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Jena' Galifany Reviews For SHADOWSFORGE 1: THREE TIMES A HERO by Jena' Galifany "Ms. Galifany’s touching story of disillusion in the face of success gives reader a compelling, fascinating page-turner. Ty and Alexis are down to earth people who have been betrayed by those they trusted and through their snowbound weekend, they forge a friendship that last them a lifetime. Ty is hot enough to melt snow, while readers will side with gutsy Alexis’ desire to face her past and embrace her future. I have already added the sequel ShadowsForge 2: Trials on Tour to my ‘to be read’ list." Kimber, Reviewer for Coffee Time Romance, Reviewer for Karen Find Out About New Books "ShadowsForge 1: Three Times a Hero is a book about people making life-altering decisions... (It)is a book about strength, growth and relationships--just the kind of book I love... If you are looking for a love story that is both sweet and sexy, I highly recommend ShadowsForge 1: Three Times a Hero." Theresa Rhodes, Reviewer, www.Novelspot.net "ShadowsForge 1: Three Times the Hero was a sweet romance that explored the innermost dreams and desires of its protagonists. Alexis embodies a woman fed up with the direction that her life has taken and does what many women in the same circumstances never find the courage to do, that is, leave. I was impressed with the contrasting sides of vulnerability and strength that she showed. Ty was an absolute delight to read about; he's a rock star sick of his lifestyle and seeking a home and a woman to share it. Not only was he described in an absolutely delicious way, but he had a sensitivity that was completely at odds with his image. I look forward to reading the forthcoming stories about the other members of ShadowsForge." Reviewed by: Serena 5 Angels, Fallen Angel Reviews ShadowsForge1-Three Times a Hero is sweet old fashioned romance. Ty and Alexis are characters that are easy to identify with. They are vulnerable and flawed, alone and yet hopeful. I liked the idea of bringing two people together who are unknowingly looking for each other...If you believe in soul mates and the possibilities of coincidence then this is the book for you. Janet, Reviewer: OnceUponARomance.net "(ShadowsForge 1: Three Times a Hero) This was not the light-hearted romp that I expected but more of a soul deep connection between two people, both mature beyond their years. The story was well developed, with Ty and Alexis, both likeable. I recommend reading this book." Kerin at TwoLipsReviews.com Usually
I stay away from sweet contemporary romance, but this story sucked me
in right from the start… I sighed over Ty's romantic antics. Alexis's
character is standard for contemporary romance, but Ty sort of forced
her into unpredictable actions and emotions. The character Ty Sinclair, akin to a god, is accustomed to being famous and is unsatisfied with just winging his personal desires. He longs for the one that makes him complete. The woman, Alexis Rivers, desires to be loved by a man she truly loves, the prince awaiting to sweep her off her feet. It's not just another fairy tale romance story though. It's a heartwarming tale, one you will relate to and become a part of. The characters are believable, much like ordinary people in real life, but their love is special. You will fall in love with them. Four Half Moons from ritesofromancereviews.blogspot.com "Three Times A Hero" is an excellent view of the lifestyle of a rock and roll band. It’s a great romance and Ms. Galifany nails the action scenes. The chemistry between the two characters is very well done and the story itself is completely believable.
