Tapestries In Time: Travel to the Mediterraneanisland of Sardinia in three tales of destiny woven together in a tapestry of time.

Tapestries In Time: Historical/Romance/Fantasy

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BLURB: Tapestries In Time

Taylor’s Destiny

Enjoying a day of sailing, Taylor Maxwell never expected after a suffering a concussion she would wake up in another century. A resilient independent woman in the twenty-first century, the blond beauty is ill prepared for life in the 1800s. Her first sight of the naval captain who rescues her makes her heart stop, giving her hope for her future.

Born to a life of ease, Reid Stewart defies the dictates of those born to aristocracy and chooses a life of adventure in the navy and as a spy for the crown. When he discovers a nearly naked woman on the bow of small sailing ship, his heart warms. His love for Taylor and his need to protect her from a man who pursues her might cost him his life as well as hers.

Sardinian Sunset

What can one Euro purchase provide? Missing ancestry and a future with a handsome Sardinian contractor.

Street Dog Dreams

What if dogs were royalty and humans their loyal servants? Hop aboard our invisible flying machine as Aunt Maddie and Uncle Horace join an international search for a new dogdom. The Royal Canines are recruiting street dogs who want a better life with devoted humans who speak the language of dogs. As foretold in an enchanted tapestry, their dream will turn an abandoned village in Sardinia, Italy, into an automated town where dogs can open their own refrigerators, play in the park all day, and always have a soft bed to sleep on–after they take a shower, of course!

EXCERPTS: Tapestries In Time

Taylor’s Destiny

“I don’t trust myself with you. I don’t fall into anyone’s bed the first day I meet them,” she told him and knew there was a greater chance these impulsive feelings could quickly change to sex. Before she let him make love to her, she needed to know more about him and where exactly she was.

He chuckled softly. “Again your honesty amazes and intrigues me. I don’t know any other woman who would be brazen enough to imply they wanted to make love or they were even thinking about it.”

“Is it shameless here for a woman to tell a man how she is feeling?” She knew it was in any other century but her own. Even then many women did not speak of their feelings and needs. Men still assumed control.

“Americans are different,” he told her. “But since you admitted feelings for me, could I plead my case for a kiss, a chaste kiss, well maybe not too chaste.” He pushed her hair behind her ears, his hands settling gently on her face.

Unable to help herself, she moistened her lips and leaned into him at the same time. His mouth settled softly against hers. She opened for him, accepting the tantalizing warmth of his breath before feeling his tongue touch hers. In the back of her throat she moaned, accepting all he gave. One hand now resting on the small of her back, he drew her closer to him.

Her breaths came in short intervals. When he looked at her, she knew she craved more but also told herself she didn’t want him to think she gave herself to anyone or everyone who kissed her.

In his arms, she turned in a slight effort to distance herself from him and regain a tiny measure of composure. This was happening too quickly. In a rush, she found she was falling in lust with him. She’d only felt this way once before and that was with Sean. It had been incredibly hard to remain chaste with her fiancéwhen she craved intimacy.

“That was enough for one night,” she told him, running her hands along his arms, wishing her life was more stable.

“Never enough but I’ll abide by your wishes.” His hands now rested on the bare skin at her waist and she realized with the slightest invitation from her, he would explore higher, perhaps slip his large, calloused hands beneath her top.

“You told me you were in the Navy. A captain perhaps?” She needed to discover more before sex kept her from thinking rationally.

“I was, but I didn’t fight in the War of 1812.” He moved his hands a bit higher until they rested just beneath the swell of her breasts, “I was too young for a commission.”

“Did your family buy you one?” she asked, curious about the workings of the British government and trying to find out more about the time. She told herself she had to keep her mind on the questions and not where he explored.

“No, a friend of my family bought the commission with the provision I work for him once my duty to my country was done.”

“What do you do for him, this man who helped you become a captain?” She laughed, understanding he wouldn’t appreciate her question.

“If I told you I’d have to kill you.” He trailed kisses down the back of her neck in what she assumed was an attempt to distract her.

“You’re a spy.”

“I can’t answer that,” he said as his teeth slowly seduced, leaving an impression as they investigated. She shivered, succumbing to his seduction of her.

“Doesn’t matter if you deny or confirm. I’ve no interest in anything secretive.” If he were on a mission on this tiny island…well, she couldn’t imagine unless he was after a person. Perhaps she was more interested than she let on.

“Earlier you spoke of an office and a boss. Seems strange. Women work in America?”

“Whatever I told you, you wouldn’t believe me and I don’t want you to think I’m lying to you.” Nothing she told him about her work would be believable to him. She was a graphic artist who specialized in advertisements, emphasis on the internet and social media. She could tell him she drew pictures.

