Blurb:
Two years have
passed since April Patterson’s husband was shot and killed in the line of duty,
and she’s trapped in a haze of grief and uncertainty. Having grown frustrated
by all other efforts to engage her in activities where she could meet new
people, her cousin pays for a date via 1Night Stand. Not thrilled with the
idea, April nevertheless contacts Madame Eve and requests the impossible: a
date with her deceased husband.
Brilliant
software engineer Drew Monroe created his company, Elysium, to help give
closure to those who have suffered the loss of a loved one, through the use of
virtual reality. Though passionate about his work, being constantly surrounded
by heartache and death has taken a toll on his mental health. When he accepts
the case of a young widow referred to him by Madame Eve, her tragic tale
depresses him further, but he commits himself to programming April the romantic
date she desires.
April arrives at
Elysium and prepares to enter Drew’s virtual realm. Will she find the solace
she seeks within? Or will she discover she doesn’t need a fantasy world to
discover happiness again?
Excerpt:
We sat in
silence. It was the first time a client had asked me so many personal
questions. On one hand, I worried about coming across as unprofessional, but on
the other, it felt good to verbalize those thoughts for a change. Putting that
aside, April hadn’t come to play psychiatrist with me. I had a job to do.
“Anything else
before we get started?” I pushed off the edge of the desk and straightened.
She didn’t get
up. “Do you ever go into your own virtual realities?”
“Actually, I
don’t.” I ran a finger along the top of one of the screens. “First of all, it
needs to be monitored from the outside. I can’t do both at the same time.”
“Got it.” She
nodded. “What else?”
A clammy feeling
crawled over me. “Nothing.”
“You said ‘first
of all.’ That means there must be a second.”
She’d paid
attention, I’d give her that. I tried to backtrack. “Forget it.”
Sliding her arm
off the chair, she leaned forward, ginger hair spilling over her shoulders. “I
want to know what I’m getting into. Tell me.” Face upturned, she stared at me
and I struggled to breathe in a normal rhythm. “Please?”
Don’t say it, don’t admit to it, she doesn’t need to
know…. Talking to her
eased a little of the tension that had been twisting tighter and tighter over
time. I ignored the voices telling me not to make a confession, but the words
spilled out faster than I’d intended.
“With all the
misery and heartache I see in the world, the temptation exists to disappear
into a painless fantasy.” The chill spreading through me intensified. “I’m
afraid I’d lose myself and never want to come out.”
April blinked her
long lashes and straightened in the chair. “That’s one of the reasons I’m
anxious about going in there.”
Buy Links:
Google Play:
Barnes &
Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/elysium-thea-landen/1121330927
All Romance: https://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-elysium-1758271-149.html
Decadent
Publishing: http://www.decadentpublishing.com/product_info.php?products_id=1066&osCsid=ncb3r4hgjkdgqgp038qe9urs30
Publisher:
Decadent
Publishing
Date Published:
March 6, 2014
Genre(s):
Erotic Romance,
Sci-Fi, Contemporary
Heat Rating:
4 out of 5 Flames
Page Count:
67
Review Excerpts:
“Judging from the
pile of tissues, this short book is at least a five tissue book if you're a
crier; however, it's laughter, as well!” – Amazon.com review
Author Bio:
Thea Landen lives
in New York with her husband and a variety of houseplants. A former educator,
she strives to encourage creativity and passion in all those around her, and
uses writing to help inspire. Though she reads and writes in nearly all genres,
she has a special fondness for science fiction, fantasy, and adventure and
anything that pushes the imagination beyond its usual limits. When she’s not
writing, or thinking about writing, her hands and mind are occupied by either
yarn crafts or role-playing games.
Contact Details:
Email:
thea@thealanden.com
Website:
www.thealanden.com
Facebook:
www.facebook.com/thealanden
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B00948YAXW
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