you, I know he’s not. It’s the three of you I wish to speak to.”

Something like a cackle escaped the old crone’s lips. “Indeed? It is rare for anyone to come looking for us, especially the muse of dance. Would you not be better inspiring mortals instead of bothering us at our labor?”

“Oh, let her speak, Mother,” Lakhesis broke in, not for an instant taking her eyes off the thread she measured. “Terpsichore, what do you want with us child?”

Terpsichore drew herself to her full height. She would not allow Atropos to intimidate her. “I wish to ask a favor. I am willing to pay.”

“Pray, what have you that would be of value to us?” Atropos interrupted.

“What—what would you wish me to give?” Terpsichore asked, realizing she trod dangerous ground. She shrugged inwardly. No matter. She would give anything, even her immortality, if only Myrddin could live.

DANCING WITH FATE - Available from AMAZON  or SMASHWORDS
http://www.hywelalyn.co.uk  

You'd much prefer a treat wouldn't you.  So use your imagination to ask me for a treat and I'll put your name in the hat to win Dancing With Fate or one of my other two books Starquest or Children Of The Mist if you've already read it,

These are all the other blogs taking part in this event:

1.	Francine	9.	Denise Covey	17.	Susan Hanniford Crowley
2.	Marie Laval	10.	Grace Elliot	18.	Stephen Tremp
3.	NancyJ	11.	Gilli Allan	19.	Hywela Lyn
4.	N. R. Williams	12.	Alison Stuart	20.	Iyana Jenna
5.	Alison Morton	13.	Mary Pax	21.	Vala Kaye
6.	Karen Aminadra	14.	Natalie-Nicole Bates	22.	Yolanda Renee
7.	Lori Crane	15.	Douglas Boren
8.	Derek Birks	16.	Anna Belfrage

Snarkology Paranormal Blog Hop

Welcome to the Flightdeck.  We've dressed the place up with spiders webs and pumpkins just for Halloween and The Snarkology Paranormal Bloghop! So ... help yourself to something strange and sparkling from the replicator and prepare to be scaaaaaeeeeerd.  (Manical laughter is heard from somewhere behind one of the control panels and red eyes glow in the semi darkness - the starship has pretty good sound effects -  or is it really haunted?) 

 

 An eerie glow lights up the bulkhead and a glittering message gradually forms - it says:

 

 (And there will be news of prizes to follow, so read on...)

As often happens when I take part in this type of event, my thoughts turn to my homeland, the Principality of Wales, so for the  Snarkology Paranormal Bloghop, I thought I'd tell you a little about the origins of the traditional Welsh Halloween in days gone by.

All Hallow’s Eve, also known as Ysbrydnos (Spirit Night) or Halloween, has its roots in the pagan tradition, called Nos Galan Gaeaf,  which is Welsh for 'the first night of winter', or Samhain, which is a Gaelic word meaning ‘Summer’s End. November 1st was considered to be the start of the New Year, the date on which the herds were returned from summer pasture and land tenancies were renewed. The Welsh word for November is Tachwedd  which means 'The month of slaughter' because on the 1st November, after the harvest, it was also time to cull the livestock. The prime animal stock were selected and would remain to be wintered over to the forthcoming spring. The remaining stock were slaughtered to supply the meat over the coming winter months.
 
The Celts dressed in animal skins and made Jack O lanterns from turnips (pumpkins were unknown until brought to Britain from America) to ward off evil spirts. Sometimes they wore masks and other disguises to avoid being recognized by the spirits believed to be present. In time witches, fairies, hobgoblins, and demons came to be associated with the day.


Halloween, was a time to remember the dead,  when their souls were believed to return to visit their homes.  In folklore these spirits were believed to congregate at crossroads and stiles and these were strongly avoided. On this night, gifts of food were left out for the dead, or a place laid at the table for them.

Bonfires, or Coelcerth, would be built on hilltops, to frighten away evil spirits, and from which each villager would light their  hearth fires  for the winter. Stones with names on would be cast into the fire, and if someone found the theirs the following day, it was considered good luck. However, if the stone with one's name on was missing it was a portent of death! As the fire burned down,and the darkness returned, the villagers would run back to their hearth to escape  the nwch ddu gwta, a demon in the shape of a black, tailess sow.

Halloween was thought to be favourable for foreseeing such matters as marriage, and death.An unmarried girl would throw the peel of an apple over her shoulder and whichever letter it most resembled would be the initial of the one she would marry. Another custom involving apples was 'bobbing for apples' where young folk would try to grab an apple from a tub filled with water, using their teeth.

