10 Things A Fallen Angel Needs to Know to Survive in NYC
By: Yelena Casale and Tina Moss
1. Where to find the best pizza. It's vital for sustenance and happiness. Recommendations include Artichoke Pizza in Manhattan, DiFarra’s and L&B in Brooklyn.
2. How to use the subway system. First, it's a train system, not a sandwich shop. Second, it can take you anywhere in NYC as long as you get used to the crowds, the dirt, and the inevitable rail rat.
3. The nature of flea markets and antique shops. Magical places where you can literally find anything. Needed information to take your girl shopping on a weekend. Recommendation: Chelsea Antique Center.
4. The important male bonding rituals. A boxing match at Madison Square Garden to blend in with human males and see how humans fight. Or go to the Thomas Casale Dojo in Brooklyn to actually learn how to fight the way humans do.
5. Where to find the local hospitals. Welcome to our world, big boy! Complete with human frailties, like physical pain, slower reflexes, and the occasional klutzy accident. The ER takes ten hours, but it is your friend.
6. Why New Yorkers are so angry. They're not. They're busy and don't have time for nonsense. Everyone is rushing everywhere at all times. Choose your questions for them carefully and make it quick.
7. Why Central Park is truly special. New Yorkers are surrounded by concrete and steel 90% of the day. The oasis in the city is our respite.
8. It's the City, not Manhattan. Nothing will peg you faster than a tourist as this distinction. Technically, NYC consists of Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, the Bronx, and Staten Island. But, it is always the City.
9. How to manage a city apartment. Carefully, and without drawing unnecessary remarks to its size. Do you like being told your small? Didn't think so.
10. Why it's the greatest city on earth. It's noisy, smelly, dirty, and crowded. It'll make you hard. It'll chew you up and spit you out. But, as the saying goes, if you can make it here, you can make it anywhere. And New Yorkers wouldn't have it any other way.
A Touch of Darkness
Key Series
Book One
Yelena Casale and Tina Moss
Genre: Urban Fantasy / Paranormal Romance
Publisher: City Owl Press
Date of Publication: 3/2/2015
ISBN: 978-0-9862516-0-3
ASIN: B00QJKUAUU
Number of pages: 295
Word Count: 75k
Cover Artist: Tina Moss
Book Description:
Cassie Durrett dreams of the darkness. And lives the nightmare. She's working for a tightwad boss at a pretentious NYC diner, dealing with paralyzing pain that doctors can’t diagnose, and trying to hide her hands that glow purple whenever she ...well, whenever.
So, when mystery man, Gabe, walks out of her dreams and into her life to spout some nonsense about her being a mythical creature, she chalks it up to one more crazy thing to add to her it’s-a-crappy-life list. Yet, when his predictions start to come true, she'll need his help to beat back the darkness-spawned creatures invading her reality.
Pretty soon Gabe has her running half way across the country in search of answers. As a bond grows between them, Cassie worries not about losing her mind to the paranormal madness, nor her life to hellish monsters. Rather her deepest fear is surrendering her heart to a powerful man fallen from grace.
FIRST PLACE in 2014 Readers' Crown Award for urban fantasy.
FIRST PLACE in Central Florida RWA's Touch of Magic
contest for paranormal romance.
Available at
Excerpt:
Cassie moaned as
the remnants of the attack wore off. She opened her eyes to stare into her
dream man’s gaze. Oh, just great. I need to dream about him again? Her body
already tingled with pleasure at the familiar vision. A trench coat molded to
his tall frame. Across his chest, droplets of water clung to a black shirt,
then dripped down to run over his dark jeans and heavy boots. Gabe. The name
came to her. How do I know his name’s Gabe? Reality flooded back with a
vengeance, the whole encounter snapping into focus as if the picture emerged
from a snowy TV. What she didn’t recall was what happened after and why this
man was now here, in her apartment.
Her gaze darted
around the room, looking for something to use as a weapon. Bookcases lined the
far wall with plenty of thick books inside, but she’d never make it past him to
reach the shelves. A tiny statue of a marble angel stood on top of the old TV
just a foot out of her reach. Next to the TV sat an opaque yellow vase with a
couple of long-stemmed white calla lilies. Neither the statue nor the vase, she
decided, would be adequate for the job. When she couldn’t find a satisfactory
weapon, she opened her mouth to yell.
Before she could
utter a sound, Gabe moved so fast she saw him in nothing more than a blur. His
hand covered her mouth and he breathed into her ear. “You fainted. I had to get
you home, off the street. Please don’t scream. I mean you no harm. I promise.”
As if to punctuate his last words, he took his hand away.
Cassie
suppressed the rising terror as she considered the situation and chose anger
instead. She narrowed her eyes and curled her hands into fists.
“How did you
find out where I live if I was unconscious?” she said, her body tensing in the
fight or flight response.
“Your wallet. I
went through it.”
“Oh...” Her
hands remained fisted.
“You’re a strong
woman, but you shouldn’t direct your anger at me.” He went to touch her shoulder,
but she flinched away. “Look,” he said. “There’s something we need to talk
about. But first tell me, how long have you had these headaches, this pain?”
“How do you know
about them?” Her voice raised an octave higher.
“I just know. I
also know what they mean. Do you?” He seemed eager to hear the answer.
“I’ve had these
episodes forever,” Cassie said, unsure why she answered him. “They’ve been
getting worse lately.” Her head titled to the side. “Are you a doctor or
something?”
“And have you
ever felt any other feelings or sensations during or after the headaches?” Gabe
went on, ignoring her last question.
“Yes...Maybe...But
how on earth would you know?”
“Tell me more,”
Gabe insisted, his voice flowing smooth like water.
She pressed her
lips together and shook her head. “Enough. I’m not telling you anymore until
you tell me what the hell is going on, who you are and what you want from me.”
Cassie heard him
whisper under his breath, “Easy...” It seemed more instructions to himself than
to her. She ignored it and waited for his answer.
“Cassie, I know
everything I’m going to say will sound crazy to you, but you’ve got to listen
to me. Haven’t you ever wondered at all the weird things happening to you over
the years, at the feeling you get with the headaches, the energy?” She was
about to interrupt but he raised his hand to silence her and continued, “This
is not going to be easy for you to understand but...there’s more to you than
you think.”
And I thought I
was crazy. Cassie started to tremble. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
“Well...you’re
not exactly...technically...you’re not...” He struggled with whatever he was
trying to get out.
“Just say it.”
Gabe locked his
gaze with hers. She didn’t look away. She couldn’t.
“You’re not
completely human.”
About the Authors:
Yelena Casale is an award-winning author of urban fantasy and paranormal romance. Born in Kiev, Ukraine, she moved to New York at thirteen. Being very curious, she has been a devoted reader and writer since childhood. As a 2nd degree black belt and instructor in Shotokan karate, an avid traveler, and history and art enthusiast, she weaves universal themes with martial arts philosophies into her stories. She lives with her amazing, supportive husband and the best Siamese cats. In her spare time, she reads, paints, watches cool shows on TV and tries to get more sleep.
Website: www.yelenacasale.com
Twitter: https://twitter.com/#!/Yelena_Casale
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/yelena.casale.5
Tina Moss is an award-winning author of urban fantasy, paranormal romance, romantic suspense, and New Adult novels. She lives in NYC with a supportive husband and alpha corgi, though both males hog the bed and refuse to share the covers. When not writing, she enjoys reading, watching cheesy horror flicks, traveling, and karate. As a 5'1" Shotokan black belt, she firmly believes that fierce things come in small packages.
Website: www.tinamoss.com
Twitter: http://twitter.com/#!/Tina_Moss
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