February 2016 Bewitching Book Tours Magazine

Bewitching Book Tours Magazine Issue 42 February 2016

Bewitching Book Tours Magazine is a publication of Bewitching Book Tours and Bewitching Books.

Editor: Roxanne Rhoads Design Editor and Layout: Roxanne Rhoads Cover Artist: Michelle Berryman Contributors include Bewitching Book Tours Authors and Tour Hosts www.bewitchingbooktours.blogspot.com Ad space rates are: $40 full page ad $20 half page ad $10 quarter page ad You can subscribe to this magazine at http://issuu.com/bewitchingbooktours Š Copyright 2016 Stock images from www.123rf.com and www.pixabay.com

Last Month’s Issue

Table of Contents February 2016 Page 6 Top Ten Myths About Authors By Sabrina Benulis Page 11 The Asset by Anna del Mar Page 16 Poetic Womb by Wenona Napolitano Page 18 Secrets of Successful Virtual Book Tours by Roxanne Rhoads Page 29 Dragons – Fable or Fact? By Linda K. Hopkins Page 36 The Crow Box by Nikki Rae Page 40 The Astronaut’s Princess by Lisa Medley Page 45 Divide and Conquer by Carmen Fox Page 48 Review of Divide and Conquer by Carmen Fox Page 50 The Desire Series by Roxanne Rhoads Page 52 A Review of Fire Touched by Patricia Briggs Page 53 A Review of Grave Visions by Kalayna Price Page 54 A Review of The Witches of Echo Park Series by Amber Benson Page 55 When in Gnome by Emily Night Page 58 Amber Malloy’s Top Ten Spy Movies Page 60 Near The Wild by Maureen Willett Page 66 Hot Dish By Jamie K. Schmidt Page 71 Sabine Priestly has a chat with Balastar and Kit from Liberation Page 80 Instruction Trilogy by L.M. Pruitt Page 84 Heartless by Kelly Martin Page 89 Pat Esden’s Top Ten Gothic Novels and Movies!

Top Ten Myths About Authors

By Sabrina Benulis We authors are an interesting bunch, but not really in the way most readers tend to think. So I'm going to comment on some common myths about authors out there, and tell you the real deal.

Think of this as something like seeing magic behind the scenes. I hope I don't get in trouble for the reveal! Ready?

Myth #1. Authors are rich. Boy, how I wish this were true. It's a common misconception people have, but the truth is that a very tiny percentage of us (maybe 2%) go on to equal footing with any of the rich and famous. Most authors write, not for money, but for the love of writing. We're crazy, I know.

Myth #2. Authors procrastinate. If you're the creative type, you know that brainstorming in and of itself is work. So is trying to be inspired. Sometimes, the words just don't come. But, yeah, even if we're staring at a computer screen with ravaged, bloodshot eyes, we're definitely working.

Myth #3. All authors are born with the dream of being an author. I can't tell you how many authors I know who started in completely different professions or with entirely different interests in life.

Everyone has their own unique path when it comes to writing their first novel.

Myth #4. Authors have lots of free time. Only if we're (referring back to #1) rich or still in college.

Yeah, those were the days . . .

Myth #5. Authors enjoy the spotlight. Most of us don't enjoy it. Most of us are painfully shy. Most of us are very, very good at disguising that. Like classic introverts we often hide when an unknown person rings our front doorbell. What crazy person would dare arrive on our doorstep unannounced?!

Myth #6. Authors have thick skins. Reviews are the bane of existence of all authors, probably since writing was first invented by the Sumerians. As a rule, most authors learn quite quickly not to read reviews of their work. That being said, some author's skins are so thin they go on ranting rampages via the internet when that errant, random someone doesn't like their work. In that case, they should probably go back to their day job for sanity's sake.

Myth #7. Authors need to write in fancy workspaces, with special desks, knick-knacks, and a magical hat that they must wear to be inspired. Every once in a while you'll hear an author say they can't write without their favorite scarf wrapped around their neck, or that their office is the size of your entire house, and by gosh if it isn't, then their brain doesn't function. The truth is that all you really need is a laptop or computer, a place to sit, and a deadline.

Myth #8. Authors have a good chance at seeing their book turned into a movie. Believe it or not, this is less likely than Myth #1.

Myth #9. Authors are very prolific writers. Some of us do manage to pump out countless books in a year. Then there are authors like Harper Lee (To Kill a Mockingbird), who published one book while she was alive. In reality, most authors I know can publish two a year, maximum. And it really depends on your genre, and your life circumstances. If you're a woman author who is also a wife with young children, you'll probably be lucky with one novel a year. Now that's a great time to think about your next book series!

Myth #10. Authors are very interesting, amazing, outlandish people. Okay, we're about as interesting as any other every day person. But that's the great thing. We're ordinary people. We're dreamers. We're every race, every gender, with every background, occupation, hobby, and possible combination of favorite television shows and coffee preferences on earth. We're readers. We're you.

And you know what, it's awesome. We wouldn't have it any other way.

Happy reading! (And writing)!

Angelus Books of Raziel Trilogy Book Three Sabrina Benulis Harper Voyager Genre: Fiction / Fantasy / Paranormal On-Sale: February 9, 2016 ISBN: 9780062069429 E-book ISBN: 9780062069436 A Harper Voyager Trade Paperback Original In the heart-pounding conclusion to The Books of Raziel trilogy, Angela discovers that she holds the keys to both Heaven and Hell, and that angels, demons, and all the creatures in between will stop at nothing to possess her...

The war started by three powerful angel siblings - Raziel, Lucifel, and Israfel - has divided the kingdoms of both Heaven and Hell. Now the destruction is spilling over into our world.

The last hope for a crumbling world is the Archon, also known as the human Angela Mathers. Angela alone can successfully oppose Lucifel and open Raziel’s Book for the power of good rather than evil.

But to do so would mean murdering her best friend, a fact Angela refuses to face.

Now Angela sits on the throne of Hell, fulfilling a prophecy of ruin. But ruin does not always mean destruction.....sometimes it means revolution.

Amazon

BN

HarperCollins

iTunes

Google Play

Praise for Sabrina Benulis & The Books of Raziel Trilogy: “[Benulis’] unique take on religion and angels is truly innovative. With just enough left unresolved, Covenant perfectly leads into the upcoming final book of the trilogy” — Romantic Times Magazine on Covenant “These angels can be vindictive and cruel, more human than you might expect and oozing supernatural abilities…. If you think you have the guts to take on this novel pick it up.”

— Boulder Examiner on Covenant “A dark, bold story.”

— Lexington Literature Examiner on Covenant “Benulis writes a no-holds-barred tale of destruction, love, power, and friendship. Everything you thought you knew about God, the Devil, angels and demons will be wiped away and replaced with a world so terribly beautiful that you will yourself gazing out into the night sky, hoping against hope that magic is real. Her characters have depth and 3-deminsional personalities, while her scenery, complete with candlelight and stain-glass windows, emphasizes the primal battles that humans go through on a daily basis.”

— Tulsa Books Examiner on Archon “… Benulis uses lush descriptions and larger than life characters to tell the story of a battle between Heaven and Hell…She proves herself as a force to be reckoned with… I will definitely be on the lookout for the next installment in her book of Raziel series so I can grab it up and pour over each page.”

— Suspense Magazine on Archon

Genesis – The Story So Far Before the beginning of all things, there was a Mother who sang and carried the stars within her.

Worry consumed her because often the stars near her heart burned and jostled, as if fighting one another. Then the unthinkable happened, and she gave birth to twins long before the appointed time. These children were meant to be equal in every way, but from the stars one twin decided to claim dominion over our universe. He attacked his sibling, murdering him, and from then on a fragile balance weighed toward the side of shadows.

The Mother who has carried these gods fell into the deepest despair and took her punishment to the depths of the eternal Abyss.

Innumerable cycles of time passed before an angel named Raziel found her again.

Raziel was one of three powerful sibling angels, and they had also been told their purpose was to share equal rule over the universe. Yet the jealously and rivalry between two of them, Israfel and Lucifel, grew to a feverish pitch, and upon returning to his home in Heaven, Raziel found his sister, Lucifel, instigating the infamous War that would divide the angels forever into two opposing kingdoms.

It was a dreadful time of blood and feathers falling like the snow.

Raziel was the last to fall. Horrified and determined to end the bloodshed, he had confronted God and begged for intervention to stop Lucifel’s rebellion. Instead, he plummeted to his death in full view of his siblings, one of whom loved him more than life itself.

The glorious time of Israfel’s rule as Archangel in Heaven was over.

Lucifel too had failed to claim the crown she so desperately desired, and she fled to her new kingdom of Hell.

But the Throne of Hell was little more than a prison, and Lucifel found herself swiftly jailed by the angels who had once worshipped her. They called themselves demons, and though their kingdom remained forever dark and dismal, they never forgot the glories of long ago.

This truce between angels and demons could not last. Instead, Lucifel’s influence grew from the darkness, and her twisted ideals seeped throughout the universe. Seeking the mysterious power contained in Raziel’s Book, one of his greatest treasures, it is claimed she means to destroy the universe that mocks her suffering.

The last home for a crumbling world is a being called the Archon, also known as Angela Mathers. Angela is human, but her soul is protected by the spirit of Raziel. She alone can successfully oppose Lucifel and open Raziel’s Book for the power of good rather than evil. However, the Book is not a thing but a person, and Angela knows that to open the Book would mean murdering her best friend, Sophia. She has refused to do so, seemingly sentencing the universe to a fate of silence worse than death, because it would be one without resurrection.

Angela Mathers firmly believed that even Hell could not separate her from her friend. She suffered, and bled, and fought in a twisted demonic maze to save the Book from destruction, only to unwittingly allow Lucifel to escape back to Heaven.

Now Angela sits on the Throne of Hell, fulfilling a prophecy of Ruin. But Ruin does not always mean destruction. Sometimes it means Revolution. Crowns pass from one person to the next, yet it takes a special soul to heal the burdens of all.

The Mother’s song no longer echoes throughout the universe, and new notes wait to be revealed. Now, the moment of change has finally arrived. The end of a cycle of pain has begun.

For through souls have hurt, and bled, and cried, the light ever returns in a rushing, relentless tide.

About the Author: Sabrina Benulis graduated with a masters in Writing Popular Fiction from Seton Hill University. She currently resides in the Pocono Mountains of Pennsylvania with her husband and a spoiled cockatiel. http://www.sabrinabenulis.com/ https://twitter.com/sabrinabenulis https://www.facebook.com/SabrinaBenulis

The Asset Wounded Warrior Series Book One Anna del Mar Genre: Romantic suspense, Contemporary romance, Military romance, SEAL romance.

Publisher: Carina Press Date of Publication: February 22, 2016 eISBN: 9781459293526 ASIN: B01765RJI2 Number of pages: 336 pages Word Count: Approx. 95,000

Anna del Mar’s explosive, sexy debut novel in the Wounded Warrior series, perfect for fans of Lisa Marie Rice and Lora Leigh—the story of a woman desperate to escape her dangerous past and the navy SEAL who would lay down his life to save her.

Book Description: Ash Hunter knows what it is to run. A SEAL gravely injured in Afghanistan, he’s gone AWOL from the military hospital. Physically and mentally scarred, he returns home to his grandmother’s isolated cottage—and finds a beautiful, haunted stranger inside.

Like recognizes like.

Lia Stewart’s in hiding from the cartel she barely escaped alive, holed up in this small Rocky Mountain town. Surviving, but only just. Helping the wounded warrior on her doorstep is the right thing to do…it’s loving him that might get them both killed.

Soon, Ash realizes he’s not the only one tormented by the past. Pushing the limits of his broken body, testing the boundaries of her shattered soul, he’ll protect Lia until his last breath.

Amazon

Carina Press Barnes and Noble Kobo Books Google Play

Short Excerpt for The Asset by Anna del Mar (900 words) Chapter One My finger twitched on the trigger as I stared down the barrel of my shotgun. A stranger stood on my stoop. The mere sight of him shoved my heart into my throat and sent my brain into default. I widened my stance, tightened my grip on the gun and aimed at the stranger’s chest. No way. He wasn’t going to take me alive.

A sharp bark startled me. The largest, darkest, most handsome German shepherd I’d ever seen stood next to the stranger, head tilted, ears forward, nose quivering in the air. It uttered a quiet whimper and padded over to me without a trace of aggression, circling me once before it leaned against my legs.

I kept my shotgun leveled, but I spared another glance at the stunning dog. The plea in his eyes tempered the adrenaline jolting through my body, reined in my runaway heart and gave me pause to consider the stranger before me.

Framed by the Rocky Mountains and the lake, the man at the threshold blocked the morning’s gray light and cast a huge shadow over my little porch. Raindrops tapped on his leather jacket, dripped from the rim of his cap and ran like tears down the sides of his face. Despite the exhaustion etched on his features, his glacial blue eyes narrowed on my gun.

“That’s a pretty old Remington,” he rumbled. “With the damn safety off, no less. Who the hell are you expecting, Jack the Ripper?”

“Stay back.” I forced the words out. “I’ll shoot if you come any closer.”

“Damn it, girl,” he said. “If you want us to leave, just say so.”

The scowl on his face contributed to his dangerous appearance. So did the scruffy beard and the shaggy hair sticking out from under his baseball cap. If he hadn’t come all the way out here to get to me—and that was still a big “if”—what on earth was he doing here?

I couldn’t see any weapons on him. Was he a drifter? He didn’t look dirty, but a metallic scent wafted from him, an odd, ripe trace I couldn’t place.

He must have seen my nose wrinkle. His whole body stiffened. He drew taller than six feet by several inches, but it was the outrage I spotted in his eyes that reinforced my fears.

“Aren’t you a spitfire?” He pulled out a rumpled piece of paper from his pocket, balled it and dropped it at my feet. “Secluded, cheap and quiet, that’s what the ad said. But I don’t think you want to rent out a room, at least not to me.

Come on, Neil,” he said to the dog. “Let’s leave this little hellcat to count her bullets.” He touched the rim of his baseball cap. “And a good day to you, ma’am.”

He braced on a pair of sturdy crutches and hopped down from the stoop. Crutches? I should’ve noticed those before. The sable shepherd looked up at me, then nuzzled my hip and trotted off after his owner. The rubber bottoms of the man’s crutches stabbed the ground as he shuffled to the black truck parked in my driveway, a supercharged Ram 3500 that matched its owner’s brawn.

I exhaled the breath I’d been holding. Bad guys didn’t knock at your door. They didn’t back down, attack while on crutches or hobble away after they came for you. They didn’t call you ma’am, either. I picked up the crumpled paper and flattened it against the stair’s wobbly baluster. It was indeed the one flyer I’d dared to post at Kailyn’s convenience store, printed on pink paper, complete with the ten tear-off rectangles that listed my cell phone number.

The ad. My brain came on line. He was here about the ad?

Crap. Terror had a sure way of wiping reason from my mind. The ad talked about a stone cottage but didn’t include the address. True, mine was the only stone cottage around. Still, my stomach churned.

I stared at the paper in my hands. He’d taken down the ad. Now I had exactly zero chance to rent out the room, which also meant that, since I’d have no money to make the rent, I was going to lose my little stone cottage. I was going to be homeless and I’d have to move on. Again.

But I liked it here. The place suited me well. People in this secluded valley were nice and I’d managed to build a semblance of a life hidden out here. And what about my little friends out back? Who’d take care of them if I wasn’t around?

The pound, that’s who.

I took a deep breath and looked down on my flannel pajama pants and my extra-large sweater. With my hair up in a messy tail, I was pretty sure I looked like a gun-toting, gray-eyed witch, brimming with hostility. I’d just scared away my first and only customer.

A top-notch German shepherd like that couldn’t belong to a crook. It was obvious that the owner took excellent care of his dog. If that wasn’t enough, the man got around on crutches. He couldn’t hurt me and, if he tried, I wouldn’t need a shotgun to defend myself. I’d just have to trip him.

God, the things I thought about. Was I going to live in fear forever?

Yes, I would, but living in fear was better than not living at all.

Read the Complete First Chapter http://www.annadelmar.com/pages/excerpt.html

About the Author: Anna del Mar writes hot, smart romances that soothe the soul, challenge the mind, and satisfy the heart.

Her stories focus on strong heroines struggling to find their place in the world and the brave, sexy, kickass, military heroes who defy the limits of their broken bodies to protect the women they love. She is the author of The Asset (Carina Press), the first novel of her Wounded Warrior series and three other novels scheduled for release during 2016.

A Georgetown University graduate, Anna enjoys traveling, hiking, skiing, and the sea. Writing is her addiction, her drug of choice, and what she wants to do all the time. The extraordinary men and women she met during her years as a Navy wife inspire the fabulous heroes and heroines at the center of her stories. When she stays put—which doesn’t happen very often—she lives in Florida with her indulgent husband and two very opinionated cats. http://www.annadelmar.com/pages/home.html https://www.facebook.com/AuthorAnnadelMar/ https://twitter.com/anna_del_mar

What Makes Bewitching Book Tours Different From Other Virtual Book Tour Companies?

Bewitching Book Tours has been in business since 2010 making us one of the oldest virtual book tour companies around. We know book promotion.

Our authors are our number one priority. This is not a hobby or a side job in addition to the day job. This is our day job, which means we put our authors first.

Bewitching Book Tours offers multiple tour packages and services for authors- we have one day packages for cover reveals, release day blitzes, and one day tours. We also offer one week, two week and one month tours. Bewitching also offers Kindle Free Book Blitz tours to promote your Kindle free book for up to five days. Other services we offer are Twitter parties, Facebook parties, Press Release Writing, and radio interviews.

Custom packages are available.

Bewitching has optional special features including a monthly magazine, a BlogTalk Radio Show and we offer custom Bewitching Book swag creations such as bookmarks, keychains, purse charms and more.

