25 Days of Christmas: Happy Holidays from Gracen Miller Exclusive Pandora's Box Scene and Giveaway!

Today we have Gracen Miller, author of Pandora's Box and Madison's Life Lessons, with us on the blog! She's sharing an exclusive scene from Pandora's Box that you can't find anywhere else! She's also doing a giveaway!

Happy Holidays, readers!  What puts you in the mood for the Holidays? For me, it certainly is not the commercial rush of the season. That aggravates me! What does it for me is putting up the Christmas tree with my boys, or decorating the mantel. It’s the simple things that put me in the holiday spirit. What about you, what puts you in the holiday spirit?  

For Madison and Phoenix, lead characters in my recently released book Pandora’s Box (book one in the Road to Hell Series), it’s something just as simple that puts them in the holiday spirit. Below is a taste into their world, an idyllic moment that is rare for their tumultuous lives. This snippet cannot be found anywhere and it’s not in my book, so enjoy, and let me know what you think and you will be entered to win!

~~~~~

Madison gazed out the dingy window of Pancake Decadence, a pit stop located on the edge of Highway 69 to nowhere. A trucker maneuvered his rig with ease into the dirt-packed wasteland of trash and winter brittle weeds to the side of the café. Deep ruts and tire tracks proclaimed the tract of land a long running make-do parking lot.

Sipping coffee so strong it settled like cement in her belly, she peered over the rim at her six-year-old son, Amos, slapping the buttons on the old-fashioned pinball machine. A chip red-flagged the rim of the coffee mug and a stained crack along the side indicated the mug was long past its expiration date. Madison didn’t care about either, so long as it served up coffee. At this point in her journey, she’d take a dirty I.V. of the brew straight into her veins if possible.

Gouged out spots blighted the dirty linoleum floor. Like acne pock-marking a face with such severity it promised to scar the flesh forever. The aged flooring needed replacing. The dated table wobbled on the uneven floor and the vinyl booth held a ragged tear in the center of the seat. Comfort hadn’t been high on her priority list in a long while, so she wiggled a butt-cheek into the tear for a unique level of seating.

Christmas morning at four a.m. and she and Amos were stuck in a dive dining on an early morning fare of pancakes. Lonely and scared, she would call it a low point in her life if she hadn’t already lost her husband and her otherwise normal life.

Strands of Christmas lights bunched along the top of the windows resembled curtain swags. They twinkled on some random cycle, none of them in sync.Merry Christmas was spray painted with a can of snow on the window to her right, along with a painted ensemble of red and green use-your-imagination-ornaments. Or at least she thought they were supposed to be ornaments.

A spindly tree sat in the corner of the café near the entrance to the bathrooms. Madison felt pity for the thing. Leaning to one side, with several branches hanging low from the weight of the ornaments, it was definitely on its last leg. A light breeze would set it on its side.

Good thing, you’re not by the door, little guy, Madison contemplated with a skeptical eye.

Tacky decorations, but they lent the place a redneck kind of charm. She was southern, so she knew rednecks intimately.

Madison lifted her fork, cut out another bite of pancakes and swirled it in syrup. Closing her eyes on a moan, she savored the sweet taste and the fluffy texture hitting her tongue. Only orgasms compared to this self-indulgence!

Ha! Self-indulgence was her picking up the cell and calling Phoenix. After almost a year on the road, she’d give anything to see him. A friendly face. Someone that understood what she was going through. Not that Phoenix owed her anything, but she’d hoped he would answer her desperate call and agree to meet them for the holidays. Ridiculous really since she was a hard and fast devout atheist—or had been. Kind of hard to remain dedicated to that doctrine knowing what she now knew.

Foolish of her to expect more from Phoenix, but others in her life had already proven how naïve she was. Phoenix had a family to spend Christmas with and she and Amos weren’t part of that family. He’d helped her all he could with her supernatural pests and she had left him on her front lawn, declaring she and Amos must take this journey on their own. Loneliness was a hard companion and she was long overdue for some adult conversation.

The bell above the door dingled, announcing a new customer and Madison glanced up, expecting to see the trucker.

“Nix!” she exclaimed on a shocked breath.

Phoenix Birmingham in the flesh!  Wearing ratty low-slung jeans, a wrinkled black t-shirt that stretched like a second skin across his chest and his uncle’s hand-me-down leather bomber. To Madison he was the most exciting creation since the invention of the internet. And her heart agreed, racing faster than the tattoo of a jackhammer as he smiled at her, a slow, wicked grin that revealed his sexy dimples. Dimples she was sure had charmed the pants off a number of women.

A bevy of strong pleasure kicked her in the belly, snatched her breath away and yanked her along a joyride of emotions. None of which she wanted to dissect too closely.

He rounded the backside of the booth and instead of sitting opposite her he tugged her out of the seat and enveloped her in a fierce hug. Being in the man’s arms was better than an orgasm.

“I’m your gift from Amos,” he said low against her ear.

Dear God, what a loaded statement!

Bizarre how the simple things in life—like having Nix with her on Christmas morning—meant so much more to her than a designer label, a nice house or a fancy car. Oh, how drastically her life had changed and how meaningless it had once been.

Nix kissed her forehead and Madison knew this Christmas would officially go down as her best one ever!

