Four Days To Go For That Pearly Drop’s Release!

That_Pearly_Drop-Jianne_Carlo-200x320Getting both excited and apprehensive. So I thought I’d share excerpts every day this week. Here goes:

Murphy’s Time-Travel Law: Time travel is impossible—until it happens.

I am certifiable.

Time travel is impossible.

For the kazillionth time in the last seventy-two hours, I squeeze my eyes shut, beg God to make things right, and lift one lid.

Nada. Zippo. Nil.

I am still in the same room in some freaking castle in Wales.

I am still in fricking 1763.

Hugging my knees, I rock back and forth and bite my lips, hoping the stinging pain will stop another mother-lode sob session.

My glance falls on the rusty-colored iron trunk, and I reach out and touch it.

Solid. Cold. Real.

In the gloom and shadows, the three gold coins lying on the lumpy cot twinkle at me. Unable to resist, I pick one up, study the engravings, and trace a finger over the year, 1763.

A guttural shout comes from beyond the lone open window in the room, and my heart races. One thing I’ve learned in the last two days—privacy is nonexistent in 1763.

How much time do I have before they come for me?

“Get a grip, Emma Maria Perez. It’s use it or lose it time.” The sound of my voice is somehow comforting and normal—not crazy. I hop up onto the spartan cot. The mattress sinks under my weight, and a cloud of dust tickles my nose. Ignoring the mini sneezing fit that follows, I loosen the leather straps on the trunk from the brass buckles and lift the domed lid open.

The trunk’s about three feet by five feet and about two feet deep. It’s metal and wood and heavier than the speedboat anchor I’m used to hauling up by hand in Lake Boca Raton. It’d taken me ages to lug it to the coach stop, but it had been more than worth the effort. I dig around to find my backpack, flick the combo lock, and retrieve the ballpoint pen and paper appropriated from The Ratfyn Inn two days ago.

I am the kind of person who needs lists. Ordinarily, I compose my lists on my iPhone. A strangled sound more like a sob than a snort erupts from my throat. Tears brim and I grit my teeth.

No more crying.

Time travel doesn’t work the way it’s portrayed in movies and books.

Useless tools follow you in time, mocking you because you can’t use them. I have an iPhone that doesn’t work, a Kindle that won’t power on, and a set of remote keys for a rental car that no longer exists.

“Make a doggone list.” My death grip on the pen makes my fingertips burn. After flexing my hand a few times, I start to write.

Facts:

1. I am in Wye Court, Wales.

2. It’s November 2, 1763.

3. I left Boca Raton, Florida, on October 30, 2013.

A stomach cramp hits me, and I double over and wait the convulsions out. For two days, all I’ve had to eat were the three packs of freebie peanuts from the transatlantic plane ride. Temptation surges, my mouth waters, and I stare at the backpack. Shaking my head and clenching my jaw, I set aside the idea of eating one of the four Mars bars purchased while waiting for Heathrow’s airport train to take us to the car rental station. I’m a hoarder by nature, and I’m afraid to eat all my precious food until I know for certain I’ll be fed regularly.

I read what I’ve written and want to howl my frustration, my anger, my sheer terror. But I can’t because they can come for me at any moment, and I have to be prepared.

 Hope you enjoyed and there’s more to come.

Happy Monday!

Cheers,

Jianne

 

Murphy’s First 36 Laws of Time Travel

That_Pearly_Drop-Jianne_Carlo-banner-468x60

 

I’m so excited about the release of That Pearly Drop, my first time-travel paranormal.

Here’s the tagline :
What do the hounds of hell, time travel, a murdered girl, a coach ticket to Wye Castle, and a governess letter of employment have to do with waking up in 1763, the mate of wolf-shifter, Ian, the Earl of Wye? Emma’s about to find out.

Blurb: Emma knows time travel’s impossible. So, the only other explanation for her going to sleep on Halloween night in 2013 and waking up in Wales in the year 1763 is that she’s insane. There’s a murdered girl, a coach ticket to Wye Castle, and a letter of employment to be governess to the Earl of Wye’s daughter. What’s a gal to do but go with the flow?

