Sue-Ellen
Welfonder / Allie Mackay
Tantalizing
Tidbits: Sneak Peek
It’s a pleasure to give you a glimpse at
my contributions to Tantalizing Tidbits, a smorgasbord of tales – something to
please everyone.
I’ll add a wee ‘tidbit’ today, sharing a
favorite childhood restaurant, the Sweden House. It was a great rambling building, with an
oh-so-typical huge American parking lot.
In other words, nothing special glimpsed from the road. Once you entered…
Magic happened!
The interior was true Scandinavia style
with light pine woodwork, tables covered in white linen, and accents in blue
and yellow. Pretty servers also wore
blue, their frilly white tops and aprons lending Old World flair.
To me, being there was like stepping
into another time and place. Even then
atmosphere mattered to me.
So whenever my dad would load us into
the car, declaring that we were going to the ‘smorgasbord,’ I could hardly
contain my excitement. Once there, my
eyes would round at the many delicious selections. I enjoyed sampling a bit of everything, but I
always had a favorite: Swedish meatballs.
Little did I know then that someday a
dear writing friend named Ceci Giltenan would conceive a ‘smorgasbord’ of
stories and ask me to participate.
But she did, and I was so happy to say
yes.
If you’re familiar with Tantalizing
Tidbits, you’ll know that it’s a collection of tales for all tastes – just like
a real smorgasbord. Readers can sample
as they choose, enjoying a little of this, a bit of that, or ‘going the whole
hog’ and reading cover-to-cover.
I think that’s pretty cool!
So here’s a peek at my offerings...
Falling in Time is a Scottish time
travel romance, inspired by my own travel experiences at the story’s setting,
my favorite corner of Scotland, the rugged far north...
Falling in Time
Aspiring writer
Lindy Lovejoy knows all about happy endings.
But when she travels to Scotland to research Celtic myth and lore, she
never expected a chance to live her own.
Until a stop at mystical Smoo Cave whisks her back in time and into the
arms of a Highland hero who’d burn up the pages of the steamiest Scottish
romance novel.
Mini-Excerpt
Lindy peered at the map. Incredibly detailed, it covered every inch of
Cape Wrath, the wildest and most remote corner of Scotland. The squares, lines,
and miniscule place names, filled her with anticipation. This was the part of
her trip that most excited her. She’d never been to Scotland before, but she’d
dreamt of Sutherland all her life.
Scotland’s far north was where she belonged.
The next day’s journey would feel like going home.
~*~
My second story is set in Ireland, again
at a place near and dear to my heart, a tiny fishing village called Howth. It’s a very magical tale filled with Celtic
enchantment, ancient standing stones, and lots of legend and lore…
The Seventh
Sister
Down-on-her-luck
American artist Maggie Gleason returns to Ireland, hoping to put old hurts
behind her. Instead, she learns that the
Ancient Isle really is a magical place where true love always stands the test
of time.
Mini-Excerpt
It was the same.
Maggie stepped from the Dublin bus and took a steadying breath. Howth hadn’t changed. If anything, the harbor village appeared even
more dear than in her memories. Her
calming breaths weren’t helping. She was
trembling and although she prided herself on not being a woman who burst into
tears at the drop of a hat, she had to blink to banish the heat pricking her
eyes.
She’d come here to rid herself of old hurts, not to be enchanted
anew. Yet as soon as the bus had swept
into Howth’s curving Harbour Road, she knew she’d been kidding herself.
This was her place.
~*~
The stories are short, but
complete. They have a beginning, middle,
and an end – a happy ending as these are romances. Above all, they do what is so important to me
when I write, or read: they whisk you into another time and place.
For the brief time you’ll read either
tale, I promise that you’ll feel as if you are there with the characters:
either in the wilds of northern Scotland, or a quaint fishing village in
Ireland.
And the good news doesn’t stop there!
When you’re finished, you need only flip
the page to slip into another wonderful tale – this time written by another
author, and then another, and another.
Just like a smorgasbord!
So please grab a copy today and dig
in. I am sure you’ll be glad that you
did.
Thanks so much for looking in here
today.
Leave a comment for one digital copy of
Tantalizing Tidbits –
just tell me your own favorite childhood restaurant.