Sample Chapter For SHADOWSFORGE
1: THREE TIMES A HERO by Jena' Galifany
Tonight’s concert had been perfect. The fans were great, absolutely, and the concert rocked. It just “happened”. Just the way it was supposed to. Every move, every note, everything, was just right. As if it were choreographed moment by moment. Now it was over, and Ty Synclair needed to get away. To get some air, some quiet, some peace. Some time to think. ShadowsForge—British rock band on the US leg of their world tour—were finished for the weekend, something that rarely happened. A weekend off. They weren’t expected to be anywhere until Monday afternoon when they were to board the ShadowsForge jet at Los Angeles International Airport and travel north. Their immediate plans included heading down to Los Angeles or Hollywood to relax for a couple of days. The next show wasn’t until Tuesday night. The stage and equipment were on the way north by truck and would be set up by the time they arrived Monday night. One night of rehearsal, followed by the next afternoon’s sound checks—all the usual procedures that went into the pre-show set-up. Then—house lights go down—cheers rise—applause explodes—thunderous music screams to life—and that barrier called a curtain would disappear, signaling that the two plus hours of hammering workout had commenced. Ty Synclair couldn’t wait to get out of the sweat-soaked black waistcoat and black jeans he had worn onstage. He had to peel off the saturated material that had become a second skin, before he could enjoy a refreshing and well-earned hot shower. His chest-length curly hair was plastered to his neck and framed his face, having lost most of its fullness beneath the scorching stage lights, as if it had melted to his skin. As he stood in the pounding spray, his hair grew with the weight of the water, creeping down his back and chest nearly to his waist. His trademark. It was straight now but that wouldn’t last long. As soon as it dried, up it would kink, losing almost half its length in the process. He could have stayed in the shower for a few hours, but he had plans. He slid into a pair of blue jeans and his slashed yellow athletic shirt, wearing a solid black shirt beneath it. He thought about the buffet of food and selection of so called “ladies” that would inevitably be waiting in the main room of the suite. Each woman was competing; hoping that one member of the band would claim her for the night or maybe two. Ty didn’t want to claim one. More to the point, he didn’t want one to claim him. To some of them, one night constituted a lifetime commitment that nobody in the band had any intention of honoring. Some of these women couldn’t see themselves for what they really were: a night’s entertainment. They cheapened themselves in what they offered so that was the way the band accepted them. Ty smirked at the thought, then quickly pulled on his socks and a pair of short black boots, planning to escape as soon as he could. Ty pulled on his denim jacket, flipping out his now damp, quickly curling hair from the collar as he picked his way through the crowded suite toward the door. He tried not to look around at the two—and three—people groupings around the room. Yeah, the lads had already chosen their “entertainment” for the night. There were a few selections left over. Ty shook his head in annoyance. He had arranged to borrow a car from one of the local stage crew and only wanted to get out for a quiet drive about the hills surrounding the valley. He was still amped from the performance, but wanted to be alone while his body calmed down from the adrenaline high he always experienced after a live show. Looking down at the floor, hoping not to catch anyone’s attention, Ty threaded his way to the door, pulling it open in anticipation of freedom. “Hey, Ty.” A loud voice hailed him before he made his getaway. Geoff Richards, front man and the voice of ShadowsForge, called from across the room. “Yeah?” Ty stopped for a moment, not looking at Geoff, but instead noticed a young—very young—blond wearing more makeup than material, sitting on the arm of the sofa, seductively eyeing him as if he were a bar of chocolate. Bet she’s not even sixteen. Dangerous! “Where are you going?” Geoff swaggered up with a petite but large busted brunette tucked under his arm for support. Ty moved his gaze from the blond, who began tracing her lips with the tip of her tongue. He stepped into the hall before she could invoke the reaction he was trying to avoid. Before he could pull the door closed, Geoff parted from the brunette and followed him. “What’s up?” Geoff followed Ty to the elevator. “Nothing. Just want to get some quiet.” “With all those women in there, you want quiet?” Geoff’s eyebrows shot up as he leaned against the wall beside the silver doors. “You know, you’ve been skipping out of these after show parties for a while now. We have a rep to uphold and you’re not doing your part. What’s happening with you, mate?” Geoff eyed Ty with concern. “Y’know, that little blond can be real quiet, I bet, if you put something in her mouth.” He grinned. Ty rolled his eyes. He punched the elevator button with the side of his fist. “Yeah, and she looks like if her daddy shows up in the middle of your party, you can be a guest of the golden state