Author: Asta Idonea
Publisher: Dreamspinner Press
Release Date: 1 December 2015
Genre: Short Story / Contemporary / Holiday-Themed
Pages: 25
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Blurb
A dream romantic vacation to Iceland
to see the Northern Lights turns into a nightmare when James’s workaholic
boyfriend, Richard, again insists on putting his work first. After a call from
Richard’s office, an argument ends with the couple splitting up for good. Not
only has Richard left James, he’s left him abandoned to explore the park alone,
where James quickly gets lost. But just when things seem darkest, the Solstice
works its magic, and James finds the guiding light he needs. Or it finds him.
Excerpt
“NO. NO, Bob, listen to me. Bob,
listen to me. Yes. No. Yes. Bob. Bob. Calm down.”
I turn off the tap, shake my hands
over the sink, and reach for towel as I listen to the one-sided conversation
drifting through from the next room. I don’t really know why I’m surprised.
It’s not as if this hasn’t happened a hundred times before. Richard and I will
make plans, and then that damn phone of his will vibrate, emitting the inane,
grimace-inducing ringtone I’ve never been able to stand, and everything will
unravel.
Richard and I met at a Christmas
party five years ago, just before he started his job at Robert Preston &
Associates. To date, that was the one and only Christmas we’ve managed to spend
together. Every year since, something work-related has called him away. He does
his best to make it home for dinner on my birthday, which falls during the
holidays, but even that is touch-and-go. Some years I’ve ended up celebrating
alone, surrounded by fast-cooling, half-eaten slices of pizza and a pile of
empty beer cans.
For months I’ve been begging him for
this overseas trip. We’ve been going through a tough patch, and I thought
spending the holidays together—without interruptions, just the two of us—would
go a long way toward healing the rift. I’d held out hope that the distances
involved would grant us some measure of security, that the fact that we were
out of the country would make Bob think twice before dialing. But it appears I
was wrong.
Audio Excerpt
Author Bio
Asta Idonea (aka Nicki J Markus) was
born in England, but now lives in Adelaide, South Australia. She has loved both
reading and writing from a young age and is also a keen linguist, having
studied several foreign languages.
Asta launched her writing career in
2011 and divides her efforts not only between MM and mainstream works but also
between traditional and indie publishing. Her works span the genres, from
paranormal to historical and from contemporary to fantasy. It just depends what
story and which characters spring into her mind!
As a day job, Asta works as a
freelance editor and proofreader, and in her spare time she enjoys music,
theater, cinema, photography, and sketching. She also loves history, folklore
and mythology, pen-palling, and travel; all of which have provided plenty of
inspiration for her writing.
Website: http://www.nickijmarkus.com
Twitter: https://twitter.com/NickiJMarkus
Facebook Author Page: http://www.facebook.com/NickiJMarkus
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