Uncaged Book Reviews by Cyrene

ISSUE 24 | July 2018

cont featureauthors

Scarlett Kol

Interview • Stay Connected • Excerpts from My Soul to Give • Review

Interview • Stay Connected • Excerpt from Wicked Descent • Review

Trakena Prevost

Tara Vasser

Interview • Stay Connected • Excerpt from Red, Part 1 • Review

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Elena Kincaid Interview • Stay Connected • Excerpt from In Fair Brighton • Review

Interview • Stay Connected • Excerpt from Cursed • Review

Magali A. Fréchette

Laura M. Baird Interview • Stay Connected • Excerpt from Love on the Line • Review

tents

Issue 24 | July 2018

upcomingconventions a summer convention near you and 06 Find meet your favorite authors.

shortstory

featureauthor 59

Nathan Burrows

Nancy Thorne

Nancy brings us a first look at her new novel, Victorian Town.

catchup

Jolie St. Amant

Excerpt from That Voodoo That You Do

The Victim

authorfirstlook

FangFreakinTastic

Rhonda Frankhouser With her upcoming novel, Escape from Ruby’s Ranch releasing this month, Rhonda tells us why she wrote a sequel to what she considered a standalone.

promospecials 08 4 5 66 74 78 82

2018 Summer Spectacular Sale

Editor’s Desk Blog Roll Call Uncaged Reviews Fang-Freakin-Tastic Reviews Myra’s Horror Blog Reviews Amy’s Bookshelf Reviews

Issue 24 | July 2018 |

from the

editor’s desk

Welcome to Issue 24, July2018 - Uncaged Book Reviews! Our Feature Authors this month we welcome Scarlett Kol, Trakena Prevost, Tara Vasser, Magali A. Fréchette, Elena Kincaid and Laura M. Baird!

I’ll give space for either a full page ad, or a 1-page Sneak Peek of a book for an approved story. You can read more about that here. Uncaged Feature Authors are now full through November 2018! Most of the authors in this issue are attending authors at the Wild Deadwood Reads convention - Uncaged has been honored to be a sponsor!

The Featured Authors that are promoted in Uncaged, is a FREE service to authors. The only requirements being that Uncaged has read at least one of the The Raven Awards voting will begin this month - I’ll author’s books, (can be read right before the feature) send out a newsletter and post on all social media to and that I ask that the authors share the magazine let everyone know when the semi-finals will begin. with their networks. Read about that HERE. I’ll also be revealing the badge design very soon. So Uncaged is supported through advertising, both good luck to all the semi-finalists as we push toward in the magazine, and on the site. Please see the the winners in August. There are more categories this Advertising tab on the site for more information on year, and as last year, Uncaged will NOT be collecting how you can advertise in the magazine and support emails and you will not need to register to vote. the Uncaged mission to promote authors. FangFreakinTastic is also bringing us a feature with author Jolie St. Amant!

There are 2 special promotional ad sales going on until at least September 30, 2018. With the Raven Awards, the issues and the website will be trafficheavy, so take advantage of these great sales. The website normally receives on average, 40K hits a month, and with the Raven Awards, we double that number. So we definitely gearing up for the heavy traffic. To be eligible, books reviewed by Uncaged between July 2017 - June 2018 and received a 4 Star review or better are eligible for the semi-finals. All books that qualify and are reviewed after June 2018 (including this issue) will be eligible for the 2019 season.

All inquiries: UncagedBooks@gmail.com or Cyrene@UncagedBooks.com So thank you and enjoy the July 2018 issue of Uncaged Book Reviews!

We have plenty of reviews for you to look over from Uncaged, Fang-Freakin-Tastic, Myra’s Horror Blog, and Amy’s Bookshelf. Thanks to all the affiliates for the wonderful devotion to reading. Authors can now submit a Short Story, and in return,

UncagedBooks.com

Blog Roll Call Contributors, Advertising Swaps

Follow Uncaged on Facebook

Paranormal loverâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s rejoice. Uncaged review contributors.

A blog for horror fans. Uncaged review contributors.

A little bit of everything. Uncaged review contributors.

Help for authors and businesses.

If youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d like your banner here, please email me at UncagedBooks@gmail.com Issue 24 | July 2018 |

upcomingconventions SaSS July 6 & 7, Norfolk, Virgina For romance readers and authors with giveaways, signings, activities and panels. https://sassigning. wordpress.com/

Indie Bookfest August 9 - 12, Orlando, Florida Indie Bookfest celebrates Indie, Hybrid, and Traditional Authors and Artists and their freedom of expression. Join some of your favorite Authors for a convention filled with workshops, panels, parties and more! You won’t want to miss the sessions throughout the day, where several panelists will be speaking on a variety of topics relevant to readers, book lovers, and writers. https://indiebookconvention.com/

Romance Writers of America July 18-21, Denver, Colorado The RWA Conference is the place where career-focused romance writers gather to make lasting connections and grow their careers—and so much more. When 2,000 romance writers and industry professionals assemble in one place, the sense of community is All About the Indies August 18, Arlington, Virginia undeniable. All About The Indies 2018 is a multi-author, multihttps://www.rwa.org/p/cm/ld/fid=2077 genre event put together to connect readers and authors from all over the nation. http://allabouttheindies. wixsite.com/aai1

Romance Genre Con August 3 & 4, Kansas City, Missouri Whether you are a passionate romance reader or an aspiring writer, you will just swoon when you see our lineup of authors and activities. https://www.mymcpl. 6| uncagedbooks.com |

Mississippi Book Festival August 18, State Capital, Mississippi The Mississippi Book Festival, a nonprofit founded by literacy advocates, launched in August 2015 on the State Capitol grounds and continues to draw thousands to its annual “literary lawn party” and book lovers’ celebration. 150+ authors and 40+ panels. http://msbookfestival.com/

Bookmarks Festival of Books & Authors September 6-9, Winston-Salem, North Carolina The four-day festival takes place primarily along Spruce Street and inside the contemporary Milton Rhodes Center for the Arts. http://visitwinstonsalem.com/special-events/view/bookmarks-festival-of-books-and-authors

Kerrytown Bookfest September 9, Ann Arbor, Michigan The Kerrytown BookFest is held each September and is a celebration of books, those who create them and those who read them. https://www.kerrytownbookfest.org/

Brooklyn Book Festival September 10-17, Brooklyn, NY The Brooklyn Book Festival is one of Americaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s premier book festivals and the largest free literary event in New York City. Presenting an array of national and international literary stars and emerging authors. http://www.brooklynbookfestival.org/

RomCon October 5-7, Richmond, Virginia Reader/Author Event http://www.romcon.com/

Boston Book Festival October 13, Cambridge, MA The Boston Book Festival celebrates the power of words to stimulate, agitate, unite, delight, and inspire by holding year-round events culminating in an annual, free Festival that promotes a culture of reading and ideas and enhances the vibrancy of our city. https://bostonbookfest.org/

Twin Cities Book Festival October 13, St. Paul, Minnesota The single-day TCBF will feature hundreds of exhibitors, dozens of presenting authors from near and far, special childrenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s programming and endless curiosities for all ages, all in a massive celebration of our vibrant Minnesota literary culture. http://www.raintaxi.com/twin-cities-book-festival/

Issue 24 | July 2018 |

Summer Spectacular Sale Purchase any Full-size ad two months in a row, get the third month FREE! Purchase any Half-page ad two months in a row, get the third month FREE!

Purchase any ad valued at $40 or more, get a FREE full-size standard ad the following month

Uncaged can design your ad at no extra cost! This sale will run in tandem with the website footer ad promotion. Every full-sized ad purchased, will also receive a rotating ad on the website footer! With the Raven Awards voting starting in July and August, the website is gearing up for very heavy traffic!

This sale will run through September 30, 2018

feature authors

young adult | paranormal

Scarlett Kol

Trakena Prevost

Tara Vasser

feature author Born and raised in Northern Manitoba, Scarlett grew up drawn to the darker side of literature. Vampires were her first love, but that soon branched into ghosts, werewolves, demons, angels, and anything else that might make you sleep with the lights on. As an adult, she’s still afraid of the dark. She began writing at thirteen, and completed her first novella at sixteen -- a broody vampire romance--that has never seen the light of day. After a decade or so break for school and other pursuits, Scarlett returned to writing and has been creating ever since. Her debut novel, MERCURY RISES, a dystopian retelling of Robin Hood, released in early 2018, shortly followed by her second release WICKED DESCENT. Hopefully, there will be many more titles to come.

Stay Connected

scarlettkol.com

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Uncaged welcomes Scarlett Kol Uncaged: Can you tell readers more about your book Wicked Descent? Wicked Descent was actually the first book I ever finished writing, so it will always be special to me. It was inspired by a friend of mine who was looking for a gift for her new boyfriend’s mother and I suggested these cool glass ornaments I had seen that are often called “Witch’s Balls”. A story started turning in my head and became the following: All families have secrets, but what Avery doesn’t know might try to kill her. The day Avery Belmont was born, her father disappeared. Shortly after, her mother stole her away to Detroit, far away from the secrets buried deep in Shady Creek. But when her estranged grandmother dies, Avery is forced to return and face the rumors that she’s a witch, making her wish she’d never come back—until Drew Montgomery gives her a reason to stay. Drew knows things no one else knows. Things about Avery, about her family’s past, and about what really happened to her father. However, the price for information may be too high as getting close to the striking, yet caustic Drew starts to have deadly consequences, and living with the lies may be safer than uncovering the truth. Uncaged: What do you have coming up next that you can tell us about? I have a few projects on the go right now, working on a dual POV YA romance based on Scottish mythology, a YA horror that is a cross between the Craft and the Exorcist, and also working on a new book in the Mercury Rises universe. Not sure when these will be out, but I’m trying to get them to my readers as soon

as I can. Uncaged: You attended the final RT Booklovers Convention in Reno as a signing author this year. What were some of the highlights from the convention for you? “Final” RT Convention, such a sad thought. I’ve been to three now and I’ve met such fantastic people, it’s a shame that it’s all over. This year, the biggest highlights for me were; selling out one of my titles in the first hour of the book fair, getting to see my writer friends from all over the world and getting to talk books and writing for an entire week, discovering a ton of authors I’ve never read before, Damon Suede retelling the plot of the movie Wolves when the video stopped working halfway through (hilarious!!), and of course, all the free books!! Uncaged: Do you read your reviews? What do you take away from them? Sometimes. It is a tough and terrifying thing to put your work out into the world and open yourself up for criticism, but it can definitely help put things into perspective. My work won’t appeal to everyone, I know that, so I don’t put too much stock in reviews that just weren’t a good fit for the reader, but for anyone who is a fan of the genres I write and takes time to put together their observations, I try to take what they say and see if I can apply it to future work. If I want to continue in this business, I know I need to make sure I’m producing books that readers want to read and if anyone out there is willing to give me insight in that, I am forever grateful. That said, I much prefer reading good reviews :) Uncaged: What is one of the nicest things someone has said to you about your books? Someone said Mercury Rises was like a sci-fi Six of Crows. Being compared in any way to work by the

fabulous Leigh Bardugo Best. Compliment. Ever. Uncaged: What is your favorite parts about being an author? What have you found to be the least favorite? There is so much I love about being an author. I get to create worlds and share them with other people. People want to talk to me about books all the time, and I’ve gotten the opportunity to meet so many of my favorite authors. It’s like getting a pass into this magical world of books I only dreamed of as a kid. Least favorite though, is probably the pressure. I’m not the fastest writer, so I often feel like I’m not coming out with new material quick enough than I would want. I also, like most writers, have a full-time and then some day-job and other obligations, so I don’t keep up on my social media as much as I probably should. There is definitely something to the old adage of “publish or perish” and trying to keep your name out there, while trying to produce new material, and just do your regular everyday things, is a struggle sometimes. Uncaged: What do you like to do when you aren’t writing? Where is one of your favorite places on Earth? When I’m not writing, I’m a huge music buff. I really love to just find new songs and blare them as loud as I can, getting engulfed in the sound. I love to read (obviously), and travel when I get the chance. Issue 24 | July 2018 |

| FEATURE AUTHOR |

Enjoy an excerpt from Wicked Descent

As much as I love to travel, I really haven’t been too many places, but my favorite place on Earth would have to be Venice. It isn’t quite as beautiful as some of the other cities in Italy, but as strange as it sounds, Venice kind of whispers to you. It’s old world and exciting, but it also has this dark and twistiness to it, like a mystery to be solved. If I could just sit in a piazza and write forever, I think I could be extremely happy. I also wouldn’t mind hanging out on a beach all day either. Uncaged: What can you tell us that is very unique about you? Unique. That’s a very subjective word. Here goes: I have a gold medal in diving, I have two unrelated university degrees (Criminology and Accounting), I won my first writing contest at 16, and I talk insanely fast. Uncaged: What would you like to say to fans, and where can they follow you? I would love to tell fans that I hope they enjoy my books, and I appreciate every single person who takes their time to read them. Reading was a huge escape for me as a kid, and if even one person falls in love with my characters the way I did with so many others it will all be worth it for me. If anyone wants to follow me, I am on Twitter and Instagram @ScarlettKol, and on Facebook at ScarlettKolAuthor. I also have a reader group on Facebook called Scarlett’s Rebel Readers, and you can also sign up for my newsletter on my website at scarlettkol.com.

Wicked Descent Scarlett Kol Young Adult/Paranormal All families have secrets, but what Avery doesn’t know might try to kill her. The day Avery Belmont was born, her father disappeared. Shortly after, her mother stole her away to Detroit, far away from the secrets buried deep in Shady Creek. But when her estranged grandmother dies, Avery is forced to return and face the rumors that she’s a witch, making her wish she’d never come back—until Drew Montgomery gives her a reason to stay. Drew knows things no one else knows. Things about Avery, about her family’s past, and about what really happened to her father. However, the price for information may be too high as getting close to the striking, yet caustic Drew starts to have deadly consequences, and living with the lies may be safer than uncovering the truth. Excerpt “Then prove it. Try again. Really try.” “No. I’m tired Drew, and I want to go home.” “Do it,” he yelled. “No.” He opened his mouth as if to argue, but slammed it shut. Then he marched over and grabbed my hand with a firm, stinging grip and dragged me toward the trees, huffing and puffing until steam circled his head. “Let me show you something.” I stared back as the view of town vanished under the treetops, lifeless wooden limbs stretching out above me and covering us from sight. Darker. Secluded. No one around to hear me scream. The last time Drew showed me something, I ended up trapped in a pile of

14 | UncagedBooks.com

| SCARLETT KOL | mangled metal and shattered glass. My queasy stomach told me to leave, but he promised he’d never try to hurt me again. If only I trusted his promises. “Stand right here.” He stopped under a particularly ominous willow tree and clamped his hands on my shoulders, his thumbs at the base of my neck. I squirmed, but he held tight, his fingertips digging through my layers of sweaters, positioning me into some unseen perfect spot. Moonlight filtered through the trees, casting inky shadows across his face, his lips a hard line. “Don’t move.” I shrank my neck into my sweater. He stomped in front of me and scooped up a handful of snow as I shifted my weight to my toes, ready to run. He packed the snow between his palms, his eyes fluttering closed. He grimaced as he pressed his hands together until his knuckles turned white against his cold-reddened fingers. “Now watch.” He fanned his hands open. Resting in the center was a flower. A peony or gardenia, or some other flower with delicate tiny petals, each one glistening in the moonlight as if it were made of tiny glass shards. “Is that ice?” I reached out to touch it but stopped, lifting my eyes to meet his. He nodded. “Take it.” I cupped my hands and he gently passed the flower to me. A chill ran across my skin as it landed on my palm. It really was made of ice. Amazing. Drew created this perfect, beautiful thing out of ice—just for me. I studied it closer. The petals looked white, but they were clear, as though my finger would float right through if I tried to touch them. The ghost of a flower that never existed. “Blow on it.” A crooked smile twisted Drew’s face. “Like a birthday candle.” “Seriously?” I lowered my chin to my hands and softly exhaled. The flower exploded into a cloud of snowflakes. They whirled around my head, faster and heavier, making it impossible to see. My heart pounded as the cloud shrank around me. Closer. Tighter. Then it shot into the air, spun high above my head, and disappeared. “What was that?” I looked up at the sky.

Drew stared past me and pointed up. I turned around. The branches of the tree behind me were covered in thick hoarfrost. No, not frost—the fluffy heads of ice flowers. Each branch hung heavy with them as if in full bloom. Moonlight reflected off hundreds of petals casting a brilliant glow around the tree. It was sunshine and summertime, all in the middle of the night. For the first time since I arrived in this town, I almost felt warm. “It’s incredible,” I whispered. “It’s like nothing I’ve ever seen before. It’s like—” “Magic,” Drew said with a grin I could hear in his voice. “Now, what do you say about giving the water thing another try?”

Uncaged Review This book starts out as a normal teen book, with Avery being the new kid in school, and all the normal angst that she’s going through, not knowing anyone and be uprooted from her Detroit home she’s grown up in. Avery’s grandmother passes away and leaves her house to her mom and they move to Shady Creek. Everything starts looking up for Avery as she makes some new friends. But one new friend is not like the others. Drew latches onto Avery, and for some reason she’s drawn to him, even though he’s the “bad boy.” This book really starts ramping up around 40% through. The author does a nice job with a few twists and turns, and when you start finding out some of the answers, you may be surprised. This book had great dialog, and good action sequences – and all the lies will come to an exceptional ending. Reviewed by Cyrene

Issue 24 | July 2018 |

authorfirstlook NancyThorne

Victorian Town Nancy Thorne is an award-winning author of fiction inspired by the romance and courage of youth.

