The Aura of Love…A Puzzle for Your Pleasure: Chapter 8!

The April 25, 2008 Winner is Margaret E of Marianna, FL!

 

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Win an Autographed Copy of The Aura of Love!

 

So, let’s have a little fun with my novel, The Aura of Love!

To start, read the excerpt from Chapter 8 below the puzzle. Once you have the excerpt embedded in you head, you can work the puzzle in one of two ways.

Solve online at The Aura of Love: Chapter 8, or if you need paper and pencil in hand, right click and click on Print Picture.

Email your answers to kathyjmarsh@aol.com by midnight on April 25, 2008 to enter!  Good luck! 

 

 

 

Chapter 8

           Fuming, Jace realized he had to put some distance between himself and Reggie.  Once Remy and Zavier were gone, Jace bent down and, looking his niece, Ann, straight in the eye, said, “Sweet Pea, I’m gonna see you later.  Darius and I are going to get something to eat.
            “Okay.”
            Jace saw Anne’s smile falter, saw her eyes travel from her dad’s balled fists to his stone-like face, saw her stiffen, saw that she knew something was wrong.  Trying to erase her tension, he rose and said something he hoped would return her smile.  “You have a good time today.  Call me later and tell me how you liked the Double Dare.  Okay?”  He kissed her head before turning and walking away.
            He and Darius had only taken a few steps when Reggie’s yell slowed Jace’s pace somewhat.
            “Hey,” Reggie hollered, “I wanna talk to you, Jace.”
            This was not the time or the place to have the conversation Reggie wanted to have, so though Jace slowed, he continued walking.
            Reggie watched Jace’s receding back, watched him walk away like he hadn’t heard him.  His anger exploded and he ran up behind Jace, grabbing his shoulder and spinning him around.  “Hey, I’m talking to you, man!”
            Facing his brother, Jace’s anger was so intense, he found himself looking through a blood red haze.  His gaze landed on Ann and he forced the haze to diminish.  Through clenched teeth, he spoke to Reggie.  “What the hell is your problem?”
            “My problem?  My problem?  I’ll tell you what my problem is.  I got a problem with you dating that woman, that…that damn Remy or whatever her name is.”  Bitch was the word on the tip of his tongue, but he held back in his daughter’s presence.
            Jace mocked Reggie in a singsong voice and with a little side-to-side wiggle of his head.   “I got a problem with you dating that woman.”
            “Oh, so now you trying to be funny.”  He took a step toward Jace, and since he was a couple of inches taller and a few pounds heavier, others might have viewed his move as threatening to Jace.
            Hardly threatened, Jace stepped right up into Reggie’s face.

The Aura of Love…A Puzzle for Your Pleasure: Chapter 18!

  

The January 31, 2008 Winner is Norma W of Pembroke Pines, FL!

  

Win an Autographed Copy of The Aura of Love!

 

So, let’s have a little fun with my novel, The Aura of Love! 

To start, read the excerpt from Chapter 18 below the puzzle. Once you have the excerpt embedded in you head, you can work the puzzle in one of two ways.

Solve online at The Aura of Love: Chapter 18, or if you need paper and pencil in hand, right click and click on Print Picture.

Email your answers to kathyjmarsh@aol.com by midnight on January 31, 2008 to enter!  Good luck! 

 

Come back soon to check out more excerpts and puzzles!

 

 

Chapter 18

 

Kara’s eyes widened with surprise, and almost immediately, narrowed with anger as Remy and Jace passed her table.  I thought she said she was through with that blue bastard!

The conversation at her table, about reparations and Kara’s role in it, died as her attention followed their progress.  Jace pulled out Remy’s chair and helped her sit while the hostess looked on with a silly grin on her face.  Kara was aware that the hostess, who was human, saw only an African-American couple, not the intercoven couple Kara saw.  After he’d tucked Remy’s chair, Jace walked around the table to take his seat while the hostess handed them menus.  What a gentleman he is.  The sneer on her face belied that thought.

So riveted by the lunch date in progress, Kara had forgotten her own lunch, along with her conversation and her friend.

With much name-calling and hand-waving, Liz, Kara’s lunch companion and one of her longtime employees, finally got her employer’s attention.  “You know them?”