~~~~~

Want to read more of Madison and Phoenix’s exploits?  Well, you can in my novel, Pandora’s Box, Book One in The Road to Hell Series, out now from Decadent Publishing.

Wait!  Don’t run off yet!  Leave a comment and you’ll be entered to WIN an e-copy of Pandora’s Box!  As an added bonus, every person that leaves a comment will receive an e-copy of Madison’s Life Lessons (prequel to Pandora’s Box) by leaving me their email address with the format they prefer the book in (Kindle, Nook or pdf). The first three chapters of both books can be read on my blog listed below.

Where you can stalk me—not really!—but I would love to meet and interact with you:

Facebook:  http://www.facebook.com/gracen.miller

Road to Hell series FB Fan Page: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Road-to-Hell-series/112564408814796?ref=ts

Website: www.gracenmiller.com

Blog: http://madisonroadtohell.blogspot.com/

Thanks so much for having me with you, Brea!

Huggles,

Gracen Miller

Why I love Wednesdays . . . Why I Love Phoenix "Nix" Birmingham

When I first saw today's "Book Crush" topic, my mind immediately went to Kellin from The Chronicles of the Cheysuli. Since I already discussed him in a previous, non-WILW post (HERE) I thought I would tell you all about my most recent book crush: Phoenix “Nix” Birmingham from Pandora’s Box by Gracen Miller.

This is Gracen's rendition of Nix (Chris Evans with different hair and tattoos added).

Nix can only be described as a badass--he’s a demon hunter, along with the rest of his family. They call themselves Sherlocks (yes, as in Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s Sherlock). He arrives on the scene to help the damsel in distress, only to discover that she doesn’t really want his help and that what he needs to help her with is above and beyond anything he and his family have ever dealt with before. He’s cocky (you know how I always go for the self-assured ones), stubborn and way hot.

Without giving too much away, I’ll say that he tries to help said damsel (named Madison) whether she wants it or not. He would--and does--do anything for her.

So there you go: a guy that kicks butt (demon butt) and would literally brave the hoards of Hell. I'll leave you with the lovely cover of Pandora's Box, which houses the beginning of Nix's story: 

Oh, and Nix IS on Facebook, if you want to friend request him: Phoenix "Nix" Birmingham  He does answer back!

Crow: A Mystical Creature-Guest Post from Gracen Miller, Author of "Pandora's Box"

CROW

A MYSTICAL CREATURE

By: Gracen Miller 

Howdy, folks! A super big thank you to Brea for allowing me to join you to promote my newly released e-book Pandora's Box, book one in the Road to Hell series, available now at Decadent Publishing (www.decadentpublishing.com)! When writing Pandora's Box I mixed things up a bit, sometimes crafting new, unheard of creatures from my imagination and at other times using mythical creatures with established lore behind them. The crow was one of the mythical creatures with a legend behind it. 
What's the first thing that comes to mind when you think of a crow? For me, aside from the black birds that scavenge, it was the mystical belief that they are omens of death.

In Pandora's Box, I needed something that could deliver a riddle from a higher power about the future. So, I did a little bit of research and my focus soon centered on the crow, which is similar to the raven. It appears in mythology as a soothsayer, as a creator and cleanser and as omens of death. Okay, so I wasn't completely wrong, but neither did I know near all of it.

Among the North America tribes the crow was considered as the guardian of the sacred law that could see not only the past, but the present and the future. Ah, just what I needed, a soothsayer that could easily be used in my story to deliver a riddle about future events.

