When
in Gnome
Gnome
Sweet Gnome
Book
One
Emily
Night
Genre:
Paranormal Romance
Date
of Publication: September 28, 2015
ISBN:
1515387747
ASIN:
B017YGK0WU
Number
of pages: 355
Word
Count: 90,674
Book
Description:
Evangeline
Black quickly becomes entangled in the magic that thrives in Gnome,
Mississippi, when she spontaneously shifts into a wolf only hours
after arriving.
Her
life is out of control, and she has to rely on the kindness of
strangers: the psychic caretaker of the lovely antebellum home where
her mother was born, the sheriff who practices his own version of
Native American-inspired magic, and a rocker werewolf. While she
struggles at the bottom of the magical learning curve, it becomes
apparent that someone is stalking her.
Evangeline
quickly learns two things about Gnome. The first is that anything is
possible. The second is that magical creatures are much less
enchanting when they want you dead.
Excerpt
Ben
never showed as he had promised, and when I shifted in my sleep, I
was apprehensive at the thought of facing the night alone. As I flew
past Daniel in the living room, I noticed a look of concern on his
face, and the words “be careful” were stretched into a long, low
mournful sound.
Once
I hit the outskirts of the yard and had officially entered the woods,
I had the strong sensation of being followed. There were shadows
slipping in and out of my peripheral vision, and birds and small
animals burst out of their hiding places around me for no apparent
reason. I tried to outrun the feeling, but it stayed with me.
The
moon above me was full, and I raced across a landscape of brightly
contrasting moonlight and shadows. I knew I was being followed by
something Other, shrouded in the shadows of the trees, and I left the
woods and bounded toward the meadow in hopes of losing it. However,
the sensation of being followed did not dissipate. Rather, it seemed
as if the Other merely took another form and took to the sky. My
eyes could not detect it, but I knew it with every ounce of my being,
and my fur was crawling up my spine.
I
crossed the meadow and entered another part of the woods. My energy
was waning, but I was afraid to turn back since I was certain that I
was being followed. I began to wonder if the Other following was my
father. I also wondered what happened to Ben to prevent him from
coming. While I was pondering all of these things and running
blindly, another figure stepped directly into my path.
I
skidded to an abrupt halt. A shard of moonlight slashed through the
trees and cast the figure half in light and half in shadow, and the
half in light was definitely not human. His skin was lumpy and
blotchy. His face was distorted like a hairless animal with black
eyes deeply recessed in pits and a lipless grin that revealed an
irregular row of jagged teeth.
I
did not bother trying to read his aura.
Slowly
and deliberately, the figure brought up his arm, and my fur stood up
as I realized that he was holding a gun and about to shoot me. With
my heart pounding, I was trying to decide my next move when the
shadow that had been following me came barreling over my head. I saw
nothing more than a black blur topped by a streak of gold as the
Other launched into the other Other. The arm holding the gun was
thrust straight up, and the tree limbs exploded as the gun when off.
The two figures fell in a tangle, and both were soon swallowed in
darkness. I heard a series of growls, but I could see nothing. I
decided that right then was a good time to make a hasty exit while
they were both distracted.
I
raced back across the meadow toward familiar woods, but I must have
veered too far left, for I once again found myself in the strange
woods where I had been two night ago. Recognizing the trees and the
heaviness of the air, I tried to turn right to compensate for my
error, but soon I was facing an unfamiliar stream that cut through
the woods. I approached the stream, which seemed clean and clear,
and was taking a tentative sip when I heard a growl and realized I
had company.
I
looked up to find myself facing two other wolves. Real wolves. I
had no idea we actually had wolves in Mississippi. Their teeth were
bared as they inched closer.
This
so reminds me of high school, I thought, but the funny thought was of
little comfort as they continued to close in on me. I was
considering making a break and running when I heard another growl
coming up from behind me.
When
I turned, I realized that not only was the third wolf baring his
teeth at the first two, but he was so much bigger. He stalked past
me and put himself between me and the two wolves. As I backed away,
he charged across the stream. All three wolves became entangled and
rolled in a moment of snapping and growling, but the first two broke
away and, quickly determining that they were overpowered, beat a
retreat away from the stream.
The
large wolf turned toward me, and I was poised to run again when I
realized that he was less wolf than they were and more Other. As he
walked slowly toward me, he looked at me with eyes that seemed almost
human in their expression, as if asking if I was okay.
Thanks.
I projected the thought toward him, but he gave no acknowledgment.
For
a long moment, we stood contemplating each other. Eventually, I gave
up trying to communicate and turned to make my way back to the house.
It had been a long and tiring night, and I was already looking
forward to the legendary bathtub and maybe even a light midnight
snack before crawling back into bed. I realized the Other wolf was
following me, although he kept his distance and didn’t seem to pose
a threat. I stopped occasionally and turned to regard him, but he
stood there, tongue hanging out, reminding me of those persistent
guys with every lame pickup line you’ve ever heard—usually
freshmen. Just sayin’.
Look,
thanks for saving me back there, but I’m just heading home now,
okay?
He
closed his mouth, and his eyes were wide and quizzical.
I
turned back and continued trotting toward home with my new buddy
close on my heels. I climbed the porch steps, pawed open the door,
and turned back to look at the wolf. I hoped he didn’t expect me
to invite him in.
For
a moment, he watched me, and then he climbed the steps and walked
over to a spot close to the door. He circled and lay down, then
looked back at me. I could already imagine Daniel fussing about me
bringing home a new pet.
What
can I say? I thought to myself. He followed me home. Can we keep
it?
About
the Author:
Emily
Night grew up in a series of small towns in Mississippi. The youngest
of four children, she dreamed of being a writer from the moment she
wrote her first story in the fourth grade. At the age of twelve, she
rode her bike up to the square of a small town and asked the editor
to publish one of her stories. While the editor did not, he was very
kind and encouraging. She graduated magna cum laude from Mississippi
College and later obtained a Master's from Belhaven University. She
prefers reading and writing fantasy because fantasy allows her to
test the modern-day limits of what is possible.
Website:
Emilynightauthor.com
Twitter:
@emilynight7
Pinterest:
https://www.pinterest.com/emilynight0010/
Amazon
Author Page: http://www.amazon.com/Emily-Night/e/B01602KWWW/
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