“Huh?”  Though Kara looked at Liz, her mind still dwelled on Remy and Jace.

“You’re looking at them like you know them.”

“Well, I know her.  That’s Remy Renee.  She’s a friend and-”  With those words, Kara’s attention returned to her friend and her date.  Her frown deepened as she zeroed in on Remy’s purple aura and Jace’s blue one.

“Our client, Remy Renee?  Urbane’s owner?  Is she dating him?”  Liz’s surprise was evident in her voice.

With no small effort, Kara pried her eyes from Remy and Jace and cast them upon Liz, whose aura was as purple as her own.  Hiring blue coven aurals was a definite no-no as far as Kara was concerned.  It would never happen while she was at the helm of her company.  “It sure looks like it, doesn’t it?  I would never have believed she’d do something like this.”

“I know that’s right.”  Liz was a definite yes-woman and always agreed with her boss, no matter the subject.  “I could never date a blue coven guy.  They just don’t do a thing for me.”

“I know what you mean, girl.”  Kara nodded, emphasizing her agreement.  “I really hate what Remy is doing, and I think it’s time I do something about it.”

The Aura of Love Book Trailer!

Win an autographed copy of The Aura of Love!

  

The January 2, 2008 winner is Sarah D of Chattanooga, TN!

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Take a tantalizing peek at the The Aura of Love Book Trailer!

The Aura of Love

Congratulations to the winner, Johnna N. of Lawton, OK!

Add an extra $50.00 to your Christmas shopping fund!

Available at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and at book stores nationwide.
If not on shelf at book store, they will order it for you.

Solve online at The Aura of Love Online.   If you love to solve puzzles with pencil in hand, just right click in the puzzle and choose print target.

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The Aura of Love…A Puzzle for Your Pleasure: Chapter 4!

The October 2, 2007 Winner is Karmen S of Huntsville, AL!

 

So, let’s have a little fun with my novel, The Aura of Love! 

To start, read the excerpt below the puzzle. Once you have the excerpt embedded in you head, you can work the puzzle in one of two ways.

Solve online at The Aura of Love: Chapter 4, or if you need paper and pencil in hand, right click and click on Print Picture.

Come back soon to check out more excerpts and puzzles!

 

Chapter 4

           While Remy and Zavier were engrossed in their Scrabble game, Jace was involved in his own game.
           Aw man, I can’t believe he got fired!  Jace grabbed his head and leaned back in his chair, his gaze touching the ceiling, despair and disbelief written on his face.  His Sim had been a superstar, rich and making money mammy.  And now, all that income was history.
            Jace’s digi beeped, shaking him from his Sims-induced haze and bringing him back to reality.  One glance told him Darius was on the other end.
            “What up, man?”
            “Jace, man, that was one slammin’ party Pandora gave last night.  No!  Wait!  I wouldn’t know that…’cause I didn’t get to go.”
            Through his digi’s screen, Jace saw Darius’s big grin.  “No, you didn’t, and your ass was never missed.  Pandora did ask about you, though.”  He paused as memories of last night brought a smile.  “Remy and I had a great time!  I think–”
            Jace stopped, his conversation cut short by his doorbell’s high-toned chimes.  “Hold on a minute.  Let me see who this is.”
           His brother, Reggie, older by seven years, stood on the other side of the door, his braids fuzzy.  Reggie’s expression conveyed worry, stress, and sorrow as he stumbled over the threshold.  “I came to get you, man.  Dad’s in The Clinic.  A car hit him.  He was in Wilmington.  They don’t know if he’s gonna make it.”
            “A car hit him?” Jace asked, the digi still at his ear.  “How could a car hit him?  Where were his psychic skills?  Wilmington, Delaware?”
            “North Carolina.  And I don’t know, Jace.  He just was.  Come on, we gotta go.”
            “Jace.”  Darius got no response.  “Jace.”
            “Yeah?”  Jace felt as if he’d been thrust into a debilitating emotional fog.  Maybe he could hear Darius if he just extracted himself from this fog, if he could just concentrate.
            “I’ll meet you there.  Okay?”
            “Huh?”
            “I’ll meet you there.”
            “Uh-huh…yeah…okay.”
            Jace disconnected his digi and lay it down next to the computer where his Sim now partied with guests.  He had one final thought as he and Reggie left.  What the hell was Dad doing in Wilmington?