In Celtic lore, the battle goddess Morrigan would shapeshift into either a crow or a raven and they were both seen as allies and companions.

Medieval fairytales saw the crow as birds of parental devotion and it was said that the crow led the migration of storks. Medieval Christians thought the crow was a sign of the devil because of its scavenging conduct, but it was also an icon of fidelity because it was thought that crows did not seek a new mate when its mate died. Magical properties were given to the crow as well, which included the skill to foretell the future, dismantle the past and to educate humans about how to mix humor, playfulness and love.

So, what do you think? Do you believe in the magical elements of crows? I had fun using the crow as a magical creature that shapeshifts into a beautiful woman with birdlike qualities and clothing made of feathers. To read how that turned out, scroll to the excerpt below. 
Leave a comment for a chance to win a Pandora's Box Coffee mug, but PLEASE leave your email address so I can contact you if you're the winner!!!  

Thanks for having me with you today, Brea!! 
Huggles,
Gracen
Where you can stalk me--not really!--but I would love to meet and interact with you:
Facebook:  http://www.facebook.com/gracen.miller
Road to Hell series FB Fan Page: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Road-to-Hell-series/112564408814796?ref=ts
Website: www.gracenmiller.com
Blog: http://madisonroadtohell.blogspot.com/

Pandora's Box Blurb:

Where does the road to Hell begin? 

What happens when your son turns homicidal overnight and your husband disappears on his way to work? Do you cower in fear or fight for your life? Madison Wescott fights against the odds. Distrustful of a God she doesn't believe in, she finds herself face-to-face with a world she didn't know existed and discovers her own soul is darkened with demonic connections.

With good intentions? Or by demonic design? 

Phoenix Birmingham bursts into Madison's life in a whirlwind of sarcasm and sexual appeal. A hero for the masses--and for her jaded heart--but few will ever know the sacrifices he has made or the sacrifices to come. Discovering her entire life has been influenced by multifaceted paranormal beings, Madison is determined to defeat the apocalyptic blueprint fate has decreed, but only one man dares to challenge the supernatural forces manipulating them. Even with Phoenix's aid, can destiny be denied? Or will demonic design prevail while they pay the crucial price with their souls?
In a small, sleepy Alabama town the battle for mankind's liberty has begun...
EXCERPT:
Madison sat up straight and her feet plopped to the wooden floor as a crow landed on the rail. Nix set the bottle of liquor beside his foot and moved to the edge of his seat. 
The crow shifted into a woman with almond-shaped eyes and long hair, both as black as a crow's feather. She possessed a body to die for, dressed in a black cat-like-pantsuit. Well, no, that wasn't quite accurate. The pantsuit wasn't made of cloth, but rather a seamlessly flowing feathery substance. A glossy, black feather floated across the porch and came to rest across Madison's bare foot. 
“You've been found worthy of the crows,” the woman said, her voice as melodious as a bird's warble. “Keep the feather secure, and if you ever need assistance, grip it in your hand and consider our help a one-time deal.” 
“Lucky me.” Pushing out of her chair, she heard Nix rise beside her. She palmed the dagger he had given her. In the paranormal world, things could turn on a dime, and she trusted no one. Not even a shape-shifting crow. She grew weary of feeling defenseless as each new supernatural entity arrived on her doorstep. Grew restless sitting and waiting on them to come after her. 
Crow shuddered like she'd seen a bird do, her feathery black hair buzzing with the movement. “I came with a message only.” 
“You're an omen of death,” Nix snarled, glaring. 
Startled, Madison peeped at him, his posture alert, pistol gripped tight in his hand.
“Sometimes, yes,” Crow agreed, looking him up and down. “You're cuter in person, Phoenix Birmingham.” 
“You….” He made a face of disbelief, “You know my name?” 
Crow clucked her tongue at him and swiveled her head to stare at Madison. She blinked slow, like a bird assessing its prey. “The boy has risen from the puppeteer's hell. Evil has been dismantled from his past. His future isn't set in stone. The choice is his. A blood-father born of Hell will test the mettle of his son again, yet the boy owns his future.”
Chills scattered across Madison's body. “What does that mean?” She glanced at Nix, feeling more than a little paranoid. 

~~~
If you wish to read more of Pandora's Box before purchasing it, go to my website to read the first chapter for free: www.gracenmiller.com.