Title: Prince of the Mist
Author: Penelope Marzec
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Book Blurb:
Escaping a carjacker, Tia tumbles into the Sifra—home of the fairies. She wakes to find herself wedded to a Sidhe prince. While insisting their marriage is not valid, she cannot deny the passion she finds in his arms. Wildon must stop Tia’s mother, a state senator, from voting for a nuclear plant that would be built above the Sifra. In marrying the senator’s daughter, he can get close enough to prevent the senator from voting. However, falling in love with Tia is not part of the plan.
Excerpt:
Cautiously, she opened her eyes. Light poured down on her from above, illumination so blinding that she had to turn her head to the side. Squinting against the brightness, she saw him. His hand lay on her shoulder while he sat next to the bed on which she lay. The eyes gazing back at her were a soft, light green. For a moment, Tia was mesmerized by the color. He gave her an appealing smile, which she found open and friendly. Tentatively, she smiled back. This was the handsome groom she had dreamed about and the backpacker who had taken her hand in the forest. Was he an angel?
As he leaned forward, she realized that the chair he sat in looked as if it had been carved from jade. Solid jade, the precious and expensive gemstone. The color of his eyes matched the hue of the chair.
“Do you think you’re ready for a sip of clover nectar?” He held out a jewel-encrusted golden chalice.
“So ... this is heaven.” It wasn’t exactly what she had expected but nobody really knew what waited in the world beyond.
His deep chuckle disturbed her. “No, this is the Sifra, or at least a small part of it.”
She noticed that his smile had a sensuous tilt to it, which did something phenomenal to her heart rate. “Who are you?”
“I’m Wildon, Sidhe chief of the Catskill environment.” He slid his hand away from her and leaned back in the chair. She felt chilled without his touch.
On his head, he wore a ring of gold that glinted in the glowing rays shining down on them. He sighed and removed the circlet, setting it on a small table that appeared to be made of carved ivory.
Tia rubbed her eyes. He did not have wings. If this wasn’t heaven, then the chair and the table must be made of plastic, the chalice and crown of brass.
“You don’t look like a Native American.”
“The Sidhe have been here longer than the Native American tribes, and actually there are more of us.”
She hesitated. She knew American history very well.
“I’m not surprised that you know nothing of the Sidhe. Most humans dismiss the entire race as nothing more than a bedtime story.” He sighed.
Warning bells went off in Tia’s head. She furrowed her brow and studied Wildon suspiciously. Lifting a hand to her temple, she decided it might be better to play dumb. She mumbled. “I must have hit my head--or something--when I fell.”
“You’ve been restored to complete health.”
“Oh.” She prodded her side, searching for the ache that had caused such excruciating pain, but she didn’t even feel a tenderness there. “Is this a hospital?”
His eyes darkened a shade. “As some humans would say, this is where I crash.”
Mixed feelings swirled through her. “You were the backpacker. I reached for your hand. Aren’t you a doctor, too, or a nurse, or something?”
“No. As I said, I’m a Sidhe chief, son of the king. I feared the man chasing you had evil intent so I brought you here.”
“Did the police catch him?”
His pointed scrutiny had fear knotting inside her.
“I really do not know.”
“But my car ... by the narrow bridge--a silver gray sedan.”
He simply shook his head.
She pressed her lips together, willing herself not to break into tears over the lost car and the carjacker who had gotten away. Resolving to be strong, she sat up and threw back the satin sheets.
She gasped when she saw that she wore a white gown made of an unusual filmy fabric. It clung to her every curve. Flushing in anger, she shot out questions.
“What happened to my clothes? What kind of outfit is this?”
“It’s just the uniform of the day--and a wonderful day it has been.” He wore a look of satisfaction as he fingered the tunic he wore. It, too, was white and made of some diaphanous material that had gold fibers glittering with every move he made--even with every breath he took.
She couldn’t help staring at him, especially the part of him below the short tunic. He had incredible legs, the kind she had only seen in magazines--the kind she believed had been manipulated by a clever graphic artist to look better than actual skin. She could hardly believe that such perfection existed--especially on a man.
She started to breathe faster. Then she looked up again at his face and saw the flicker of amusement in his gaze. Could he know what she had been thinking? She felt the blush burn on her cheeks.
“I want my own clothes back!” she insisted.
“You must be properly dressed in the Sifra.” Once more he held out the golden goblet. “I know you’re terribly thirsty--and this would do you a world of good.” He winked at her. “That’s another human phrase I picked up. I really enjoy all the idioms--the way your people toy with the language--it has so many nuances. Our language is so stilted and stale. It hasn’t changed much at all since Creation.”
She did not take the goblet. She glared at him.
“Is this a cult?” She narrowed her eyes and watched while his gaze meandered intimately over her body. She found a curious heat blazing along the trail of his bold stare.
“Perhaps you could say that what we have here is an alternative lifestyle.”
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What makes your featured book a must-read?
A human-sized fairy with magic abilities saves Tia, the daughter of the state senator ready to vote for a nuclear plant above his realm. He’s a prince and his mission is to keep his people from destruction. Will he use Tia as a pawn to get his way?
Giveaway –
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Runs March 9 – March 19, 2023.
Winner will be drawn on March 20, 2023.
Author Biography:
Penelope Marzec grew up along the Jersey shore. She started reading romances at a young age and fell hopelessly in love with happy endings. Two of her inspirational romances won EPIC’s eBook Award and another was a finalist in that contest. Her paranormal, Irons in the Fire, was a nominee for a Romantic Times Reviewers Choice award. Her Christian historical, Patriot’s Courage, placed First in the Inspirational category of the 2021 National Excellence in Story Telling (NEST) Contest.
Visit her website at www.penelopemarzec.com for more information.
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