Melinda the Muse is frustrated with her student. He isn't writing much these days. At the annual MuseFest, held in a fantastically colorful cloud, she hopes to get new ideas to inspire him. When Devon the duende shows up, is he there to steal her student, or her heart?

REVIEW

The author weaves a great tale with a creative way of using words that makes the story refreshing to read. It sparkles and fizzes with energy

Reviewed by: Long and Short Reviews
longandshortreviews.blogspot.com
4 books

EXCERPT

She’s never seen a muse like him, but he must be one"otherwise, he wouldn’t be here. He wouldn’t be stepping toward her with the intensity of a jaguar, a laserlight in his eye, teeth bared in a hungry smile.

This guy looks like a Vanity Fair ad"layered hair mussed just so, sandals with a jacket and jeans that fit really well. She runs her hand across her belly to quell the tiny pinpricks. She’s been so busy with work lately, she hasn’t met anyone new.

“Who’s that?” Her wings can’t beat fast enough to cool the heat rising from deep inside her.

Calliope turns to Euterpe. “Oh my. How did he get in here?”
Euterpe squints in his direction, then furrows her brow. “A duende. They’ll let anyone in these days.”

That explains it. She’s heard of them"said to be a combination of charm, magic, inspiration, fire, magnetism"and demon. Muses were warned at an early age not to take up with duendes. Tales of muse-duende liaisons were fraught with disaster and downfall"for the muse. Duendes managed to carry on unscathed, though their methods of inspiration could be deadly for their students. The thought vanishes quicker than a flicker of sunlight on water as he moves toward her and says hello in a voice whose timbre resounds within her.

“Hi.” She stares, entranced by his dark beauty.

His smile envelops her. “I’m Devon.”

She extends her hand. “I’m Melinda. So nice to meet you.” Fire sparks in her fingers as he takes her hand in his, then leans to kiss it. A tingling crawls up her arms and neck and into her head, where it scrambles her thoughts.

His voice is like a hot wind in the desert. “The pleasure’s all mine.”

Oh, she doubts it.