Hey, everyone! This has been an exciting month in that several of my author friends have new releases. Today, I’d like to welcome Marcia Meara to my blog. I believe this is her first time here, so please welcome her.
Now, without further ado, here’s Marcia to talk about her novella, Emissary 3, Love Hurts.
Thanks so much for having me here today, Joan. It’s great to be sharing the news of my latest release with you and your followers.
Like many writers, my readers often ask me who my favorite characters are. I’ve gotten that question quite a bit about this little series of novellas too, and thought it might be fun to talk about it today. Most of the time, my answers are pretty easy. There’s usually one character in each book that stands out to me more than the rest, even as I’m writing. But with the Emissary tales, there are only three characters who’ve been present in each book, and it’s a much more difficult choice.
First, we have Jake Daughtry, a widower who gave his life rescuing a woman who was drowning in an icy river. Jake was the first soul Azrael pulled from the line in front of the Pearly Gates to become an emissary to the overworked angels. He started out a bit on the stubborn, opinionated, and snarky side, but has grown into his job. He’s a good man, through and through, and hard not to like.
Then along came Dodger, a street-smart junkie in Atlanta, running drugs for a gang, but desperately wanting to get out of that situation. At Azrael’s instructions, Jake rescues the dying boy from a deserted alley, and eventually takes him under his wing. Dodger looks up to Jake as the father he never had, and takes to being an emissary from the start. As it turns out, his powers are far stronger than the ones bestowed upon Jake, and growing more so every day.
And then there’s that ginormous archangel, Azrael. He of the snowy-white wings and the stern countenance and even sterner proclamations. He starts by ruling the emissaries with an iron-fist, but while he’s never going to be a pushover, he has learned to care deeply about his first two emissaries, even as he added more and more to the team around the world.
When push comes to shove, while I love Jake and Dodger immensely, nothing has been more fun than writing Azrael, even if he still doesn’t know how to use contractions. So I guess that answers the question.
The archangel Azrael is my favorite Emissary character, but I hope those of you who decide to check out the tales will enjoy each one of them on his own merits.
Blurb
The archangel Azrael created his emissaries to help mortals avoid choices that would doom them for eternity. He hadn’t planned on the youngest member of the team falling in love with one. In Marcia Meara’s final installment of her Emissary Trilogy, a Riverbend spinoff series of novellas, we find our three heroes facing a new problem, and it’s all because Dodger died before having a chance to know what love was all about. His request that Azrael help him correct that situation causes a multitude of problems no one could have foreseen. Except the angel.
Azrael’s emissarial program was growing daily, but it still met with stubborn opposition from many on the Council of Angels. Dodger’s request to be allowed to experience what falling in love was all about didn’t help matters, but Azrael thought the boy was onto something. He agreed emissaries who’d shared a loving relationship during their mortal lives would have a deeper understanding of human emotions and motivations, thus enhancing the skills they needed to do their jobs.
With that in mind, Azrael gave Dodger one chance to search for true love. He then laid down a daunting set of stringent rules and guidelines that could not be broken under any circumstances lest dire happenings occur. But while the angel sincerely hoped Dodger would find a way to make this endeavor work, he feared an avalanche of unintended consequences could be in store for his youngest emissary.
Sometimes even angels hate to be right.
Will Azrael ever tire of popping up behind Jake just to see his first emissary fall out of his chair in shock? Will sharp-eyed motel owners ever notice a big red and white semi mysteriously appearing and/or disappearing from their parking lots overnight? And will Dodger be able to track down the mystery girl who caught his eye two weeks earlier to see if she’s really The One?
To find the answers to these and other angelic or emissarial questions, come along on one last adventure with Jake, Dodger, and that ginormous, glowy-eyed archangel, Azrael. They’re waiting for you!
Buy The Emissary 3: Love Hurts HERE.
Bio
Marcia Meara lives in central Florida, just north of Orlando, with her husband of over thirty years and four big, spoiled cats.
When not writing or blogging, she spends her time gardening, and enjoying the surprising amount of wildlife that manages to make a home in her suburban yard. She enjoys nature. Really, really enjoys it. All of it! Well, almost all of it, anyway. From birds, to furry critters, to her very favorites, snakes. The exception would be spiders, which she truly loathes, convinced that anything with eight hairy legs is surely up to no good. She does not, however, kill spiders anymore, since she knows they have their place in the world. Besides, her husband now handles her Arachnid Catch and Release Program, and she’s good with that.
