About the Novel:
My name, believe it or not,
is Pictarine Nebbie Jump. Call me Pic.
My happily ever after started with
Mason’s first words: “Want me to kiss it better?” I never looked back.
Yes, things were going great and I expected them to get even better.
Then I was accidentally eye-napped.
Yeah, you read that right. It’s complicated.
What happened is so bizarre, that because of me, a four-year-old is being hunted by a terrorist cell, and all she’s armed with is a child’s hope, her Barbie doll, and my brains.
We are alone, because no one believes her and no one can see me.
If I don’t do something, she’s going to disappear –permanently.
Yes, things were going great and I expected them to get even better.
Then I was accidentally eye-napped.
Yeah, you read that right. It’s complicated.
What happened is so bizarre, that because of me, a four-year-old is being hunted by a terrorist cell, and all she’s armed with is a child’s hope, her Barbie doll, and my brains.
We are alone, because no one believes her and no one can see me.
If I don’t do something, she’s going to disappear –permanently.
Excerpt:
My happily-ever-after started with a coma.
Not exactly the way I envisioned spending my honeymoon, but
the coma was just the beginning of trouble.
My life, before I was in a coma, was a series of firsts and
all important firsts started with Mason Richard Jump.
If it had not been for him coming into my life, I never
would have had the miracles that came later. To explain those miracles, I
have to rewind my life to December 14th – the right season for
unequalled joy and sacred miracles.
The day I met my future husband, I was leaving my office for
lunch.
I was a dedicated career woman, but only after resigning
myself to the fact I would never meet anyone worth spending more than a few
hours with that I wasn’t already related to.
Yes, I had stopped looking for Mr. Right, dusted off my
Bachelorette degree, and with more guts than sense, started my own business – a
temp service that spanned two states. Sounds impressive, but the reality
is Evanston, Wyoming doesn’t have that many office-related jobs so I opened a
satellite office in Salt Lake City, Utah.
I was eager to get a few more items on my Christmas shopping
list – including the newest whodunit by one of my favorite authors. It
would be a gift I would give myself in preparation for the lull that would hit
the business in January when everyone scrambled back to work, annoyed they had
spent too much money for the holidays.
I was in a hurry and that meant the usual rushed routine –
car keys in mouth, juggling files, slipping my cell phone into my purse, and
buzzing for the elevator.
When the elevator door opened and I saw Mason, my car keys
fell out of my mouth – or tried to; they couldn’t actually fall to the ground
because my lips were sticky-dry and my three keys hung there swinging like
Christmas bells.
In my attempt to rectify his perception that I showered in
stupid and lathered with duh, I grabbed the keys and felt some of the skin pull
away. I bit back the gasp of pain, but couldn’t prevent the wince.
“Want me to kiss it better?”
Those were his first words to me. His eyes were
smiling and his mouth was beginning to bow.
If you saw him, you wouldn’t blame me for just staring at
him and, well, seriously considering it. However, what do you say to
that? Yes, a dozen kisses to go please, wrapped in a size thirty-eight
tall…or was it long? It didn’t matter – he was the perfect size, shape,
and gender.
His smile was producing a spin cycle in my heart and his
eyes came in my favorite shade of chocolate – all plus’s.
Mason was an Idaho farm boy – lots of physical exercise and
all the discipline the word ‘farm’ implies. He was ruggedly good-looking,
wearing a white shirt with open collar and black sports jacket. He was
also holding the most beautiful poinsettia arrangement I’d ever seen. I
knew this for fact, because my parents are florists.
His smile deepened and I realized he had a dimple – just one
and in the exact same place as mine.
We just stared at each other, not saying a word. In
the background, Christmas music began blaring Joy to the World. When the
elevator doors began to close, we both reached out to stop them and our hands
met.
Evidently, I had scuffed my shoes across the carpet because
there was an electrical charge – or was it just him? I never knew for
sure.
He stepped out of the elevator and into my heart. “My
name’s Mason. I’m here to make a delivery.”
My eyes finally left his face and caught up to reality – the
delivery of poinsettias were the reason he had come up to the floor, not to
sweep me off my feet, or kiss me into oblivion. Drat!
“I need to ask you a question.”
His voice was serious and I looked back into his eyes.
For some reason, I became very conscious that he had a small scar just beneath
his bottom lip.
“Yes?” My first word to him became one of the most
frequently used words in our relationship.
“Where is the nearest mistletoe?”
About the Author:
In the past, I've suffered from post-apocalyptic
stress syndrome while writing 5 Blanks, powered an ancient artifact using a
pair of star-crossed lovers in Chest of Souls, recovered Christmas by
unearthing the forgotten love story of the Klauses, and, in Pic Jump, saved a
little girl from a terrorist organization armed with nothing but a Barbie head
and a woman in a coma. Oh, and helped a woman get lost and find true love -
with a ghost - in Hallows Gate.
People ask how I do what I do. Simply put: I LOVE what I do. I thrive on the written word! By the time you read this, I'll be working with awesome new characters to turn upside down (or inside out), spinning more plots to weave into their lives and planting subplots to harvest when they aren't looking.
I'm currently at work on House of Cards (Book 1 has been released), a children's urban fantasy I'm co-authoring with my oldest daughter. Other projects? I'm being haunted by characters that demand sequels, and those who simply want to get their fifteen minutes in the spotlight. Masters of Lightning, never-say-die ghosts, and Elves with attitude are among these.
It has been a long and miraculous (always mental), journey. I bid you good reads wherever you go and in case I don't survive my next adventure, I left my will at the bottom of a volcano under a rock.
People ask how I do what I do. Simply put: I LOVE what I do. I thrive on the written word! By the time you read this, I'll be working with awesome new characters to turn upside down (or inside out), spinning more plots to weave into their lives and planting subplots to harvest when they aren't looking.
I'm currently at work on House of Cards (Book 1 has been released), a children's urban fantasy I'm co-authoring with my oldest daughter. Other projects? I'm being haunted by characters that demand sequels, and those who simply want to get their fifteen minutes in the spotlight. Masters of Lightning, never-say-die ghosts, and Elves with attitude are among these.
It has been a long and miraculous (always mental), journey. I bid you good reads wherever you go and in case I don't survive my next adventure, I left my will at the bottom of a volcano under a rock.
Tell
us about Pic Jump and Hallows Gate
Pic Jump was actually an idea that
germinated while I wrote my post-apocalyptic novel, 5 Blanks. I had
to come up with ideas about how people could communicate without bodies.
I have to confess writing Pic made me so nervous after chapter 7, I had to take
frequent breaks. I’m a mom of four and the book puts kids in danger.
Because of the mama bear instinct, I kept trying to kill the bad guy to
protect them and it wasn’t the right time. To hold off was excruciatingly
suspenseful.
Hallows Gate was sort of a gift to
myself. I had just finished my 12th book after eleven months
of writing 8-22 hours six days a week. I wanted something lighter – a
clean paranormal romance struck me as a perfect way to get my life back.
Hallows did that for me. I also made a promise to myself to get a balance
back into my life. Now I only release 3 or 4 a year. Yeah, I’m
still working on that balance. Hallows Gate will be getting at least two
sequels because I love the elves and hate to say goodbye.
Author Links:
Purchase Links: Amazon
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