Title: Lost in the Mist of Time
Author: Karen Michelle Nutt
Genre: Time Travel Romance
Book Blurb:
Aislinn Hennessy pens tales of courage, loyalty, and true love, but her heroes of old are pure fantasy - figments of her imagination. She long ago gave up thinking a knight in shining armor would sweep her off her feet, but then, she never expected to run him off the road, either.
Sir Dougray Fitzpatrick has buried one wife and vows to never love again, but destiny has other plans for this 16th-century Irish lord.
During a battle, a mist separates Dougray from his men and casts him into the future. Dougray must return to Dunhaven and to his century, but Aislinn follows him into the mist, leaving him no choice but to take her home with him.
Conspiracies, feuds, and unexpected violence are commonplace threats, but along the way, Aislinn and Dougray discover a surprise neither one expects: a chance for love even when they're lost in the mist of time.
Excerpt:
Paddy opened the doors that led beneath the church. He glanced at the Hennessys. "I will ask ye not to take photographs or videotape while we are down here. Now please watch yer heads, when descending the steps."
One by one, Aislinn watched her family disappear down below. The guide looked at her with a reassuring smile. "Ye are next, lass."
She knew she was being silly. What was there to be afraid of? Right?
She took a deep breath and descended the rough, ancient stones. The burial chambers were on both sides of the long passageway and guarded by wrought iron gates.
"Each compartment belongs to a single family," the guide explained. "There are still a few families who possess keys to the burial chambers. Come closer." He waved them forward. "If you look into one of the chambers, ye will see coffins are heaped upon one another. We've all had our speculations as to why. Does anyone here want to take a guess?"
Connor shrugged. "They wanted to save room."
"Could be." The guide nodded.
"They were spooked to come down here in the dead of night, "Aislinn said. "They tossed the coffins in before they ran." When she realized all eyes were on her, she awkwardly cleared her throat. "Just a thought." She shrugged.
"She may have a point," the guide agreed. "Most burials were done at night and this being Ireland with all its superstitions, the men carrying the coffins were most likely frightened that the spirits of the dead would greet them."
"The coffins look brand new," Francine commented. "Look, you can see the velvet that covers the wood and the brass nails."
"That's right." The guide seemed impressed her mother had noticed. "Ye see the vaults are very dry and the only signs of life are the large cobwebs in some of the chambers. The floor is covered with fine powdery dust and if you will notice the temperature is moderate. It remains the same all the time, no matter what the weather is up above. Now, follow me. The last compartment houses what ye came down here to see."
The guide moved on ahead with her family, but Aislinn hung back. The whole idea of viewing the mummified bodies sent an eerie chill down her spine. At one time, these bodies were living human beings with a passion for life. They loved, laughed, and cried, but now they were nothing more than a mere withering shell on display for all to see.
The guide came to the end of the passageway pointing as he spoke, "Ye will see in the vault, the wooden coffins have fallen away, exposing the mummified bodies. There are five in all that have turned brown in color. The bodies are very old, and the skin is like leather, but the features can still be distinguished. Go on, lean in." He motioned to each of them to take a closer look.
Aislinn tried not to be physically ill as she heard the guide continue his morbid observation.
"The fingernails are still evident. The knees and the other joints are still pliable. Under the skin y'can see the heart and the lungs. Unfortunately, we do not know who these people once were. If ye'll look at the one way in the back, he was a very big man, even to the standards of nowadays. He was probably close to seven feet tall. They had to break his legs so he would fit in the coffin. We have estimated this man probably lived about 800 or so years ago. It was a privilege to be buried on such sacred ground. The man is believed to have been a Crusader, the clothing indicating his status," he said and paused, allowing everyone a chance to glance at the body again before he continued his rehearsed speech. "Near him, you can see the remains of a woman and the theory is that she was a nun. The one next to her is thought that he may have been an executed man."
"Why do you think that?" Connor leaned in for a closer look.
"The man is missing a hand. At one time if you were accused of a crime, let's say stealing..."
"They would cut off your hand," Connor finished for him. "If he was a criminal, how did he end up here? I mean he wouldn't be an upstanding citizen if he'd been caught stealing. Right?"
"Money, prestige, or perhaps the man knew someone who paid for his remains to be hidden," Paddy said.
Aislinn frowned. "Hidden away," she murmured as she recalled the passage from the journal the old woman had given her. She couldn't tear her gaze away from the last mummified body on display. Fearful images began to build in her mind, flashes of…a man…a warrior. She shook her head to clear her thoughts. "And the last body?" She tightly hugged herself, fearful of his answer, which didn't make sense in the least.
"Those remains are also a mystery to us," Paddy said. "We do know he did not die of natural causes. We have reason to believe the man either was in a battle or had been murdered. There are various indications he suffered multiple wounds. There are defensive gashes on his forearms and hands. This man struggled dearly to live."
Aislinn tried to concentrate on what the tour guide was saying, but the world dimmed, and the tour guide's voice was so far away, almost sounding dreamlike.
Impossible as it should have been, she felt a cool icy breeze in the dry interior. Her family followed the guide toward the exit, but she was paralyzed with fear, unable to call out for help. They weren't alone. Something was here with them.
"I would die for ye," the baritone voice whispered near her ear as she felt a hand brush against her cheek.
Aislinn's fragile control unraveled in an instant and she let loose a bloodcurdling scream.
Buy Links (including Goodreads and BookBub):
Grab your e-copy on sale for $1.99 during March!
Lost in the Mist of Time is available in Hardback, Paperback, eBook, Audio.
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What makes your featured book a must-read?
This pot of gold will transport you back in time to 16th century Ireland where mystery, intrigue, romance and lust will keep you spellbound into the wee hours of the morning.
Giveaway –
Enter to win a $15 Amazon gift card:
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Runs March 9 – March 19, 2023.
Winner will be drawn on March 20, 2023.
Author Biography:
Karen Michelle Nutt resides in California with her husband. Though her three children are grown and starting their own adventures, she still has her fur baby that keeps her busy.
When she's not time traveling, fighting outlaws, or otherworldly creatures, she creates book covers at Gillian's Book Covers, "Judge Your Book By Its Cover".
Whether your reading fancy is paranormal, time travel or contemporary romances, all her stories capture the rich array of emotions that accompany the most fabulous human phenomena—falling in love.
Social Media Links:
Visit the author at her website: http://www.kmnbooks.com
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