annabelle and the Jackal
NEW AUDIO NOW AVAILABLE!caroline doughty
Caroline is a British native enjoying her love of all things coastal in Delray, Florida. She's "a life-long entrepreneur, a home business consultant for a leading travel company and a writer... also the owner of Coast Styles, an online e-commerce store selling beautiful items for your home and personal accessories for your coastal lifestyle." That's all before she gets to the fact that she obviously adds a wonderful British accent to romance audio books. Since the main character of Stolen Secrets is Lady Isabella Valentine, Caroline was the perfect pick to narrate this Illuminati spinoff series' first book. Listem to the sample audio and see if you don't agree! http://www.carolinedoughty.com
Offered an enormous sum by an anonymous benefactor for the acquisition of an ancient ceremonial relic, a sum that would keep the antiquities shop in Cairo her father left her afloat while she continued her own archaeological pursuits, Lady Isabella Valentine was distracted rather than tempted, then suspicious, when the dashing young Bedouin slipped in just before closing and promised her a deal she couldn’t refuse--for the very same relic. Despite his sensual appeal, she did refuse him, sending him away.
Prince Mukhtar, son of Sheikh Abdul Kummel al-Rahman, leader of the Hassana, is on a sacred Illuminati mission for Queen Isis to retrieve something stolen from one of her temples over a thousand years ago. This mortal disbeliever though an enchanting English rose, however beautiful she might be, is clearly in the power of the Usurper and must be persuaded to help him, one way or another. But neither of them know of the evil power they are up against, or what hidden dangers await them in the tomb of the high priest. Romance Trading Cards! |
The Book of Life Audio!
Now Available!
Ana Bayat
Photo: Lisa Keating
It was so much fun to work with Ana Bayat on the audio version of The Book of Life. A highly talented International actress, Ms Bayat is also a multiligual (fluent in Spanish, Persian, French & UK / US English), language coach.
She used a soft Persian accent for The Book of Life, which breathes real life into the book's Immortal characters. The main characters spend the majority of their time in Egypt, Rome, and Peru, but their earthen roots hail from ancient Persia, which makes Ana's the perfect voice to tell their story.
Undaunted by the task of narrating a 110,000 word novel, Ana worked tirelessly on the audio, one chapter at a time. To see more of what Ana is up to, visit her website: http://www.anabayat.com
We are thrilled that the audio version is now available! Please listen to Chapter 1 and let us know what you think!
She used a soft Persian accent for The Book of Life, which breathes real life into the book's Immortal characters. The main characters spend the majority of their time in Egypt, Rome, and Peru, but their earthen roots hail from ancient Persia, which makes Ana's the perfect voice to tell their story.
Undaunted by the task of narrating a 110,000 word novel, Ana worked tirelessly on the audio, one chapter at a time. To see more of what Ana is up to, visit her website: http://www.anabayat.com
We are thrilled that the audio version is now available! Please listen to Chapter 1 and let us know what you think!
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ANCIENT SECRETS
ROMANCE SPINOFF SERIES, BOOK 2
work in progress...
Book II
The Tree of Life
Available soon
In book two, the Clans still struggle for control and domination, but the prominent characters are the Vargas Dynasty's lead geneticist, Dr. Kirin Vargas, and a mysterious stranger from a long-lost tribe of ancient warriors whose modern knowledge and technology threaten to crumble the very foundations of civilization and bring even the royal family to their knees.
Dr. Rodrigo Silva, AKA Rio, has some dark, mysterious secrets, and none of the Vargas Clan knew the ancient line of black jaguar shapeshifters had survived undetected for thousands of years, guarding their secrets with powerful magic and developing their telepathic abilities until they rival those of the ancient gods themselves. Ironic, considering they were responsible for his family's curse. And now Kirin dares to ask him for help? Despite her mesmerizing green eyes and fiery red hair, he has no intention of trusting her.
Disease and plague spread as Kirin rushes to reproduce the formula lost by the ancients. Her enemies have their own motivation and goals, and they all need to find the Tree of Life. The battle lines have already been drawn and the jungles are teaming with victims, mutants and killers. Can she trust the tall, sexy Brazilian doctor with his curly black hair and golden eyes to help her find the cure that will save these zombie-like victims, or is he secretly working with her enemies to make yet another fortune with a rival pharmaceutical company?
Follow my Weekend Writing Warrior blogs for additional sneak peaks at my Work in Progress!