Spiders aside, the one thing Marcia would like to tell each of her readers is that it’s never too late to make your dreams come true. If, at the age of 69, she could write and publish her first book (and thus fulfill 64 years of longing to do that very thing), you can make your own dreams a reality, too. Go for it! What have you got to lose?
Contact & Buy Links
Contact Marcia Here:
marciameara16@gmail.com
Find Marcia’s Books Here:
60 Responses
Azrael is my favourite character from your Emissary series, Marcia… so it was no surprise that he has taken himself to the top of my reading list!
I’ve read the Riverbend series but not The Emissary. Something else for my TBR list. 🙂
Hope you’ll enjoy it when you have a chance to read, Joan. 🙂
I must have a reading binge, and soon!
Aw, thanks, Jaye! I’m so glad you like that “honkin’ big angel with his ginormous white wings.” He was a pure joy to write about, and I am going to miss all three of them. But I have a few more stories I want to tell before I stop writing, and it’s time to move on to those. Thanks so much for stopping by today and taking a moment to let me know how you feel about Azrael! 🙂
The pleasure was all mine, Marcia…believe me!
I’ve only read book 1 so far, and I can see Azrael becoming my favourite character too! I love the humour I see growing there, lols. Great post, ladies. Best of luck with everything, Marcia. 🙂
Joan, lovely to visit with you today 🙂
Thanks, Harmony. Always a pleasure to have you visit.
Thanks so much, Harmony! I hope you’ll find TE2 and TE3 continue the tale in a fun way and finally arrive at the best possible conclusion, leaving you smiling, too. 🙂 Thanks so much for stopping by today! 🙂
I’ve read The Emissary 3. It’s an upbeat story that left me feeling happy.:-)
We can all use a little happy these days.
Thanks, Priscilla, and for the wonderful review you left, too! I’m so glad you enjoyed the story, and I’m looking forward to combining the three novellas into a print book soon. 🙂 Nice to see you here this morning! 🙂
Nice to see Marcia out and about. I’ll share this one far and wide.
Thanks so much, Craig! This little series of novellas was a whole lotta fun to write. (Now to get them compiled into a print book, too.) Appreciate your stopping by today. 🙂
Thanks, Craig.
I have to agree with you, Marcia. The emissaries are great guys, but Azrael is a cut above. Loved the series and wishing you all the best with it.
Thanks, Joan.
Thanks, Staci. He never fails to make me laugh when the guys tell me what he’s up to. 😉 I sometimes feel like he might pop up right behand my chair here in the library to read over my shoulder and make sure I’m doing it right. 😀 Thanks so much for stopping by today. 🙂
I’ve got to meet Azrael!
Thanks so much for having me here today, Joan! It’s always fun to share our work with others, and sharing them on a friend’s blog is just the BEST. This little series of novellas were a joy to write, and I love all three of the main characters. But as I say above, Azrael is a special treat. Bringing him to life has given me a great deal of pleasure.
I really appreciate your help in getting the word out, and hope your readers will enjoy checking out The Emissary series. Thanks again for letting me stop by! 🙂
You are always welcome here. It’s a pleasure to have you.
Thanks for that, Joan. It’s a lovely blog to visit on any day, and a really special treat to be a guest here. 🙂
Reblogged this on The Write Stuff and commented:
Hi, Folks! Today, I’m visiting Joan Hall to talk about my latest release, “The Emissary 3: Love Hurts.” I’d love for you to stop by to say hi, and I hope you’ll enjoy the post! My heartfelt thanks to Joan for having me over, too! 🙂 <3
Thanks for the reblog.
Thanks for featuring our dear friend Marcia and her wonderful books. I love this series!
Aw, thanks so much, Darlene. I’m so glad you enjoyed these novellas! I’ve never had more fun writing anything, other than a couple of poems that came straight from my heart for my little “chapbook,” Summer Magic. Thanks, too, for stopping by and taking the time to comment. SO appreciated! 🙂
Thank you for stopping by.
I haven’t gotten to this series yet, but already like the characters after reading your description, Marcia. Still need to finish with Rabbit. Congrats on the new release!
I fully understand the “So Much to Read, So Little Time” dilemma we all face, Teri. I just hope you’ll enjoy Rabbit when you meet him. And the great thing about books? They’re ready when YOU are. 😀 Azrael and Crew will be waiting, and I hope you’ll have fun when you meet them, too. Thanks for stopping by today! 🙂
This series is on my TBR list as well.