Enjoy an excerpt from Victorian Town Victorian Town Nancy Thorne Historical/19th Century

Born and raised in a suburb of Toronto, she fostered a passion for creating stories in grade school but hid it much too well. Five years ago she decided to pursue her lifelong dream of telling them.

Abby Parker planned out her whole life: complete her final year of high school, go to college, get a job, move away from her insane family, stay best friends with Jessica.

When sheâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s not writing books or reading, you can find her going on road trips or cooking untested recipes for brave family members and friends.

But, that was before she broke into the nearby tourist attraction and unwittingly answered a call from a centuries-old spirit who dragged her into the 19th century.

Nancy lives just outside of Toronto with her husband, two sons, and an energetic fox-red labrador. She loves to hear from her readers, even just to say hi. Find her online at www.nancythorne.com

nancythorne.com

Now she must solve a Victorian mystery without getting herself killed, or worse, spend a lifetime trapped in the past, leaving behind everyone she loves and altering their lives forever. When she meets gorgeous Benjamin, the future looks a lot like wreckage. Excerpt I waited for him to make the next move, to tell me how inappropriate, how forward that was of me. As I struggled to think of how

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best to offer an explanation, he turned to me. Gently but deliberately, he moved his hand up my arm, stopping at the nape of my neck beneath the ribbon of the bonnet. The moment he leaned in, I closed my eyes. His lips, soft and full, touched mine with the modest pressure of an indecisive act. A warm energy coursed through my body, but the strangest thing was that everything felt unbelievably familiar, like it had all been rehearsed before that moment. I held onto this profound feeling, not wanting it to leave, until Ben removed his lips from mine. Even with the whistled melodies from a pair of cardinals outside the church’s entrance, the following silence felt awkward. It persisted, and I assumed Ben was already regretting kissing me. “Miss Abigail−” I brought up a hand and covered his mouth. “It’s okay.” We walked down the hill without saying another word. A lot of activity was happening on Main Street: coaches lined the front of the Royal Hotel as travelers zipped in and out of the main entrance; horse carts delivered goods in dashes of haste; store merchants hurried beyond their open doors; street sellers sold goods out of baskets; helpers swept the boardwalk; ladies could be seen purchasing last minute necessities behind the windows of each shop. Ben accompanied me up the stairs of Town Hall’s entrance and stopped on the landing before we reached the front door. I peered through the window. Martha arranged longstemmed flowers in a vase on a table at the

side of the ballroom. A young man placed a candelabra on a table and then another on top of a piano. Ben had already started back to the street when I turned. He waved. I waved back. Still a chance he’ll change his mind. The gloves were easier to remove now that one was missing its button. I placed them, and the button, on the ledge of the window and took off the ring. Jess was still sitting on my bed when the haze cleared, but her tapping fingers had moved from her chin, which now rested on her knuckles. It was obvious it had taken longer for me to return this time. It made sense to me right then that the ring held within it a finite amount of energy with which to transport me to the past and back home, like a battery depleting its energy with each use. And, I had no idea how to recharge it.

Issue 24 | July 2018 |

CatchUp with

Rhonda Frankhouser

Rhonda Frankhouser was a Feature Author in April, 2017. This month she’s back to tell us about her follow-up to Return to Ruby’s Ranch. Uncaged:You were a Feature Author in Uncaged in April of 2017. How was your experience with Uncaged? Being featured in Uncaged made me believe I’m a real live author. Writing had always been a hobby, a dream job, but getting the great review from this professional, respected magazine, gave me the confidence to keep writing. I would say Uncaged helped pave the way for me to become a full time writer, so obviously I LOVE this magazine and Cyrene Olson, of course. Uncaged: You are getting ready for the launch of the sequel to Return to Ruby’s Ranch, called Escape from Ruby’s Ranch. In the sequel, we are taken back in time to read the story of Ruby’s mother, Katherine and the mystery surrounding her disappearance from the ranch. What made you want to go back and tell this story? I originally wrote Return to Ruby’s Ranch as a stand alone romantic mystery. It was my brilliant editor who came to me and said, ‘you know your readers are going to want to know about Katherine and Rube Adams-the original matriarch and founder of the ranch before then.’ And she was right. There is so much mystery surrounding all the matriarchs who live and love on Ruby’s Ranch, including Emma. The whole story deserves to be told and I’m excited to see where their story takes us. Uncaged: You recently moved from California to Georgia. Have you settled in completely yet? 20 | UncagedBooks.com

Oh heavens no. It may take me a year to settle fifty years of memories and junk into my new home, but I’m taking my time. As long as I can dig my way into my new writing room, I’ll be fine. I do LOVE Georgia so far. Yes, the humidity is a little tough to adjust to, but the blue skies, green trees and fresh air more than make up for it. Uncaged: Tell us something unique about you. Unique about me, hah? Well, let’s see. I’m not sure it’s especially unique but I can only write when I’m not thinking about writing. Confusing, right? If I sit down, plot out my day, plot out what I’m going to write, writer’s block sets in like rocks in cement. If I turn on the TV, sit down to look through social media, I will often find myself opening a blank page and typing random conversations between random characters. Usually those are the interesting ones. Oh and I like okra pickles – that’s pretty unique too I suppose. (wink) Rhonda has been an author with SoulMate Publishing since November of 2016, though she’s been a story teller all her life. Her first novel, Return to Ruby’s Ranch, earned a finalist honor in the Uncaged Book Review Raven Awards, a 2nd Runner Up in the prestigious InD’Tale Magazine RONE awards and a Books and Benches, Reviewers Top Pic ~ Books of Distinction award. As of April 2018, she is a full time writer, so look for more romance, mystery and intrigue to come your way.

rhondafrankhouserbooks.com

| RHONDA FRANKHOUSER | Escape from Ruby’s Ranch Rhonda Frankhouser Western Romance/Ghosts Releases July 18 Katherine Adams dreams of getting far away from her over-protective mother and the quiet, subdued life on Ruby’s Ranch. She’s drawn to the excitement of the city, the idea of her paintings hanging in glamourous art galleries, wearing the finest fashions and eating in quaint sidewalk cafes. Every detail of her escape is lined out until a handsome horse whisperer gallops into her world. John Lattrell is a master at taming wild animals but he’s never seen a creature as stubborn and freespirited as the beautiful, young Katherine. From the first moment, she drew him into her inquisitive soul, leaving it bare for all the pain that was destined to come. Will ghosts from his past ruin his chances at capturing her heart? Katherine is torn between her dreams and her desires. John is tormented by the thought of losing her. What will become of their love when family secrets and betrayal come between them? Excerpt Katherine opened her mouth to agree, but she froze, her attention drawn over Casey’s shoulder toward the door. A masculine silhouette stood in the doorway, the moonlight from outside outlined his strong, athletic frame. Her feet stilled even though the song played on. Casey backed away to look at her.

She went quiet as everyone around her stomped and twirled. Even as she sensed Casey’s dismay, Katherine couldn’t help but stare. “What do we have here?” she whispered, unable to look away from the tall cowboy. “I’ve never seen him before, but I have a feeling I’m gonna regret seeing ‘im now,” Casey grumbled as he stepped away to give her room to gawk. Katherine studied the handsome stranger without a care she was being rude or forward. He stood a good foot taller than her 5’4” inch frame. His short hair was the color of clay dirt under the brown, flat-brimmed cowboy hat. The snakeskin headband said a badass dwelled beneath. She chewed up the sight of him like he was one of Momma’s gingerbread cookies. His well-worn Wranglers were snug against his long, muscled legs and tight backside. His white, fitted shirt clung to his broad shoulders, a tuft of dark hair peeked out above the top snap. He was older than her, maybe twenty-three or four, but she didn’t care. She was eighteen now! What might have been illegal yesterday, were just some numbers tonight. The large silver buckle at his waist looked like it could maybe be a roping trophy or the like, she couldn’t really tell. It took everything she had not to walk over to get a better look. The square-toed Frye boots were the most expensive thing about him other than the guitar he had slung over his back by a woven strap. He exuded class and restraint and some kind of pheromone that had her hypnotized. Katherine hadn’t realized she was holding her Issue 24 | July 2018 |

breath until Casey nudged her. “Come on, Kat. You look ridiculous. We’ve gotta go.” She ignored him and kept staring. She’d never been struck so by another person in her life. The stranger’s eyes, shadowed by the brim of his hat, now fixed on hers. They were dark and mysterious, obviously as curious about her as she was him. “Oh, my,” she whispered when he flashed a broad, playful smile. His closely trimmed goatee would surely tickle during a kiss. She prayed silently to feel that tickle in the very near future. “Oh my, really?” Casey muttered, as he moved off the dance floor to gather his friends. The lead singer of the band spoke out over the microphone. “I’d like to welcome Mr. John Lattrell to the stage. Come on up, John, and sit in.” Everyone, including Katherine, watched the tall, handsome stranger walk toward the stage to join the band. He moved with a manly grace, telling her he’d be talented at anything he tried. Riding, dancing, lovemaking. Anything. “Oh, my,” she whispered again. She pushed her shoulders back when he headed toward her on his way to the stage. She regretted re-buttoning that top button. She was stunned when their eyes met, like she’d been paralyzed by Blue Coral snake venom. He smiled again, obviously appreciating her reaction. “I hope you’re not leaving. You haven’t even heard me play yet.” His voice was deep and rhythmic. A sensual song without music. Katherine didn’t have words. She couldn’t make her mouth move. She stared at him, smiling stupidly, wondering how his full lips would taste against hers. “You all right, Miss?” He pushed the hat back on his head and leaned in for a closer look. 22 | UncagedBooks.com

A low moan escaped when she caught the scent of his earthy cologne. His concerned gaze held her until the announcer again requested his presence on the stage. “Miss?” He smiled again. “Are you gonna be okay?” He steadied her with a strong hand against the small of her back. She quivered from the heat of his touch. When their eyes locked, a breath caught in Katherine’s throat. The smile on his ruggedly handsome face, turned now to an expression of curious longing. The seconds that passed between them felt like hours. Just as he started to speak, Casey pressed his energy between them and broke the spell. “She’s fine,” Casey interrupted, frustration evident in his tone. He grabbed her elbow and ushered her away. “And she’s late getting home. Her momma’s gonna give us hell if we don’t get back home right now.” John held Katherine in his gaze as Casey and the boys escorted her out of the town hall. Her eyes stayed on him, memorizing his face, until she could see only his hand reaching for her through the open door.

feature author

Trakena Prevost was born and raised in the great state of Texas, where everything IS bigger and the people are super friendly. She spends most of her time running around after her young son, trying tirelessly to annoy her husband to distraction, and oscillating between being completely obsessed with reading and crime dramas. She also just so happens to write down the fantastic stories rumbling around in her head – mostly to quiet the voices that take residence there. When not reading and writing, Trakena spends her time working in HR, hanging with her family and friends, and desperately trying to force her love of reading on her little one. Trakena is dedicated to writing paranormal stories with multicultural characters, where race is not the main conflict. Her passion stems from being a young teen in love with paranormal fiction, but being unable to find any stories she liked with characters that looked like her. She hopes to change that reality for her son and all the other kids of color out there who love to read as much as she does!

Uncaged welcomes Trakena Prevost Uncaged: Can you tell readers more about your book Cursed? Is this a debut novel? The idea for Cursed came about when I asked myself what it would look like if the drug problems of the world had a supernatural source. That one thought spawned this crazy tale of a group of supernatural beings divided by what they feel is most important: Power or the value of life. My main character is in the throes of vengeance when that choice is thrown upon her and she has to fight for her humanity. Cursed is my debut, though it was published a few years ago. Uncaged: What do you have coming up next that you can tell us about?

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I’m currently polishing and just beginning to shop a book on Djinn, the proper name for Genies. In this book, a young half-Djinn discovers that her parents are not dead as she’d originally been raised to think, but that her Djinn mom has been enslaved to her human dad for many years. At its core it’s a story of the love a girl has for her mom and her determination to freeing her from a horrible fate.

trakenaprevost.com

Uncaged: You’ve attended a couple conventions this year. What are some of the most memorable moments from the convention for you?

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Really just meeting and hanging out with readers and authors! These are my people…they get me. Uncaged: Do you read your reviews? What do you take away from them? I try not to. My goal is to take the stories that are in my head and to put them down on paper. I know that some may love them as much as I do, and others may not, but I try not to focus on that. This business is seriously subjected and that’s just the way things are. If I do read them, I make sure to never respond. I try to be grateful for the feedback and to move on. Uncaged: What is one of the nicest things someone has said to you about your books? I participated in a teen writing program at one of my local libraries last year. One of the girls reminded me a lot of myself as a teen, young, passionate, and mildly irritated that the stories she liked didn’t have people who looked like her in them. She read my book and thanked me for writing something that she could enjoy with a main character that she could see herself in. It was pretty much that moment where I thought, “This is why I write!” Uncaged: What is your favorite parts about being an author? What have you found to be the least favorite? My favorite part is getting to explore all of the crazy stories in my head!

The constant, never-ending self-doubt. Most days I think that my writing is trash and that I should stop while I’m ahead…lol! But that’s where your writing tribe comes in. Those are the folks you meet who swoop in and remind you that this business is a tough one and that you’re amazing. I don’t know what I’d do without those folks. Uncaged: What do you like to do when you aren’t writing? Where is one of your favorite places on Earth? When I’m not writing I’m typically hanging out with my kiddo and husband. I like to read a lot. And I definitely have a few TV shows that I adore and keep up with on DVR. My hubby and I travel at least once a year to reconnect as a couple, and my favorite place is anywhere in the Caribbean. We went to Cabo last year and it was amazing to read outside our plunge pool and to stare at the ocean! Uncaged: What can you tell us that is very unique about you? Other than the fact that I spend a lot of my free time crafting crazy tales that have my family wondering what’s the matter with me? LoL! I’m actually a decent singer. In another life I wanted to be the next Whitney Houston – without the addiction to illegal substances – but I quickly realized that I am slightly introverted so that Issue 24 | July 2018 |

| FEATURE AUTHOR | would not work out for anyone. I still love to sing for my kiddo though. I sung to him when he was in my belly and he loves to hear mamma sing to this day! Uncaged: What would you like to say to fans, and where can they follow you? That I’m so grateful for every single one I have and that I know I’d be nowhere without them!!! I’m most active on twitter (@trakenaprevost) and Facebook (http://facebook.com/TrakenaPrevostAuthor). You can also check out my website (www.trakenaprevost.com)

Enjoy an excerpt from Cursed Cursed Trakena Prevost Young Adult/Paranormal Half-succubus Jazz Watkins spends her nights knee-deep in Chicago drug dens hunting Suecai—an evil kind of incubi and succubae who devour the souls of humans. But when a leader of the Suecai curses her, Jazz has to track him down. Either she kills him before the curse burns through her, or she’ll become a fullfledged, out of control, soul-sucking monster. She’s got a handful of weeks, absolutely no leads, and only her sexy best guy-friend, Khan, covering her back. But will the growing attraction she feels for Khan get in the way of her mission to save her own life? Excerpt When he walked out the bathroom, the nerves I’d 26 | UncagedBooks.com

thought I’d turned to steel started to quiver. What if he refused me? Khan was just as stubborn as I was. How could I possibly ask this of him? How could I get him to understand? I took a deep breath and looked at him. “Khan, we need to talk.” “Uh oh, that’s never what a guy wants to hear from his girl.” My stomach fluttered, but I refused to give into the distraction. “I have a plan…in case we don’t find and kill the Gunshi. But I need your help to pull it off.” He didn’t look taken aback, just more determined than anything. “Jazz, it’s too soon for you to give up now. We’ve got some really good leads, we can do this!” I shook my head. “I’m not giving up, Khan. I never give up…you know that.” I smiled at him and was rewarded with one in return. “But…being a leader means having to think outside of myself…you and my dad taught me that. We have to prepare for all possibilities – even this.” His dark eyes flashed and, for a second, I thought I was in for a long and hard fight. Then understanding washed over his features and he nodded. “As long as you promise this doesn’t mean you’ve given up.” “Not even close – and giving in doesn’t even sound like me.” He snorted. “That’s for sure.” I rolled my eyes. “Okay, I think we can do this, but if not…I have a forgetting tonic to erase my memories. That way, in the very least, the vermin can’t use my knowledge against everyone I love.” Khan jerked. “Where in the hell did you…?” Then he groaned. “Claudine.” I couldn’t help but smile. “She always has been good at knowing what I need.” His face was hard. “Okay, so I’ll make sure to wipe away your memories. I’ll erase everything that makes

| TRAKENA PREVOST | you, you – everything I’ve grown to know and care about. We done?” I paused. “Not quite.” He flinched. “I figured something more was coming when you said, ‘In the least’.” I almost didn’t have the guts to continue. “Think about it, Khan. You can’t just leave me there, a newbie Suecai with the urge to feed. What if I came across my mom one day? Or your dad? “You might not be able to do it immediately – there’s no telling how strong I’ll be at first or how protected – but eventually you’ll have to take me out! I shuddered at the thought. “What else can we do?” The rage flew through his features even more quickly than when I’d told him I couldn’t be his Valentine in the sixth grade. “Anything, Jazz,” Khan whispered. “We fight. We search. We keep pounding the pavement until we find that bastard. We do anything and everything.” Words escaped me. A boulder set squarely on my chest and wouldn’t budge. I should’ve known this wouldn’t be easy – hadn’t I spent my entire life traipsing around Chicago with Khan? I shouldn’t have expected anything else. Khan seemed to take my silence as an opportunity to change my mind. “You could learn control, Jazz, become a full-fledged Dorgai.” There it was, that secret hope I held deep in my heart that I was too scary to speak out loud. “Khan, that’s impossible. There’s no way I can learn control if I’m forced into feeding too fast. The only way we halfers manage it is by taking an entire year to ease into the process. All of Dad’s advisors are agreed that I’ll become an uncontrollable Suecai.”