The most important things about Bewitching is that your book starts receiving promotion as soon as you sign up with Bewitching. A media kit is created, tour banners are made, and a page goes up on the Bewitching Blog announcing your upcoming tour. An invitation is sent out to all the Bewitching Tour Hosts and your upcoming tour is shared throughout our vast network of social media which includes multiple Facebook pages and accounts, Tsu, Twitter, Google +, Pinterest, Tumblr, and other book social sites.

Immediately your book has been put in front of thousands of book lovers. And we don’t stop there. We continue to work on your tour scheduling tour stops, reviews and more depending on your tour package chosen.

Once your tour is set up we send you the tour schedule, materials and instructions so there is no confusion. You return requested materials to Bewitching and we handle the rest.

Once your tour has started we promote every single tour stop every day on multiple social media platforms several times throughout the day. Combine this exposure with the daily tour hosts’ and the author’s social media promotion of the tour stops and you have your book in front of thousands of readers every day.

Even after the tour Bewitching continues working for you. Your name and web link will be listed on our blog as a client and your tour pages will be archived, not removed. So they will always be available for readers to access. If Bewitching has special events in the future like calls for submissions, holiday contests or other multi-author events you will be invited to participate.

Secrets of Successful Virtual Book Tours Quick Tips for Authors Guide Roxanne Rhoads Book Description: Are you considering a virtual book tour?

Not sure where to start or exactly what an online tour will entail?

Roxanne Rhoads, book publicist and owner of Bewitching Book Tours, shares her virtual tour expertise in this Quick Tips for Authors Guide.

Secrets of Successful Virtual Book Tours will guide you in utilizing the best marketing tool available- a virtual book tour, which can create online exposure for your book, jumpstart your book sales, help build your author brand, and expand your network.

In this guide you’ll learn:        

what you should do before a tour the components of a great author website the best social media outlets for authors to utilize tips for building your author brand how to write great guest blogs what to expect from an online book tour the secrets of successful book tours how to schedule your own virtual book tour

And you’ll receive in-depth details about what to do during a virtual book tour to guarantee success.

Amazon

BN Kobo Scribd iBooks

Smashwords

Inktera

Createspace

Excerpt Secrets of Successful Virtual Book Tours by Roxanne Rhoads The world of publishing is continuously evolving thanks to technology and the Internet. It is now easier than ever to publish a book. But with the growing number of new books being released every day it is also harder than ever to get your book noticed in the crowd.

If your line of thinking includes- “If I publish it, people will buy it,” think again.

Indie publishing requires a dedication to self-promotion. Gone are the days an author hermits them self away to write, then hands the book to the publisher who does all the leg work for promotion. Even NYT Bestselling authors and those with contracts through the big publishers still have to do a certain amount of self-promotion.

There are many ways to promote: social media, advertising on popular websites and blogs, print advertising in trade magazines, attending reader oriented conventions and events…but one of the best ways to get your book out there and build name recognition as an author is through a virtual book tour.

In this Quick Tips for Authors Guide, you will learn why a virtual book tour can be an author’s most effective marketing tool.

About the Author: Roxanne Rhoads has been working in the world of online book promotion since 2005. She has worked as a freelance writer, author, book reviewer, book blogger, editor, selfpublisher and book publicist. She has a unique advantage of knowing how multiple sides of book publishing and promotion operate.

Roxanne understands how book bloggers work and what they want to make their jobs easier while also understanding that authors need promotion to be streamlined, easy, and less time consuming.

Roxanne shares some of her knowledge in her latest release, Secrets of Successful Virtual Book Tours.

Author Website http://www.roxannerhoads.com Bewitching Book Tours www.bewitchingbooktours.com Bewitching Blog http://www.bewitchingbooktours.blogspot.com/ http://www.facebook.com/RoxanneRhoads http://www.facebook.com/BewitchingBooktours Twitter @RoxanneRhoads

Bewitching Book Tour Packages and Pricing Book sales will magically soar during one of our spellbinding virtual book tours Bewitching Book Tours specialize in tours for paranormal, urban fantasy, and paranormal erotica books with prices just right for any author's budget

Every tour package includes:  a custom media kit  custom tour button and banners including a facebook header banner  the option to offer review copies to bloggers- the number of reviews actually received during a tour are not guaranteed- they depend on blogger participation  two tour pages at Bewitching Book Tours (one invitation tour page announcing the upcoming tour and one final tour page with schedule)  distribution to our mailing list of over 600 tour hosts  Daily promotion throughout the Bewitching social media outlets including multiple facebook pages and accounts, twitter, and google plus Giveaways are not necessary during tours but they are highly encouraged. Giveaways draw many more readers and viewers to tour stops plus they help increase your social media followers.

We utilize Rafflecopter entry forms so you can offer one prize package or several throughout your tourwinners are chosen at the end of the tour. $47.50 will get you the Release Day Blitz One day book release blitz includes  Posting on up to 20 blogs which will include- tour banner, your book info, excerpts, and fun tidbits (character profiles, music playlists, etc or whatever other materials you would like to provide)  a custom media kit  custom tour button and banners including a facebook header banner  the option to offer review copies to bloggers- the number of reviews actually received during a tour are not guaranteed- they depend on blogger participation  two tour pages at Bewitching Book Tours (one invitation tour page announcing the upcoming tour and one final tour page with schedule)  distribution to our mailing list of over 600 tour hosts  Daily promotion throughout the Bewitching social media outlets including multiple facebook pages and accounts, twitter, and google plus The release day blitz can be purchased alone or added to another tour package

$50.00 will get you the week long Bewitched Book Blitz Tour Your will receive 1 week of tour stops  Posting on approximately 5-7 stops which will include- tour banner, your book info, guest blogs, interviews, excerpts, and fun tidbits (character profiles, music playlists, etc or whatever other materials you would like to provide)  a custom media kit  custom tour button and banners including a facebook header banner  the option to offer review copies to bloggers- the number of reviews actually received during a tour are not guaranteed- they depend on blogger participation  two tour pages at Bewitching Book Tours (one invitation tour page announcing the upcoming tour and one final tour page with schedule)  distribution to our mailing list of over 600 tour hosts  Daily promotion throughout the Bewitching social media outlets including multiple facebook pages and accounts, twitter, and google plus This tour is perfect for an author to get a taste of how a book tour works Great for new releases or for the backlist book that could use a sales boost $85 will get you the 2 week Cast a Magic Spell Tour 2 weeks of tour stops  Posting on approximately 10-14 stops which will include- tour banner, your book info, guest blogs, interviews, excerpts, and fun tidbits (character profiles, music playlists, etc or whatever other materials you would like to provide)

 a custom media kit  custom tour button and banners including a facebook header banner  the option to offer review copies to bloggers- the number of reviews actually received during a tour are not guaranteed- they depend on blogger participation  two tour pages at Bewitching Book Tours (one invitation tour page announcing the upcoming tour and one final tour page with schedule)  distribution to our mailing list of over 600 tour hosts  Daily promotion throughout the Bewitching social media outlets including multiple facebook pages and accounts, twitter, and google plus

$140 will get you The Spellbinding Special 1 Month Tour This is our most popular so far- with it you'll receive one month of tour stops  Posting on approximately 20 stops which will include- tour banner, your book info, guest blogs, interviews, excerpts, and fun tidbits (character profiles, music playlists, etc or whatever other materials you would like to provide)  a custom media kit  custom tour button and banners including a facebook header banner  the option to offer review copies to bloggers- the number of reviews actually received during a tour are not guaranteed- they depend on blogger participation  two tour pages at Bewitching Book Tours (one invitation tour page announcing the upcoming tour and one final tour page with schedule)  distribution to our mailing list of over 600 tour hosts  Daily promotion throughout the Bewitching social media outlets including multiple facebook pages and accounts, twitter, and google plus

Kindle Free Book Blitz $50

Is your book going free on Kindle?

Get the most out of your Kindle free days with Bewitching Book Tours We are now offering a Kindle Free Book Blitz Tour- Up to 5 days of promotion just $50- this includes:  Posting on numerous blogs that will announce that your book is free is Amazon  a custom media kit  custom tour button and banners including a facebook header banner  the option to offer review copies to bloggers- the number of reviews actually received during a tour are not guaranteed- they depend on blogger participation  two tour pages at Bewitching Book Tours (one invitation tour page announcing the upcoming tour and one final tour page with schedule)  Daily promotion throughout the Bewitching social media outlets including multiple facebook pages and accounts, twitter, and google plus

Cover Reveals are $45 Add a live Facebook party to any package for $100 A Facebook Party includes the coordination, set up and moderation of a live Facebook party (event) page. The party will last for about two hours.

A party page will be created and moderated by Bewitching Book Tours.

This is a great way to interact with readers. They can post questions and the author can answer in real time.

The author will be responsible for providing party content (book/author facts and links, quizzes, games, and prizes). Bewitching Book Tours can help with brainstorming ideas for content and prizes.

The Facebook party can be purchased by itself or added to a tour package.

Please understand Bewitching Book Tours is not responsible for missed your stops on your tour. After the tour is scheduled and all of the tour materials have been sent out, it is the responsibility of the Blogger who signed up for the tour to post materials on their designated day.

Bewitching Book Swag Bewitching Book Tours offers custom book swag creations that can be added on to tour packages or ordered separately.

We offer high quality, hand crafted, one of a kind items made to match your book. Currently we are offering beaded bookmarks, beaded keychains, purse charms, belt loop charms, wine glass charms, and earrings.

These items can be created with colored beads to match the colors in your book cover.

We can also add small charms to coordinate with book content- we have a wide variety of charms to choose from and if we don't have something that matches your book we can get it.

Some of the silver charms available are: vampire fangs, wolves, witch hats, keys and locks, books, hearts, haunted houses, bats, foxes, hamsas, dragons, sugar skulls, rhinestone skull and crossbones, high heeled shoes, Fleur de lis, masquerade masks, owls and many more.

You can also opt to have the items completely customized by adding your book cover to a metal charm.

The book covers are encased in small metal photo frame charms and sealed in resin for a high quality charm that looks fabulous and is very durable.

Our goal is to create custom book swag that represents your book.

Dragons – Fable or Fact?

My name is Linda K. Hopkins, author of The Dragon Archives. Set in the medieval period, these tales tell of the dragons that roamed the earth in days gone by.

Folk tales and mythology are littered with stories about dragons. Fire-breathing monsters in the west, benevolent and magical creatures in the east. Some legends tell of dragons with human features, while other myths suggest human dynasties that could trace their lineage back to dragons. The blood of a dragon could be poisonous or magical, and the creatures flew at great speed. Sightings have been recorded throughout England, some as recently as the seventeenth century. So perhaps, like the legends of Arthur, the stories are rooted in truth. Maybe there is more to the tales than mere myth.

We all know that dragons are huge, that they fly and that (at least, western dragons) breathe fire. We laugh at the idea that they are real, but maybe, just maybe, there really were huge monsters flying the skies. Is it possible? If we free our minds from the idea of a flesh and bone behemoth that weighs as much as a plane, then perhaps we can peer through the mists of time and tale, and see these magnificent creatures gracefully soaring above the clouds, circling on air currents high above the earth. Like a hot air balloon, our giants of the sky were not created of flesh and bone as we know it, but were filled with gas and heat that freed their huge frames to rise above the earth and take to the skies. Like birds, their bones were hollow, creating a strong but light-weight structure. Their tough hide was made of keratin scales, beneath which was a layer of muscle and sinew which gave them their massive strength. The huge wings which sprung from their backs were framed in bone and covered in a thin, silk-like material that gave propulsion and manoeuverability. Their huge bodies were filled with hydrogen, a highly combustible gas. And when hydrogen mixes with oxygen it produces – flames!

So did dragons exist? You will need to come to your own conclusion. As for me, these magnificent creatures walk into real life each day as I relate their stories from the Archives.

Bound by a Dragon The Dragon Archives Book I Linda K. Hopkins Genre: Fantasy Romance Publisher: Linda K. Hopkins Date of Publication: May 18, 2014 ASIN: B00KF3TVLG Number of pages: 260 Word Count: 73,000 Book Description: At twenty-two, Keira Carver needs to find a husband, but the prospects in her small medieval village are not pretty slim. So when Aaron Drake, a handsome stranger, takes up residence at Storbrook Castle, set deep in the surrounding mountains, Keira takes notice.

Just as interesting is the fact that a fire-breathing dragon has also moved into the neighborhood, and is rumored to live in caves beneath the mountain fortress.

What exactly is the connection between Aaron Drake and the dragon? And when the dragon rescues her from the unwanted attentions of some village boys, who will set out to rescue her from the huge, scaly, fire-breathing monster?

Available for Free Amazon Kobo iTunes BN Excerpt Bound by a Dragon: Prologue Keira watched as the great beast circled slowly through the sky, blocking the sunlight for a few seconds on each turn. Fire spewed occasionally from its mouth, dissipating in the cool air before it could set anything alight. All around her people were shouting, grabbing their children and running for their homes, slamming the doors shut behind them before barring them from the inside. Keira shook her head in amusement. A mere door wouldn’t stop a dragon – it could just burn the house down! Anna was tugging on her arm, shouting at her to come, but Keira shrugged her off.

The dragon had taken up residence in the mountains some six months back, and although it was regularly seen soaring above the village, it had yet to kidnap and devour a single innocent maiden. And there were no reports of girls snatched from the other villages, either. Keira knew the stories about the last dragon that had lived in the area. For many years it had peacefully inhabited its mountain lair, until one day it had suddenly turned on the village, burning down half the homes before being killed by some brave soul. But the only questionable thing this dragon had done was to take a few head of cattle and a couple of sheep. And since the dragon always left some form of payment for the animal taken – a small

bag of gold, a few precious stones – the villagers didn’t complain too loudly. These payments always far exceeded the worth of the animal. But still, stories about dragons abounded, and the villagers were convinced that it was just a matter of time before the dragon set the village alight and snatched the village girls.

“Come on, Keira.” Anna’s words broke through Keira’s thoughts, reminding her that her parents shared the same fears as the other villagers. “Mother will be furious if we don’t get back to the house now.”

“Stop pulling me. I’m coming!” was Keira’s annoyed response. She glanced back at the sky one more time, admiring the way the scales of the dragon caught the light, throwing back a thousand rainbows against the sky. The dragon was heading away from the village, but before Keira looked away, it turned its head and seemed to look straight at her. Pulling her arm out of Anna’s, she drew herself upright and stared straight back, meeting the golden eye of the dragon before it turned its enormous body in a slow, fluid motion and lazily flew towards the mountains.

Pursued by a Dragon The Dragon Archives Book II Linda K. Hopkins Genre: Fantasy Romance Publisher: Linda K. Hopkins Date of Publication: Dec 15, 2014 ASIN: B00QPWFXBS Number of pages: 195 Word Count: 51,700 Book Description: Cathryn Forrester is a medieval business woman, the daughter of a successful wool merchant. She has been groomed from a young age to take over the family business, and has been quite content to let her personal life be directed by what is best for the business – including whom she will marry. And as a calmly pragmatic, infuriatingly stubborn and altogether practical young woman, this suits her just fine. She does not believe in love, after all.

So when Cathryn meets Favian Drake, a man who knows that love is worth pursuing, her ideas about love and marriage are put to the test. But Cathryn faces her greatest challenge when she discovers that Favian is not exactly who – or what – he appears to be. Can she learn to trust her heart and allow herself to love a dragon?

Amazon Kobo iTunes BN

Excerpt Pursued by a Dragon: “You have to come meet this most interesting man,” Peggy said softly, pulling Cathryn into the circle. “He has just returned from travels abroad, and has been entertaining us with some stories.” The bustle of Cathryn’s arrival in the group attracted the attention of the man seated in the center, and he paused to glance up at the newcomer. As Cathryn turned to look at the stranger, dark blue eyes met hers, sparkling with amusement; she felt her eyes widen in surprise.

“Cathryn, this is Favian Drake,” announced Peggy. “Master Drake,” she said, turning to Favian, “this is Mistress Cathryn Forrester.” Cathryn stared at the man sitting before her, the color rushing to her cheeks as Favian’s mouth stretched into a slow smile. Pushing himself to his feet, he made a small bow in Cathryn’s direction before turning to the people around him.

“Mistress Cathryn and I are already acquainted,” he announced to the circle. “In fact,” he added mischievously, casting a quick glance in Cathryn’s direction, “we became quite well acquainted when I rescued her, uh, derriere, from becoming too familiar with the mud!”

There was a ripple of laughter through the group as Cathryn fought the blush that rose to her cheeks.

“Really?” Peggy said, laughing. “You didn’t tell me, Cathryn!”

“There wasn’t really anything to tell,” Cathryn said with an airy wave of her hand. “The incident was barely worth remembering. My packages were quite ruined, so everything else was forgotten.”

Turning to Favian, she gave him a sly look. “So it was you who was my rescuer, Master, er, Drake? My apologies, I had quite forgotten.” She grinned as Favian gave a mocking salute of defeat. “Now if you will excuse me, I am in desperate need of some libation.” Turning on her heel, Cathryn walked away, her hands trembling slightly as she tried to calm her chaotic thoughts. Behind her she could hear her friends laughing, while someone chaffed Favian at his put-down.

A long passage ran down the length of the hall, leading to the kitchens at the back of the house. There were numerous doorways between the passage and hall, and it was to one of these that Cathryn made her way now, cup of wine in hand, as she sought a moment’s privacy to regain her composure. She had just stepped into the passage when she felt warm fingers curl around her arm. Startled, she glanced around, relaxing only slightly when she saw who it was tugging her towards a small nook in the passage.

“Oh, it’s you,” she said.

“Yes, you do remember me, don’t you?” Favian asked. The passage was dingy, with the light from the hall providing the only illumination, but even so, she could see the flash of his eyes as he spoke. They seemed to be glowing with a faint yellow light, and she stared up at him, fascinated. His hand was still on her arm, and he gently stroked her skin, his warmth spreading through her at his touch. Glancing down, he circled his other hand around her wrist below the bangle, before meeting her gaze once more.

“You were very rude,” she whispered.

