Happy Ides of March! Julius Caesar might not be a big fan of this day, but I am because it marks the release of Book 3 of Magical Midlife Mom. Welcome to the world, Mom in Shining Armor!
To celebrate Magical Midlife Mom's latest release, I'm having a 0.99 sale for the first time ever on Book 1 in the US/UK Amazon stores. If you haven't read it, now's a great time to grab Mom of the Chosen One.
I've also got a lot of FREE books to download in this newsletter. The first one is from a fellow Oregon author, who writes amazing paranormal cozy mysteries. This book boasts 1,300+ ratings with a 4.5 average on Amazon alone. You should definitely check out Potions, Poisons, and Peril:
When a stranger drops dead in her herb shop, Emory enlists the help of her coven—and the handsome but mysterious new man in town—to investigate. They soon discover that someone is using magic to poison people. With the lives of her friends and her new love in danger, can Emory stop the killer?
Before I feature the other two free books in this newsletter, I'm also lifting the curtain behind my writing process and letting you read an alternative "meet cute" between single-mom protagonist Melissa Hartley and gargoyle CEO Gabriel Alston. In the published story, the duo meet at Melissa's workplace and clash over employee benefits. Because their meeting is so important to the story, I wrote another way they could have met. Enjoy this never-before-seen first draft!
Melissa and Gabriel Alternative Meet Cute
(told from Melissa Hartley's point of view)
Java Haus is a tiny manufactured home turned coffee shop, the outside painted light purple with brown trim. Decked out in faux hardwood throughout, the walls had been knocked down to provide more space for seating. I found the place jam packed this early on a weekday. A mixture of blue- and white-collar workers, hailing from nearby government offices and industrial companies, needed their morning coffee.
I placed my mocha order with the barista, complimenting her bright pink hair, then found a relatively quiet corner to wait. I pulled out my phone and went over my notes for my big meeting later this afternoon.
I had to convince our new CEO not to reduce employee benefits. So many of my coworkers depended on decent health insurance coverage. I went over my speech points over and over again. I had to get it right.
The barista finally called my name. I strolled across the bar to grab my coffee, attention glued to my phone. I grabbed one of two paper cups on the counter, the one with my name scrawled across it. Without really paying attention to where I was going, I flipped around to head out the door.
And collided with a solid, hulking mass.
My cup tilted out of control toward an expensive black suit. I watched in horror as mocha splashed across the fabric.
I winced as my eyes traveled upward to meet the person I’d just doused with coffee.
My gaze kept going up and up and up.
A giant with broad shoulders like a football player glanced down at me with steel blue-gray eyes. Dark brown hair with slightly graying temples framed his angular face. He frowned at his stained attire.
“I’m so sorry,” I said, shoving the stupid phone into my pocket and grabbing napkins off a side table. “Let me help you.”
My clumsy fingers slapped the tissue too hard on his chest. The guy had no give. His torso felt as if it could have been carved in stone.
“No need for that,” he said, his voice deep. He removed his jacket, revealing a taut collared shirt that clearly showed he knew the inside of a weight room. It wouldn’t surprise me if he could lift the entire coffee bar and haul it over his shoulder.
Or he could lift me and take me anywhere.
A burst of heat lit my cheeks and spread across my body. Was I really having a hot flash right now?
I tried to get ahold of myself. I should offer to repair his suit, maybe have it washed. I opened my mouth to propose that plan of action.
Instead, I said, “Give me your phone number.” Loudly and with a hint of desperation. The pink-haired barista heard me and winked at us between making drink orders, amused.
The giant noticed it too. “I’m not interested.”
I wanted to fade into the floor. “Not for that,” I said, which only further emphasized that I was thinking about a hook-up. I just wasn’t going to get out of this unscathed. “I can pay to dry clean your suit.”
The giant assessed me. His full attention felt like being stalked by a quiet predator of the night: calculating, smart, and ultimately sizing you up for a meal.
I bit the inside of my cheek to control myself. Curse my flailing middle-aged libido.
“Don’t worry about it,” he said, turning to dismiss me. “I can afford it.”
Clearly, he could. His suit probably cost more than a month of my salary. But his casual dismissal of me—the poor, single, struggling mom—put me on the defensive.
“I can afford it too!” I announced. I whipped out a business card from my purse. “If you change your mind.”
He took it. Instead of trashing it, which I thought he might, he actually read it. One of his eyebrows lifted in surprise. “You work for Cascade Vista?”
“Yep. I practically run the place.” I purposely implied I might be important. Sure, I was just an office manager, but he didn't need to know that.
“Thank you, Ms. Hartley,” he said, carefully tucking my card away in his wallet. “I’ll let you know if I wish for you to pay the bill.”
“Great.” An awkward silence fell over us. There was no other reason to talk. I backed toward the door. “Hear from you later.”
Then I fled back to my car.
It wasn’t until I’d banged my forehead against the steering wheel in shame that I realized I hadn’t even caught the guy’s name. Smooth, Melissa. First you get yourself an expensive dry cleaning bill. Then you pseudo-flirt with a guy you spilled a drink all over.
“And I didn’t even get to drink my mocha,” I grumbled as I started the car.
I really hoped this marked the end of my day’s bad luck.
I include new short stories and writing snippets in each newsletter. Let me know what you think of this alternative intro and which characters you'd love to read more about at [email protected].
More FREE Books
Witchful Thinking is a brand-new, FREE paranormal women's fiction story. Forty, divorced, and a demon slayer . . . what could go wrong? Danger lurks in a town that grants magical wishes.
Murder at the Magical Bookshop is a FREE storykeeper's cozy mystery. With a killer hot on her trail and the family bookshop now in her possession, Sophie must use all her wits to stay one step ahead.
Until next time, happy adventuring!
-DM Fike
Books by DM Fike
Magic of Nasci Nature Wizard Series
A secret society of wizards live in our national forests, protecting nature against supernatural threats. Ina may command the four elements at her fingertips, but she can’t stop the savage creature leaving corpses along the Oregon coast. Will summoning forbidden lightning defeat her enemy, or will the storm destroy Ina first?
Legends of Llenwald YA Portal Fantasy Trilogy
As Avalon gets pulled toward a secret world where others covet her legendary powers, she must decide whom to trust—an amnesiac fairy, a shapeshifting trickster, or even her former doctor—all of whom may only be exploiting her for their own gain.
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