A Change To Bear (A BBW Shifter Romance) (Last of the Shapeshifters) (16 page)

“Yeah,” Terry said. She was beaming at him. “Later.” Right now, time was something they both had. “Hey,” she said, remembering something that had bugged her earlier.

“What?”

“What’s your last name? You never told me.” Terry put a hand on her hip.

“To tell you the truth,” Liam said. “I’ve forgotten.”

To this reader,

First, thank you for reading this short novel. It marks my first attempt at writing a ‘longer’ story, and is a departure from what I’m typically accustomed to writing. Second, thank you for supporting an indie author. In particular,
this
indie author!

I’ve been traveling and writing since I was a schoolgirl. The traveling was out of necessity, but the writing was, of course, by choice.

Since then, both have become consistent facets of my life. I’m rarely in one place for more than a year, and it’s been like that for a very long time. The descriptions in this book of Vietnam, the border crossing, even the rickety train carriage, are all true to my own experiences. And yes, in the interim, Vietnam, Hong Kong, and Guangzhou have changed immeasurably, and I’m glad that I’ve been able to witness such transformation in my lifetime.

While I visited the beautiful country of Vietnam a long time ago, when I could still reasonably believe that I was young enough to ignore any and all responsibility, I suspect that the character and culture has not changed much, if at all. The Vietnamese people are warm and loving, and are fantastic examples of human and societal resilience. And though tourism may be doing its best to erode the culture, and chip away at the authenticity of such a remarkable country, the Vietnamese are proud, and hold a special place in my heart.

Though I was never so lucky as to run into a gorgeous young man on my journey, I was lucky enough to visit every major city and town, making my way from Hanoi down to what was newly and officially Ho Chi Minh City, but still called Saigon by most. I saw many different sights, from spectacular scenery, to human suffering, to the ever kind and brave human heart exemplified as best as it possibly could be. These travels left a mark on me, a stain on my soul, and one that I cherish. It taught me a lot about myself, and back then in those days, I was as vain and self-centered as they came. I was taught a lesson.

Terry and Liam are both derived from me, and of course the people that I’ve known, loved, and lost. Terry is a strong woman, in my mind over-compensating, and with a knack for speaking too much too quickly. She takes after me in that regard, I’m rather embarrassed to say. Liam is a broody and angry man, jaded perhaps, and definitely tragic. This, too, comes from me, and represents a part of who I am, I am sad to say. The two (
in my mind
, I keep wanting to write, wishing I didn’t need this mitigating qualification), are made for each other. They are fated mates, to borrow a turn of phrase from a certain bundle of books I’m sure you’re all aware of.

During my time spent in Vietnam, Tam Coq, in particular, was a highlight for me. Though it is no doubt an overcrowded tourist attraction these days, when I saw it, the scenic majesty of the river, vegetation on its surface, and cliffs on either side flanking and looming, took my breath away. I’m a visual person by nature, and the combination of colors, from poison-green to scrape-off-your-sole-brown were so striking, so complementary yet contradicting, that the image has forever been etched into my memory. I wouldn’t forget it, even if I lived for three hundred years. I suspect Terry won’t forget it, either. And Liam certainly didn’t.

Hanoi is a lovely city, too, with Vietnam’s history exemplified in its architecture and cuisine. The city is much larger than it appears in this book, though. I took some creative license when it came to distances, shortening them. And on the topic of Hanoi, I can still remember the first time I crossed a large road on my own…

It dawns on me now that I’m rambling, and so I shall put this brief bit to rest. Please contact me if you have any questions. Please write to me if you have any criticisms. Please ask me if there is anything you want that you think I can give. I know that there won’t be much, but an advanced copy of my next book (also in the Last of the Shapeshifters universe), is certainly easy for me to do. Keep reading, and most of all, keep loving.

My best to you,

A. E. Grace

* * *

I've been traveling and writing since I was a schoolgirl, the former out of necessity, and the latter by choice. But now both have become staples in my life. I have a particular fondness for paranormal romance, and you'll find that my stories are rooted in realism, focus on the characters before the plot, and always have a happy ending. I hope you enjoy reading them at least as much as I enjoy writing them.

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A Change To Bear
Last of the Shapeshifters

By

A.E. Grace

Copyright 2014 by A.E. Grace, Grace Kincade Publishing

Kindle Edition

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All rights reserved. This book or any portion thereof may not be reproduced or used in any manner whatsoever without the express written permission of the author or publisher except for the use of brief quotations in critical articles or reviews.

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This is a work of fiction. Names, places, businesses, characters and incidents are either the product of the author's imagination or are used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons living or dead, actual events or locales is purely coincidental. All characters depicted in this work are adults.

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Kindle Edition, License Notes

This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each person. If you're reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.