Last week I introduced a boxed set of 5 short stories from The Tales of the Scrimshaw Doll series. This week, I am featuring Burdened, Volume 2.
A while back, a group of Oklahoma authors came together to write a series of short stories with the recurring theme of a cursed Scrimshaw doll. The curse began in the late seventeenth century when a father feared his daughter’s betrothed would betray her. A gypsy attempted to hex the girl with this spell: All those who betray you will suffer. Only true love can break the curse. As luck (or bad luck) would have it, the girl was holding a Scrimshaw Doll her father had made for her, and the curse went into the doll instead, and therefore, it carried on for centuries. Our first installment picks up with the young woman’s daughter, who has inherited the doll.
These stories, in various genres, all stand alones, were published with The Wild Rose Press as individual releases, but have now been released in two boxed sets, each containing five stories.
*** ON SALE for a limited time for only 2.99. Click here to purchase…
From Amazon:
From The Wild Rose Press:
(Cursed, Volume 1, can be found here – and still on sale for $2.99)
From Amazon:
From The Wild Rose Press:
Take a look at the fun and exciting stories in Volume 2:
Kathy L Wheeler with The Color of Betrayal, Contemporary Novella
He’d risk a broken nose for love
Factoid:
When I found myself stuck trying to determine artist Malia Kane’s sidekick, one of my very good friends began to speak—so what if he’d already passed from this world into the next—It worked. Charlie’s advice was perfect! And I was happy to bring him back to life as Malia’s agent. It was a fitting tribute for one of my best friends ever.
A favorite line:
“You went out with Hercules?”
Find Kathy here:
facebook.com/kathylwheeler
twitter: @kathylwheeler
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Callie Hutton with Tessa’s Treasures, Contemporary Romance Novella
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Alicia Dean with Thicker than Water, Romantic Suspense Novella
Some secrets refuse to stay buried
Factoid:
I almost always use celebrities as inspiration for my main characters in order to have a set image in my mind and to make them feel more real. In this story, it seemed to work especially well for me. I used Timothy Olyphant as Raylan Givens in Justified for my hero, Sheriff Jake Devlin, and the character really seemed to come alive for me. Another little tidbit; I almost always use fictitious towns in my books. In this story, I used Covington, Oklahoma, as a nod to Covington, Georgia, the real town behind fictitious Mystic Falls and where Vampire Diaries is filmed. I decided to use the same town in my upcoming Halloween short story, Caster’s Unfriendly Ghost.
A favorite line(s):
Julia stared at her incredulously. “You can’t possibly think that we deserve to be punished?”
Pam met her gaze. “I don’t think you do, but maybe the doll does.”
Contact me…here! You’re on my website. 🙂
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Anna Kittrell with Skinbound, Romantic Suspense Novella
When Darcy falls for the town doctor, she finds herself at her wicked twin sister’s mercy, with nothing but the yellowed bones of an ancient doll to protect her.
Factoid:
Truth makes great fiction, and I infiltrate my stories with plenty of it. Take the following excerpt from Skinbound, for example:
Once, as a young girl, Scarlett whispered Darcy’s name through the keyhole of her bedroom door. Darcy knocked, then twisted the knob. Finding it locked, she’d dropped to her knees, peering through the keyhole into the shadowy room. Puzzled, she’d raised her head—just as a straightened coat hanger plunged through the opening, nicking her cheek.
The truth is, yes, I almost lost an eyeball. As a child, my sister plunged a straightened coat hanger through the keyhole, barely missing my eye. I moved just in time. Oh—I should mention one little discrepancy—she hadn’t called my name through the opening. I was just spying. Guess I deserved it.
A favorite line(s):
She dove for the cardboard box as if it were home plate. Blood oozed from her skinned elbows as she thrust her hands into her great-grandmother’s belongings, rescuing her scrimshaw doll.
Find Anna here:
Website: http://annakittrell.com/
Facebook Author Page: https://www.facebook.com/AKittrell
Twitter: https://twitter.com/KittrellAnna
Email: kittrellbooks@gmail.com
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Tamrie Foxtail with The Bone Bride, Romantic Suspense Novella
Daira’s first love has returned to their home town. Is he the next victim of the scrimshaw doll?
Factoid:
I live in a small Oklahoma town. Our old home was a short walk from a haunted bridge, one that actually appears on a list of Oklahoma’s most haunted sights. I’ve always wanted to use the bridge in a story, and it seemed a perfect fit with a cursed doll.
A Favorite Line(s):
She turned to look at him. His nose was an inch from hers. She struggled to keep her eyes from crossing. “You think I don’t want you to kiss me because you dumped me twenty years ago?”
“You mean there’s another reason?”
“Yes! You’re little more than a stranger, now. I don’t go around kissing strange men.”
His smile deepened. He leaned closer, the tip of his tongue tracing the shell of her ear. She shivered.
“I’m not a stranger, sweetheart.” His hands slid down her arms and moved to her waist. “I’m the man who took your virginity in the backseat of my car.”
Author Alicia Dean 