I didn’t notice Khan moving until it was too late. Before I could say something to break the bubble, Khan stood over me, his face inches from mine. His eyes were warm and I could feel the heat of his breath, minty from his recent trip to the bathroom. My heart stopped. And then he was kissing me, slow and deep at first, and then with a heat and passion I’d only guessed he possessed.

Uncaged Review The reader is tossed headfirst into the action as soon as you get started, and it doesn’t let up much throughout the book. Good action sequences and the characters are well developed. The supernaturals in this book are the Dorgai and the Suecai – both need a human’s life essence to survive except the Suecai don’t control their hunger and kill humans by sucking out their essence completely killing humans. Jazz and her team find the Raves and parties and extinguish as many as they can, but one night goes wrong and Jazz is cursed to turn into a full-fledge in days, a process that normally takes a year – and could force her into Suecai, so the race is on to reverse the spell. Jazz is a bit headstrong and teenage “stupid” at times, but she is only 17, and a lot of time she is driven by her heart and not her head because of when her mother was captured and tortured. And this book does have a brewing romance, maybe a romance triangle? Don’t know for sure, but the next book may answer some questions for us. This is a good, action-packed read that will keep you on your toes, and it was a refreshing change of pace in the paranormal genre. Reviewed by Cyrene

“I can’t believe that, Jazz. It can’t happen. Not to you.” I couldn’t focus. My need to be rational kept battling the little girl within me reaching for a solution, any solution. Issue 24 | July 2018 |

feature author

Tara Vasser is a wicked writer who lives in the frozen north in Minnesota with her wonderful husband and two rambunctious little dudes. She is an engineer during the day, a crazy mom in the afternoon and a writer at night. She enjoys spending her time playing in the dirt when her gardens aren’t covered in snow and listening to a wide variety of music that inspires her writing – sometimes doing both at the same time.

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Uncaged welcomes Tara Vasser Uncaged: Can you tell readers more about your Red series? Red #1 is bundled in Once Upon a Twisted Time boxed set. Are there any plans to release it separately in the future? Red started off as simply a fairytale retelling for a boxed set. After I wrote part 1, I really liked the characters and I didn’t really feel like the story was complete—so I kept going! I also took the opportunity to tie the story back to The Bloodlust Chronicles, my completed Vampire series, AND introduce some new characters with the possibility for future stories. Yes! Red Part 2 will be released separate from the boxed set once the rights revert back to me later this year. I don’t have a definitive date on that yet, but it is something that’s coming. Uncaged: What do you have coming up next that you can tell us about?

authortaravasser.com

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I have a few big projects on the horizon. The first one is a series of contemporary novellas I plan to release beginning in July. Right now there are 5 books, all standalones. If they are well-received, then there are plans for more. All 5 are up on Goodreads for anyone interested in contemporary romance. The second big project is a rewrite of Irresistible, book 1 of The Bloodlust Chronicles. I expect that will take me all summer to get through that one. Uncaged: You are attending the Mayhem in the Midwest Author signing in September. What is your favorite parts of going to conventions and signings?

I LOVE getting to meet readers! The people who come to signing events just have the most amazing energy. Being able to make a connection with a reader in person is so great, some of my loudest cheerleaders on social media are the readers I’ve been able to hug and say hi to in person. Uncaged: Do you read your reviews? What do you take away from them? I know general advice is to avoid reading them, but I do. From the more favorable reviews, I take away motivation. Just knowing someone out there actually enjoyed reading something I wrote makes me want to write more! From the less favorable reviews, as long as they include constructive feedback, I do actually take suggestions into consideration. A perfect example would be the rewrite of Irresistible. While the book has a substantial number of higher rated reviews, there were some detractors who were disappointed in how I portrayed the relationship dynamic between the hero and heroine. After considering what was being said, I took a closer look and realized that the feedback about the unhealthy relationship I built between these characters was dead on. From there, I decided I didn’t want to leave the story that way.

an author? What have you found to be the least favorite? My favorite part is being able to take this idea, which may have just been a single phrase scratched into whatever piece of paper I have on hand, and make an entire story about it. I enjoy bringing those characters in my head to life. My least favorite part is marketing! I’m not very good at it. I have a hard time “selling” to people, so it’s something I really need to work on. Uncaged: What do you like to do when you aren’t writing? Where is one of your favorite places on Earth? One of my favorite things to do when I’m not writing is working outside in my gardens. I’ve got so many gardens, probably more than I can really handle, but I love it. Flowers, herbs, vegetables, you name it. My most favorite places on Earth are anywhere I can be in the woods. I tend to put a lot of forest and tree imagery in my books, and I suppose it’s because those are places I am able to call up vivid imagery from memory.

Uncaged: What is one of the nicest things someone has said to you about your books?

Uncaged: What can you tell us that is very unique about you?

The nicest thing someone has said about my books was, “When does the next one come out?” I love that!

I don’t know about very unique, but a lot of my inspiration comes from music. Most of my stories originated from some kind of imagery which came to mind when I heard a song. The original edition

Uncaged: What is your favorite parts about being

Issue 24 | July 2018 |

| FEATURE AUTHOR | of Irresistible was conceived of while listening to Fall Out Boy’s American Beauty/American Psycho album. The third book in The Bloodlust Chronicles, Irreplaceable, was inspired by listening to PVRIS’ White Noise album. The opening scene for Irrecoverable, book four of The Bloodlust Chronicles is my play on Melanie Martinez’s song Tag, You’re It. Those are just a few examples I can come up off the top of my head. Uncaged: What would you like to say to fans, and where can they follow you? Thank you so much for all your support! It means so much to me to know there are people out there who like to read my work! You can head to my website to check out blog posts, upcoming events, and sign up for newsletters here: https://www.authortaravasser.com/

Enjoy an excerpt from Red, Part 1 Red, Part 1 Tara Vasser Paranormal Packaged in a Box Set In the aftermath of a tragic car accident, Red is resurrected by a Vampire. As repayment for her second life, she spends a decade being groomed to serve as a peace offering between enemies. Upon arrival at the estate of her betrothed, Red soon realizes the cruelty of her husband-to-be and the sterility of his manse are more than she can bear. Seeking refuge, she flees to the woods where nothing is as it seems. There, she is drawn to a dangerous figure shrouded in secrecy. It is within the trees where Red will discover who is predator and who is prey. Excerpt 32 | UncagedBooks.com

The snap of a twig in the stillness of the night halted Red in her tracks. With a slow turn on her heel, she surveyed the darkness behind her, both listening and watching for the culprit. A rodent of some kind darted across the path, and Red observed its escape with sharp focus. Wind whipped through the trees in intermittent gusts, creaking the branches as they swayed. The creaking was all at once comforting and eerie in the otherwise quiet of the woods. Taking in deep breaths, Red continued her leisurely stroll between the oaks, careful to avoid disturbing the flora and fauna of her temporary refuge. The animals that were awake at this time of night scurried into hiding places, having an innate ability to sense the danger surrounding her kind. Humans had once been able to rely on this instinct as well, but she supposed it had dulled with evolution and the use of technology. In these woods, it didn’t matter. There were no humans here. There was no one here. This was exactly the reason Red glided gracefully through the oaks like a wraith in the night—to be alone. The sprawling estate she was confined to during most hours of the night and day had amenities aplenty, but room to breathe wasn’t one of them. Glancing up to the sky, she allowed her thoughts to quiet for a moment as she took in the sight of wispy clouds racing across the outline of the near-full moon. Dulled silver light filtered through the canopy of the trees, creating dappled patterns on the ground, much like Red imagined the sun would do during the day. A melancholy sigh escaped her lips unbidden. She hadn’t seen the sun on the leaves in ten years, and she never would again, if she wanted to avoid turning to a pile of ash. The moon’s illumination winked out once more as a thick cloud obscured it from Red’s view, her attention waning just like the light. Dropping her gaze from the sky, she focused once more on the trees and underbrush surrounding her. A surprised gasp escaped and she stumbled back a step when her attention was drawn to a man in front of her, instead of the tree as she’d expected. A large gust of wind barreled through the oaks, ruf-

| TARA VASSER | fling the man’s hair and wafting his scent to her. Unable to control the instinct to identify the man as either prey or predator, Red drew in a deep breath. Scents of pine and earth filled her lungs, as if he was not a man made of flesh, but of the woods themselves. Standing is if rooted to the earth like the trees surrounding him, his only movement the result of the wind, he appraised her just as she watched him. Eyes the color of deep amber held her gaze, as if daring her to look away and miss him slipping back into the shadows from which he’d materialized. Red’s stare challenged him to remain where he stood. Another blast of wind whipped Red’s hair into a whirlwind of raven tangles she knew would be a pain to comb out later. Panic gripped her as her dark tresses blocked the view of the enigmatic man, breaking their stalemate. When she could once again see, just as she feared, the space where he’d stood was empty. Drawing his scent in with a huge inhale, she tried for the last time to identify him, but came up emptyhanded. “What are you?” Red whispered.

Uncaged Review This novella is a good start into a series and it’s currently bundled with a boxed set. After Red is brought back as a Vampire, she learns that not only her sire, but everyone around her has lied to her about almost everything, keeping her weaker, so she’s easy to mold into a bride for a cruel leader who is only marrying her for a treaty of power and plans to kill her soon after. Red makes her escape, and is aided by a shifter – Colin. The story was quick, but the backstory was started to be brought in, with well-developed action sequences. I think the love story itself was a bit quick and there was still a lot of unanswered questions that I hope will be addressed further into the series. I enjoyed the world that the author has created and am looking forward to the next books in the series. Reviewed by Cyrene

Issue 24 | July 2018 |

Short story

The Victim by Nathan Burrows

| SHORT STORY |

The Victim by Nathan Burrows Emily hit the steering wheel of her car, muttering under her breath. She leaned forward, groping in the dark with her hand to find the release lever for the hood. When she had located the lever, she pulled it and heard the satisfying noise of the lock being released. Emily got out of the car and pulling her coat tight to protect against the cold November air, raised the hood in the universal signal to tell the world she had broken down. She looked around her, shuffling her feet to keep warm. Her car was pulled over to the verge of a quiet side road somewhere between Norwich and Wymondham. It was past six in the evening, so it was almost dark. In the distance to her left, she could see the orange street lights of Norwich reflecting off the ominous clouds that were hovering over the city. She didn’t bother looking to her right, knowing Wymondham wasn’t anywhere near big enough to be reflected off the clouds. Apart from the distant noise of the A11, the main dual carriageway that linked the Norwich and Wymondham, it was silent. “Come on, come on,” Emily mumbled to herself, pushing her hands deeper into her coat pockets and glancing up at the darkening sky. She remembered that she had gloves in the car, so walked back to the door to get them before resuming her position behind the car. “Come on,” she mumbled again. ### Paul thumped the palm of his hand on his thigh almost, but not quite, in time with the music. He peered through the gloom in front of him. One of his main headlights had gone the other day, so he only had one main light and sidelights to see where he was going. That was another reason he’d taken one of the back roads. The last thing he needed was to be pulled over by the police. On the radio, the music faded out and the news head36 | UncagedBooks.com

lines came on. The lead story on the local station was the same one it had been for the last couple of weeks. Paul listened as the newsreader’s voice kept changing from serious to breathless excitement and back again. Behind her words, and only just hidden by the radio presenter, was the suggestion that the police didn’t have a clue in the hunt for Norfolk’s first serial killer in living memory. There were four victims now, all killed with a single knife wound to the chest. Paul tuned out her voice as he wondered at what point the police would admit they needed help. Perhaps they’ll call in the FBI, Paul chuckled to himself as he drove through the dark night. “Between five foot nine and six foot, heavy build, dark hair,” the newsreader gasped on the radio, eager to get as much as much information into her bulletin before having to give the broadcast back to music. Paul grinned in the dark and hit the button on the radio to find another channel with something else to listen to. Preferably something without empty-headed journalists filling airtime with nonsense. He slowed down for a corner which was much tighter than it looked. Paul knew the road well as it was his usual route home after football with the lads. As he crawled around the sharp bend, he saw a small blue car pulled over to the side of the road. “Oh hello,” he said out loud as he saw the young woman standing behind the car. “What are you doing stuck out here, Miss?” Paul indicated left and slowed down. He eased his car in behind the broken down Mini Cooper with the raised hood and flicked his hazard lights on. Pushing the door open, he got out of his car. “Hi, are you okay?” he asked the young woman behind the car. She raised a hand in a half-hearted attempt at a wave. The woman was maybe five foot three, a fair bit shorter than he was, black hair to her shoulders and from what he could see of her in the reflected light of his broken headlights, very pretty. Very pretty indeed. Paul wasn’t great at ages but if he’d had to guess, he’d put her about the same age as him so mid-twenties. She wouldn’t know it yet, but she was just his type. “I’ve broken down,” she said with a grimace, shoving her hands deep into the pockets of her thick red coat. “Oh, that’s not good.” He tried what he hoped was a dis-

| NATHAN BURROWS | arming smile as he walked up to her. “Any idea what’s wrong?” She frowned before replying. “No idea at all. One minute Bessie was fine, the next minute she stopped.” Paul had to think for a few seconds before he realised who Bessie was. Paul didn’t have a name for his car unless it was playing up, in which case it had several names but none which could be said out loud in polite company. “Do you know much about cars?” the young woman asked. She had quite a deep voice, and Paul wondered if she smoked or was just sultry. He preferred the latter, and as the only thing he could smell was something agricultural, he decided that sultry she was. “Not a massive amount, sorry,” he replied. Her face fell, the disappointment obvious. “But I can have a look for you. I know a bit.” Paul walked around to the front of the car and bent over the bonnet. He put his palms on the car and peered into the darkness. Paul couldn’t see a thing, so he pulled his phone out of his pocket and turned the torch app on. He moved the light over the engine, looking at the various components. Apart from the fact it was an engine, he couldn’t tell what was what. He didn’t want to tell the woman that though. Standing up, he turned to her. “I’m Paul, by the way.” He saw her smile in the light of the phone. She really was beautiful. White, straight teeth with a dimple in each cheek. “I’m Emily,” she replied, her dimples disappearing as her smile faded. They stood looking at each other for an awkward few seconds before she put a hand out. Paul took it and they shook hands. He could feel her slender fingers through the thin gloves she was wearing. “Delighted to meet you, Emily,” Paul said with another disarming grin. “Although maybe not under these circumstances.” Emily’s smile returned, as did her dimples. “Yeah, likewise,” she said. “Why don’t you try to start Bessie up so I can hear what’s going on?” Paul said. He had to at least look as if he was making an effort. Emily walked to the driver’s door and got in, giving Paul a glimpse of her legs as she moved her coat to one side. Although she had jeans on, the little he could see of her underneath her winter clothing was fine by him. He leaned back over the engine as

Emily cranked the ignition a couple of times. The car coughed and spluttered, but didn’t start. “What do you think?” Paul heard Emily call out from behind the wheel. He leaned around the bonnet to look at her. “Not being funny, but you have got petrol in it, haven’t you?” “Yes, I have,” she replied. “Plenty. I did check that, thanks very much. Well?” “Difficult to say. The battery seems okay,” Paul thought back to a couple of years ago when he’d broken down just outside Thetford and had to call the AA out and he tried to remember what the mechanic had said. “The alternator sounds okay but for some reason, she’s not catching.” He rubbed his chin with one hand, scratching the few days growth he’d not bothered to shave off that morning. “I’d say it could be a fuel issue. Maybe it’s not getting through.” “Can you do anything about it?” she asked. He shook his head in reply. “Not out here, no. I’d need to get it into my garage to have a proper look at it.” He didn’t have a garage, but Emily didn’t know that and he wasn’t about to tell her. He watched as her face creased up, and he thought for a second she was about to burst into tears. The main problem with that was whether he’d be able to keep a straight face. Paul put his hand on her arm, keeping his touch light so he didn’t scare her. “Hey, don’t worry. We’ll sort something out.” Emily took a deep breath as if she was trying to compose herself. “Have you got someone on the way?” he asked, making a real effort not to sound too enthusiastic. “No, my bloody phone’s dead. I forgot to charge it before I left.” “No worries, I’ve got mine.” He held his phone up in the air. “Who do you want me to call?” Issue 24 | July 2018 |

| SHORT STORY | “Er,” Emily replied, her face falling. Paul knew what she was about to say. “I don’t know anyone’s number. They’re all in my phone.” Bingo. She’d said just what he thought she would. Paul thought for a few seconds, pondering his next move. He wanted to get Emily into his car where it would be easier to control her. “Have you got Facebook on your phone?” she asked. “I could send one of my friends a message, get them to come and get me. Or send them your number so that they could call?” Paul was caught out by the question. That wasn’t something he’d considered. “Hang on a second,” he replied, peering at his phone. Making sure that Emily couldn’t see the screen, he swiped his thumb across it to turn the mobile data off before returning it to the home screen. He turned it round so that Emily could see the screen. “I’ve got no 3G signal, look.” She leaned forward to look at the screen and Paul could smell her shampoo. He had no idea what brand it was, but it smelt very nice. She reached up with a hand to slide a stray lock of hair behind her ear. Paul could see that her hair was fine, almost like silk thread, and he wondered for a second what it would feel like wound hard around his hand. “Oh crap,” Emily whispered, and she looked at him in the blue light of the phone’s screen. For a second, Paul thought from her wide eyed expression she knew what he was thinking, but there was no way she could. He’d not said anything, he’d not let his expression reveal his thoughts. Those were both lessons he’d learned before, and they weren’t mistakes he was going to make again. He had to get her in the car. “Listen, it’s not safe out here in the middle of nowhere,” he said. “Not with some nutcase running around Norfolk it’s not.” Her eyes grew even wider, and he thought for a second he’d gone in too hard, too soon. She took a step back from him and pulled the coat tighter around her stomach. Paul watched as she weighed up her options. 38 | UncagedBooks.com

