I was hooked when I read the blurb. This is one of those stories you can't put down. You'll fall into the tale and experience it right along with the characters. Thea Landen certainly knows how to capture emotion! If you don't pick up the book today, I'll be handing out more tasty little teasers to real you in.
Will April ever be ready to love another man?
Two
years have passed since April Patterson’s husband was shot and killed in the
line of duty, and she’s trapped in a haze of grief and uncertainty. Having
grown frustrated by all other efforts to engage her in activities where she
could meet new people, her cousin pays for a date via 1Night Stand. Not
thrilled with the idea, April nevertheless contacts Madame Eve and requests the
impossible: a date with her deceased husband.
Brilliant
software engineer Drew Monroe created his company, Elysium, to help give
closure to those who have suffered the loss of a loved one, through the use of
virtual reality. Though passionate about his work, being constantly surrounded
by heartache and death has taken a toll on his mental health. When he accepts
the case of a young widow referred to him by Madame Eve, her tragic tale
depresses him further, but he commits himself to programming April the romantic
date she desires.
April
arrives at Elysium and prepares to enter Drew’s virtual realm. Will she find
the solace she seeks within? Or will she discover she doesn’t need a fantasy
world to discover happiness again?
Excerpt:
We sat in silence. It was the first time a client had asked me so many personal questions. On one hand, I worried about coming across as unprofessional, but on the other, it felt good to verbalize those thoughts for a change. Putting that aside, April hadn’t come to play psychiatrist with me. I had a job to do.
“Anything else before we get started?” I pushed off the edge of the desk and straightened.
She didn’t get up. “Do you ever go into your own virtual realities?”
“Actually, I don’t.” I ran a finger along the top of one of the screens. “First of all, it needs to be monitored from the outside. I can’t do both at the same time.”
“Got it.” She nodded. “What else?”
A clammy feeling crawled over me. “Nothing.”
“You said ‘first of all.’ That means there must be a second.”
She’d paid attention, I’d give her that. I tried to backtrack. “Forget it.”
Sliding her arm off the chair, she leaned forward, ginger hair spilling over her shoulders. “I want to know what I’m getting into. Tell me.” Face upturned, she stared at me and I struggled to breathe in a normal rhythm. “Please?”
Don’t say it, don’t admit to it, she doesn’t need to know…. Talking to her eased a little of the tension that had been twisting tighter and tighter over time. I ignored the voices telling me not to make a confession, but the words spilled out faster than I’d intended.
“With all the misery and heartache I see in the world, the temptation exists to disappear into a painless fantasy.” The chill spreading through me intensified. “I’m afraid I’d lose myself and never want to come out.”
April blinked her long lashes and straightened in the chair. “That’s one of the reasons I’m anxious about going in there.”
Buy Links:
Publisher:
Decadent
Publishing
Date Published:
March
6, 2014
Genre(s):
Erotic
Romance, Sci-Fi, Contemporary
Heat Rating:
4
out of 5 Flames
Review Excerpts:
“Judging
from the pile of tissues, this short book is at least a five tissue book if
you're a crier; however, it's laughter, as well!” – Amazon.com review
Author Bio:
Thea
Landen lives in New York with her husband and a variety of houseplants. A
former educator, she strives to encourage creativity and passion in all those
around her, and uses writing to help inspire. Though she reads and writes in
nearly all genres, she has a special fondness for science fiction, fantasy, and
adventure and anything that pushes the imagination beyond its usual limits.
When she’s not writing, or thinking about writing, her hands and mind are
occupied by either yarn crafts or role-playing games.
Contact Details:
Email:
thea@thealanden.com
Website:
www.thealanden.com
Facebook:
www.facebook.com/thealanden
Amazon:
http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B00948YAXW