“Yes,” he said, “I was. I was curious to see whether you would deny knowing me yet again. I was sure you would, and as it turned out, I was correct.” He trailed his finger around her wrist, and she shivered. “I have a theory as to why you keep denying me,” he said. His eyes seemed to glow even more as he leaned closer to her, the heat from his body touching hers. Her back was against the wall, and she pushed herself against the cool surface, trying to create some distance between them, but he followed her, bending his mouth towards her ear.

“I think it is a futile attempt to put me out of your mind,” he said softly. “I think the memory of me pursues you at every turn, just as yours does me. Am I right?”

No, Cathryn wanted to scream, but she could not make the falsehood form on her lips. Instead she stared at him mutely as he watched her.

“I thought so,” he said, with a note of satisfaction. He pulled back to gaze into her eyes for another brief moment before turning away and walking back to the hall. Leaning back against the wall, she closed her eyes, drawing in deep breaths in an effort to still her racing heart. The man is relentless, she thought. If he would just leave her alone, she could push him from her mind and forget about him. She took a deep gulp of wine before turning back towards the room.

Loved by a Dragon The Dragon Archives Book III Linda K. Hopkins Genre: Fantasy Romance Publisher: Linda K. Hopkins Date of Publication: April 28, 2015 ASIN: B00UK96U64 Number of pages: 257 Word Count: 91,600

Book Description: Love is the only thing Aaron, Dragon Master, truly fears. And when a scaly, fire-breathing monster loves a frail human being, matters become even more complicated. As Aaron faces a rogue dragon who is terrorizing the city, he and Keira must face their deepest fears about each other and themselves.

But danger is always just around the corner, and Anna, Keira’s sister, is not immune. Insecure, immature, and only seventeen, Anna has her own issues to deal with – especially when she meets Max, Aaron’s clansman. Her response to him in immediate, intense and irrational.

Will her insecurities lead her to a life of misery, or can she grow up enough to face what she really feels.

Amazon Kobo iTunes BN Excerpt Loved by a Dragon: As Anna neared the room, she could hear Aaron and Keira’s voices through the door, but a third voice made her pause. It was a man’s voice, but not Thomas. A visitor, maybe? The door was slightly ajar, and pushing it open with her hand, she entered the room, pausing once more when she saw the stranger sitting in a chair directly across from the doorway. She barely heard Aaron speaking as she stared at the man slowly rising to his feet, his gaze locked on hers. A slight smile played around his mouth, while his eyes held a challenge that Anna could not decipher. Perhaps it was the bold stare, or the challenging smile, or the graceful way he pulled himself up to his full height, but whatever it was, Anna felt a wave of dislike for this stranger sweep over her. She stared back at him, her eyes narrowing as his smile grew wider, taunting her, as though he were fully aware of the immediate, intense and irrational reaction towards him. The smile was meant just for her, she knew that straight away, a silent communication between them, and she disliked him even more for it. And she knew, with unerring instinct, that despite his appearance of youth, this was no inexperienced boy who could easily be dismissed. This person standing before her was the fulfillment of her deepest fears. A man who could easily gain mastery and control over any woman he chose. This knowledge was based on intuition, rather than rational thought – all she knew in that moment was that she hated him.

As though speaking from far away, Aaron’s voice addressed her.

“Anna, this is Max.”

“Max?” With an effort Anna pulled her gaze away from the man standing before her, but not before she saw his lips twist with arrogant humor.

“Yes. Max Brant. He will be staying at Storbrook as our guest.”

“I see.” Anna nodded as she turned back to the guest. “Max.” “Anna.” He was still staring at her, and she dragged her eyes away, biting her lip. Her name rolled off his tongue with an air of familiarity which she immediately resented, but before she could think of an adequate retort, he was speaking again. “I saw you playing in the snow earlier today,” he said. His words made her glance back at him. Was he laughing at her?

“Yes,” she said. She sat down on one of the chairs near Keira, who was watching their exchange in silence.

“You looked like you were having fun.” This time she met his gaze with narrowed eyes. He was definitely taunting her.

“Tell me,” she said, “how long will you be visiting Storbrook?”

Once again Max grinned at her, but it was Aaron who answered.

“As long as he wishes.”

“I see.” Anna turned to Keira. “When do you wish to start decorating?” she asked. Keira opened her mouth to respond, but before she said anything, Max was speaking again.

“Why do I get the feeling you wish me gone, Anna?” he asked. Out the corner of her eye, Anna could see both Keira and Aaron look at Max in surprise.

“I have no idea,” she said. “Just stay well away from me, and I’m sure we will get along famously!”

Beside her Keira gasped softly.

Max’s smile widened as he considered Anna. “Well, that shouldn’t be a problem. I have no desire to keep company with a shrew!”

Anna’s eyes narrowed again as she rose to her feet. “And I don’t fancy being burned by a dragon!”

Max took a few steps forward, closing the distance between them until he stood right before her. “Perhaps, darling, a little burning is exactly what you need! You might even enjoy it!”

Anna’s pulled her hand back, and it flew through the air to land on Max’s cheek with a resounding slap. He didn’t move, but his expression turned mocking.

“Is that all you’ve got?”

Anna gasped, and spinning on her heel, walked away from him and towards the doorway. She had only gone a few steps when she paused, then turning, stalked back to Max, stopping a few inches away as she poked her finger into his chest.

“Don’t ever calling me ‘darling’ again,” she ground out, then turning once more, marched out of the room. Her legs were trembling as she walked, while her hands shook with rage. The arrogance! The insolence!

Dance with a Dragon The Dragon Archives Book IV Linda K. Hopkins Genre: Fantasy Romance Publisher: Linda K. Hopkins Date of Publication: October 29, 2015 ASIN: B013HA3JJS Number of pages: 343 Word Count: 110,000

Book Description: When Max flew away from Anna in a blazing stream of flame, she was determined to forget the shape-shifting, fire-breathing dragon.

But five years have passed, and still his memory leaves an ache in her heart. A memory that Garrick Flynn, her childhood friend, would love to erase. When given the chance to travel to the city, the center of medieval life, Anna jumps at the opportunity. But danger and intrigue are never far away as she joins the royal court and serves as companion to the queen.

Is it possible to have a second chance at the deep and passionate love she once scorned?

Amazon Kobo iTunes BN Excerpt Dance with a Dragon: Anna was nearing the stairs when a voice made her glance around. Max was in the midst of a small group of women, Jane among them, laughing at some joke. Changing direction, she headed his way.

“Master Brant, I would have a word with you,” she said, stopping behind Max’s back. She saw one of the women raise her eyebrows, while another whispered something to Jane. Max stared at Jane for a long moment, before turning slowly from the group and looking Anna up and down. He turned back to the women.

“Ladies,” he said, “will you please excuse me. It would appear that I am wanted.” He grinned at Anna, who scowled back. He followed her as she walked away from the group, stopping when she turned to face him.

“Did you speak to the king?” she demanded.

Max’s smile vanished as he glanced at the group of women watching them curiously, then taking her by the arm, led her to the far wall.

“I did,” he said.

“Why?” “Why? Because the prince wants you in his bed, and will coerce you into accepting. How did you think he would react when you didn’t show up in his apartments this evening? Do you really think Rupert is the kind of man to take ‘no’ for an answer? He would have forced you to do his will one way or another.”

“I would not have allowed him to! I would have made sure I was never alone with him.”

“Anna,” Max said, a note of impatience creeping into his voice, “You live under the same roof as him. Would you have avoided the hall? And the passages? You enjoy roaming the gardens and the wilderness. Would you have been content to remain indoors? And even if you did manage to avoid seeing him, there are plenty of people at the palace prepared to do his bidding. Your lack of willingness to do as he wished would only have added to the thrill of the chase.”

“Well, now he intends to make me pay. The king threatened him with exile, and he is not happy.”

“Exile, hmm? The king must have a lot of respect – or fear – for Aaron if he is willing to go that far.” Anna lifted her eyebrows in unspoken question. “I reminded him that you are under Aaron’s protection, and it might be in his best interests to keep his brother’s behavior in check.”

“You should have left it alone,” she said. “Your interference has made things worse.” Max leaned closer, and she could smell the fire emanating from him.

“My interference,” he said through clenched teeth, “has saved you the anguish of being forced against your will.”

“You are so arrogant,” she hissed. “I never asked for your protection. You should have left well alone.”

“I’m being arrogant? You haven’t changed at all, Anna! Still the same foolish little girl you always were. I have saved you more times than I can remember, and you continue to look at me with disdain.” He glared down at her, and she could see the flames growing at the back of his eyes. With a low growl, he pushed himself away from the wall, and turning his back to her, strode away, flinging the door that led to the courtyard open with a hand clenched into a fist.

About the Author: Linda K. Hopkins lives in Calgary, Canada, in the shadow of the Rocky Mountains, with her husband and two daughters, but originally hails from South Africa, and also spent a few years living in England. Linda loves reading, dark chocolate, coffee and travel. Sometimes she even tinkers on the piano, but sadly, her teenage daughter is the better musician!

The Crow Box The Shadow and Ink Series Book One Nikki Rae Genre: New Adult Dark Paranormal Romance Date of Publication: January 15, 2016 Number of pages: Around 100 Word Count: 55, 323 Cover Artist: Nikki Rae Book Description: The small wooden box is dirty, the size of a human fist, and sealed with wax. When Corbin takes it upon herself to clean it and break the seal, a voice she has tried to ignore gathers strength. Shadows play on the walls at night, and with a family history of mental illness, Corbin fears the worst. But the voice tells her it is real. That its name is Six and it will prove it in time.

Drawn to this mysterious entity, Corbin isn't sure what to believe and the line between reality and her imagination blurs more every day.

Some doors should not be opened; can this one be closed?

Book Trailer: https://youtu.be/jitYSz0-9LU Amazon

For The Love Of Crows: Symbolism and Misconceptions

The first time I fell in love with crows and ravens, I was very young. I read Aesop’s fables and “The Crow and The Pitcher” intrigued me. It was a story of a crow dying of thirst and trying to drink only to find his beak could not reach the water, so he used pebbles to make the water rise so he could drink.

It wasn’t until later that I found how smart crows are in real life. In Japan, they build nests out of wire hangers. In the US, there is a crow who brings a little girl gifts. They can recognize enemies and pass down the information through generations so their children know of dangers without having to relearn everything. Only humans can do this thus far. They live in tightly knit families and know each member, using 250 different calls to communicate.

As if that wasn’t enough, their symbolism is even more intriguing.

Most people see them as bad omens of death or horrible things to come. Alfred Hitchcock’s The Birds has a flock of them appear to foreshadow later events. In many other horror movies, crows and ravens are used in the same way, smacking into windows or gathering in strange places.

However, in most cases, I think they are ambiguous creatures.

They are good and bad, and nothing at the same time. They send the message and you interpret it. In “The Crows”, by The Brothers Grimm, crows tell each other strange stories while perched upon a gallows. They end up pecking out people’s eyes, but of course they are only of the bad guys. In Norse mythology, you can find Huginn and Mununn, a pair of crows that relay information to Odin. In one of my favorite movies, The Crow, it is seen as a messenger, a being who bridges the gap between life and death. In Neil Gaiman’s The Sandman Series, crows are used to bring messages back and forth from the real world to the dream world.

I think the fear of crows comes more from the fear of the unknown. Crows cannot speak our language, so when we see them in a symbolic context, we don’t know what message they bring, but we automatically think it is bad news. Mostly, people see them as a messenger of death; they are here to take a soul to the afterlife or to tell you someone’s time is near. However, this can also be seen as ambiguous. Again, they are only the messenger.

Perhaps a better way of describing the meaning of crows is that they are a symbol of change. Change in thought, in form, or circumstance. They live with one foot in this world, and one foot in the next, or at least one different from our own. Therefore, they can see things no one has seen yet, warn you or just inform you. It is a purely human idea to think they have an agenda behind their messages; that they should have some sinister motive behind their mere presence.

There are times in the real world, where you may encounter a crow—or a few. If one is following you around, it is said that a change in negative energy around you is soon to come, or that you should just keep your eyes open to negative forces. Crows are extremely smart creatures. Maybe they have something to say that we should be listening to.

Excerpt: A tap on the window. Something that was too much like a tree branch to really draw any attention. Then it got louder. I shoved the pillow over my head, sinking its weight into the cool fabric and throwing the covers over my head for extra good measure. I almost forgot where I was until I felt the rough fabric of the blanket that wasn’t mine. I tried to open my eyes, but I didn’t care enough to exert the amount of energy it took. Instead, I rolled over, sinking deeper into the darkness surrounding me.

I knew somehow that I had slept through all the daily activities, through group therapy and arts and crafts and TV hour. I knew it was past lights out and I found myself not caring that it would all be monitored. I could stay in this room, in this bed forever. Somewhere between sleeping and waking, between my body and muddy, thick mind, I heard the voice. I couldn't understand what it said, but it was a gentle, almost cooing sound, like one a mother would use on a child who had woken in the middle of the night from a bad dream. But they were down the hall and too far away to offer me anything.

The blanket shifted and I couldn't see because my eyes were closed; the blankets and pillow still covered my head. A moment of quiet, then the mattress dipped in next to me, in front of me. My heart pounded in my head, my throat. A second later, the pillow slid from my head, but I couldn't tell if it was my own doing. My head was too heavy; my thoughts were too clogged to get one solitary explanation through.

Hush now, the voice whispered. It was right next to my ear, right next to me. I'll show you.

Yes. Show me. Show me how to be insane. Show me how to be just like my mother. I kept my eyes completely closed.

Corbin, said the voice. As much as I hated to admit it, I liked the sound of my name in its tone. I liked how it hit me deep. It was the sound of sand being blown by the sea on a windy day. It was the feeling of

fingers in your hair as you fell asleep, tangled limbs after a closely spent night. Softness and hardness of an intimate touch, one that couldn’t have possibly been delivered by anyone or anything else.

“Yes?” I hadn't realized I said the word out loud until my hot breath was bouncing back at me against the covers. I was afraid my roommate would hear, but her heavy snoring reassured me.

So you are with me, it whispered. Each word caressed my face, sent warm shivers through my skin and into the bone.

I opened my mouth to say something else, but I couldn't think of anything; I doubted I would even be able to get the words past my teeth.

Hushhhhhh, said the voice. I felt something slightly cold, yet not completely solid against my waist. It wasn't enough to make me shiver. It wasn't anything that woke me further from the drugs. My shirt slipped upward, past my belly button before it stopped.

I inhaled sharply and turned over onto my back, convinced that I was half-dreaming and if I switched positions, the dream would change just as easily.

A few moments of silence. A few moments of the tapping on the glass, the rustle of the wind outside as the rain pelted the roof. It lulled me back into comfort, back into darkness.

My little crow, crooned the voice. Again, right in my ear, right in front of my face. It made the blackness behind my eyelids shake, sprout leaves and take root. My precious petal.

I was almost unaware of the sheet moving off of me, the blankets shifting until I heard them rumple into a careless pile on the floor. My face became warm, the smell of damp dirt in my nostrils, the sound of static electricity zipping through my brain, setting off synapses to synapses.

“What are you doing?” I whispered. But my voice sounded so far away, like I was standing on top of a very high tower and trying to make my words heard to people down below.

I felt my hair being moved from my forehead, then a small, sweet amount of pressure applied there.

Kissing you, my love.

I liked the gesture. It overrode any logic, any sense of self I could bring forth from the darkness.

“Why do you only kiss me at night?” I whispered.

Another small peck, warm and then cool against my cheek. I am strongest at this hour. The words slithered around my skin, crawled to the back of my skull like some creature that had suddenly sprouted legs.

And you are most open to me.

“Open?” I asked, my head swimming with medication, my eyes glued shut, my body heavy with sleep that had yet to come.

I felt the slight breath of an amused, silent laugh. Yessssss, the voice whispered. Open, my crow.

I opened my eyes, but I was only met with darkness. I knew that it was all in my head as the dim room spun around me, but I didn't care. I didn't want to think about it or what it meant. It was easier to pretend. If I was the only one who knew, I was the only one who knew the truth. I couldn't be losing my mind if I was so in control of it.

About the Author: Nikki Rae is an independent author who lives in New Jersey. She explores human nature through fiction, concentrating on making the imaginary as real as possible. Her genres of choice are mainly dark, scary, romantic tales, but she’ll try anything once. When she is not writing, reading, or thinking, you can find her spending time with animals, drawing in a quiet corner, or studying people. Closely.

Website: http://www.nikkiraeauthor.com/ Blog: http://nikkixrae.blogspot.com/

The Astronaut’s Princess Cosmic Cowboys Series Episode 2 Lisa Medley Genre: Science Fiction Romance Publisher: Big Cedar Date of Publication: 02/16/16 ASIN: B01AKHG5KG Number of pages: 111 Word Count: 33K Cover Artist: Sweet ‘N Spicy Designs

Book Description: Astronauts, Aliens, and Apaches? What could possibly go wrong?

Working for a billionaire space entrepreneur has its perks: a nice paycheck, free room and board, and all the space flight hours a guy could want. But everything has a price. Astronaut Noah Wright has survived an alien attack, time travel and a wormhole, but the Apache princess he brought back through time may be the death of him.

Ela, only daughter of Chief Itza-Chu of the Mescalero Apaches, finds herself out of place and out of time. Everything she knows of her early 1800’s life has vanished. Her savior and protector, Noah, is kind, but he’s not her family and certainly not Apache. Her only wish is to get home, but returning through the wormhole that brought her to the future threatens more than her past, causing her to have to rediscover what home really is.

Amazon To the Moon and back…THE ASTRONAUT’S PRINCESS Sexy ScFi Adventure I did a lot of research for my Cosmic Cowboys Series and came across tons of crazy posts. But this little video is so weird, I had to share it. https://youtu.be/fu60obhIGro You see, the main impetus behind the Cosmic Cowboy Series is that a bazillionaire wants to be the first to offer space travel and build a hotel on the Moon. Along the way to fulfilling his dream, lots of things go wrong. Things like wormholes and time travel and aliens and…well, I’m not going to give it ALL away.