The Aura of Love…A Puzzle for your Pleasure: Chapter 1.2!

Win an Autographed Copy of The Aura of Love!

The September 21, 2007 Winner is Patsy N. of Charlotte, NC!

 

So, let’s have a little fun with my novel, The Aura of Love! 

To start, read the excerpt below the puzzle. Once you have the excerpt embedded in you head, you can work the puzzle in one of two ways.

Solve online at The Aura of Love:  Chapter 1.2, or if you need paper and pencil in hand, right click and click on Print Picture.

Come back soon to check out more excerpts and puzzles!

Chapter 1.2
 

The journalist, who would later write the anonymous tale entitled “The Beings Amongst Us,” lay in his bed, shadows from his flickering TV dancing around the darkened bedroom. His eyes moved frantically beneath his closed lids. In his somnolent state, he was amazed at and just a little frightened by the dream he was having.

His muscular body felt unbelievably light as, suddenly, it seemed he was pulled from his bed, from his house, and through the star-filled night. He was puzzled that the rushing wind didn’t freeze him or cause any difficulty breathing.

Bit by bit, the forward motion stopped and he found himself looking around at nothing. His heart did a stutter-step as he realized he was dropping like metal toward a magnet. As if his thoughts had been heard, his speed decreased to a less frightening rate, allowing curiosity to overwhelm fear. Straining, he peered below him.

He became aware of sound as an eerily-spoken narration seeped into his consciousness. The voice sounded like none he’d heard before. It seemed to come from no outside source, but to be inside his mind, his being. Abruptly, his vision cleared as though he had broken through some type of fog, a veil. He lost track of the narration, his mind staggered by the sights below him. The voice stopped, as if once again, reading his thoughts, his feelings. He saw clearly the people below him, though his brain had trouble processing the information sent by its visual counterparts. His eyes closed for a moment, but the people looked the same upon their re-opening. His mind was a confusing jumble of thoughts, unable to make sense of the things he was seeing.Each person seemed to have a colorful energy bursting through his or her skin, either blue or purple. Fighting to keep his equilibrium, he took a deep breath as a thought, something else odd about these people, skittered through his consciousness. The fingers of his mind reached for the thought, but it slid right through, back into his subconscious.The narration began again, the voice oddly soothing. He relaxed, allowing the voice to calm him as he listened.“The land you see below is called ‘The Island’ by the ones who live there. We are Auralites and the energy field that surrounds us is our aura.”The journalist, his fear dampened and his curiosity heightened, asked, “Where did you come from? How did you get here?”“Before we came here, we lived where you live. But now, we only work where you live. Not all of us, though. Some of us work on The Island.”Questions, running amok in the man’s head, went unasked as the narrator continued.“We moved to The Island in the early 1700’s because more and more humans were coming to the new land, the land you call North America. We were scared we would be discovered, entrapped, examined, and killed.”Realizing there was a lull in the narration, the journalist collected his thoughts enough to ask, “Humans? You’re not human?”“We weren’t scared we’d be discovered because of our auras, though. They are invisible to those who are not Auralites. We thought you might see us utilizing our powers or maybe you’d notice we didn’t age or get sick like you. Our biggest fear, though, came from our need to screen ourselves when we were in your presence. We could only do it for a short time because it took such intense energy, such a big use of our powers. And there were suddenly so many of you: roaming, shooting, riding horses. The dangers were everywhere and at that time, we had not made the medical advances we’ve made since. We did not know how to save ourselves from unexpected harm.”When the voice stopped, the journalist was able to refocus on the Auralites below. What was it about them? His focus became more intense, the odd glimmer growing until it was a fully-formed thought. Each and every one of the Auralites was black, not one of them white. And they were all the same complexion, a rich, chocolate brown color.His mind reeled from the information bombarding it. There were so many questions he needed to ask. Unheeded, one disengaged itself from the jumble in his head. “I don’t understand. If you can only be around us for a short time, how do you work with us today? Aren’t you still scared?”“But today, our powers have increased and we have learned how to use them more efficiently. Being around you is no longer the energy drain it once was. But still, we have fear. So, we own our businesses and hire only Auralites. Our contact with you is minimal since you are only the customer. Although now, we can be with you undetected for hours, for weeks even. And a few of us choose to do that. Those are the ones who live among you as our undercover agents. They have infiltrated your institutions:  your government, your businesses, your schools, your very lives. The information they send back to The Island about humans and human events is crucial.”The questions flooding his head numbered in the hundreds. Though his previous question had been answered, the journalist had the feeling the narrator wasn’t responding to his queries but was telling the story in his own way. But that didn’t stop him from asking a few more questions. “Where are you from? Are you going to hurt us? What powers?”

