Today we are welcoming Debbie Christiana to the blog. She is the author of Twin Flames and she’s here to share her thoughts on Romance. She has included a blurb as well as an excerpt for Twin Flames for you to enjoy!
Hi, Barb. Thanks so much for having me as your guest today. I’m Debbie Christiana and I write paranormal romance because I love the spooky and unexplained side of life.
Romance. Lazy walks on the beach, hand in hand, at sunset, a dozen roses, a candle lit dinner with champagne. These are all lovely things that aren’t always possible with everyone’s hectic schedules. So how do couples keep romance alive between working, taking care of kids, worrying about money and anything else life decides to throw at you?
My friend’s husband swept her off her feet with a surprise trip to Paris on their twenty-fifth wedding anniversary. My husband did not. While that would have been wonderful, we celebrated our twenty-fifth in our own special way.
Halloween is my favorite holiday of the year. I wanted to get married on Halloween, but it was booked everywhere we looked. Who knew I wasn’t the only one who loved All Hallows Eve? So, we got married the weekend after, November fourth, but I digress. To celebrate the monumental quarter of a century together, we threw ourselves a Halloversary party. We dressed as a dearly departed bride and groom, and our guests had to come as a famous dead couple. And I mean dead! Rising from the grave, complete with blood and decay, our guest included Marilyn Monroe and Joe DiMaggio, Cleopatra and Mark Antony, Brad and Janet from Rocky Horror Picture Show, to mention a few. We had a blast and will always remember our 25th wedding anniversary with a smile.
While my husband may not be romantic in the traditional sense, I think he’s very romantic. To me, it’s the small things he does, that leave me weak in the knees.
One morning when the kids were little and I worked full time, rushing around trying to get to the bus and on to work, I walked in the garage and remembered I needed gas. I was already running late and stopping would make me even later. Cursing, I started the car and the fuel needle jumped all the way up the “F.” My husband had gone out the night before and filled up my tank, knowing how chaotic my mornings were. At that moment, it was the sweetest thing anyone had ever done for me. My heart fluttered.
The most romantic thing he does is support my writing. I swoon when he pours me a glass of wine, says he’ll clean up dinner, and tells me to go finish my chapter.
My novel, Twin Flames, is a tale of reincarnation, past lives and soul mates. The hero and heroine, Marc and Natalia have spent hundreds of lives together. When they meet in this life, they have an immediate and mysterious attraction to each other, one so intense they don’t understand it. As they delve into their past lives, they discover they were together in a prehistoric nomadic tribe, in bronze age England, during a religious uprising in Portugal in the 1500’s and on an Omaha Reservation in Nebraska in the 1800’s.
During those eras, romance was put on the back burner. Finding food, surviving the winter, fighting religious persecution and diseases like smallpox, took most of their time and energy. But they loved each other, took care of each other and even saved each other once or twice.
Like most things, romance is subjective. For me, the most romantic thing is knowing I have someone there when I need him.
TWIN FLAMES – BLURB
The last thing forty-year old Natalia Santagario expected was to be sitting on a Manhattan 
barstool ogling a man she has never met, but swears she knows.
The mysterious dark-haired woman at the end of the bar stops twenty-eight year old Marc Tremonti in his tracks. His head assures him she’s a stranger, but his heart tells him otherwise.
Their attraction instant and enigmatic, they travel back in time only to discover they have spent hundreds of lives together as lovers and Natalia holds the secret to Marc’s puzzling birthmark.
But their reunion in this life is complicated by a kind, albeit confused almost ex-wife, an unfortunate accident and a temporary bout of amnesia. When a mischievous ghost from their past decides to help them, what could possibly go wrong?
Twin Flames is available through BlackOpalBooks.com, Amazon.com, Barnes&Noble and Smashwords.
Contact Debbie:
Twitter @DebChristiana
Facebook: Debbie Christiana, author
BIO:
Debbie Christiana would sit in her room as a little girl and write stories about ghosts, unexplained events and things that go bump in the night. She combined her love of the paranormal with her fascination of unusual love stories and decided to write paranormal romance. Her novel, Twin Flames, was released in 2011 with Black Opal Books. In February 2012, her vampire short story, The Land of the Rising Sun, was one of ten included in the anthology BITES: Ten Tales of Vampires. Debbie is a member of RWA and Secretary of the Romance Writers Chapter of Connecticut and Lower New York. She lives in Connecticut with her husband and three children.
EXCERPT:
“No sooner had they hopped up on their barstools then a young waiter appeared.
“What can I get you ladies this evening?”
“Hi,” said Natalia. “I would love a glass of wa-.” She sat completely still staring past the waiter.
“We’ll have three glasses of Merlot, please,” Christine chimed in. “Could you bring my friend
some water? She isn’t feeling well.”
“Sure,” the young man said and left.
“Nat, what are you looking at?” Christine asked.