Did you know that there have been several companies working toward those goals of space tourism and moon hotels? Every few years, another one announces their intentions. Remember the promises of jet packs? I’m still waiting on those.

Check these out: What happened to Hilton’s ‘hotel on the Moon’?

Space Vacation: Orbiting Hotel Ready For Guests by 2016 Flights of Fancy: Virgin Galactic Plans Space Hotels, Day Trips to the Moon Are you ready to sign up? Perhaps an armchair adventure would be better?

Brace for impact. The Astronaut’s Princess is landing on Amazon & Kindle Unlimited Feb. 16.

Excerpt 1 Chapter One SpaceXport Base Antigravity Bay, New Mexico – the near future “Use the grab bars, Carlton. You’ll never make it to the cargo bay without using the grab bars,” Noah Wright instructed through the intercom to a struggling member of his astronaut training class.

These folks were engineers and scientists, yet the very basic, common sense tasks were somehow the most difficult for them to grasp.

“Stop spinning, Ramirez. What are you? A trapeze performer?” Noah turned the dial on the antigravity control panel. “Prepare for gravity. That’s it for today.”

The class of five settled ungracefully to the ground.

Rookies.

This team tested what remained of his patience. The only saving grace was the first crew was already working on the hotel pod construction. This group? These guys wouldn’t have lasted two months in the NASA program. Noah pinched the bridge of his nose, willing the headache pounding behind his eyes to go away.

Not my circus. Not my monkeys.

Except they were.

The door behind him opened, and Noah closed his eyes tighter, not turning. “Captain? You have a call from sick bay. It’s Ela,” the intern said.

Of course it’s Ela. Ever since they’d returned through the wormhole with the Apache princess, his literal and metaphorical headaches had begun. Technically, she wasn’t his responsibility. His morality insisted otherwise. He’d been at her bedside for weeks after their return, nursing her back to health. She had begun to recover quickly from a severe case of measles after the first round of vaccines. Considering the shape she’d been in when they’d arrived home, she wouldn’t have made it another week in her time. Hell, she wouldn’t have made it in his time, forty years ago. They even had a vaccine for cancer now. Medicine had come a long way. Physically, she’d recovered. But mentally? Emotionally?

Apparently being dragged more than two hundred fifty years into the future from her 1800s New Mexico home and tribe was going to take longer to adjust to.

Hell, he got it. He did. When they’d landed in the desert and into the past, he’d been overwhelmed and confused.

He was currently one of three people on Earth who understood her predicament, but that didn’t make her any more cooperative.

You could take the princess away from the Apaches, but you couldn’t take the Apache out of the princess.

“Captain?” the intern repeated.

“I heard you. I’ll be there in a minute.” The door clicked closed behind him, and Noah took a deep breath. He waited for the training class to clear the hallway before he made his way out. Conversation was the last thing he wanted

at the moment. Well, maybe second to the last. Making the long trek to the sick bay for an earful of Apache was currently topping that list.

So far she’d lived up to his every expectation of the title of princess.

Curt. Rude. Demanding.

And 90 percent of the time, he didn’t understand a word she said.

Noah wound his way through the complex, past the construction bay where his transport shuttle was currently being filled with supplies and construction equipment. The ground crew walked with clipboards, doing their final flight checks of the supply-laden transport. Cole and Tessa were already aboard the first of the launched hotel pods, now anchored to and floating near the Moon, readying it for his arrival.

Their employer and benefactor, Duncan Janson, had carried on without them the six months they’d been assumed lost in space after their asteroid mining debacle. And when they’d returned with an alien ship shelled with platinum and a fuel hopper full of asteroid samples? The boon had provided the financial boost Janson needed to launch the next phase of his plan for space tourism.

“Captain,” a voice called from behind him.

Noah spun around abruptly. “What now?” he bit out.

The look on the intern’s face tweaked at Noah’s conscience, but he didn’t apologize. The kid was on his last nerve.

“Never mind. I’ll take care of it.” The intern slunk away, avoiding further eye contact.

Good plan.

The overhead page requesting his presence in the sick bay nearly pushed him over the edge. For a second, he considered walking out of the building, getting into the Bombardier, and driving across the desert until the blasted thing stopped.

Instead, he lowered his head and pounded across the campus to the sick bay.

To his Apache princess.

About the Author: Lisa has always enjoyed reading about monsters in love and now she writes about them, because monsters need love too.

She adores beasties of all sorts, fictional as well as real, and has a farm full of them in her Southwest Missouri home, including: one child, one husband, two dogs, two cats, a dozen hens, thousands of Italian bees, and a guinea pig.

She may or may not keep a complete zombie apocalypse bugout bag in her trunk at all times, including a machete. Just. In. Case.

Website http://lisa-medley.com Facebook https://www.facebook.com/lisamedleyauthor Twitter https://twitter.com/lisamedley Newsletter http://eepurl.com/9Zhcz Goodreads https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7824406.Lisa_Medley Google + https://plus.google.com/u/1/+LisaMedley/posts

Tell us about the role of women in your writing.

They’re strong. This is particularly true for Lea and Nieve, the two heroines of DIVIDE AND CONQUER. They’re happy to accept help, but are perfectly capable of beating the odds by themselves.

What makes DIVIDE AND CONQUER different from other books?

Many books rely on a main female character and a male character working together. The importance of female friendship often falls by the wayside. I wanted to create a book with an ambitious plot that celebrates women and their friendships. Think Lethal Weapon, or any other buddy movie, but with women, magic and a chain-smoking gargoyle.

Who are Lea and Nieve?

Lea is a physics geek who searches for meaning. She starts out as a newbie to all things magic, but proves herself to be resilient and stubborn. Nieve is a tough warrior, but over the course of the book her softer side comes through, helped along both by Lea and by a man she wishes she didn’t have feelings for.

So, what about romance?

Neither Lea nor Nieve have had typical high school experiences so their romantic entanglements throw both for a loop. Lea is too cerebral to simply fall for a guy, or at least she thought she was until she meets a certain someone. Swept away by her first real crush, she must find a way to balance who she is with who she wants to be. If anything, Nieve is even worse off. She’s a warrior, and the men she knows are put off by strong woman. The one guy who isn’t might just be the last man Nieve wants to get involved with.

Do you have a close best friend?

No. Even though most of my life my best friends were male, for a few years I did have a best female friend called Kim. She moved away from my home town when I was about thirteen and we kept in touch until we went off to college. I haven’t seen or spoken to her since. As you get older, making close

friendships gets tougher. You end up with many good friends, but this one meaningful other who is willing to accept you for who you are is a rare beast to find.

Divide and Conquer Champions of Elonia Book 1 Carmen Fox Genre: Urban Fantasy with romance elements Publisher: Champagne Books Date of Publication: March 2, 2015 ISBN: 978-1-77155-175-5 ASIN: B00U0W2BIM Number of pages: 377 print pages Word Count: 97k Cover Artist: Ellie Smith Book Description: Two women. One prophecy. Zero places to hide.

Flung from her mundane Seattle existence into a world of magic, scientist Lea struggles to make sense of a destiny she doesn’t want. The moment she finds comfort in the arms of a man who appreciates her inner nerd, a new magic sweeps the realms.

Nieve, Lea’s instructor, may be seasoned in the art of war, but she’s clueless when it comes to romance.

To save her world, she allies herself with her enemy, a kindred warrior soul, who leaves no doubt he’s after more than her cooperation.

As each tick of the clock swallows another person’s memory, Lea and Nieve will do anything to hang on to theirs, but betrayal drives a wedge in their friendship. Can they reconcile and rally the troops before the magic wipes out their pasts?

Video Trailer: http://youtu.be/jLmIiCumCQE Amazon

BN

Kobo

"Urban Fantasy doesn't get better than DIVIDE & CONQUER. Action, excitement, and 2 kick-ass heroines to root for fill this rich, complex and dynamic world. Carmen Fox does not disappoint!" ~National & USA Today Bestselling author Anna J Stewart

Excerpt: NIEVE I dropped my magical defenses, allowing my luster to envelop me in a powerful light. Without the sun’s ready supply of energy, that meant using some of my precious resources.

“Holy crap.” Lea jumped out of her bed and squeezed against the far wall of the room.

Finally, some reaction. “It’s called luster.” I twirled to prove I wasn’t hiding a flashlight behind my back. “It’s a by-product of an Elonian’s affinity with light. Anyone sensitive to magic can see it unless I suppress it.”

In my mind, rows of thick bricks piled one on top of another around me, extinguishing my luster.

“A-are you an angel?” Her airless voice barely traveled the distance between us.

I kinked back my head and laughed. “Definitely not.”

She unglued herself from the wall and took a few steps toward her bed. “You said I’m an Elonian. Why don’t I shine?”

“You can’t see your own luster, but it’s there. Without the training to suppress it, you’re a living flame to the Shades. It’s the reason they call us Sparks. It’s also how they’ll identify you. You know, before they kill you.”

Lea picked up a sweater from the floor. Her focus went distant, no longer in this world.

Something I’d said must have triggered a switch in her brain. Not a day too soon.

I trotted to the corner by the window and picked a collection of stuffed animals off the armchair.

From the deep V between Lea’s brows, I concluded her thought processes weren't going anywhere fast.

Once the toys occupied the windowsill, neatly arranged by height, I sat.

With her dark lashes, a tiny nose and a sprinkling of freckles, she looked so young and so…Kindred. Unexpected sadness ripped through my chest. The misery pressed onto my diaphragm, making me feel like I was an evil monster come to chop up her innocence like next week’s firewood.

Even though she was predicted to be my ally through the dark days, she was still a total stranger.

Yet her pale, elfin face stirred something in me, some glimmer of recognition, of familiarity even. My childhood friend Belinda had a similar innocence about her. She’d chew the end of her pen for hours while pondering her words. Her poems were meant to bring joy to a war-torn land. They burned with her when Galleo invaded her village.

Lea would not share Belinda’s fate. I’d see to that. By the end of her training, she’d be able to take on a whole battalion of Shades by herself. I squinted at her short stature and took a sobering breath. If not a battalion, then a group of ten.

About the Author: Carmen Fox is an Amazon no. 1 bestselling author in the vampire and werewolf mystery categories for her book Guarded (The Silverton Chronicles). Guarded was also the Amazon no. 1 urban fantasy novel in Australia.

She lives in the south of England with her beloved tea maker and a stuffed sheep called Fergus. An avid reader since childhood, she caught the writing bug when her Nana asked her to write a story.

She also has a law degree, studied physics for a few years, dabbled in marketing and human resources, and speaks nativelevel German and fluent Geek. Her preferred niches of geekdom are tabletop games, comics, sci-fi and fantasy.

Website: http://www.carmen-fox.com Twitter: @authorcarmenfox Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Divide-and-Conquer/557838687668817 Book page: www.carmen-fox.com/dac Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/25032954-divide-and-conquer Happy Tails and Tales Reviews Divide and Conquer by Carmen Fox Reviewed by Maghon Thomas Maghon’s Review So, I discovered this author with her book Guarded. I also found out this was her second book published- not first. Well, who cares because ALL HER BOOKS ARE AWESOME!! LOL I must say, the reason I am mentioning this is because I totally grabbed this book because I loved Guarded to much. Goes to show you, if you skip out on something you think is blah, you really might be missing out. Because I loved this one just as much. For different reasons. First, I loved that Lea is a geek, a nerd, a sciency girl who literally studied her whole way through college. She has no relationship experience, and she wants her life to fall into place right now, only to learn that doesn't quite happen.

THEN, gets her world tumbled when she finds out about real magic- to her dismay of science LOL And Nieve, she's a warrior, she is hard core and serious- until Lea and Kieren come into her life and basically blow all of that thought out of the water. LOL Let me see if I can tell you things without spoilers. Lea is needed in Nieve's world because she's part of a prophecy to save the world... Lea takes a long time to come to terms with what she needs to do.

Literally, she kept almost dying for good before she figured some of this out. Nieve poor girl, was stuck battling for her because she needed to protect, train, and ready Lea. LOL Yet they balanced each other

out and became friends. When Lea was naive and stunted, Nieve stepped up and filled in the blanks.

When Nieve misstepped, Lea covered for her. I LOVED their friendship and how is developed. Each learning and growing from each other. I of course loved our manly counterparts as well. King Tristan and Prince Kieren are freaking hawtness on a stick. But my favorite might be Markus. Yeah the real bad boy is always the one we all want LOL Tristan was freaking stubborn, Kieren sometimes a little too broken, and yet they each balance Lea and Nieve as well. AND Markus, well, something about him tells me he's going to be in the running of something crazy in the future and I seriously can't wait to see who comes out on top of that. I do not see love triangles or anything before you get your panties bunched, LOL I see him finding his own nice lady :) The world building and lore this one follows is fantastic!! Really, light and dark, cuz it's not always good vs evil. You see, you can't have the light at the end of the tunnel without walking through the dark tunnel first. Yes, there were some bad shades (dark) but there were also some good one... and there were some bad sparks(light) as well. And I liked how it all blended and how they really were all connected. The characters are excellently written. And trust me, you won't be able to put this one down.

I about died- with Lea- several times. I mean seriously! She is just.... yeah. LOL And Tristan- I may have tried to slap him a few times. Kieren... I wanted to punch him as well. And Nieve- I almost had to throw a knife at her. And yet, I have completely fallen in love with them all. And beyond Markus being my favorite book boyfriend, Kirk is my favorite character! Oh yeah, he takes the cake and cracked me up!!

The writing is flawless. Everything the author did was great and the literal lines of plot to climax or epilogue was excellent. I am seriously a fan of this author now and I cannot wait for her to give me the next book in this series as well as the next book in her other series. Oh yeah, she's now on my must have list!!

An EXCLLENT 5 PAWS!!

Originally posted at http://happytailsandtales.blogspot.com/2016/01/divide-and-conquer-by-carmen-fox-w.html

Halloween in New Orleans, where anything can happen including love and magick.

Eternal Desire Roxanne Rhoads Publisher: Bewitching Books Release Date: April 14, 2015 (2 edition) ASIN: B00VWIQGFM Paranormal researcher Liz Beth's dreams are haunted by a sensual vampire.

She arrives in New Orleans the week of Halloween in search of her elusive dream lover, but instead finds a handsome stranger.

They begin a passionate affair. Soon she is torn between dreams and reality, lost somewhere in the middle trying to regain reason.

She aches to find the vampire of her dreams but can't seem to break free of the spell her sexy stranger has her tangled in.

Eternal Desire is available at the following ebook retailers Amazon iTunes Scribd Inktera Kobo Nook

LizBeth and Christien are back in Haunting Desire, Book Two in the Desire Series.

Haunting Desire Desire Series Book Two Roxanne Rhoads Genre: Paranormal Erotica Publisher: Bewitching Books Release Date: February 5, 2016 Book Description: Welcome to the Inn of Amorous Apparitions where your every libidinous longing can be fulfilled by sensual spirits.

LizBeth has been hired to use her ghost whispering skills on the specters at the Castle Inn, but instead of banishing the seductive spooks Barbara, the Inn Keeper, wants them to "come out and play" with her special guests.

The Castle Inn is set to become the destination for the ghost sex fetish crowd. But first LizBeth has to convince the voluptuous visions that it is alright to participate in spectrophilia fun with the guests.

LizBeth has a special talent for seeing and communicating with ghosts but these enchanting ethereals are not cooperating with her, or her vampire boyfriend, Christien.

Something odd is fueling the raunchy wraiths and they have to discover the power source or risk leaving a customer unsatisfied.

But there's more to this haunting than the average ghost. Will LizBeth and Christien be able uncover the mystery of this sexy haunted mansion?

Amazon

BN

Kobo

iTunes

Roxanne Reviews Fire Touched by Patricia Briggs Rating: 5 of 5 stars Mercy Thompson is back in another non-stop adventure that leaves you turning pages until the end...and then you want more.

Fire Touched brings in characters we have seen previously in the books of the Alpha and Omega series and in Shifting Shadows: Stories from the World of Mercy Thompson. I love how Briggs stays true to her world and brings everything together. While the two series and the spin off short stories may be told from different characters POV and have a different voice, they all tie into this world and play a part in the big picture. If you have read all the books and short stories, you feel the puzzle pieces fitting together as you read Fire Touched.

But don't worry if you haven't read the the spin offs, you'll still get through just fine on the Mercy books alone without feeling like you're missing something.

Fire Touched opens in the Hauptman household. Mercy awakens from a nightmare, she feels that something bad is coming. Is it a premonition or just a nightmare? With Mercy you never know.

Either way life goes on as usual for the werewolf/coyote/human filled household- which means there is drama, power plays, and much supernatural mayhem.

Mercy and Adam simultaneously receive calls that something big is wreaking havoc on the bridge and humans are at risk. They are needed in town. Turns out it's a rampaging troll....a really big troll and Mercy and the pack need to stop it.

The troll is just the tip of the proverbial iceberg of what the Fae have in store. Tensions between the Fae, humans, and other supernatural factions have been growing more tense with each book. We're now on the verge of all out war. Now Mercy's pack has things the Fae want, mainly the fire touched child that lived in Underhill for centuries. He's come to them seeking protection from the Fae. By offering the child protection, the pack now has a big Fae target on their back. And they have to protect themselves because no one else is coming to help. The Marrock has to distance himself from their pack so an all out war doesn't happen between werewolves and Fae, something Bran's been working hard to prevent.

The pack has to come together and be united or they won't survive. Mercy grows into her place in the pack and the pack member dynamics continue to evolve- and Mercy's relationship with Adam continues to grow as we see more of the depth of their bond. This is all showcased while they fight to do what's right and to survive the consequences of their actions.

Full of emotion and a roller coaster ride of action and adventure, Fire Touched will not disappoint.

Roxanne Reviews Grave Visions by Kalayna Price Rating: 5 of 5 stars This book was a long time coming but finally....it's here. I was lucky enough to receive an ARC from the publisher. I was so excited I put aside the book I was reading and cracked this one open immediately.