Hope you’ll enjoy it when you have a chance to check it out, Joan. 🙂
I love Jake and Dodger, but there’s just something extra special about Azrael. How can you not like a stern ginormous angel, who has a soft spot for his recruits? I can see why you love writing him so much, Marcia.
To anyone who is eying up Emissary 3 and the other Emissary novellas, I’ve read the entire series and highly recommend all three books. I love these characters!
Joan, great to see you hosting Marcia today. What a fun visit!
Aw, thanks so much for that recommendation, Mae. I’m so glad you enjoyed this little series. It sure was fun to write, especially that glowy-eyed archangel. 😀 So nice of you to stop by today, too. I appreciate it very much! 🙂
I’ll have to check these out.
All three sounds like characters I would love! Congrats on your new book baby, Marcia!
They do sound like interesting characters. Thanks for stopping by today, Sue.
Thanks so much, Sue. I’d like to think they are interesting and entertaining. Some laughs, some tears, and some thoughts about the redemptive power of love. 🙂 Thanks for stopping by today! 🙂
Congratulations, Marcia, this sounds lovely. Thanks for hosting, Joan.
Thank you for visiting, Robbie.
Thanks, Robbie. I hope you get a chance to check them out at some point. They are each about an hour’s read, so easy to fit in one evening. I’ll be looking forward to reading your thoughts, if you find time to check them out. Thanks for stopping by! 🙂
This sounds like a really great read! I’ve added to my TBR list. 🙂 Thank you for spotlighting Marcia today, Joan!
Thank you for visiting, Jan.
Thanks so much, Jan. I hope you’ll enjoy the series. They are each about an hour’s read, so easy to do in an evening, and they build on each other. I’ll be very interested in your thoughts when you find time to check them out! 🙂
What a fun post, Marcia. I giggled at Azreal’s lack of contractions. Lol. My goblins haven’t figure them out either. He is a very interesting character, though I have to say that Jake is my favorite. I can’t wait to read this. Congrats!
This one certainly needs to go on my TBR list.
They’re such fun reads, Joan, and as novellas, they go by fast. I’m certain you’ll enjoy them.
Well, Jake is the dad many of us wish we’d had, I think. Or at least, I hope. That was my goal with him, for sure. I’m glad you enjoy him, and I hope you’ll like the way I’ve wrapped my little trilogy up. BTW, your goblins not only don’t use contractions, they haven’t even figured out pronouns yet. 😀 They are FUN to read, and I quite like Naj. (Yes, I’m rapidly approaching the midpoint of Liars & Thieves and LOVING it! But I need to take a break and review the last few books I’ve read recently before finishing it up this weekend.)
Thanks so much for stopping by today, Diana. I really appreciate your congrats and your kind words! 🙂
Ha! That’s right. Goblins view the world collectively. I’m so glad you’re enjoying the read, Marcia. But definitely take a break to get those reviews done. 🙂 Happy Reading.
Congratulations, Marcia. Your series has received tremendous acclaim, and I’m preparing to delve in. Can’t wait to turn the pages. Thank you, Joan, for spotlighting Marcia. 😊
Thanks for visiting today, Gwen. You can even stick around. 😊
Wow, what a nice thing to say, Gwen, and I’m delighted you plan to read these tales. I hope you’ll enjoy them. I’ll be interested in hearing your thoughts when you’ve finished. And thanks for stopping by here today, too. I appreciate it hugely! 🙂
I loved this book. It’s a gripping read full of Marcia’s insights and humour plus some frights and dilemmas on the way. It rounds up the trilogy quite beautifully.
From all the positive comments, it sounds like a good one.
Thank you so much, Trish. I’m so happy you feel that way about the series in general, and this last novella, in particular. And thanks so much for stopping by here today and taking the time to comment! It’s SO appreciated! 🙂
Could I possibly use the word “SO” another time in that little comment??? Doh. 🙄
Congratulations, Marcia. So nice to see you with Joan today. Thanks to Joan for hosting you.
Thanks for your support, John.
Thanks, John. I’m so happy to have this one “out there,” and hope readers will enjoy the way I’ve wrapped up the trilogy. And it’s great of Joan to have me here today, for sure! Thanks for stopping by! 🙂
🙂
I’ve recently just finished the first in this series, and am keen to get on board the rest of the series. Heartwarming yet humorous stuff 😁
Sorry if this post isn’t making much sense, I just took some strong painkillers and can’t get my thoughts together properly 🤪
Made sense to me! Hope you feel better soon, Jessica.