As the words fell from his mouth, he awoke with a start. His voice resounded through his bedroom where the TV still cast its shadows. His adrenaline high, his breathing labored, his heart pounding, he sat up and reached for the glass of water on his nightstand. He took a huge gulp and then wiped the moisture from his forehead as he lay back on his pillow.

“Whew, that was quite a dream!” Feeling a slight crunch and hearing a light crackle, he reached behind his head. His eyes grew large as he saw the leaf fragment clutched in his hand. “What the hell?”

The Aura of Love…A Puzzle for Your Pleasure: Chapter 1.1!

Let’s have a little fun with my novel, The Aura of Love!

To start, read the excerpt below the puzzle. Once you have the excerpt embedded in you head, you can work the puzzle in one of two ways.

Solve online at The Aura of Love: Chapter 1.1, or if you need paper and pencil in hand, right click and click on Print Picture.

Come back soon to check out more excerpts and puzzles!

 

Chapter 1  

April 2004
Four months earlier  

     Remy Renee, her purple aura aglow in the late afternoon sun, turned and waved to her assistant. Legs moving like pistons, she walked toward the off-island bookstore in Charlotte. Her shop, Urbane, was in the building adjacent to the store, and she’d left a little early to ensure her errand wouldn’t interfere with that evening’s plans.
      She raced into the bookstore and skidded to a stop. Delighted, she gasped when she spotted the new Pandora Page novel prominently displayed. Reading was a favorite pastime and Pandora was her favorite author, one who always drew her into the magical place that was Pandora’s imaginary world. Remy had been waiting months for the release of this next book in the series, which continued the antics of the ever-entertaining vampire, Monsaire.
      Just managing to contain herself, Remy plucked a book from the seemingly hundreds on display. She fingered the cover, smiling, before she flipped it open to read the inside flap.
      An unexpected chuckle escaped her. Remy looked up, trying to stifle her grin, hoping her outburst had gone unnoticed. Oh great, she thought as her glance lit upon some fine man openly staring at her. Oh well…c’est la vie. Shrugging, she returned to her reading.
      The next sound from her couldn’t be described as a chuckle, but instead, a straight-out laugh. Remy didn’t even try to pretend she wasn’t cracking up as she looked up to find the same man smiling at her now. She ducked her head and decided to sit at one of the tables in the café. Still smiling, she said to herself, Damn, leave it to me to make a fool of myself in public.
      “Hello,” said a voice with a remarkable Barry White-like resonance. “So, you enjoy Monsaire…he’s a trip, isn’t he?”
      A few seconds ticked by before Remy, wrapped up in the synopsis, realized he had spoken to her. She looked up and the thought, Fine as damn wine, floated through her mind. Too bad he’s got that blue aura happening.
      But aloud, she said, “Oh yeah, always. He cracks me up.” She laughed. Just thinking about the vampire made her grin.
      The man raised one eyebrow and waved a hand at the chair across from her, in essence asking if he could sit. A smirk bubbled up, and it was all she could do to keep it from making an appearance. Um…um…um, could he be any smoother? Surely, he’s not trying to hit on me. Naw…he must just be one of those aurals who likes to talk to others. And since he obviously likes Monsaire as much as I do, I guess I’m it. So, she gave a half-cocked nod and a nonchalant wave toward the chair.
      “I’m Jace, and you are?” he asked, taking the seat across from her.
      “Remy.” She tapped the book’s front cover. “I really hope this one is as good as the others.”
      “Yeah, it’s really a good book.” He leaned back in the chair and directed a smile her way, his hands resting on the table.
      U-m-m…uh, he really needs to get a patent for that smile. With that thought, she couldn’t help smiling back.
