Great review of Canes and Scales from Night Owl Reviews. I feel properly celebrated.

Score: 5.00 / 5 - Reviewer Top Pick

 Review:
 Canes and Scales is the first book I’ve read by S.A. Garcia and it definitely will not be the last! I was amazed by the creative, sexy and edge of my seat storyline and I absolutely adored the two heroes, Prince Linden and the elven slave, Alasdaire. I was immediately swept up into the unique world that Ms. Garcia created and I could not put the book down until I read the very last word.

Prince Linden of Ardaul has spent most of his adult life off fighting wars and battles to right many a wrong that his mentally disturbed brother the King, has gotten his kingdom into. Prince Linden longs for a time where there will be peace and hopes that someday he’ll be able to take of the throne and his kingdom will be able to live in harmony and happiness until the end of his days. But, until then, Linden will continue to do what he can to keep his kingdom safe and sound. War-weary and exhausted, Linden is invited to stay at his cousins estate to rest and recuperate. Once he arrives at his cousin’s estate, he is greeted by a beautiful half elf/half human slave named Alasdaire, who is not only a spitfire and intelligent, his inner sweetness and honesty calls out to the lonely Prince.

As the Prince and his Eleven slave become friends and lovers, they slowly start to fall in love. But, hidden secrets and a plot to kill the Prince pull them apart. Will the lovers’ deep and abiding love they have for one another be strong enough to survive their trials so they can obtain their own chance of having their happily ever after?

I LOVED THIS BOOK! Both Linden and Alasdaire were well written and wonderful characters. Canes and Scales is written in first person, but each chapter switches off to both of their points of view. This allowed this reader to really become involved into both of their lives and enabled them to breathe life into their story and straight into my heart. Canes and Scales is one of those books that lived with me long after I finished it. Now it has its own place on my keeper shelf where I can enjoy reading about them for many years to come. I loved the unique plot and the passion that Linden and Alasdaire had for one another. The love scenes were beautifully written and hot enough for me to make sure the air conditioner was turned on.

S.A. Garcia is definitely an author that I’ve become excited about. I’m looking forward to reading more books written by her and has become someone who is now on my ‘must buy’ list.  If you are looking for a beautiful love story between two amazingly sexy and wonderful heroes, Canes and Scales is definitely the book for you!

My house bunnies commanded me to post this little ditty.

Easter Bunny Rap

Another Contract!

My novel, yes, a physical novel you can hold in your hands, was accepted by Silver Publishing.

Temptation of the Incubus is silly, extremely sexy and scary.

Damn, I am glad to keep chugging along.

The goal; two more novels accepted before the year's end. Come on, goals are good. Goals kick my ass.

The Triumph of the Groundhog

This is from five years ago. Read on to understand why I post this epic tale of woman vs. beast.

The season of the Beast has returned. Yes, once again, groundhogs voted my compact garden as their party spot. Tell tale partying signs began when I returned from vacation and discovered all my dahlias had been snipped, along with the tansy, black-eyed Susans and the coneflowers. Eat weeds, hello no!

Quick retaliation was needed. Red pepper sprinkled around the abused plants worked for a few days, but I sensed this was only the initial battle. Once I have a groundhog in the yard, the battle isn’t over until I trap the critter in my humane trap.

The plan was to weed first then plant the basil, sage, oregano, thyme and other assorted secondary greenery. Sunday afternoon, after watching the French Open finals, I proceeded to attack my weeds and overly exuberant ferns. I finally weeded my way to the back herb patch located by the hilarious old two-story shed. A huge pyracantha sprawls against the shed. Below the tree lurks a patch of never see the sun ground ruled by hardy vincas vine.

Well. Huh. Why did two large and extremely fresh dirt heaps sprawl in opposite directions? What happened to the vincas vine? I crawled under the thorny branches and there it was, the entrance to Hell.

The Pit.

The Lair of King Groundhog.

The ballsy Beast finally cut to the chase and created a den right where my remaining black-eyed Susans resided alongside the traditional herb patch. Yes, King Groundhog set up shop in his own private salad bar.

For a few seconds the nutter from “Caddy Shack” possessed my soul. After I petulantly tossed dead, profusely thorny pyracantha twigs into the pit, I stomped and fumed. My assorted groundhogs had tunneled under the shed from side to side (afraid it might cave in someday) and even ripped a hole in the side to live in there. But this was the first varmint who boldly tunneled directly into my garden proper.