Interested readers can find me online…
Website:
www.welfonder.com
Twitter:
http://twitter.com/SE_Welfonder
Tantalizing Tidbits
Ceci Giltenan, Tarah Scott, Sue-Ellen Welfonder, Victoria Barbour, Natasha Blackthorne, Ria Cantrell, Stephanie Joyce Cole, Kimberly K. Comeau, Kathryn Lynn Davis, Ted Grosch, Brenda Margriet, Mary McCall, Kate Robbins, John Robin, HD Smith, KyAnn Waters, and Victoria Zak
Genres: Romance, Paranormal, Contemporary, Literary, Fantasy, Time Travel, Historical, Women’s Fiction, Highland Romance, Humor, Erotica
Publisher: Cridhe Works LLC
Date of Publication: July 17, 2015
ISBN: 978-0-9909513-2-2
ASIN: B011YLKTWM
Number of pages: 411
Word Count: 163,205
Cover Artist: Zak James Design
Book Description:
A collection of short stories written by bestselling authors, representing an eclectic mix of styles and genres. In a word, this book is a smorgasbord; an opportunity to try a bit of everything.
In the spirit of the smorgasbord, the collection is presented as a menu and authors have shared recipes which accompany each story—some fitting, some funny, some simply old favorites.
Ranging from ultra-short but spine tingling, to meatier tales that are nearly novellas there is a little something for every appetite including comedy, tragedy, fantasy, werewolves, at least one ghost, life, death, and of course love.
Appetizers
Savory fare for smaller appetites - short stories from a wide range of styles and genres.
The Motorcycle
by Tarah Scott
Paranormal fiction
3074 words
No man can ever fully master memory. But maybe, just maybe, he can learn to live with it. Even be glad for it. Even if that means reaching across space, time...and the grave.
Ida and the Nor’easter
Contemporary fiction
8014 words
Is there such a thing as a curse? With a storm looming on the horizon, 98-year-old Ida Walsh fears a repeat of the terrible events of her childhood. Will her indomitable wit and resilience be enough to save the day?
Gardens
Literary fiction
4225 words
Anne begins to question the rigid limitations of her new marriage as she spies on a mysterious neighbor.
One Who Waits
by John Robin
Epic Fantasy
6538 words
Contains moderate violence
Al'a will die at his father's hands, unless he can master a forbidden magic.
Al'a Solaris, born into the Sun Priesthood, only wanted to prove his worth to his father when he delved into forbidden magic. Now, he must die at his father's hands, to restore honor to his bloodline. But the blade his father wields is also his final hope -- if only Al’a can discover its secret and master the fire within.
The Hole
by Ted Grosch
Literary fiction
Just exactly why is Bernie digging that hole?
The Spirit Bottle
by Ted Grosch
Literary fiction
A bushman's duty is his legacy for the tribe.
The Summons
by Ria Cantrell
Paranormal romance
5477 words
Contains mildly explicit sexual scenes
A magical journey where love knows no boundaries, the Summons combines romantic and ethereal love in a mystical setting.
Main Courses
Hearty fare to satisfy larger literary appetites.
The Seventh Sister
Paranormal romance
12,439 words
A story of love, legend, and magic
Down-on-her-luck American artist Maggie Gleason returns to Ireland, hoping to put old hurts behind her. Instead, revisiting the fishing village that enchanted her twelve years before only reopens wounds – until the unexpected appearance of roguish pub owner Conall Flanagan proves that the Ancient Isle is a magical place where anything can happen and true love always stands the test of time.
Falling in Time
by Sue-Ellen Welfonder
Time travel romance/11,090 words
When love calls across the ages…
Aspiring writer Lindy Lovejoy knows all about happy endings. But when she travels to Scotland to research Celtic myth and lore, she never expected a chance to live her own storybook romance, until a stop at mystical Smoo Cave whisks her back in time and into the arms of Rogan MacGraith, a Highland hero who’d burn up the pages of the steamiest Scottish romance novel.
Clouds Across the Moon
Historical Women’s Fiction
17,151 words
In the 19th century Scottish Highlands, young Morna struggles with new motherhood, her child’s illness, and her inability to compete with her husband's idealized vision of her. Will she have faith in the magic of her dreams, and thus find the strength to save her child’s life--and her own--as she begins to recognize the truth and depth of the woman she really is?”
The Lady’s Portrait
by Kate Robbins
Contemporary Romance
17,332 words
Contains mild to moderate sexually explicit scenes
When Gillian Beaton meets the captivating Ciaran MacLeod, she’s immediately attracted, but is she ready to trust again? Have her demons followed her to Scotland and can new love grow out of old heartbreak?
His Harlot
Historical Erotic Romance
23,018 words
*Contains extremely explicit sexual scenes that some readers may find offensive*
Late one night, in the midst of a summer’s hot spell, Thomas spies Rosalind in the woods, clad only in her shift, dancing in the moonlight. It’s really more than a man celibate for three years can bear. Thomas is in danger of falling into a sin so powerful it threatens to challenge everything he thinks he knows about himself and life…
Sneak Peek at Highland Legacy: King Arthur Strikes Back
by Mary McCall
Medieval Highland Romance
12,494 word
Michael wed Christina when he was nine and she was three, then promptly went about his life and tried to forget about her. Now the pair must unite to thwart the Beast, return the Power of God that was stolen by their ancestors, and save the world in an epic battle between the forces of good and evil.