Wolf-shifter Ian, Earl of Wye, recognizes Emma as his mate instantly and senses she’s in danger. He knows Emma’s harboring a deep, dark secret. But, no matter what he does, she won’t confide in him. Then he finds Emma wounded and rambling about nine white gorgons who attacked her. The hounds of hell are Ian’s nemeses, and the fact they’ve reappeared in the mortal world after centuries of banishment can only mean one thing…

 

And here are Murphy’s first 36 Laws of Time Travel:

That_Pearly_Drop-Jianne_Carlo-200x320Murphy’s Time-Travel Law #1: Time travel is impossible—until it happens.

Murphy’s Time-Travel Law #2: It doesn’t matter if it’s in the past, present, or future—the first person to fall into a pond is always the one who can’t swim.

Murphy’s Time-Travel Law #3: It doesn’t matter what century you’re in—sometimes you simply have to close your eyes and jump into the frying pan, or in this case, the murky pond.

Murphy’s Time-Travel Law #4: Colloquialisms will trip you up in every time (pun intended).

Murphy’s Time-Travel Law #5: High society women eat like humming birds in every fricking century.

Murphy’s Time-Travel Law #6: Honesty is the best policy except if you’re in the wrong century.

Murphy’s Time-Travel Law #7: Playing a character in the past is harder than it looks in the present on TV, or is that the future if you’re stuck in 1763?

Murphy’s Time-Travel Law #8: In 1763, thinking on your feet isn’t as important as thinking in your bed.

Murphy’s Time-Travel Law 9: Lust clouds your thinking in any century.

Murphy’s Time-Travel Law #10: Unreality is preferable to believing time travel is possible if you’re trapped in the wrong century.

Murphy’s Time-Travel Law #11: There are no returns in time travel, so it’s best to avoid buyer’s remorse.

Murphy’s Time-Travel Law #12: Silence is your friend, but time travel gives you verbal diarrhea.

Murphy’s Time-Travel Law #13: An orgasm in the past is lost in the present and never achieved in the future, but the here and now orgasms rock!

Murphy’s Time-Travel Law #14: A lie in the past can get you into just as much hot water as a lie in the present, which in this case happens to be in the past.

Murphy’s Time-Travel Law #15: In any century, if there’s an old biddy in the room, she’ll sharpen her claws on you and find some flaw to improve.

Murphy’s Time-Travel Law #16: Even in the past, eavesdroppers never hear any good about themselves.

Murphy’s Time-Travel Law #17: You don’t want to play truth or dare when you’re pretending to be someone else in any century.

Murphy’s Time-Travel Law #18: In any century, you have to cover your tracks when you assume someone else’s identity.

Murphy’s Time-Travel Law #19: Total amnesia is better than memories that aren’t true.

Murphy’s Time-Travel Law #20: While living in the past, if you used to live in the future, you really don’t want your future told.

Murphy’s Time-Travel Law #21: In any century, nursery rhymes are no solace when you’re confronted by blood-spewing monster-gorgons.

Murphy’s Time-Travel Law #22: Boob-pinchers are the scum of the planet in the past, present, and the future.

Murphy’s Time-Travel Law #23: The word boob fascinates all men in all times.

Murphy’s Time-Travel Law #24: Trying to find a win-win solution in the past should be easy if you’re a time traveller because you know the future, but if you’re in the past, are you in the present? Corollary: Will the past/present affect the future that’s already happened?

Murphy’s Time-Travel Law #25: The other woman is a bitch in any century.

Murphy’s Time-Travel Law #26: Tea for two, and two for tea, sweetened with lies of the past, present, and future can only result in utter disaster.

Murphy’s Time-Travel Law #27: It’s impossible to predict who’ll shoot whom in any time.

Murphy’s Time-Travel Law #28: Rakes have preyed on women in the past and the present. Corollary: It’s Powerball odds they’ll continue to do so in the future.

Murphy’s Time-Travel Law #29: EpiPens are a gal’s best friend in any century.

Murphy’s Time-Travel Law #30: In any century, when you’re battling zombies, hobgoblins can be your best allies.