of California for a very long time—for free. A ten by ten room with three meals a day. What a holiday. Geoff, don’t you ever get tired of them?” “Groupies? Hell no. Not enough of them.” He shrugged. “What else is there?” “There are real women; women who care about who they are and what they do. These girls don’t respect themselves, and they sure as hell don’t respect us. They only care how big your—name is. They don’t think anything more of the guys they sleep with than a famous name in their black book. Most hope to make the bucks off the books they’ll write when they get too old to party with the bands. ‘Yeah, I shagged Jagger, Elliott, and some guy named Synclair twenty years ago, and that’s my claim to fame. I even tried to pin a kid on which ever one I could get to take the fall.’ Or worse, it is your kid so you get to support her for the next eighteen years. Pretty high price for one night.” “You’ve handled your share of them.” Geoff straightened defensively. “Two at a time as I remember—back when we started out. Before Elsbeth?” “Yes, I did, and that’s why I want something better now,” Ty explained, wondering why the elevator was taking so bloody long. “Don't you ever want to find that one?” “What one?” Geoff turned to look up and down the hallway. “I’ll take any one.” Ty shook his head, relieved to end this conversation as the elevator door opened. “When you find the one, you’ll know what I mean. I’ll see you later.” “You’ve been spending too much time alone, Ty. Um, I’ll keep the blond quiet for you.” Ty smirked as the doors closed. “Yeah. You do that. Give my regards to her daddy,” he muttered, buttoning the lower half of his jacket. * * * * Alexis Rivers quickly buttoned her jeans before she slipped her heavy cloth coat on as quietly as she could. She didn’t bother to pull her waist-length black hair out of the collar. A moan caught her attention, causing her to freeze, holding her breath. She closed her dark eyes tight, offering up a silent prayer. Lord, don't let him wake up now. She stood perfectly still until she could once again hear the deep rhythm of his breathing. She grabbed her boots and made her way to the front door. She flung her bag over her shoulder, and slipped outside before she pulled on her boots. She retrieved gloves from her pockets, sliding them on as she crossed the snow-covered yard to her Nova. The heavy clouds dropped thick snowflakes on her as she went. Alexis shivered as she climbed into the car. She wasn’t sure if it was because of what she had done or from the snow. Either way, she would be happy to get to the cabin, light a warm fire and enjoy her new freedom. She took the car out of gear, allowing it to roll down the driveway, as well as some distance down the hill, before she started the engine. Once she was on her way, she smiled, letting out a breath that she hadn't realized she was holding. In three days, she would be in Oregon. Les would never find her there. She had rented a small, furnished apartment in Salem, sight unseen, trusting that she could always move after she found a job and got herself established in her new life. She was only taking what she could carry in two suitcases so it didn’t matter where she found herself as long as it was away from here. She had carefully scraped together about a thousand dollars that he didn’t know about and before leaving, transferred from his wallet to her pocket another five hundred that she could live on until she found a job. Hopefully. It didn’t matter. Oregon broke was better than Mirada shattered. Everything was set, and now she was on her way. The cabin five miles down the road had been rented for two weeks. She would only be there until Monday, when she would head to Los Angeles International Airport, desert her beloved but unreliable Nova and disappear. Les Roberts had bounced her off of the walls for the last time. She’d had enough of his physical violence and mental abuse. It was time to get on with her life. If he survived the drugged sleep, he’d be raging furious. Alexis sure didn’t want to be around for that. Since he was still breathing when she left, she was reasonably sure he would survive. His kind always did. All she had to do was lay low until Monday. She wanted to leave him when she could be gone the next day, but the opportunity came with a three-day gap in it and she had to take it. She was happy that she had had the foresight to rent the cabin. Otherwise, she would have been sitting at L.A.X. for three days, and most likely, Les would have caught up to her before her flight. Only a little way to go. * * * * Ty hoped that the heater in Jack’s car was working. He stepped out the rear entrance to the hotel into the frozen night air, heading across the snowy parking lot. The motor started immediately as well as the heater, warming the interior of the Honda in less time than it took Ty to traverse the slippery parking lot, and turn west on the traffic deficient street. Ahead he could see the distant hills. He drove carefully, leaving behind the hotel complete with his four band mates, the band’s road manager, several business people, and far too many women. No thanks. Not tonight. He had too many things on his mind. The last thing he wanted to do was to conform to the rock-star image, get sloppy drunk