Guest Post: Acacia K. Parker (Delightfully Witchy) ~ Excerpt

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Delightfully Witchy: What Inspired You to Write the Book 

I’m very happy to admit that Paranormal is sort of my thing … like, anything Paranormal. Be that Vampires or Shapeshifters or Witches or Elves and Faeries, I love anything about what these creatures bring to the plate. Some are powerful, dark and dangerous, some are open-minded and loving, and some are a mixture of both, but what I love the most is that they are normally in tune with their surroundings and the world around them. I love the idea of magic, of otherworldly beings capable of much more than they seem. It’s been a fascination of mine since I was a child, and with stories like Harry Potter, Divergent, The Hunger Games,  and The BlackDagger Brotherhood Series, I eat that sh*t up like it’s no one business. 

Which is exactly why I was inspired to write Delightfully Witchy. 

Well, there are a few reasons, really, but mainly I wanted to write Emerson’s story because I love imperfect, flawed characters. 

Let me backtrack a bit so you get the whole picture. Last year, I finished my debut novel RECESS, which I will be re-releasing for its second edition later this month, and realized I was a little burnt out on the story. It wasn’t because I didn’t love the story and its characters, it was because the story was so dark – it took a lot out of me. Plus, I’d been working on it on and off again for years, and I realized I needed a break from the world I’d lived in for so long. So, I started wondering about what else I’d love to write; something different from my usual ideas, something hopefully unique – I wanted to take a risk and write something I didn’t think I would ever write about – a light, fun, romance that had some action, some hot, steamy scenes, and a storyline that made you guess until the very end.

And out came Emerson Harper and Lincoln Summers. 

Now, before I go any further, let me explain something first – I love watching characters grow and learn about themselves. I love seeing those same characters comprehend what they’re truly capable of doing and falling into the person they were always supposed to be. Which is exactly why Emerson Harper was the perfect match for me. She’s a witch who isn’t good at being a witch, she’s quirky and fun, sweet (totally different than my protagonist in RECESS), and I just fell in love with her. I love that she isn’t the strongest witch around, and I love being able to tell her story – the one that allows her to grow and learn who she is, not just as a witch, but as a person, too. 

It’s exciting and riveting, and honestly, her story has allowed me to grow, too. Taking a risk and diving into a genre I never thought I’d get into has helped me build my voice and my confidence, as well as my world building skills in these new, adventurous worlds. Truth be told, I had a lot more fun writing Delightfully Witchy than I expected to, and it’s inspired me to keep going. 

Hopefully, I’ll get to write another guest blog sometime soon about how I was inspired to write the next book in this series – maybe it’ll be to create a different character altogether, maybe it’ll be to help me grow as an author … or maybe because these characters just talk to me too much and the only way to get them out of my head is to write them down, to give them their own voice instead of using mine. 

It’d be a good start, anyway.

 

 


Delightfully Witchy 

A Delightfully Witchy Novel 

Book One

Acacia K. Parker 

Genre: Paranormal Romance /Action and Adventure

Publisher: Parker Publishing

Date of Publication: 9/14/2017

ISBN: 978-0-9989444-4-9

ASIN: B071SLRNVS

Number of pages: 417

Word Count: 135,000

Cover Artist: Acacia K. Parker

Tagline: Not everyone is good at being a witch.

Book Description:

Looking for true love? Having dreams you need to recall more clearly? How about that pesky curse that just won’t go away? Let Delightfully Witchy Herbal Shop conjure up the perfect charm for you!

Meet Emerson Harper—herbalist, shop owner, witch—exceptional at the first two, not so much on the last. She finds there are perks to living a quiet life, especially when those perks involve Lincoln Summers walking into her shop asking for a rare Stone. Powerful, wealthy, and famous, she finds it hard to resist selling him what he seeks when those dazzling blue eyes of his linger a little too long.

What Lincoln failed to mention, however, is someone evil is looking for the Stone; a witch who now has Emmie in his sights. Luckily, Emmie made more of an impression on the sexy stranger than she realized, and when he comes to her rescue she finds herself suddenly pulled into Lincoln’s world of dark magic and buried secrets.

In the fight to reclaim their lives—and save the world from a deranged witch hell-bent on destruction—Emmie is thrust into a journey of mystery, peril, and self-discovery, only to learn that sometimes . . .

All magic needs is a little push.

 Amazon

 

I awoke screaming and scared, feeling like I was locked in that trunk again, bound and unsure of the outcome. I was dazed. I knew I was awake, but it was still hard to tell what was real. I felt the mattress underneath me, and the clothes that smelled of spices and were faintly musky and sweaty. There was a light beside the bed I could turn on to show that I was perfectly safe. None of that mattered, though, because I was frantic, tears falling down my face, trying to get out of the confined space that had me caged in.