“The man over there making drinks,” she said pointing to the side of the bar.
“Looking? Ogling is more like it,” added Ellie. “She’s practically drooling.”
“I know him from somewhere,” Natalia said.
“His back is to us. You can’t see his face.”
“I don’t need to see his face.”
Having no logical answers to give them, Natalia ignored the rest of her friend’s questions and continued to watch the fascinating man behind the bar. He was tall with broad shoulders and dark curly hair. His sleeves rolled up, he had strong arms and hands. He was good at his job. Quickly dipping his hand in the ice and dropping the cubes into the glasses, he had three drinks made in a few moments.
Then something changed.
###
“Hey, Marc, I need two Absolute Martinis and two Cosmos,” the older waiter said patting him on the back.
“Okay, give me a minute,” he said reaching for Martini glasses off the shelf. The regular bartender couldn’t have picked a worse night to call in sick, although Marc didn’t mind helping out. It beat sitting home alone on a Saturday night, which had become customary as of late. He put the three drinks aside and started on the next order.
Sitting four new glasses down, he suddenly started to feel warm and woozy. Leaning over he reached into the ice with his right hand, relishing its coolness. Straightening abruptly, he stopped what he was doing as the same odd affliction he felt a month ago, hit him once more. Within seconds, first his left, then his right shoulder were overcome with a burning sensation. He took a few deep breathes and the throbbing subsided a bit. Feeling startled, but not knowing why, his whole body twisted to the left knocking over the glasses.
Clutching a fistful of ice, he turned and gazed into the considerable crowd at the bar. What was he looking for? He didn’t have clue, but when he saw it, he would know. Of that, he was sure. He moved in a near full circle.
Then he saw her. She had a bewildered expression on her face but an intense gleam in her eyes. He cocked his head and gave her a curious look knowing she had been watching him.
As he walked toward her, the pain in his shoulders all but disappeared. Feeling his whole body relax, the ice fell out of his hand onto the floor, but he kept moving.
“Marc! What are you doing? Someone is going to slip on the ice,” said one of the servers.
“Oh, sorry, I’ll get it in a minute,” Marc responded never taking his eyes off the woman as he continued to approach her.
When he reached his destination, he was at a loss at what to say. “Hi,” he said unsure of himself. “Don’t take this the wrong way, but have we met before?”
Great post, Debbie. I would’ve loved to be one of your risen wedding guests. I’m sure you had a blast. I agree that it’s the smallest things in life that count. Like cleaning up after the meal, take kids out so you can have a few hours of peace to work on your story. Yes whisking you away for a romantic getaway is nice too, but not always possible. Got my copy of Twin Flames on my Kindle and looking forward to reading it.
Thanks for stopping by Zrinka. Maybe someday we can have a Black Opal Halloween Party and all dress up ‘dead.” It would be great for us paranormal, urban fantasy, thriller authors. I hope you enjoy Twin Flames and I already told you I’m loving Bonded By Crimson 😉
Great post, Debbie! My husband, too, is a “nontraditional romantic” and I wouldn’t have it any other way. Love the excerpt!
Hey Christine. Who needs traditional? It’s more fun to do things our own way. Thanks for stopping by.
Good Morning, Barb. Thanks so much for hosting me today.
Debbie
Hi Debbie!
Glad you could visit! I agree with your friends – lovely post! Beautiful writing!
Thank you, Barb. It was fun to write and relive the party 😉
Debbie
Loved the post, Deb! And how awesome is your man! Got to love those guys that stand beside you as you disappear into your head, while they’re left using the phone to get dinner!
Hi Jami. I remember from a post of yours that your husband sounds quite awesome himself. I actually don’t mind cooking, it’s the clean up that drives me crazy!!
Thanks for stopping by.
Debbie
Mmmm, what a lovely post about Halloween and romantic husbands. And I totally feel with you about the fuel thing. Sometimes they just surprise us, don’t they?
The nicest thing my husband did for me, was to bring me a chocolate bar when he noticed I was running on low blood sugar even before I realized. It’s the best feeling in the world to know, there’s someone who knows you even better than you do. 🙂 That’s what I call romantic.
Hi Piper,
I agree. It’s a great guy that knows you better than you know yourself. I love Halloween so it’s easy to write about for me 😉
Glad you stopped by,
Debbie
Great post Debbie! Love the idea of a Halloversary Party! Sounds awesome! My hubby is not romantic either… in the traditional sense or any other… lol BUT he does do little things that make my heart flutter. I’m enjoying reading Twin Flames too.
HI Leslie, It’s the little things that matter the most 🙂 I’m glad your liking Twin Flames. Basement Level 5 has been on my Kindle and awaiting it’s turn in line to read. I really hope this summer to fly through all the books I’m dying to read.
Thanks for stopping by,
Debbie
I envy you your supportive husband. He sounds very sweet. And your party sounds like a blast.