He needed to get her to trust him. The picture on the screen of his phone was of a woman and child, his wife and son if she’d asked. She wouldn’t know it was a random picture off the internet. Paul had hoped that she would ask him so he could tell her all about his nonexistent family. It was all about trust, and building it up enough so she would get into the car. Then fate intervened to help Paul out, and fat raindrops started to fall. ### Emily looked up at the dark sky and the rain and realised that she had to make a decision. She pulled her coat even tighter across her middle and looked at the man standing in front of her. Was he a knight in shining armour, a genuine man with only her best interests at heart, or did he have something far more sinister in mind? He certainly matched the description that the newspapers had been putting out. Early to mid twenties, well built, and short dark hair. She guessed he could be described as good looking although he wasn’t really her type. As she looked at him, he smiled again, a lop-sided grin that showed off a good set of teeth. She could see how some women would go for him. “Listen Emily,” Paul said. “I get that you’re a bit nervous of strangers, what with what’s been going on and everything. I guess there’s a few options. I could call a cab and wait until it arrives, I could drive on to Norwich and send someone back to get you, or,” he paused, his smile widening. “Or I could give you a lift home?” He had an almost hopeful look on his face as he said the third option. As the rain intensified, Emily made up her mind. “Okay, could you give me a lift home then?” Paul opened the door for Emily, and as she climbed into the car, she had a quick look round the interior. It was tidy, surprisingly tidy for a man, and she could smell the sweet tree shaped air freshener that was dangling from the rear view mirror. “Thanks,” she said as he closed the door. While he made his way round to the driver’s door, she thought about whether or not to put her seatbelt on. Emily realised that if she didn’t, there would probably be an alarm in the car when Paul started the car so she clicked it home. He climbed into the driver’s seat and started the car, turning

| NATHAN BURROWS | the heater up as he did so. “That’s better,” he said, smiling at her. She looked at him in the dim glow of the interior light and returned a weak smile. He laughed. “My God, you look so nervous. Just chill, I don’t bite.” Emily tried to relax as Paul put the car into gear and pulled away from her mini. The broken headlight made it difficult for her to see too far down the lane, and she was surprised that he was out and about at night with only one light. “So where are we heading for then?” Paul asked. “If you could head for Thorpe, that’d be great,” she replied. “I’ll give you detailed directions once we get there.” “No problem,” he said. Emily sat back in her seat, enjoying the heat coming from the vents in front of her. She watched the windscreen wipers make their way back and forth across the glass and took some deep breaths. Less than five minutes later, Emily realised that the car was slowing down. She glanced across at Paul, her heart rate increasing. “Everything okay?” she asked, trying to keep the nervousness out of her voice. “Why are we slowing down?” Paul didn’t reply, but a few seconds later turned the car sharply to the left and into a lay-by. The main parking area was set back from the road, with a line of trees and bushes masking it from view. “Paul, why are we stopping?” Emily said. Her voice had gone up an octave, and she abandoned any pretence of calm. She put her hand down to her side to find the button to release the seatbelt and as the car ground to a halt, she pressed it. As she’d thought, a light appeared on the dashboard and an alarm sounded.

ter before I drop you off home, Emily.” Paul said. She shrank back in her chair and pushed herself against the door, trying to give herself as much room as she could as he leaned across toward her. Paul gasped and blinked a couple of times in rapid succession. Emily smiled. They all seemed to do that. He looked down at the handle of the knife that Emily had slid into his chest before looking back at her, his eyes wide with surprise. Paul didn’t know it, but the knife was between his fifth and sixth ribs, maybe fourth and fifth. Emily knew something else that Paul didn’t, which was that the long blade of the knife she’d had hidden in her coat was right in his heart, puncturing one or both of his ventricles. Emily watched him blink again as the life started to leave his eyes and her smile widened. Her heartbeat started to come back down as she watched him, and she closed her eyes for a few seconds to relish the disappearing adrenaline rush. Emily waited, and wondered how long it would take the media to pick up on yet another young man, early to mid-twenties, well built and good looking, falling victim to a serial killer. Paul looked like all the other victims and just like the others, he thought he was a predator. Not prey. All he had to do was give a stranded woman a lift home. If he’d been the gentleman he was pretending to be, he’d be at home with a cold beer by now. When she was certain Paul was dead, Emily slid the knife out of his chest and wiped it clean on his jeans. It would take her maybe twenty minutes to get back to her car, replace the spark plugs, and head home to Thorpe for a nice cup of tea. Maybe even a glass of Pinot Grigio. After all, she’d had a busy night.

The End

Paul pressed a lever on his side of the car and Emily heard the clunk of the central door locking mechanism. She stared at Paul, her mouth dry and her heart thumping in her chest. “I just thought we could get to know each other a bit betIssue 24 | July 2018 |

feature authors

horror/paranormal | contemporary

Magali A. FrĂŠchette

Elena Kincaid

Laura M. Baird

feature author Magali A. Fréchette writes the darker side of stories. Paranormal, dark fantasy, and mystery/ thriller, but always with romance – she’s an extremist and loves both dark and cute things. All her stories are either set in Canada, or in alternate worlds (makes sense since she’s Canadian, right?). She is always writing and enjoys freelancing as a book cover designer. Magali wrote her first story when she was 12 years old (and she’ll never speak of it again!), but started taking her writing seriously three years later. Since then, she always writes. It’s always been a dream to be a published author, and she can happily say she’s reached that first goal and plans on continuing writing and publishing for the rest of her days.

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Please welcome Magali A. Fréchette Uncaged: Your first published book with Evernight Publishing, My Soul to Give, was released in June 2017 and Uncaged reviewed the book in October. Can you tell readers more about the book? Is there still plans for a sequel? The book is about a widow who’s in over her head when the demon she made a deal with turns out more trustworthy than the husband she’s avenging. There’s romance and mystery, and it’s the first book in a series of many. There’s still a plan for a sequel – it is currently with the publisher. This series, A Demon’s Love, is just one of many in a whole universe in which several other series will connect with My Soul to Give. I’m hoping all will be published in the next few years. Uncaged: What do you have coming up next that you can tell us about? Apart from the sequel to My Soul to Give being with the publisher, I also will be submitting the series following it called Storm Owl Legend as it follows the A Demon’s Love series two years later. I’ve also written a dark contemporary romance that is part of a trilogy I hope to submit once it’s gone through some more edits and a few beta readers.

stormowl7.wordpress.com

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Uncaged: What is your inspiration to write in the dark fantasy genre? Are you planning on writing in different genres in the future?

I already am, but I always stick to romance – I can’t seem to write outside the genre, even when I try! And no matter what, it’s always on the dark side, so I guess that’s a bit of my ‘set genre’. Uncaged: Do you read your reviews? What do you take away from them? I do read them, but mostly by accident now. I used to check amazon and goodreads quite often to see if there was maybe a new review, but ever since my first one-star, I’ve learned it isn’t necessarily a good idea. The negative reviews I brush off, and the positive ones make me happy someone liked my story, but I don’t really ‘take away’ anything from them – even the good ones. For a while, writing the sequel to My Soul to Give was almost impossible because I kept thinking of the positive reviews, and I’d start getting terrified the sequel wouldn’t be as good or people who loved the first would hate the second. It just ended up putting so much pressure, and I had to remind myself why I write. Because it’s like breathing – I have to write, and I love it! Uncaged: What is one of the nicest things someone has said to you about your books? That they stayed up all night reading it! Or one person who asked when the sequel was coming out because they needed a ‘fix’! But generally, just any fan reaching out to say they liked it, or make a post on it on social media to get it out there as well, I always appreciate!

Uncaged: What is your favorite parts about being an author? What have you found to be the least favorite? Knowing the stories I write are out there for people to read… and that’s also the least favorite lol To a certain extent, I’m putting a part of myself out there, which I love when people receive it well, but it hurts when people call it garbage. One thing I love, and this is before even being an ‘author’, but the writing community is really something else – I’ve never found a community this encouraging and loving. It’s really a true family, and I’m happy to say that working with Evernight Publishing is just like that as well - a family. Uncaged: What do you like to do when you aren’t writing? Where is one of your favorite places on Earth? When I’m not writing I’m thinking of writing lol. But I like to watch Markiplier (Youtuber) – I’ve been watching his videos since 2013, and it got me through the difficult parts of university, and even during the time I was trying to find myself as cliché as that sounds. To this day, I’ll watch his videos when I’m stressed out and it helps. I also love playing Mario Kart and Minecraft with my son, and even just play video games in general. Love to read, spend time with any animal I can find (my rental doesn’t allow pets), and chat with friends. Issue 24 | July 2018 |

| FEATURE AUTHOR | Uncaged: What can you tell us that is very unique about you?

His company never existed. His family history was a lie.

I’m not sure if there’s anything really unique so to speak (Hey! That rhymed! Does being corny count? lol). I’ve got a criminology degree, I’m francophone, from Canada, lived in three provinces, love Ottawa, love my family, adore my son and am more proud of him than I could ever put in words, and I love animals more than I like most people and yet I care about people too. Unique? Not really, but there is only one of me ;)

And he was involved with The Lumen, a shadowy religious order whose members know too much about demons. As the life she thought she knew crumbles around her, Mekaisto’s charms become harder to resist. Forced to face a horrible truth, Celina struggles against her late husband’s betrayal and the dark seduction of the devil she knows.

Uncaged: What would you like to say to fans, and where can they follow you?

They walked to the door, but she stopped and observed Kai from head to toe.

To fans I’d like to say thank you. Thank you so, so much for reading my book! If you liked it, left a rating, review or not, I love you all so much and appreciate that you gave my book a chance!

“If you’d like a better look, just ask.” His hands moved to the top button of his shirt and a malicious smile spread over his lips.

Enjoy an excerpt from My Soul to Give My Soul to Give Magali A. Fréchette Paranormal Romance When Celina Leviet escapes the brutal home invasion that kills her husband, she’s left with a bullet in her gut and vengeance in her heart. An alluring demon, Mekaisto, offers an irresistible deal—in exchange for her soul, he’ll let her live long enough to get her revenge, but she must hunt and kill the murderers herself. After sealing the contract, Celina digs into her husband’s past for clues about his murder, and what she uncovers makes her question everything she thought she knew about him. 44 | UncagedBooks.com

Excerpt

She rolled her eyes and ignored him, wrapping her arms around herself. “Can you go into a church? I mean, since you’re—” “A demon? Yes, I’m aware.” He tilted his head to the side. “Are you going to be okay in there?” As much as she hated him—going inside her head, invading her personal space, ordering cruel experiments, and even threatening her—a part of her wouldn’t be able to bear it if he was hurt. It was a part she’d rather not know about, but it existed nonetheless. His eyebrows rose, but a gentle smile appeared on his lips. “I knew you’d be interesting to work with. I see I wasn’t mistaken.” He grinned. “I may burst into flames—” “Are you serious?” Her fists clenched as she took a few steps closer to him. “You were going in there without saying anything? What if something happened to you? I wouldn’t even know what to do.” She grabbed the front of his jacket, panic seething in her veins. “You aren’t allowed to die on me, Kai.”

| MAGALI A. FRECHETTE | His gaze shone with such fondness it brought tears to her eyes. Celina bit the inside of her cheek. She already felt weak and stupid and didn’t want to add weeping to her list. “I won’t burst into flames. That was a joke. And I’m immortal—always have been and always will be. I can’t be killed.” She let him go and backed away, smoothing his jacket. “I’m sorry I overreacted. It’s been a strange day.” She couldn’t take her gaze off his face. Kai pinned her against the stone wall of the church and her blood ran cold, freezing her in place. “You know what you’re feeling Celina, but your human consciousness can’t accept what your heart already knows. Stop fighting yourself and give in to me.” “What I’m feeling—or not—doesn’t matter, Kai. We both know once you’ve completed your end of the deal, it will be all over for me.” I still love Thomas… I won’t betray him. But… He kissed her, this time using her passion against her, drawing the feelings from her as his tongue slipped inside her mouth and caressed her own, as she threw herself into the kiss, body … and soul. When she shuddered he withdrew from her, with his usual mischievous smile.

Uncaged Review I reviewed this book in October, 2017 and we are revisiting that review here. Is it wrong to fall in love with a demon? Because I did. And he’s not a good demon, he’s violent and cruel. But he’s also sarcastic, hilarious and can you believe – likable? But Kai is gentle, and cruel and sarcastic and sweet with Celina, but for all the right reasons. This is a story about betrayal, truths and yes, it’s a love story. Celina’s husband is brutally killed and when she runs away from the house and the murderers who are racing after her, she’s shot and on her way to dying also. Along comes Kai, the dark shadow that Celina has seen all her life, morphing into a human-like figure with red eyes. Kai offers Celina revenge for her husband, in exchange for her soul and her life. Already knowing she is dying, Celina accepts the offer. I’m not giving any more spoilers, but I loved this book. I loved Kai, and a very strong Celina. And the twists and turns that the author takes you on while delving for the truth was so much fun. Do be warned though, there is a lot of violence – but it all makes sense. Reviewed by Cyrene

“Shall we go inside then?” She took a breath to steady herself. “And nothing bad will happen to you?” “If anything, the church may burst into flames.” “Stay with me, Kai. Promise me.” An eternity of torment awaited her at the hands of this demon, but he was her demon. “I promise.” He held the door for her. Issue 24 | July 2018 |

feature author Elena Kincaid is an award-winning and Amazon best-selling author. She writes Paranormal and Contemporary Romances with alpha males who stop at nothing to protect their women, heroines who are anything but damsels in distress, and stories where the only love worth fighting for is the forever kind of love. She was born in Ukraine and raised in New York, where she currently lives with her daughter. Her desk is constantly cluttered with journals, sticky notes, and torn-out pieces of paper full of ideas. When not working, Elena loves to spend time with her family, travel the globe, curl up with a good book, and catch up on her soaps.

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Uncaged welcomes Elena Kincaid Uncaged: You released In Fair Brighton in February, can you tell readers more about your Star-crossed Mafia series? In Fair Brighton was inspired by Romeo and Juliet, though my main characters do not meet the same tragic end. They feel a deep connection to one another the moment they meet, neither of them knowing that they are the children of two of the most powerful Russian mob families in Brooklyn. Readers will need to take a bumpy ride before my couple gets their happily ever after. The rest of the series will build off of the first book, continuing with the Star-Crossed theme and rival mob families and the next books will have to deal with a circumstance from the first book. Uncaged: What do you have coming up next that you can tell us about?

Newsletter elenakincaid.com

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Right now, I am working book 6 in The Beyond The Veil series I co-write with my awesome writing partners, Maia Dylan and Sarah Marsh. I am also working on book 3 in my Pack Warrior series, titled Beta Wars which picks up after the pack wars in book 1. More on that to come soon. I am hoping to get to book 2 in my

Star-Crossed Mafia series shortly after those projects are done. Book 2, titled, Of These Two Foes, is already outlined and ready to be written. I can’t wait to share Nikita and Rose’s story with my readers. They may be two of the most stubborn characters I’ve ever written. Uncaged: What are the advantages of joining your Street Team group on Facebook? So as I mentioned, I have two amazing writing partners I co-write a series with. We also run our street team together. Our members get a sneak peek into what the three of us working on, we run monthly contests exclusive to the group, and we have a blast in there with random topics and games, and tons of yummy eye candy. We even have a theme song. Be warned: shenanigans often ensue. ;) Uncaged: Do you read your reviews? What do you take away from them?