Someone was talking to me, calmly and evenly. Whoever it was grabbed my arms and lifted them, moving me so my back was to a chest, clearly not my sister’s. I yanked my arms to get free, but whoever had me was too strong, the voice continuing to speak, telling me I was all right, that I was safe, and there wasn’t anything to be worried about.

“Emmie, it’s just a dream, there’s nothing to be afraid of.”

Lincoln. It was Lincoln’s voice that finally trickled through, and I realized where I was. He had his arms wrapped around me, holding me still so I wouldn’t hurt myself—or him, for that matter. My head was somewhere near the crook of his neck as I craned it back, looking up at the black ceiling, its endless depths forbidding and ominous. Tears fell, my breathing was labored, and my heart raced. He never moved, even as my legs kicked the blankets away, hating myself for allowing this to happen.

When I finally got myself to calm down, Lincoln turned me and without a word pulled me into a hug. I wrapped my arms around his waist, listening to his heartbeat as it hammered violently in his chest. With his head resting on mine, I barely felt the stubble scratching at my forehead, abrasive but welcome.

“You scared me.” His voice was throaty, like he’d just woken up himself. “Are you okay?”

“I think so,” I managed to say, pulling back, noticing the light on the nightstand was on, dim in the darkness. “I’m so, so sorry. That was—”

“Expected . . . considering.” He shrugged, his hand on my shoulder as I wiped the tears off my face.

“I guess it’s a good thing I don’t sleep naked,” I giggled, trying to lighten the mood.

“I think that depends on who you’re asking.” He smirked.

And I blushed, of course. I was feeling all warm and cozy with his hand still on my shoulder and then I noticed he wasn’t wearing a shirt. Good Lord. Trust me, it was everything I ever thought it would be. No, it was definitely better. He was perfect; chiseled chest, washboard abs, thick arms, and a dark line of hair leading from his belly button until it disappeared underneath his pajama pants. I’m pretty sure if I kept looking I was going to start drooling, literally, and that would be . . . just no.

“What are you thinking about?”

“Nothing! It’s nothing.”

“It doesn’t look like nothing,” he said, raising his brows.

“It’s not important,” I answered nervously, biting my lower lip.

“Are you sure?”

“Yep.” I nodded. “I’m sure.”

“Ok.” He squeezed my shoulder lightly.  

 

Acacia has been what some may call a “gypsy” for most of her life. With her father serving in the Air Force for twenty years, she’s enjoyed many different homes in many different states, with a decent portion of her life lived overseas in Germany. Always one to be creative, she has been drawing since she could write, and writing has become a passion of hers since her teenage years where she discovered she loved telling stories and creating eccentric characters.

Currently residing in Phoenix, AZ with her husband Shawn and their two golden retrievers, Boomer and Sookie, the duo find any excuse to enjoy the weather (when it’s permitted), and you can often find the them scuba diving (their favorite place is the Florida Keys), hiking, visiting one of the many beautiful lakes Arizona has to offer or finding winding, dirt roads to discover. Unfortunately, it’s not all fun and games. A good chunk of Acacia’s time is taken up to complete her Bachelors in Business Management at Grand Canyon University – although procrastination does ensue.

In her writing adventures, Acacia hopes that one day her stories may inspire others to follow their dreams – no matter how crazy they may seem.

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I'm an outdoor sun loving reader living near San Fransisco. I’m a mother, wife, animal & book lover. I'm the owner, reviewer & mind behind Angel’s Guilty Pleasures. My favorite animals are horses & dogs. As for reading I love all things paranormal & urban fantasy & my favorite shifters are dragons.

9 comments on “Guest Post: Acacia K. Parker (Delightfully Witchy) ~ Excerpt

  1. Great excerpt!! Shared on all my socials!!

  2. New to me author and book. I enjoyed the excerpt. Perfect read for this time of year 🙂
    kimbacaffeinate recently posted…Midnight Crossroad by Charlaine HarrisMy Profile

  3. This is new to me, but it looks good. Love the excerpt. Thanks for sharing, unfortunately I can’t participate in the giveaway.
    Nadene @Totally Addicted to Reading recently posted…BOOK REVIEW: TREASURED BY A TIGER by FELICITY HEATON @felicityheaton #PNR #ShiftersMy Profile

  4. I didn’t know about this one but it looks good! thanks for sharing!
    Melliane recently posted…War and Craft by Tom DoyleMy Profile

    • You are welcome!

    • Thanks, Melliane! I had a great time writing it, hopefully you enjoy it as much as I enjoyed getting the story out! 🙂