I was not disappointed.

Alex is back and in more trouble than ever. Her newly discovered Fae heritage is draining her She needs a tie to Faerie to keep her alive but who should she trust, who can she tie herself to? The Winter Court? The Shadow Court? Everyone seems to want her for her planeweaving abilities but she can't afford to align herself with the wrong Fae. Poor Alex, her world is exhausting - trying to navigate her ties to Faerie, solve cases, raise shades, be a part of Tamara's wedding, and keep her love life straight (as she's currently twisted into an odd love triangle).

Her love life is so messy. She's involved with Death, yet really knows nothing about him and she still has feelings for Falin but can't trust him because he is bound to the Winter Queen as her Knight- and he's currently sleeping at Alex's place because he was ordered by the queen to stay where Alex stays. Awkward situation when her current lover, Death, shows up. Yikes.

Adding to Alex's non-stop to-do list, is the police. They call her for help on a weird new case that turns out to be tied to Faerie and quickly becomes tied to Alex. She has to find out who is behind the new glamour laced street drug, Glitter...her very life depends on solving this case.

Twists, turns, and dramatic action ensue...as the clock ticks. Alex is fading fast. Can she solve the case before fading...or before the Winter Queen decides Alex is a threat that needs to be eliminated?

Totally worth the wait. I am glad the author was finally able to complete this book and I hope more are in the works.

Price's world is unique, an intriguing orginal world of Fae, magic, and witches that I can't get enough of.

She blends fantasy and urban fantasy with a touch of paranormal romance seamlessly. Every book will make you want more.

Roxanne Reviews The Witches of Echo Park Books 1 and 2

By Amber Benson The Witches of Echo Park by Amber Benson My rating: 4 of 5 stars A very solid start to a new urban fantasy series.

Lyse gets thrown into a world she had no idea existed but for the most part she takes things pretty well and goes with the flow.

Until bad things start happening and old truths are revealed.

Full of twists, turns, flashbacks and multiple viewpoints the book can feel a it surreal and downright confusing sometimes. A few things felt "off" for me, but the overall reading experience was still good.

If a book is really bad it becomes a DNF, this wasn't close to that, just a few "what?" moments, a couple I even had to re-read just to make sure I understood it correctly.

All in it has solid worldbuilding and well defined characters- that will make you want to read book two.

The Last Dream Keeper by Amber Benson My rating: 4 of 5 stars Hearts will be broken, lives will be lost, atrocities will be done.

That's a quick description of The Last Dream Keeper, just be aware that the heart broken may be yours especially if you become invested in characters like I do.

Book One of The Witches of Echo Park was dark, but book two knocks it out of the well lit park straight into dark urban fantasy filled with wretched nightmarish scenarios and death. Book one set us up with characters and back story then book two drops us into the world right where book one left off- and it just keeps getting darker.

The Flood isn't coming, it's here and it is killing witches old school style- murder, burning at the stake, and that's just the tip of what they are doing. Torture, experiments...the things are awful...but yet we still never get a clear picture of what The Flood hopes to

accomplish.

What really is the point of the experiments and horrible things they do to the witches, revenge, pleasure?

Obviously they are bat shit crazy but how did they infiltrate the Witches Council so fully and completely?

How did they fool powerful witches and fill their ranks?

That leads me to something that really bothered me...when you are part of a secret group, a secret powerful group, you usually don't trust as easily, take things at face value, or go against your people but the characters here are so easy to fool, easy to trick, and easy to mind control it makes me want to slap every single one of them. I think they all play the fool and that just doesn't work well for me.

I zipped through this book fast because I was invested in these characters and I needed to know what was going to happen. But the end left me rather confused and unsatisfied. I have more questions than answers.

I hope we get to see book three and some solid answers.

When in Gnome Gnome Sweet Gnome Book One Emily Night Genre: Paranormal Romance Date of Publication: September 28, 2015 ISBN: 1515387747 ASIN: B017YGK0WU Number of pages: 355 Word Count: 90,674

Book Description: Evangeline Black quickly becomes entangled in the magic that thrives in Gnome, Mississippi, when she spontaneously shifts into a wolf only hours after arriving.

Her life is out of control, and she has to rely on the kindness of strangers: the psychic caretaker of the lovely antebellum home where her mother was born, the sheriff who practices his own version of Native American-inspired magic, and a rocker werewolf. While she struggles at the bottom of the magical learning curve, it becomes apparent that someone is stalking her.

Evangeline quickly learns two things about Gnome. The first is that anything is possible. The second is that magical creatures are much less enchanting when they want you dead.

Amazon Excerpt 1 Ben never showed as he had promised, and when I shifted in my sleep, I was apprehensive at the thought of facing the night alone. As I flew past Daniel in the living room, I noticed a look of concern on his face, and the words “be careful� were stretched into a long, low mournful sound.

Once I hit the outskirts of the yard and had officially entered the woods, I had the strong sensation of being followed. There were shadows slipping in and out of my peripheral vision, and birds and small animals burst out of their hiding places around me for no apparent reason. I tried to outrun the feeling, but it stayed with me.

The moon above me was full, and I raced across a landscape of brightly contrasting moonlight and shadows. I knew I was being followed by something Other, shrouded in the shadows of the trees, and I left the woods and bounded toward the meadow in hopes of losing it. However, the sensation of being followed did not dissipate. Rather, it seemed as if the Other merely took another form and took to the sky. My eyes could not detect it, but I knew it with every ounce of my being, and my fur was crawling up my spine.

I crossed the meadow and entered another part of the woods. My energy was waning, but I was afraid to turn back since I was certain that I was being followed. I began to wonder if the Other following was my father. I also wondered what happened to Ben to prevent him from coming. While I was pondering all of these things and running blindly, another figure stepped directly into my path.

I skidded to an abrupt halt. A shard of moonlight slashed through the trees and cast the figure half in light and half in shadow, and the half in light was definitely not human. His skin was lumpy and blotchy. His face was distorted like a hairless animal with black eyes deeply recessed in pits and a lipless grin that revealed an irregular row of jagged teeth.

I did not bother trying to read his aura.

Slowly and deliberately, the figure brought up his arm, and my fur stood up as I realized that he was holding a gun and about to shoot me. With my heart pounding, I was trying to decide my next move when the shadow that had been following me came barreling over my head. I saw nothing more than a black blur topped by a streak of gold as the Other launched into the other Other. The arm holding the gun was thrust straight up, and the tree limbs exploded as the gun when off. The two figures fell in a tangle, and both were soon swallowed in darkness. I heard a series of growls, but I could see nothing. I decided that right then was a good time to make a hasty exit while they were both distracted.

I raced back across the meadow toward familiar woods, but I must have veered too far left, for I once again found myself in the strange woods where I had been two night ago. Recognizing the trees and the heaviness of the air, I tried to turn right to compensate for my error, but soon I was facing an unfamiliar stream that cut through the woods. I approached the stream, which seemed clean and clear, and was taking a tentative sip when I heard a growl and realized I had company.

I looked up to find myself facing two other wolves. Real wolves. I had no idea we actually had wolves in Mississippi. Their teeth were bared as they inched closer.

This so reminds me of high school, I thought, but the funny thought was of little comfort as they continued to close in on me. I was considering making a break and running when I heard another growl coming up from behind me.

When I turned, I realized that not only was the third wolf baring his teeth at the first two, but he was so much bigger. He stalked past me and put himself between me and the two wolves. As I backed away, he charged across the stream. All three wolves became entangled and rolled in a moment of snapping and growling, but the first two broke away and, quickly determining that they were overpowered, beat a retreat away from the stream.

The large wolf turned toward me, and I was poised to run again when I realized that he was less wolf than they were and more Other. As he walked slowly toward me, he looked at me with eyes that seemed almost human in their expression, as if asking if I was okay.

Thanks. I projected the thought toward him, but he gave no acknowledgment.

For a long moment, we stood contemplating each other. Eventually, I gave up trying to communicate and turned to make my way back to the house. It had been a long and tiring night, and I was already looking forward to the legendary bathtub and maybe even a light midnight snack before crawling back into bed. I realized the Other wolf was following me, although he kept his distance and didn’t seem to pose a threat. I stopped occasionally and turned to regard him, but he stood there, tongue hanging out, reminding me of those persistent guys with every lame pickup line you’ve ever heard—usually freshmen. Just sayin’.

Look, thanks for saving me back there, but I’m just heading home now, okay?

He closed his mouth, and his eyes were wide and quizzical.

I turned back and continued trotting toward home with my new buddy close on my heels. I climbed the porch steps, pawed open the door, and turned back to look at the wolf. I hoped he didn’t expect me to invite him in.

For a moment, he watched me, and then he climbed the steps and walked over to a spot close to the door. He circled and lay down, then looked back at me. I could already imagine Daniel fussing about me bringing home a new pet.

What can I say? I thought to myself. He followed me home. Can we keep it?

About the Author: Emily Night grew up in a series of small towns in Mississippi. The youngest of four children, she dreamed of being a writer from the moment she wrote her first story in the fourth grade. At the age of twelve, she rode her bike up to the square of a small town and asked the editor to publish one of her stories. While the editor did not, he was very kind and encouraging. She graduated magna cum laude from Mississippi College and later obtained a Master's from Belhaven University. She prefers reading and writing fantasy because fantasy allows her to test the modern-day limits of what is possible.

Website: Emilynightauthor.com Blog: http://emilynightauthor.blogspot.com/ Twitter: @emilynight7 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Emily-Night-139248939764565/ Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/emilynight0010/

Amber Malloy’s Top Ten Spy Movies Spy movies leave the audience on the edge of their seats wanting more. This genre will always hold a classical feel that stands the test of time. Anything can happen and anything usually does. The formula can be different each time—or the same tried and true. Can you guess which franchise I’m talking about?

Since we all would love to save the world from imminent danger without super powers, this task would probably be impossible. However, spy movies allow mere mortals extraordinary skills in the worst of situation.

10. Mission Impossible and 007—These two franchise are old throw backs that were almost left off.

Sometimes the series hits it out of the park, like Sky Fall and Casino Royal, or falls flat like MI-2.

These oldie but goodies are a tie since we know exactly what we are getting into when we sit down to watch them.

9. Haywire (2011)—Not the best acting but the fight scenes are worth it. I’m all for girl power and Haywire definitely provides that.

8. Bourne Identity —Also a franchise, but the modern ‘flip’ shakes things up a bit more then Mission Impossible and 007.

6. Salt (2010)—Angelina Jolie revisit her spy roots in this movie with grit. It was good enough to watch a sequel.

7. All the President’s Men (1976)—The only movie on the list that doesn’t have spies but is about spying. I couldn’t resist adding this to the list, because the acting is awesome and there still a whole lot of intrigue.

5. Mr. and Mrs. Smith (2005)—This movie has action, romance, and humor. It even has Vince Vaughn in his first ‘not that annoying but still kind of annoying’ role.

4. Three days of the Condor (1975)—Another Robert Redford throwback that doesn’t end the way a spy movie should … or maybe it does. Trust me and put it on your Netflix list to find out.

3. Safe House (2012)—This movie, with Denzel Washington and Ryan Reynolds, is a tricky spy movie in which the audience couldn’t care less who they should root for. Usually we want the good guy to win, but that bad guy seems to be all right, too.

2. Confessions of a Dangerous Mind (2002)—This one is a hoot. Sam Rockwell knocks this mindblowing ride out of the park. In fact, this movie was so good that many people had to ask if the dude from the Gong Show really was a spy or not.

1. Argo (2012)—Another must see, this Ben Affleck film was good from beginning to end. This one is even based off of a true story.

Spies R Us Amber Malloy General release: February 2, 2016 Genre: Erotic Action Adventure.

Publisher: Totally Bound

Book Description: The top African American spy, Eden Morgan, was living the good life…

Days away from permanently leaving the spy game, Eden Morgan plan of being a stay at home mom goes up in smoke. Number one on the Russian hit list, Eden must leave her beautiful family and figure out who’s trying to kill her.

Unfortunately, her agency burns her status, so what should have been only weeks on the run turned into years. Instead of accepting her fate, Eden claws her way from the dead to save the next people on the Russian’s hit list… her kids. However, after three years missing, her homecoming isn’t well received.

She finds that her awesome husband has moved on with a perky school teacher; not to mention her twins barely remember her. With a good idea who’s behind the plot to kill them, Eden must navigate car pool lanes, bitchy moms, and one angry, sexy husband.

By definition, Vann Morgan was charmed. One gorgeous wife and twins, and the most difficult thing in his life was reconstruction of his Chicago brownstone. Unfortunately everything changes when his lovely wife disappears and no one but him seems to care. After some years, Vann makes a new normal as a single dad, but his routine is blown apart when his long lost wife comes back. Unable to trust Eden with his heart, he soon uncovers that everything surrounding her disappearance was all his fault.

Amazon

Totally Bound

About the Author Amber Malloy dreamed of being a double agent but couldn't pass the psyche evaluation. Crushed by despair that she couldn't legally shoot things, Amber pursued her second career choice as pastry chef. When she's not writing or whipping up a mean Snickers Cheesecake, she occasionally spies on her sommelier. Amber is convinced he's faking his French accent.

Website www.ambermalloy.com Twitter @authambermalloy

Near The Wild Maureen Willett Genre: paranormal romance or historical fantasy Publisher: independent Date of Publication: June 27, 2015 ISBN: 9781524209926 ASIN: B010JLKZZY Number of pages: 229 Word Count: 82,500

Book Description: Cowboys and leprechauns both occupy Maeve MacKeighry's world in 1870, and she must decide which will win her heart. Leprechauns are feared, even in Ireland, but that doesn't prevent Maeve from striking up a friendship with one who lives near her village. But once Maeve becomes a young woman, the local villagers start to gossip, especially since the MacKeighrys are known to practice magic in their home. It's just for entertainment, but the town folk don't see it that way. Rather than be outcasts, the MacKeighrys set off to America to homestead in Kansas, vowing to leave their magical ways and friends behind. Little do they know that Maeve's friend follows and protects them on their journey.

The MacKeighrys encounter many adventures along the way to Kansas, only to find a simple sod house on their new farm at the end of the journey. The untamed land offers a fresh start for the family, as well as two very interesting men who both compete for Maeve’s attention. Pretty young women in a wild western town are a rarity. But can she forget her magical friend, and turn her attention to two of the most interesting men she has ever met? Perhaps cowboys and outlaws have a certain charm that a leprechaun doesn't, after all.

Most of the novel takes place in Kansas in 1870 and is based on the author’s family history. The idea of the MacKeighry’s sod house came from the home of Willett’s great grandfather. She was lucky enough to visit it as a teenager before the house was destroyed. One of the characters, Nikki Fuerst, is based on an ancestor, a prince from Austria who was disinherited for marrying a commoner and sent off to America. Stories Willett has been told her entire life about her family’s history and traditions, such as levitating tables, are included in Near The Wild.

Amazon Excerpt: Leprechauns were feared, even in Ireland. Of course, Ma and Da denied that we were related to the magical people in the forest, the sidhe, but there was no denying that the other good families in our village of Clonmel didn’t know how to do the things we did.

Ma would shake her head and tease us, calling us leprechauns whenever we asked if we could play our favorite game. But then she would close the shutters so the fun could begin. Surely none of our neighbors should see us huddled around a table that was two feet off the ground. It was just a fortune-telling game to us. We’d make the table rise into the air merely by thinking it should do so, and then we’d ask it simple questions. The hovering wooden table would tap one of its legs on the floor to answer, once for “yes” and twice for “no.” As our confidence grew, our questions became more outlandish, making my younger brothers giggle until tears poured down their faces.

I’m not sure where that game came from, but I do remember Ma playing it with her sisters, too, whenever we all got together for holidays, and such. My brothers and I would watch in fascination because my mother and aunts were so much better at it than we were. The table would rise much higher and then pound out the answer to the “yes” or “no” question posed to it. None of us children understood the implications of what we were witnessing. But the elders of the village and church did.

Then, there was the business about Finn and me. I didn’t think anyone outside our family could see him, so as we got older I got lazy about keeping our friendship secret. We began to venture out of the thick forest, where we had played since we were babes, and sit together in the meadow on the

outskirts of Clonmel. We’d lie back and let the tall, green grass engulf us. Finn would make fun of some of the townsfolk to make me smile.

I soon learned my mistake. One day, the baker’s wife marched into the middle of the town square to point her finger in Ma’s face, making a holy show of herself and poor Ma. The sour-faced woman said I was inviting trouble, that I’d be stolen away to the sidhe’s world, or worse. The baker always gave Ma a free meat pie when she went into the shop, while his wife watched with a scowl. I think she had it in for us.

Ma told the woman to “hump off,” much to my delight and horror, and then she demanded an apology from the fat, old crone. I received less support when Ma got me home, though. She yanked so hard on my ear, it felt like it’d come off, and the heat of her anger made her face go scarlet.

“Maeve MacKeighry,” she shouted through clenched teeth, still pulling my earlobe, which I feared had now been deformed forever. “I’ve had enough of your sprite! You will not see him again, or so help me Lord Jesus!” When Ma took the Lord’s name in vain, it was serious business.

But we both knew Finn could not be so easily discarded. He was a wild spirit, full of good intentions but no regard for rules, or restrictions, as his kind often were. Even if I tried to avoid him, he wouldn’t let go of me.

Ma feared I’d never have a respectable suitor, even though boys in Clonmel gave me admiring glances, especially when I wore my long, thick curls loose. Ma used to say I had classic features offset by fiery hair. Although I did inherit the high cheekbones of the MacKeighry clan, I don’t quite know what she meant by “fiery” since my hair was more brown than red. In either case, boys did look my way whenever I passed by, but none approached me. Maybe because my stride wasn’t as dainty as most girls looking for husbands, or maybe because of the challenge they saw in my green eyes. Most likely, though, it was because they’d heard the whispered tales about Finn and me.