I try not to, but sometimes it’s hard to resist. The main thing I always take away is being grateful that someone took the time to read my book, whether they liked it or not. Uncaged: What is one of the nicest things someone has said to you about your books? My boyfriend thanks you. ;) Uncaged: What is your favorite parts about being an author? What have you found to be the least favorite? The writing part is my favorite. I get to do what I have wanted to do since I was a kid. Turning my ideas into full-fledged stories is beyond amazing. The negative part is pretty much what we’ve all been experiencing lately in the book world. The fact that there are those who can’t play well with others and want to take advantage of the system is an ugly thing to witness. Uncaged: What do you like to do when you aren’t writing? Where is one of your favorite places on Earth? I love spending time with my daughter either bingIssue 24 | July 2018 |

| FEATURE AUTHOR | ing on something cool or family game night. We recently just got back from Florida where she got to go to Disney for the first time, and though I’ve been before a few times, getting to experience this with her was by far my favorite time. And you can throw Disney and Universal up there as some of my favorite places. And then this past October I went to Australia for a book signing in Brisbane and totally fell in love with the country. I’m a tv, music, and bookaholic, I love to travel, and hoping to one day be able to travel at least twice a year. Uncaged: What can you tell us that is very unique about you? I used to do gymnastics when I was younger and can still twirl a ribbon like nobody’s business. I am also a natural speed reader and was reading at college level in elementary school. Uncaged: What would you like to say to fans, and where can they follow you? My readers are the absolute best! I thank you for taking the time to read my work. They can follow me here: Twitter: https://twitter.com/elenakincaid1 FB Author Page: https://www.facebook.com/ elenakincaidthree

Enjoy an excerpt from In Fair Brighton In Fair Brighton Elena Kincaid Mafia Romance Sasha Palmer, a travel writer, never stays in one place long enough to find even the possibility of love. The baggage of her family keeps her closed off from everyone, but one 48 | UncagedBooks.com

day, love finds her in the form of strong arms, wrapping around her, and pulling her to safety from oncoming traffic. One look at Rome, and she’s a goner. Roman “Rome” Valentin is a killer … and a good one at that. He leads a life he detests, full of self-loathing until the day he meets Sasha. She barrels into his life and steals the heart he didn’t know he still had … and then she vanishes. Their two families have been at war for decades. Will a chance meeting and a passionate growing love end the bitter feud or spark a battle that may destroy them all? Excerpt Verona, Italy The heavens were about to open up and pour. Sasha downed the last of her cappuccino and then threw down money for the bill. Her hotel was only five blocks away. “I can make it,” she mumbled. She was wrong. One block’s worth of a light drizzle, turned into a torrential downpour. Leave it to me to visit Verona during one of the wettest months of the year and not think to carry an umbrella. By the end of the second block, she was completely soaked through from her head all the way to her damn, adorable, Gucci, four-inch heels, which prevented her from making a run for it. Instead, she slowed down her gait and embraced the soak. Another block later, with the rain easing only slightly, Sasha found herself standing stock-still, while in the middle of crossing the street, after a loud boom resonated somewhere around her. Was that a gunshot? Frantically, she looked around her for the source, but when finally, realizing that she needed to get out of the street, it was a moment too late. A car was headed straight toward her, brakes screeching, and as if trapped in a slow-motion movie, her brain had time to process that she would not get out of the way fast enough. Strong arms wrapped around her, jerking her backward, landing both her and her savior with their asses on the pavement. Those same strong arms lifted her and nudged her forward. “Over here,” the man said loudly to compete with the

| ELENA KINCAID | sound of the heavy rain falling. They ended up in a narrow alcove, the front of a little antique shop which was currently closed. “Are you all right?” She looked up at the tall, brunet male, stunned by the color of his greenish-gray eyes, and nodded as droplets of water rolled down his face. Her heart still beat frantically, leaving her breathless and unable to speak just yet. When she finally managed to catch her breath, she said, “I heard … I thought I heard a gunshot.” His face turned serious, concern written on his handsomely rugged face, his well-defined jaw tense. “No, sweetness. Just a Vespa backfiring. With so much going on in the world, I don’t blame you for thinking that.” Sasha inhaled deeply and then noisily exhaled, slowly feeling her heart rate return to normal. “Thank you for saving me.” She managed to give the stranger a shaky smile. His answering smile nearly took her breath away. A small gap in between his front teeth was even more endearing on his otherwise perfectly straight pearlywhites. “What’s your name, sweetness?” he asked her. “Sasha.” “Well, Sasha.” He took her hand in his. “I’m very glad to have been in the right place at the right time.” He brought her hand to his lips. “I shudder to think what could have happened. He released her hand, making her feel bereft of his touch. “You didn’t tell me your name.” He smiled again. “I’m Rome.” She couldn’t help the giggle that escaped her. “All you need is an O at then of your name, and then you’re definitely in the right city.” She knew her joke was lame, but it got him to smile again. His eyes sparkled. “Too bad your name isn’t Juliet.” Oh my! They stood staring at one another for some time after that, neither of them seemingly able to look away. For her, maybe it was sharing a life and death moment with this stranger, or the fact that her body had never had this intense of a reaction to someone she had just met, or ever for that matter. True, he was stunningly beautiful to look at, with his gorgeous face, and wellbuilt, lean muscular body, but it was more than that. She felt an undeniable pull to him.

When the rain all but stopped, she realized she couldn’t simply walk away from this man and never see him again. “Can I buy you dinner?” she asked. She could feel her cheeks burning. She’d never asked a man out before. “To say thank you, I mean.” “No, you may not,” he said with a smirk. Disappointed and embarrassed, she was about to make her quick getaway, when he added, “My mother taught me from a young age that a gentleman never allows his date to pay for dinner.” Date? “Will you please allow me to take you to dinner tonight?” His smile faltered, as if he was suddenly unsure of what her answer would be, despite the fact that she had asked him first. Meanwhile, she nodded her head, perhaps a bit too enthusiastically, like some love-stricken teenager. When he gifted her with another heart-stopping smile, she figured making a fool of herself was worth it.

Uncaged Review This is a good intro into a series, even though it’s a short read, the author manages to pack quite a bit into the pages. Two mafia families at war for a long time over the deaths of loved ones – and when two people fall in love from these families, will they be able to make it work? I think the love story was too quick, and there wasn’t as much tension in the relationship as there could have been, but there was a bit of danger that you would expect from a mafia romance, and the author did a nice job with the story. I guess what I really wanted was for it to be longer, so I could get a better feel for Sasha and Rome, and the backstory. I wanted to keep reading in this world, and that’s a good thing and I’m looking forward to the next book. Reviewed by Cyrene

Issue 24 | July 2018 |

feature author Wife, mother, former U. S. Army, and dental hygienist, I can now add published author to the list. I’m slowly transitioning out of hygiene, hoping to make writing a full-time endeavor. After writing for many years, my publishing dreams came true in August of 2017 with the release of my debut contemporary romance, “Keyed Up”. To date, I have eight stories released, and many more are in the works. I write in a variety of romance subgenres: contemporary, comedy, and erotic, with stories containing suspense and small-town romance being developed. I’m constantly learning, loving the journey and all the amazing people I’m meeting. A voracious reader myself, I enjoy all romance from contemporary to erotic to paranormal to suspenseful. I strive to write stories I can be proud of and enjoyed by many; ones that are not only sexy and fun, but thoughtful as well. I love engaging, so find me on the many social media platforms. I grew up on the East Coast and now reside on the West Coast, having lived in FL, GA, SC, MA, ID, and WA. Hubby and I hope to fill our passports with stamps from Scotland and Fiji, to name a few destinations. In the meantime, we’ll enjoy the beauty of the Pacific Northwest.

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Uncaged welcomes Laura M. Baird Uncaged: Can you tell the readers more about Love on the Line? Love on the Line was only going to be about 7K words, but as I got into it, more developed, and it became about 28K! With social media exploding, I wanted to revert back a bit, when people got to know one another through conversation – not by liking every selfie posted! My heroine has a bad break-up, so her friend sets up a profile online through a site where people contact one another based on common interests, and just talk. She’s reluctant to say the least, but after hearing the alluring voice of the hero, well… it turns into so much more! Uncaged: What do you have coming up next that you can tell us about? I’m working on developing three different series – one of which the first story is already out (“Unexpected Adventures” from Evernight Publishing). I have lofty goals! New Adventures series is about 4 siblings finding paths they never thought to encounter. My Cover Model series is just that – about cover models, their lives, and their loves. And then there’s my small-town romance series developing, with fun and sexy characters, and a bit of suspense.

Uncaged: Your books are often in related genres, contemporary, suspense, erotic – but there is always romance. What inspired you to start writing? I have always loved reading, and fell in love with romance through Nora Roberts’s books. I thought, I want to do that – write romance and give readers joy. Simple, maybe cheesy, but true. I love an escape, or a way of looking at something I never thought about before. Writing allows me to explore paths I might not otherwise experience, so it’s also an adventure for me! Uncaged: Do you read your reviews? What do you take away from them? I’ve read many reviews, and thankfully most have been good, but there’s always that one that makes your heart plummet… and I know there will be more. Not everyone will connect with my writing, and that’s okay, but I wish people would take this to heart – “If you don’t have anything nice to say, then don’t say anything at all.” That being said, critique is good, as it helps you evolve (hopefully), but a bad review, or one that just makes no sense definitely hurts. So, I’ll just continue to write what I enjoy, continue to learn, and hopefully gain loyal readers. 5)

What is one of the nicest things someone has

said to you about your books? That the reader was able to vividly picture my story in their mind, as if they were a part of the scene. I love that, and that’s the goal! Uncaged: What is your favorite part about being an author? What have you found to be the least favorite? My favorite part of being an author is the creation - working a story that makes my own breath catch, or makes me laugh. If I can do that, hopefully the reader will as well. My least favorite part is selling myself – promotion. Don’t get me wrong, I love to talk, and I could talk about myself and my writing all day long! But I don’t want to be a salesperson, just wanting readers to buy my stories. I want them to get to know me and truly want to enjoy my work. Promotion is necessary, but difficult, and I’m still finding that balance of being bold, so people come to know of me, but not being pushy or inauthentic. Uncaged: What do you like to do when you aren’t writing? Where is one of your favorite places on Earth? Issue 24 | July 2018 |

| FEATURE AUTHOR | When I’m not writing, I’m either reading, working my day job as a dental hygienist, or trying to make the most of my time with my hubby of twenty-eight years! My favorite place on Earth… as I’ve mostly travelled in the U. S. (and to Honduras while in the Army) my first thought would be any beach. But I also love the mountains, taking a drive where few go. So, I guess I don’t really have a favorite, but I’d like to discover one! Hubby and I dream of travelling to Scotland and Fiji!

Enjoy an excerpt from Love on the Line Love on the Line Laura M. Baird Contemporary Romance

Uncaged: What can you tell us that is very unique about you? I’m not sure I can adequately answer this one, as I just think of myself as “me”. When I thought I had no direction in life, I joined the Army, which still shocks a lot of people when they hear that. There I met amazing friends, and my husband. Over our years together, we’ve moved 11 times, put ourselves through college as adults, raised two wonderful sons, and simply want to enjoy life. Uncaged: What would you like to say to fans, and where can they follow you? I’d like to say, thanks for taking the time to read this, and my work. I may never reach the status of Nora Roberts (as she’s pretty much the measuring rod for romance), but we all need something to strive for! ;) I love engaging with readers and writers, and supporting others, so please, feel free to engage! I can be found on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Amazon, Goodreads, YouTube, Bookbub, or contact me through my website.

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only service.

AJ finds it hard to trust another man’s intentions after being duped and dumped, so the last thing she wants is another in her life. But her friend has other ideas and sets her up with the perfect guy—through a chat-

Hesitant at first, AJ is lured in by the deep, sexy voice and fun banter that easily becomes a nightly habit. As their bond grows and she begins to fall hard for him, they make plans to meet face-to-face. With love on the line, will AJ decide to forgive him when he confesses to being part of the set-up? Excerpt Jen reappeared holding AJ’s phone. “Okay, so, maybe finding a guy can be easier said than done, and I’ll tell ya how.” AJ eyed her friend skeptically and asked how. “So, there’s this online site called Flirt Chat, where people register to just talk to others based on similarities. You know, you program in all this information about yourself and then you seek out others who have the same qualities, interests, whatever.” “Okay,” AJ said hesitantly. “And you’re telling me this, because…?” “Well, because I registered you there, and I picked out a guy for you to talk to, and I’ve just alerted him you’re going to give him a call.” Jen began hitting the screen on AJ’s phone, obviously punching in numbers to contact this guy. AJ sprang to her feet. “Oh, you did not! No way, Jen. What the hell?”

| LAURA M. BAIRD | Before she knew what was happening, Jen handed her the phone, kissed her cheek, grabbed Kayli’s hand, and hauled her out the door, laughter ringing out. “Shit!” **** “Hello,” said the husky voice. “This is Mathias.” His few words were clear, succinct, and surprisingly soothing. Still, AJ remained quiet, locked up, unsure if she could even do this. She was on the verge of disconnecting the call when Mathias broke the silence. “Would you like to tell me your name?” Oh yes, definitely a voice made for phone sex. Okay, she hadn’t called for phone sex. She wasn’t even the one who called. But did people even do that anymore? Call for phone sex? Mathias’s sexy timbre certainly made her think of that, giving her goose bumps and making her short hairs stand on end. Thanks a lot, Jen, AJ thought, remembering her laughter as she quickly explained her scheme. Real mature for thirty-something. Oh God, and here she sat with her phone to her ear, listening to this undeniably alluring voice, wishing she had just hung up the damn phone the minute the first word had been uttered. “…and apparently you do, too.” I do too, what? “Hello?” Crickets. “If you’ve changed your mind, that’s understandable. No harm. I’ll just say good-bye, and—” “AJ,” she blurted. He sounded so down. Disappointed. She felt bad. Oh my God, what is wrong with me? I don’t even know him, and here I am feeling sorry for him because I’m the one who won’t speak to a stranger? She slapped her forehead as she closed her eyes and grimaced. “Hi, AJ.” She swore she could hear the smile in his voice when he said her name. She was so weak. “So do you really like hiking and kayaking?” “Yes,” came her simple reply. “And you enjoy beer more than wine. And you prefer college football over NFL?” “Yes, and of course.” So her friend really had listed true facts.

“And even though you love to indulge in pizza, burgers, and ice cream, you still manage to keep your figure in tip-top shape as an ice girl for the Idaho Steelheads.” “W-what!” AJ sputtered. Mathias’s light laughter echoed in her ear. “Gotcha. Just seeing if you were paying attention.” “The Steelheads don’t even have ice girls.” “You are correct. Think they have puck bunnies though? Amelia Jane.” AJ sucked in a quick breath. “You knew my name all along.” Mathis cleared his throat. “Yes. I got an alert you were going to call. I just wanted to break the ice, so to speak. Make you comfortable.” Jen put my full name in the profile? What else did she put in there? Should I know what’s in his? Gah! “So, I take it you like hiking and kayaking, too?” AJ asked. “No. I like indulging in pizza and burgers and ice cream while also keeping my figure in shape as an ice girl.” AJ couldn’t help the burst of laughter that escaped her. Mathias followed suit, laughing as well. “I like your laugh, Amelia Jane. And your name. Do you always go by AJ?” “Thank you, and yes, AJ’s always been easy.” “Okay, but I hope you won’t mind if I tend to say your full name. It’s a beautiful name.” “Thank you.” “And to answer your question honestly, yes, I do enjoy hiking and kayaking. I also mountain bike, no street cycling. I’ve done some rock climbing and BASE jumping.” “Wow. Really adventurous.” A chuckle preceded his words of “I suppose.” “I really enjoy being outside, losing myself in nature. And our area provides a lot of opportunity for that.” “Do you live in Boise?” There was silence for a moment before he spoke again. “You did read my profile, right?” “Um, no. I know nothing about you.” Issue 24 | July 2018 |

| FEATURE AUTHOR | “But you called me, based on our matching profiles and similar interests. Right?” “No again,” she stated. “I had no idea what was going on when one of my friends just handed me the phone as she suddenly decided she needed to be elsewhere. She told me about this Flirt Chat, and how it worked, but I didn’t know she’d actually registered me until it all came spilling out in a rush.” “Right before rushing out the door.” “Precisely.” She hesitated before continuing. “Um, I’m sorry?” “Why are you sorry? It wasn’t your doing. Your friend must really be desperate for you to find someone.” “You have no idea.” AJ sighed. As much as she loved Jen, this act was pushing the envelope between caring about her and being intrusive. “Are you upset with her?” “I don’t know yet. I know she cares, but this … this was…” “Pushing it?” AJ laughed. “Exactly. Very uncanny how you say just the right things.” “Well, I try.” His attitude came across as relaxed, nice, and truth be told, AJ didn’t mind talking to him at all. He was witty, and she could truly listen to his voice all day long. Possibly into the night. Her face heated at the thought. Thank goodness they weren’t video-chatting, because how awkward would that be? Anonymity was safer. “So, AJ, would you like to keep talking? Because truthfully, I’m enjoying this.” She hesitated a moment before confessing. “I was thinking the same thing.” “Excellent! So, what would you like to know? Since you know nothing about me and I know everything about you.” “Oh, is that so? And what exactly is everything you know about me?” “Well, besides what I already said… And I’m still fantasizing about you being an ice girl.” He chuckled. “I know you’re thirty-two and passionate about your career in advertising. You want to 54 | UncagedBooks.com

visit all twenty-three World Heritage Sites in the United States, five of which you already have. And that’s just for starters.” “Again, wow! I guess my friend was pretty thorough. Tell me, are there any pictures on the profile?” “No. It’s an informational site only. They want to promote relationships based on commonalities, rather than superficial trappings like appearances.” Wow. Okay. “But people could lie about their likes and dislikes, just like they could post false photos on any other site, right?” She could feel her brow wrinkling. “True. I think some people may detail what they think they’d like, trying to switch it up or attract someone they might want to get to know.” “But then how do you know you’re getting the real person? How can you start off any sort of relationship with lies?” She knew her past with Brad was making her skeptical, but that kind of mistrust you just couldn’t put aside. His actions had really taken a toll on her. “With some, they certainly could be lies. With others, they may be the opportunity to explore new possibilities.” “But they’re being deceitful. How can you trust that?” Her voice rose and she knew she was getting defensive, but she couldn’t help it. “What does a person have to gain by lying?” Oh, she knew all right. She knew selfish behavior was just that—all about the self-serving asshole who liked to feel superior, who liked control, who didn’t want anyone else to appear better than them! Who… “Well, I know we really don’t know one another yet, but you’ll hear only the truth from me. So, if you still want to give this a try, I’m game.” “This took an awkward turn, huh? Bet you didn’t bargain for this seriousness.” A strangled laugh escaped her. “I’m not sure what I bargained for, honestly, but I can certainly understand your caution. I took a chance on something new and different, and here we are.” “And here we are. So why did you think you needed this? What’s wrong with you that you can’t meet people another way?” As soon as the words were out of her mouth, she cringed and wanted to immediately

