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Those of you who’ve read the bio with Mind Crimes know that I use the pen name Nick Aires for fantasy and science fiction, and this story has more of a fantasy adventure feel than romance (even though the romantic subplot is intrinsic), so I’ll be using that pen name for Worlds Apart, too. However, I will disclose here that I write romance under the pen name Nic Anders, which I used in an online Harlequin Luna romantic fantasy round robin, entitled TEARS OF LUNA, with authors such as Mercedes Lackey. I’ve also published a story (without a byline) and a poem in True Love magazine. |
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In a land where “happily ever after” is something to be expected by all pretty young women, Riana just can’t catch a break. Not that she hasn’t dated her fair share of heroic suitors. There was the wannabe dragonslayer who dumped her after she slay the dragon, the sea captain who set her adrift after she sank the pirate ship, and the future king who she embarrassed by yanking his sword out of a stone. Never mind Prince Charming...at this point she’d settle for Not-unbearable-to-be-with-most-of-the-time.
Rapunzel got magic hair, Cinderella got magic slippers, and Riana got magic muscles. Go figure. She doesn’t look that strong, but she’s been known to take on an ogre barehanded...which is probably why she became a bounty hunter. At least this way she gets to wrestle with some brawny men. And she gets to hang out with her best friend, a mischievous pixie named Bree.
Riana’s built up quite the reputation, so when an escaped criminal, Dar the Ogre, crosses over from Fairyland to Earth, she thinks he’s just trying to escape her. Until she meets Alexander, that is. Dar kidnapped Alexander’s girlfriend, Tami, and at first Riana assumes the beast was hungry, but then she discovers Alexander’s parents’ house was ransacked and she realizes Dar’s after something specific. Together with Bree, she and Alexander go in search of Tami and some answers.
Alexander’s an uptight, no nonsense law school student, but Riana soon gets his clothes disheveled and his hair mussed, and convinces him that “Alex” doesn’t sound too jock-ish (“whatever that means”). Riana isn’t familiar with the expression “opposites attract” but she doesn’t need Bree to sprinkle fairy dust in the air to see the sparks flying between her and Alex. But since they’re on a mission to rescue his girlfriend, she never lets those sparks ignite.
After fighting off Dar’s minions--a gaggle of goblins--they discover that Alex’s family possesses a powerful talisman that gives the bearer near immortal healing abilities and slows aging to a crawl. They beat Dar to the magical item, but he demands they hand it over, or Tami will die.
Bree slips past Dar unnoticed and talks to Tami, who laughs at the idea of her “study buddy” Alexander being her boyfriend. And she wishes her real boyfriend, a football star, was there instead. Bree shares this information with Riana, who is so distracted by a daydream of Alex kissing her that Dar gets the drop on her and ties her up with magic-cancelling rope.
When Dar boasts how he’s going to rip the legendary bounty hunter’s limbs from her body, Alex takes on the ogre himself. He’s no match for the brute, but he constantly reminds him that since he has the talisman that his injuries--no matter how severe--will heal soon enough, and eventually he’ll get in a lucky blow that Dar won’t be able to heal from... The thing is, Alex has no idea how to use the talisman, so the beating he’s taking will soon be the death of him. Fortunately, his ploy puts Dar on the defensive long enough for Bree to untie Riana, who then knocks out Dar.
Awed by Alex’s heroism, Tami kisses him passionately and then thanks Riana for saving her and her boyfriend. But Alex pulls away from her and admits that he knew she was just using him as a free tutor. He expresses his love for Riana, and they of course live happily ever after...
[Unless there are sequels, in which case they will face complications such as new love interests, dragons, and witches, but eventually they will live happily ever after, I promise.] |
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