Shots At Redemption

 
Sometimes even mythical beings need a second chance to reclaim lost loves.
 


We all make mistakes. In this collection, a witch, a goddess, and a dragon take their shots at redemption in the hope of reclaiming lost love.
In "Best Dressed and Obsessed," Janelle, a graduate-level witch, chooses a magic dress to enthrall her professor. Sadly, the dress is cursed.  At her graduation ball, will she kiss the man she loves? Or kill him?

Eons ago, Zeus decreed that Odysseus leave Kalypso. In "Kalypso's Song", Odysseus is reborn as a scholar. Can Kalypso convince him to reclaim the love they were denied?

The sea dragon Ryu spares a ship crossing her domain when a human child aboard reminds her of her own lost children. Ryu finds an unlikely surrogate family in "A Sea Serpent's Tale". When her new family is attacked by another dragon, can Ryu save them?

Shots at Redemption. We want them. We need them. But, do we get them?



Excerpt from "Best Dressed and Obsessed": 

Garrett talked to Tabitha by the buffet table. How dare she? He was mine. Something cold and predatory slid over me.

 I wound my way through the masses. The sinuous curves of my body slid in a seductive symphony. A smile eased over my features. The Dress glimmered unicorn white. Strobe lights bathed it in ever-shifting colors. I was the most remarkable woman here.

 And Gary was finally going to get his due.

He stepped away from Tabitha. “Ms. Willowbalm, may I have the privilege of the next dance?”

I inclined my head as I took his arm. “I thought you were going to call me Janelle.”

“Of course.”

At the edge of the dance floor, one hand held mine while the other wrapped around my waist. It’s a wonder he didn’t hear my heart racing. A flush of heat warmed my face. His redwood and light musk scent enveloped me. I closed my eyes and breathed in his essence. A wide stupid grin stretched my features. I was dancing with Garrett Rowan. He was holding me.

“You’ve undergone a rather remarkable transformation this year,” he said.

“Things just seemed to fall into place.” I shrugged, knowing it made my cleavage more notable. His eyes flittered lower before jumping back to meet mine. “I’m surprised you noticed.”

“I like to think of myself as an observant man.”

Gary murdered us, the silken voice of The Dress snarled in my mind.

No, I thought.

Gary cannot be trusted.

This is what I w-want, to be here, with Garrett.

Mercury strands formed a net around my mind. My body jerked as they closed in.

No! I screamed in the confines of my head. I ordered my body to pull back, to shout for help. It didn’t respond. The Dress had seized control. Sweat prickled on the back of my neck.

A deep sadistic laugh was my only response. Foolish child. Gary’s blood will pave the way. The initial sacrificial lamb. The Council will fall to me this time.

Gary held me slightly away from his body. “Ah, Medea. It was about time you showed yourself.”

“Gary dear,” a voice that wasn’t mine spilled out from my lips. It was deeper than the voice I’d heard in my head from The Dress. I felt the muscles in my face stretch to a grin. “I’ll enjoy killing you.”

The spirit me screamed, unheard and unbidden. I couldn’t feel the warmth of his hand as it rested against the small of my back or where his other hand was conjoined with mine. Even his redwood and spice scent didn’t fill my senses. Was I dead? No. This can’t be happening.

Get out of my head, I snarled at the invader, Medea, Garrett had called her Medea. If I’d still retained control of my body, my legs would have bowed, unable to support my weight. Medea Oleander. Medea Oleander was inside my mind. And she wanted to kill Garrett. I couldn’t, no, I wouldn’t let her succeed.
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 REVIEWS:

From AMAZON:

 
5.0 out of 5 stars Worth purchasing! You'll Want to Refer Back to It. December 19, 2012


Format:Kindle Edition|Amazon Verified Purchase

All three short stories in SHOTS AT REDEMPTION show contrast and imagination. It is a book that stays with you long after you have read it. I suggest purchasing it because you will want to refer back to it many times in the future.

"Kalypso's Song" is a classic told from the woman's point-of-view. Refreshing, isn't it? A new take on a classic that proves there are always different perceptions worth being considered, and maybe the protagonist could actually be a heroine in disquise. The touch of the modern world reaching back through the ages and reincarnation ties it up with a nice little bow. A wonderful gift for the readers in your life looking for something a little different, yet beautifully written.

"Best Dressed & Obsessed" is a futuristic story that shows how your life can be transformed by the clothes you wear and covet. Throw in a couple of witches, a few spells and curses, a murder, a school that teaches the history of magic (how boring!), and a dress that changes as you evolve, the "dress" talking you into doing its will, well . . . it can spell disaster, especially when it's all done to please a man! Beautiful word pictures adorn this delightful, whimsical story of redemption. To tell you how it all wraps up, would be like sharing a naughty secret. Best take the journey on your own; it's worth the ride.

"The Sea Serpent's Tale" shows the power of love in a most unlikely scenario.

These short stories are really little novellas, packing a complete theme in a lovely little package.
 
4.0 out of 5 stars. Shots at Redemption August 21, 2012

Format:Kindle Edition

"Shots at Redemption" is a collection of 3 short stories where the author shows that everyone deserves another chance - with a paranormal twist. It's very hard to determine which of the stories (`Best Dressed and Obsessed', `Kalypso's Song', `A Sea Serpent's Tale') is my favorite because they are each intriguing in their own way. Ms. DiMauro packs a ton of emotion into each tale while weaving her magic around the reader. I hope everyone gets a chance to read "Shots at Redemption" and perhaps finds some redemption of their own.
 

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