“Can I get you something to eat…something to drink?” His chin-length locs swayed with his head’s movement as he turned to look at the menu board attached to the wall.
      “No thanks, I’m cool. So you’ve already read the new book?”
      “Yeah, a friend got me an advance copy. You sure you don’t want anything?”
      “An advance copy? Wow!” Remy tilted her head, studying his face. Ohmigod, I think this is Jace Williams! How could I have missed that? I know I’m unobservant, but damn!
      “You’re Jace Williams, right?” she asked, her voice cool and calm. And though inside, her excitement jumped up and down like a basketball, not one bounce slipped through.
      “Uh-huh.” He averted his eyes, looking down at the table while his fingers tapped a beat on its surface. “Aw man, I just love your books!” In spite of herself, Remy couldn’t contain her excitement, and a little of it rolled right into her voice.
      He looked up at her and a smile tugged at the corners of his lips. “Really?”
      “Oh yeah, I think they’re great!” Arrogance transformed her face as she became Versai the witch, the main character in his books. Her voice an octave lower, Remy uttered Versai’s signature line, “Hate me ’cause I’m me.” Waves of laughter erupted from them both, growing to a state of near hysteria before they controlled themselves.
      A couple of hours rolled by as they discussed books, sports, music, world events, and a myriad of other subjects, their similar tastes creating an air of familiarity. The remnants of the most recent batch of croissants and iced teas littered the table between them.
      “So, do you work off-island?” Jace twisted one of his locs around his forefinger.
      “Yeah, I’m a designer/seamstress at my shop, Urbane. It’s right over there, see?” she asked him, pointing through the plate glass storefront.
      “Oh yeah…I see it. Have you worked in Charlotte long?”“Um-huh. The shop’s been in my family forever.”“What about on-island?” He lowered his voice as he asked about the island where they, as Auralites, lived. “Yeah, every other Saturday morning, I volunteer at The Island Center, teaching disadvantaged children.” She popped the last bit of her croissant in her mouth. “Good Lord, these things are good! What about you?” she asked, sweeping each crumb into a napkin. Making a tight ball of the rectangular paper, she sat it on the table. 
      “Well, I do most of my writing on-island, but my brother and I own some property here. I’m actually off-island quite a bit promoting my books and stuff.” Jace leaned forward, resting his arms on the table. “So…would you like to go out sometime?”
      “With you?” Shocked, stupidity flew from her mouth before she could stop it.
      “Uh…yeah.”
      Remy had never been confronted with this particular situation. No blue coven guy had ever asked her out. The distrust created by the past oppression of the purple by the blue was lessening, but not to the point where inter-coven dating was smiled on by either coven. Realizing her tendency towards bluntness, she was unsure how to phrase her inter-coven dating policy. Remy hesitated, not wanting to destroy the unexpected camaraderie with the Jace Williams. So, she began by saying, “Well, I don’t think that would be a good idea.”
      “Oh, I’m sorry. You’re probably talking to somebody. I didn’t see a ring, so—”
      “Huh? That’s not it—” Remy realized her faux pas as she watched relief flood his face. Aw, crap. I should have just let him think that was the reason.
      “So, what is it?”
      “Um…well,” she paused, frantically trying to think up some innocuous way of stating her position. “I’m not really into…um…inter-coven dating.”
      Jace leaned against the back of his chair, his chin resting in the palm of his hand, one finger curled against the end of his mouth. “Really, why is that?”
      Remy gave up her attempt at subtlety. “Well, I’m not actually a militant.” She smiled, still trying to soften the edge of her statement. “But, I’m very proud of my coven. So, going out with me might be problematic for a guy who’s not purple.”
      “In what way?”
      “You’re not gonna let this go, are you?”
      “Don’t think so.”