take them back. “I am so, so sorry! That’s not exactly what I meant to say. I—” “It’s okay.” He chuckled. “You’re wondering if I’m some creeper, trolling for women. Or maybe someone who’s not six three, two-ten, with six-pack abs and a killer smile, but pretending to be.” AJ noisily gulped, imagining the man he just described. That vision, combined with his hypnotic voice was enough to cause her belly to flutter and moisture to gather in certain unmentionable places on her body. “Um, okay.” She was at a loss to say anything intelligible. “So, would you like to know about me?” “You tell me what you’d like me to know. Is that okay?” “Absolutely. I’m thirty-five, Boise born and raised, and a diehard Broncos fan. That’d be Boise State as well as Denver. I’ve visited ten of the World Heritage Sites here in the States, two in India, and would love to visit many, many more.” “So far, so good. What else?” “Okay.” He chuckled. There was certainly plenty of laughter and gaiety between them, and she wanted that to continue. It sure beat the pathetic sobfests she was prone to lately. “Well, I’m a software engineer who spends a considerable amount of time alone. Not that I’m antisocial, I just prefer solo adventures more often than not. And besides, when all your friends are already hooked up and trying like crazy to get you hooked up, there’s only so much one can take. As you can attest to.” “Amen to that!” “So what do you think so far?” “About you, or this experience?” “Yes.” AJ was hesitant, not wanting to jinx the fun they were having, yet not knowing how far she wanted to encourage this. “I think, so far, it’s been pleasant?” “Well don’t hold back, by all means, regale me with your praises.” Again, AJ couldn’t hold back the laughter, and it felt liberating. “Well, as far as talking on the phone to a total stranger goes, it’s been enlightening. And fun. Aaannd, I’d like to continue.” “All right. So would I. Your profile says you’re a Boise

| LAURA M. BAIRD | native as well. Did you attend Boise State for your degree?” “Yes, I got my B.F.A. in graphic design then went on to do advertising.” “And you’ve never been out of the country but have your passport ready to go.” “Yes again. I want to hike Machu Picchu and swim the Great Barrier Reef. And see the great Pyramids and tour a castle. Or twelve.” She tried but failed to stifle a giggle. When she’d talk about her dreams of travel and adventure with Brad, he’d scoff and ask why. Everything she’d ever need was in the United States, he’d say. That should have been a clue to their incompatibility. “Um, how about you? Besides India, what other out-of-country adventures have you been on? Oh, and do you prefer Mathias or Matt?” “Mathias. I had the opportunity to go to Dubai on business, and while there, I BASE jumped off the Princess Tower. And since I was in the vicinity, I ventured over to see the Taj Mahal and the Chitwan National Park in Nepal.” “That’s so amazing! Wow, that’s really something to brag about.” “I’m pretty fortunate with my job and lifestyle. So why haven’t you fulfilled any of your out-ofcountry dream trips?” “Oh, well, I … you know, I’ve been busy building my career.” And letting a manipulator basically run my life for two years while I was oblivious to his true nature. Let it go, AJ! What’s done is done! “And are you where you want to be?” My God, his voice is something, she thought. The kind you read about, if you’re one to read romance novels, which she totally was, and how a voice like his was described as a panty-dropper. She had to fan herself from the heat suddenly overtaking her entire body. Sheesh! “AJ, you there?” “Oh, yep, still here.” What was the question? Oh, yes, am I where I want to be? “My career’s been going great. Hit a bit of a road bump recently, but you know, that happens.” “Anything you care to elaborate on? Anything I Issue 24 | July 2018 |

| FEATURE AUTHOR | can do to help?” “Unlikely. I’m sorry, I guess I’m not ready to discuss that right now.” Because it’s much more than just my career that’s hit a road bump. “Please stop apologizing. I understand. I mean, how much do you really know someone after only ten minutes of chatting?” “Precisely.” Although I feel like I could say things to you I never could to Brad. How interesting. AJ cleared her throat. “So, any plans for your Labor Day weekend coming up?” “Yeah, I thought I’d go check out the hot air balloons at the Spirit of Boise Balloon Classic, then head down to the 10 Barrel Brewing Company for the beer wars.” “Really?” She, too, had thought of checking out the balloon classic, and since she loved beer… “What about you? Any plans?” How much do I tell him? What if he wants to meet up? Could I? “AJ? Do you always have a habit of going off into your own little world from time to time?” She knew he was teasing by the laughter that followed. “Is that your way of asking if I’m an airhead?” “I would never!” he feigned outrage, causing her to giggle. Giggles, really? Get a grip! “Well, if you must know—” “And I must,” he smoothly interjected. “I was also thinking of going to the balloon classic.” “And since you prefer beer to wine…” “Oh my God, are you a mind reader?” Mathias chuckled. “No. Just following logical thinking. The engineer in me.” He paused, and before she could say anything more, he asked, “Amelia Jane, I’m going to take a leap and ask if you think it’s too soon to plan to meet one another on Saturday?” She remained silent as she let the whisper of her name from him float through the air. She couldn’t even stammer a response. Her mind suddenly flooded with yeses and nos, with pros and cons, with a host of scenarios playing out in her head. 56 | UncagedBooks.com

“We could continue to talk with one another, get to know more about each other little by little every day leading up to Saturday. Because what I’ve heard so far has me wanting to know more.” “Really?” she squeaked out, surprised he seemed to feel the same way she did. And surprised at herself for feeling this way so quickly. “You want to spend your Sunday evening talking to a stranger?” “Yes. Really.” AJ grinned from ear to ear, ridiculously pleased and nervously hopeful. “Okay.” “Okay.” “So, now what?” “Now, we get to know more about each other. So how long before you get over this road bump?” “Wow, right to it. Um, I’m not sure. My agency has been great, but I seem to be lacking my drive.” “And you need a confidence booster. Or you’re reevaluating whether to stay in the profession. Or you’re recovering from a pulled hammy while doing the splits during practice out on the ice.” More laughter. “What is it with you and this ice girl fantasy?” “Well, they’re terrific dancers in tremendous shape. They’re usually gorgeous and wear those sexy little outfits. What’s not to like?” “So it’s all about appearances, is it?” she asked teasingly. “Absolutely,” he returned, his sarcasm evident. “Isn’t that what we’ve learned from social media these days?” “So you’ll be thrilled when I tell you I look just like Miley Cyrus. Because that’s the look I’ve been going for these days. She’s all the rage, don’cha know, what with being such a marvelous judge on TV and all. Not to mention her eye-fetching attire and sassy attitude.” “Then you’ll be happy to hear I like sassy. And I look exactly like Chris Hemsworth. And even though Miley preferred Liam, let’s just say maturity has its advantages.” “And let me just say I actually prefer older guys, and due to my diligence at staying in shape, twerking on the ice is a sight to behold.” Matthew’s deep laughter washed over AJ, infusing her with joy and comfort. It’d been much too long since

| LAURA M. BAIRD | she felt this at ease, and with a complete stranger no less. “Oh, AJ, you are a joy.” “I know, right?”

Uncaged Review A nice romance – a short and sexy read easily read in a couple hours. I loved the banter between AJ and her friends, and when her friend Jen, sets her up on a phone dating site, AJ relents and begins having nightly talk sessions with Mathias. When AJ finds out that Mathias was in on the set up with her friend Jen, will she be able to overcome what she sees as a betrayal? Both AJ and Mathias have trust issues from being burned in past relationships, but AJ’s has been a bit over kill. I think she responds to certain aspects more like a high schooler than an adult woman, but she does finally get to where she needs to go, and the reader will want to shake some sense in to her at times, and other times will want to hug her. There is some hot and steamy sex, and you may want to sit in front of a fan, but this was a fun read and introduced an author to me that I hadn’t read before – and I definitely plan to read more from her. Reviewed by Cyrene

Issue 24 | July 2018 |

fang-FREAKIN-tastic reviews

feature author

welcomes

Jolie St. Amant

| FANG-FREAKIN-TASTIC FEATURE AUTHOR |

Jolie St. Amant fell in love with all things New Orleans after reading Interview with the Vampire by Anne Rice. Now, a frequent visitor to the Crescent City, she can often be found getting inspiration from ghost tours, or sipping cafe au lait at Cafe du Monde. Dream a Little Dream of Me is the first in the Chateau Rouge Series.

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Enjoy an excerpt from That Voodoo That You Do That Voodoo That You Do Jolie St. Amant Paranormal Chateau Rouge is rumored to be a haunted hotel. It hides secrets and stories within its walls, tales that lure guests from all over the world. It seems this enchanting hotel is still up to its old tricks, igniting the flames of romance while subtly nudging reluctant lovers to fall into the hands of fate. Will Josey’s love survive the test of time, despite being doomed from the start? Can Julien melt Hannah’s cold heart, allowing her to see that love is right in front of her? Will Chloe find the home and love she’s been looking for? Here at the Chateau Rouge you can expect the unexpected. Be careful, or you, too, may become captivated by its spell. Excerpt

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“Bienvenue! Welcome to the Chateau Rouge.” Mon Dieu, Josey thought as she looked up from the

| JOLIE ST. AMANT | elegant front desk of the New Orleans hotel and fell head over hormones in to lust.

orated in skeletons, ghosts, and ghouls, would be full of costumed revelers.

“Checking in,” said the object of her affliction. “Name’s Rhett. Rhett Butler.”

“I’m here for some kind of experience.”

“Rhett Butler?” Josey asked, raising an eyebrow. An alias, of course. Celebrities often stayed at the Chateau Rouge using fake names. She blew a lock of black hair out of her face and hit some keys on the keyboard. Looking up again, she felt a wave of white-hot heat throbbing in the tips of her fangs. Her tongue trailed along the edges, willing them not to show themselves. His hair was jet black underneath a baseball cap. Tribal tattoos wrapped around arms the size of anacondas. He wore a simple black t-shirt and fashionably tattered blue jeans. His eyes were deep brown, and his five o’clock shadow framed full lips. He was tall— over six feet, by Josey’s estimate. He was just her type. Masculine and ragged around the edges. And, somehow, very familiar. It couldn’t be, she thought. Not after all this time. “What can I say? My dad was a Gone with the Wind fan,” he replied. “Is that right?” “Yes, ma’am,” he said, leaning over the desk, closer to Josey. “You look like a woman that should be kissed. And often…” His smoky voice trailed off. “And by someone who knows how,” Josey finished for him, breathlessly. She inhaled and stepped back to compose herself before continuing with her normal check-in spiel. “You are in the Red Light Suite, Mr. Butler. Are you here for the Voodoo Music Experience, or just Halloween in general?” The Voodoo Music Experience was a rock music festival that attracted people from everywhere. Headliners had been legends like Ozzy Osbourne and KISS. Of course, haunted New Orleans attracted its fair share of Halloween lovers as well. The French Quarter, dec-

Her eyes met his, and the air between them sizzled. The flame seemed to burn the oxygen out of the air, leaving her lightheaded and half giddy. She sucked in a breath, catching a whiff of his woodsy cologne. She closed her eyes as the floor seemed to shift. Only one man had ever made her feel that way. It couldn’t be. Not again. She exhaled a breath and choked out, “This key unlocks both your room and the gate to your private courtyard. Enjoy the festival and your stay with us. If you need anything,” Josey’s voice broke on the word anything, “don’t be afraid to call the front desk.” Josey held the key out, and Rhett’s fingers brushed over hers, moving slowly and deliberately. Anaconda Arms, aka Rhett Butler, pocketed the key. “If I need any … thing,” he winked at her, “you’ll be the first one I call, Miss…?” “Jacobson,” she replied. “Josey.” “Josey,” he said, then nodded toward the brass plated sign over her shoulder. “Complimentary happy hour?” he asked. “Yes. At eight.” “Will you be there?” he asked. “Maybe,” she said. Damn right I will, she thought. It had been too long since she felt the touch of a man. Too long since she’d fed. A grin flashed across his face. “I’ll see you then.” Josey watched as he disappeared in to the elevator. Issue 24 | July 2018 |

| FANG-FREAKIN-TASTIC FEATURE AUTHOR | “Josey!” Someone was calling her name. “Josey!” “What?” she snapped.

“Tobias doesn’t really listen to anyone. But I’ll come down and check it out,” Josey said as she turned her attention to the couple walking through the door.

Ivy, the bartender, was smiling at her from the adjoining door of the hotel’s lounge.

“Bienvenue! Welcome to the Chateau Rouge,” Josey said, and resumed the desk duties.

“I’m sorry, Ivy,” Josey said. “What is it?” “That was a fine piece of flesh,” Ivy teased, raising an eyebrow in the direction of the elevator. Josey frowned, and started needlessly straightening the top of the Queen Anne desk. “Isn’t it time for your shift? What did you do to your hair?” Josey asked Ivy, gesturing to the streak of burgundy in her brown hair. “I dyed it this morning. Getting all ready for the Vampire Ball this weekend. Do you think Dean will notice?” she asked. Dean was one of the guides for the ghost tour company that used their lounge area as a starting point. He was also Ivy’s current beau. Josey smiled. “If he doesn’t, he’s blind. It looks good.” “Are you coming down for happy hour tonight?” Josey thought of the man who had just checked in. He was obviously using a fake name. Who was he really? She wouldn’t miss happy hour tonight for the world. She had to figure out the mystery man. “Yes.” “Good. Tobias has been unusually rowdy lately.” “He’s probably fussing with Lucy again. You know how they are. I’ll come down and keep my eye on things.” “Good. He doesn’t listen to me. He almost broke the beer mugs last night.”

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The night clerk she’d been relieving returned from his break, and Josey checked the time on the slim gold watch on her wrist. Seven o’clock. She had an hour to go to her room, shower, and change. Josey started mentally rifling through her closet. What would she wear? Josey gave the lobby a last look. Two centuries ago, it had been a bordello, and she, Madame Josephine, had picked every detail from the elaborate crystal chandelier, to the tapestry wall hangings, to the tall white and blue flower arrangements that were delivered from a local florist. Now that it was an upscale boutique hotel, Josey still supervised every detail of the flourishing business. Its reputation as a haunted hotel in New Orleans brought in scores of curious tourists, ghost hunters, and mediums. Satisfied that everything was as it should be, Josey smiled and headed to her suite.

If you are a blogger, and review books and would like to have your own space here in Uncaged, please email at Cyrene@UncagedBooks.com Uncaged has openings!

Uncaged Reviews Claimed by Gods Eva Chase Fantasy

The gods walk among us. And they just might steal your soul... or your heart. I thought I’d survived everything life could throw at me. All I wanted was to keep my distance from the criminals I work for and get my little brother out of the hell that is our mother’s house. Then I died and woke up to four stunningly hot gods telling me I’m now a valkyrie.

Uncaged Review: This book was quite the surprise, and in a good way. I didn’t expect to be greeted by a version of the Norse gods, but there you have it. When Aria died, she ended up being summoned by the gods to become a Valkyrie – to find the Allfather – Odin who had been taken by dark elves. Ari is a spitfire, and a survivor, having grown up on the streets with a horrible family life, and the only thing she loved, was her little 6 year old brother Petey. Aria is smart and resourceful and pretty badass in her own right and she’ll prove it to you. The sex in the book didn’t even begin until you were about 80% in, but I doubt the next one will wait that long. But it did not in any way, distract from the story. Another thing I really enjoyed was the different POV’s. Even though this is written in first person, the author switched up from chapter to chapter, with the character name in the beginning of whom had the narrative during that chapter. It was easy to keep them straight, and I enjoyed what they all were thinking and feeling. This was a nice original take in the fantasy genre, and I am looking forward to book two. Reviewed by Cyrene

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The Devil and the Deep Various Horror Anthology Stranded on a desert island, a young man yearns for objects from his past. A local from a small coastal town in England is found dead as the tide goes out. A Norwegian whaling ship is stranded in the Arctic, its crew threatened by mysterious forces. In the nineteenth century, a ship drifts in becalmed waters in the Indian Ocean, those on it haunted by their evil deeds. A surfer turned diver discovers there are things worse than drowning under the sea. Something from the sea is creating monsters on land. Uncaged Review: A mixture of horror stories all featured with a common theme. In fact it’s so common to every day life for horror stories. To be featured around the sea it is a very clever idea. I’m happy to say while reading this I didn’t get sea sick lol. I did have a few favorite tales from this. One being the retold version of The Little Mermaid. I considered this book a rather amusing read I’ve honestly never read any horror book featuring the sea. Reviewed by Jennifer

No Coming Back Jessie Salisbury Contemporary Romance Rich, deeply embittered, is recovering from an accident he blames on his stepfather Jim. The injury has left him in pain, unable to play baseball, and may prevent him from ever returning to teaching physical education, a profession he loves.