*Please note, this is NOT a short story, it is an extended preview of Mary’s next novel, book III in her Sisters by Choice series due for release soon. It is a taste of things to come and while it does not end on a cliff-hanger, it is not a complete story.*
Desserts
Looking for something lighter or perhaps a happy ending? The stories in this section won’t disappoint you. They are shorter and mostly romantic, or funny, or both.
Onyx
by H.D. Smith
Paranormal fiction
7099 words
Contains mild violence and a frustrating lack of S’mores
For those that like it short and sweet
Madison Monroe thinks she has everything in life figured out, until one ill-fated camping trip has her running for her life through the woods being chased by two wolves—both eager to claim her.
The Life She Had Before
Contemporary Romance
5429 words
A woman is torn between bitter revenge and the sweetness of a second chance.
Hi. My Name is Harold
Humor
3778 words
Is there light at the bottom of an empty peanut butter jar?
For Harold, giving up peanuts for medical reasons means the end of life's greatest pleasure…until his wife introduces him to all-natural peanut butter. But his addictive personality isn't satisfied with an occasional indulgence.
The Jewel of Grim Fortress
by Victoria Zak
Paranormal historical romance
7105 words
Eradicating wayward supernaturals has its consequences.
The hereafter may be closer than Carson Kincaid thinks when he is charged to discover what ails Laird Maclean’s mind. Can Kincaid conquer his inner demons while battling the armies of evil?
Paisley Shaw, a powerful druid, has endured her share of hardened times starting the moment Laird Maclean stormed into her life. Now, she must find a way to stop him from taking her powers before it’s too late.
Beautiful Storm,
by KyAnn Waters
Erotic romance
7073 words
*Contains extremely explicit sexual scenes that some readers may find offensive*
Adrian Beck lost everything, including his passion for designing beautiful buildings, after 9/11.
Isabelle Clemet, of Clemet Hotels, is ready to rebuild after Katrina. She wants the Adrian.
Can an erotic late-night encounter on a secluded beach help a lonely architect rediscover his lost passion?
When a Rose Blooms,
by Tarah Scott
Historical romance
4353 words
On the anniversary eve of his wife's death, Nathaniel kneels at her grave asking questions he fears were answered the night she died. Despite cold solitude, desire flares when he learns the woman who now haunts his dreams awaits him in the great hall. By morning’s light, she will meet him on the battlefield he has built around himself, and force him to choose between the living and the dead
Sorry for Your Trouble
Vignette
1913 words
Ceci shares poignant but sometimes funny memories of the first funeral she attended in Ireland.
The Personal Ad
Contemporary sweet romance
4211 words
Always the best friend and never the leading lady, will Nina find love when she answers a quirky, sweet personal ad?
Excerpt from: Tantalizing Tidbits … Short Story:
The Summons - Paranormal Romance - By Ria
Cantrell
By the time he could return to the comfortable flat he
was renting, it would be late in the night, or rather; early in the morning and
he would fall blissfully into bed with no energy left for dreams that left him
aching and troubled. At least, that was his hope. He had to concentrate and
stop his foolish reverie of something that was not real; that would never be
reality--only--somehow, despite his rationalization of it, deep down he knew
she was as real as he was. He shook his head again as if the movement of it
would actually clear it and he thought to himself that he hadn’t even been
drinking or for that matter, smoking anything to make the fantasy take on such
a life of its own. He had to stop it. He was a grown man. He felt rather silly
for putting so much onto a woman that was not even real.
~*~
She had seen him again. She did not know what it meant,
but she knew that somehow, he was seeking her, too. He was not of her time;
that she was certain, although the way he wore his hair was similar to the men
she knew in her village. He was tall and handsome, but his eyes held a deep
emptiness that she, herself understood all too well. The time for her to have
been mated to a man had long passed as she had been called to care for her
dying father. There was no room for courting in her world where her
responsibilities pressed upon her like the weight of the standing stones.
1 comment:
My favorite restaurant growing up was Shoney's. My granny took us there every Saturday morning. They knew us all by name. We would always get there at about 10 am (after yard selling since 6am), and they would always fire the grill up for us. We didn't go for the breakfast... we went for the fish n' chips! They had the best fried fish. I can still taste and smell it, like it was yesterday. Sometimes it feels like it. I can still see that big Shoney's Big Boy they had out front. We would always climb up on him. I haven't ate at a Shoney's in years, but the last time I did they had changed the way they made their fish. It wasn't the same, but the feeling was. (sigh)
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