or chemically altered, and then be expected to “perform” phenomenally between the sheets for some loving chippie without being hung over, or throwing up the next day while they traveled. Whoever designed that bullet-proof lifestyle couldn’t possibly have lived long enough doing it to have enjoyed it. It was a killer. The night sky was unusually clear, he noticed as he left the city behind, crossing the five-mile expanse of desert flatlands before beginning the climb into the snow-covered hills. But that’s California. Snow on the ground and a sparkling night sky above. On the horizon in all directions were billowy clouds, creating a frame to provide support for the star-studded tapestry stretched over the valley floor. They perched atop the surrounding hills, waiting for the slightest breeze to push them out over the valley to drop their frozen burden. Ty was hoping to find a vantage point where he could look out over the valley. He liked to see the city lights from the distant hills whenever it was possible. It was calming and helped him to relax and to think. Ty tried to identify the inner turmoil intruding on his life recently. It was getting crazy. Be here—be there—run. You can’t sleep now, do it later. Some unknown, unidentifiable—something—lurked at the back of his mind. Something he was unable to pinpoint making him uneasy about his lifestyle. He wanted to change it. Staying away from the after show parties was a step in the right direction, he was sure. Cutting out the hit and run lovemaking was a big step toward changing his ’80s rock star mentality. He was pretty sure that it was an improvement also. Now if he could only convince his body of it. Some nights that was the difficult part. It wasn’t that he didn’t enjoy the shows, the travel, the adulation and excitement of being a part of ShadowsForge. Hell, he was one of the founding members. The other guys were great mates. Geoff was a little crazy; the perfect incarnate of the rock star image. He was a bit off, but he was Ty’s best friend. They had grown through the teen years together and now through the difficult climb to the top. Ty seemed to be the only one in the band looking for more though, planning for a future beyond ShadowsForge. Yes, the money was good; great, in fact, and being carefully socked away, invested, for his “retirement”. As much as he could, considering the high taxes of his homeland. He wanted to purchase a home someplace where he could go when and if the popularity and stardom fell away. As fickle as the music industry was from year to year, it could happen quickly and without warning. They had enjoyed six great years so far so it could happen any time or not for another twenty-five years. Who knows? He found himself thinking about it a lot lately. He wanted a place to live where he could sit on his own porch with an acoustic guitar in the evening, writing songs or playing something soothing for an audience consisting of his wife—his kids. He smiled. Yeah, he wanted kids. A lot of them. But what Ty didn’t want was to have his children with someone who would only be there as long as the tours went on, or the parties; as long as the money rolled in by the truck load, and the unit sales stayed in the gold and platinum range and beyond. As long as his good looks held out. All the surface stuff. Not another Elsbeth—his first wife. What a mistake she had turned out to be. No, this time the woman had to be special. She had to be—the “One.” If only he could find that one woman out there who was real. Who loved him for himself. Not his name and not his money. Him. The one who, up to this point in his life, completely eluded him. If he could just find the one… * * * * Alexis came to the final curve in the treacherous drive down hill. She was almost overcome with joy. “I don’t ever want another man, as long as I live. I won’t be owned again.” She nodded in determination, her heart arguing with her mind, and breaking at the decision. The fantasy of a sensible, responsible man to love her and take care of her had been shattered too many times against the floor or a wall. Les Roberts had taken away all of her dreams and left her with only the desire to be left alone. Completely alone. From now on. “I’ll live my own life, my way, doing what I want, when I want,” she said, trying to convince her self that this was what she truly wanted. She outran the clouds that were dropping snow on her escape and was grateful that she would be at the cabin before they caught up with her again. She hated to drive in the snow, especially through these hills. Over the last three years, countless people had been injured or killed trying to traverse the shortcut from one valley to the next in the snow, instead of taking the freeway that went around. She knew that it was now or never if she wanted to be a free woman. Her headlights played off of the white hills in the distance as she approached the last curve before her turn. She stepped lightly on the brake, attempting to slow before she reached the actual turn. The back of the car slipped. Alexis turned the wheel, trying to control the skid. Something flashed ahead of her as she reached the curve. She stepped harder on the brake, too late realizing that it was the wrong thing to do. Headlights glared in her eyes. |