Author Guest Post With Jaye Frances

Jaye Frances has kindly agreed to guest post here to share a sneak peak of her newest release, The Beach.

 About The Author:

Jaye Frances is the author of The Kure, a paranormal-occult romance novel, The Possibilities of Amy, a coming-of-age romance novella, The Cruise-All That Glitters, a humorous adult satire about looking for love at sea, and The Beach, a sci-fi fantasy about a man who is given the opportunity to receive his ultimate wish and lives to regret it. Her next book, scheduled for a November release, is titled Love Travels Forever, a collection of poignant short stories and essays. She is also a featured columnist for the NUSA SUN magazine. Born in the Midwest, Jaye readily admits that her life’s destination has been the result of an open mind and a curiosity about all things irreverent. When she’s not consumed by her writing, Jaye enjoys cooking, traveling to all places tropical and “beachy” and taking pictures—lots of pictures—many of which find their way to her website. Jaye lives on the central gulf coast of Florida, sharing her home with one husband, six computers, four cameras, and several hundred pairs of shoes. For more information, visit Jaye’s website at www.jayefrances.com, or Jaye’s Blog at http://blog.jayefrances.com.

Find Jaye Frances on the Web:
Official Website | Blog | Goodreads | Facebook

 Guest Post:

Thank you, Lucy, for having me back on Moonlight Gleam with my new sci-fi fantasy release The Beach, a “twin-novella” which also includes the suspense thriller Short Time.

Our secret desires—the ones we keep closest to our heart. For some, it’s becoming rich or famous. For others, it’s deliverance from the limitations of a mortal body—cheating death and living forever. But what about those who dream of absolute power, who harbor the need to control the destiny of others? Should fate grant them the same consideration, the same chance to succeed?

In The Beach, you’ll meet Alan, a self-confident and intolerant man, who believes he is the self-appointed guardian of a not-so-private strand of beach. When he meets a stranger who presents him with the opportunity to change his life, Alan aggressively focuses his energy and attention on fulfilling his heart’s desire:  To acquire absolute and complete control of the shoreline he calls home. 

In the following excerpt, Alan is engaged in conversation with Efil, an unusual stranger who unexpectedly shows up in Alan’s kitchen. Uncertain of Efil’s intent or sanity, Alan plays along, believing he has the upper hand, until his uninvited guest unleashes his own set of interesting and somewhat bizarre dialogue. 

 The Beach:

Title: The Beach

Author: Jaye Frances

Publication Date: August, 2012

Alan loves the beach. More than a weekend respite, it is his home, his refuge, his sanctuary. And for most of the year, he strolls the sand in blissful solitude, letting nature—and no one else—touch him. But spring has given way to summer, and soon, the annual invasion of vacationers and tourists will subdivide the beach with

blankets, umbrellas, and chairs, depriving Alan of his privacy and seclusion—the fundamental touchstones of his life.

Resigned to endure another seasonal onslaught of beach-goers, Alan believes there is nothing he can do but prepare for the worst. 

But fate has other plans.

Delivered to him on the crest of a rogue wave, the strange object appears to have no purpose, no practical use—until Alan accidentally discovers what waits inside. Now he must attempt to unravel an ageless mystery, unaware that the final outcome will change his life, and the beach, forever.

In the companion novella Short Time, you’ll meet a respectable but bored middle-class executive, who exchanges his future for six months of excess and extravagance, only to find out the price he must pay for his hedonistic indulgence is beyond anything he could have imagined.

 

Find The Beach Online:  

Goodreads | Amazon

 Book Excerpt:

“Is there someone you’d like me to call?” Alan asked. “Maybe someone who usually gives you medication?” Alan’s initial frustration had turned into curiosity. And while he was still apprehensive about finding an intruder in his home, he no longer felt threatened. He was even deriving an odd sense of amusement from this eccentric’s outlandish ramblings. He wondered—even wanted to hear—what the guy was going to say next.

“Perhaps I can offer a few suggestions,” Efil said. “Let’s begin with a review of the standard offerings. First, there is power. Always a winner, very popular. Next on the short list is money and all that it can buy. And then that old favorite—especially with the Greeks—love. Many of your historians believe the Greek concepts of love and life to be virtually inseparable. Frankly, it’s my personal preference, but I don’t push it as much as I used to, especially after that incident with Job and his daughters, right after his wife became a saltlick for the camels. So there you have it—power, wealth, and love. Any of those sound appealing?”

The story was familiar, producing a flood of memories from Alan’s childhood. This guy wants me to think he’s some kind of genie, like the one from Aladdin’s lamp. He’s obviously gone to a lot of effort with the scripted dialogue and the sleight of hand. And he’s never broken character. Not once. Got to give him credit for that.

Alan decided to play along and get the charade over with. The gag would surely end as soon as the would-be actor had granted him three wishes. “Okay, I get it. You’re the genie and I’m the master—like in that story about Aladdin and the magic lamp. And now I have three wishes coming, right?”

Efil cocked his head to the side. “I’m not acquainted with this Aladdin fellow, but if it helps you to evaluate the possibilities of our new relationship, then by all means use it to your advantage. I encourage you to call upon all your memories, all your skills in our . . . negotiations.” Efil waited for the echo to stop, the sudden look of delight confirming his pleasure in listening to his own disembodied voice.

“I don’t understand. You saying I got wishes or not?”

“You have one negotiation.” The word was still reverberating as he continued. “And with it, an outcome, a result. Perhaps even a consequence. If it makes it easier to consider our exchange as the fulfillment of a lifelong desire, then I encourage you to do so.”

It wasn’t the kind of rhetoric Alan had expected to hear. But if it would move this windbag out of his house without having to complete a police report, he’d go along with it—at least for a few minutes. “Okay, I got one wish coming. You ready?”

Efil’s wide grin remained unchanged. “I am most certainly ready. However, you my friend, are not. We cannot begin until I am confident you are prepared to bargain in earnest—choosing your prize wisely, agreeing with the price, and approving the final terms of payment.”

Alan could feel the prickly sensation of static electricity, the very air in his kitchen seeming to pulse with energy. Efil’s body began to rise and in seconds he was hovering several inches off the floor.

 GIVEAWAY (CLOSED): 

Thanks to the wonderful Jaye Frances, I have 1 ebook (Kindle) of this novel to giveaway here on my blog!

***Open To Everyone!***

Giveaway policies:

• To Enter: Please leave a comment indicating why you want to read this novel and leave your e-mail address.
  
  BONUS ENTRY if you like the author's Facebook Page: HERE

• This giveaway ends on October 20, 2012
• This giveaway is open to those 13 years of age or older. 
• All giveaway winners will be announced on the blog.
• I can disqualify any entry as I see fit. 
• I will use Random.org to select the winners.
• Once the winners have been notified, they will have 24 hours to confirm their interest otherwise new winners will be selected.

WINNER: SANDY

Happy reading until next time!