p.m. terrell, author of The Pendulum Files, has stopped by The Library to tell us about Dylan and Vicki's favorite books. Leave a comment or ask her a question to win this beautiful Celtic cross necklace.
Dylan Maguire, the Irish CIA Operative in the Black Swamp Mysteries Series, says that reading opened new worlds for him.
He wouldn’t be a true Irishman if he wasn’t raised on the writings of James Joyce, perhaps Dublin’s most famous author, particularly his book entitled Ulysses, considered to be one of the top 100 English-language novels of the 20th century.
The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde is also a favorite, and Dylan admits there were times when he felt a kinship with Dorian Gray in Vicki’s Key.
Dracula by Irishman Bram Stoker is another favorite. There were many times in which Dylan was reminded of the classic tale while surrounded by the eeriness of the Irish bogs in the deep of night. And when bats emerged from their underground caverns to haunt the night, he couldn’t help but draw his collar closer around his neck and click his heels to spur his horse further from the mystical bogs. Though Stoker based his story on tales from Hungary, Dylan often wondered how much of Stoker’s own familiarity with the Irish bogs played a role in the haunting tale.
Vicki Boyd grew up in the confines of the CIA and often her only outlet to the world was through reading.
She felt a kinship with the author of Beyond the Body, a book that sadly is now out of print. It was the journal of a young woman facing her psychic abilities for the first time, a journey that Vicki had also taken.
She also loves romance novels and since acquiring her own Irishman, she’s particularly fond of books with American women and Irish love interests, including the Haunting series by Erin Quinn, Enchanted Moon and Irish Moon by Amber Scott. She also enjoys Scottish romance, particularly books by L.L.Muir.
Enjoy the following excerpt: She wasn’t quite sure what roused her from sleep. But as Vicki slowly opened her eyes, she became aware of her nude body lying on one side with Dylan’s larger, muscular form curled up behind her. One arm was stretched over her protectively and her derriere rested against his lap, their legs intertwined.CIA operative Dylan Maguire joins forces with psychic spy Vicki Boyd to find out who is bombing merchant vessels bound for the United States from China. Their mission will lead them to Black Sites, the high seas and into covert operations. And when an assassin escapes from prison determined to finish the job he started, they find their personal lives and their missions are about to collide in ways they never could have imagined.
Normally some moonlight found its way inside, but the room was so murky that she wondered if there was any moon at all this night. She narrowed her eyes in an effort to adjust to the darkness as Dylan’s measured, soft breathing remained against her ear.
She nearly gasped as her eyes fell upon a figure just a few feet from the bed. She frowned as it swayed in front of her; it was not flesh and blood—that much was obvious. It was almost opaque and as she continued to stare, it grew more luminous until a tiny woman stood in front of her with long, flowing white hair billowing about her as if blown by the wind.
She wore a thin nightgown that reached from the base of her neck all the way to her feet, and as Vicki continued to stare, she smiled.
“Mam,” Vicki breathed as she recognized Dylan’s grandmother.
Dylan murmured something incomprehensible and held her more tightly against him.
“Be careful what you do, child,” Mam said in a clear voice. “There are eyes on you.”
Vicki gasped and grabbed at the bed covering. “You shouldn’t be watching us!” she exclaimed.
Dylan awakened and leaned over her to look at her face. “What is it, Darlin’?”
Vicki could feel the heat in her cheeks. She half-turned to Dylan to see him watching her with sleepy eyes. “I—” She turned back to where his grandmother had stood, but she was gone.
“Another bad dream, mayhap?” he asked before settling back. “There’s nothin’ at’al to be frightened of, Darlin’. I’ll take good care o’ you.”
She tried to relax against his body once more. She kept her eyes open and her ears on alert but she was met only with silence and a darkness that reminded her that she’d had precious little sleep. Still, she pulled the bedcovers over them, covering their naked bodies.
The grandfather clock downstairs ticked off the seconds, the sound reminding her of just how silent the rest of the house really was. She finally felt herself snuggling into that warm cocoon of sleep.
She could feel Dylan’s breath against the back of her neck; it was the steady breathing of a man deeply asleep. Then she became aware of something else, something against her nose as if someone was breathing on her face.
Her eyes flew open to find Mam leaning down in front of her, her face just inches from hers.
“It isn’t me you need to be concernin’ y’self with, child,” she said. “Other eyes are watchin’.”
About the Author:
Prior to becoming a full-time writer, she founded and operated two computer companies in the Washington, DC area. Her specialties were computer crime and computer intelligence and her clients included the CIA, Secret Service and Department of Defense. Computer technology often weaves its way through her contemporary suspense/thrillers. She is also the co-founder of The Book 'Em Foundation and the founder of The Book 'Em North Carolina Writers Conference and Book Fair, an annual event to raise money for literacy campaigns. She also serves on the boards of the Friends of the Robeson County Public Library and the Robeson County Arts Council, and served as the first female president for the Chesterfield County/ Colonial Heights Crime Solvers.
Buy the book at Amazon (print) or Smashwords (all ebook formats).
Thanks for hosting!
ReplyDeleteThank you for hosting me today. I'll be checking back in later today and answering any questions anyone might have for me. And I have a question for your followers: what books are you reading?
ReplyDeleteLoved the excerpt.
ReplyDeleteThanks for dropping by and leaving a comment, Paula. I'm glad you enjoyed the excerpt!
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