Another tradition connected with the end of the harvest at Nos Galan Gaeaf,  was the 'harvest mare' or caseg fedi. This was a 'corn dolly' formed from the very last sheaf of corn, and  would eventually take pride of place above the fire hearth as a sign that all the corn was gathered in. The women would have been preparing the harvest feast as the harvest finished. The men would throw their reaping hooks at  The Mare and the one who was first to hit it would have the honour of bringing it into into the house with much merriment and jollity, past the women who would attempt to prevent its entry by trying to soak the mare with water, while the men did their best to keep it dry until they had entered the house with it. If successful, the reaper who had brought down the mare and carried it in would be rewarded with beer, if not he would have to sit at the end of the table in disgrace.

These days most of these customs have largely died out, replaced by the more modern ways of celebrating Halloween, although some, like 'bobbing for apples' still remain.

Because Halloween is associated with spirits and demons, I thought I'd end with a short excerpt from my fantasy novella 'Dancing With Fate', which is set in 5th Century Wales and features the scary Ellylldan, Goblin Fire.

The glowing red sparks appeared a few hours before dawn. Terpsichore looked across to where she could just make out Myrddin, lying close to the fire, apparently asleep. She stood and wrapped her brat around her shoulders. What unearthly lights were these? In the name of Hades, she had never seen anything like this before. She watched them as they advanced and retreated, advanced and retreated. They seemed to beckon to her. She walked forward a few steps. 

This was not natural. She sensed evil, but of a kind she had never come across before. 

She tried to turn her head, to look away and move back to the fire. Some force compelled her to keep staring at them, to move forward. Further and further from the campfire she wandered. The air grew chill and she pulled her brat more closely around her. The flickering lights gyrated in a wild dance, inviting her to follow them. Dawn was approaching. In the dim early morning light, she could make out demon faces, red glowing eyes, hands outstretched, with flames at their fingertips. 

She recoiled in horror. Somewhere in her subconscious, she knew she was in deadly danger, but still she moved forward. They summoned her to follow and she could not help but obey. She tried to call to Apollo, and her father, but her mind was numb. She could reach no one on Olympus. 

“Myrddin!” No sound came from her lips. Still, a strange unearthly power obliged her to walk forward toward those eerie, mesmerizing points of light.

The ground grew soft beneath her feet. Cold mud oozed between her bare toes. The further she walked, the deeper the mud became; eventually, she realized she was up to her waist in chill, muddy water, and she was powerless to turn back, or even to move any more. 

“Zeus, oh, Father, please help me...don’t desert me now.” For the first time in her immortal  life, she knew fear. These creatures of nameless evil had her trapped. They would drag her down to the underworld and she would never see Olympus or her family again.

Then strong arms encircled her, swung her round. 

“Cora, look at me.” She gazed into two pools of azure blue, filled with concern, and a pale face set in resolve. Still she had an irresistible urge to look at those weird, flickering lights. She turned her head, and at the same moment, there was a flash like lightning. The ground behind her burst into a wall of blue flame. It blotted out everything, engulfing the demon lights and the hideous forms that a moment before had lured her onward. 

“Look at me. Look at me...don’t look back again.”
 Before she could reply, he swept her up and carried her back toward the campfire.

Eos in her chariot had started her journey across the sky and the pearly light showed their camp and the two horses grazing nearby. Never had anything looked so welcome. Never had Terpsichore felt so safe in a man’s arms.

He set her down, near the fire, and wrapped his own brat around her. He wore only his truis, and was bare-chested. “You’re trembling, you’ll catch your death of cold...but that would be better than the fate which almost befell you.”

DANCING WITH FATE - Available from AMAZON  or SMASHWORDS
http://www.hywelalyn.co.uk  

YOU CAN FOLLOW THE OTHER BLOGS PARTICIPATING IN THIS EVENT BELOW:

     CONTESTS     

BLOGHOPWIDE GRAND PRIZE GIVEAWAY IS A $60 AMAZON GIFT CARD 
Rafflecopter entry below

a Rafflecopter giveaway and my this is my Halloween 'trick or treat' prize:

Black cats are synonymous with Halloween, and when I saw this gorgeous pair, I just couldn't resist them! These delightful Charm Drop Round Black Crystal Cublic Zirconia Sexy Cat Bead Dangle Sterling Silver Earrings are perfect for Halloween but nice enough to wear on other occasions too.

To be in with a chance for winning please follow my Blog then leave a comment mentioning that you are following me  and at the end of the Blog Hop I'll put all the comments in my witch's hat.  Because these earrings will be quite light to post, the contest is open to everyone wherever the live! If you already follow my blog, just leave a comment to that effect and I'll make sure you're entered too.  I had to re-do my blog a month or two back, so I'm hoping to regain some followers since all my other ones disappeared!

Good luck!

And if you're still in the mood for blog hopping, don't forget to visit http://kmnbooks.blogspot.co.uk/ where I'm featured today on Karen Michelle Nutt's blog with a short story specially written by me for Halloween - and you could win a $10 Amazon Gift Card just for leaving a comment.