My muse whispered all sorts of wonderful tidbits in my ear as I wrote my upcoming release, The Keeper of Moon Haven. How else would I have been able to insert all the whimsical scenes sprinkled within the body of this manuscript? I’m very excited about this book. What I love best is the possibilities it creates for sequels and oh yes, I’m already working on a sequel or two. In the meantime, I want to share  the blurb and an excerpt.

Blurb:

On the southern fringes of the Mendip Hills sits the Castle Hamingjur, an abandoned structure most fear haunted. Yet, on the rare occasions when the Hunter’s Blue Moon occurs, the Keeper occupies this mysterious castle where he guards the bridge to Alfheim Haven. 

Noreen Willshire discovers more than fairytales hidden between the pages of Beletania’s diary. She opens the ancient book and finds a pathway to a Faery Realm where all manner of mythical creatures reside. In her naïveté, she summons the Keeper before his scheduled time in the human realm. In that brief moment, the mysterious wizard touches her soul with more than magick. She promises to return the diary during Mefylleth, a time when the barriers between the two realms melt away, but danger stalks her path. Torn between her desire to make a new life for herself in America and her growing love for the Keeper, she must bridge the gap between magick and time to follow her heart.

Excerpt:

Vin pushed a branch out of the way and stopped. A faery ring never failed to elicit his deep appreciation. Each faery glowed with the radiance of life. Wood faeries were small, no larger than his foot. Uthela perched upon a toadstool with a golden harp nestled between her legs. A plaintive tune flowed from her fingers. The melody touched the soul, binding all gathered to the earth, the sky, and the sun.           Too bad it can’t touch my soul. He gave a derisive snort.          He stared down upon the ring, his brow furrowed. His task proved more difficult this time. A faery never fell for the same trick twice. How would he distract Uthela from the music? How would he break the spell that held them all captive?          He took a step forward. His heavy footfalls upon dry grass alerted the revelers to his presence. He looked down, puzzled by vegetation that should have been succulent and bright red with life. Instead, the grass beneath his feet had wilted to a dull green, a color more in keeping with the grass found in the human realm.           The music increased tempo. He lifted his head, his attention claimed once more by Uthela’s melodic tune. She ignored him, determined to play until her fingers went numb.           “Uthela.”          She laughed, the sound adding harmony to the mellow notes of the harp. She kept her eyes closed, her thoughts and energies focused on the harp. A high-pitched soprano voice greeted him. “In days of old, faery music enthralled humans and led them into our circle to dance and dance. ’Twas a fine jest to return them after they’d dance the night away only to discover they’d lost days. I miss those times, Vin.”          “Uthela. Put down the harp, sweet. Your comrades tire of dancing.”          “There was a time when they could dance longer than this. Ach, time has little meaning.” She tilted her head up and opened her eyes.          She gasped, and the harp fell from her hands, signaling the end of the faery ring. “Fiddle faddle, Vin. What happened to you?”          He bent low and translucent fingers plucked the thimble-sized harp from the ground before she recuperated enough from shock to play again. Fifty or more wood faeries collapsed upon the downtrodden grass, their frail wings wilted. He frowned. Was it his imagination, or did their skin appear more pale than usual?          Stilp pranced over to him, a broad grin upon his youthful face. “You did it, Vin. You stopped her. You stopped the music.”           “A pity I can’t stop one human female from reading Beletania’s diary just as easily,” Vin muttered to himself as he tore his gaze from the fallen faeries.          He placed the harp in the pocket of his vest to add to his growing collection. He wondered how long it would take before Uthela commandeered a gnome to make her another one.          “May I have my harp back, Vin?”          He arched a brow but made no other comment.           She flitted around his head. Her wings beat furiously, a sure sign of her agitation. “You’re horrid, Vin. Simply horrid.”          “An opinion shared by many these days.”           He turned away from the cluster of faeries. He’d learned many things since becoming the Keeper, one of which was to use a firm hand when dealing with the Beings of Alfheim Haven. As a result, he rarely bowed to another’s will. He glanced down at the translucent quality of his hand and bit off an oath.           The blasted woman continued to read. Her throat must be hoarse by now. Time flowed differently in Alfheim Haven. A minute in the human realm equated to nineteen minutes here, sometimes even more. She must have read that story for almost three hours. If anything, she was tenacious.           He walked slowly. Her voice pulled at him. He resisted. Doesn’t she have anything better to do with her time?           By the time he reached the keep, his skin was completely transparent. He swung his cape over his shoulder and yanked the front door open with more force than he intended. He must rein in his temper and not give into the human emotion.           I won’t go. She can read until she has no voice and still, I won’t go.           “Vin?”           His mother’s gentle voice broke through his thoughts. His eyes met hers. A flitting worry etched her features before it fled from view. “She calls to you again, doesn’t she?”          He rolled his eyes. He should have never told his mother of his visit to the human realm.          “Just because she calls, doesn’t mean I must go to her. I won’t be manipulated.”          His mother turned her head away, but not before he caught her gentle smile. She studied the flowing fabric of her gown with more interest than it deserved. “Vin, when you saw the woman, did you think to ask her name?”          His mouth gaped. He clamped it shut. Awiergan! What had he been thinking? How would he find her when he bridged to the human realm if he didn’t know her name? Mefylleth drew near, and he wouldn’t have much time to locate the girl or the book. “Aye, but she managed to avoid telling me. It’s an oversight I intend to correct. Have no fear, Mother, this situation will resolve itself soon. I give you my word.”           Before he could change his mind, he disappeared from her sight and into the timeless void that would take him to the human realm—and the nameless woman who summoned him.