Dr. Rodrigo Silva, AKA Rio, has some dark, mysterious secrets, and none of the Vargas Clan knew the ancient line of black jaguar shapeshifters had survived undetected for thousands of years, guarding their secrets with powerful magic and developing their telepathic abilities until they rival those of the ancient gods themselves. Ironic, considering they were responsible for his family's curse. And now Kirin dares to ask him for help? Despite her mesmerizing green eyes and fiery red hair, he has no intention of trusting her.
Disease and plague spread as Kirin rushes to reproduce the formula lost by the ancients. Her enemies have their own motivation and goals, and they all need to find the Tree of Life. The battle lines have already been drawn and the jungles are teaming with victims, mutants and killers. Can she trust the tall, sexy Brazilian doctor with his curly black hair and golden eyes to help her find the cure that will save these zombie-like victims, or is he secretly working with her enemies to make yet another fortune with a rival pharmaceutical company?
Follow my Weekend Writing Warrior blogs for additional sneak peaks at my Work in Progress!
Scientists, colleagues, allies, and
lovers, but . . . immortal enemies.
A Quick Mood Setter from the Prologue...
The night air undulated, drunken, soggy with tumbling vapors. Fog surged upward and then interspersed with heavier moisture it swirled around the base of crypts and crumbling statuary. Precipitation was slow but steady, forming rivulets on the bows of umbrellas held above stooped heads. It snaked down massive tree limbs, fed moss-covered stones and coaxed tears from guardian angels carved into marble walls that flanked the ancient family mausoleum.
Mourners disappeared into the dark interior, and two silhouettes separated themselves from the deeper shadows of an adjacent oak. Refusing to be comforted, the small one pulled away from her brother's comforting arm and took a step toward the gravely pathway between the crowded sepulchers. Damp moss blocked her progress. Moved by increasing winds, tendrils swept the ground of the graveyard like a ghost trailing ragged skirts.
The night air undulated, drunken, soggy with tumbling vapors. Fog surged upward and then interspersed with heavier moisture it swirled around the base of crypts and crumbling statuary. Precipitation was slow but steady, forming rivulets on the bows of umbrellas held above stooped heads. It snaked down massive tree limbs, fed moss-covered stones and coaxed tears from guardian angels carved into marble walls that flanked the ancient family mausoleum.
Mourners disappeared into the dark interior, and two silhouettes separated themselves from the deeper shadows of an adjacent oak. Refusing to be comforted, the small one pulled away from her brother's comforting arm and took a step toward the gravely pathway between the crowded sepulchers. Damp moss blocked her progress. Moved by increasing winds, tendrils swept the ground of the graveyard like a ghost trailing ragged skirts.
Immortal Sins
I'm also working on a New Adult series that spins off the adult series. The major character is a secret daughter of Isis, hidden away among mortals to ensure her safety. The problem is, she doesn't know anything about her true identity, or her real family. Here's the ceremony where her mother hands her off to be raised by mortals in the "normal" world...
Prologue
White-clad silhouettes twirled beneath flickering electric torchlight, like moonlit waves foaming around a timbered pier. They slowed their swirls and swayed to and fro. Youthful faces reflected joyful devotion. Enthralled by the tinkling of jingles wrist-rolled from their tambourines, the handmaidens of Isis thrummed the taunt drums with escalating passion.
If unbelievers lingered amidst the blowing sands of the desert, they would hear only the low moaning of the wind, the bleating of a distant goat, or perhaps a faint chime from the bells of a camel’s harness. None would suspect that in the twenty-first century ancient rituals over three thousand years old were still performed. Fewer still would believe they were carried on within the bowels of an ancient pyramid under the very noses of modern day authorities.
They would be wrong.
The ageless beauty who stood before the altar recognized no higher authority. She wore a tall crown which bore a golden disc, a sunburst that resembled the monstrance icon carried by priests during mass. Around her, disciples chanted their adoration. A couple fell to their knees, bowing their heads in reverence. A devotee handed them a chalice from which to drink.
The sacred mark the high priest applied gleamed of purest gold no ink master could conjure. A royal symbol, it sealed the child's destiny as well as her identity. The queen swaddled the babe, then snuggled her close. Secret words were murmured into the child’s ear, words that would someday save her life. Then, tearfully, the regal mother handed her daughter to the woman who had vowed to keep her hidden, and safe.
The woman trembled slightly, but held her arms out to accept the child. “It is a great honor, my queen. I will cherish her as my very own.”
“Her care and safety have become our highest priority,” her husband vowed. “We will give our lives willingly to protect her.”