“Okay then,” she continued, nodding. “There would probably be times when I’d say something that could be taken as offensive to a blue guy, such as yourself. But it would be the truth as I see it, and I’m pretty sure I wouldn’t bite my tongue when expressing my opinion.” She shrugged as she finished talking.
      “And you shouldn’t have to. However, it sounds like you’re assuming your opinion would automatically differ from mine.”
     Suddenly distracted, Remy heard Jace say, “So, do you think—” but she heard no more because at that exact moment, a purple guy entered the café area and grabbed every bit of her attention.
      To the humans in the store, Remy and Jace were just an African American woman and man. But she could see that wasn’t the case with the purple guy. It was all too evident that to him, Remy was a purple Auralite and Jace wasn’t. The guy stared at the two of them, his face expressionless as he ambled to the counter.
      Remy glanced at Jace, noticed his mouth still moved, though she had no idea what was being said. She threw a furtive look at the purple guy, now leaning against the counter, his head turned towards them. A frown began to form on the guy’s face and Remy thought, Oh no, I hope he’s not gonna try to start something. The guy stared, his frown deepening. Damn, I’m gonna have to get outta here so he won’t start no shit.
      Picking up on Remy’s sudden preoccupation, Jace turned, wondering why her attention was no longer with him. He noticed the guy, his aura and his expression. Aw man, not this again.
      Suddenly, Jace’s mind was awash with images of the times—too many to count—he and his lifelong friend, Darius, had been subject to this type of situation. At school, in the hallways, and especially on the playground, the scurrilous little rugrats wouldn’t leave them alone. The two of them—one blue, one purple—seemed to be viewed as some aberrant form of entertainment, even in their own neighborhood. It always started with the looks, then the name-calling, sometimes ending there, but often ending in flying fists, blackened eyes, and fat lips. However, the kids’ cruelty only served to strengthen their friendship.
      Jace flexed his muscles, an unconscious gesture. I thought I was through with this kinda crap, but here goes.
      “Remy—”
      “I’m sorry,” she said, having seen him flex, “but I gotta get going. I’ve got somewhere to be and I’m gonna be late if I don’t get a move on. It was nice meeting you, Jace. Bye.”
      Without another word, she scurried from the bookstore to her nearby Charlotte dwelling. Those Auralites that worked or owned businesses among the humans kept homes off The Island, or “off-island” as they referred to it, with addresses and phone numbers that matched social security numbers, tax forms, etc. Keeping humans unaware of their existence was their number one priority.

Entering the comfortable abode, she checked her voicemail and her email. Nothing demanded her immediate attention. So, breathing a sigh of relief, Remy disappeared. Only a column of warm air remained where she had stood moments before.

Solve online at The Aura of Love: Chapter 1.1, or if you need paper and pencil in hand, right click and click on Print Picture.

The Aura of Love…A Puzzle for Your Pleasure: Prologue!

Let’s have a little fun with my novel, The Aura of Love!

To start, read the excerpt below the puzzle.  Once you have the excerpt embedded in you head, you can work the puzzle in one of two ways. 

Solve online at The Aura of Love: Prologue, or if you need paper and pencil in hand, right click and click on Print Picture.

Come back soon to check out more excerpts and puzzles!

 

 

NEWSNOW                    AUGUST 2004                        PAGE 25 

 The Beings Amongst Us

By Anonymous  

It sits somewhere in the east Caribbean, its exact location unknown. The Island, as it’s called, looks just like any of the surrounding ones to those able to see it. The lush vegetation snaking across its surface…unseen. The white sand of its beaches as each grain emerges from the green, yet clear waters…unseen. Its mountains, its hills, its grasslands…unseen.

The inhabitants of this island use their extraordinary powers to veil its very existence.

If you could see beneath its veil, you would find beings of a dark hue that look remarkably like their human relatives. Their houses, their schools, their theaters, their beaches would convince you they lead ordinary lives…working, playing, learning…just like you and I. The blue or purple auras surrounding each individual would be the only indication these beings are vastly different.

If you could see beneath its veil, the view would not reveal the tension between the blue and the purple. The tension created by the past oppression of the purple by the blue. The tension created by the lingering prejudice of the blue, the lingering mistrust of the purple.

This is the story of those beings, known only to themselves as Auralites. Do they exist? I’ve been told they do, right here among us, their colorful auras visible only to them. True…false? Reality…fiction? You decide…

          As Remy reached the end of the story, her hand clutched the magazine so tightly a small tear appeared beneath one finger. The ice-cold fear winding its way through her body was overwhelming, a paralyzing force. Arms, legs, lungs…frozen. Ohmigod! Who could know? She took a ragged breath while attempting to grab the others’ attention, but she accomplished only a nearly soundless grunt. 

Solve online at The Aura of Love: Prologue