Olde City, New Blood Spotlight: Cyndi Tefft

This is the second in a four-part series featuring authors who will be attending Olde City, New Blood. Check out the bottom of this post for more info on the con! Today, we're featuring Cyndi Tefft with an excerpt of her book Between.


Cyndi's Bio

Cyndi Tefft lives with her family in the Pacific Northwest where the weather is overcast and rainy, much like the Highlands of Scotland. So she was right at home when she got the chance to visit Eilean Donan Castle.

A self-proclaimed Scot freak, she loved every bit about the trip to Scotland: the people, the kilts, the accents, the fish & chips, the haggis...well okay, not the haggis.




Website * Twitter * Facebook



About Between

It just figures that the love of Lindsey Water's life isn't alive at all, but the grim reaper, complete with a dimpled smile and Scottish accent.

After transporting souls to heaven for the last 300 years, Aiden MacRae has all but given up on finding the one whose love will redeem him and allow him entry through the pearly gates.

Torn between her growing attraction to Aiden and heaven's siren song, Lindsey must learn the hard way whether love really can transcend all boundaries.



Between Excerpt

“You’ve naught to fear with him, lassie. He will not hurt you. Would you like to take him for a ride?” he asked. My eyes opened wide as I imagined myself falling off the backside of the horse, a crumpled mass of pink silk. “You’ve no need to be afraid, mo chridhe. I’ll ride with you and I won’t let you fall.”

He slipped his arms around my waist in demonstration and pulled me close, his fingertips trailing along the edge of my corset. A soft breeze played with the tips of his blond hair and our eyes locked for several heartbeats. He began to lean his face toward mine when the horse to my right suddenly blew a loud breath through its lips and broke the spell.

I stepped out of his warm embrace and mustered a little bravery. “Sure, why not? I’ll give it a try,” I said. “It’ll be fun. I’ve never ridden one before.”

“Truly? You’ve never ridden a horse? Now that’s a crying shame.” He opened the gate to the stall and made a clicking sound with his mouth. He pulled a saddle down from the wall and with a few quick movements, attached the saddle to the horse and led it out into the gardens. He held out a hand to me and frowned down at my frilly dress. “The safest way to ride is in front of me, but in that dress, you’d need to ride sidesaddle behind.”

My earlier vision popped back into my head. “No way am I riding sidesaddle behind you. The very idea scares the crap out of me.” He raised one eyebrow but kept silent. “Maybe I could try casting and change my outfit to something more suitable for riding,” I suggested.

“All right, then. Give it a try.”

I closed my eyes and pictured the outfit in my mind: beige slacks with brown loafers and a short-sleeved top made of the same pink silk as the dress I’d been wearing. That wavy shimmer passed through me. I opened my eyes hesitantly and looked down.

“Hey, it worked. Sweet!”

He helped me up onto the saddle. “You kept the pink silk for a blouse. Very clever.” He hoisted himself up in one fluid motion, then called out something to the horse and it took off like a shot through the gardens. His arm tightened around my stomach and I leaned against him, holding my breath, but it wasn’t long before I relaxed and began to enjoy the wind on my face.

Aiden’s chest pressed against my back and his thighs held me firmly in place. We moved together as one, gliding in the saddle as the horse slowed to a steady gallop. The trees blurred with our passing and wisps of my hair tickled my cheeks. It was like riding in a speedboat with the wind swirling around me, but I felt a connection with the horse and the earth as we moved, something innately satisfying. The ride was over all too soon as we slowed to a walk at the edge of a clearing.

“I thought you might like to stop here and have a picnic,” he said, his breath warm on my cheek. He swung down easily and offered me his hand. I wasn’t nearly so graceful as I dismounted, but he caught me in his arms. He stopped me halfway down with my breasts pressed tight against his chest. My heart caught in my throat at the sudden flame of passion in his eyes. His lips hovered before mine for a moment too long, but then he loosened his grip and let me slide the rest of the way to the ground.

“Well, did you enjoy it?” he asked, his voice a shade deeper than usual. I wasn’t sure if he meant the horseback riding or the fact that I had been pressed against him, but the answer was an emphatic ‘yes’ regardless.

“I loved it.”

Don't miss your chance to meet Cyndi and spend some time with her and other awesome authors and readers at the Olde City, New Blood urban fantasy / paranormal romance mini-convention this February 8-10th in St. Augustine, FL. We'll have panels, readings, meet & greets and lots of time for everyone to mingle with their favorite authors. Check out http://OldeCityNewBlood.wordpress.com for all the details. Can't wait to see you there!