Murphy’s Time-Travel Law #31: Betrayal hurts in any century.

Murphy’s Time-Travel Law #32: When three coincidences collide, evil’s afoot in any century.

Murphy’s Time-Travel Law #33: Pinky swears are valid in the past, the present, and the future.

Murphy’s Time-Travel Law #34: Maggots, it turns out, are your friend in any century. Go figure.

Murphy’s Time-Travel Law #35: In the past, a gift duchess is worth more than a gift horse when you’re accused of witchcraft.

Murphy’s Time-Travel Law #36: Can a beginning that takes place in one century be felt or known in another?

Hope you got a chuckle out of at least one of them!

Cheers,

Jianne

That Pearly Drop Cover!

That_Pearly_Drop-Jianne_Carlo-500x800Murphy’s Law of Time Travel #1: Time travel is impossible—until it happens.

OMG – isn’t the cover drool worthy?

I’m so thrilled with it. Georgia Woods outdid herself with this one! I wish I had a smidgen of her talent.

It’s now less than 14 days (yup – only 14) to That Pearly Drop’s release on 11/07/13 and I’m a total nervous Nellie. This book’s such a departure from my normal style. It’s the first time I’ve written an entire book from first person POV and my first venture into a combo of fantasy, paranormal, and time travel.

Here’s the tagline for the book:

What do the hounds of hell, time travel, a murdered girl, a coach ticket to Wye Castle, and a governess’ letter of employment have to do with waking up in 1763, the mate of wolf-shifter, Ian, the Earl of Wye? Emma’s about to find out.

And now for the blurb:

Emma knows time travel’s impossible. So, the only other explanation for her going to sleep on Halloween night in 2013 and waking up in Wales in the year 1763 is that she’s insane. There’s a murdered girl, a coach ticket to Wye Castle, and a letter of employment to be governess to the Earl of Wye’s daughter. What’s a gal to do but go with the flow?

Wolf-shifter Ian, Earl of Wye, recognizes Emma as his mate instantly and senses she’s in danger. He knows Emma’s harboring a deep, dark secret. But, no matter what he does, she won’t confide in him. Then he finds Emma wounded and rambling about nine white gorgons who attacked her. The hounds of hell are Ian’s nemeses, and the fact they’ve reappeared in the mortal world after centuries of banishment can only mean one thing…

Starting on Friday, I’m going to be doing a series of excerpts tagged to a contest for a free copy of That Pearly Drop. Stay tuned for more.

Have a great Monday!

Cheers,

Jianne

Hunkering Down in the That Pearly Drops Edits Cave!

castle no people (2)I’m in edits for That Pearly Drop, Murphy’s Laws of Time Travel #1. Yay! Unlike most authors, I relish being in the editing cave. It’s an incredible, intense period and my editor and I, in this case the fabulous Georgia Woods, get to focus on one thing and one thing only – making the book better.

The three castles on this post were all used in writing That Pearly Drop. The first pic to the left is of Bamburgh Castle on an island in Northumberland, England. The castle has been privately owned by the Armstrong family since the late nineteenth century, but is open to the public. I liked the isolation of the castle and the incredible skyline of the turrets.

The second photo below is one G found somewhere in Europe. That Pearly Drop is a dark time travel paranormal and the moon in this picture and the clouds provide the perfect backdrop for the edginess of the novel.canstockphoto0183128 (2)

Here’s a shot of Clearwell Castle, the actual inspiration for Wye Castle.
ClearwellCastle
A few years back, the dh and I attended a wedding at Clearwell Castle, and it was during that weekend I decided to write a romance novel. That Pearly Drop was the first book I ever finished, but I lost the whole thing two weeks after typing The End when my PC burst into flames, and I didn’t have – you guessed it – a backup. This January my mom was cleaning out my room in Trinidad and she found a backup of my first draft on a CD. I started reading it and decided to totally re-write it. And here we are today.

Yum. All we need now is the hunky shape shifter who’s descended from the God, Taranis, on there and I’ll be in heaven.
What do you think?

Have a great hump day. I’m going off to play my favorite Geico commercial – here’s the link if you need a fix too:

Cheers,

Jianne