Uncaged Review: This book is about a dysfunctional family who is torn apart then put back together. It starts with two friends, Laura and Susan, who are cousins, having brunch. Sue is mooning over a Kendall Weston who she wants to meet. Laura has just broken off her relationship with her boyfriend. Susan is the sister to Pete who is a minor league baseball player. Laura is a nurse. Ken is the half brother to Richard Summers who is recovering from a major accident with a leg injury which has ended his career as a catcher for Pete in a minor league team and possibly his job as a physical education teacher. Laura is intrigued with Richard’s injuries, believing she might be able to help him but isn’t sure how to meet him again after losing track of him since high school. Most of the book centers around Richard and his issues with his step father, Jim, and the recovery from his accident. At the beginning of the book, he is leaving the rehab with his current girlfriend, Gina, after refusing to return to his step-father’s house. He is leaving behind his mother who is a paraplegic but what happened between him and his stepfather was painful enough her refused to go home to recover. The apartment he lives in is drab and depressing. He allows his roommate from rehab, Tex to live with him. Gina becomes unhappy as Rich is a wet blanket, unwilling to do much of anything other than drink. Thing fall apart at a party where Pete and his girlfriend, Sue his sister, Gina and Tex are there. Pete and his girlfriend leave first, not wanting to watch Rich get drunk. Rich runs Gina off with Tex but then has second thoughts about it, gets up, falls and hits his head. Sue calls 911 and then his family. She thinks she is talking to the father, but it is Ken. Sue and Ken wait until they know Rich is going to

be fine and to out for coffe. They start dating, Ken finding her good company. Rich meets Laura at the hospital and they make a connection. Tex moves in with Gina. Laura and Rich date and she gently moves him from his depressing apartment into a house and then into making amends with his family. Meanwhile Ken is dealing with his father not trusting him to do a job and chaffs under his criticism. They have an argument and Ken leaves and moves out of the house into his own place, and quits working for the company he had expected to run when Jim retired. Most of the book is tearing back the layers of the relationships of Ken and Richard with the stepfather Jim, who is blustery and gruff, unwilling to admit when he is wrong, alienating all his children other than his youngest child, Archie. Then there is Wendy, Richard’s sister who is attempting to draw Ken into a relationship even though she is married, aware he cared for her when they were teenagers. Her marriage is one where her husband ignores her and leaves her alone most of the time. Jim doesn’t like him but respects her choice. He does tell Wendy’s husband to pay more attention to his wife and less to his job. You discover Archie lied to Jim about Richard talking money from his desk. Rich left in an ice storm and hit the telephone pole because of that lie. He refuses to return because of the lack of trust and accusations after Jim hit him. Archie puts a note from Wendy to Ken on his father’s desk. It drives a wedge between Ken and Jim and is one of the reasons Ken quits the company after Jim accuses him of not doing his job and having an affair with his stepsister. Archie’s actions were to cover up stealing the money to join a club and to get even with Ken. There is a lot to recommend this book with the characters who have to deal with the family issues while delving into themselve to come to terms with what they really want. As the story unfold you feel the pain of the men as Jim’s actions and words hurt both Ken and Rich. You also want to reach out and smack Archie, who is a brat. Laura and Sue are wonderful supporting characters who add to the layers of the story. This book gets 5 stars and is a recommended read. Reviewed by Barbara.

Issue 24 | July 2018 |

Uncaged Reviews Highland Faith Madelyn Hill Historical Highlands

Redemption Kim Loraine Contemporary Romance

Lady Faith longed for adventure. Be careful what you wish for . . .

Sparks may fly in the bedroom, but fire always brings destruction.

Huntress Lady Faith MacAlister seeks adventure. Her father’s dying pledge tethers her to Wild Thistle Keep, thwarting her desire to explore the world beyond the palisade. Solace is found while hunting and providing sustenance for her clan. When snatched from the safety of MacAlister lands by a rogue bent on securing a ransom, she finds the adventure of her life. Uncaged Review: The second book in this trilogy gives us the story of Faith. The three sisters from Clan MacAlister, were intended to rule together, per their father’s wishes. But Faith is not like other ladies, she’s a keen hunter and provides meat for the clan with her hunting skills. While out on an extended hunting trip, she is captured and taken aboard a ship. Graeme Ross needs the final coin to free his father’s lands from the Crown, and plans to use the ransom money from Faith’s Clan. But he didn’t bargain on Faith enchanting not only him, but also his crew. Faith is strong and spirited and easy to cheer for, and the reader can easily get attached to Graeme and his entire misfit crew on the ship. There is plenty to love about this story, family, love, betrayal and even dangerous seas, the author keeps you turning the pages with a well-developed story and secondary characters. Reviewed by Cyrene

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Golden Beach firefighter Lieutenant Michael Oliver has everything he wants: a beautiful wife, a job he loves, and a future that finally looks bright after years of darkness. Until one day a surprise from his past shows up, throwing everything he’d finally recovered from back in his face. Uncaged Review: I read this very quickly it’s nothing special just a normal romantic book. The key elements that make this book work is a lot of drama and real life situations. There is a few books out there by this author with some of the same characters mentioned here. Thankfully they are all standalone books like this. The clever thing this author has achieved is a part from me liking this book, she’s made me want to go back and read all the others. I’m pretty sure any fans of romance and drama will love this. Reviewed by Jennifer

The Writer and the Rake

Shehanne Moore Historical Regency/Time Travel

He saw her coming. If he’d known her effect he’d have walked away. When it comes to doing it all, ‘wild child’ writer Brittany Carter ticks every box. Having it all is a different thing though, what with her need to thwart an ex fiancé and her being transported from the present to Georgian times. But then, so long as she can find her way back to her world of fame and promised fortune, what’s there to worry about?

Uncaged Review: This book is a time travel with a decent premise. Writer Brittany Carter isn’t doing well. In her fantasies she is famous. In reality she is barely selling a book. Enter Mort(e) who has hit her car as she was going to pick up her friend, Rab. She lies about who she is until he says, “Fame, success, riches.” To get it, she has to sign a paper which she does. She goes to leave and Morte is in the gutter on his knees kissing the paper until he bursts into flames. They call for emergency help and Brittany used the fire extinguisher to put him out, saving his life. Morte says she interrupted a process as she lights another cigarette. Morte says she didn’t understand as it was about choices and she made the wrong one. He is a Time Mutant. Brittany barges in on her ex-boyfriend with Rab, hoping to get Sebastian to take her off the mortgage. When she goes to sleep in the room of the house she half owns, she awakens in 1765 in the room of a young boy with a very handsome man talking, asking how she got into his sons bed. Lord Mitchell Killgower is a man with dark hair, blue eyes, and killer cheekbones and a voice which got her attention. He thanks her for ruining his son so he can obtain his inheritance. Brittany has difficulty believing she is in 1765 other than the style of house and the clothes the boy and man are wearing.

Brittany and Michell don’t see eye to eye on most things. Brittany is self centered and refuses to learn what to do to survive in another century. Brittany leaves and returns twice. The third time she leaves, she is gone for eight months and realizes she love Mitchell. Morte had already said she would continue to travel through time until she found love and stayed with him. That’s the story in a nutshell with a tons of things left out. The story had the possibility of being a comedic romp at the beginning. The plot was great with multiple twists and turns and the unexpected. Mitchell was like a hero in one of her stories and she was so out of place in 1765 but the author didn’t really get that across well and in places where it should have been funny, the lack of sentence completion and the two talking as if they were in diffent conversations left you scratching your head and saying “What?” The off-putting thing was the writing. There were many times when I had to stop and figure out what the characaters were saying or meaning. The sentences were chopped and much of the dialogue was garbled and hard to read to the point where I almost gave up on finishing the book. It had a great premise for a wonderful story, but because of the difficulty of reading the book, I give it 2.5 stars. Reviewed by Barbara

Issue 24 | July 2018 |

Uncaged Reviews Dawn in Damnation

Fallen Angel

WELCOME TO DAMNATION . . . where every living soul is as dead as a doornail. Except one.

Darkly romantic. A dangerous new paranormal thriller for fans of all things supernatural.

Clark Casey Horror

Buddy Baker is a dead man. Literally. After gunning down more men than Billy the Kid— and being hung by a rope necktie for his crimes—the jolly, fast-drawing fugitive reckoned he’d earned himself a nonstop ticket to hell. Instead, he finds himself in Damnation: a gun-slinging ghost town located somewhere between heaven and hell. Uncaged Review: An unusual book about were-

wolves vampires, gunslingers and the occasional dame. Well written and creative. Ever wondered what would happen if you were stuck between heaven and hell? Dawn in damnation may have that answer. Reviewed by Skye

J.L. Myers Fantasy/Paranormal

Before Earth there was Heaven, a place of immortality and subservience, a place where angels existed to watch the world transform…until one angel changed everything. Gabriel may have been the first of the archangels to feel love and compassion, but teaching Lucifer to feel started the beginning of the end. Angels aren’t free to love, to lust, to want. They are God’s servants, his eyes and ears, his pure beings. Or at least they were. Uncaged Review: This is a very good origin novella that takes readers to the beginnings of the Blood Bound series and how the vampires were created. Even though this novella focuses mostly on how and why Lucifer fell and his revenge of tainting all of God’s humans, there is a compassion within him for Gabriel that you will see within his rage and hatred that leads you not to hate him. This novella was a quick and easy read as it held my interest and had me wanting to turn the pages to see what would happen next. As of this review, the book is free on Amazon, and it’s worth a look for paranormal lovers. Reviewed by Cyrene

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Lies and Solace

Jana Richards Contemporary Romance Love is worth the risk... When their grandfather dies, the Lindquist sisters, Harper, Scarlet and Maggie, inherit the northern Minnesota fishing lodge that had been in their family for three generations. The inheritance is bittersweet. They were raised at the lodge by their grandparents. The natural beauty of the place hasn’t changed, but the building itself is crumbling and desperately in need of repair. The lodge also reminds them of what they lost. Twenty-two years previously, their parents died there in what was ruled a murder/suicide.

Uncaged Review: Harper is looking for investors to buy into her grandparents lodge. She meets Ethan who states he works for the company that’s willing to invest. Things won’t be as easy as she thinks when it comes to redecorating the lodge. The relationship between Ethan and Harper isn’t easy in the book as there’s a lot of hidden truths and lies. This makes for a interesting storyline and keeps the reader hooked. I did enjoy this story and I’m looking forward to reading book two in the series. As there still some key facts in the book that need to be cleared up. Reviewed by Jennifer

Tempting Fate

Michelle Jean Marie Historical Victorian Bonded by an old secret, fate reunites Alanna and Kellen in order to keep another. Deceit, blackmail, and revenge challenge their every step as they navigate the dark alleys of London. And traverse the corners of their hearts. Can Alanna tempt fate and save Kellen from his biggest danger—himself?

Uncaged Review: I loved this book. The author did a fabulous job keeping me engaged and turning pages well past my bedtime. Lady Alanna was disgraced from Society after breaking off her engagement to her cheating fiancé. Taking up the plight of orphaned children, she’s spent the time since devoted to them. Kellen, so abused by the hands of his father, leaves behind his childhood home and all the responsibility to escape to the military. Both Alanna and Kellen have known each other since children, but Kellen isn’t the man that Alanna remembers, he’s cold and cruel. But when circumstances have them entering an betrothal, this book really gets moving. Betrayal, accusations, kidnapping, secrets, danger, revenge and other challenges face both the reader and the characters in this book. I loved even the supporting cast, and hated the ones I was supposed to hate. This book doesn’t slow down and there are laugh out loud moments and times you will be reading as fast as you can to get to the next page. Highly recommended. Reviewed by Cyrene

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Uncaged Reviews Fire in Ice

Jennifer DiGiovanni Young Adult/Paranormal After suffering a rare illness, straight-A student Cara Scotto struggles to deal with lingering side effects. Refusing to admit she can’t handle the disruptions in her otherwise normal life, she tries to move on and heal.. Uncaged Review: If Cara thought it was weird she had gotten the attention of Alex, the richest, cutest boy in Amber Lea than when she found out they had something major in common it threw her for a major loop. You see they are both Generators and when Alex found out he decided to take Cara under his wing, whether she wanted to accept she wasn’t normal or not. This is not your typical love story. Alex has to fight Cara for her attention. His lady mans reputation doesn’t do much to put him in her good graces. Little by little Cara comes to trust Alex and it’s a great read to see their relationship blossom as it does. Never a dull moment is to be seen in this story. You will truly enjoy reading and experiencing Cara coming into her power all while falling for the “bad boy” of Amber Lea! Reviewed by Danielle

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Make Me a Match

Mackenzie Lucas Contemporary Romance

Widower Mark Cage needs help getting a date with a cute kindergarten teacher, only the last person on earth he’d ask is Athena Sullivan, Essence’s resident dating guru. Yet, Mark doesn’t have much of an option when his teenage daughter forces his hand and purchases a matchmaking package for him with the sexy relationship coach. Uncaged Review: A fun and easy read, well worthy of The Soul Mate Tree series that it’s a part of. Since Mark lost his wife, he’s shied away from any commitments. When he sees the very sexy Athena at Essence, he thinks he immediately stereotypes her, and dislikes her on sight. When he learns she’s a relationship expert, and she will be his “relationship coach” bought for by his teenage daughter, Mark realizes that Athena is a lot more than just a sexy woman. Don’t judge a book by it’s cover, is the main theme going on in this book, as people so often do. This is a nice shorter romance that had some fun banter even though Mark was a little too rough around the edges, and the book was a little too short to get a good connection to the characters. Reviewed by Cyrene

Issue 24 | July 2018 |

Fang-Freakin-Tastic Reviews Garden of Lilies Eli Constant Paranormal This time, helping a ghost might kill her. Victoria Cage has one main objective in life—make sure that no one finds out she’s a necromancer. You know, a carrier of that pesky little power that caused zombies to rise back in World War III? Of course, it’s hard to stay hidden when you deal with dead bodies. Like, every freaking day.

Fang-Freakin-Tastic Review: Garden of Lilies is the first book in the Victoria Cage Necromancer series. It is both exciting and heart wrenching while keeping the reader completely entranced in the story. Tori is a funeral director and more importantly a Necromancer. In this world, being a Necromancer is a death sentence. I would call this book a magical dystopian, but I’m not sure that’s a real genre lol. In a world turned gray by death and despair, Tori is just trying to live her life and be the best person she can be without giving away her forbidden secret. You can see how she struggles with the decisions she must make regarding her powers and whether or not to help the ghost of a child who met a horrifying end. The things this child went through are disturbing and heartbreaking. I’ve not read many books involving child trafficking for obvious reasons. I think it is a very touchy subject that both authors and readers may avoid in order to protect their hearts. It’s a horrible practice and if it’s not written with just the right touch can damage someone’s spirit. In my opinion, Constant tackled this topic in a way that is as respectful as

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possible to victims and I don’t feel damaged by reading it. I think she did a phenomenal job in portraying events in a way that was concise and relatable without being overly graphic. Not to say I didn’t still feel horrible for the victim, I totally did, but I didn’t feel like she used unnecessary imagery to get the point across. The further this story goes, the more convoluted Tori’s life gets. Most of the people in her life feel like old friends. I can see why she has them around. They are realistic and relatable. Jim was probably my favorite. I do like Tori’s sense of humor also. It’s dark but not depressing. One of the many things I loved about this story is how Tori is described as appearing. She isn’t the stereotypical gorgeous heroine with flowing locks of golden (or raven) hair. She isn’t in amazing shape. She has the same insecurities that many of us have. She has curves that she doesn’t quite love but has come to terms with. Even the cover of this book shows a woman who isn’t necessarily the epitome of societal perfection. I think she’s beautiful myself, but that’s just me. I like the reality of this imperfect perfect character. It makes her likeable and adds to her personality. She is incredibly humble and I love that about her. The story itself is well written and creative. Eli Constant consistently warps the ideas we usually have about supernatural creatures and gives them their own unique characteristics that I would never have guessed. Overall, despite the sadness I felt over the topic and certain events within the story, I think Garden of Lilies is very well written, moves at a quick but smooth pace and kept my attention from the first few pages. I am looking forward to the other stories in this series and can’t wait to see what happens in the next one.

Hotline to Hell Emily Cyr New Adult/Paranormal Kayel Cleary is a phone sex operator. All she wants to do is get through law school, and if that means late-night phone calls with men who think she’s something she’s not, then so be it. That is, until one of her long-time clients is murdered – and she hears it all.

Fang-Freakin-Tastic Review: It’s no secret that I’ve been a fan of Emily Cyr’s from the beginning. I also have no problem saying when I don’t like something in one of her books. I wasn’t sure how I would feel going into Hotline to Hell. I was worried it would be too romantical for me or something along those lines, but it really wasn’t. My immediate response to phone sex operator isn’t exactly something I would normally read. Luckily, I was willing to give it a chance based on the reliability of her other books.

Cyr does a great job of creating worlds in which the supernatural exist without being cheesy. Her vampires are top notch and thankfully never sparkle. They are brutal and predatory but there is still always a level of humanity (albeit sometimes a very small level) and sexiness to at least one or 2 in each story. So in my opinion, this makes the story that much better. I don’t think vampires were ever meant to be snuggly romantics. They were meant to be violent and scary. Emily Cyr’s vampires mesh the old and new ideas in a way that doesn’t make one way seem any more right or wrong than the other. I like it. In my opinion, Hotline to Hell is one of her best books to date. It shows a creativity that is appreciated while being vaguely realistic. Her monsters aren’t so outrageous to be completely unbelievable. I would say she thinks outside the box, but I’m starting to think it’s more like she just lights the box on fire and basks in the glow. Overall this is a great read. Oh, and I ADORE the cover. It takes a lot for me to comment on a cover, but this truly is a great one.

Kayel has a realistic (at least to me) sense of humor. I think this makes it easier to relate to her as a human and not just a character in a book. She’s snarky and fun and just trying to pay her bills and get through life. She doesn’t need the drama that falls into her lap but ends up with it anyway. The cursing issue she had was a bit bothersome to me bc it seemed to be more of a selective choice. If you are going to avoid cursing, I think you need to commit to it totally, not pick and choose which ones are ok and which aren’t. I think her desire to bring justice to her client who is murdered shows compassion and determination and it shows a sense of her character.