“Try me.” He wrapped one arm around her and leaned against the railing with his other arm.

When one door closes, another one opens. For the first time since Sean left, she felt protected and safe. More than anything she wanted to tell him what he asked but… She didn’t want to find herself committed to some insane asylum.

“You have no faith in me?”

“It’s not that…” she paused.

“What is it then?”

Sardinian Sunset

Clusters of thoughts crowded Olivia’s brain clouding her insight to the hovering presence to her right. When she tried to move that direction, a wall of humanity stopped her motion. Returning to her situation of the moment, she turned to stare at the impediment. “Excuse me?”

She stared at a face she’d not seen in several months. “Brian. How?”

“Were you really going to leave town without telling me?” His blue eyes appeared so earnest she almost believed him. Then she remembered to whom she spoke.

“I was under the distinct impression you didn’t care and, frankly, I don’t give a damn whether you know or not. You closed the door on—us—several months ago.”

“Wow. You’re going all Gone with the Windon me. I’ve come to my senses and thought maybe…”

“Don’t think. Don’t what if, if only, or all the things you suspect will work to sway me right this moment.” She pushed past him. “I’m leaving the Northwest. Goodbye, Brian.” Olivia bolted to the gate for the pre-flight security dance. If that jerk made me miss my plane, I swear, I’ll kill him.She arrived at the waiting area noting she had twenty minutes to spare. After checking in with the airline personnel, she sat watching the tarmac and planes ferry people in and out of the Portland airport. There were things she’d miss about Oregon, but Brian Froeschner was not one of them.

The only time she’d taken down her self-imposed, emotional wall, the guy turned out to be a philandering letch. She’d tired of feeling as though she were an observer in her own life. His ministrations to con her into thinking he was interested in her while he was trying to mine her for financial, i.e. insider information, to plump his portfolio wore her out. Early in the relationship after yet another lunch spent pretending he wasn’t ogling every female in the place, Olivia decided to end the charade.

“Brian, I think we need to end this, this whatever it is, we have. You aren’t interested in me, and it’s painfully obvious to everyone in the room; including me. Don’t call again.”

She got up and left him, mouth gaping. Stepping into the mist of a winter’s day, Livy reveled in the sensation of sunshine. She hadn’t realized the weight of the deception he was attempting to pull off was so heavy. She smiled at a passerby and hummed all the way back to the office, pulling his file, and trading portfolios with Liam, a burly Rugby player and fellow broker, for a sedate, retired couple only interested in safe stocks.

He swept into her office around two the same afternoon, bearing a single red rose and the specialty coffee she liked so well. Accepting the coffee, she directed him down the hall, commenting that Liam would love the rose. Later, Liam would ask why she was willing to give up such a lucrative client. Her mumbled comment spoke to downsizing her risk factors. She asked him to inform her when the client was to be in the office for a conference. It was pure coincidence her outside appointments seemed to coincide with these visits.

Livy sighed. “And that’s why I have no use for romance or men in my life.”

When her flight was announced over the speaker, Olivia Martin stoically marched down the boarding corridor to one of the planes flying her home. Taking her seat in business class, she tucked her purse beneath her feet, having stowed her carryon overhead. She allowed the muscles of her neck to loosen.

“Ma’am?” The attendant gently touched her arm. “You need to bring your seat back fully upright and buckle up. Once we reach altitude, the lights will go off and you can relax.”

There was a sudden kerfluffle at the entry door. The voice of an excited female was speaking rapidly, met by a response, presumably from the attendant, which seemed to calm the late passenger. The routine for departure from PDX continued, albeit a few minutes late.

Now what?Olivia felt annoyance starting to build behind her eyes. Just chill.You have all the time in the world.When the attendant escorted the person toward Olivia’s row, she cringed and turned her gaze to outside the window. The last thing she needed on a long flight was some over-apologetic person babbling away.

The soul sat next to her, placing an item beneath the seat, and buckled in as instructed. Olivia continued to stare at the scenery until she heard the engines ramp up. A bumping motion let the passengers know they were rolling away from the terminal. She watched rainbows created by moments of sunshine through summer showers. Her departure was bittersweet. Portland had been good to her, but the time had arrived for Olivia Francesca Porcu Martin to start living. Imagining sunshine and the dulcet sounds of oak trees whispering in warm Mediterranean breezes helped her settle for the flight to a new life.

“Is the invitation to stay at your new home still open?” The familiar voice jolted Livy from her reverie.

“Tay! You made it!”

“I thought about it and decided there was no time like the present to get myself together. I hope you meant what you said about me staying with you.”