Realizing pouting proved futile, I resumed my weeding and planting; except, of course, for the herbs. As I worked, I eyed the trusty old Havaheart trap as it silently waited for action.

7:00 rolled along. I decided it was time to bait the trap. Apple and peanut butter worked every time.

Trap set. Time for a shower, a glass of wine and the wait.

At about 8:45 I stood in the kitchen thinking about dinner when I heard a familiar “clang.” If that damned possum had tripped the trap again, well, he was taking a trip.

Lo, it was the Beast from the Pit. He was huge, around two feet long, an elder with gray tipped fur. He was furious. He tried to rip the trap apart. He hissed. His beady eyes blazed with contempt.

Time to spread plenty of newspaper all over the Blazer’s wayback. Great, no kids swarmed the street. Sandy started the Blazer while I fetched the Beast.

The Beast did not want to be fetched. He hissed. He bounded in rage. The cage shook. He tried biting me through the mesh. At least twenty pounds of hoggy fury made carrying the 4 ft long trap nearly impossible. But, after much cursing, the Beast finally landed in the Blazer’s wayback.

Two blocks later a lethally foul smell filled the air. Wow. Someone did not like being in the Blazer.

I opened the trap. The ornery Beast refused to leave. He kept hissing and shaking the cage while glaring at me. The next minute or so went something like this: me ordering him out while tipping the cage so he would get the hint to slide out, he hissing and glaring at me in-between the traffic’s headlights.

I set him down again. He merely shook the cage and hissed.

Yes, this was one stubborn, dumb-ass Beast.

I waited for one of those trucks to be a policeman. “What am I doing? Erm, performance art?”

Finally I kicked the cage’s back and hissed at him. I resorted to nearly standing the cage on end while whamming the side with my sneaker and hissing more. Begone, Stinky Beast!

The Beast backed up, the light bulb clicked on and he ran toward the truck and across the lane into that patch of trees.

The fouled trap looked like it belonged in a zoo.

So tonight I am dropping by Home Depot. I hope they sell fox urine cause I am dumping the full bottle down the hole and plugging it up with a few bags of rocks. I keep dreaming about owning a yard with a concrete slab sunk ten feet down and a batting practice mesh enclosure with holes for the birds to get in and out. Mere chain link won’t help; I’ve seen groundhogs scale tall chain link fences.

Trouble is my real fear is that the Beast King has a Queen and she will be out for revenge.

We shall see.

2011

I call her the BEAST.

The season of the Beast has returned. Yes, once again, for the eight year, groundhogs voted my compact garden as their party spot. Tell tale partying signs: kicking out the dirt I shoved into last year’s hole. The hole is huge. It is a crater to Hell.

I see the Queen Beast on a regular basis. She is the same one from late last season who refused to be captured. I am confident she’s the King’s mate sent to plague me.

She’s a master of evasion.

I know Queen Beast is a tough opponent. She wise. She’s wily. Last year she waited until her feeding options ran low before she decimated my coneflowers, zinnias and even tried stripping my dahlias.

Over the past weeks I set up the trap day after day. I use peanut butter on pear, PB on apple, strawberries, cantaloupe, weeds other’s yard, lettuce seasoned with vanilla, parsley, EVERYTHING. I even tried Canadian bacon.

Nothing works. Once again I've caught three possums (probably the same one) and four squirrels. I release the critters back into to yard.

Queen Beast is clever. As of now she ignores my garden and attacks the neighbor’s yards. She has a sub-division under a neighbor’s shed two yards over. I saw her slink under their shed.

Yesterday I tossed a head of iceberg lettuce into her pit and filled it in.

The dirt came out. The lettuce did not.

Have we reached a compromise?

Hmm. I swear she she knows I am a pacifist vegetarian. 

For now I shall wait and watch.

Upcoming in May

May (oh groan, not intentional) as well start blowing my horn now. Dreamspinner will release my next novella in late May.  I don't have a cover yet, which is worrying me. When I have something for To Save a Shining Soul ready to go, I'll show it off to the world. Or my small slice of the world. Thank you for being in my small slice!