Issue 24 | July 2018 |

Fang-Freakin-Tastic Reviews Zombie Lake Javan Bonds Horror/Humor Mo Collins, the reluctant Hero, has sailed around the country on board the replica pirate ship, the Viva Ancora and now he finds himself only miles from his childhood home. But now the world has gone to hell. Hordes of naked, blue, biting zombies have flooded the now dead Alabama lake town. Mo and his only surviving shipmate, Crow, are surviving. They fish and watch the monsters roam the night; seeking untainted flesh and leaving a disgusting mess in their wake. But when a lone survivor stumbles upon Mo and Crow they gain a new crew member but also find much needed direction. The new comer, Smokes, will change Mo’s view of this zombie infested world forever. Fang-Freakin-Tastic Review: This is the first book I’ve read from Javan Bonds and I have to say I really like his writing style. He takes a bit of horror, a bit of humor, a group of unlikely survivors and adds a pile of “peevies” for a new and interesting form of zombie story. I like how he twists the zombie virus into a plague, thus the name “peevies” = plague victims/PV’s. I thought that was pretty creative and different. Zombie Lake is told in an unusual sort of style. The main character, Mo (short for Elmo) presents the story to us in the form of a journal. As he tells the story, he does it in a way that is completely different from what I’ve seen before. Writing as if their experiences are paralleling a stereotypical zombie movie. From

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the way he labels each of his companions (the savior, the old friends, etc) and referring to “the director”, I’ve never seen anything like it before. The writing itself isn’t amazing, you can see the author needs to improve on some things, but at the same time, since it’s the journal of someone who isn’t declared to be an actual author, I can let this slide. Mo is an inexperienced writer, so it would be understandable for him to not have professional grade writing. Overall, this was a fun book to read. Mo is easy to relate to and I thoroughly enjoyed this book.

Sage’s Eyes V.C. Andrews Gothic Romance Sixteen-year-old Sage is a lonely child. Her adoptive parents watch her obsessively, as if studying her for warning signs of…something. And maybe they’re right to—even she can’t make sense of the strange things she sees and hears. She possesses knowledge that other teenagers don’t, that her parents and teachers—no adult—could possibly have. So when Sage finally makes a friend who understands her alarming gift, he becomes her confidant, a precarious link to the truth about who she really is. For Sage and the alluring new boy at school share many things in common. Perhaps, they’ll learn, far too many things.

great job of keeping true to her writing style. If I didn’t know she had died years ago, I never would have been able to tell the difference. I can’t say there was anything really wrong with this book, I’m sure there are tons of other people out there who will love it, but it just wasn’t completely for me.

Fang-Freakin-Tastic Review: I hadn’t read a VC Andrews book in years. They all seemed to follow a set pattern and it really just stopped appealing to me. I decided to take a chance with Sage’s Eyes. I don’t regret it, but I’m not super stoked either. Sage’s Eyes is about a girl with the ability to see things she shouldn’t. I felt really bad for her throughout the story. She really gets the short end of things, which really isn’t a surprise considering this IS a VC Andrews book. I didn’t love this book, but I didn’t dislike it either. For me, it was really just an ok read. I liked it, but not so much that I was dying to recommend it to everyone I know. The story was interesting, and the writing was as good as I remember it ever being. I liked the supernatural elements that were included, and it did keep me wondering just what was going on. I do think the author writing as VC Andrews did a

Issue 24 | July 2018 |

Myra’s Horror Blog Reviews

Hellborn Gary Brandner Horror Plagued by terrible dreams, Diana Cross consults a psychic, but remains unaware that the demon Astragoth seeks to possess her.

Myra’s Review: Diana has always had psychic powers, which frighten her. She knows when her son needs her, or when she is thinking of someone, they will call. But when she nearly runs into a terrifying figure in a fog, she doesn’t know if it is real or not. Nightmares overcome her sleep and she moves temporarily to a seaside town for a change. Perhaps at Tranquilo Beach she can clear her mind and get back to painting book illustrations for children. She meets an interesting newspaper man in town and they start dating. Also, she makes friends with a group of ladies who are into trying new activities. Things go terribly wrong when Edith, the leader, decides the group should summon a demon in a ceremony. Suddenly people around Diana start coming onto her in a very sexual manner. Unbeknownst to Diana, a demon from hell, Astragoth, has been seeking her, and now he’s on 78 | UncagedBooks.com

her trail after Edith opened the doorway. In centuries past, he was promised a bride by an ancient people, and is drawn to Diana. It is never stated, but it seems as though the heroine is a reincarnation of the original sacrificial bride. Astragoth pursues Diana through those around her, taking possession of their bodies. Each time he fails, he moves on to another human, hoping one can entice her sexually. It is a disgusting process by which Astragoth takes over a person. They are forced to take part in sexual acts that are often abhorrent, including incest. The individual being seduced for the transference is screaming in horror inside while the demon ignites their bodies with sexual desire. Thankfully, using the full power of her psychic abilities, Diana does overcome the beast in the end. At least it appears that way, but there is doubt in her mind. Warning: Disturbing sexual scenes, but something you’d expect from a demon which thrives on carnal encounters. I understand Brandner’s sexual content was shocking when it was published and though people have become accustomed to erotic material in horror novels since then, it is still an unsettling read.

Extinction M.D. Massey SciFi/Dystopian In the eight years since the bombs fell and the dead rose, not once has Scratch Sullivan wanted to hang up his guns and retire from hunting Them. But after failing to save his girlfriend Kara from a fate worse than death, he’s left lost and angry as he faces the heartbreaking absence of his lover and friend. Yet, the apocalypse is a fickle mistress, and fate has more in store for the former spec ops soldier and war vet. And as Scratch faces a new and terrifying threat alongside his remaining companions, he uncovers a sinister plot that threatens the very future of humanity. Myra’s Review: Scratch, Gabby and Bobby are on a scavenger run when they see punters running like a horde of zombies were chasing them. They capture one punter to question as to what’s up; he claims a pack of dcmon dogs are chasing and slaughtering his group members.

his golem creation reappear. After hunting demon dogs and for coven members, the friends check in with the Facility and discover it has been invaded by vamps. A big fight ensues to retake the Sanctuary. Afterward, resuming the search for the Coven, Scratch runs into his old girlfriend, Kara; now turned vampire. He doesn’t know if he can trust her, but she seems to still care for him. They discover the witch is Calypso, a powerful, ancient vampire witch. Scratch blows up the Dallas vampires, then with Kara’s help they destroy Calypso. Afterward, Scratch and Kara decide to go live in peace and quiet on his ranch. It doesn’t take long for their solitude to be shattered by people seeking help, and that will make for another book…I hope. Highly recommended for fans of the THEM series and those who love different paranormal elements in their books – vampires, zombies, werewolves, magical creatures, etc.

Poor Scratch and the other survivors have enough to worry about with fighting vampires, zombies and werewolves. Now they have a new threat to contend with. After tracking the hounds, they discover the beasts are much larger than normal, with huge fangs and also clearly undead. Collin speculates the dogs were created and are controlled by a powerful witch, perhaps even a vampire witch. This makes the problem much worse since these breed of witches are very difficult to kill. Meanwhile, the Dallas Vampire Coven are clearly sending an unending stream of zombies daily against the Facility Sanctuary. Scratch and his friends search for the coven to try and stop them. Thropes from Bobby’s pack join in, as well as the Rabbi and his Golem. It was interesting to see the old magician and

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Myra’s Horror Blog Reviews 900 Miles S. Johnathan Davis Horror John is a killer, but that wasn’t his day job before the Apocalypse. In a harrowing 900 mile race against time to get to his wife just as the dead begin to rise, John, a business man trapped in New York, soon learns that the zombies are the least of his worries, as he sees first-hand the horror of what man is capable of with no rules, no consequences and death at every turn.

Myra’s Review: John was a businessman, in NY for a meeting when the zombie apocalypse started. The scenes in the office building were horrific and shows how quickly being in such an environment, your safety can be gone in no time. Hooking up with Kyle, a security guard probably saved John. The big man knew his stuff, being a former helicopter pilot in the Army. John has one objective, get home to his pregnant wife, who is 900 miles away in Atlanta. He and Kyle make it outside the city after a daring escape, and rescue Michael, an older man they rescued from a downed helicopter. Michael claims he has tickets to Avalon, a safe underground bunker, and he can get them in too. John decided to check it out before heading to his wife; maybe it would be a safe haven for her. Having been in contact by phone messages, he knows she escaped with a friend to a more secure environment; a cabin in the Blue Ridge Mountains.

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The three do find Avalon and John’s radar goes up almost immediately. Not everything is as presented by those who greet them; something feels off to him. They are thrust into an unimaginable battle to the death with zombies in an Arena, reminiscent of the gladiator fights of Rome. The friends do overcome the horrific obstacles with assistance from others at Avalon who organized a coup of the ruling class. John finally makes it to his wife. The ending is sad and not what I hoped for, but this is the zombie apocalypse. Not too many happy endings in these worlds. Recommended for those who love a good zombie tale with a main character who was an ordinary man thrust into heroics by an apocalypse.

Black Virus Bobby Adair Horror Virus. Chaos. Survival. Alienated in a world where he doesn’t fit in, Christian Black survives because he’s different. Then the virus came, and made the world turn different, too.

standable. Recommended for readers who love apocalyptic stories and Bobby Adair fans. Being a huge fan of the Slow Burn series, I was interested in this book and it didn’t disappoint. Although Christian is much different than Zed of the Slow Burn series, I can see shades of the same color. Both characters don’t think highly of themselves and will fight to the death for family (Christian) or friends (Zed).

Now people are dying by the million. Food supplies are short. Riots are blazing through the streets, and Christian’s only goal is to keep his family alive. But safety lies far from the city, and just getting out will be tougher than anyone knows.

Myra’s Review: Christian is different than other teens, even before the virus hit. He knows how to fight and dirty tactics are a given. Plus, he feels no remorse when he takes down an opponent. The black virus invaded the world, affecting both Christian’s parents. Victims slowly lose their mental acuity, some becoming child-like. Many become violent and destructive, taking to the streets, attacking people. Christian and his older brother, Levi, have been taking care of their parents, including feeding their dad like a toddler. Even though Christian is self-described as a non-caring person, he does care for his family. Our young hero meets Jim and his daughter while on a supply run. Those driven crazy by the virus are taking over the streets and it’s getting harder to slip their notice. After a night fraught with danger, they make it back to Christian’s home. He finds Levi dead and his parents unable to cope with this loss. Their twin sons had died earlier with the virus and this was too much for either parent to bear. I don’t want to give away what Christian does; it was both shocking and underIssue 24 | July 2018 |

Amy’s Bookshelf Reviews A Coach and a Miracle Jim Johnson Biographies/Memoirs On February 15, 2006, an autistic high student stunned the world when he entered a basketball game in the dying minutes and proceeded to shoot the lights out. CBS, ESPN, CNN and major news outlets around the world picked up the story, the YouTube video got millions of hits, and the world was fascinated with everything to do with Jason McElwain (J-Mac) Amy’s Review: absolutely magnificent and inspirational I was made aware of this author on the Writer’s Edge with McKensie Stewart’s radio show. I am so honored that the author request that I read this title. This is a very inspirational and heartfelt story that gives a wonderful backstory to the viral youtube video of the autistic boy who played basketball and saved the game. It’s a story that shares the relationship of the coach and the Jason McElwain. It’s a well-written story that tugs on the heart strings of the readers, and it brings to light the accomplishments of J-Mac. It’s an amazing story that should be shared.

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Murder My Darling Gerald Darnell Mystery/Suspense All Carson Reno Mystery Series Books are standalone novels. It is not necessary to read them in any particular order. A famous author is murdered, Carson is at the scene of the crime and considered a prime suspect – but he doesn’t remember anything! Missing manuscripts, a missing diary and strange stories from the past bring an unusual group of characters together in this tangled web of deceit, blackmail and murder. The mystery travels from Memphis to New Orleans, while Carson works to prove his innocence – without success. Amy’s Review: Another great Carson Reno story! Carson is now on the other side of the law, or at least that’s the way it looks. It’s a great new story for Carson, and full of unpredictable twists and mysteries. I am a big fan of Darnell and of course, Carson, so I was very excited to read this new story. It’s one of my favorites of the series, but of course, Carson is one of my favorite characters. It’s a hard-hitting, magnificent bout of storytelling. Couldn’t put it down until the end!

The Wizards of Central Park West Arjay Lewis Paranormal

Shell Game A. B. Funkhauser Humor/Satire

African-American Detective Eddie Berman and his partner Luis Vasquez are brought into the case of a homeless man ripped limb from limb in Central Park. At the crime scene, Eddie discovers a magical walking stick and the victim’s disembodied head which informs him, “You have been summoned!” This brings Eddie into a secret world of wizards, each bearing a staff made from the tree that rested in the Garden of Eden. He must quickly learn to wield enormous powers to confront a demon known as “the great evil” who can manifest in over 300 forms.

Carlos the Wonder Cat lives free, traveling from house to house in a quiet suburban neighborhood. Known by everyone, his idyllic existence is jeopardized when a snarky letter from animal control threatens to punish kitty owners who fail to keep their pets indoors. The $5,000 fine / loss of kitty to THE MAN is draconian and mean, but before Team Carlos can take steps, he is kidnapped by a feline fetishist sex cult obsessed with the films of eccentric Pilsen Güdderammerüng. Stakes are high. Even if Carlos escapes their clutches, can he ever go home?

Amy’s Review: Dark and Magical Yes, this book is very magical, bringing the reader to be transported to a whole new world of magic. There was a real balance of darkness and realm of fantasy with lightness and humor. Lewis brought the characters to life, as he penned the amazing story for these grand characters. Eddie, a police detective, is one of those characters who enters a new realm right in the middle of Central Park, as if he is the chosen one. I was entranced by this story, and it has a great sense of magic and fantasy while also being in the modern world. Couldn’t put it down.

Amy’s Review: Highly imaginative! I really enjoyed this story, especially the premise of not truly knowing who your neighbors all. It’s very imaginative, and the characters had a great depth to them. The story teetered between humor and suspense, more like mysterious. The names of his characters were exceptionally funny and lend a great deal to showing the story to the audience. Magnificent story about Carlos the Wonder Cat ... and so much more! Loved it! Absolutely loved it, and will probably read again.

Issue 24 | July 2018 |

Amy’s Bookshelf Reviews Baby on the Back Porch Lucia Davis Mystery Short

Renegayd David Kraine Fantasy

An old cabin, hidden in the forests of the Northern Cascades, has been a silent witness to mysterious events long forgotten. But sometimes the past has a way of resurfacing.

How far would you go to reach global equality faster?

In search of solace after a personal tragedy, Sara Eriksson exchanges vibrant San Francisco for a small mountain village. Initially, everything at the cabin is just as she imagined: Her new surroundings are breathtaking, and her landlord, David, is kind and helpful. As soon as she’s left alone, however, Sara finds her new home is not quite as peaceful as she’d thought. First she has an unwanted visitor. Then, an unsettling dream… Amy’s Review: Absolutely Charming The book intrigued me when the author was nominated for one of my 2018 Indie Author Appreciation Showcases on my author blog, and the author was nice enough to share the story with me for a review. It’s a remarkable and charming short story that lends to the talent of the author. It has a great depth of its story and characters, and they are very well developed in the story. I enjoyed reading this story, and I did read it in one sitting. It may have been a short story, but it is one that kept me glued to the pages. I look forward to reading more of Davis’s stories, short or long.

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Every gayborhood on Earth hides a closet door to a magic world. Sam is not the first to discover it, but when he does it’s in the early days of a violent revolution for LGBT liberation. The Queen of Witches is building an army, and Sam doesn’t know what’s more frightening: the fact that his “real” world may be in danger, or that he isn’t sure he wants to save it. Amy’s Review: A magnificent journey This book is more than just about magic and revolutions, it’s about the struggle to be who we really are. I found it a wonderful journey that takes the reader into a new world. It’s a struggle of the LGBT rights, and community in this wonderful story into the closet. The metaphors of life are well defined and brought into this adventure and journey. Sam is a remarkable character, and I thoroughly enjoyed this story.

The Sinking of the Angie Piper Chris Riley Sea Adventure Fiction The season starts off strong, and the crew is elated by the bounty of their catch. Then their luck turns. The skies grow dark, the waves swell, and Mother Nature bears down on them with her full arsenal. When the storm finally abates, who will live to tell the tale?

Amy’s Review: Gripping! I read that this is Riley’s debut novel, and what a way to have a debut. It’s a gripping and intense adventure that brings the reader on right onto the ship. The characters are novel and have great connections, and the backstory of the crew makes sense. The path of survival depends on how the crew works together and deal with the obstacles of the raging seas. It’s a story worth reading more than once.

All You Need is Love Various Romance Anthology All You Need Is Love...and books! Are you ready to surrender your emotions to the MM authors of Encompass Ink? Ten talented authors have come together to present a charity anthology benefiting the Human Rights Campaign. With stories ranging from hot and spicy to sweet romance, join us, and show the world that “All You Need Is Love.” Amy’s Review: A hot and sexy collection Some of the authors in this grand collection, I’ve read before, and some are new authors to me. I must say as a collection, this anthology contains stories that fit with each other. Each one of the stories, though, is great on its own merits. So, in this review, I’ll comment on each of these great stories. Note: Please see the full review on Amy’s Bookshelf Reviews.

Issue 24 | July 2018 |

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