Then the whispers became more frequent. Villagers stopped knocking on our door. Rumors of witchcraft started to spread. Never mind that the baker’s wife was the culprit, it still made townsfolk turn away when we walked down the street to church. When Father Donoghue shunned our family after Sunday mass more than once, Da left to start a homestead in Kansas.

Ma said they were giving away land in America. It might as well be on the moon for all I cared.

And the land must not be worth much if they were giving it away for free, I figured. Nevertheless, some months later, we followed.

“The Lord is giving us a chance at a better life in a new country,” Ma told us all one rainy afternoon. The weather made us housebound, so we begged to play with the table. “None of our games will be allowed in our new home. We’ll have a fresh beginning, and one without the ways of leprechauns,” she had said with a pointed look in my direction. ### I can still see myself as I was in 1870 at the dawn of becoming a woman, standing on the deck of the Belle Asisse in high hopes for our adventure, feeling the ocean wind whip through my hair more forcefully than it did the patched sails overhead.

As I looked out at the green waters of the Atlantic, I hoped we would sight land soon. I wanted to feel solid ground beneath my feet and get off that moldy, old ship. Finn said I looked tired, and he was right, too. How could I sleep sharing a bunk with four of my brothers? Even though they were all younger than me, they were tall and took up too much room. I’d sleep on the floor, but the rats or roaches might get me. The bay leaves and garlic Ma put around our two bunks didn’t keep the vermin away, and things grew larger in the dank air.

The sudden laugh in my left ear startled me out of my thoughts. It seemed closer than it should be, because no one stood next to me at all. I looked around, wondering if it had been the howling of the wind, but then the sound came again. Something was playing tricks on me, but it wasn’t the wind.

“Finn!” I tried not to call his name. I didn’t want anyone to know he was onboard. It was supposed to be our secret, but he took many chances by going on deck in daylight.

I whirled around when the laugh came again, only this time it was behind me. A flash of raven black hair was all I spotted before he disappeared, but it was enough to make me go down the stairs to the sleeping quarters below. The smell of musty wood and unwashed bodies assaulted me. I wouldn’t be able to catch him, so I hoped I could trick him instead. I ran down the stairs and through the maze of wooden bunks. Some were occupied but most were empty. The deck was crowded in the afternoons with passengers getting a few hours of fresh air, so I jumped over empty bed after bed and ran to the darkest corner. I knew it well, and so did Finn. We’d met there almost every night after Ma and the boys fell asleep.

I gasped for air as I collided with a barrel and almost fell to my knees, but he put his hand out to keep me from doing myself real injury.

“You need to be more careful, darlin’ girl. Don’t run so hard. You’ll burst your laces,” Finn said with his bewitching smile that made his crystal-clear aqua eyes sparkle. “Young ladies shouldn’t play so rough.”

I pulled away and socked him in the shoulder with my fist, making him wince for just a second.

Then he smiled again.

“Although, you are good at playing rough,” Finn said as he rubbed his shoulder.

“What girl with six brothers isn’t?” I flashed a smile at him, trying to be beguiling like the girl in the novel I’d just finished, but knowing it wasn’t working. Offending his shoulder hadn’t helped me much either.

He took a strand of my hair and twirled it around his finger, smoothing out the curl as he went.

He had impossibly long, tapered fingers. The kind any girl would envy. Then, more fingers were in my hair in a soft yet demanding way. I watched, fascinated by the way they worked their way into my curls, entwining my heart with their rhythm. I imagined those same long fingers running down my neck, unbuttoning my bodice, making a pattern on my skin. A small, choking sound escaped from my throat, much to my shame. Finn dropped my hair and backed away.

Things were changing between us, and I wasn’t prepared for it, especially the way he made me feel. I had always been the one in control, even when we were small children, but now Finn was able to set my emotions spinning with just a glance of his eyes, or toss of his glorious black hair. I tried to get my breath under control, but his perfect face with its luminous skin and ruby lips got in the way.

So, I concentrated on the dark green jewel he wore on a leather strip around his neck instead.

Finn was never without it. He’d told me before that the emerald contained what was left of his ancient soul. The jewel looked tarnished and murky, as if it had seen better days. I had suggested we polish it once, but Finn had said that was impossible and refused to talk about it further. I stopped asking about it when we were children.

He stood there watching me with his light eyes. My heart wasn’t calming down at all, so I felt the need to shift my weight from one foot to another. Then, I remembered last night and was quite pleased to feel something other than desire.

“I’m so angry with you! I don’t think we should be friends anymore!” I tried to sound steadfast in my conviction, but as he stepped closer, his sweet spicy scent made my senses spin again. I leaned against the side of the ship, wanting to feel the hardness of the wood and smell the mold that was everywhere, instead of Finnegan.

“You don’t mean that,” Finn said in a husky voice as he put a hand on each side of my head and bent in toward me. “My Maeve, you’re the center of my world. You have been since the day I first saw you in the forest. Why would you say such a thing?”

My chest heaved and fell with each breath, making my skin chafe against the course cloth of my plain gown. I longed to be free of it, but just the thought of what would happen if I suddenly stripped off my restrictive clothes made me feel faint. I swallowed hard.

“I couldn’t find you. I looked all over the ship, and waited for hours last night, but you weren’t here. Where have you been?” I asked, not wanting to sound like a petulant child, or jealous, for that matter, but I wasn’t successful. I held my breath and waited. I had never clung to Finn before. It had always been the other way around.

A flash of concern crossed his face. “I was here, while you were eating supper. But then Michael walked by, so I left. Your brothers are sentries. It’s as if they know I’m on the ship.” Finn stooped, put his lips to my forehead, and then stepped back.

The air became a bit less intoxicating as he moved away, and I could almost breathe again.

“Were you with someone else last night?” I didn’t want to ask, but it needed to be in the open. I had seen Finn looking at some of the other young ladies on board, and I wasn’t sure if it was curiosity or longing in his eyes.

All expression left his face. “Don’t ever ask me that again. I’ve been devoted to you your entire life, and that has never faltered.” His voice was low, so only I could hear it, but it was filled with emotion. “It never will.”

I nodded, recognizing the truth in his statement, and felt the blush fill my face, thankful the darkness covered it. I wanted to put my hand on his arm and kiss his cheek the way I used to, but I hadn’t felt comfortable doing that in quite some time. It would lead to things neither of us was strong enough to control.

“Maeve! Maeve!” Michael’s voice was close. It was too dark to tell where my eldest brother was. There’d be the devil to pay if he saw us together.

“I’ll be here tonight, waiting for you,” Finn said in earnest, and then he was gone. A flash of light remained in the air around me. It had an odd golden glow.

About the Author: Maureen Willett is a writer of fiction that pushes the boundaries of established genres. Her stories mostly come from her own family legends that have been passed down through generations, but then she tops them off with a twist of faery dust and angel wings.

But at the core of each story are great characters in very human conflicts that anyone will find compelling. Each novel is crafted as an experience that will take readers beyond their day-to-day lives, incorporating themes of time travel, reincarnation, and magic.

She lives in Hawaii and finds its ethereal beauty a source of inspiration for her writing. She is a former journalist, public relations professional, and media marketing specialist.

Writing fiction has been her passion since grade school.

Website: www.mwillettnovels.com Facebook: www.facebook.com/maureenwillettbooks Amazon: www.amazon.com/author/mwillett

Hot Dish By Jamie K. Schmidt The way to a man’s heart is through his stomach – or if you write horror instead of erotic, the quickest route is through his rib cage. But I’m a romance writer, so I am a firm believer that food can seduce as well as a whiff of scent on your wrist or the flash of cleavage. And if you’re reading this and you’re a man – nothing is sexier than a man who can cook. Unless it’s Channing Tatum dropping it like it’s hot – but that’s neither here nor there.

So if you want a hot night, here is a nice menu to get you in the mood: Apertif: (The Latin origin of this word is from the verb “to open.”)

Sky’s the Limit Budget: Champagne I’m Married & Don’t Have To Try So Hard Budget: Hot chocolate with a dollop of whipped cream flavored vodka. Grate cinnamon over the top.

Want a non-alcoholic version? Ditch the vodka and use real whipped cream in the hot chocolate. The cinnamon and chocolate is the aphrodisiac in this recipe.

Appetizer: Hey Big Spender Budget: Giant shrimp and cocktail sauce. Stir in an extra scoop of horseradish in the sauce. Extra points if you put some oysters on the half shell on the plate. Oysters are rich in zinc which ups the testosterone levels, as well as dopamine which stimulates the arousal section of our brains.

I Went Over My Minutes This Month Budget: Avocado halves stuffed with canned crab meat.

Avocado is also rich in dopamine.

Allergic to seafood? Try asparagus in hollandaise sauce.

The Main Course (The Main Event comes later, if you’re lucky.):

Surf and Turf is too obvious, but if steak and lobster is your thing, throw on a twice baked potato and you’re good to go. But you don’t want to overdo it on your big night. The last thing you want to be is too full of rich food to get busy. And you certainly don’t want to fall asleep in a haze of foodgasm.

So instead of being predictable, try this pasta dish. It’s called Pasta Puttanesca --which translates from the Italian as “Whore’s Pasta.” The story behind it is this is what the ladies of the evening whipped up between engagements. I’ve also heard it got its name from the fiery taste – but I like the other version better.

It’s a pretty easy recipe, you can Google it. But basically, make a pot of spaghetti or linguine. While that’s boiling sauté some garlic and add in anchovy paste, sliced black olives, capers, oregano and crushed pepper flakes to taste. Dump in a can of fire roasted tomatoes and let it simmer. Pour it over the drained pasta with some parsley and a squeeze of lemon. Parmesan cheese to taste. You can never go wrong with a freshly baked loaf of bread.

Dessert: You can’t go wrong with anything chocolate --especially, if it has a mixture of bananas and almonds – all aphrodisiacs. Do yourself a favor and make your own whipped cream. I’m a fan of Redi-whip and Cool whip – don’t get me wrong, but for the coup de grace of this dessert, whip your own. Heavy cream and cold beaters. You can add sweetener to taste, but with the richness of this dessert, you’re better off having it unsweetened.

I need chocolate or I’ll die dessert: Lava cakes smothered with homemade whipped cream and raspberries. Recipe here: http://www.food.com/recipe/individual-molten-lava-cakes-341383 If I have chocolate, I’ll use up all my orgasms: Sliced figs and bananas, drizzled with honey, sprinkled with sliced almonds. (Leave off the almonds if there’s a nut allergy.)

Digestif: Did you know Jagermeister is a digestif? Neither did I, but if you can stomach it by all means have a shot of Jager. For me, I need something a little more tummy settling before the wild thing can commence. I suggest a nice glass of port wine. I love the ruby, but the tawny is also satisfying. If you’re feeling the Italian theme from the Puttanesca, try some Sambuca in an expresso with a little lemon twist as Serge would say. Or if you’re looking for something lighter and refreshing try a glass of limoncello.

Now that you’ve finished a great dinner, hopefully you’re not too full for a night of steamy romance.

Best wishes!

Life’s A Beach Hawaii Heat Series Book One Jamie K. Schmidt Genre: Contemporary Romance Publisher: Random House, Loveswept Date of Publication: 1/5/16 ISBN: 9781101886588 ASIN: B00VZZ2PA2 Number of pages: 232 Word Count: 65,000-words Book Description: Amelia Parker has booked a two-week vacation to Maui to surprise her boyfriend on their second anniversary. She works as a concierge in a boutique hotel in Manhattan. Her boss demands she cancels her vacation because her back-up has quit, leaving him without coverage for a major convention.

Amelia won’t be able to get her money back and her boss won’t reimburse her. When she stands firm about still going on the vacation she booked a year ago, she gets fired. Amelia goes back home to her boyfriend’s apartment that she shares with him. She catches him in bed with the barista of her favorite coffee shop.

Amelia is out of a job Out of an apartment Out of a relationship And shit out of coffee When Amelia arrives in Maui, newly single and unemployed, she’s shocked to discover the resort she booked is actually a ramshackle little beachside hotel. At least the scenery is easy on the eyes—as is the toned, laid-back snorkel instructor, “Dude.” After two weeks of sun, serenity, and mind-blowing sex, she even accepts a job as the hotel’s concierge. But what Amelia really wants is to relaunch the place completely. And that means convincing the absentee Wall Street billionaire owner, Samuel Kincaide, to take a chance on her.

Samuel has a plan, too: selling off every last reminder of his former life and chilling all day, every day as his slacker alter ego . . . Dude. He loves his romps in the ocean, and under the sheets, with the feisty Amelia. If she discovers his true identity, her boundless enthusiasm and innovative business plan will seriously diminish his hammock time. But when Amelia runs into real trouble on the island, he’ll put

everything on the line to keep her safe. He just hopes that the woman who’s falling for Dude will feel the same about Samuel.

Amazon BN BooksAMillion Google Play iTunes Kobo Advance Praise for Life’s a Beach “An unputdownable, laugh-out-loud read, Life’s a Beach is filled with humor and heart.”—New York Times bestselling author Cherry Adair “I can’t remember the last book that made me smile this much. Jamie Schmidt is ridiculously talented—she does fun and flirty every bit as well as she does hot and sexy, with just right amount of emotional punch.”—USA Today bestselling author Lauren Layne

Excerpt: This couldn’t be happening to her. When she’d seen the ad for the all-inclusive resort in Hawaii last year, it had been like a dream come true. Fishing around under her desk, Amelia pulled out the brochure. It was creased and wrinkled from her having looked at it a million times. The hotel was shaped like a horseshoe around a gigantic pool and tiki bar. The beach in the distance showed cerulean blue waves with just a hint of whitecaps. She wanted to be on that beach so much, her teeth ached.

“Can you have this dry-cleaned?” A guest shoved a large plastic bag over the counter, knocking over her pirate’s chest of wrapped candy.

“Sure,” Amelia said, taking the bag. Once she got the guest’s room number and laundry preferences, she tagged the bag and called in a pickup at one of the local laundries. Then she booked a few more theater and dinner reservations and gave out some walking maps of the city. By the time she got back to her brochure, it was around three in the afternoon.

“Nine a.m. island time,” she said, dialing the resort’s number.

It rang and rang. No one picked up. No one picked up an hour later, either. Finally, around five o’clock her time, a groggy voice drawled into the phone.

“Whatchu want?”

“Um, is this the Palekaiko Beach Resort?”

“It is, sistah,” the voice said in a warm, smiling voice that made her toes tingle. “What can I do for you?”

She could almost picture him leaning against a desk like hers. Only his view wasn’t icy sleet and gray drabness, but lush greens and ocean blue. Shaking herself back into the present, she said, “I need to change my reservation.”

“I’m sorry, but I don’t know where Hani is right now.”

“Who’s Hani?” she asked.

He yawned. “He’s in charge of all that.”

“Who are you?”

“They call me Dude.”

“Seriously?”

“Ya, as in I’m the dude that teaches snorkeling. The phone was harshing my buzz, so I answered it.”

“Isn’t it before noon there?” Amelia was giddy at the thought of drinking before noon.

“It’s five o’clock somewhere, sunshine.”

That it is. She scowled at the mermaid clock on the wall. “Look, do you know when Hani will be back?”

He sighed. “No. In fact, I don’t see Kai or Makoa around either. Must’ve gone surfing.”

Amelia’s breath caught. “How are the waves, there?”

“Here, we’ve got some storm surge but down the coast there’s some beach break.”

“Are they . . . gnarly?” Amelia tried out some slang.

His husky laugh sent a shiver up her spine. “You should come see for yourself, sweet thing.”

There was one little problem with that. Her excitement deflated like a balloon, complete with the raspberry noise. “That’s actually the reason why I’m calling. I need to switch dates on my reservation. I know it’s last-minute, but my boss canceled my vacation.”

“Sounds like an asshole.”

Vindication surged through her and she looked quickly around, but the desk crew were the only ones around.

“He is,” she whispered. “He wants me to move my two-week vacation to May.” “Aw, honey, I’m afraid we can’t do that.”

“Why not? It’s all right if you have to charge me a fee.”

“Nah, you don’t understand. We ain’t gonna be here in May.” “What?” She heard a screeching sound in her head.

“The big kahuna is selling and the new owners will tear it down to build condos.”

“Oh, no!,” she said. “Can I get my money back?”

“We can credit your card.”

“No,” Amelia said. “I paid by check. Monthly. For over a year. I sent in the last payment a month ago.”

“Hm,” he said. “Well, I’m sure something can be done. The kahuna is a big shot. If you write him a letter, he can fix you up.”

Amelia’s hand was shaking as she grabbed her pen. “What’s his name?”

“Samuel Kincaide.”

“I see.” She tried to keep the tears out of her voice.

“Don’t cry, wahine.”

She didn’t trust her voice. “I d-don’t want my money back. I want to go on my dream vacation.”

“Then come on.”

“I’ll get in trouble,” she said with a watery giggle.

“I get it,” Dude said. “But your kahuna sounds like a grade-A prick.”

“So does yours.”

He barked out a loud laugh. “I tell you what—you come on down and I’ll buy you a drink.”

She sniffled. “What’s the weather like down there?”

“It’s a little chilly today. It’s about seventy-five.”

Amelia bit back a moan. Seventy-five! She had a cute little sundress all picked out that would be perfect with a little lacy shawl.

“But that’s because of the wind. Once the wind dies down later this afternoon should be about ninety.”

This time she did let out a moan.

“Where are you calling from?” he asked, his voice sounding like honey over gravel.

“Manhattan.”

“Sistah, get on the plane.” He chuckled. “That’s a no-brainer.”

“What’s the worst he can do?” Amelia said, almost to herself.

“Are you a doctor?”

“Doctor?” She huffed in surprise. “No, I’m a concierge.”

“So no one’s life depends on you while you’re on vacation?”

“I don’t even have a cat.”

“If he fires you, can you survive?”