“For this you shall be blessed with long life, health and great riches. Those who serve and assist you shall prosper. Your enemies shall become my enemies,” the queen explained solemnly. “Doors shall be opened to you, opportunities abound. Keep her safe. I shall be near. Guards, unseen but lethal in the execution of their duty, shall be near. Once her safety is secure, during the Summer Solstice of her eighteenth year I will come for her.”
Turning her attention to the child, she said softly, “Though it breaks my heart, this is how much I love you, Persephone. I will give you into the care of strangers if it means keeping you out of his reach.” She pressed her fingertips to her lips and touched them to her daughter’s. Looking up, she said, “Go now. Make haste. A vehicle waits to take you to the airport.”
She turned then, and without a backward glance she disappeared into the shadows. Her entourage followed. The couple was instantly flanked by Bedouin warriors who escorted them to the car. Once they arrived in the states, there would be new escorts, ever present but never visible. They would not travel alone, ever again.
The babe whimpered as if already aware she was leaving the warmth of her mother’s arms for more than a brief time. Gently the woman cuddled her, crooning to her softly. “Rest easy, little princess. You are safe in my arms.” As she looked down at the small infant, a single tear ran down her cheek. Her husband reached a finger up to brush it away. Then he put his finger into the tiny hand of the child and smiled as it fisted around his digit. Unlike his wife, his smile was not a warm response to a tender moment. His feeling of pleasure came instead from the thought of rewards he had been promised.
“Sleep, little one. You will find me a most vigilant and protective father,” he said.
White-clad silhouettes twirled beneath flickering electric torchlight, like moonlit waves foaming around a timbered pier. They slowed their swirls and swayed to and fro. Youthful faces reflected joyful devotion. Enthralled by the tinkling of jingles wrist-rolled from their tambourines, the handmaidens of Isis thrummed the taunt drums with escalating passion.
If unbelievers lingered amidst the blowing sands of the desert, they would hear only the low moaning of the wind, the bleating of a distant goat, or perhaps a faint chime from the bells of a camel’s harness. None would suspect that in the twenty-first century ancient rituals over three thousand years old were still performed. Fewer still would believe they were carried on within the bowels of an ancient pyramid under the very noses of modern day authorities.
They would be wrong.
The ageless beauty who stood before the altar recognized no higher authority. She wore a tall crown which bore a golden disc, a sunburst that resembled the monstrance icon carried by priests during mass. Around her, disciples chanted their adoration. A couple fell to their knees, bowing their heads in reverence. A devotee handed them a chalice from which to drink.
The sacred mark the high priest applied gleamed of purest gold no ink master could conjure. A royal symbol, it sealed the child's destiny as well as her identity. The queen swaddled the babe, then snuggled her close. Secret words were murmured into the child’s ear, words that would someday save her life. Then, tearfully, the regal mother handed her daughter to the woman who had vowed to keep her hidden, and safe.
The woman trembled slightly, but held her arms out to accept the child. “It is a great honor, my queen. I will cherish her as my very own.”
“Her care and safety have become our highest priority,” her husband vowed. “We will give our lives willingly to protect her.”
“For this you shall be blessed with long life, health and great riches. Those who serve and assist you shall prosper. Your enemies shall become my enemies,” the queen explained solemnly. “Doors shall be opened to you, opportunities abound. Keep her safe. I shall be near. Guards, unseen but lethal in the execution of their duty, shall be near. Once her safety is secure, during the Summer Solstice of her eighteenth year I will come for her.”
Turning her attention to the child, she said softly, “Though it breaks my heart, this is how much I love you, Persephone. I will give you into the care of strangers if it means keeping you out of his reach.” She pressed her fingertips to her lips and touched them to her daughter’s. Looking up, she said, “Go now. Make haste. A vehicle waits to take you to the airport.”
She turned then, and without a backward glance she disappeared into the shadows. Her entourage followed. The couple was instantly flanked by Bedouin warriors who escorted them to the car. Once they arrived in the states, there would be new escorts, ever present but never visible. They would not travel alone, ever again.
The babe whimpered as if already aware she was leaving the warmth of her mother’s arms for more than a brief time. Gently the woman cuddled her, crooning to her softly. “Rest easy, little princess. You are safe in my arms.” As she looked down at the small infant, a single tear ran down her cheek. Her husband reached a finger up to brush it away. Then he put his finger into the tiny hand of the child and smiled as it fisted around his digit. Unlike his wife, his smile was not a warm response to a tender moment. His feeling of pleasure came instead from the thought of rewards he had been promised.
“Sleep, little one. You will find me a most vigilant and protective father,” he said.