Title: From Now On
Series: It’s About Time Series #2
Author: Susan A. Royal
Published: May 23rd, 2014
Publisher: MuseItUp
Word Count: approx. 90,000
Genre: Time Travel Adventure Romance
Content Warning: Mild Sexual Content
Synopsis: Erin and Griffin’s happy reunion is short-lived when Isobeil sends him on a mission to mysterious Manx Island soon after their arrival in his world. Griffin asks for Erin’s hand in marriage and promises they’ll marry when he returns, but he doesn’t come back in the allotted time. Erin discovers Isobeil isn’t at all concerned he is missing. In fact she plans to use Griffin’s absence to send Erin back to her own time.
Erin’s old friend, Arvo, helps her sneak out of the castle. Together with his squire they travel to Griffin’s childhood home, seeking help from Griffin’s trusted friend, Sir Edevane. Erin and Griffin’s sister, Kat, share a touching moment before she is summoned by Griffin’s mother, Lady Gwyneth. After an uneasy confrontation, Gwyneth wishes Erin and Edevane Godspeed, sending them on their way. At a tavern along the way, they meet Rhylie and Sage, orphaned sisters who ask to travel with them to Swansea.
After they arrive in the port city, they make arrangements with Captain Akin for passage to Manx Island. Once they set sail, Erin discovers unexpected passengers. Against her mother’s wishes, Kat has followed them. Also aboard are Rhylie and Sage, on their way home to Manx Island.
They find Griffin’s horse, Bayard, running loose on the beach. Captain Akin tells them the vines tangled in his bridle grow only in Ballaugh Curragh, which is on the other side of the island, so they head in that direction.
When Erin and Bayard get lost in a strange mist, she stumbles upon a herd of pigs, led by a little man called Figg. He takes Erin back to camp. On the way, he admits he’s recently seen Griffin and Bayard in the company of strangers. And Griffin was being held against his will. Figg offers Erin his help.
At a small village on their way, they discover the strangers passed through days before. They are caught in a freak snowstorm and take shelter for the night in the ruins of an old church, where Erin glimpses a ghost keeping watch at a grave. That night she dreams of the woman and learns why she haunts the graveyard.
Armed mercenaries capture Erin and the others and take them to a hidden camp where Erin is shocked to discover her brother Aidan is the man in charge. He is under orders to level Ballaugh Curragh if necessary to keep H.G. Hammond, a power hungry murderer, from activating a device to set up his own empire in this time. She is even more determined to find Griffin while there’s still time. Rhylie and Sage help them escape and lead them to their childhood home outside Kirk Michael, where Rhylie tells the story of their father and mother and how they met.
Aidan catches up with them, and when his men disobey his orders, Aidan sends them back to their own time. Erin talks her brother into joining them. He shocked to discover Rhylie and Sage are his daughters. He realizes he’s got to find some other way to deal with Hammond. It’s one thing to sacrifice his life, but another thing altogether when it involves his family.
Iain is killed when a small group goes to scout out Hammond’s camp. They decide to strike immediately or lose the advantage of surprise. Once they arrive, Aidan sets off an explosion to confuse Hammond’s men and goes in to disarm the device. While he’s doing that, Erin finds Griffin alive, but trapped in the cellar of a building. She manages to save him before it caves in completely. Aidan is able to disable the device and fails to catch Hammond who escapes, but not before Akin can follow him to whatever world he is going.
Everyone returns to Lady Gwyneth’s manor. Erin and Griffin are reunited at last and their marriage takes place. Aidan manages to arrive in time to walk his sister down the aisle. After the ceremony Erin is stunned when Aidan approaches with two of the guests and asks Erin if she recognizes Dad and Mom.
Excerpt:
In my dream I heard the sound of Griffin’s voice, and my heart beat against my ribs, leaving me unable to do more than whisper a response through my tears. “I’m listening.” If only this was real. The bed squeaked in sudden protest as he pushed himself up onto his elbows and stared wildly around the room. “Erin, where are ye? How did ye get here?” He heard me? But how was it possible? After a moment, he sighed and laid his head on the bunk. “I must be losing my mind.” Without thinking, I darted across the room and dropped to my knees on the cold, stone floor next to the cot where he lay. “I’m right beside you, Griffin.” “Erin, my love. It gives me comfort to know ye are safe at the castle.” He rubbed his eyes with the heels of his hands and yawned like he hadn’t slept in days.“But it tears at my heart, wondering if we will ever get to see each other again.” “I’m coming for you, Griffin.” My fists clenched, and my throat ached. He heard me once. If only it would happen again. “There has been no chance to tell you my heart has been yours since themoment I first saw ye standing in the courtyard, chin up and eyes blazing, and now it seems I might never…” “Please. Please. Don’t give up.” It all hurt too much to bear. The sadness in his voice. The dull rattle of metal telling me he was chained. The pain he must be suffering. Sobs rose from somewhere deep inside and pushed their way to the surface. Why couldn’t I wake up?
About the Author:
Born in west Texas and raised in south Texas, Susan makes her home in a 100-year-old farmhouse in a small east Texas town that comes complete with a female ghost who has been known to harmonize with her son when he plays guitar.
Susan is married and the mother of six (she counts her children’s spouses as her own) and five grandchildren who are all unique and very special. Her family is rich with characters, both past and present. Her grandmother shared stories of living on a farm in Oklahoma Territory with three sisters and three brothers and working as a telephone operator in the early 20th century. Her father told her about growing up in San Antonio in the depression, and she experienced being a teenager during WWII through her mother’s eyes.
Susan loves to take her readers through all kinds of adventures with liberal doses of romance. Her latest book is From Now On, a time travel adventure/romance. It’s the stand-alone sequel to Not Long Ago in her It’s About Time series. In My Own Shadow is a Fantasy adventure/romance. Look for her books at MuseItUp/Amazon/B&N. Odin’s Spear, one of her short stories is featured in a Quests, Curses, and Vengeance anthology, Martinus Publishing, available on Amazon.
Giveaway Details:
There is a tour wide giveaway. Prizes include the following:
- One winner will receive an ecopy of Not Long Ago and From Now On, the first two books in the It’s About Time series.
Giveaway is International
Thank you so much for having me here today. I hope you enjoyed the excerpt. It's one of my favorites.
ReplyDeleteI loved the first novel, Not Long Ago, and I've already got my copy of From Now On. As good as the romance is (so my female friends tell me, lol), I'm a fan of the action and adventure, which is always great fun. I'm really looking forward to it!
ReplyDeleteThanks so much Edmund. I've had quite a few male readers and was pleasantly surprised by how much they liked Not Long Ago. From Now On has even more action, adventure...and romance, of course!!
ReplyDelete