Amelia thought about it. Jay might be pissed. Although, truth be told, he really didn’t care about stuff like that. That’s what she liked about him. There were no problems, no troubles. In fact, he had asked her to move in when she didn’t have a job, so it probably wouldn’t be that big a deal. If worse came to worst, they’d eat ramen noodles for a few months until she got into another hotel. They could rekindle their relationship over a shared misery and look over the pictures of their once-in-a-lifetime vacation.

“Sistah, you still there?”

“Unfortunately.” She sighed.

“Look, you gotta do what you gotta do. I’ll make sure the kahuna gives you all your money back. He listens to me. You got no worries. You make sure you have no regrets.”

“Thanks,” she said. While the phone was cradled between her neck and shoulders, she rubbed her arms to stave off the chill as she stared dejectedly out the window. The sleet just kept coming down in gray icy waves. “I really appreciate that.”

“I got to tell you, though, that I’ve got a bucket of Coronas just waitin’ to be shared. I’ll even throw in a free snorkel lesson. Come find me.”

“Where are you going to be?” Her mouth curved into a smile.

“In my hammock. Just ask for Dude.”

“Dude?”

“Yes, sweet thing?”

“I’ll see you tomorrow.”

“That’s my girl.”

Amelia hung up and started shaking her head. Mr. Kensington would be disappointed, but he wouldn’t really fire her, right? She was the only experienced concierge he had, and she was a hard worker. She always picked up extra shifts and never complained. So he’d have to hire a temp, or get one of the desk staff to fill in for a few days.

Most of them were native New Yorkers and could recommend restaurants. All of her contacts for shows and tours were on the computer. It was just customer service. She’d even stay extra late tonight to help train them. And she’d only be gone two weeks. It was only right that she took the vacation that had been booked and approved a year ago.

She’d earned it. And she and Jay needed it. She couldn’t even remember the last time they’d had sex. Amelia needed to put her relationship first. Straightening her shoulders, she marched into Kensington’s office to tell him the bad news.

Amelia trudged to the bus stop with all of her personal belongings in a large plastic garbage bag. She no longer cared about avoiding icy puddles, because she was already soaked through.

By the time she got off at her stop, Zarafina was long gone, and the café where Quinn worked was closed.

Too bad—she could have used another shot of caffeine. It felt like it was taking an eternity to get to her apartment.

All she wanted was a nice hot shower and to put on soft wool socks. She’d tell Jay about losing her job after Maui.

No sense ruining his fun. And if she started to stress, she’d just order more rum drinks. She deserved this vacation.

“I can’t believe that rat fink Kensington fired me,.” she told her reflection in the elevator.

Opening the door to her apartment, she dumped her belongings on the floor. Crap, she thought—she’d forgotten to pick up dinner. When she didn’t bring home dinner, Jay got cranky. Oh, well, they’d have to get delivery tonight. Thai sounded good. Or maybe a nice hot steaming bowl of pho? Squishing toward the bedroom, she heard loud moaning sounds.

“Yes, yes, yes!”

Great. Jay’s watching porn in surround sound again.

Shaking her head, she pushed open the bedroom door. Whatever witty remark she had prepared died when she realized it was live action instead of Internet porn.

Quinn in all her naked glory was bouncing on top of Jay, whose fingers were biting into Quinn’s butt so hard, he was going to leave marks.

Amelia’s feet were frozen in place. She opened her mouth to speak, but nothing came out. Tears pricked at the corners of her eyes, but as she helplessly watched Quinn working toward orgasm, she wasn’t surprised.

Hurt. Betrayed. Pissed. But not surprised.

Is it wrong that I’m madder about losing my morning coffee?

Quinn’s head tilted back as she spewed a litany of swear words. Jay lay flat on his back with his eyes closed and let her do all the work.

Typical.

It was then she realized that her relationship had problems that even Maui couldn’t solve. She didn’t love Jay; otherwise she’d be more upset. He didn’t love her; otherwise he wouldn’t be banging the barista.

“You’re going to put somebody’s eye out with those,” Amelia said, finding her voice as Quinn’s big breasts heaved up and down.

Quinn shrieked and tried to cover up.

Jay pushed her over and sat up. “Babe, you’re home early.”

About the Author: USA Today bestselling author, Jamie K. Schmidt, writes erotic contemporary love stories and paranormal romances. Her Club Inferno series from Random House’s Loveswept line has hit both the Amazon and Barnes & Noble top one hundred lists. She has two other series with Loveswept: Hawaii Heat, in which the first book Life’s A Beach will be out in January 2016, and The Sentinels of Babylon, about members of vigilante Motorcycle Club and their old ladies, which is scheduled for summer 2016. Her dragon paranormal romance series from Entangled Publishing, has been called “fun and quirky” and “endearing.” Partnered with New York Times bestselling author and former porn actress, Jenna Jameson, Jamie’s hardcover debut, SPICE, continues Jenna’s FATE trilogy.

An avid knitter and jewelry maker, Jamie is never bored. She can often be found with a mug of tea on the computer flanked by her little dogs & fluffy white cat.

You can follow her on twitter at @Jamiekswriter and her author page on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/EmergingQueens/ When she's not writing or crafting, Jamie loves playing games, everything from board games to strategy card games, console and online MMORPGs. Facebook www.facebook.com/jamie.k.schmidt.1 Twitter https://twitter.com/Jamiekswriter Goodreads http://www.goodreads.com/jamiekswriter Website http://jamiekschmidt.weebly.com/ Blog http://jamiekswriter.livejournal.com/ Amazon http://www.amazon.com/Jamie-K.-Schmidt/e/B00B7CKKO6 Pinterest http://pinterest.com/jamiekswriter/

Sabine has a chat with Balastar and Kit from Liberation Sabine: Okay guys, like it says in your trailer, yours was a slow burn kind of bond. What happened?

What took you so long to figure out you were psi-mates?

Balastar: It wasn’t for lack of trying on my part.

Sabine: That's for sure you guys were like rabbits on Balastar’s ship when you were hiding from the Torogs.

Kit: Something about the danger of the situation gave the whole thing kind of a surreal edge. Dani and Ria and I have talked about the bond thing, we have a theory.

Balastar: You’re talking about our bond with Dani and Ria? Kit: Why not? Their books came first.

Sabine: Let’s hear it.

Kit: We think it’s something to do with where you’re from. It took us so long because we have different psi. Look at Dani and Ian. Sabine: Book one.

Kit nods. Ian is a blend of Sandarian and Vertan psi. Dani of course is Vertan. It’s a mix and they fought their bond for yonks.

Balastar: Longer than us.

Kit: True, but we had 3 full days together before we split up. They had one night before Ian realized he had to fight it. Their bond’s grasp was more tenuous than ours. Then look at Ria and Ty. Sabine: Book two, Rebellion.

Kit: Are you going to mention the book every time I mention the characters?

Sabine: Um, no?

Kit: Those two are full Sandarian. They couldn’t stay apart even when she thought he was a murderer and he sort of blamed her for the death of his parents.

Balastar: That was messed up. [Glares at Sabine.]

Sabine: What? It’s not like I make this stuff up. I just write it down. Anyway, thanks for stopping by you two. Love you both *air kisses*

Alien Attachments Alien Attachments Book One Sabine Priestley Genre: Science Fiction Romance Publisher: Kensington / Lyrical Date of Publication: 8/18/14 ISBN: 978-1-61650-566-4 ASIN: B00KYUNEKO Number of pages: 208 Word Count: 75K Cover Artist: Renee Rocco

Book Description: Finding one’s psi-mate is something every Sandarian hopes for, but when Ian Cavacent accidentally starts the bonding process with the Earthling, Dani, he has to fight his desire with every ounce of his being. If the process is completed, it would be both political and financial suicide for Ian and his family.

A natural klutz, Dani somehow always manages to land on her feet and win those mixed martial arts matches she’s so fond of. At home on Cat Island her balance is thrown when bazillionaire Ian takes notice.

Unfortunately some butt-ugly Torog aliens also take notice sending her life spiraling out of control and into Ian’s arms. But Dani isn’t the type of woman to let some alien voodoo decide her future or her mate…no matter how gorgeous the man is or how much pleasure he gives her.

For centuries the Cavacents have mined Earth for a precious element, carnium, while protecting the planet from other alien species.

Thanks to the Torogs, Dani and Ian must flee to Sandaria. As Dani learns to use her newfound psi powers, the empire crumbles around them.

Will their love be strong enough to keep them alive and get them back to Earth?

iTunes

Amazon

BN Kobo

Excerpt Alien Attachments: “Earth Protector? You’re kidding right?”

“No. Pretty much what it sounds like. Cliche as it may be, we are not alone in the universe.”

Dani held Jared’s gaze. She’d heard what he said, but couldn’t process the words. They sat on her brain like little beings, patiently waiting to be let in. Knock, knock. Dani let out a nervous laugh. Maybe if I ignore them, they’ll go away. Jared didn’t blink. Or maybe not.

“So you’re not an EP?” “Nah, I’m human, just like you. I’m what they call a Support Agent, or SA for short. I do what I can for Ian and the other EPs, but I’m based with Ian.” “So you’re a spy.”

“Support agent, not secret agent,” Jared said. “Although, we are a secret.”

“You’re a spy for aliens.”

“Stop it. It’s not like that.”

Rebellion Alien Attachments Book Two Sabine Priestley Genre: Science Fiction Romance Publisher: Kensington / Lyrical Date of Publication: 10/13/15 ISBN: 978-1-61650-579-0 ASIN: B00SED1K1I Number of pages: 169 Word Count: 72K Cover Artist: Cora Graphics Book Description: Ria Montori is no stranger to kicking ass. Though petite in size, she packs a punch as a former Sandarian military officer who currently serves the Cavacent clan on a strange planet called Earth. She has no interest in seeking her one psi-mate who could bring her unparalleled pleasure through a sensual, otherworldly bond. She

has no time for a lover of any kind. So why is she lured in by the beguiling Curzan native who just killed a government official?

Ty Sordina hates Ria’s kind. The Sandarians murdered his parents while he watched and enslaved his people.

Driven by revenge, he vows that nothing and no one will stand in his way. Especially not a feisty redhead who challenges his every instinct and calls to his psi like no other.

But war is coming. And the two must succumb to temptation for only the power of their completed bond can defeat and destroy the enemy. But only if they surrender…

Book Trailer: http://sabinepriestley.com/blog/new-trailer-for-rebellion/ iTunes

Amazon BN

Excerpt 2 Rebellion It was she and Dani’s turn to hold their base. Ian and Armond flushed the surrounding area. Ian was ahead in kills, but so far, she and Dani were ahead on team saves. So as usual, the women were keeping them alive, and the guys were shooting things.

Ria wiped the sweat from her eyes. “We need to pick a desert next time. This humidity sucks.”

“You get used to it,” Dani said.

The bushes to their left rustled, and both women swung their lasers in the ready.

Ian stepped out, and Ria sparked with envy when he grabbed Dani and planted a kiss on her before he disappeared back into the foliage.

“Seriously?” Ria said. “You can’t go an hour without locking lips?”

Ian’s laughter rippled through the trees.

Dani beamed.

Ria rolled her eyes.

Another rustle, and a four-legged creature with razor sharp teeth launched itself at Ria’s chest. “Morits!” Ria called out as she sliced the critter in half.

The sound of Ian and Armond battling away let her know they’d found the nasty critters as well. Six more made it past the men. Dani made easy work of the two that had targeted her. Ria nearly made it unscathed but when four hit her at once from all sides, one managed to latch onto her lower arm. Those jaws had some serious force, and her hand popped off, dropping the creature to the ground with it.

“Aw, come on. Not fair. There were four of them.” Ria lifted up her wrist and studied the bloody stump. “Halt sim.”

Ian and Armond approached from opposite ends of the clearing, equally covered in sweat.

Dani came to her side and inspected her handless arm. “It would almost be easier if they were bigger. It’s hard to keep track of them when they’re so small.”

“Perhaps your relative height to the ground also contributed to your demise,” Armond said.

Ria glared at him. “Are you seriously going there?”

“I’m simply stating that you were closer to them than Dani.”

“Whatever,” Ria said. “Little shits. Reset sim,” she called out.

Morit bodies and Ria’s hand evaporated. The illusion of a bloody stump did, as well, and her own hand reappeared as they all caught their breath. The jungle around them melted into the floor, and they soon stood in the metal gray of the sim room.

Excerpt 3 Rebellion “I had to get away from you. From us.”

In that instant, he knew he could never let that happen. He shook his head. Her right arm was bleeding. There was a puncture wound that went all the way through her forearm and a jagged tear, or maybe bite marks, below that. “You’re a mess, Red.” A beautiful fracking mess.

She stood perfectly still as he placed his fingers on either side of the hole, her blood slick under his touch. The psi connection necessary to heal flowed through them both. He had to place his other hand against the bark of the tree she leaned against to steady himself. Once the bleeding stopped, he placed his fingers over the tear. Another deep connection to stop the bleeding, and they both moaned.

The pleasure caused by their psi connection was overwhelming. This was no mere chemistry. She was his psimate. There was no question now. Once the bleeding stopped, he let go of her arm.

Her eyes bore into him, and he was lost. He took her hand and led her deeper into the forest until he found the trail he was looking for. They followed it in silence. She never once asked where he was taking her. Their psi danced, and the tension between them increased with every step. Finally, they came to the small one-room hunting shack he’d been coming to in order to get some distance from her.

Ironic.

As they neared the porch, the moonlight caught her hair, and it blazed red. He reached out and pulled a leaf from her tresses before leading her inside.

He knew she wouldn’t protest. She couldn’t stop this anymore than he could. Their psi were deeply meshed together now and simply awaited their bodies to join.

Liberation Alien Attachments Book Three Sabine Priestley Genre: Science Fiction Romance Publisher: KAC Publishing Date of Publication: 12/1/15 ISBN: 978-1-62517-957-9 ASIN: B0157A0DP4 Number of pages: 206 Word Count: 72K Cover Artist: Nathalie Gray of Kanaxa Designs Book Description: Following the signal of foreign psi to an old abandoned building on Florin 5, Balastar Alder literally stumbles across the pugnacious raven-haired beauty, Kit Athorika.

He’s not the only one who’s looking for the mysterious portal making devices in her possession. When Torogs attack, she ports them to safety. Without the help of a single Portal Master.

Balastar offers to repay the favor by getting her off-planet and back to her own ship. Their escape is complicated when the Torog’s pursue. Forced to go silent and lay-low in an asteroid field, they have little to do.

Fortunately, the chemistry between them ignites and they find endless ways to occupy their time.

Balastar convinces her to come and meet his boss, Lord Cavacent. Recently relocated to Earth, the Sandarian clan included a handful of rogue Portal Masters. Kit has her own reasons for hating and fearing the Portal Masters, but she needs all the help she can get to save her planet. She reluctantly agrees to seek out Lord Cavacent’s help, and his connections to the Galactic Trade Organization and its powerful military.

The Portal Masters’ Guild on Sandaria has controlled intergalactic portals throughout the galaxy for centuries, and jealously guard their secrets. One of those secrets has kept Kit’s home world under quarantine for nearly thirty years. But portals across the galaxy are failing and the guild is getting desperate.

Finding themselves bonded wasn’t expected, but having a psi-mate had its advantages. Can they free an entire planet and take down a guild as old as the Masters without losing their lives?

Book Trailer: http://sabinepriestley.com/blog/liberation-trailer/ iTunes Amazon BN Excerpt 2 Liberation: "Frack, look." Kit said, pointing to the screen.

Torog ships blasted up the lines of each vector, including theirs. They were coming too fast. Before Balastar could get the required thrust needed, the Torogs scanned his ship as they passed. They slowed immediately and turned around.

Balastar watched his controls. "Three, two, one. Hold on." As soon as his engine hit the green line, he pulled out of position in the queue and shot straight up. The Gravity Modulator was engaged but the ship had to make a series of course corrections in order to avoid satellites and other low orbit objects. The seats automatically formed a cocoon around their bodies and heads, preventing whiplash. He gripped the arms of his chair and waited. Two and a half minutes later, they were clear and headed to the closest interstellar portal.

"We've got three following. Make that four," Kit said. "What do you think?

Balastar pulled up the specs for the Torogs' ships. "We'll outgun them before we'll outrun 'em."

"Can you take on four?"

"Do we have a choice?"

"Maybe." Kit flipped through nav charts with manic speed. She stopped and backed up. "How big is it?"

Her psi pulsed, and he grinned. "Pretty big."

She looked him up and down. "I meant the ship. How long is it?"

"Two hundred and twelve feet."

"That is long."

Another pulse of pleasure. If they kept this up they were going to go down fucking. Not a bad way to go, but he'd rather stick around long enough for a repeat performance.

Kit swiveled her chair to face him and leaned in closer.

Balastar met her halfway, their faces inches apart.

The brown of her eyes held specks of gold. She brushed her lips against his ear. His trousers were now far too restrictive. "And exactly how wide is it, Balastar?"

He turned his head and took a bite at the hollow of her shoulder sweeping his tongue in circles on her skin. He wanted to taste her. Everywhere. He sucked hard, leaving a mark.

She groaned. "How wide?"

"Fifty-five feet." His adrenaline was cranking.

"Yes!" With quick rapid breaths, she swung back to the console. "We'll just make it."

As much as he wanted to continue their banter, staying alive was probably the better choice. "You have a plan?"

"Depends." She gave him a serious look. "How good are you?"

Another pulse left him desperate to lose the pants or change the subject. "I can take her anywhere."

"How long can she run silent?"

"A week, maybe more."

Kit hesitated a moment before sending the data to his com. "We'll make the portal. Take us to these coordinates, and I'll guide you from there."

About the Author: A lifelong lover of books, Sabine grew up on Science Fiction, Fantasy and Romance novels. As a child she wanted to be an astronaut and travel the stars looking for aliens. As an adult she’s seriously disappointed we’ve yet to establish so much as a moon base (although she gives a hearty nod to the ISS) and is pretty sure Humans aren’t ready to meet ET. An Electrical Engineer and Cultural Anthropologist by training, she's a geek with heart. She’s lived in more states than she cares to admit and loves to travel. When not in far off lands, you can frequently find her walking the local beaches and plotting her next adventure.