“Of course, but right now, the place is in dire need of repairs. You’re welcome to share my hotel while I work to make a part of the house livable.”

“I may take you up on that if they don’t have any rooms open. In the meantime, I think we might consider napping a bit. It’s going to be a long few flights.”

Olivia and Taylor waited until the seat belt sign was turned off. They swapped ideas on the future of Livy’s new home and giggled with excitement over their adventure. When they stretched out their seats, both quickly dropped into a light slumber.

Street Dog Dreams

While Chiara donned the dog costume and stood on her usual street, Greta’s wealthy dog owner had searchers combing the streets for her beloved canine. Though worried about their canine friends, Horace and Maddie let the searchers do their job while they respected the Canine Queen’s wish to move ahead in finding a place for a new dogdom.

So they journeyed to the advertised one dollar house. Though disappointed in that place, a short distance beyond they found an entire abandoned city. Crayon-colored houses marched shoulder to shoulder up the hillside crowned by a castle-like fortress. Although many of the stone structures were crumbling, a large number were mostly intact and could provide shelter while repairs were underway in the rest of the city.

Maddie marched from house to house, snapping multitudes of photos to send to the Canine Queen. At the same time, Horace tagged along behind, juggling a measuring wheel and his new computer tablet to calculate and record the size of houses, the width of streets, and how large the entire town was.

“Do you think the Royal Canines would like living here?” Maddie asked.

“I can think of many ways to make life easier for our doggie friends.” Horace frowned thoughtfully as he touched the screen of the computer tablet. “They won’t all need the robotic gloves with human-like thumbs if we automate the doors to open, have pedals to operate refrigerator doors, build self-driving vehicles to transport puppies and older dogs–oh my! So many possibilities. I’ll be busy tinkering to help our friends for quite some time.”

“Maybe you can take on an apprentice,” Maddie suggested.

Horace scratched his head, encouraging his spiky white hair to stand up even more. “Maybe I could if the right person–or dog–was interested. Maybe I could.”

“Don’t forget your rolling measure, dear,” Maddie said as Horace began to wander down the narrow cobblestone streets, rubbing his chin thoughtfully. Horace kept walking, so Maddie shrugged and tucked the instrument into the wheeled cart that contained several other tools anda picnic lunch.

Maddie easily caught up with Horace and took his arm as they resumed examining the houses.

When they neared the top of the hillside city, Horace paused to take a deep breath. In spite of the joy of being with his beloved wife, Horace missed his basement laboratory at home in their modern day castle. He also wasn’t sure how much of this adventuring his out-of-shape body would tolerate. Maddie seemed tireless and fearless while he…well, he was much more cautious and ready to go home. Well, at least back to his host’s home.

“Have we seen enough for today?” Horace asked.

Maddie looked toward the top of the hill just a short distance away. “Let’s go see what’s behind those rock walls. Maybe it’s a castle like ours.”

“Or just crumbling stones.”

“Come on, where’s your sense of adventure?”

“Down the hill a ways, I think, along with most of the soles of my shoes.”

With a laugh, Maddie said, “You’ve been such a good sport for our first adventure together. A quick look at the castle, then we’ll go back to my cousin’s house.”

Horace took a breath, then marched the rest of the way to the top of the hill with Maddie.

Indeed, the rock walls did seem to be crumbling in many places, with stones scattering down the hillside. However, inside the walls, the structures were more solid.

“This building seems to be in good shape.” Maddie pushed open the door of a two-story stone structure.

“Not as new as our castle back home.” Horace scanned the building.

“And without most of the conveniences you have invented for us, I would imagine.” Maddie smiled before she stepped inside.

“Be careful, my dear. There may be rodents or rotting floors.”

“Oh, my.” Maddie stopped just inside the doorway.

Not expecting her abrupt halt, Horace bumped into her. “Apologies, my dear.”

“Horace, look at this!” Maddie whispered with awe.

She stepped closer and examined a scene of the village spread out below them with stars twinkling above. Several people stood in the narrow streets and dogs peeked around corners of the houses. “It’s a tapestry.”

“Two of these dogs look like Reynaud and the Canine Queen.” Horace squinted, trying to see the detail through glasses that insisted on slipping down his nose. “And I believe those are their puppies playing in the courtyard.”

“A dog in every house.” Maddie’s grip on Horace’s arm conveyed her excitement. “This is the new dogdom.”

“How can you be so sure just from a picture?”

“It’s not just a picture. This is a sign–an omen. The Canine Queen will be so pleased.”

As they hurried out of the stone fortress and back down the hill into the city, a woman watched from inside the stone structure, smiling.

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