Jenn Nixon

Do you have a favorite fall memory linked to a train? What do you imagine you would see if you were riding a train in the fall? Join the authors of Wild Child publishing and Freya’s Bower as we Take an Autumn Train Ride through our blogs.

• Four $50 gift certificates (two for Wild Child and two Freya’s Bower)
• An awesome swag package that includes:
• Bookmarks
• Books
• Wild Child T-shirt and mug
• Wild Child and Freya’s Bower bags
• Four handmade, crochet coasters by Kit Wylde
• An autographed copy of Rosemary and Rue by Seanan McGuire
• A rare DVD copy of the Matheson/Furst classic “Up The Creek” (lovingly used)
• One ebook copy of Nita Wick’s short story, The Dream (previously published as part of a Freya’s Bower anthology.)
• Book trading cards
• Signed Dangerous Waters poster
• of “Battle for Blood: The Blood Feud”
• winner’s name as a character in Kissa Starling’s next sweet romance story.
• A Yankee Candle
• more…

In  September 2001 I decided that I was going to take a trip to Scotland and England. Many of my friends thought I was nuts to go to a different country by myself, but I had a great paying job and more vacation time than I knew what to do with back then (true!), and had a feeling that if I didn’t go then, when the opportunity struck, I may never get there (probably still true!).

After the plane ride, which I mostly slept through, I took a cab to my first stop and promptly went back to sleep. The next day began with a bus trip through Scotland into the Highlands.  

Oh…you wanted to know about the train. Okay, gotcha.

From Scotland, I took the train to York. I wrote this in my travel diary at the time: “The train to Yorkwas late. All the trains were late actually. Something happened on one of the lines.” Waiting for the train made it feel like being home for a minute. After York, I traveled by train to Liverpool, West Kirby, Chester, Stratford-Upon-Avon, Warrick, Oxford, Bath, Bristol, then visited Stonehenge before ending up in London. Although I had something to do at each location – mostly touring or shopping, I often ventured off alone to walk about the castles and other old buildings I could find. 

What I remember most about those train rides, beside how clean the train was and how nice all the people were, was the scenery. Everything was green and lush and old and mysterious. Miles upon miles of green grass, pieces of ancient castles still standing, carved horses into the sides of hills, and apart from London, not many cars on the roads we traveled alongside. Exploring and visiting a vast majority of the country would not have been possible had I rented a car. Being on the train allowed me to meet some lovely people who guided me to great places to visit (and eat), and I also had the luxury of taking my time in the places I wanted to visit most like Liverpool, Stratford-Upon-Avon and London because I knew there would always be another train to take me where I wanted to go. 

If I ever get the chance to visit again, I’d take the train again. It was the best vacation of my life so far, and if you want to check out some of the pictures I snapped, visit here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/jennafern/ 

 

Lucky’s Charm

To protect her family and find a killer, Felicia “Lucky” Fascino assumed her adoptive father’s identity and joined the network of moral assassins to finish the job he began. Eliminating the man responsible for murdering her mother has consumed her for the last five years. Completing the job is the only way Lucky and her family can return to a safe and normal life. Lucky’s uncle, Stephen Chambers, hasn’t come close to tracking the killer. He announces he’s stepping down as her handler to concentrate on the investigation and names Elizabeth, his daughter, as successor.

Keeping secrets is a family trait, and Elizabeth’s addition to the business tests Lucky’s ability to maintain the pretense that the job doesn’t affect her despite the fact that all network hits are hardened criminals. While keeping her family at arm’s length, Lucky begins to feel the weight of her career choice and reclusive lifestyle. Then a chance encounter with an enigmatic hit man during one of her jobs turns into a provocative and dangerous affair. Distracted by the secret trysts with Kenji Zinn and mounting tension within her family, Lucky starts to make mistakes that threaten her livelihood and almost claim her life. When her family is targeted, Lucky must make several rash decisions she believes can save them and preserve her own sanity.

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