Sabine lives in Florida with her husband, kids, cats and an increasingly large mess of characters in her head.

Website: http://www.sabinepriestley.com Twitter: @SabinePriestley Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100009518735387 Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Sabine-Priestley/e/B00MSZIFQG/

Instruction Book One L.M. Pruitt Publisher: SP Press Publication Date: August 18, 2015 ASIN: B00ZYJU5OI Genre: Erotica Book Description: Taylor Allerton's speakeasy is one of the hottest nightclubs in Manhattan. Young, rich, and beautiful, she can have any man she wants--and usually does.

Namir Adeem just became the youngest partner at one of the most prestigious accounting firms in Manhattan. His determination to bring honor to his family leaves no time for any relationship.

When Taylor discovers just how sheltered Namir is, she takes it upon herself to give him the education he deserves.

Some things can't be taught in school....

Amazon

iTunes Kobo BN

Instruction Excerpt: “I’m sure it’s not the first time you’ve had to dissuade a woman in a bar.”

He barked out a laugh. “Ms. Allerton, I’ve spent more time in libraries and schoolrooms than in drinking establishments. I’ll confess, if you hadn’t intervened, I’m not sure how I would have handled your friend.”

“Look, I’ve already decided to hire you, so you really don’t need to continue plugging your education.”

“I assure you, that’s not my intention at all.” He coughed and scratched the side of his nose again. “I’m simply trying to inform you, as delicately as possible, that I am not used to this sort of… open culture.”

I stared at him, working to process his words. “I’m sorry, I’m not really following what you’re saying.”

“When I say I lack experience in certain areas, I mean I… lack experience.” He leaned his head back and closed his eyes. “You do not achieve the success I have at my age without making some sacrifices along the way.”

“Oh.” As the full impact of his words sank in, my eyes widened involuntarily. “Oh. Oh, God. Now I’m even more sorry about Kennedy and how she acted and what she said and--.”

“You don’t need to apologize, Ms. Allerton. You have been beyond professional in every way.” He opened his eyes, tilting his chin down and studying me with a slight smile. “At least you have while in my presence.”

“Well, thank God we can’t get in trouble simply for having dirty thoughts.” I crossed my legs and laughed.

“Although it’s probably only me having those thoughts.”

He sat silent for long minutes before clearing his throat. “You would be wrong, Ms. Allerton.”

I lifted my brows, tilting my head to the side. “Oh?” “I hope this won’t impact our professional relationship but since you are being honest, so must I.” His gaze shifted to mine and I sucked in a breath. “I find you very attractive, Ms. Allerton.”

“In the spirit of continued honesty… my friend was right.” I picked up my glass, taking along sip of watered down tea. “I want to fuck you.”

“As flattering as I find your statement, I doubt it would be very good for you, all things considered.”

“Do you want me to teach you?” I hadn’t even known the thought was in my head until the words were echoing in the room but it was instantly an obsession. Slowly, I began sliding around the booth toward him. “I will—as much as you’re willing to learn.”

He dropped his gaze to the table, shifting restlessly. “You should check on your friend.”

“You didn’t answer the question.”

“It was a highly inappropriate question, Ms. Allerton.”

“Still not an answer.” I leaned closer, my mouth a half inch from his. “Do you want me to educate you or not?”

His lips parted on a sigh. “Yes. I do.”

“Wonderful.” I leaned back, pretending not to see the disappointment flash across his face. “We’ll start tomorrow.”

Demonstration Instruction Trilogy Book Two L.M. Pruitt Genre: Romantica/Erotica Publisher: SP Press Date of Publication: September 7, 2015 Word Count: approx. 40K Book Description: Namir Adeem has traded in early mornings, coffee and spreadsheets for late nights, bottle service and VIP lists. His nightclub is poised to become the next hotspot in Manhattan.

Still, success means nothing without the one person he's spent six months trying to replace.

Taylor Allerton made her mark on Manhattan nightlife with Whisper. Her next venture has the possibility to catapult her to the coveted pinnacle of the social scene. And yet nothing can fill the hollow spot in her heart left by that one week.

When they meet again, there's no denying the attraction and emotion still sparking between them. But this time around, Namir has a few lesson of his own in mind--and Taylor is eager to learn.

When the student becomes the teacher, anything is possible.

Demonstration Excerpt: This is insane.” Ferran straightened the plate a quarter of an inch, studied the table for a moment, and then moved the small square saucer back to its original position. “As your brother, I’m obligated to tell you when you’re being less than sane and this would be one of those times.”

“I think it’s romantic.” Ahlam paused in the middle of fluttering from one end of the room to the other to smile and pat my cheek. “You could give your brother a few lessons in that particular department.”

“I’ll have you know I practically ooze romance.” As if to prove his point, Ferran grabbed his wife, spinning her in a circle before lowering her in an exaggerated dip, finishing with a long kiss. Righting her, he said, “How’s that for romance?”

“Your enthusiasm is commendable but your technique could stand to be improved some.” She burst in to a fit of laughter when Ferran dropped his jaw in feigned shock. “However, since I’m a firm believer in practice making perfect, I’m willing to suffer while you improve yourself.”

“You’re so good to me, darling.” Ferran winked at her and grinned before turning to me, his face slipping in to a serious expression. “Seriously. I know you’re going to do whatever you want but I would be a poor excuse of a brother if I didn’t attempt to dissuade you.”

“We’ll consider this your attempt.” I looked pointedly at the clock above the bar and then the door. “Now please, don’t let me keep you from enjoying the rest of your evening.”

“Come along, husband.” Ahlam linked arms with Ferran and began dragging him toward the kitchen. “I think your brother would like a few minutes alone before his date arrives.”

I waited until their quiet conversation faded away before shifting my attention back to the matter at hand— seducing Taylor.

I studied the table with a critical eye, adjusting the votive candles and the spray of flowers. The details Ferran had focused on, while important, had more to do with his training as a restaurateur. I was more concerned with the intimacy of the seating arrangement, the way the candles would cast shadows on her face, the scent of the hothouse roses. I wasn’t looking to recreate our first meal together but to reimagine it.

I wanted her to let her guard down just enough to allow me overwhelm her.

The faint rapping on the glass drew me out of my reverie and I glanced toward the door. Taylor stood on the other side, completely enswathed in a dark fur coat. Her lips curved ever so slightly as she gave a tiny wave.

I smiled back. Excellent.

Implementation Instruction Trilogy Book Three LM Pruitt Genre: Romantica/Erotica Publisher: SP Press Date of Publication: October 7 Word Count: approx. 40K

Book Description: Taylor Allerton and Namir Adeem have conquered overbearing parents, untrustworthy friends, and now rule the Manhattan club scene like royalty. But their greatest challenge is still ahead.

Marriage.

Excerpt Implementation: “Well, that went better than I thought it would.” I resisted the urge to hunch my shoulders and shiver, despite the fact I’d been standing in the New York cold for nearly fifteen minutes in a slip dress. “After the initial screaming ended, I mean.”

“I’m honestly surprised there wasn’t more.” Namir rubbed his hands over my shoulders and frowned. “You’re practically frozen. Why didn’t you say anything?”

“Publicity before beauty, darling.” I laughed and leaned in to him, brushing my lips over his. “Besides, I’ll warm up after I have my single glass of whiskey.”

“Whiskey? And only one?” He cupped my cheeks, holding me in place when I would have stepped away. “I thought you would have been drinking champagne in celebration. As a matter of fact, I texted Deidre and had her speak with Geoff about ordering extra bottles.”

“You know me so well.” I laughed again, content to stand there with him for the rest of the night. Or I would have been if not for the fact I had a massive party to host. “I try to limit my alcohol consumption when I’m working. It was a hard and fast rule for a long time and then… well….”

“I know.” He stroked his thumbs over my cheekbones. “It’s okay. It’s in the past.” The kiss this time was longer, gentler, and almost made me consider going home and missing my own party. When he pulled away, I started to suggest just that only to have him lay a single finger on my lips. “I know what you’re thinking and while I’d love to do the same, we do, unfortunately, have obligations.”

“God, it sucks being adults, doesn’t it?” I sighed and stepped away, although I still kept my hand joined with his.

For all my bravado, I was nervous. So nervous. Probably more nervous than I’d been in my entire life, including the past twenty-four hours.

Marrying Namir had been easy. Like breathing.

Facing family and friends, frenemies and enemies, and—God forbid—the press? That was going to be difficult.

About the Author: L.M. Pruitt has been reading and writing for as long as she can remember. A native of Florida with a love of New Orleans, she has the uncanny ability to find humor in most things and would probably kill a plastic plant.

She knows this because she's killed bamboo. Twice. She is the author of the Winged series, the Plaisir Coupable series, Jude Magdalyn series, the Moon Rising series, and Taken: A Frankie Post Novel. http://www.lmpruitt.org https://www.facebook.com/pages/LM-Pruitt/364776895104

"JESSUP HART BLACKWELL ATE MY BRAIN every night."

I'm not going to lie, that is one of the strangest opening lines I've ever read--much less written. I've had the basic storyline of Heartless in my head for about four years. In fact, it was the first story I ever thought about writing. I remember being on the boat while my husband fished and writing the first 2-3 chapters. Now, NONE of that ever made it into the final draft. The only thing that came from the first draft, the first thing ever, was the name Hart.

Hart has been Hart since this story was an idea bubble four years ago.

Hart... bless him.

Originally, the book was supposed to start during a dark and stormy night while a man, Victor Blue, drove home from work. It was his daughter, Violet's, birthday and he was going to surprise her.

Unbeknownst to him, on the hood of his car, two supernatural creatures were fighting it out-Alexander, the angel, and Hart, the demon.

Hart won.

For years, I've had this basic story in my head and I wanted so badly to write it. I'd sit down every once in a while and try to make something happen. I loved Hart. I could see him with his red eyes and his snarky attitude. I could picture Alexander (who turned into Lucien) as an angel fighting his inner demons--who wanted to do good-- who was good-- but had to fight all the same.

And then there was the girl.

I couldn't quite figure out the girl.

Then one day, like magic, it all came together as I took a shower (as most good ideas do). When I got out (I dried off first because I have manners), I quickly wrote down the basic outline for Heartless (I tweaked it with some help from my friends along the way) but the opening line since that day has always been "Jessup Hart Blackwell ate my brain every night."

That one line...

That one beat...

That one thing made this entire story possible.

I had no idea where to take the story in the early days-- that sentence set it up.

It goes with the story so well: part horror, part humor, all paranormal, all human, all feelings I think we all have inside.

Sometimes things just click.

To be honest, I was scared to keep that line in, but everybody who has commented on it, seems to love it.

So... Jessup Hart Blackwell ate my brain every night... I wonder what else happens... ;)

Heartless The Heartless Series Book One Kelly Martin Genre: Paranormal Publisher: indie (Kelly Martin) Date of Publication: Jan. 17th, 2016 ISBN: 978-1-942246-75-6 ASIN: B0199LR1UM Number of pages: 386 Word Count: 68000 Cover Artist: P.S. Cover Design and Author Services Book Description: Gracen has to fight the devil in her mind and the angel on her shoulder before one of them destroys her.

For thirteen years, Gracen Sullivan dreamed about a red-eyed demon named Hart Blackwell who tortured her every night. Her mother freaked when she found out about her daughter's "hallucinations" and forced Gracen to go to the doctor, who prescribed some very powerful medication which kept Hart out of her head for five years.

A week ago, Hart came back and brought a friend.

But something has changed, and Gracen is seeing Hart when she's awake too. And the other "friends" in her dreams? They have been found dead.

The police want to talk to her.

Her boyfriend has become distant.

Her dreams are becoming more and more intense.

Hell wants her.

Heaven has to stop her.

When push comes shoving, can Gracen fight the evil eating away inside her or will she be forced to embrace it and destroy the world?

Book Trailer: https://youtu.be/D-D11pA3YtI Available at Amazon Excerpt: Jessup Hart Blackwell ate my brain every night. He also ate my spleen, my liver, and my kidneys.

Basically, anything he could get to, he ate. My tongue was his favorite. He said liars’ tongues were the best.

The leather straps with the weird symbols on them held me down—and quite frankly chaffed the heck out of me—while he cut and ripped away at every bit of skin, muscle, and cell I had.

All but one.

My heart.

He said it was because I didn't have one.

For years this happened until I finally told my mom who took me to the doctor who in turn gave me some medicine to induce a dreamless sleep and offered the alternative of placing me in a mental hospital if I didn't want to take it.

I chose medicine.

The nightmares stopped.

Until a week ago when I started my freshman year at the University of Tennessee at Crimson Ridge campus.

Last night, Hart brought a friend.

About the Author: Kelly Martin writes paranormal, contemporary, historical, and YA fiction. She has been married for over ten years and has three rowdy, angelic daughters. When she's not writing, she loves taking picture of abandoned houses, watching horror gamers on YouTube-- even though she's a huge wimp-- and drinking decaf white chocolate mochas. She's a total fangirl, loves the 80s and 90s, and has a sad addiction to paranormal TV shows. {Basically, she likes creepy stuff.} Her favorite characters are the very flawed 'good guys'--and 'bad guys' who don't know they are evil.

She loves giving her readers books with unexpected twists and turns, but

(here's a hint) most of her books have the ending spelled out in the first chapter. See if you can figure it out.

You can follow her writing adventure at www.kellymartinbooks.blogspot.com Instagram: https://instagram.com/kellymartin215/ "Nerd" group on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1451773008377850/ Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Kelly-Martin/e/B009O5CZL4/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KellyMartinAuthor Twitter: https://twitter.com/martieKay Tumblr: martiekay.tumblr.com Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/KMBooks Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6552501.Kelly_Martin YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCBSQGJ5gViQ-0ajHRvWUqaA

Pat Esden’s Top Ten Gothic Novels and Movies!

Hi, my name is Pat Esden. I’m the author of A HOLD ON ME (book 1, Dark Heart series). I’ve always loved reading and watching haunting stories with a rich gothic feel, a bit of darkness, and a touch of romance and adventure.

Here is a list of my top ten favorites, a mixture of books and movies.

10. The Near Witch: By Victoria Schwab. I loved this young adult novel. It reminded me a lot of a

classic nineteenth century gothic novels in tone and setting, but the language was a bit more accessible.

9. The Revenant: by Sonia Gensler. Another modern young adult novel that’s reminiscent of older gothic novels. It’s set in a Cherokee Female Seminary and that adds a fresh dimension to the story.

8. The Raven: by Edgar Allan Poe I actually love listening to audio versions of all of Poe’s poems and short stories even more than reading them.

7. Haunting of Hill House: by Shirley Jackson I enjoyed the story. But the 1963 movie version is the reason it’s on this list. Just perfect, unnerving and vivid.

6. Unspoken: by Sarah Rees Brennan. This is the first book in the Lynburn series. Lots of creepy, traditional gothic elements updated to make this story come across as fresh and modern.

5. Mistress of Mellyn: by Victoria Holt. Actually, I’d like to include all of Victoria Holt’s novels.

They are classic mid-twentieth century romantic suspense novels. Honestly, I’m not sure which is my favorite.

4. Dark Shadows: TV show and mid-century novels in general. They are gothic junk food—fun and additive.

3. Beetlejuice: Tim Burton. This movie is just plain fun. It may not be traditional. It’s a celebration of all things gothic.

2. Interview with the Vampire: by Anne Rice. Dark, moody, and scary, this is my favorite Anne Rice novel. But The Witching Hour is a close second.

1. 13th Tale: by Diane Setterfield. This novel is in a class of its own. The writing is stupendous. It is the ultimate gothic novel.

It’s your turn now. What is your all-time favorite gothic novel and/or movie?

A Hold on Me Dark Heart Series Book One Pat Esden Genre: New adult gothic/paranormal romance Publisher: Kensington Books Date of Publication: February 23, 2016 ISBN-10: 1496700058 ISBN-13: 978-1496700056 ASIN: B00Y6RB2VE

Number of pages: 320 Word Count: 90k

Book Description: She never wanted to return.

He wants nothing more than for her to leave.

But the fire between them is as strong as the past that haunts them.

Annie Freemont grew up on the road, immersed in the romance of rare things, cultivating an eye for artifacts and a spirit for bargaining. It’s a freewheeling life she loves and plans to continue until her dad is diagnosed with dementia. His illness forces them to return to Moonhill, their ancestral home on the coast of Maine and to the family they left behind fifteen years ago, after Annie’s mother died in a suspicious accident.

Once at Moonhill, Annie is shocked when her aunt separates her from her father. The next time Annie sees him, he’s a bizarre, violent shadow of his former self.

Confused, she turns to an unlikely ally for support Chase, the dangerously seductive young groundskeeper.

With his dark good looks and powerful presence, Chase has an air of mystery that Annie is irresistibly drawn to. But she also senses that behind his penetrating eyes are secrets she can’t even begin to imagine. Secrets that hold the key to the past, to Annie’s own longings and to all of their futures. Now, to unlock them, she’ll have to face her greatest fears and embrace her legacy...

Indiebound

Amazon BN Books a Million

About the Author: Pat Esden would love to say she spent her childhood in intellectual pursuits. The truth is she was fonder of exploring abandoned houses and old cemeteries. When not out on her own adventures, she can be found in her northern Vermont home writing stories about brave, smart women and the men who capture their hearts. An antique-dealing florist by trade, she’s also a member of Science Fiction & Fantasy Writers of America, Romance Writers of America, and the League of Vermont Writers. Her short stories have appeared in a number of publications, including Orson Scott Card’s Intergalactic Medicine Show, the Mythopoeic Society’s Mythic Circle literary magazine, and George H. Scither’s anthology Cat Tales.

Visit her online at www.PatEsden.com Website: http://patesden.com Blog: http://patesden.blogspot.com Author Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PatEsdenAuthor Twitter: https://twitter.com/PatEsden